Improvements in or Applicable to the Manufacture of Life-saving Buoys.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan.,
1889
Specification Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Applicable to the Manufacture of Life-saving
Buoys.
I. FRANCIS WENTWORTH BREWSTER, of Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturer of Life-Saving Appliances, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion 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 reference to the manufacture of circular life-saving buoys and
consists in moulding the body part of such devices from cork-concrete (a cork com-
pound forming the subject of my application for Letters Patent No. 144 of 1888) or
from any other suitable cork compound or from any other suitable buoyant compound
or buoyant material, in the manner and by the means hereinafter described, and in the
hereinafter described arrangement of apparatus applicable for such purpose, and in
the application and use of such apparatus for such purpose.
The hereinafter described arrangement of apparatus possesses the advantages of
simplicity, strength and inexpensiveness of construction, and permits of all necessary
access and of easy manipulation, and the application and use thereof in carrying out
the method of manufacture hereinafter described is effective in simplifying, expediting
and lessening the cost of manufacture of such buoys.
On the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1. and 2. represent elevations of such apparatus
showing the same partly in section and illustrating the method of operation. Fig. 3.
represents an entire plan view thereof.
The apparatus consists essentially of oppositely movable top and bottom annular
moulds, 4. 5. which may be made of cast steel or of any other suitable metal or material,
and of any required dimensions depending upon those of the required buoy; the interior
of the combined moulds being made in cross section of the required contour of the buoy in
cross section. The moulds, 4, 5, are adapted to work in a vertical direction truly
between inner and outer concentric cylindrical casings, 6, 7, which serve the two-fold
purpose of guiding the moulds and keeping them in exact oppositeness and of acting
together with the bottom mould in confining the material, 8, to be moulded in the
required position for being treated between the opposite moulds, vide Fig. 1.

page_text: The bottom mould may rest directly upon a supporting table, 9, or it may be made
integral with a continuous foot ring or with any required number of feet, 10, which may
rest on such table.
The top mould may also be made integral with bosses or projecting parts, 11, into
which a series of removable pillars, 12, may be screwed or to which they may be
bolted or otherwise suitably secured, and such mould may also be made integral with
perforated lugs, 13, by means of which and of chains, 21, or the like connected thereto
from any convenient overhead appliance, the top mould may in the operation of the
apparatus be lowered towards and raised from the bottom mould, vide Fig. 1.
The opposite inner and outer peripheral edges of the moulds, 4, 5, are preferably
made knife-edged, as at, 22, so as, in the hereinafter described operation of the
apparatus, to be effective in causing an excision of any of the material being compressed
which may exude from between the moulds.
The inner and outer peripheral sides of the moulds are made concentric and cylin-
drical, as at, 14, in such a manner that the moulds may work piston-like yet snugly
between the said concentric casings, 6, 7.
The inner casing, 6, is made ontire and rests on the table, 9, it may be of a depth
a little less than the distance between the table and the top of the pillars, 12, when the
moulds, 4, 5, occupy the position represented in Fig. 2. at the conclusion of the moulding
process, or the casing may be made of any other suitable depth.
The outer casing, 7, is made in sections so that it may be opened apart as herein-
after described, such sections being hinged, as at, 15, and provided at an opposite part,
as at, 16, with any suitable means by which the sections can be clamped together
during the operation of the apparatus.
In the operation of the apparatus in the manufacture of a buoy, the top mould is
raised by such means as aforesaid from above the bottom mould, and sufficiently clear
of the concentric casings, 6, 7, to permit of a quantity (sufficient to form the buoy)
of the cork concrete, 8, in a heated plastic condition, or of the other suitable material
from which the buoy is intended to be moulded, being placed in the annular
chamber, 17, formed between the said casings, 6, 7, and above the bottom mould,
such material resting on the latter, vide Fig. 1. The top mould is then lowered
onto the material, 8, and the opposite moulds, are then forcibly compressed together
until their edges meet in true contact, this operation being effective in compressing
the said material, 8, into a homogeneous annular mass, 18, intended to form the body
part of the completed buoy, vide Fig. 2.
