Improvement in Devices for Locating Sunken Articles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 6th Jan., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Devices for Locating Sunken Articles.
We, THOMAS JOSEPH MORIARTY, and Joux THOMAS REAGAN, both of Newport,
in the County of Newport and State of Ithode Island, United States of America,
Gentlemen, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner :
The same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention relates to new and useful improvements for locating sunken
articles, and consists in the provision of a buoy which is housed in a suitable
receptacle, and anchored to the article which is sunken, by means of a cord,
which has one end secured to the casing, the other end to the buoy, and wound
about the latter, means being provided, whereby said buoy may be released from
its casing which is carried by the sunken article, means being provided for
automatically releasing the cover of the casing by hydrostatic pressure while
under water, in conjunction with clock-mechanism, which may he set so as to
allow retaining bolts to be withdrawn at a predetermined time.
More specifically the present invention consists in the provision of a device for
indicating the location of sunken articles such as torpedoes, fire-arms of various
kinds, lobster pots, fish-cans, etc., and consists in confining within a casing a
buoy, about which is reeled a cord, which cord is anchored to the casing, the
latter being of such size as to be readily fitted into the article, the location of
which is to be indicated, said casing containing a clockwork, which is designed
to withdraw a retaining-bolt, and a spring-actuated piston, which has connection
with a second releasing-bolt, whereby the pressure of water upon the piston-head
will cause the second bolt to withdraw from its engaging relation with the cover
of the casing whereby the buoy will be allowed to leave the casing and float to
the surface of the water, thus forming an indication of the sunken article.
To these ends, and to such others as the invention may pertain, the same con-
Bists further in the novel construction, arrangement and adaptation of parts, as
will be hereinafter more fully described, and 'then specifically defined in the
appended claims.
The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which,
with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this application, and
in which drawings, similar letters of reference indicate liko parts throughout the
several views, in which :-
Figure 1, is a sectional view through the casing, the buoys and piston con-
tained therein,
Figure 2, is an end view of the casing, showing the cover removed.
Figure 3, is a sectional view through a portion of the stock of a gun, showing
the device as applied to the stock.
Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates
the casing containing our improved mechanism which may be made of any suit-
able-shape for the purpose for which it may be designed, and in the present
instance we have shown the casing as cylindrical and adapted to be fitted within

page_text: an automobile torpedo or any other article, the location of which it is desired to
be dotermined when sunken. This casing contains the buoy B, about which is
reeled a rope C, one end of which is connected to the casing as at C, its other
end to the buoy as at C. Said casing has a cover D, which is hinged at D' to
the casing, and is provided with two catches 13 and D³, which are engaged by
the spring-actuated bolts E and F. The bolt E has a series of rack-teeth E¹ at
one end, which teeth are designed to mesh with the teeth g of the pinion-wheel G,
which is mounted on the shaft G of the clockwork mechanism which is con-
tained within the compartment II of the casing. This clockwork mechanism is
of the ordinary construction common in alarm mechanisms, and so arranged,
that it may be set to go off at any stated time, and cause the bolt E to be dis-
engaged from the notch D³. As no novelty is claimed for this clock-mechanism,
no detailed illustration or further description of this mechanism is deemed
necessary.
On one side of the casing is a cylinder K, in which works a piston J, which is
acted upon by a spring L in the lower part of said cylinder, the tension of which
spring serves to keep the piston J normally at its highest limit, but allowing
the same to be depressed under tension of the spring when the device is sunken,
and acted upon by the pressure of the water bearing upon the upper face of said
piston. Mounted in said cylinder and connected to the piston, is the rod M,
the upper end of which is connected at n to the segment N, which has a series of
teeth N, which are adapted to mesh with the teeth on the spring-actuated
bolt F, as the piston is depressed, thus causing said bolt to disengage with the
notch D³ with which it normally engages when the apparatus is in shape for
use.
At the lower end of said cylinder, is a drip-cock Q, whereby the water which
may enter the space in the cylinder below the piston, may be drawn off. In
order to release the buoy from its casing when the cover is opened, a spring R
is provided, the free end of which bears yieldingly against the lower end of the
buoy, while its other end is secured at R to the casing.
