Improvements in Life-buoys.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Mar., 1891-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life-buoys.
I, LUCIEN VIALET-CHABRAND, of La Ciotat, Bonches du Rhone, France,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
The apparatus heretofore usually employed for saving persons that have fallen
accidentally into the sea, do not afford thorough security under all circumstances.
The buoys most commonly used on board ships are made of cork and are of circular
shape; these buoys afford complete security only to those persons who have the
presence of mind and the necessary strength to dive underneath such a buoy in
order to pass to the centre thereof and when there to obtain a comfortable support
by stretching out the arms across the top of it. It is practically impossible to keep
oneself above the water by simply catching hold of one of these circular buoys yet
this is what an inexperienced person when in the water, would be most likely to
do, and it is for this reason that so few persons comparatively have been saved
by means of such apparatus. This disadvantage of the circular buoy is well known
to all seamen, and the object of my invention is to provide a life buoy or apparatus
of comparatively small diameter, yet having a displacement greater than that of the
ordinary circular buoy, and having the further advantage that a person when in
the water need merely to support himself on the outside of the buoy to be in the
best position of security.
The circular buoy usually employed, has a displacement of thirteen to fourteen
cubic decimetres, whereas my improved buoy which will usually have only a
diameter of 0.820 metres, has a displacement of 31 cubic decimetres, which is much
more than is sufficient to support not merely one, but two persons with complete
safety.
The improved life buoy comprises a central crown of circular or other suitable
form, and made of cork or other suitable buoyant substance, in the interior of which
may be placed a fuze box that is rigidly fixed in position by bolts. To this crown
are fixed arms, also of cork or other suitable buoyant substance, terminating in
enlarged ends also of cork or other suitable substance. Each arm and its enlarged
end are firmly connected to each other and to the central crown by means of dowels,
and long bolts.
The cross sections and dimensions of the arms and of the enlarged ends and the
distance apart of, or the space left free between them, are such as to afford sufficient
room for a person to place himself or herself between two of the arms with ease,
and of resting his or her arms upon the arms and their enlarged ends.
The arms of which there may be two, three, or four, or even more, are connected
to one another by a rope or "marline" which serves mainly to strengthen the buoy,
and to afford a hold for the grasp of a person. This marline also serves to keep at
some distance from the axis of the buoy, the chain for effecting the removal of the
lower plug of the fuze box, as the improved buoy is capable of being employed with
the electrical apparatus for holding buoys forming the subject of my application for
Letters Patent dated 10th Jan. 1890 No. 498.
In order to strengthen the buoy if required in practice, adjacent enlarged ends
can be connected together. This arrangement when four arms are used, leaves only
two spaces available for use, nevertheless the advantages hereinbefore referred to
"marline" the end
are still secured. Each arm is further provided with a cord or
of which is furnished with a cork knob or handle.
A person, in the water when held at the waist between two of the enlarged ends
of a buoy constructed as described will be in a condition of comparative safety, and

page_text: will be able to await rescue without fatigue, and such person may have his or her
bands at liberty, or may grasp the marline or one or more of the cork knobs or
handles attached to the arms situated opposite to the arms between which he
or she is situated..
As the floating power of the apparatus is mainly due to the enlarged ends, any
inclination which the buoy may assume under the weight of a person, will be
insignificant, and the conditions of equilibrium in which the person will be placed,
will be the best possible under the circumstances.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1890.
L. VIALET-CHABRAND,
Per L. W.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life-buoys.
1, LUCIEN VIALET-CHABRAND, of La Ciotat, France, Electrical Engineer, 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 :-
Life buoys as usually made are open to serious objection. Those generally used
on ships, are of cork, and are circular in shape. Such a buoy, although useful for
persons who may have the presence of mind and the necessary strength to dive
underneath it in order to pass to the centre thereof and when there to obtain a
support by stretching out the arms across its top, is nevertheless unsatisfactory in
that it is practically impossible to keep ouself above water by simply catching hold
of the buoy notwithstanding that this is what an inexperienced person when in the
water, would be most likely to do. For this reason few persons comparatively
speaking have been saved by means of such apparatus.
The object of my invention is to provide a life buoy of comparatively small
diameter, while having a displacement greater than that of the ordinary circular
buoy, and possessing the further advantage that a person when in the water need
merely support himself on the outside of the buoy.
The circular buoy generally used, has a displacement of thirteen to fourteen
cubic decimetres, whereas my improved buoy which will usually have only a
diameter of 0.800 metres, has a displacement of 27 cubic decimetres, which is more
than sufficient to support not merely one, but two persons.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the annexed drawings illustrate a life buoy constructed according
to this invention,
Fig. 1 being a plan, and
Fig. 2 a cross section on the line 1-2 of Fig. 1.
This life buoy comprises a central part or crown a of circular or other suitable
form, and made of cork or other suitable buoyant substance, in the interior of which
is a sleeve . To this crown are fixed radial arms c, also of cork or other suitable
buoyant substance, terminating in enlarged ends d d likewise of cork or other
suitable substance. The arms with their enlarged ends are firmly connected to
each other and to the crown a by means of pins ff... and long bolts which
may be of steel.
..
9. I
The cross sections and dimensions of the arms and of the enlarged ends, and the
distance apart of, or the space left free between them, are such as to afford sufficient
room for a person to place himself with ease between two of the arms cc and to
rest his arms upon them and their enlarged ends. The arms c, of which there may
be two, three, four, or even more, are connected to one another by a rope or
"marline which not only slightly strengthens the buoy, but affords a hold for
the grasp of a person. It also serves to keep at some distance from the axis of the
buoy, the small chain for effecting the removal of the lower plug of the fuze box,
when such is used, as the improved buoy is capable of being employed with the
19

