US1236956A - Device for hoisting safes from sunken vessels. - Google Patents

Description

j UNITED sTATEs TATENT OFFICE..

HENRY Lo'rz, or P novIDENoE, RHODE ISLAND,I AssIeNon To 'r1-1E Lora rno'rnc'ron.

AND sALvAeE COMPANY, or raovInENeE,.nHonE 1sLAND, A CORPORATION or f RHODE ISLAND.

DEVICE FOB HOISTING SAFES FRCM SUNKEN VESSELS. Y

Specication of Letters Jiatent.V

vApplication..tiled December 23, 1916. Seri-a1 N o. 138,651.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY LoTz, a sub-V ject of the Czar oLRussia, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements -in Devices foi' Hoisting Safes from Sunken Vesselsyand I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such as willenable otiiers skilled in the art -io which it appertiiins to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a device for hoistl ing safes from sunken vessels.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, practical and ellicient device adapted to enable a salvage line to be readily connected t0 the safe of a sunken vessel for the hoisting of thesafe from the vvessel.

novel combination of parts hereinafter fiilly described, illustrated in theacdcmpaying drawing and pointed outin the claims here hat i'ato appendedg-it being understood `,t

-riousfchanges in 4the ,form, proportion, size `and minor details of construction', within the scope of the-claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the inven; tion. y x

i In the drawing; v Figureflisa side elevation of a safe-hoist,- device constructed'. in.v accordance with this .invention-"fand illustrating the manner of hoisting a safe from a sunken vesse1.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side' elevation illus- `trating the construction, of the coupling devvice and showing the normal arrangement of the same.- Y

Figi 3 isa central vertical sectlonal view of the same, the coupling :member being shownl at "'e',levii,tion i Fig. 4 is a detail view of the weighted exible loo or ring for engaging fthe colupling mem r. v

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the ligures of the drawing. .v

ln the :iccoinpanyii'ig drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the safehoistirig device comprises in its construction :i coupling member 1 consisting of a straight body portion provided at its lower end With a substantially segmental head 2 and ihaving an f approximately semi-circular or segmental ii'pper terininiil portion 3 recessed at the lower edges at opposite sides o'l the stem or body portion to form recesses 4 and downwardly extending opposite engaging bills or fiukes 5, which are adapted to`,be engaged by a loop "or ring 6 of a salvage line 7. The lower segmental head 2 which projects froin o positc sidesof the stemor body portion to orm iippcr shoulders 8 is provided with an eye or opening 9 for the reception of the upper link of a short chain 10, which has its lower Patented Angl-1,1917. l

end linked into a loop 11 of a safe 12. The

safe 12 which maybe of any size or structure is deslgned to be arranged in a specially provided compartmentl 13 of a vessel 14. The compartment 13, which is designed to be ai-riingednt the top of the vessel and to be clear of rigging or anything which might interfere with the removal of the safe 12, canb'e located in` any such convenient position'andtheoompartment is provided at the top withihinged -door's- 15 `adapted to be,

opened automatically b vthe' lifting of the safe and maintained normally in a closed positionbyV the devicefor the removal o f the safe. Access tothe safe is designed to be had from the interior of the cabin or superstructurecontaining the Vsaid compartment'13 and the top hinged sections or doors 15 are maintained securely in a closed position by meansof a baror pin=16 extending -throughan opening 17 of the .coupling member and. arranged 1n recesses 18 of blocks 19 mountedon the hinged `si'eetions 1.5 at the `free edges thereof asjclearlyshown in "3 of the drawing. :The pm 16, which extends re'm opposite, sof-:ithecoupling member, may bc tothe samefin any suitable sired manner.

i' y ofa connected at its upper 'or outer manner and b 'n1'- 4ceases of 'the b ocks 19 the doors or closures of the compartment or portion thereof above the safe are securely maintained ina closedosition. 'The loop into whlch the cham 1s inked may be secured to the safe 1n any de- The couplin is provided at the upper enlarge end with an upwardl tapered .guide consistingof inclined ro s 2O and a central vertical rod 21 and car ing a ring or eye 22 at the' apex for the attac y position with relation tothe safe compartloop 6, which is designed to be constructedof hemp or other suitable material wrappedvadapted toI lengthen or elo ment so that in event of the ls-nking of the vessel 14 the buoy will float off with the ide line and indicate vthe place of the sunken-vessel.

