New or Improved Means for Self Indicating the Location of Sunken Vessels and for Self Assisting in Raising and Recovering the said Vessels and Cargo or their Mails, Specie, or other Valuable Cargo.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 22nd July, 1897-Accepted, 4th Sept., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Means for Self Indicating the Location of Sunken
Vessels and for Self Assisting in Raising and Recovering the said
Vessels and Cargo or their Mails, Specie, or other Valuable Cargo.
I, HENRY JOHNSON, of Trindle Road, Dudley, in the County of Worcester, Con-
sulting Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be
as follows:
This Invention consists of the hereindescribed new or improved means for self
indicating the location of sunken vessels and for self assisting in raising and
recovering the said vessels and their cargo or their mails specie or other valuable
cargo.
In carrying out my Invention I provide a buoy which is fixed to one end of a
hempen rope or the like of convenient length, the other end of which is fixed to
the bottom of a suitable open topped receptacle fixed on board the vessel this
receptacle containing the said rope.when coiled up and the buoy resting upon
the same inside the said receptacle or at the top of the same. Upon the buoy
there may be marked the name of the ship and the length of the rope and
whether the rope is fixed to the stern or to the prow of the ship. Upon the ship
foundering the buoy ascends to the surface of the water and is there anchored
by the rope. The said buoy is by preference provided with a hell so as to attract
he attention of passing vessels and by the names and marks upon the buoy it
indicates the name and location of the wreck and at about what depth the sunken
vessel is. The said open top receptacle may either stand up above the deck level
or be sunk through one or more of the decks and may contain one or more metallic
drums, boxes or hollow spheres containing the specie or other valuable cargo at the
bottom and in this case I provide a hempen or other rope to reach from the
wreck to the surface of the water the lower end of this rope being fixed to one end
of a wire rope stout enough to raise the said metallic box and its contents which is
fixed to the other end of the wire rope. Thus when the vessel is sunk the buoy
with the hempen rope attached can be hauled in lifting up the wire rope and
ultimately the metallic box, drum or sphere with the mail bags specie or other
valuable cargo inside the same.
The buoy may if desired be made sufficiently buoyant to be capable of lifting
the metallic drum, box or sphere and its contents out of the receptacle and to
suspend or support it from the floating buoy.
In order to prevent the buoy from being surreptitiously removed from the
said receptacle I may provide the latter with a suitable lid or cover capable of
being sealed and so arranged as to be lifted by the ascending buoy so as to allow of
the latter to escape.
In order to provide means for raising the sunken vessel the lower end of the
hempen rope, the upper end of which is as aforesaid fixed to the buoy, is connected
to a wire rope which is of sufficient length and is connected to a strong chain
or rope cable the bottom end of which is made fast to a suitable part of the vessel.
I provide any convenient number of these buoys with their ropes and chain cables
or other attachments attached to the various parts of the vessel.

page_text: In the event of the vessel foundering the buoys ascend to the surface of the water
and raise the hempen ropes attached to them which are hauled in and raise the
wire ropes which latter when hauled in raise the chains or rope cables which then
may be attached to caissons which by suitable lifting and steering machinery and
apparatus and appliances enable the sunken vessel to be raised for temporary
repairs or to be raised and carried into shallow water or beached by which means
the vessel and cargo may be recovered.
Dated this 23rd day of Santambor 1806
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
New or Improved Means for Self Indicating the Location of Sunken
Vessels, and for Self Assisting in Raising and Recovering the said
Vessels, and Cargo or their Mails, Specie, or other Valuable Cargo.
I, HENRY JOHNSON, of Trindle Road, Dudley, in the County of Worcester, Con-
sulting Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention consists of the herein described new or improved means for self
indicating the location of sunken vessels and for self assisting in raising and
recovering the said vessels and their cargo or their mail specie or other valuable
cargo.
I will describe my Invention by referring to the accompanying drawings on
which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a buoy forming a part of my Invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of my Invention shewing one way of applying it to
indicate the location of a sunken ship; Fig. 3 represents a sunken ship and also
shews the operation of my Invention; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of my
Invention as arranged to indicate the location of the ship and raise some of its
valuable cargo and Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of my Invention as arranged to
indicate the location of the ship and to afford a means of raising the same.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the figures of the drawings.
In carrying out my Invention I provide a buoy A which is fixed to one end
of a hempen rope or the like B₁ of convenient length the other end of which is
fixed to the bottom of a suitable open topped funnel like receptacle C (see Fig. 2)
which is fixed on board the vessel this receptacle containing the rope B' when
coiled up and the buoy A resting inside the receptacle C or at the top of the same.
In the arrangement shewn upon my drawings the buoy A is made with a sup-
porting ring at which rests upon a support e fixed to the interior of the funnel
like receptacle C at some distance below the open top of the same. The buoy A
is by preference, although not necessarily, made with a specially constructed upper
chamber a and a water tight valve inlet a³ thereto, this chamber as being for the
purpose of receiving letters; books, specie and other valuables which can be placed
and secured therein by closing the valve or door a3. Upon the buoy A there may
lie marked the name and nationality of the ship also the Admiralty, mark the
Board of Trade number and the port to which the ship belongs and the length
of the rope B and whether the rope is fixed to the stern or to the brow or, other
part of the ship. I provide one, two or more of the buoys A for a ship and upon
the ship such as D foundering as shewn in Fig. 3 the buoys A ascend to the surface

page_text: of the water and are there anchored by the ropes B₁ as shewn in Fig. 3. The
bany A is by preference made of steel and painted with attractive colours or
gilded and provided with a bell such as E at the top and a flag such as F so as
to attract the attention of passing vessels, and thus by the names and marks and
other information upon the buoy it indicates the name location and position of the
wreck and at about what depth the sunken vessel lies.
