Improvements in Life Saving Apparatus.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 3rd June, 189'-Accepted, 4th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life Saving Apparatus.
A communication from abroad by Captain CESARE INGARAMO, of Genoa, in the
Kingdom of Italy.
I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester both
in the County of Lancaster and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The great frequency of shipwrecks and the great number of lives which are
thereby lost, are the cause of the great activity which has been displayed in every
part of the world for finding out suitable means for mitigating the effects, and thus
rendering the navigation of seas, rivers and lakes less dangerous. There are a
great many inventions which aim to reach such purpose, among which a very useful
and practical one is the Italian automatic floating apparatus with which splendid
results have been obtained, and which will no doubt render great services to
humanity.
Such apparatus, however, notwithstanding its perfection, lacked a ready and easy
means of being placed within reach of the person or persons in danger of drowning
when at a distance from the shore or from a vessel.
The means so far used for this purpose were simply to secure the services of a
bold and practised swimmer or by the help of a boat to reach the persons in distress
provided the weather and the sea allowed of it, and this often exposed the persons
in distress and the rescue party to greater danger.
The present invention has for its object to supply this long felt want. The
device comprises a hollow ball made in two parts, which open themselves auto-
matically when immersed in the water, and liberate a life saving apparatus,
enclosed in the said ball which inflates itself automatically as soon as it comes in
contact with the water, which ball shaped device may be thrown to the parties in
danger from ship board or from the shore, either by a gun or a spring or
compressed air devices or by hand by means of a sling or by a rocket or
the like.
The device, when closed, may be in the shape of a round ball or it may be of a
conical or spherical shape, according to the manner in which it has to be thrown,
and may be made of any suitable material such as wood, metal, cartonpierre, paste-
board, etcetera. The device is made of two hollow hemispherical parts in which is
enclosed an automatically inflating life-saving apparatus, and this opens itself by
means of strong springs which ensure immediate action, as soon as it comes in
contact with the water. The ball is kept closed by means of a soluble ring, which
destroys itself immediately it comes in contact with the water, thus causing the ball
to be opened by the action of the said springs.
The float, which is enclosed in the device, consists of an india rubber, cylindrical
nbe protected by a cloth covering. In the centre of its flat ends, there are two
alves communicating with the interior, through which are introduced the necessary
quantities of chemical substances capable of producing carbonic acid for inflating
he said float or tube.
Before charging the apparatus with the said chemical substances, it is necessary
hat its centre be twisted so as to maintain apart the two substances introduced on
ach side, until the ball comes in contact with the water.
At opposite ends of the device are four small metallic hooks for keeping it closed
y means of the soluble ring aforesaid.
It has also two small metallic rings to which are fixed two short strings which

page_text: join in one at a given point, thus forming the sling. At the end of the string, there
is a small piece of wood for holding it firmly in the hand.
The mode of using this device is as follows:-
The small piece of wood at the end of the string is taken in the hand, and the
ball is swung round in an orbit by means of the aforesaid string with a force
according to the distance to which it has to be sent, and it is then, at the proper
moment, released so as to travel to the party in danger in the same manner as a
sling, thus rendering him ready and efficient help.
As soon as the device comes in contact with the water, it opens itself automatically
and liberates the float therein enclosed, which also inflates automatically, displacing
a sufficient quantity of water for keeping afloat any person, no matter how heavy
the dresses may be.
The device, when thrown by means of a shell or by a spring or by compressed
air devices or by torpedo boats, is exclusively made of metal and it is kept closed
by various small metal bars kept together in one point by a soluble ring or cap,
which will dissolve itself as soon as in contact with the water. At the opposite
end, the ball is closed by a small metal hook, which opens itself as soon as the
soluble cap has been dissolved.
The device when thrown by a rocket may be made of metal, cartonpierre or
paste board. It is placed on the upper part of the apparatus, which is fired off in
the same manner as an ordinary rocket.
As soon as it falls in the water the ball opens automatically, liberating the float
therein enclosed, which immediately inflates and is capable of keeping any person
nfloat.
It is obvious that the apparatus may be of any desired size.
.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life Saving Apparatus.
A communication from abroad by Captain CESARE INGARAMO, of Genon, in the
Kingdom of Italy.
1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.L.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster and 323 fligh Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :—
The great frequency of shipwrecks and the great number of lives which are
thereby lost are the cause of the great activity which has been displayed in
every part of the world for finding out suitable means for mitigating the effects,
and thus rendering the navigation of seas, rivers and lakes less dangerous. There
are a great many inventions which aim to reach such purpose, among which a
very useful and practical one is the Italian automatic floating apparatus with
which splendid results have been obtained, and which will no doubt render great
services to humanity.
