AN IM- PROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE POSITION OF SUNKEN SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Sutton, of Salford, in the County of Lan-
caster, Rope and Twine Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IM-
PROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE POSITION OF SUNKEN
SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS."
Sealed the 11th March 1862, and dated the 13th September 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Sutton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
September 1861.
I, CHARLES SUTTON, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Rope and Twine
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE POSITION OF SUNKEN
SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in applying to ships or other such vessels a buoy or
other body capable of floating, and in connecting the same to the vessel by a
rope capable of unwinding from a reel or similar apparatus, so that as the ship
.sinks the said rope will be unwound, and allow the floating body to rise. To
the reel I apply a weighted lever, which will prevent the rope from unwinding
when the surface of the water is attained by the buoy.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by tho said Charles Sutton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th March 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
SUTTON, of Salford, in tho County of Lancaster, Rope and Twino Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Sutton, Her special license that, I, the said Charles
Sutton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Charles Sutton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN INDICATING THE POSITION OF SUNKEN SHIPS OR OTHER SUCH VESSELS,"
upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said Charles Sutton, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Oflice within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Sutton, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement (and accompanying Drawings, that is to say) :-
My Invention consists in applying to ships or other such vessels a buoy or
other body capable of floating, and in connecting the same to the ship or vessel
by a rope capable of unwinding from a reel or similar apparatus, so that as
the ship or vessel sinks the said rope will be unwound, and allow the floating
body to rise.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents, in side elevation, a method
by which my Invention may be carried into practical operation; Fig. 2 is a
section thereof, taken at right angles to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view, partly in
section, taken at right angles to Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a top view. At a is
the framework of the apparatus, bolted to the deck or other part of the vessel.

page_text: Upon this framework are mounted standards c, carrying a rope d, upon which
the buoy e rests. To the bottom of the buoy is attached a rope f, which after
passing through a guide g is wound upon a reel h mounted upon an axis
which turns in the framing a. The guide g is mounted upon a bar i, and is
capable of sliding to and fro thereon, and the rope f is therefore caused to
proceed regularly from the reel when it is unwound therefrom. Upon the
axis of the reel are pulleys k, over which ropes 1 pass, one end of each rope
being connected to the framework, and the other to a spring m; this arrange-
ment constituting a brake is for preventing the buoy from being carried away
when it has attained the surface of the water. Or instead of this arrangement
a pulley and strap may be employed, to the latter of which a weighted lever is
connected; or the break may be otherwise constructed. Supposing a ship or
vessel provided with this apparatus should sink, the buoy will immediately
begin to rise, unwinding the rope f from the reel h, and constantly keeping on
the surface of the water; the position of the sunken ship or vessel will
therefore be indicated, and the brake acts, as before mentioned, to keep the
buoy over the ship or vessel. The buoy may be constructed in any desired
manner in the Drawing; we have shewn it as capable of being unscrewed
at n, and within is a net, which may be used for the reception of letters or
other property.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood.
that I claim as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters Patent,
and for the purpose above set forth, the use of a buoy or other such floating
body combined with a rope, chain, or other such connexion capable of
unwinding from apparatus attached to the vessel.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Sutton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
CHARLES SUTTON. (L.S.)