In operation, when the device is used in connection with automobile torpedoes
and it is desired to have the apparatus operate at a given moment, the clockwork
is set accordingly, to cause the bolt E to be released at a predetermined time,
and in case the torpedo should come to the surface at the time the clockwork is
set for releasing the lever E, the latter will be released, but the second sliding
bolt will not bo actuated, hence the cover will not be released allowing the buoy
to escape from its enclosure, but should it happen that the torpedo should sink,
the bolt E being released, the pressure of the water against the piston J will
cause the latter to be depressed against the tension of the spring L, thereby
releasing the bolt F and the cover will open. As the cover opens, the spring R
will throw the buoy out, which buoy being made of buoyant material, will rise
to the surface, and as it rises, the rope contained about its body-portion will
unreel, and the sunken object will be indicated by the presence of the buoy on the
surface of the water.
While we have not described any particular form of buoy to be used in con-
nection with the apparatus, still we preferably utilize a buoy which when in its
confined position in the casing may be telescoped, and when released will open
out as shown in the drawings, thus offering a conspicuous object when it reaches
the surface of the water.
It is our purpose to utilize the improved device in connection with various
articles, and by simple modifications, make it applicable to small fire-arms in
which the casing may be placed within the stock of the gun or in connection with
any object which is heavier than the water, and will sink. In the drawings it
will be noted that an aperture S leads through from the compartment containing
the buoy into the cylinder, also an aperture T leading through the cover into
the upper end of the cylinder, wheroby water may readily pass into the cylinder
for the purpose of causing the piston J to the depressed in the act of releasing

page_text: the bolt from engagement with the latch carried at the free end of the hinged-
cover.
When the device is used in connection with the stock of a gun, as shown in
Figure 3 of the drawings, but the one latch E is employed, which is engaged by
the tilting-lever S, fulcrumed on the pin St, and having a hook Sengaging with
said catch, while the other end of said lever is pivoted directly to the piston-
rod J, so that when the plunger in the piston-cylinder is acted upon by the
pressure of the water, the lever S is tilted and the cover to the casing released,
and the spring R will throw the buoy out, and as it rises to the surface of the
water, the rope will unreel, as will be understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A device for locating sunken articles, comprising a buoy, which is confined
within a suitable casing and having releasing bolts whereby said buoy may be
allowed to leave its enclosure and float to the surface of the water, said releasing
bolts being actuated at a predetermined moment and by mechanism acted upon
by pressure of the water, as shown and described.
2. A device for indicating the location of sunken articles, comprising a casing,
a buoy with rope reeled thercon and anchored to said casing, a hinged cover and
retaining bolt engaging therewith and a piston which is acted upon by the
pressure of the water and means between said piston and a retaining bolt for
releasing the latter as the piston is depressed.
3. A device for indicating the location of sunken articles comprising a casing,
a hinged cover therefor, the buoy and rope anchoring the same to said casing,
the retaining bolt and means connected thereto for releasing same at a predeter-
mined moment, combined with a piston, a second bolt engaging with a catch on
the cover, a toothed segment engaging with said bolt, and a lever connecting the
rack-bar with the piston whereby as the piston is depressed said catch engaging
bolt may be released and the buoy allowed to escape from its enclosure and rise
to the surface, as set forth.
4. A device for locating articles which are sunken in the water, consisting of
a casing, a buoy anchored therein, and having a rope connection between same
and the casing, means for automatically opening the cover to the casing, and a
spring bearing yieldingly against the buoy to throw the same out after the cover
is opened.
5. A device for locating sunken articles, consisting of the casing, the buoy and
rope anchoring the same to the casing, the cylinder within the casing, the piston
working in said cylinder against the tension of a spring, the hinged cover to the
casing, the retaining bolts engaging with said cover and casing, connections
between said piston and one of the bolts for releasing the same, and clockwork
mechanism for releasing the second-bolt at a predetermined moment, whereby
the cover may swing open and the buoy be released, as set forth.
6. In combination with the casing, a hinged cover, a spring-actuated bolt
engaging with a catch on said casing, rack-teeth on a portion of said bolt, and
pinion-wheel engaging with said rack-teeth, and clockwork mechanism for
actuating said piston, as set forth.
Dated this 7th day of November 1899.
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicants.