Improvements in Life-buoys.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 16th Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life-buoys.
We, CONRAD CARL ARTHUR EDWIEN WIESE, of Maxstrasse 24, Hamburg, Ger-
many, Electrical Engineer, and CARL. FERDINAND MAX GRÖSCHNER, of I Kloster-
strasse 6, Hamburg, aforesaid, Merchant, 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: —
There are many difficulties in the way of a more general introduction of hither-
to known life-buoys that are provided with a self-igniting illuminant for use at
night. These are, first, the much too high price charged for all hitherto known
constructions; secondly, the very careful and expensive attention and main-
tenance required; and finally, the fact that in consequence of their complicated
mechanism, which is easily deranged, they often do not act at all.
Now this invention has for object to provide buoys that will obviate these
disadvantages in the simplest manner and by reason of their simple and strong
construction and consequently lower cost of production will cause the more
general introduction of such an absolutely necessary provision for the safety of
travellers.
In a buoy according to this invention the illuminant employed is acetylene gas,
which is generated by the water, which enters when the buoy is immersed, and
the gas so generated is ignited by means of a very simple and ingeniously con-
structed device.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in elevation and partially in
section, an example of a buoy constructed according to this invention whilst
Figs. 2 to 5 show the igniting device to a larger scale.
Such a buoy comprises a floating body 1, (shown in the drawings by way of
example as a spherical body) which is provided with suitable means, as rings 2,
for attaching a larger common life-ring or several small life-belts or the like.
Passed through the floating body 1, or attached thereto above and below, there
is provided a pipe 3, which carries at its lower end a gas generator 4 and at its
upper end a lamp 5. The gas generator 4 is divided by a sieve or filter plate 6
into two chambers, of which the lower is intended to contain the calcium carbide,
which is covered by a plate 7, with sieve tube S surrounding a fine, and if neces-
sary adjustable nozzle 9 through which the water necessary for the production of
the gas enters when the buoy is immersed. Beneath the nozzle 9 there is pro-
vided a ball check valve 10 which is intended to prevent dust and the like from
entering the buoy when not in use. The space above the plate 6 serves for
collecting the gas which passes upwards through a pipe 11 that discharges into a
forked pipe 12, one branch of which leads to a burner 13 and the other to a
rubber bellows device 14. The device 14, during its inflation, turns a lever 15,
suitably and loosely mounted, as on the plug of the cock hereinafter mentioned,
and presses back a retaining spring 16 so that a pin 17 attached to the plug is
released and a spring 18 can come into action, and, by drawing down the plug

page_text: lever 19, open the gas cock 20. When the gas pressure is equalised a spring 21
acting on the lever 15 draws it back to its original position and thereby causes
the rubber device 14, which acts also to a certain degree as an expansion and
safety device for the piping and the gas reservoir, to collapse. This arrangement
is shown in Figs. 2 to 5, Figs. 2 and 3 showing vertical sections through the
upper portion of the buoy, Fig. 4 showing a horizontal section corresponding
to the line A B and Fig. 5 a horizontal section corresponding to the line C D
of Fig. 2. In Fig. 2 the cock 20 is shown in its closed position and the remaining
parts in the corresponding position of rest. In Fig. 3 the cock 20 is shown open
with the rubber device 14 inflated.
The igniting device comprises (a) a source of electricity which is, in the example
shown, a dry element 22, and is placed in the lower portion of the pipe 3; (b)
conducting wires 23 and 24; (e) an igniter 25; and (d) a contact breaker 26.
The igniter consists of a platinum wire interposed in the circuit, and the contact
breaker of a lead wire traversed by the electric current.
