An Improved Life-buoy or Preserver.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 21st Sept., 1891-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Life-buoy or Preserver.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Joseph Grant, of Gloucester, Massachusetts,
U.S.A. Inventor,) to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to an improved life-buoy or preserver, which, when
occasion requires can be opened to form a kind of boat, by means of which wrecked
persons can keep themselves afloat, and possibly reach land. The improved buoy
consists of a solid oval-shaped piece of material, of cork or other unsinkable
substance. The buoy is formed in two halves which are hinged at the narrow end
by a suitable fastening device, so that when closed they form the complete oval or
egg-shape, and when open they form two boat-like rafts.. A strap has one of its
ends secured to the flat surface of one half of the buoy, and its other end secured to
the end of the other half of the buoy, for the purpose of preventing the buoy
opening too far. A flag or other signal is secured to the upper part of the buoy,
to enable it to be readily seen when floating. Each half of the buoy is weighted
in such manner, that when closed and floating it will float with one end carrying
the flag upwards.
Dated this 20th day of December 1890.
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Life-buoy or Preserver.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Joseph Grant, of Gloucester, Massachusetts,
U.S.A. Inventor,) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-.
My invention relates to an improvement in life-buoys or preservers; and it
consists in the combination and arrangement of parts which will be fully described
hereinafter.
The object of my invention is to provide a life-buoy or preserver which has been
thrown to persons overboard, and which is adapted to either be attached to the
person, or used as a boat.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a life-buoy or preserver which embodies my invention,
the parts being shown partly separated in dotted lines.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the buoy, showing it opened out so as to form
a boat.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the buoy when opened.
A represents the two parts of the buoy which are longitudinal sections of an
oval, as shown, and which are made of cork or any other suitable light material,
and hinged at their lower ends and provided with the weights M, which are secured
to their inner lower ends in any suitable manner so as to set upright in the water.
These two parts when closed are fastened at their upper ends by means of the
hook B and an elastic band, or other similar catch C, which is provided with a
hand-piece D, so as to enable the catch to be quickly released from the hook by the
person floating in the water and to whom the buoy is thrown. To each of the

page_text: parts A on its outer side is attached a loop G to enable the person in the water to
catch hold of the buoy, and to enable the buoy to be freely carried around. In the
inner side of each part A is made a suitable groove H, and into the upper end of
this groove is inserted a flag-staff or rod I, which projects any suitable distance
above the buoy, so as to attract attention to it when thrown overboard and to
attract attention to a person floating in the water upon the buoy. The lower end
of this rod or staff is provided with a ring J, and through this ring is passed a cord
or wire L which is fastened on its ends to the inner side of one of the parts A. This
.flag can be turned up on end when the buoy is opened so as to form a boat, and
this attract attention.
Fastened to the inner side of each of the parts of the buoy is an elastic strap O,
which serves both as a means for holding the two parts A in a straight line with
each other when these parts are opened out to their full extent for the purpose of
forming a boat.
These buoys can be made of any size desired, and are made of cork or somewhat
similar light material that will readily support a person in the water. Owing to
the fact that they set upright in the water and are provided with a flag or other
similar device for attracting attention, they can be seen for a long distance away.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
1. A life-preserver consisting of two longitudinal sections of an oval form, having
weights at and hinged together at their lower ends, and a catch at their upper ends,
substantially-as shown-and-described.
2: A-life-preserver.consisting of two longitudinal solid sections-of-an-oval-form,
having a longitudinal groove upon their inner faces, hinged-together-and-weighted
at their lower ends and a catch or fastening at their upper ends, substantially as
specified.
3. In a life-preserver, the combination, with two longitudinal sections hinged
together at one of their ends, and weights secured thereto at their hinged ends, of a
strap which has its ends connected to the section upon opposite-sides-of-the-hinge,
_substantially as shown.
4. A life-preserver consisting of-two-longitudinal sections hinged together at one
of their ends, and weights secured thereto at their hinged ends, whereby they are
adapted to be opened out in a line with each other to form a boat, substantially as
described.
Dated this 20th day of September 1891.
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.