US1119817A - Buoy. - Google Patents

Description

J. M. FRANCIS.

BUOY.

APPLICATION FILED Amma. 1914.

1, 1 1 9,817., Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

J. M. FRANCIS.

BUOY.

APPLICATION FILED APB. xa, 1914 Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

2 SHEETS-BEEET 2.

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y To all whom it may concern JOSEPH M. FRANCIS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

BUOY.

Specification of Letters Patent. y l l Patented Dec. e, 1914..

Application `filed April 18, 1914. Serial No. 832,845.`

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. FRANCIS, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Buoys; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to buoys and more particularly to a buoy applicable for attachment to a vessel for floating release therefrom when the vessel sinks, to indicate the location of the vessel.

` The primary object of this invention is the provision of a buoy as specified, which is composed of a plurality of buoyant sections connected by flexible members, which sections are releasable for floating, from the vessel when the latter sinks, and the buoyant sections constitute separate buoys which are connected to the one next thereto by a cable or other suitable flexible member for floating at various depths in the water, the uppermost of which sections carrying suitable signaling means for attracting attention to the buoy. l

Ancther object of this invention is the provision of a novel mean:l for locking the various buoyant sections in engagement with the one next thereto, which locking means are releasable when the sections reach their Heating limit for permitting the next section to float upwardly, thereby forming a chain of buoys leading from the sunken ves-` sel to the surface of the waler.

With the roregolnf and other objects in viev. this invention consistsy in such novel features y of a construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In describing the invention in detailreference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like or corresponding `parts throughout the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved buoy showing the various buoyant sections connected together, as the buoy is attached to a vessel. Fig. 2 is a central sectional view through a part of the lowermost sections of the buoy and the support or retaineil which ismounted upon the vessel deck, showing the `buoyant compartments disconnected for floating release one from the other, and showing the uppermost buoyant section in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. FigJl is a detail elevation of the upper portion `of the uppermost of the buoyant sections. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the locking means for holding the uppermost buoyant sections in engagement with the one next thereto, and Fig. 6 is a detail view of the locking mechanism for holding the other of said sections connected.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates thebase or support of the buoy, which has annular arcuate flanges formed upon its lower end, and which is attached to the deck or side of a vessel in any suitable manner. The base or support 1 is cylindrical shaped and it has a cable or flexible member 2 securely connected thereto, which cable is in turn connected to the base 3 of the section L1 of the buoy. When the buoy is positionedas is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the cable 2 is coiled within the interior of the cylindrical base 1, and the annular flange 5 which is formed upon the compartment 4 near the lower end of the same, rests upon the annular flange 6 which is formed upon the upper terminal end of the cylindrical base 1.

'lhesecticn i of the buoy is divided into a plurality of compartments, one of which is hermetically scaled, for rendering the section 4: buoyant, and the other com partinent 'T is provided for the retaining of a cable or flexible member 8, which is connected to the base 9 of the compartment in any suitable manner, and to the partition 10, which partition is formed in the section 11.

The section 11 ofthe buoy, like the section 4, is divided into compartments, one of which is hermetically sealed for rendering the section buoyant, and the other of which is provided for the retaining of a flexible member or cable 12.` IThe cable 12 is connected to a bail member 13, which bail member is connected at its ends,-to rods 1-1 and 15, which rods are slidably mounted in brackets 1G carried by the section 11, `and extend longitudinally along the vertical sides of lthe same, being connected at their lower ends to links 17. The links 17 are in turn connected to arms 1S of the locking members 19. The locking members 19 are pivotally connected to bracketsQO, which brackets are secured to the outer surface of the sections 11, substantially equidistant from its ends as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

rlhe arms 18 of the locking member 19 have arcuate arms 21 connected thereto, which arcuate arms engage the upper end of the lever 22, when the sections 11 and 4 are connected as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The levers 22 `are pivotally carried by gears 23, which are connected to the outer surface of the section 4, and the levers have projections 24 formed thereupon intermediate their ends, which projections engage the upper surface of the annular flange 25. The annular iiange 25 is formed upon the compartment 11 near the lower end thereof, and when the sections 11 and 4 are connected or in engagement with each other, the flange 25 rests upon the upper marginal edge of the compartment 4. The section 4 has plates 26 secured thereto and projecting upwardly from the upper end of the section, which plates are provided with recesses for the reception of the guiding pins 27 which are carried by the compartment 11.

The section 11 has an internal annular flange 30 formed near its upper end, upon the upper side of which rests the flange 31, which liange is formed upon the lower depending ballasted portion 32 of the buoyant section 33. The portion 32 of the buoyant section 33 has any suitable type of material mounted in the lower end of the same, for ballasting the section 33 to hold it in a vertical position while iioating upon water. The section 11 has angle irons 34 secured to the outer surface thereof. near its upper end, which angle irons are disposed diametrically opposite each other upon the surface of the section 11 and have their horizontal parts positioned upwardly and projecting transversely from the sides of the section 11 as is clearly shown in F ig. 5 of the drawings. Levers 35, which have buoyant balls 36 secured to their outer ends, are pivotally con nected to brackets 37, which brackets are in turn secured to the flange 31 in any suitable manner. The inner ends ot' the arms 35, have recesses 38 formed therein, which recesses receive the outer edges of the horizontal arms of the angle members 34, for holding the buoyant section 33 connected to the buoyant section 11, when the various sections are connected as shown in F ig. 1 of the drawings.