Such apparatus, however, notwithstanding its perfection, lacked a ready and easy
means of being placed within reach of the person or persons in danger of drowning
when at a distance from the shore or from a vessel.
The means so far used for this purpose were simply to secure the services of a
bold and practised swimmer or by the help of a bont to reach the persons in distress,
provided the weather and the sea allowed of it, and this often exposed the persons
in distress and the rescue party to greater danger.

page_text: The present invention has for its object to supply this long felt want. The
levice comprises a hollow ball, made in two parts, which open themselves
utomatically when immersed in the water, and berate a life-saving apparatus,
enclosed in the said ball, which inflates itself automatically as soon as it comes
n contact with the water, which ball-shaped device may be thrown to the
parties in danger from ship board or from the shore, either by a gun or a
pring or compressed air devices, or by hand by means of a sling or by a rocket
or the like.
In the accompanying drawings
17:
Lie water, and berate a me-saving apparatus,
enclosed in the said ball, which inflates itself automatically as soon as it comes
n contact with the water, which ball-shaped device may be thrown to the
barties in danger from ship board or froin the shore, either by a gun or a
Spring or compressed air devices, or by hand by means of a sling or by a rocket
or the like.
--
In the accompanying drawings :-
Figure 1 shows the improved device in the act of opening itself after having come
in contact with the water.
Figure 2 shows the device with the float inflated.
Figure 3 shows the device opened, but with the float not inflated.
Figure 4 shows the device closed ready to be thrown by means of a sling.
Figure 5 shows another form of the apparatus capable of being thrown with a
rocket or the like.
Figure 6 shows a soluble ring for closing the device.
Figure 7 shows the device formed in the shape of a rocket.
The device, when closed, may be in the shape of a round ball, or it may be
of a conical or spherical shape, according to the manner in which it has to be
thrown, and may be made of any suitable material, such as wood, metal, carton-
pierre, pasteboard, etcetera. The device is made of two hollow hemispherical
parts A A, in which is enclosed an automatically inflating life-saving apparatus,
and this opens itself by means of strong springs, which ensure immediate
action, as soon as it comes in contact with the water.
The ball is kept closed by means of a soluble ring (Figure 6), which destroys
itself immediately it comes in contact with the water, thus causing the ball to be
opened by the action of the said springs.
The float, C, which is enclosed in the device, consists of an india rubber,
cylindrical tube protected by a cloth covering c. In the centre of its flat ends,
there are two valves communicating with the interior, through which are introduced
the necessary quantities of chemical substances capable of producing carbonic acid
for inflating the said float or tube.
Before charging the apparatus with the said chemical substances, it is necessary
that its centre be twisted so as to maintain apart the two substances introduced on
each side, until the ball comes in contact with the water.
At opposite ends of the device are four small metallic hooks D, Figure 4, for
keeping it closed by means of the soluble ring aforesaid.
It has also two small metallic rings, to which are fixed two short strings which
join in one at a given point, thus forming the sling. At the end of the string, there
is a small piece of wood d, for holding it firmly in the hand (see Figure 1).
The mode of using this device is as follows:-
The small piece of wood at the end of the string is taken in the hand, and the
ball A is swung round in an orbit by means of the aforesaid string with a force
according to the distance to which it has to be sent, and it is then, at the proper
moment, released so as to travel to the party in danger in the same manner as a
sling, thus rendering him ready and efficient help.
As soon as the device comes in contact with the water, it opens itself automatically
and liberates the float C therein enclosed, which also inflates automatically, displacing
a sufficient quantity of water for keeping afloat any person, no matter how heavy
the dresses may be.
The device, when thrown by means of a shell or by a spring or by compressed air
devices or by torpedo boats, is exclusively made of metal and it is kept closed by various
small metal bars kept together in one point by a soluble ring or cap, (Fig. 6) which
will dissolve itself as soon as in contact with the water. At the opposite end, the
ball is closed by a small metal hook E (Figure 4) which opens itself as soon as the
soluble cap has been dissolved.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, 1 declare that what I claim is :—
A life saving apparatus, consisting of a preferably ball shaped receptacle of any
suitable material, such as metal, wood, tertera, which contains the life saving medium
proper, such as a float, and capable of being thrown in any suitable manner, and so
constructed that when it alights on the surface of the water the receptacle will
become undone allowing the float in become automatically inflated, all arranged
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co
The device when thrown by a rocket may be made of metal, cartonpierre or paste
board. It is placed on the upper part of the apparatus, which is fired off in the
same manner as an ordinary rocket.
As soon as it falls in the water the ball opens automatically, liberating the float
therein enclosed, which immediately inflates and is capable of keeping any person
afloat.