IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AND PROPERTY AT SHA
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas George Tolson, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Railway Clerk, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AND PROPERTY AT SHA,”
"
Sealed the 2nd September 1878, and dated the 4th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas George Tolson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th March 1878.
I, THOMAS GEORGE TOLSON, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Railway Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AND PROPERTY AT SEA,”
to be as follows :—
In this improved apparatus I use a water-tight vessel, the lower part
of which is hemispherical, and the upper part conical or nearly conical,
the figure of the whole being that of an inverted balloon or pear. The
said vessel is made of copper or other material combining lightness with
strength. The lower or hemispherical part is provided with a close
fitting casing or covering of cork or other buoyant material, and the
said casing may terminate at the top in a flange or broad belt of cork

page_text: or other buoyant material, though I do not recommend this, and use in
lien thereof a flange or girder-like projection of metal shaped like a
'
or nearly so, thus
tolerably calm weather to stand upon it and hold on by a guide rope
which will be rove around the vessel underneath the entrance, and 5
from this point signals may be given, lights displayed, and so forth.
Different colored lights likewise can be arranged as fixtures for night
use, so that the appliance can be seen by passing ships.
and of width sufficient to enable a man in
In the interior of the said hemispherical part is a floor having upon
it a number of seats; underneath the floor is a space for ballast or 10
merchandise, and the seats for passengers also servo for water tanks
and lockers for provisions. Leather belts are attached to the seats
for the purpose of securing the passengers.
In the upper or conical part of the vessel are a series of narrow
panes of thick glass for the purpose of admitting light, and about 11
midway up the said conical part is a door capable of being opened
and closed and fastened on the inside. This door is for the introduction
of passenger's food and other articles. The conical upper part of the
vessel terminates in an open pipe or neck of small diameter. At the
base of the neck is a grating having in its top a cap which can be 20
raised or lowered. By raising the said cap a flagstaff can be passed
through the top of the vessel.
By means of a double-action pump I can pump air in and pump
water out; if necessary the air can be admitted to and made to circulate
through the vessel by means of pipes entering the said vessel near 2
its top, and descending along the inner sides of the vessel to its lower
part, the said pipes opening below the seats of the passengers. The
upper external ends of the air pipes are turned down some distance
on the outside of the conical part of the vessel.
The door is also furnished with a grating for the admission of air, 8
the said grating forming the side of a flat box inserted in the door.
Air enters the said box by means of a hole in its front, any water
passing in with the air escaping by a series of short pipes near the
lower edge of the box.
▲ similar arrangement may be employed at the outer end of each 8
air tube for the purpose of securing a supply of air from which water
or spray has been separated... In using the apparatus the persons, and,

page_text: property, and provisions are introduced by the door which is fastened
from the inside.
On the sinking of the ship the apparatus floats, and from its con-
struction will right itself in whatever position it may be thrown by the
action of the waves and other causes. Or the apparatus containing its
charge may be lowered from the side of the ship into the water..
When desired I can use a cutwater, and also means of steering and
propelling, which latter I effect by means of angular sails which will
be fastened at the base of the neck and to a short boom attached over
the rim or flange.
'
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas George Tolson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
GEORGE TOLSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Railway
Olerk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas George Tolson,
Her special licence that I, the said Thomas George Tolson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas George Tolson, 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, "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AND
PROPERTY AT SEA," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas George Tolson, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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

page_text: months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas George Tolson, 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:-
In this improved apparatus I use a water-tight vessel, the lower
part of which is hemispherical and the upper part conical or nearly
conical, the figure of the whole being that of an inverted baloon or
pear. The said vessel is made of copper or other material combining ]
lightness with strength. The lower or hemispherical part is provided
with a close fitting casing or covering of cork or other buoyant
material, and the said casing may terminate at the top in a flange or broad
belt of cork or other buoyant material, though I do not recommend
this, and use in lieu thereof a flange or girder-like projection of
metal shaped like a V or nearly so, thus and of width sufficient
to enable a man in tolerably calm weather to stand upon it and hold
on by a guide rope which will be rove around the vessel underneath
the entrance, and from this point signals may be given, lights displayed,
and so forth. Different colored lights likewise can be arranged as:
fixtures for night use, so that the appliance can be seen by passing
ships.
In the interior of the said hemispherical part is a floor having upon
it a number of seats, underneath the floor is a space for ballast or
merchandise, and the seats for passengers also serve for water tanks
and lockers for provisions. Leather belts are attached to the seats for
the purpose of securing the passengers.
In the upper or conical part of the vessel is a series of narrow
panes of thick glass for the purpose of admitting light, and about
midway up the said conical part is a door capable of being opened,
closed, and fastened on the inside. This door is for the introduction
of passenger's food and other articles. The conical upper part of the
vessel terminates in an open pipe or neck of small diameter. At the
base of the neck is a grating having on its top a cap which can be
raised or lowered; by raising the said cap a flagstaff may be passed a
through the top of the vessel.
By means of a double-action pump I can pump air in and pump