The buoyant section 33 is divided into a plurality of compartments, the lower one oli' which is hermetically sealed for rendering the section buoyant, while the upper compartment is a container for combustible or volatile liquid such as kerosene or the like, and the compartment has a burner 40 com- Inuncating therewith, in the usual manner, and having any suitable type of capillary means for feeding the combustible or volatile tions of the bracket, directly above the upper end of the protective shade 41.

In the operation of the improved signal'- ing buoy as heretofore described, the buoy is attached to the deck of a vessel to one side of the boat, so that in case the vessel sinks, the compartments 4, 11 and 33 will float free from the base or retainer 1 and when the sections have reached the limit of the cable 2, the section 4 will be restrained from rising to a higher elevation or a greater distance from the vessel and the restraining of the upward movement of the section 4, will cause the buoyancy of the balls 36 carried upon the arms 35 to act, moving the levers 35 upwardly, and causing the transverse arms of the angle members 34 to be free from engagement with the recesses 38 formed in the ends of the arms, and this willl release the buoyant section 33 from connection with the section 11, per

mitting the section 33 to ioat upwardly until the limit of the cable 12 has been reached, when the buoyancy of the section 33 will pull upon the bail member 13, causing the latter to actuate the rods 14 for moving the arcuate arms 21 of the locking members 19 out of engagement with the upper terminal ends ot the levers 22, after which the levers will fall downwardly, releasing the projections 24 thereon Jfrom engagement with the iange 25 and permitting the sectionvll to lioat Jfree from the section 4 until the limit of the cable 8 has been reached, in this manner approximately the depth of water in which the vessel-has sunk maybe determined, owing to the number of the sections which are floating. The rocking of the section 33 by the waves will ring the bell 43 causing the same to sound an alarm, and when the light is ignited, the smoke therefrom will further attract attention to the buoy in day time, while the rays of light generated by the ignition of the combustible fuel will attract attention thereto at night,

acquainting persons of the location of they dium of the telephone or telegraph, or sig-i naling mechanism.

If it is so desired, a buoyconstructed in accordance with the drawings and description heretofore set forth, may be attached to `the side of a submarine vessel, and the re-` leasingofthe buoy be controlled by suitable leverage mechanism (not shown) which is controllable from the interior of the submarine, so that in cases where the submarine was incapacitated beneath the Water, the buoy might be released for cari rying a distress signal to ships or vessels sailing uponthe surtace ot the water.

From the foregoing description, takenin` connection with the accompanying drawlngs, the advantages ofthe construction and of the method of operatlon of the improved buoy will be readily apparent to those skilled in the artto which this invention appertains and, while in the foregoing description the principle of the operation has been described, together with various features of construction, it is to be understood that certain minor features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts may be altered to suit `practical conditions, provided such alterations are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

lfVhat I claim is l. In a signaling buoy, a plurality of buoyant compartments arranged in alinement with each other and connected to the one next thereto for floating release therefrom at predetermined times, and a cable connecting the` lowermost of said buoyant sections to a vessel.

2. In a signaling buoy, a plurality of buoyant compartments connected together Copies otithis patent may `be obtained for ve cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,`

by lengths of cable, means for holding said buoyant compartments in direct connection with each other releasable by buoyancy of various compartments.

3. In a signaling buoy, a plurality of buoyant compartments connected together by lengths of cable, means for holding said buoyant compartments in direct connection with each other releasable by buoyancy of various compartments, and signaling means carried by the uppermost of said buoyant compartments.

4. In a signalingbuoy, a plurality of buoyant sections connected by cables to each other, arms pivotally connected to one of said sections and having buoyant. members formed upon their outer terminal ends, the

inner end of said arms engaging the angle` brackets carried by another `ol' said sections for holding two buoyant sections connected until released by the upward movement of said arms by the buoyant members carried by their outer ends for releasing said compartments for separate floating.

5. In a signaling buoy, a plurality of buoyant sections connected by cables to each` other, arms pivotally connected to one of said sections and having buoyant members formed upon their outer terminal ends, the inner end of said arms engaging the angle brackets carried by another of said sections for holding two buoyant sections connected until released by the upward movement of said arms by the buoyant members carried by their outer ends for releasing said com- `partmentsfor separate floating, signaling means carried by the uppermost of said compartments, and a cable connecting the lowcrmost of said compartments to a vessel.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence o two witnesses.

` JOSEPH M. FRANCIS;

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. GLADHILL, THOMAS I. HOGAN.

Washington, D. CJ. a

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