US1455122A - Wreck-retrieving device - Google Patents

Description

May 15, 1923. 11,455,122

H. J. SCHMITT WRECK RETRI EVING DEVI CE Filed Sept. 4, 1919 Patented May 15, 1923.

warren stares Lthilfit PATENT HENRY J. SCHIJIIT'I, F PORTLAND, OREGON.

WRECK-RETRIEVING DEVICE.

Application filed September 4:, 1919. Serial No. 321,632.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I-IENRYJ. ScnMrr'r, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Portland, in the county of Multnomah, in the State of Oregon, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in IVreck-Retrieving Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying 1O drawing.

My invention relates to marking buoys to be carried on board of a ship so that, in the-event of its being wrecked, they may serve to indicate the spot where thewreck lies submerged. p

The distinctive object of my invention -in to provide means, in connection with marking buoys of the class described, for passing a cable from the buoy to a wreck in such manner as to impart to the latter a sufficient lifting force to draw it to the surface or near enough to, the surface to bring it within the convenient application of ordinary salvage methods.

What; constitutes my invention will be hereinafter specified in detail and succinctly set forth'in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawing presents illustration of my invention that is in the main diagrammatical. Referring thereto,v

Figmre I is a diagrammatical transverse view of the hull ofa floating ship, equipped with my apparatus. V

Figure II is a similar view, of the ship shown in Figure I' submerged with a marking buoy floating upon the surface of. the water above it. v

Figure III is a view similar to Figure II illustrating the manner in which a lifting cable is, by the aid of the line connection between the submerged hull and the floating buoy-- applied to the bully tor the purpose of lifting its I Figure IV is a transverse sectional view 0f 'tl18 buoycase in one form of embodiment detached and shown as open, the lid thereof being supported in an open position by an automatically acting rack.

Referring to the numerals on the draw ing, 1 indicates the hull of a ship and 2 the deck thereof; Upon the deck is carried medially between opposite sides of the ship a buoy-case 3 into which. is passed two stretches of a slidable endless line v5, which may be made of aweight suificiently light to enable-it to connect the hull 1 with a buoyant member or buoy 6, the floating capacity of the buoy being duly calculated to sustain the weight of the line. The length of the line 5 may be. of course, varied, but, for the purposesof my invention, a'length thereof sufiicient to stretch between floating buoy and a hull submerged below it to the depth of say one thousand feet may be employed. The case 3 should be of a capacity sufficient for the stowing away within it of all excess length of the line that may be required to be paid out only in case of a wreck.

In service, while the hull is afloat, the line 5 is kept bent, as indicated at 7 and 8, about separated members 9 and 10 that constitute stable portions or connections of the hull itself, the line being passed through apertures 11 and 12 provided for its loose accommodation. In the diagrammatical illustration offered, the members 9 and 10 are represented as side-rails projecting above'the deck 2,-but it should be understood that such illustration is purely diagrammatical, and that the members 9 and 10 represent any preferred separated means foroperatively securing the line to the hull. In actual use it would doubtless be desirable to employ special devices for that purpose. Such devices would necessarily be massive and secured to the ship by means of connection having ample strength to meet requirements, and also constructed to facilitate the slipping of the line through apcrtures corresponding in effect to the apertures l1 and 12-; Moreover, in actual service.

the stretches 16 and 17 of the line 5, as shown in Figure I, would need to be con veniently stowed away either below the deck 2 or in such convenient disposition as would effectively relieve them from constituting obstructions above deck. Such provisions are matters of detail which may be safely left to the ordinary dictates of good sea- Inanship and with which my invention is at present not concerned. The separation of the members 9 and 10 represents means for spreading apart the stretches l6 and 17 of the line 5, and so preventing entanglement of one of said stretches with the other upon the flotation of the buoy 6 in service.

In Figure II the hull is indicated by the numeral 20 as submerged below the water level 21 and connected bythe line 5 with the floating buoy 6 through a ring 22 depending from its bottom. The buoy, as shown therein, having been automatically lifted out of its case 3 by its buoyancy, floats uponthe surface 21. In Figure II the line 5 is shown as drawn out to its fullest extent and is dis played in the form of a triangle which is the shape it would assume if it be connected as specified with two separated members 9 and 10. In Figure II, the line 5 is shown as performing only the simple functionofa connection between the sunken hull and its marking buoy.

