AN IMPROVED LIFE AND SAFETY BUOY PARTS OF WHICH INVENTION RELATE TO ITS APPLICATION TO OTHER FLOATING OR SUBMERGED BODIES OR STRUCTURES PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gustav Jacob Kirchenpauer and Ludwig Hermann
Philippi both of Hamburg German Empire for an Invention of "AN
IMPROVED LIFE AND SAFETY BUOY PARTS OF WHICH INVENTION RELATE TO
ITS APPLICATION TO OTHER FLOATING OR SUBMERGED BODIES OR STRUCTURES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gustav Jacob Kirchenpauer
and Ludwig Hermann Philippi at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 12th April 1883.
.
GUSTAV JACOB KIRCHENPAUER and LUDWIG HERMANN PHILIPPI both of
Hamburg, German Empire "AN IMPROVED LIFE AND SAFETY BUOY PARTS OF
WHICH INVENTION RELATE TO ITS APPLICATION TO OTHER FLOATING OR SUB-
MERGED BODIES OR STRUCTURES FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES AND IN APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH
"
Our life and safety buoy is a wood or metal vessel of suitable form, preferably of
fish or cigar shape, supplied with a screw propellor, which is moved by an Electric
current, conducted to the buoy by a cable of insulated wire The current is
generated on board the ship using the buoy or on shore by any kind of dynamo or
other Electric Generator The Electric current also actuates the steering gear of the
buoy. The shape is that of a cigar flatened in one way; the middle part is an
iron tube and contains the machinery; the fore and after parts may be formed out of
solid logs of wood or other buoyant or semi-buoyant material or they may be hollow
and act as ballast tanks. The joints are rendered water-tight by india rubber or
other water resisting substance; the three parts of the buoy are held together by
an iron frame which forms also a keel and serves to hold the propellor and the
rudder. The frame is screwed firmly together by nuts after the buoy is mounted
The driving shaft is passed into the buoy by means of a sterntube and a stuffing
box of the usual construction. Into the shaft the ring or inductor of the Electric
Motor is firmly fitted, surrounded by the Electro Magnets inducting the poles;
different positions may be given to them according to the shape of the buoy. The

page_text: cable containing the insulated wires for the Electric currents passing to and from
the buoy, is passed into the interior of the latter through a suitably placed, stuffing
box; the wires are then separately conducted and fastened to the driving and
steering gear. By making the current circulate in different ways the propellor may
be turned so as to drive the buoy either ahead or astern; if a dynamo electric
generator be used the apparatus will be so arranged that the generator and
propellor shafts turn the same way.
The fore part of the propellor shaft carries a cogged wheel gearing into another
horizontal one, thereby turning a vertical shaft passed through the deck of the
buoy, by a stuffing box; a bell is fitted over the shaft on the top of the buoy,
which is caused to ring by the revolving shaft. If the buoy is used at night an
incandescent light may be fitted in any position above the deck.
The steering gear consists in two solenoids connected with separate wires of the
cable They are fitted to the outside of the buoy and protected by metal hoods.
Two bars of soft iron fastened to the cross arm of the rudder, are loosely inserted
into the spirals about half way in the amidship position of the rudder. By passing
the current either through the port or through the starbords spiral the corre-
sponding bar will be drawn in and thereby the rudder moved to answer
steady the rudder amidships currents are circulated through both solenoids.
To
The cable should be kept a float or at least near the surface of the water by pieces
of cork or other materials of sufficient buoyancy fastened to it at suitable distances
The cable may in most cases be considerably lightened and the resistance of the
current may at the same time be materially reduced by using the water as a
conductor of the Electric current, thereby replacing two wires by one.
The buoy should be provided with ballast sufficient to keep the propellor
submerged This can also be effected by the cable being passed through the end of
a bar some way over the stern of the buoy; in order to prevent its becoming
entangled with the screw.
To use the buoy it is floated on the water and an Electric current from the
generator is sent through the cable The screw is thereby turned and the buoy :
inoves on as the cable is paid out. As no great force is required for moving
the buoy at-moderate speed, the generator. need not necessarily be. worked by
steam power but may be turned by two or more men in those cases, where steain-
is not available.
