Improved Device for Saving Life at Sea.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Device for Saving Life at Sea.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM MARSH, of St. Peters Road, Petersfield, in the County-of
Hants, Master Baker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object means whereby persons may support themselves in
the water should the vessel by which they are travelling be wrecked or sink.
For this purpose I mount in suitable bearings attached to the deck or other part
of the vessel one or any suitable number of drums or rollers. On each of these drums
I wind a hawser, rope, cord, or the like, of such length that it will extend from the
surface of the water to the vessel should the latter sink, and which might in some
cases be made strong enough to give the Engineers means to raise some smaller
vessels or boats and assist to raise larger. One end of each of these ropes or the like
is secured to the drum, whilst its opposite end is attached to a circular or other
suitably shaped float of such size and buoyancy that one or more persons may support
themselves therefrom in the water.
Where desired such floats may have part of their interior utilized for the storage of
foodstuffs and other articles, which may be found useful under the circumstances in
which such floats would be utilized, whilst they might further be supplied with an
electric or other lamp.
With such an arrangement, should the vessel sink the floats would remain on the
surface of the water, and would be prevented from drifting by the line connecting
them to the drum, which will unwind as the vessel sinks.
Improved Device for Saving Life at Sea.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM MARSH, of St. Peters Road, Petersfield, in the County of
Hants, Master Baker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
O manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object means whereby persons may support themselves in
the water should the vessel by which they are travelling be wrecked or sink.
For this purpose I mount in suitable bearings attached to the deck or other part
5 of the vessel, one or any suitable number of drums or rollers. On each of these
071

page_text: drums I wind a hawser, rope, cord, or the like, of such length that it will extend
from the surface of the water to the vessel, should the latter sink. One end of each
of these ropes or the like is secured to the drum, whilst its opposite end is attached
to a circular or other suitably shaped float of such size and buoyancy that one or
more persons may support themselves in the water.
Where desired such floats may have part of their interior utilized for the storage
of foodstuffs and other articles, which may be found useful under the circumstances
in which such floats would be utilized, whilst they might further be supplied with an
electric or other lamp.
With such an arrangement, should the vessel sink the floats would remain on the
surface of the water, and would.be prevented from drifting by the line connecting
them to the drum, which will unwind as the vessel sinks.
I will now proceed to further describe my invention in connection with the
accompanying drawings, in which the same letters of reference indicate like parts in
both the figures.
"
(.. Fig. 1 shows a portion of the bulwark of a ship having a drum or roller a mounted
in suitable bearings in a bracket b attached thereto. A cord, rope, or the like c iş
wound upon the drum a and has one end thereof attached to the said drum, and the
öther end thereof attached in any convenient way to a buoy such as d. This buoy
is normally secured in position when the vessel is afloat by any suitable means such
as the hook e, which latter may be placed in any convenient part of the ship and is
so arranged that should the ship sink, the said buoy will instantly float to the
surface.
The buoy & may be of ordinary construction, or may be formed with a receptacle
therein or attached thereto, in which provisions may be stored.
The buoy may also be provided with a light.
Fig. 2 shows a sunken ship, the buoys d of which are attached thereto according to
this invention and are shown as having floated to the surface of the water. It is
obvious that any length of cord, rope, or the like may be employed, and that such
cord or rope may be of any suitable thickness, for instance, it may be of sufficient
thickness to afford a means for raising or assisting in the raising of small sunken
vessels, or part of vessels where the most valuables might be stored.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
The attachment of a life or other buoy or buoys or the like to any floating vessel
in such a way that, should such vessel sink or become submerged, the said buoy or
buoys or the like will float to the surface of the water while still remaining attached
to such vessel by means of a suitable cord, rope, or the like, substantially as herein
described and illustrated.