In Figure III the distinctive function of the line 5 is made apparent; as shown in that figure, the line 5 is being utilized as a slidable endless conveyor or leader between t'hesunken hull and the marker or buoy 6 for a cable feed-line which is assumed to be paidout at its upper end 26 from a source of supply not illustrated, for example, a coil upon the deck of a .ship not, shown. At '27 the feed-line 25 is, as by a splice or any otherconvenient means, fastened to the line 5 at any point thereof that may be conveniently reached from above the surface 21,

After the connection 27 is effected, the line 25 is, as by manipulation of the line 5,. caused to pass downwardly underneath the supporting member or members 9 and 10, as the case may be, say through the apertures 11 and 12. the splice 27 being shown in Figure III as having just passed through the aperture 11. i

the movement of said line until the feed-line 25 reaches approximately the ring 22 upon the manner described, made available for manipulation above the surface 21, its ends '27 may be separated from the line 5, which may thereafterbe dispensed with, and the line 25 then slipped through the apertures 11 and 12 independently of the line 5. The feed-line 25 is so designated because it is designed and adapted to be employed a's a leader to a cable of. any desiredthickness which the size of the apertures 11 and12 may be designed to accommodate. The line 25 may be a light one and may in service be enlarged by successive lengths attached to it until a line of sufiicient strength to draw the cable with certainty is arrived at.

When the cable is at last substituted in place of the feed-line 25 it may be utilized in any usual or preferred, manner and, by the aid of any usual or preferred mechanism, as a means of lifting the hull 20. As is well known, the weightof a hull in water is comparatively so light as to require but comparatively small force for lifting itsubstantially t'o assumes of the water. when By a continuing haul upon the l ne 5, the splice 27 is caused to pass with the hull has been, by means described, lifted close to the surface, it becomes a simple matter to apply ordinary methods in the complete salvaging of it.

The case 3 is shown in the drawing, by way ofexample, as an oblong box set upon its side and of dimensions adapted to accoin modate the buoy 6, whose ring 22 is shown as located upon one side of the buoy. It is obv1ous,.however, that the buoy when afloat may be partially submerged alongits greater extent, and that the. ring 22, insuch case, could be fixed in the endthereof instead of in the side. The case Baas illustrated, is

shown with a hinged lid 28 which is preferably supported upon its hinge when open as by a rack 29' whose teeth engages supporting member 30 within the cases This detail, as illustrated, shows provision of means for preventing entanglement of the linei5 by the closing of the lid during such time as the line 5 in double lengths is being paid out from the case 31 under the ascending movement of the buoy through the water,

The buoy is preferably proyided with guard-rails or fenders 31 forprotecting it from injury as by bumping against the side of a salvage boat, for examplei The operation of my device, in view of described as follows:

the foregoing specification, may bebriefi'y One or more independent buoys, as many will be lifted by the water and will draw the line 5out of the case 0', which is'pref 'erably constituted its repository when i't is not in actual service. It is obvious that the buoy will perform its function as aniarker, irrespective of the endless nature of the l1ne 5, so long as that line is of length sufficient V to accommodate itself to the depth 'of submergence of the hull 20'. The onlyip 'int for consideration, therefore, in determining the length of the line 5 is the maximisadep h of the water in which the of a: ship is likely to occur.

After a buoy floating above a wrclr and connected with it by the means described, is discovered and its location is made sure, the work of salvaging the wreck be delayed to any convenient season pending prepara tion for the work.

What'I claimi's: I

1. The coinbinatien with the top deck of a ship' havin aanaeise1y"dis ssa&- t at ings' in the side walls thereof, a buoy casing mounted on said deck-intermediate the said side walls, a buoy normally housed in said casing, an endless line slidably connected to the buoy and extending through said openings and below said casing, and means when the ship is submerged'below the surface of the water for automatically releasing the buoy from its casing for the purpose specified.

2. The combination with the top deck of a ship havingtransversely disposed openings in the side walls thereof, a buoy casing mounted on said deck intermediate the said side walls, a buoy normally housed in said for automatically releasing the buoy from its casing for the purpose specified.

3. The combination with the top deck of a ship having transversely disposed openings in the side Walls thereof, a buoy casing provided with a pivotal lid mounted on said deck-intermediate the said side walls, a buoy normally housed in said casing, an endless line slidably connected, to the buoy and extending transversely across the deck through said openings, and means when the ship is submerged below the surface of the water for automatically raising the lid in said casing and permitting the buoy to float to the surface for the purpose specified.

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

HENRY J. SCHMI TT.

Witnesses: JOSEPH L. ATKINS, J OHN B. CLELAND.

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