The use of the buoy is manifold Ships provided with it may use is as an
anti-collision apparatus. In a fog or in hazy weather after having reduced their
speed, they will send it a head a mile, or so to forewarn any other vessel on their
course of sailing of their presence, the moment a vessel falls in with the buoy, sho
will know there is a ship following in its wake at some distance sufficient to allow
any steering manceure after having signalled her presence by steam whistle or
foghorn she will be informed of the opposite ships intended course by the direction
given to the buoy and shape her course accordingly
The buoy will also prove very useful in foul weather, to effect communication
between the ships when the lowering of boats is not practicable under similar
circumstances it may also be the means of saving the life of a person falling
overboard It can be utilised to carry ropes, dispatches, provisions or other objects
from one ship to anotherior from shore to ship or ship to shore
Our invention will be of great utility to pilot or revenue vessels in this respect,
as these are often now obliged to use sailing or drifting buoys for the purposes
mentioned which generally prove but a slow and inefficient expedient
For life saving purposes it would generally prove very superior to the rocket
apparatus now in use at light Ships coast guards Stations and like places for
establishing communication with distressed ships. For shore use the whole
apparatus together with the Generator could be advantageously mounted on a
carriage and the generator fitted with hand turning gear.
The practicability of driving the buoy out a far greater distance than a rocket
i

page_text: could carry a rope will constitute the superiority of the former over the latter
especially on flat coasts
The other uses of the buoy are too many to mention such as its usefulness as a
torpedo for transporting mines to objects to be blown up to aid in building
pontoon-bridges; for towing boats; for aiding the efficiency of the rudder for
carrying telephone wire and apparatus to a vessel to which communication is
desired.
Constructed in smaller dimensions and cylindrical in form it may be useful to
clean water pipes of the waterworks by pushing a suitable brush through them and
may be similarly employed in sewers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Gustav Jacob Kirchenpauer and Ludwig Hermann Philippi in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th October 1883.
GUSTAV JACOB KIRCHENPAUER and LUDWIG HERMANN PHILIPPI both of
Hamburg German Empire. "AN IMPROVED LIFE AND SAFETY BUOY PARTS OF
WHICH INVENTION RELATE TO ITS APPLICATION TO OTHER FLOATING OR SUB-
MERGED BODIES OR STRUCTURES FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES AND IN APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH"
Our life and safety buoy is a wood or metal vessel of suitable form preferably
of fish or cigar shape, supplied with a screw or other suitable propellor, which is
rotated or moved by an electric current, conducted to the buoy by a cable of
insulated wire. The current is generated on board the ship using the buoy or on
shore by any kind of dynamo or other electric generator or source of electricity.
The electric current may also actuate the steering gear of the buoy.
The shape is advantageously that of a cigar flattened in one way, the middle
part is an iron tube or casing enclosing the machinery the fore and aft parts may
be formed out of solid logs of wood or other buoyant or semi buoyant material or
they may be hollow chambers and in some cases may act as ballast tanks. The
joints are rendered watertight by india rubber or other water resisting substance,
the three parts of the buoy are held together by an iron frame which forms also a
keel and serves to hold the propellor and the rudder. The frame is screwed firmly
together by nuts and bolts after the buoy is mounted. The driving shaft is passed
into the buoy by means of stern tube and a stuffing box of any suitable construc-
tion. Unto the shaft the ring or inductor of the electric motor is firmly fitted,
surrounded by the electromagnets, inducting the poles; different positions may be
given to them according to the shape of the buoy. The cable containing the
insulated wires for the electric currents passing to and from the buoy, is passed
into the interior of the latter through a suitably constructed stuffing box; the
wires are then separately conducted and fastened to the driving and steering gear.
By making the current circulate in different ways the propellor may be turned so
as to drive the buoy either ahead or astern; if a dynamo electric generator be used,
the apparatus will be so arranged that the generator and propellor shafts turn the
same way. The fore part of the propellor shaft carries a cogged wheel gearing
into another horizontal one, thereby turning a vertical shaft passed through the
deck of the buoy by a stuffing box; a bell is fitted over the shaft on the top of
the buoy, which is caused to ring by the revolving shaft. If the buoy is used at
night an incandescent or are electric light may be fitted in any position above
the deck.
The steering gear may consist in two solenoids connected with separate wires
of the cable. They are fitted to the outside of the buoy and protected by metal
hoods. Two bars of soft iron fastened to the cross arm of the rudder are loosely
inserted into the spirals about half way in the amidship position of the rudder.
