US1259809A

US1259809A - Life-buoy.

Info

Publication number: US1259809A
Application number: US15197117A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert Atwood Unruh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1917-03-02
Filing date: 1917-03-02
Publication date: 1918-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 1935-03-19

Description

A. A. UNRUH.

LIFE BUOY.

APPLlcATloN man mm2. |911 1,259,809.

Patented Mar 19, 1918.l

f1 EF1.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

@Womad o 'A. A. UNRUH.

LIFE BUOY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. lsu.

Patented Mar; 19, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@um i @How 4o Ai A. -UNRUH.

LIFE BUOY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. 1917.

s SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Mar. 19, 191&

. d. Z/nruh *e4 @Mor/muje .i iiNirED srArEs PATENT oEEicE.

ALBERT n'rwoon UNBUH, or PORTLAND, oraison.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Application filed March 2, 1917. Serial No. 151,971.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

A Be it known that l, iiLBEi-rr A. UNRUH, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lite-Buoys; and I do declare the following to be a vfull, 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. y n

My invention hasiior its principal object to provide improved stabilizing means for lit'e buoys of the general typek shown in my United States Patent No. 1,119,770, issued December 1, 1914.

Anotherilobject is to provide improved means for connecting the tackle receiving rods or shackles to the buoy so as to permit them to serve as supporting means for an internal platform for the lookout.

With the foregoing general objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and in unique combinations oi parts to be hereinafter fully Y described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of this application, and in which:

`Figure 1 is an enlarged vertical section ot' the buoy in the position which it assumes immediately after launching;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the improved stabilizing means projected;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the stabilizing vmeans .showing the same in the retracted position of Fig. 1;

Ll is an enlarged sectional view `of part of the stabilizing means in extended position;

Fig, 5 is a horizontal section on the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig, 6 is a similar view with the stabilizing plates swung upwardly;

Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section on the plane of the line 7 7 of Fig. o; and

Fig. S is a similar view on the plane indicated by the line 8 8 of Fig. 6,

.In the drawings above briefly described, the numeral 1 'has reference to a suitable shell preferably formed of` 4sheets or' metal riveted or welded together around an appropriately constructed skeleton frame, 2, the upper portion of the shell 1 being in the form of a conning tower 3 having a ver tically moving ventilator cap 4el, a plurality ot colored signal lights 5, and other lights 6 for the lookout. Electric bulbs 7 are preferably located adjacent the signal lights 5 so as to illuminate the latter at night to render the floating buoy visible to other ships which may be vin the vicinity.

The ventilator 4f is-carried by the upper end of a stem 8 whose lower end is pivoted to a lever 9 fulcrumed at one end within the conning tower 3 and guided at its other end inthe slot 10 of a vertical guide bar 11, this last named end of the lever being by preference provided with a depending handle 12 Y by means of which rit may be operatedto vequipped with suitable straps whereby they may be strapped in their individual seats if required. Above the uppermost seat 13 is a step 15 located below the lower end of a hatchway 16 by means of which the passengers enter the buoy, said hatchway being equipped with a suitable watertight door 17 as will be clear from the drawings. In case of leakage at this door, however, or at any other point, a pump 18is preferably provided, the lower end of said pump being screened and located in a depression 19 in the bottom of the shell 1.

The interior of the buoy will be equipped with sutlicient provisions and fresh water to last the occupants several days, and first aid necessities such as medicine chests and the like will be provided. Among the other accessories provided for the `,convenience of thc occupants is a marine toilet fixture 20 located in suitable compartment-21.

Another appliance by preference employed is a Ventilating pipe 22 and fan. 23, the former leading downwardly from theventilator 4 so'that by means of any of the well known automatic controls, theYV fan 23 may be made to draw in fresh air and expel foul air atL suitablel intervals A shackle 24 is provided at the upper end crowns cross each other as shown, the two halves of said rods passing through the top of the tower 3 and extending to the bottom of the shell 1,*at which point they are suitably anchored. Both halves of the rods are preferably formed of upper and lower sections connected at a suitable point by turn buckles 26, and these buckles may well serve as supports for a platform 27 through which the rods pass, said platform being designed primarily to be occupied by the lookout, although it may be used for other purposes such for instance as a support for the fan 23. Steps Q8 preferably lead to the platform 27 but the use of these is optional since other means may well be employed in lieu thereof.

An annular apron 30 depends from the bottom of the buoy and is provided between its ends with a horizontal partition 31 cooperating with said bottom to provide a water ballast chamber 32, said chamber having a suitable number of water inlets 33, and a number of vents 34 for allowing the escape of air as the water. enters. The apron, below the partition 3l, constitutes a housing or pocket to normally receive therein the stabilizing plates and vanes yet to be described, the vertical shaft on which said plates and vanes are carried being slidably mounted in an upright tubular guide formed of upper and

lower pipes

35 and 36. Pipe 35 extends from the bottom of the buoy to the platform 27, while pipe 36 depends from said bottom to the partition 31.