page_text: water out. If necessary the air can be admitted to and made to circulate
through the vessel by means of pipes entering the said vessel near
its top, and descending along the inner sides of the vessel to its lower
part, the said pipes opening below the seats of the passengers. The
upper external ends of the air pipes are turned down some distance
on the outside of the conical part of the vessel.
The door is also furnished with a grating for the admission of air,
the said grating forming the side of a flat box inserted in the door.
Air enters the said box by means of a hole in its front, any water
passing in with the air escaping by a series of short pipes near the
lower edge of the box.
A similar arrangement may be employed at the outer end of each
air tube for the purpose of securing a supply of air from which water
or spray has been separated. In using the apparatus the persons, and
property, are introduced by the door which is fastened from the inside.
On the sinking of the ship the apparatus floats, and from its con-
struction will right itself in whatever position it may be thrown by the
action of the waves or other causes. Or the apparatus containing its
charge may be lowered from the side of the ship into the water.
When desired I can use a cutwater and also means of steering and
propelling, which latter I can effect by means of angular sails which
will be fastened at the base of the neck and to a short boom attached
over the rim or flange.
Also the lower portion of my apparatus or vessel can be furnished with
a keel, outwater, and an arrangement for streering and propelling, and
my apparatus or vessel could be so arranged as to serve as a floating
light ship, or even as a floating battery, it might differ from the hemi-
spherical form, as it can be made an oval or otherwise, though I do not
approve of this..
As regards constructing a vessel on the same principle large enough
to carry the complement which a ship can carry, the external appear-
ance will be much the same as the life buoy proper, only that from its
large size decks could be constructed at proper intervals so as to
accomodate a large number of persons, and in this case the propelling
power would be the ordinary screw, a series of which could be adapted
to any two opposite sides arround the circle; and where decks are

page_text: constructed a ledge or balcony can be made, so that persons can emergo
from a port or door and walk around; this will be continued as the
decks are constructed one above the other.
The same will refer to a lighthouse which will I believe be the
safest floating light for those portions of rivers or seas where no 5
foundation can be got for building. The lighthouse will contain
ballast and stores in the lower portion, and above that portion will
be a floor, and will comprise a room to be used as sitting and cooking
apartment, whilst a room can be constructed above that for sleeping,
allowing plenty of room above that and on another floor for a light 1
room. It can be held to its moorings by four strong cable chains
sufficiently long to allow for any rise of the sca in heavy weather, and
they can be attached at right angles.
As regards propelling I should for ordinary uses usually prefer,
though I do not limit myself thereto, to propel my apparatus, buoy, 1
or vessel from the inside as well as use sails on the outside, and I
can moreover do this by manual force, dispensing altogether with the
use of steam, and one of the forms which my propelling power will
take consists of a horizontal cylinder extending close to the helm, and
inside which a piston will be worked by an upright lever inside of the 2
apparatus; this piston will force the water in the cylinder back, and at
each stroke this action will urge the applianco forward. I can also
propel it by other means and from the inside.
I will also, if I deem it desirable, alter the shape from the circular
to the oval, including still a cutwater, keel, helm, and so on; and I will 2
still preserve the principle set forth in my former Specification as regards
its self-righting qualities, &c.
Having thus far described the nature of the said Invention, with
statements of some details thereof in regard to performing or putting
in practice of same, I now proceed to describe the details shewn in the 3
Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shows an exterior view of my improved apparatus.
Fig. 2, an interior view.

page_text: In these Figures A is the lower or hemispherical portion of my
apparatus; B, the conical portion terminating in an open pipe or
neck 0; D is the flange running all round the vessel; and E, the
rope rove round the vessel for purposes herein-before described; F is
the door to admit passengers' food and other articles; G is the window
for admitting light within the vessel; H, cap fitted into the neck or
open pipe C; I are pipes for admission of air within the vessel, as herein
described; K, the seats; and L is the floor; M (Fig. 3) is the cut-
water; N, the keel. The lever ○ attached to piston rod P by means
of crank, as shown, actuates piston Q in cylinder R, as herein-before
described, and forms propelling apparatus; 8 is the steering apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed or put in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the Invention
3 of "Improved Apparatus for Saving Life and Property at Sea," as the
same is herein-before set forth and described.
"
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas George Tolson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this First day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
25 Witness,
ALFRED BREAKSPEAR,
5, Spring Hill,
Birmingham.
THOMAS G. TOLSON. (L.S.)
Railway Olerk,
Hockley Station,
Birmingham.