Improved Means of Preventing the Sinking of Vessels by Collision or otherwise.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 18th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 1st June, 1889
Improved Means of Preventing the Sinking of Vessels by Collision
or otherwise.
I, WILLIAM DELANEY TRIMBLE TRAVIS of Jacksonville Pike, near Burlington, in
the County of Burlington and State of New Jersey United States of America, Artist
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to prevent vessels from sinking in case of injury
to the hull by collision or otherwise, and it relates to means of buoying up the vessel
in which a series of collapsible buoys are attached to the vessel and are connected with
a compressed air. or other gas supply on the vessel, so that they may be inflated whep
needed.
My Invention is designed to provide for the ready adjustment of the buoys for use
for their secure and safe support when so adjusted and for their stowage out of the
way when not needed.
Along either side of the vessel are arranged series of outside collapsible buoys of
rubber or kindred material which are connected by flexible branch pipes to a common
main pipe running along, and by preference permanently attached to, the corresponding
side of the vessel's deck. Other series of collapsible buoys are preferably also arranged
interiorly along either side of the vessel and are all connected by branch pipes and to
corresponding main pipes. The main pipes communicating with the inside and outside
buoys are all connected to a common receiver which it is preferred to supply with
air under pressure by means of an air pump. The air pump may be arranged to be
operated by a steam or other motor which further may be connected with, so as to
operate, a water force pump for use in extinguishing fires or for other purposes. All
the pipes connected to the receiver are provided with valves so that the distribution of
the compressed air may be controlled by a single person, so as to inflate such of the
series of buoys as may be desired, and in addition each branch pipe in communication
with an outside buoy is provided with a valve so that in case of a disabling injury to
said buoy it may be quickly cut-off from the main circuit and the efficiency of the
remaining buoys thus be unimpaired. Each outside buoy is carried by davits so

page_text: constructed that the buoy may be collapsed and raised against the vessel's side or
elevated above the deck. The construction of the davits is as follows:-Over each
outside buoy is arranged, and to it attached, a curved cap rigidly attached to the
underside of a double-curved plate across the top of which are secured a number of
stiffening bars which are hinged to the ends of corresponding arms whose other
ends are jointed to brackets fixed to the deck of the vessel at the side thereof.
Beneath each buoy is also arranged a curved shield provided with cross-stiffening
bars which are hinged to the stiffening bars of the cap-plate or upper shield, the
buoy being embraced between the upper and lower shields which are thus hinged
together along one side of the buoy. The other ends of the cross-bars of the lower
shield are connected by chains to the upper ends of the respective davit arms, so
as to limit the expansion of the shields between which the buoy is completely en-
closed and by which it is protected from possible rupture when inflated. Brace-bars
or struts are pivoted to the stiffening bars of each cap-plate, and socket abutments
are provided near the upper ends of the davit arins to receive the opposite ends of
the struts which stiffen the connection between the buoys and the davit arms and
thus hold the buoys securely in their working position. The davit arms are, when
lowered against the vessel's side, each received between a pair of eye-lugs projecting
from the side of the vessel and secured to the side of the vessel by a cross-pin.
When the buoys are not needed they may be collapsed and folded against the
vessel's side, by disengaging the braces from their abutments, the buoys being
turned upwards on the joints connecting them to the davit arms. In this position
they are fully protected from injury by the shields. By disengaging the davit arms
from the vessel's side, the buoys and davits may be swung upwards and inboard
upon the davit arms as radii, so as to be wholly out of the way.
The joints connecting the davit arms to the vessel, are preferably made flexible
laterally so that the buoys can be trimmed in accordance with the direction of the
wind so as not to interfere with, but rather assist, the progress of the vessel. The
caps or shields over the buoys may be conveniently utilized for the support of
receptacles for oil to calm. the waves, and more certainly prevent injury to the
buoys.

page_text: I, WILLIAM DELANEY TRIMBLE TRAVIS, of Jacksonville Pike, near Burlington,
in the County of Burlington, and State of New Jersey, United States of America,
Artist 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 :-
This Invention has for its object to prevent vessels from sinking in case of injury
to the hull by collision or otherwise; and it relates to means of buoying up the
vessel, in which a series of collapsible buoys are attached to the vessel and are
connected with a compressed air or other gas supply on the vessel so that they
may be inflated when needed.
My Invention is designed to provide for the ready adjustment of the buoys for use,
for their secure and safe support when so adjusted, and for their stowage out of the
way when not needed; and to this end the invention consists of certain novel features
of construction and combinations of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully described
and distinctly pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification in which figure 1 is a plan view of a vessel provided with my improved
buoying devices when in working position; figure 2 is a side elevation of the same,
one of the buoys being raised out of the way and part being broken out; and figure 3
is an enlarged cross-sectional view, shewing the buoying devices arranged for use on
one side of the vessel and folded up on the other side thereof. Similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Along either side of the marine vessel A, which may be of any description, are
arranged series of outside collapsible buoys B, of rubber or kindred material, which
are connected, by flexible branch pipes C, to a common main pipe D running along,
and by preference permanently attached to, the corresponding side of the vessel's
deck. Other series of collapsible buoys E are preferably also arranged interiorly along
either side of the vessel and are all connected by branch pipes F and to corresponding
main pipes G. The main pipes G and D are all connected to a common receiver H
which it is preferred to supply with air under pressure by means of an air pump 1
connected thereto by a pipe J. The air pump I may be arranged to be operated by a