Upon the completion of such process the casing, 7, may be unfastened and
opened apart, vide Fig. 3, and if the material, 8, was not used in a heated condi-
tion or is of such a nature that the compression thereof will sufficiently solidify it
to permit of its immediate removal the top mould may be raised and the moulded
ring, 18, removed, after which the aforesaid operation may be repeated, but if the
material, 8, was used in a heated condition and further time would be required for
cooling the same or the moulds before removal of the moulded ring then such time
may he saved as regards the further use of the apparatus, by-after opening the
casing, 7, as aforesaid to permit of access being obtained to the moulds, clamping
the latter together, (while under pressure) by clamping pieces, 20, as shown in
dotted lines in Figs. 2, and, 3. after which the pressure may be removed from the
moulds, whereupon the clamped moulds may be drawn from under the press and
hoisted by such means 21, as aforesaid and plunged into cold water which will
cause the speedy cooling of the moulds and contained material, after which the
clamps, 20, may be removed, the moulds opened apart and the moulded ring, 18,
removed. The bottom mould may then be replaced between the casings, 6, 7, and
the moulds re-used as aforesaid.
If the material, 8, used is of such a nature as to render it necessary or advisable
that any vent should be allowed for any escape of air or of a possible surcharge of the
material, the moulds may be formed with any suitable number of vent openings, 19,
disposed where of most advantage.
Any suitable number of moulds operating as aforesaid may be superposed between a

page_text: pair of casings, 6, 7, of sufficient depth, the material, 8, being placed between each
adjacent pair of moulds successively, after which the series of moulds may be com-
pressed at one operation. In using a series of moulds in such manner, the pillars, 12,
may advantageously be removed.
The compressing of the moulds may be effected by means of a hydraulic press or a
screw press or any other suitable form of press or in any suitable apparatus. In the
use of a hydraulic press the table, 9, may be secured to or acted upon by the ram of
the press, the compression of the material between the moulds thon being effected by
forcing up
the table carrying the bottom mould and the resistance against the move-
ment of the top mould being offered by any convenient overhead fixed part. Or if a
screw press be used the said table may be fixed and offer the required resistance and
the top mould be forced down on to the bottom mould.
Should it be required to form a hollow buoy according to the present improvements,
I, in such case introduce between the moulds, concentric therewith and at the middle
of the thickness of the mass, 8, to be moulded, a core consisting say of an annular
tube of tin or other suitable metal or material as dotted at, 23, and in like manner the
strength of the buoy may be increased if required by the application and use of such
a core, or of a solid core composed of a ring of rope, or of wood or of any other
suitable material, about which the material, 8, may be compressed as aforesaid.
The moulded ring formed as aforesaid is subsequently sewn up in a canvas jacket
and is paintod and furnished with life lines in a usual manner and is then a complete
and efficient usable buoy.
4
Life-buoys constructed according to the hereinbefore described improvements satisfy
all the requirements and possess all the attributes of efficient life-saving buoys, and
can be manufactured at much less cost than the ordinary or regulation life-buoys
constructed of cork.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
。
1. The manufacture of the body parts of circular life-saving buoys by moulding the
same from cork-concrete or from any other suitable cork compound or from any other
suitable buoyant compound or buoyant material, in the manner and by the means
hereinbefore described.
2. The manufacture of the body parts of circular life-saving buoys by moulding the
same from cork-concrete or from any other suitable cork compound or from any other
suitable buoyant compound or buoyant material with an interposed solid or hollow
core of any suitable nature and material in the manner and by the means herein before
described.
3. The hereinbefore described arrangement of apparatus for moulding the body parts
of circular life-saving buoys.
4. The application and use of apparatus of the arrangement hereinbefore described
for moulding the body parts of circular life-saving buoys.
5. In apparatus used for moulding the body parts of circular life-saving buoys, the
use in combination of oppositely movable top and bottom circular moulds with an
inner cylindrical casing and with an outer concentric opening casing such moulds
being adapted to work in a vertical direction truly between such casings substantially
as hereinbefore described.
1
1080
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.