IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BUOYS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Beverley, of the City and County of
Aberdeen, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LIFE BUOYS."
Sealed the 10th July 1874, and dated the 13th January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Beverley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th January 1874.
.
I, WILLIAM BEVERLEY, of the City and County of Aberdeen, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LIFE Buoys," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention, which relates to improvements in circular or annular
life buoys, such as are used by persons shipwrecked or otherwise cast
into the sea, has for its object to avoid the necessity of lashing the buoy
to the body, which as such buoys are at present constructed is found
requisite, and the effecting of which imposes serious difficulties to a
person in the water.

page_text: The improvement consists in adapting to the ordinary circular or
annular life buoy an elastic ring of caoutchouc or other similar material,
which is fastened to the inner part of the buoy by a series of smaller
rings or equivalent attachments. When the buoy is thrown to a person
in the water the act of such person laying hold of it by the ordinary life
line causes it to cant upwards so that the person can place the arms and
head through the large clastic ring, and which by virtue of its elasticity
immediately tightens itself around the person's body, giving instant
support, and avoiding the exhaustion due to the attaching of such buoys
to the body as these have been hitherto constructed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Beverley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BEVERLEY, of the City and County of Aberdeen, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of January, in the of
year
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the 37th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Beverley, Her special license that I,
the said William Beverley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Beverley, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE Buoys," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Beverley, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Beverley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention, which relates to improvements in circular or
annular life buoys, such as are used by persons shipwrecked or otherwise
cast into the sea, has for its object to avoid the necessity of lashing the
buoy to the body, which as such buoys are at present constructed is
found requisite, and the effecting of which imposes serious difficulties to
a person in the water.
The improvement constituting my said Invention consists in adapting
to the ordinary circular or annular life buoy an elastic ring of caoutchouc
or other similar material, which is fastened to the inner part of the buoy
by a series of smaller rings or equivalent attachments.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings and
to the letters and figure marked thereon, that is to say :-
The Figure on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended represents a
plan of an ordinary circular or annular cork life buoy, showing the
improvement constituting my said Invention applied thereto, and which
consists of a ring A of caoutchouc or other elastic material secured in
the space enclosed by the inner circle of the buoy by rings B of metal or
other material either elastic or non-elastic, through which the elastic
ring A is passed. The rings B are also passed through rings C secured
to the life buoy by the lashings or cords D, by which the life line E is
also attached to the outer periphery of the buoy. By means of this
arrangement when the life buoy is thrown to a person in the water such
person by grasping the life line E cants or tilts up the buoy, thereby
permitting of the head and arms being with facility passed through the
elastic ring A, which being effected the ring A encircles the body under
the shoulders and clasps it tightly enough to retain the life buoy in
position, leaving the hands and arms free to afford protection from
danger, or to grasp a rope or line if thrown from a ship or boat, which

page_text: freedom of action does not obtain with the ordinary life buoy held in
position by the hands and arms.
The elastic self-suspending apparatus may also be applied in manner
substantially similar to that herein-before described to arrangements of
buoys other than the ordinary circular or annular cork life buoy. For
example it may be adapted to soft or flexible circular or annular buoys
composed of granular cork covered with feathers, and with an outer
casing of leather, linen, or other suitable material, which buoys whilst
on board ship may be used as pillows or cushions for the head in reposing
or reclining during the night or otherwise, and which in the event of
collision or shipwreck may afford independent floating power to all on
board the vessel, the buoy being passed over the head and shoulders
previous to immersion or when accident is imminent, and retained in
position by the elastic suspending apparatus shewn on the Drawings.
In lieu of attaching the elastic suspending apparatus to the buoy by
means of rings, as shewn at B, C, on the accompanying Drawings, cords
or bands of cloth may be employed for that purpose.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe
in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and there-
fore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the adaptation to circular or annular buoys
employed in saving life at sea of a ring of caoutchouc or other elastic
material, whereby the buoy is rendered self-suspending round the body
of the person immersed, as hercin-before described and shewn on the
appended Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Beverley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of July One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-four.