A vertical shaft 37 is provided, said shaft consisting of a plurality of telescoping sections 38 equipped with suitable collars 39 to limit the Vextensibility of said shaft, said collars having teeth 40 which interengage when the shaft is 'extended so as to prevent relative rotation of the several sections. The innermost section 38 is connected at its upper end with a cable 4l which passes through a central opening in a partition 42 in the upper end of the pipe 35 and then over a pulley 43, said cable being connected with an appropriate drum 44 whereby it may be wound or paid out as occasion may demand.

A plurality of upstanding vanes 45 radiate from the lower end of said innermost section 38 and at their inner ends are secured thereto preferably by angle irons 46. The Outer to drop by gravity to the operative position shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and thus said plates will offer no resistance to the quick projection of said shaft. Having reached Vthe limit of their downward movement, the plates 49 will swing downwardly to the horizontal position of Figs. 3 and 5 so that they form a complete disk which cooperates with the vanes 45 in forming an effective stabilizing means acting more or less as a center board, the buoy being thus prevented from bobbing around on the surface in the manner which is unavoidable when no such stabilizing means is employed.

The improved buoys are adapted to take the place of the usual open life boats now used on both passenger liners and freighters, each vessel being equipped with an adequate number to accommodate passengers and crew. These buoys will be supplied with food,water, and other necessities, and will be so located as to permit them to be readily dropped over the side'of the ship. With the vessel thus equipped, assuming that the same is torpedoed or otherwise injured so that sinking is unavoidable, the passengers are loaded into the several buoys and are by preference strapped in their individual seats. This having been done the hatchway 17 is closed and the buoy is dropped over the side of the ship. Either now or beforehand, but preferably after the buoy is launched, the drum 44 is released so as to permit the shaft 37 to drop by gravity to extended position whereupon the stabilizing plates 49 and the vanes 45 will come into play to prevent the buoy from being excessively tossed about on the waves. A, lookout will be stationed on the platform 27 so that approaching vessels may be seen through the lights G, and from time to time he'will open the ventilator 4 and start up the fan 23 so as to expel the foul air from and admit fresh air into the buoy, thus insuring that none of the occupants will suffer for want of an adequate amount of oxygen. By night the colored lights 5' which are preferably red, will be displayed, whereas in the day time a flag will be visible so that the several buoys may be readily seen from any ships which may be in the vicinity and they may thus come to the aid of the survivors.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, manner of operation, and advantages of the invention will be clear and it will be obvious that although the improved buoy is of rather simple, inexpensive, and light construction, it will be a highly etlicient and durable life saver. For these reasons the arrangement shown constitutes the preferred form of the buoy but it is to be understood that within the scope of ther invention as claimed, numerous changes may be made without sacrificing the principal advantages.

I claimz" l. The combination with a life buoy, of a vertically disposed shaft carried thereby and normally retracted, said shaft being adapted to be projected downwardly when the buoy is launched, and stabilizing means carried by the lower end of said shaft and including a plurality of radiating upstanding vanes, and plates hingedly mounted between said vanes, said plates being adapted to swing upwardly when the shaft is being lowered and to then assume substantially horizontal positions.

2. The combination with a life buoy, of a vertically disposed shaft carried thereby and normally retracted, said shaft being adapted to be vprojected downwardly when the buoy is launched, and stabilizing means carried by the lower end of said shaft and including a plurality of upstanding vanes radiating therefrom, and segmental plates hinged to said vanes, said plates being adapted to swing upwardly when the shaft is being lowered and to then assume substantially horizontal positions.

3. The combination with a life buoy, of a vertically disposed. shaft carried thereby and normally retracted, said shaft being adapted to be projected downwardly when the buoy is launched, and stabilizing means carriedby the lower endof said shaft and including a plurality of upstanding vanes radiating therefrom, bars extending between and secured to the outer ends of said vanes .to hold the same in spaced relation, and segmental stabilizing plates hingedly mounted between said vanes, said plates being adapted to swing upwardly when the shaft is being lowered and to then drop by gravity onto said bars.

a. The combination with a life buoy, of a telescopic shaft carried thereby and normally retracted, the lower end of said shaft having stabilizing means operative when said shaft is extended, coacting stop collars on the several shaft sections for limiting the crowns, both halves of said rods extendingV through the interior of the buoy and being anchored to or near the bottom thereof, and

a platform supported by said rods and located within the buoy. Y

6. The combination with a life buoy, of a shackle at the upper end thereof formed of a plurality of arched rods crossed at their crowns, both halves of said rods extending through the interior of the buoy and being anchored to or near the bottom thereof, supporting members on said rods within the buoy and a platform resting on said members, said platform having openings through which the rods pass. y

7. The combination with a life buoy, of a telescopic shaft carried thereby and normally retracted, the lower end of said shaft having `a stabilizing means operative when said shaft is extended, coacting stop collars on the several shaft sections for limiting the extension of the shaft, and interengaging means on said collars for preventing relative turning of the several sections of said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

` ALBERT ATWVOOD UNR-UH.

Witnesses:

OLIVER M. I-IIoKEY, R. W. FAIRBULL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 6.