Improvements in Wave-subduers (for Pouring Oil on the Troubled Waters).
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application; 15th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 189C-Accepted, 14th Feb.,,
1891
•
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wave-subduers (for Pouring Oil on the
Troubled Waters).
I, WILHELM OTO AXEL LOWE, of 10, Dale Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object a simple yet at the same time thoroughly
efficient apparatus for supplying oil to the surface of the water in a storm. The
apparatus consists mainly of a bag of leather, metal, canvas or other suitable
material. This bag is fitted with a weight or an attachment for a weight at one
end, and close to this point are a series of eyelet holes through which passes a
leather thong in such manner as to be practically oil-proof. The upper part of the
bag can be attached thereto so that the bag can be attached by ropes to any part
of the vessel. The end of the bag furthest from the sinking device is formed as a
neck into which the oil can be poured. This neck is supplied with a convenient
stopper or in place of this other stopping device can be used, thus the neck can be
of metal and internally screwed and the stopper screwed into this. The bag can
be provided with an interior skeleton of wood, wire or other material. The shape
of the bag is rectangular, conical or globular, but can be varied to any extent.
The mode of using it is as follows:-
A weight being attached to the lower end and the bag being filled with oil and
tightly stoppered, it is stowed away until required. When required the leather
thong is cut and partially or wholly withdrawn from the eyelet holes, the oil at
once oozes through the eyelet holes, and when the bag is thrown over into the
water alongside the ship it rises and spreads over the waves. The bag is held in
position at the side or stern of the ship by means of ropes attached to the eyelet
holes.
The advantages of this apparatus are that it is cheap, simply and quickly
applied, that there is nothing about it to get out of order, and the supply of oil
can be regulated as desired. As far as the regulation goes, I do not bind myself
to the use of the means for regulating herein described, as other means can be
employed, such as a tubular orifice with small holes at intervals in the sides and a
screwed plug so arranged that for every turn or so of the screw an additional hole
is opened for the oil to escape, while by screwing the plug up the entire orifice is
closed.
One form of apparatus which I consider most advantageous is that of two
cones united at their bases, the larger one with a small weighted neck as exit for
oil, the smaller one with a larger neck for admitting oil. When filled with oil and
in stock these two necks are tightly tied: When required for use, the tying of the
smaller (weighted) neck is undone or loosened, allowing the slow escape of oil from
the bottom into the sea.
$.
Dated this 14th day of March 1890.
WAMP THOMPSON & Co.,.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wave-subduers (for Pouring Oil on the
Troubled Waters).
I, WILHELM OTO AXEL LOWE, of 10 Dale Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Merchant, 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 :-
The
This invention has for its object a simple yet, at the same time, thoroughly
efficient apparatus for supplying oil to the surface of the water in a storm.
apparatus consists mainly of a bag of leather, metal, canvas or other suitable
material. This bag is fitted with a weight or an attachment for a weight at one
end, and, close to this point, is a series of eyelet holes, through which passes a
leather thong in such manner as to be practically oil-proof. The upper part of
the bag can be attached thereto, so that the bag can be attached by ropes to any
part of the vessel. The end of the bag furthest from the sinking device is formed
as a neck, into which the oil can be poured. This neck is supplied with a con-
venient stopper, or, in place of this, other stoppering device can be used. Thus,
the neck can be of metal and internally screwed, and the stopper screwed into this.
The bag can be provided with an interior skeleton of wood, wire or other material.
The shape of the bag is rectangular, conical or globular, but can be varied to any
extent.
The mode of using it is as follows:-
A weight being attached to the lower end and the bag being filled with oil and
tightly toppered, it is stowed away until required. When required, the leather
thong is cut and partially or wholly withdrawn from the eyelet holes, the oil at
once oozes through the eyelet holes, and, when the bag is thrown over into the
water alongside the ship, it rises and spreads over the waves. The bag is held in
position at the side or stern of the ship by means of ropes attached to the eyelet
holes.
The advantages of this apparatus are that it is cheap, simply and quickly applied,
that there is nothing about it to get out of order, and the supply of oil can be
regulated as desired. As far as the regulation goes, I do not bind myself to the
use of the means for regulating herein described, as other means can be employed,
such as a tubular orifice with small holes at intervals in the sides and a screwed
plug so arranged that, for every turn or so of the screw, an additional hole is
opened for the oil to escape, while, by screwing the plug up, the entire orifice is
closed.