By passing the current either through the port or through the starboard spiral the
corresponding bar will be drawn in and thereby the rudder moved. To steady the
rudder amidships, currents are circulated through both solenoids but a modification
we find advantageous is a motor with screw gear.
The cable should be kept afloat or at least near the surface of the water by pieces
of cork or other materials of sufficient buoyancy fastened to it at suitable distances.
The cable may in most cases be considerably lightened and the resistance of the

page_text: current may at the same time be materially reduced by using the water as a
conductor of the electric current, thereby replacing two wires by one.
The buoy should be provided with ballast sufficient to keep the propellor
submerged. This can also be effected by the cable being passed through the end
of a bar, some way over the stern of the buoy, in order to prevent its becoming
entangled with the screw.
In order to make our invention more clearly understood, we will describe it with
reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which similar letters refer to similar
parts throughout the several views.
a is the screw shaft, on which also is fixed the ring or conductor 6 of the electro-
motor and the beyel wheel a¹, engaging into the bevil wheel e¹ of the cam shaft e²
of the bell ringing mechanism, c, c, are the electro inagnets for working the electro
motor, d is the stuffing box for introducing the cable into the water-tight interior
of the buoy, e. is the bell, against which strikes the hammer e³ worked by the
cam & fastened to the top of the shaft e, f is the screw propellor.
g and h are the two solenoids for influencing the rudder g¹ by means of the
bars i and k, is the front and m the after part of buoyant material, is the iron
frame holding together the three divisions of the buoy and connected by the nuts
o and p with the square f' whereon the rudder g₁ is attached, q is the arm for
holding the cable suspended.
To use the buoy it is floated on the water and an electric current from the
generator is sent through the cable. The screw is thereby turned and the buoy
moves on as the cable is paid out. As no great force is required for moving the
buoy at moderate speed, the generator need not necessarily be worked by steam
power but may be turned by two or more men in those cases where steam is not
available.
The use of the buoy is manifold. Ships provided with it may use it as an
anti-collision apparatus. In a fog or in hazy weather, after having reduced
their speed, they will send it ahead a mile or so, to forewarn any other vessel
on their course of sailing of their presence; the moment a vessel falls in with
the buoy she will know there is a ship following in its wake at some distance
sufficient to allow for any steering manoeuvre. After having signalled her
presence by steam whistle or fog horn, she will be informed of the opposite
ships intended course by the direction given to the buoy and shape her course
accordingly.
The buoy will also prove very useful in foul weather to effect communication
between ships, when the lowering of boats is not practicable, under similar
circumstances it may also be the means of saving the life of a person who may
have fallen overboard. It can be utilized to carry ropes, dispatches provisions or
other objects from one ship to another or from shore to ship and ship to shore.
Our invention will be of great utility to pilot or revenue vessels in this respect,
as these are often now obliged to use sailing or drifting buoys for the purposes
mentioned which generally prove but a slow and inefficient expedient.
For life saving purposes it would generally prove very superior to the rocket
apparatus now in use for light ships guard stations and like places for establishing
communication with distressed ships. For shore use the whole apparatus together
with the generator could be advantageously mounted on a carriage and the generator
fitted with hand turning gear. The practicability of driving the buoy out a far
greater distance than a rocket could carry a rope will constitute the superiority of
the former over the latter especially on flat coasts.
The other uses of the buoy are too many to mention such as its usefulness as a
torpedo; for transporting mines to objects to be blown up; to aid in building
pontoon bridges; for towing boats, for aiding the efficiency of the rudder; for
carrying telephone wire and apparatus to a vessel to which communication is
desired.
Constructed in smaller dimensions and cylindrical in form it may be useful to

page_text: clean water pipes of the waterworks by pushing a suitable brush through them and
may be similarly employed in sewers.
"
Having thus fully described our Invention what we desire to claim and secure
by Letters Patent is :-
-
In floating or submerged structures the application of an electric current
generated on shore or on board of a ship and conducted to the floating or
submerged structure by means of a cable of suitable length for working an
electro motor which drives, the propellor or the signalling device or both, and
for steering the floating or submerged structure or for one of these purposes
alone as herein described, and illustrated with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
•
In witness whereof we the said Gustav Jacob Kirchenpauer and Ludwig
Hermann Philippi have hereunto set our hands and seals this sixth day of
October in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty threo.
GUSTAV JACOB KIRCHENPAUER. (L.S.)
LUDWIG HERMANN PHILIPPI.
(L.S.)