US2328916A

US2328916A - Floating signal

Info

Publication number: US2328916A
Application number: US464139A
Authority: US
Inventors: Comte Victor K Le
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1942-10-31
Filing date: 1942-10-31
Publication date: 1943-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 1960-09-07

Description

p 1943- v. K. L E c oM'rE 2,328,916

FLOATING SIQNAL Filed Oct. 51; 1942 IN,\(ENTOR /2 242; ma ma: 3; BY 7 Patented Sept. 7, 1943 UNITED STATES. PATENTF ()ppwg r FLOATING SIGNAL Victor K. Le (Jomte, Hollis, N. Y. Application October 31', 1942 No. 464,139 i 6Claims. (cm-4t) tainer has at its bottom en'd'a neck I formed This invention relates to floating smoke sigintegral with the end of the container. i Thev nals and more particularly to a floating smoke signal for use by occupants of. a lifeboat to attract the attention of the occupants of anairplane.

An object of this invention small-size smoke signal of simple construction which can readily be stcwedin a lifeboat and is an inexpensive neck is threaded and a threaded cap it is screwed thereon.- The bottomof the container extends into the ring i2 and rests on the bottom of the casing, the ringhavingas one of its functions to center the'container inthecasing.

which upon being thrown'into the water immediately assumes an upright position with a substantial portion thereof above the water level. i In general, a smoke signal embodyingthe invention consists of a heat-proof cylindrical casing within which is arranged a container filled with combustible powder and on the bottom of which is provided suitable ballast. -The. size" of the casing is sufilcient that it has enough buoyancy to maintain it about two-thirds out of water and the ballast is suitably arranged and heavy enough to keep the casing in upright con- 1 dltion. Preferably, the ballast is located along the periphery of the bottom of the casing rather than over the entire casing bottom in order to obtain maximum stability. Means'are provided for automatically ignitingthe contents of the container and forming a vent ior the escape of the products of combustion which, because of the composition of the powder, produce a suitably colored attention-attracting smoke.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will become apparent-from the. following specification. and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a section partly broken away of an embodiment of the invention;

and

on an enlarged scale.

A casing ill of cylindrical configuration." is

provided at its top end with a threaded neck ll provided a ring I2. 01' heavy'materlal suchffor example, as lead, concrete or other material of high specific gravity. Thering i2 is arranged Theupper end of the container I4 is offset to form a collar i! to which is'mechanically at! tacheda threaded neck |8. A cap i9 is screwed on to the neck II' and is provided with a central aperture through which the neck i8. projects. A thin metal disk 20 having --an aperture 2i engages the end of the neck iiixand a continuous disk 22'of thin frangible material such, fore:-

on the neck [8 and having a flange between which. and the surface of the cap l9 is-arranged a gasket 24. A cap 25 is threaded on the cap. it and encloses the neck l8 and the parts sup,- V ported thereby.

The cap i9 carries an leads halfway around the collari-l and enters ture. The fuse-29 is connected to\a detonator which rests on e powder. wmim v thecontainer'l4. 4

In order to make use of the deviceabovedescribed, the cap is removed and the wire 21 I .is pulled'through the igniter by means 0! the 4 Fig. 2 is a section on the-line 2-2 ofFig. 1 f

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view similar-to Fig. 2 40- ;rin8 28, thereby igniting the fuse 29 by means, not shown. The casing is then tossed into the water in'which it "floats in an. upright position with the neck above the surface of the water by reasonofthe weight. The iuse leads the flame to; the detonator' 3i,j-'explodes 'aftera pre-. determined length ,oftime, and the force of the explosion fractur'esthe disk 22 to provide-a, vent. The explosion also -ignites the powder v in the container ii to produce smoke which escapes. through the fractured disk, 22.- The ar- .---rangement=ottherballastin the form of a ring adjacent the'vertical wall of the casing and is; 1

held in contact with the bottom or the'casing by any suitable means such, for example, as a rib i3 formed by rolling in a portionof the casing wall. 3 Within the casing is' arranged a cylindrical container M of slightly lessdiameter than the 7 interior diameter of the neck ii and the con-. 55,

--increases the stability 'of the'nare overgthat ,which-it .would'have if the same weight were spread over the entire bottom of the casing and reduces-the possibilityottheflame being extinguished by wavea, The heat generated by the burning or the powder in the container is so great that the solder and the like cannot be used to attach the neck i8 to the top of the container ll. Therefore,

igniter 26 having as one of its elements a wire 21, to the cadet whichis attached a'ring 28. From the igniter a fuse 29 the neck is mechanically connected to the top of the container as shown in Fig. 3. The neck I8 is formed at its bottom with an inwardly'directed flange 32 and the top of the container is formed with a return bend having an outwardly extending flange 33. The flanges are rolled together mechanically-under sufiicient' pressure to provide a heat-proof seal which will withstand the temperature to which it is subjected. T

The particular construction of the igniter, fuse and detonator forms no part of this invention and, therefore, is neither shown nor described in detail. Any suitable means for igniting the powder in the container I4 may be used and the neck l5 provides a large opening through which combustible powder may be quickly introduced into the container to facilitate filling the same.

I claim:

1. A floating smoke signal comprising a casing having a threaded neck at one end, a powder container within said casing extending into the easing neck, a separate threaded neck member for said container projecting beyond said casing neck, a mechanical heat-proof seal between said neck member and said container, a cap threaded 1 characterized by a mass of high specific gravity material in the bottom of said casing.

3. A floating smoke signal according to claim 1 characterized by a loop of high specific gravity material on the bottom of said casing adjacent the casing periphery.

4. A floating smoke signal comprising a casing having a threaded neck at one end, a powder container within said casing extending into the casing neck, a separate threaded neck member for said container projecting beyond said casing neck; the material of the container being formed with a return bend around the periphery of the aperture and the material at the bottom of the member being formed with-a return bend co-t operating with the container return bend, said bends being mechanically pressed together to form a heat-proof seal between the container and neck member, a cap threaded onto said casing neck and having an aperture through which said container member extends, and means clamping together said cap and container neck member.

5. A floating smoke signal according to claim 4 characterized by a mass of high specific gravity on to said casing neck and having an aperture through which said container neck extends, and means clamping together said cap and container neck.

2. A floating smoke signal according to claim material in the bottom of said casing.

6. A floating sinoke signal according to claim 4 characterized by a loop of high specific gravity material on the bottom of said casing adjacent the casing periphery.

' VICTOR K. LE COMTE.