page_text: | electrical apparatus for releasing buoys forming the subject of an application for
Letters Patent dated 10 January 1890, No. 498.
The marline passes freely through small tubes in the arms c.
These tubes
are provided at their ends with rings or ferrules to retain them in position and to
prevent the marline from becoming cut.
The sleeve b serves for the reception of the staff of a flag for enabling the spot
where the buoy is situated to be readily seen.
In order to strengthen the buoy if required, adjacent enlarged ends d can be
connected together as indicated at ¹.
Each
This arrangement when four arms are used, leaves only three spaces available for
use, nevertheless the advantages hereinbefore referred to are still secured.
m the end of which may be
arm may be further provided with a cord or "marline
furnished with a cork knob or handle m'.
A person, in the water, when held at the waist between two of the enlarged ends
of a buoy constructed as described, will be in a condition of comparative safety, and
will be able to await rescue without fatigue and such person may have his hands at
liberty, or may grasp the marline or one or more of the cork knobs or handles m'
attached to the arms situated opposite to the arms between which he is situated.
As the floating power of the apparatus is mainly due to the enlarged ends d, any
inclination which the buoy may assume under the weight of a person, will be
insignificant, and the conditions of equilibrium in which such person will be placed,
will be the best possible under the circumstances.
Fig. 3 is a plan of a life buoy according to this invention carrying a fuze box.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section.
p is a cylindrical box. It is furnished at its centre with a tube o perforated with
lateral holes, and provided at its ends with tubular parts o¹, 02. In the tube v, along
the axis of the cylinder p is arranged a rod t which is attached to the tubular
parts o, by means of two lead capsules n, n'. These capsules are attached by
soldering to the tubular parts o', o² and the rod t, in such a manner as to constitute
absolutely tight closures.
To one, or to all, of the arms a is fitted a bronze plate at which terminate the
metallic cables of a suspension ring » (Fig. 5).
"
Assuming the buoy, carrying its fuze box, to be suspended to a fixed point, to
which is also attached, by means of a small chain and a metallic cable, the rod t
which passes through the fuze box; and assuming also that the buoy can freely fall,
at a given moment, without the rod t becoming disconnected from the fixed point, it
is obvious that the weight of the buoy will have for result the pulling out of the
rod. The two heads or ends of the box being thus perforated, the water will enter
the box, whence Hame will issue and show the spot occupied at the time by the
life buoy.
The rod is placed on the fuze only at the moment when the fuze is to be
mounted on the buoy. At ordinary times the two leaden capsules are protected by
brass caps of the kind shown clearly in the drawing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A life buoy made of cork or other suitable substance and comprising a central
part or crown and radial arms the latter provided at their ends with enlargements
substantially as shewn in and described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the
drawings annexed for the purposes specified.
2. A life buoy of the kind referred to in the preceding claim, provided with a
fuze box having openings normally closed by a closing device such as a rod, the
arrangement being such that when the buoy is launched, and the travel of the
closing device is limited, the fuze box by its weight aided by that of the buoy, will
move relatively to the closing device and become disengaged therefrom, thereby

page_text: causing the openings in the fuze box to be unstoppered, substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1891.
L. VIALET-CHABRAND,
By L. W., per F. B.