The mode of operation of the apparatus is as follows:-As soon as gas is
evolved when the buoy is immersed in the water, the said gas flows through the
pipe 11 and simultaneously under the closed gas-cock 20 and into the rubber
bellows device 14 which becomes inflated, and by means of the lever 15, presses
back the retaining spring 16 which releases the pin 17 on the plug. As soon as
this has occurred the spring 18 draws down the plug lever 19 and thus opens the
gas-cock 20. The lever 19 now enters a forked contact piece 27. and closes the
circuit, which has hitherto been broken, whereby the platinum strip 25 above
the burner 13 is caused to glow and ignite the acetylene gas (whose fame has a
very high candle power) issuing from the burner. The lead wire 26, which is
also located above the burner, is very soon melted by the heat produced and by
this means the circuit is broken, so that the dry element 22 goes out of operation
again after a very short period of activity. Except for occasional renewal of the
calcium carbide used, all that is necessary each time after using the buoy is to
close and secure the cock 20 which is readily accessible from the outside, and to
insert a new lead wire 26, which can be done with little trouble and at a scarcely
appreciable cost.
Instead of the electrical means of ignition described, chemical means such as
lately much used can be employed, there being substituted for the platinum
strip 25 a suitable catalytic body, as spongy platinum, that will glow on contact
with the issuing gas.
An especial advantage of apparatus according to this invention, as compared
with the electrically-lighted life-buoys that have recently been much employed
for use at night, consists in the fact that for feeding it no mechanical source of
electricity, which is usually to be found only on large sea-going steamers, is
necessary, so that for instance, on sailing ships the apparatus can easily be kept
in readiness at all times. This apparatus can even be used on board for purposes
of illumination in consequence of the ease with which it can be handled and
attended to; in this case it is placed permanently under a protecting shade (as
shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1) which serves at the same time as a reflector and
from which it can be easily removed when required. For this purpose a water
reservoir may advantageously be arranged in the interior of the floating body 1,
so that this reservoir can be connected with the nozzle 9 by a flexible tube. Such
an arrangement is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. This comprises a pipe-
like reservoir 28, that is placed in the floating body 1, and has an upper closing
screw 29 for filling it, a lower outlet cock 30, and a flexible tube 31. In the
case of buoys which are not provided with such an arrangement, the small quan-
tity of water necessary for the generation of the gas can be supplied to the
nozzle 9 by other means.
In consequence of its small weight the buoy described can be also used every-
where as a portable makeshift lighting apparatus which, for the general intro-
duction of the same, is of a value not to be underestimated.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. A life-buoy, adapted to be used at night, and to be illuminated by means
of acetylene gas with automatic ignition, in which, when the buoy is immersed,
the gas evolution is caused by the entering water, and the pressure of the gas by
inflating a rubber bellows device (14) closes an electric circuit which causes à
platinum strip (25) to glow and ignite the gas issuing from the burner (13)
whilst the flame produced melts a lead wire (26) and thereby breaks the circuit.
2. A life-buoy according to the preceding claim comprising a floating body 1
that is provided with suitable means, as rings (2), for attaching life-belts and the
like, and with a pipe (3) attached thereto or extending therethrough, whose lower
and longer portion is furnished with the gas generator (4) and the source of
electricity (22) and whose upper portion carries the lamp (5) and the igniting
device.
in a life-buoy according to Claims 1 and 2, the combination of () an igni-
ting device, comprising a rubber bellows device (14) under the pressure of the
gas to be ignited, a platinum igniter (25), and a lead wire (26), of which the
igniter and the lead wire are arranged in a common electrical circuit above the
burner (13), and (b) a plug securing device comprising a lever (15), a retaining
spring (16) and pin (17) so that when the rubber bellows device (14) is inflated by
the gas pressure, the cock (20) is opened and the electrical circuit is closed at the
same time; the platinum igniter (25) glows and ignites the issuing gas whose
flame then melts the lead wire (26) and thereby again breaks the circuit.
4. As a substitute for the electric igniting device according to Claim 3, a
chemical igniting device which consists of an igniter (25) of a suitable catalytic
body, as spongy platinum, that will glow on contact with the issuing gas.
5. In the floating body 1 of a life-buoy according to Claims and 2, the
arrangement of a water reservoir (28) with a filling screw (29) and an outlet
cock (30) which can be connected to the nozzle (9) by a flexible pipe (31) in
order to enable the buoy to be used also for purposes of illumination on board.
6. The improved life-buoy constructed, arranged and operating as hereinbefore
described with reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of October 1899.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.