One form of apparatus which I consider most advantageous is as follows,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a general view of the apparatus, and
:-
Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the inlet and outlet devices at the ends of the
apparatus.
A is a bag of leather, canvas, metal or other suitable material, preferably
impervious to oil. A convenient form of the bag is that of two cones united at
their bases as shown, but other forms may be employed, if desired. When the bag
is constructed of canvas or other very pliable material, it may be provided internally
with a framework of wood or wire, or other.rigid framework.
B is a rope attached to the sides of the bag and provided at one end thereof with
an eye C, to which a rope may be connected for attaching the bag to the side or
other part of the vessel, and, at the opposite end, with an eye D, to which a we gh
may be secured to keep the apparatus in position when in use. Other suitable
arrangements may, however, be employed for securing the bag to the vessel, an
the weight to the bag.
The upper end of the bag is provided with a filling orifice E, and
the lower en 1,

page_text: with an oil exit F, both of which may be fitted with a suitable stoppering or
regulating device.
In the example shown, the filling orifice is fitted with a neck-piece G, having a
screwed stopper or cap H, which, when desired, may be screwed hard down upon
a yielding collar J. Small holes K may also be formed in the screwed part of the
neck for the purpose of regulating the admission of air into the bag when it is
in use.
The oil exit is also fitted with a neck L, and, for the purpose of regulating the
flow of oil from the bag, such neck is pierced with a series of small holes M, which
are, by preference, arranged spirally round the neck and are adapted to be opened
or closed in succession by a piston or plug N. This latter may be screwed into
the neck, or it may be more conveniently attached to a screwed stem P; mounted
in the end of the neck L and provided, on its outer end, with a milled button Q.
When the plug is screwed right in, the oil exit is entirely closed. The necks G
and L may be secured to the bag by means of cords T, passed through lugs U⚫
thereon and through the substance of the bag, or by other suitable means.
The apparatus, as above described, is employed in the following manner :-
A weight being attached to the lower eye D and a rope to the upper one C, the
bag is filled with oil through the neck G, its ends tightly stoppered, and the entire
apparatus stowed away ready for use. When it is required for use, it is hung over
the side or stern of the vessel above the water, and the plug N and cap H adjusted
as required. The oil now oozes out of the holes M by gravity, assisted, it may be,
by the repeated impacts of the bag against the sides of the vessel, and spreads
itself over the surface of the water." The apparatus may be also held in position
by means of ropes attached to the lower eye D.
The apparatus may also be employed in a reverse manner to that above described,
by sinking it below the surface of the water. The neck G then becomes the oil
exit, the water entering at the holes M in the lower neck L and forcing the oil in
the bag upwards through the holes K in the upper neck, whence it rises through
the surrounding water and spreads itself over the surface of the waves.
In another construction, I form an oil exit by providing the bag, near the exit
end thereof, with a series of eyelet holes R, through which there is threaded a
leathern thong S, in such manner as to render the eyelets practically oil-tight.
When the apparatus is to be used, the thong S is cut or untied and partially or
wholly withdrawn from the eyelet holes. In the drawings, the thong and eyelets
are shown in dotted lines at the upper end of the apparatus. They would, however,
be placed at the lower end of the apparatus when the latter is intended to be
employed in the manner first described. Or they may be placed at both ends,
either arrangement being employed as required.
In a cheaper form of the appliance, the ends of the bag may be simply tied round,
the cords being unfastened, cut or loosened, as required.
The advantages of this apparatus are that it is cheap, simply and quickly applied
and not liable to get out of order. Moreover, the supply of oil can be regulated
as desired.
It will be obvious that the apparatus can be used with either end uppermost, the
rope being attached either to the eye C or D.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is : :-
1. The improvement in wave-subduers for pouring oil on troubled waters, whi h
consists in forming them almost entirely of fibrous or flexible impervious material
and providing them at one end with an adjustable oil orifice, and, at the other end,
with either an adjustable air or water orifice, or an orifice capable of being closed
when required, the whole arranged substantially as described and shown.
2. A wave-subduer having the two ends alike and arranged so that a weight can
be attached to one end and a rope to the other, and means whereby oil may be

page_text: caused to exude from either end, whereby no mistake can be made, as either end
can be used uppermost, substantially as described.
3. A flexible bag of oil-proof material with rope connections and mouth or
orifices closed with thong, cord, string, or the like for the purposes described.
Dated this 13th day of December 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.