The said open topped funnel receptacle C may, as shewn for instance by Fig. 2
be entirely above the level of the deck of the ship D, or as shewn by Fig. 4 the
funnel receptacle C may be sunk through one or more of the decks to a lock up
and specie room say for instance on the second deck d and may contain one or
more metallic drums, boxes or hollow spheres G (Fig. 4) containing the specie or
other valuable cargo at the bottom of the funnel receptacle C and in this case I
provide a hempen or other rope B¹ to reach from the wreck to the surface of the
water, the lower end of this rope being connected to one end of a wire rope such
as B strong enough to raise the said metallic box G and its contents which are
fixed to the other end of the wire rope B2. Then when the vessel such as D
founders the buoy A with the hempen rope B' attached can be hauled in lifting
un the wire rope B and ultimately the metallic box drum or sphere G with the
specie or other valuable cargo inside the same.
The buoy A may if desired be made sufficiently buoyant to be capable of lifting
the metallic drum or box G and its contents out of the receptacle C and to suspend
or support it from the floating buoy.
Or
In order to prevent the buoy A from being surreptitiously removed from the
funnel receptacle C I may provide the latter with a suitable perforated lid or
cover (not shewn upon my drawings) capable of being sealed and so arranged as
to be lifted by the ascending buoy A so as to allow of the latter to escape.
as shewn by Figs. 2, 4, and 6 the buoy A and the box G may be protected by
elevating the funnel receptacle C above the buoy A the latter having a supporting
ring such as a round its largest diameter and seating upon an annular ring e
fixed some distance down the funnel receptacle C such funnel receptacle heing
provided with a door at the opening for communicating with the valve 3 of
the chamber a of the buoy A also another door at the bottom at the opening
depositing and removing the mails and specie boxes G.
for
Openings are provided in the funnel receptacle C above the seating ring d
and at the base of the funnel receptacle C for the escape of water which has been
shipped into the funnel receptacle C.
In order to provide means for raising sunken vessel D the lower end of the
hempen rope Bi which is as aforesaid fixed to the buoy A. is connected to a wire
rope B which is of sufficient length and strength and is.connected to a strong
chain or rope cable B3 the bottom end of which is made fast to a suitable part of
the hull of the vessel preferably to a rib as indicated for instance at H (Fig. 5).
I provide any convenient number of these buoys with their rope and chain cables.
or other attachments attached to various parts of the vessel.
In the event of the vessel foundering the huoys A ascend to the surface of the
water, and raise the hempen ropes 131 attached to them which are hauled in and thus
raise the wire ropes B2 which latter when hauled in raise the chain or rope cable B
which may be attached to caissons pontoons or camels which by suitable lifting,
and steering machinery and apparatus and appliances (forming no part of my
Invention) enable the sunken vessel D to he raised for temporary repairs or be
raised and carried by succeeding tides into shallow water or beached by which
means the vessel and cargo may be recovered.
The accompanying drawings and corresponding description will enable my
Invention to be properly carried out but it is to be understood that my Invention
is not limited to the precise details described and shewn as for instance the shape
of the buov may be varied and the bell and flag may be omitted as may also the
chamber a of the buoy, and other means of supporting the buoy so that it can
float when the vessel founders may be substituted for the funnel like receptacle C.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. As a means for self indicating the location of a sunken ship or other vessel
the employment of one or more buoys each secured by a rope or the like to sid
vessel and so supported thereon as to be capable of rising to the surface of the
wate when said vessel founders, substantially as set forth.
2. In apparatus of the kind denoted under Claim 1 the combination with the
ship or other vessel of an open topped funnel like receptacle such as C, the buoy
resting in the same and the rope or the like connecting said buoy to the vessel,
all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. As a means for self indicating the location of a sunken ship or other vessel
and for self assisting in raising and recovering the mails specie or other valuable
cargo carried by said ship or other vessel, the employment of a buoy secured by a
rope or the like to a box or the like for containing said valuable cargo said buoy
being so supported on the vessel as to be capable of rising to the surface of the
water when said vessel founders, substantially as set forth.
4. In apparatus of the kind denoted under Claim 3 the combination with the
ship, or other vessel of an open topped funnel like receptacle such as C, the buoy
resting in the same, the box for containing valuable cargo and the rope or the
like connecting said buoy and box together all contained within the said open
topped receptacle substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. As a means for self indicating the location of a sunken ship or other vessel
and for self assisting in raising and recovering the said vesel and cargo, the
employment of one or more buoys each secured by a rope or the like to one end
of a chain or rope cable the other end of which is fixed to the ship or other vessel,
said buoy being so supported on the vessel as to be capable of rising to the surface
of the water when said vessel founders thereby enabling the chain or rope cable and
vessel to be raised, substantially as set forth.
6. In apparatus of the kind denoted under Claim 5, the combination with a
ship or other vessel of one or more open topped funnel like receptacles such as C
each containing a float resting therein, a rope or the like attached to said float a
chain cable connected at one end to said rope and at the other end to said vessel
all so arranged that when the vessel founders the floats rise to the surface of the
water with the ropes by which the chain or rope cables and the vessel can be
raised, substantially as set forth.
.7. In apparatus of the kinds denoted under the preceding claims, making the
buoy with one or more upper compartments each provided with an air tight valve
or door for containing books or other valuables substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of July 1897.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.