Combined Ship's Buoy and Signals for Locating a Sunken Ship, and for Affording other Indications Relative to Wrecks.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Mar., 1891-Accepted, 4th Apr.,
1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Combined Ship's Buoy and Signals for Locating a Sunken Ship,
and for Affording other Indications Relative to Wrecks.
1, FREDERIC ALBERT ADEY, of Glenelg, Weston-super-Mare, in the County of
Somerset, Insurance Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :—
This invention consists in a buoy-combined with various means of signalling
designed to be carried on board ship where it is attached to a rope, wire or cable
wound around a reel carried in bearings provided in a frame secured to the deck.
The buoy which consists of a metallic air-tight chamber, divided or undivided by
partitions, is furnished with rings, hooks or eyes for the attachment of chains or
ropes for slinging the buoy into its place where it is supported either on a spindle
or arm extending vertically into a cavity provided centrally in the buoy, or
supported in a cage or frame.
The body of the buoy is surmounted by a frame carrying a lamp, rockets and
other lights, a bell and other appliances for signalling.
When, from the effects of a collision or other cause, the ship carrying such buoy
sinks, the buoy is floated and remains on the surface of the water while still con-
tinuing connected to the ship by the rope or wire aforesaid which is payed out
under control of a brake or drag from the reel as the ship sinks.
Simultaneously with the Hoating of the buoy the rockets and other lights are
fired through the medium of percussion caps, or the like, acted upon by spring
hammers or other devices set in operation by the floating of the buoy. A timepiece
and dating clock is fixed to the buoy below the water line and serves to shew, by
stopping, the time and date of submersion of the ship. About the buoy are arranged
lines or other holdfasts for persons in the water to grasp.
Dated this 2nd der of Mar 1800
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol Bank Buildings, Bristol, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Combined Ship's Buoy and Signals for Locating a Sunken Ship,
and for Affording other Indications Relative to Wrecks.
I, FREDERIC ALBERT ADEY, of Glenelg, Weston-super-Mare, in the County of
Somerset, Insurance Manager, 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 consists in a buoy-combined with various means of signalling-
designed to be carried on board ship where it is attached to a rope, wire or cable
wound around a reel carried in bearings provided in a frame secured to the deck or
other suitable part of the ship. The buoy which consists of a metallic air-tight
chamber, divided by partitious or not, is furnished with rings, hooks or eyes for the
attachment of chains or ropes for slinging the buoy into its place where it is sup-
ported either on a spindle or arm extending vertically into a cavity provided
centrally in the buoy, or supported in a cage or frame. The body of the buoy is
surmounted by a frame carrying a lamp, rockets and other lights, a bell and other
appliances for signalling. When, from the effects of a collision or other cause, the
ship carrying such buoy sinks, the buoy is floated and remains floating in the water

page_text: while still continning connected to the ship by the rope or wire aforesaid which is
paid out under control of a brake or drag from the reel as the ship sinks.
Simultaneously with the floating of the buoy the rockets and other lights are fired
through the medium of percussion caps, or the like, acted upon by spring hammers
or other devices set in operation by the floating of the buoy. A combined timepiece
and dating clock is fixed to or carried within the buoy, preferably below the water line
thereof, and serves to shew, by stopping, the time and date of submersion of the ship.
About the buoy are arranged lines or other holdfasts for persons in the water to
grasp.
Referring to the accompanying drawing. Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a
combined buoy and signalling apparatus constructed and arranged in accordance
with this invention.
The body a of the buoy is a metallic air-tight chamber which may be divided|
internally by partitions. "It is preferably packed with cork.
18
"
At the top the buny is furnished with eyes for the attachment of chains or ropes
for slinging it into its place where it is retained preferably on a spindle e extending
into a socket provided centrally in the buoy. The spindle may be supported in any
convenient manner, and the buoy may, if desired, I contained in a cage open at
top. Attached to a ring or eye or other means of connection at the bottom of the
body is a cable wound upon a reel fixed to the ship on which the buoy is
carried. The bly of the buoy is surmounted by a frame g and by various signalling
appliances, namely rocket superposed on tubes containing blue or other
coloured lights, and by a bell i amỉ swinging strikers & for sounding the bell as the
buny when floating sways with the water. The frame g may further carry a lamp,
and other signalling appliances may be carried by it or otherwise on the bay.
Life lines for immersed persons to grasp are arranged about the buoy which should
be labelled with or otherwise bear the name of the ship on board of which it is
carried.
t
In event of the sinking of a ship furnished with a combined buoy and signalling
appliances as above described the boy, which is not attached to the spindle e, is
floated off the same and does not descend with the sinking ship but fonts in the
water. The cable is wound off the reel as the ship sinks and thus if the cable he of
a length in excess of the depth of the water the position of the wreek is indicated by
the floating buoy. The buoy is provided with a dating clock so situated that water
has necess to it when the buoy floats and accordingly the dating clock, by stopping
on submersion, indicates the date and hour of the shipwreck. In the example
illustrated the dating clock is contained in a chamber inside the buoy to which
water has access by the aperture 1. But the dating clock may be situated elsewhero
in or on the buoy.
Simultaneously with the floating of the buoy the blue or other coloured lights in
the holders are first ignited as hereinafter described and the rockets being in
contact with the said lights are thereby fired. The mechanism for igniting the
coloured lights and for firing the rockets is shown in the part plan Fig. 2 and in
the part vertical section and part elevation Fig. 3.
31
In each holder for the blue or other coloured lights is placed a spiral spring a
which, before the case m, Fig. 3 containing the composition of which the " light
is made is deposited in the holder, is compressed. The spring is retained in the
compressed state by a catch o which bears on the top or head of the spring n and is
hinged to the holder h².
After insertion of the "light" a cover is placed on the holder. This cover,
which is secured by a bayonet-joint, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is open at the top
except where a harr extends across it. Centred on a hollow boss s at the centre
of the deck of the buoy is a dise having a series of arms radiating therefrom.
Below the disc and in one piece therewith is a sleeve loose upon the spindle c and
having a diagonal slot in which engages a stud fixed on the spindle.
The buoy, in rising on the spindle, is prevented from turning on its axis by a
feather forined on the spindle and engaging with a slot provided at the bottom of

page_text: the buoy, or by providing a square shoulder on the spindle fitting into a square part
of the socket in the buoy. The sleeve below the arms t'aforesaid has play about
its axis which play is limited by stops u provided on the upper face of the hollow
boss s and working in slots cut in the disc from which the arms radiate.
Consequently, as the buoy is raised by floatation it imparts a partial revolution
to the disc carrying the arms ', such rotatory motion being due to the diagonal
slot in the sleeve and the stud engaging with it. By this means the arms are made
to act upon and withdraw the catches o restraining the springs a below the "lights."
The springs being thus released impel the "lights" upwards and cause ignition
through forcible contact of the percussion or other explosive cap of each light with
the bar across the top of the cover which, as aforesaid, surmounts each light
holder . The rockets are fired from the coloured lights.
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 1
claim is :-
1. A buoy for carriage on board ship and made captive to such ship by means of
a rope, line, or other cable connected to the buoy and wound upon and attached to
a reel or windlass, the arrangement being such that in event of the ship sinking, the
buoy floats and remains attached to the sunken ship, substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination with a ship's captive buoy, such as is set forth in the
preceding claim, of a bell and bell strikers, rockets, blue and other coloured lights,
a dating clock and other like signalling and time indicating apparatus, all con-
structed, arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings.
11001
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol Bank Buildings, Bristol, Agent.