page_text: steam, or other, motor K which, further, may be connected with, so as to operate, a
water force pump L for use in extinguishing fires or for other purposes. All the
pipes G, D, and J, connected to the receiver H are provided thereat with valves M in
such a manner that the distribution of the compressed air may be controlled by a
single person so as to inflate such of the series of buoys as may be desired and, in
addition, each branch pipe (in communication with an outside buoy B is provided
with a valve N so that in case of a disabling injury to said buoy, it may be quickly
cut off from the main circuit and the efficiency of the remaining buoys thus be
unimpaired.
Each outside buoy is carried by davits so constructed that the buoy may be collapsed
and raised against the vessel's side or elevated above the deck. The construction of
the davits is as follows:-Over each outside buoy B is arranged, and to it is attached,
a curved cap O rigidly attached to the underside of a double-curved plate O! across
the top of which are secured a number of stiffening bars 02 which are hinged to the
ends of corresponding arms 03 whose other ends are jointed to brackets O' fixed to the
deck of the vessel at the side thereof. Beneath each buoy B is also arranged a curved
shield R provided with cross stiffening bars R¹ which are hinged to the stiffening
bars of the cap plate O¹ or upper shield, the buoy being embraced between the
upper and lower shields which are thus hinged together along the one side of the buoy.
The other ends of the cross bars R' of the lower shield are connected by chains S to
the upper ends of the respective davit-arms. Os so as to limit the expansion of the
shields between which the buoy is completely enclosed and by which it is protected
from possible rupture when inflated. Brace-bars, or struts, P are pivoted to the
stiffening bars 0% of each cap plate 0¹ and socket abutments are provided near the
upper ends of the davit arms 08 to receive the opposite ends of the struts P which
stiffen the connection between the buoys and the davit arms and thus hold the buoys
securely in their working position. The davit arms 0 are, when lowered against the
vessel's side, each received between a pair of eye lugs 05 projecting from the side of
the vessel-and-secured to the side of the vessel by a cross-pin 0.
When the buoys B are not needed, they may he collapsed and folded against the
vessel's side by disengaging the braces P from their abutments Q, the buoys being
turned upwards on the joints connecting them to the davit-arms. In this position they
are fully protected from injury, by the caps O and shiolds R. By disengaging the
davit-arms from the vessel's side, the buoys and davits may be swung upwards and
inboard upon the davit arms as radii, so as to be wholly out of the way.
The joints connecting the davit armis 0³ to the vessel are preferably made flexible
laterally so that the buoys can be trimmed in accordance with the direction of the
wind so as not to interfere with, but rather assist, the progress of the vessel. The caps
or shields over the buoys may he conveniently utilized for the support of receptacles
for oil, to calm the waves and more certainly prevent injury to the buoys.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The combination, with a marine vessel, of a number of collapsible inflated buoys
arranged on the outside of the vessel and a folding cap to protect the top of each buoy,
substantially as described.
2. The combination, with a marine vessel, of a number of collapsible buoys arranged
on the outside of the vessel and a folding bottom shield to protect the underside of
each buoy, substantially as described.
3. The combination, with a marine vessel, of a number of collapsible buoys arranged
on the outside of the vessel, a curved buoy cap hinged to the side of the vessel, a
curved bottom shield hinged to each cap, a brace for the cap, and a support for the
free edge of the shield, substantially as described.
4. The combination, with a marine vessel, of a number of collapsible buoys arranged
on the outside of the vessel, a cap for each buoy, davit-arms to which the cap is hinged

page_text: and which are pivoted to the side of the vessel, and locking devices to secure the said
arms detachably to the side of the vessel, substantially as described.
5. The combination, with a marine vessel, of a number of collapsible buoys arranged
on the outside of the same, a folding cap for each buoy, braces pivoted to each cap,
and stationary abutments to hold detachably the upper ends of the braces, substantially
as described.