AN IMPROVED ·Life BUOY AND SELF-LIGHTING SIGNAL
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ferdinand Silas, of Park Place West, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED ·Life
BUOY AND SELF-LIGHTING SIGNAL."
Sealed the 2nd October 1874, and dated the 8th April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ferdinand Silas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th April 1874.
I, FERDINAND SILAS, of Park Place West; in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED LIFE BUOY AND SELF-LIGHTING SIGNAL," to be as follows (that
is to say):
-
.
My Invention has for its object an improved construction of life buoy
by fitting within the same a self-inflaming signal for showing a brilliant
light, and facilitating the saving of life at sea; also enabling the said
signal to be employed independently of the buoy for masthead lights
and other light signals on shore; and consists in employing within the

page_text: body of the buoy a cylindrical case fitted with an inner metallic
cartridge charged with phosphide of calcium or barium, and hermetically
closing the same by means of two cocks placed within a vertical pipe
communicating with the cartridge chamber arranged in the centre of the
buoy, so that the aforesaid cocks can be opened simultaneously by
means of a lever attached to the upper one and a connecting rod on
to the arm of the lower one, whilst to the free end of the lever is
attached a cord or chain through the medium of a slip pulley, which,
when the cocks are closed, cannot escape from the curved lever
aforesaid.
The apparatus is suspended by three chains and a rope to the vessel,
and when necessary to launch the same the rope is cut, which causes the
buoy to fall into the water, and by the jerk open the cocks and admit
the water into the cartridge, whereby phosphuretted hydrogen is imme-
diately generated and given off in large quantities from the upper portion
of the vertical pipe or burner aforesaid, and self-ignited by coming
in contact with the outer air so as to burn with an inextinguishable
flame of great brilliancy and of long duration, a heavy metal sheathing
cnclosing the works being employed for giving a steady equipoise to the
instrument in the water.
The above apparatus is employed independently of the buoy for mast-
head and signal lights on shore with slight modifications, such as a ring for
attaching the instrument to a mast or pole, also a reservoir for containing
and supplying water to the phosphides, and actuating the cocks by a cord
from the deck or other position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ferdinand Silas in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th October 1874.
TÓ ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FERDINAND
SILAS, of Park Place West, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Eighth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,

page_text: give and grant unto me, the said Ferdinand Silas, Her special licence
that I, the said Ferdinand Silas, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Ferdinand Silas, my exccutors,
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 "AN IMPROVED
LIPE BUOY AND SELF-LIGHTING SIGNAL," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Ferdinand Silas, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and scals, 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 Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ferdinand Silas, 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
following statement, and the Drawings therein referred to (that is to
say):
My Invention relates to- an improved construction and mode of
employing life buoys by fitting within the same a self-inflaming signal
for showing a brilliant light and facilitating the saving of life at sea;
also enabling parts of the same to be employed independently of the
buoy for masthead lights and other light signals on shore, and consists
in arranging within the body of the buoy a cylindrical case fitted with
an inner metallic cartridge charged with phosphide of calcium or barium,
and hermetically closing the same by means of two cocks placed within
a vertical pipe communicating with the cartridge chamber placed in the
centre of the buoy, so that the aforesaid cocks can be opened simul-
taneously by means of a lever attached to the upper one, and a
connecting rod on to the arm of the lower one, whilst to the free end of
the lever is attached a cord or chain through the medium of a slip
pulley, which when the cocks are closed cannot escape from the curved
lever aforesaid.
The apparatus is suspended by three chains and a rope to the véssel,
and when necessary to launch the same the rope is cut, which causes thé
;