When it is desired to remove the safe-from the sunkenvessel thebuoy is taken up by a wrecking or salvage ship 26 and the salvage `lines 7 with the ilexible weighted loop or ring`6 are lowered to the coupling member, ,the guide -li-ne 2li/being passed through the member and is engaged with one of the hooks or projections 5 thereof'by drawin it upward. slightly .when the weighted oo`p or ring has reached the top of the compartment 13.` The loop or ring 6 will then be drawn into 'one' 'of the recesses 4 and will be confinedtherein by a pivoted latch 27 hinged at 28 ,and adapted to swing` ups vwar'dlv from'- a horizontal. position. Any

suitabe means may be employed for limiting the downward swing of the latch. In theconstruction illustratedin the accompanying drawing the heels 29 of the latches arearranged to engage the bills or linkes 5, bu't any other suitable. construction may of course be employed. The flexible ring or with lead to securelthe desired weight, is ate to enable a to readily pass over it ecome necessary. This second loop or rin should the same will enable one or more -salvage lines to be connected with the coupling member and the taperedguiding device formed bythe' inclined rods 20 will cause theloo -or rin to engage with one' or the' other o the sai bills orA engaging portions 5. The salvagel or wrecking ship 26 is'designedto be'pro vided with asuitable crane or hoisting d'e` vice 30 for lifting the safefrom the sunken executed b line.V loop or ring 6, which'is guided to the coupling xpsepee vessel to the surface and placing itv aboard the vessel'26. The hinged doors or closures 15 are adapted to open automatically when the safe l12 1s litedfrom the compartment 13.

.Various forms of buoyant marking de'- vices or buoys 'may be employedbut 1t 1s and described in a companion application me of even date herewith and partially i ustrated in the accompanying drawin The hinged doors are maintained closed by the lateral projections of the coupling member and they support the coupling member in a projecting position to enable the Vpreferable to use themarking device shown loop or ring of the salvage lines to be readily connected with the engaging portions of the said coupling member.

What is claimed is: 1

1. In a device for hoisting safes from sunken vessels, the combination with a vessel provided with a compartment open -at the top and provided thereat with means for covering or closing the compartment, said means being adapted to open outwardly, and a safe located wlthin the said compartment, of a coupling member extending from the compartment and connected with the safe, a guide line adapted to-be coiled on the vessel and connected at one end with the said coupling device, and a buoyant marking device connected with 2. In va device for hoisti'ng safes from sunken vessels, the combination with a vessel provided with a compartment and having hinged doorsarranged at`the top of the compartment and opening outwardly, and a safe arranged within the compartmentbelow the said doors, of a couplin member projecting exteriorly of the said oors and having engaging. means, means connecting the coupling member with the safe, a guide line attached to the. coupling member and extending therefrom for'guiding a salvage line to the engaging portions of the coupling member, and ambuoy connected with the guide line. 3. In a'device ofjthe safe located within the said compartment,

the other endvof the guide les class-described, the combination with a' vessel havinga comparisment .provided at the top with doors, and a of a couplingmember extending'bet'ween the doors and maintained by the said doors in a projecting position, means for connecting .the coulling member with the safe, means carried y the coupling member and resti upon the doorsI for holding the latter close and also for supportin the cou ling-device, -a-guide line connecte with ti l e coupling devlce', and a` buoyant marking device se# cured tothe line.V i

4. A device ofthe classldescribed including a coupling member 'provided at the 'top with depending bills or lilukes andhaving an upwardly rojectingrtapering guide conthe recesses of the said bloc means for sisting of inc ined rods connected with and connecting the lower end of t e coupling extending upwardly from the v0111251' pormember with the safe, said coupling mem-A tions of the dukes, a.A guide line attached to `ber being provided at the top with an en- 5 the said guide, and a' buoy *secured to the gaging portion and a line connected lwiththe 20 line. Y f coupling member for guiding the loop or 5. In a device of the class described, the l ring ofV a salvage line to theengaging por combination with. vessel having acomtion ofth'eccou'pling member. 1

l partment provided at 'the top with hinged In testimon whereof I affix my signature t 10 doors, .said doors being provided at their in presence o two witnesses..

.meeting edges with bl ks having opposite l recesses, anda safe located within the com- HENRYLOTZ' psrtment, of a. coupling member extendin Witnesses: between the meeting edges of the doors-an H M. L Lmwl,

1-5 provided with-lateral projections 1n I Bumm Si. Joins.

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