GB2148799A

GB2148799A - Rescue apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2148799A
Application number: GB08328538A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Trevan Hambly
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-10-26
Filing date: 1983-10-26
Publication date: 1985-06-05
Also published as: GB8328538D0; GB2148799B; FR2555120A1; FR2555120B1; AU3465884A

Abstract

A rescue device having a stiff but flexible loop (6) attached to a tail (8) preferably of rope which is mounted to an elongate rigid member (2) which is buoyant; preferably the loop is retractable within the member (2) for stowage and the tail (8) protrudes from one end of the member. The rigid member acts as a handle to place the loop over a person in the water, the tail acts to secure the person and to haul him into a rescue craft. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Life saving apparatus The present invention relates to life saving apparatus.

One form of life saving apparatus suitable for use at sea is a body supporting buoy either circular or horseshoe in shape. This may be secured to a line and thrown to a 'man overboard'. The problem with this arrangement is that in a wind it is difficult to throw from a small boat under sail with perhaps only two crew. Furthermore the 'man overboard' may have insufficient strength to put the buoy around himself. Furthermore even if the 'man overboard' does secure himself in the buoy there remains the difficulty of lifting the probably weakened person back in board.

The invention has an object the provision of an easily handled securing device for a 'man overboard' which is also suitable for the eventual recovery of the person in board.

A life saving apparatus according to the invention comprises a loop of a stiff but resilient material, preferably wire rope having a tail extending to a means for securing to a recovery line, the tail and/or loop being mounted to a rigid elongate buoyant member being sufficiently buoyant to support at least the tail and loop in water.

The advantage of such an apparatus is that the rigid member can be used to hold the loop so that as the recovery boat reaches the 'man overboard' the recovery person can pass the loop over the 'man overboard' and with a line secured to the tail secure the 'man overboard' to the boat preparatory to hoisting him (or her) in board. A suitable high point (possibly the mast) with a snatch block and a winch provides the means for hoisting the 'man overboard' in board.

The buoyancy of the elongate member and the weight of the loop is such that the end of the elongate member tends to ride upright in the water providing a suitable position for a light or small radar reflector thus making subsequent location of the apparatus easier if it has to be cast off.

In order to make the apparatus easy to stow it is convenient to make the loop and tail slidable with respect to the elongate member so that in the stowed condition the loop is substantially held up against the member. A particularly neat embodiment is one where the member is a tube such that the loop in a closed form is retracted for stowage into the tube which may be about 4 feet (1.22 metres) long.

The apparatus can form part of a dan buoy or be simply attached to a dan buoy to provide even easier locatability.

The embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows an elevation of a life saving apparatus in the stowed condition, Figure 2 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 in cross-section with its loop in the in use position, and Figure 3 shows a cross section of Figure 1, showing the loop stowed.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings a stiff elongate tubular member or tube 2, 4 feet 2 inches long with an internal diameter of 12 inches made of a suitable rigid plastics material is provided. Inside the tube is buoyant plastics (suitably polystyrene) foam 4. The positioning of the foam inside the tube is not essential and could be outside the tube, the shown arrangement does provide protection during normal stowage.

Siidably carried inside the tube (when in the stowed condition) is a P.V.C. covered wire loop 6.

The wire is suitably - inch diameter U8 inch diameter including covering) and is spliced into loop form by a neat Tellurit or like crimped joint. The loop when unhoused opens out from a stowed projecting length of about 4 inches to 8 inches to a loop diameter of about 3 feet.

A tail 8 of man made fibrous rope suitably - inch terylene, is secured to the loop and has its end remote from the loop an eye 10 and a clip hook 12.

The tail 8 exits from the tube 2 through an oblique or slanted hole 14 in the top end 19 of the tube which enables the tail end to be wound around the top end of the tube as at 16 during normal stowage. The clip hook 12 is taped or in some other quick release way to the end 19 in the stowed conditions.

At the bottom end 20 of the tube 2 is a bung or guide member 18 secured to the tube by a nut and bolt 24 or other suitable means. The bung 21 has two inwardly and outwardly flared holes 22 receiving the two parts of the loop 6. The holes 22 may be replaced by a single slot or it may be that the nut and bolt 24 may be sufficient without a bung.

The top end 19 of the tube is suitable for carrying a battery operated light for night use. Alternatively a smoke flare could be releasably mounted in the portion for day use on the even of the apparatus being used as a free floating device. A small reflector might also be fitted. In this arrangement the device can be used for helicopter rescue, enabling the 'man overboard' to be clearly marked.

The upright altitude of the device in the water enables the light or whatever to be seen at a much greater distance than that provided on a lifebuoy.

The tube 2 may be provided with strips of roughened material 26 at intervals along its length and strips of highly reflective material can also be provided as at 28.

Reflective material can also be provided around loop 10.

To use the apparatus the clip hook 12 and spare line at 16 of the tail is slipped off the tube and attached as required to a suitable position. By inserting a foot in the loop 6 it is then quickly drawn out of the tube so that it fully extends.

Using the top end 19 of the tube as a handle, the loop 6 is lowered overboard so that the 'man overboard' can place his arms and head through the loop. The loop is then tightened by pushing the tube towards the 'man overboard' or alternatively the 'man overboard' holds the tube while the tail 8 is pulled to similarly tighten the loop. The tail 8 is then attached to a topping lift or other suitable rope supported at a high point on the boat and by means of the boat winch or a suitable tackles, the 'man overboard' can be lifted out of the sea.

It will be noted that the apparatus will float substantially upright when the loop is pulled out into the extended position but the tendency is for the apparatus to float horizontally with the loop in the stowed position.

Variations in the fitting of the loop to the rigid elongate buoyant member may be such that the elongate member is pivotted to one side of the loop and is mounted to the loop and tail by means of suitably spaced apart eyes. However, this arrangement is in many ways not so convenient as the preferred example since the eyes can injure the 'man overboard', Furthermore variations in tightening the loop may be provided such as by the use of a toggle fitted between the bottom end 20 of the tube and surrounding both parts of the loop 6. This arrangement is not so preferable as the illustrated example since the toggle could become displaced before the loop is extended.

Claims

1. Life saving apparatus comprising a loop of a stiff but resilient material having a tail extending to a means for securing to a recovery line, the tail and/or loop being mounted to a rigid buoyant member being sufficiently buoyant to support at least the tail and loop in water.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the buoyant member is a tube and wherein in a stowed condition the loop is retracted within the tube.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the tail comprises a length of rope attached to the loop at one end, a clip hook at the other end of the length and a loop or eye at an intermediate point along the length.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the buoyant member is formed of plastics material having a rigid outer wall.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein buoyant plastics foam material is provided within the outer wall.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the loop is retained slidably to the buoyant member by a stop means at the end of the member at one end whilst the tail extends from the other end.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 60 wherein the loop is covered with a smooth plastics material.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein a light reflecting material is applied to the buoyant member.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 where an electric light is attached to the buoyant member.

10. Life saving apparatus substantially a described with reference to the accompanying drawings.