page_text: buoy to fall into the water and by the jerk open the cock and admit the
water into the cartridge, whereby phosphuretted hydrogen is, imme-
diately generated and given off in large quantities from the upper
portion of the vertical pipe or burner aforesaid, and self-ignited by
coming in contact with the outer air so as to burn with an inextinguish-
able flame of great brilliancy and of long duration.
And in order that my said Invention may be more fully understood
and readily carried into effect, I now proceed to describe the same by
aid of the accompanying Drawings, reference being had to the letters
and figures thereon marked (that is to say): -
Fig. 1 represents the buoy partly in section as suspended, in which
B, B, is the cork part of the buoy or body thereof; C, protecting cap to
burner; L, lever with slip pulley; P and R the connecting rod provided
with two ratchet teeth upon its circular head; W, metallic sheathing or
box; and f&g top and bottom nuts.
Fig. 2, transverse vertical section of the apparatus detached from the
buoy in which a & b are the cocks, and R the connecting rod.
Fig. 3, enlarged sectional view of cartridge, representing at P the
space for the phosphide of calcium; T, perforated tube; and 8, 8, screw
plugs.
Fig. 4, enlarged view of the self-acting catch and spring for opening
and closing the cocks, shewing the catch C, lever L, connecting rod R,
and spring S in connection with the ratchet teeth a, a, screws d, d, and
end of catch m.
Fig. 5 shews the buoy floating, fitted with shield plate P, recesses for
water or other provisions R, R, fixing nuts f & g, screw bolts n, n, n, n,
and metallic sheathing W.
And Fig. 6, masthead light signal, in which A is a vessel containing
water; B, phosphide vessel; P, connecting pipe; a, a, cocks; m, the
tube.
In conclusion to the foregoing description, I would here note that the
cocks are opened and closed in the following manner:-The head of the
connecting rod R is provided with two ratchet teeth A, A, Figure 4, a
catch C with pivot screwed on the side of the lever for working the cocks
in connection with a spring S pressing against one of the teeth, the cocks

page_text: being simply closed by pressing back the catch so as to release the first
tooth. A projecting stop from the spring limits the movement so that
the catch cannot pass the second tooth, which is made longer than the
first one, by which the cocks when closed cannot pass further down-
wards. The flat spring is fixed by screws d, d, one of which acts as a
set screw for regulating the tension of the spring. The catch is also
prolonged beyond the pivot, so that the end m thereof shall press against
the connecting rod when the cocks are open, and so regulate the move-
ment of the latter.
And I would again note that in order to facilitate the reloading of the
apparatus after it has been used, separate metallic cartridges containing
the phosphide are furnished along with the buoy. The cartridge itself,
Fig. 3, consists of a cylinder of brass or iron through which passes a
perforated tube T; the holes in the top and bottom of the cylinder
correspond with the water and gas tubes of the apparatus, and are
closed hermetically by screw plugs 8, 8.
To remove the apparatus from the buoy, the nuts f & g and upper
shield or plate are taken away, and the four nuts also unscrewed, and
connecting rod withdrawn, the case opened, and the cartridge taken out
and a new one substituted. The apparatus is attached to the buoy by
four bolts to the metallic sheathing, through the bottom of which pro-
jects the pipe for supplying water to the cartridge and is fastened by
the nut g.
In addition to the upper shield or plate PI propose to use a shell
shaped metallic covering to envelope the whole gas tube and protect it
from rain or otherwise, in which case the rope and slip pulley P before
mentioned would be done away with, and the lever connected with a
loop attached to the interior of the covering.
And I would lastly further note, that the apparatus may be rendered
buoyant in itself and used independently of the buoy by supplying air,
cork, or other suitable material to the vessel containing the phosphide,
and thus take the shape of a life-saving rocket and carry a line similar
to other life-saving rockets.
The apparatus may also be connected and used with an oxygen
gasometer or air pump and employed as a submarine light, or in like
manner for a poweful signal light at sea or on land, and carried

page_text: Fifthly, and lastly. The use of the aforesaid apparatus connected with
an oxygen supplier as a powerful light to be carried by balloons, para-
chutes, rockets, or other means convenient for elevating the light at a
considerable height or for throwing it on a given spot.
In witness whercof, I, the said Ferdinand Silas, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
FERDINAND SILAS. (L.S.)