Improvements in Life Belts, Life Buoys, and Articles of the like kind, and in Methods of Shewing their Position when in use at Night.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 16th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 14th May,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life Belts, Life Buoys, and Articles of the like kind,
and in Methods of Shewing their Position when in use at Night.
I, EUGÈNE EXUPÈRE ROUSSEL, of 1, Quai Rohan, Lorient, in the Republic of
France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a novel method of using cork in life belts,
life buoys, floats, and the like. For this purpose I substitute for the plates or
blocks of cork ordinarily used in making such devices for saving life at sea, cork
thoroughly dried or torrefied and granulated or reduced to powder or small
fragments.
Supposing that the cork prepared in the novel manner described is to be applied
to the manufacture of a life buoy, I make the buoy of a hollow or tubular ring of
suitable fabric of the usual kind, but instead of making the ring continuous, I
make it open at one point so that it can be opened out more or less. I fill this
tubular ring with the grains or fragments of dried or torrefied cork, and I then
close the ends securely, and to one of them I attach buckles, and to the other
corresponding straps, by which the ends may be hold firmly and securely together.
The ends of the strap may be held down by an elastic ring.
By this method of construction, the buoy described may be used in the same
way and as easily as an ordinary life belt.
In order to render the improved life buoys more useful at night, each may be
provided with a luminous float consisting of a metal tube open at both ends and
filled with phosphide of calcium. Round the upper end of the tube is fitted a
float which causes the tube to remain upright in the water, which when it comes
in contact with the contents of the tube causes phosphuretted hydrogen to be
disengaged; the bubbles of which take fire when they come in contact with the
air, giving a light which is clearly visible at a great distance.
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
0 Improvements in Life Belts, Life Buoys, and Articles of the like kind,
and in Methods of Shewing their Position when in use at Night.
I, EUGENE, EXUPÈRE ROUSSEL, of 1, Quai Rohan, Lorient, in the Republic of
France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
Ped 1

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, and accompanying drawing, that is to say:-
-
This invention has for its object a novel method of using cork in life belts,
life buoys, floats, and the like. For this purpose I substitute for the plates or
blocks of cork ordinarily used in making such devices for saving life at sea, cork
thoroughly dried or torrefied and granulated or reduced to powder.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of my invention. Figure 1 is an
extensible lifebuoy closed.
Figure 2 represents the same buoy opened.
Figure 3 shows the buoy folded together for convenience of carriage.
Figure 4 is a vertical section through a luminous float, which can be adapted
to life buoys and belts.
:
Figure 5 is a side view of a luminous float which floats horizontally in the water..
Figure 6 is a transverse section of this float, and
Figure 7 a longitudinal section through it when in the water.
Life buoys as ordinarily made are rigid and are therefore objectionable, as their
inner opening cannot be varied in size as may be desired. It results therefore,
that a person a little stouter than usual cannot, in most cases, use such a buoy, the
opening through which is too small. On the other hand, if a slim person desired
to use it, it would slip completely down.
The improved buoy obviates these objections.
It consists of a hollow metal case or cover A, the interior of which is filled. with
grains of dried or torrefied cork, and the ends are securely closed. Upon one side
are then fixed one or more buckles B, and to the other end one or two straps C,
corresponding with the buckles. The metal case is the only safe method of pro-
tecting buoys, lifebelts, and other safety devices against injury or destruction by
mice and rats or the like which infest ships in large numbers.
D is an elastic sliding band round the end of the buoy. E, E, shows the line
where the buoy is pinched together and held to facilitate its folding.
By the construction described the buoy may be used either as a life buoy or as
a life belt.
In order to render life buoys as ordinarily used more useful I cut such a buoy
through at one point of its circumference, and I connect together the two ends by
means of leather straps. This enables a stout man to use a small life buoy, or a
thin man, or even a child, to use a large one.
Moreover, the fact that the buoy is strapped to the body constitutes a great
advantage in shipwreck, as the person wearing it can freely use both arms, either
to make signals, or to take hold of a rope or other object.
When a man falls overboard at sea, lifebuoys and other devices to keep him
afloat are thrown to him as quickly as possible. It is evident, however, that if
the accident takes place at night and he is unable to distinguish the buoys, all
attempts at rescue on the part of himself or others will be fruitless.
In order to remedy this disadvantage I make use of the solid substance known as
phosphide of calcium.
This substance, when it comes in contact with water, disengages a large quantity
of phosphuretted hydrogen gas, each bubble of which catches fire as it reaches the
air. The flame thus produced is bright enough to be easily visible at a considerable
distance.
The wind only has the effect of promoting the combustion of this curious gas
produced by the contact of phosphide of calcium with water, and this is used as
the principle of luminous buoys.
In the figures the phosphide in the form of grains or fragments is contained in a
thin metal tube C. A mass of cork H fixed upon its upper part keeps the tube C
vertical in the water. An opening I at its upper end is constantly open above the
level of the water and allows the disengagment of the gas. The opposite bottom
opening K is smaller and dips into the water which enters and wets the phosphide F
contained in the tube C.
.

page_text: In Figures 5, 6, and 7, M is a cylinder of cork having an opening through its
full length to receive a metal tube Ñ open at both ends. The tube N is fitted with
the phosphide, and its ends are closed by stoppers fixed to the cylinder M by means
of wax.
The float thus formed is attached to the lifebuoy in any suitable manner.
Each of the stoppers O is also fastened to some fixed part of the ship, so that
when the buoy is detached from its position the luminous float goes with it, whilst
the end stoppers are pulled off the float, which being open at both ends is ready
to operate directly the buoy is thrown into the water.
The advantage of this arrangement is easily seen. The water only enters by
degrees through the opening K, so that the phosphuretted hydrogen is slowly
disengaged and the resulting effect lasts for a considerable time. By the re-action
which takes place in the narrow tube G a viscous liquid is formed which the
bubbles of gas force their way through, and escape with some force above the
orifice I.
Each bubble then produces a luminous jet, and regular intermittent flashes are
produced, which are very easily seen.
A quantity of the phosphide (4 or 5 grammes) gives, during three-quarters of
an hour at least, luminous flashes at intervals of three seconds.
The total weight of the small apparatus is about 50 grammes, and the cost
very small.
The buoy being made fast to its support, the tube is hermetically closed so as
to absolutely prevent any communication between its interior and the external air.
The stoppers or covers are attached to cords fixed to the support of the buoy,
and when the cry of " a man overboard" is raised, the buoy is seized and thrown
into the water without any special precaution.
The cords automatically retain the stoppers or covers. When in the water, of
course, the tube-shaped float is connected with the buoy, the position of which
it shows.
All, in fact, that is necessary is to prepare the tubes so that the moisture of the
air shall not have access to and deteriorate the phosphide.
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. A new material obtained by torrefying cork in grains or fragments which are
then used in making life buoys, belts, and the like.
2. The application of the torrefied cork described and claimed in Claim 1 to
the manufacture of a lifebuoy, provided with straps and buckles by which its
inner diameter can be increased or diminished, substantially as described and
illustrated.
3. The combination with the improved life buoys or belts, of a luminous float
constructed and arranged substantially as described and illustrated.
4. The use of a metallic case for life buoys and belts, substantially as described
and illustrated.