US2490876A

US2490876A - Marking buoy

Info

Publication number: US2490876A
Application number: US686208A
Authority: US
Inventors: George S Lewis; Glen D Kerns
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-07-25
Filing date: 1946-07-25
Publication date: 1949-12-13
Anticipated expiration: 1966-12-13

Description

1949 G. s. LEWIS ET AL 7 2,490,875

MARKING BUOY Filed July 25, 1946 Patented Dec. 13, 1949 MARKING BUOY George S. Lewis and Glen D. Kerns, Alexandria, Minn.

Application July 25, 1946, Serial No. 686,208

1 Claim.

Our invention relates to marking buoys generally, and more specifically to such buoys which are adapted for use as depth markers in bodies of water where it is desirable to mark the location of certain objects or fishing grounds.

Our novel device comprises a spool-shaped winding drum which is provided with an eccentric weight which tends to check rotation of the same. Secured to the drum and adapted to be wound thereabout is a line on the free end of which is secured an anchor which exerts a sufficient gravitational pull on the line to overcome the rotation-checking tendency of the weight secured to the drum. In this manner, and when the drum and anchor are placed over the spot desired to be marked, the anchor drops to the bottom while rotating the drum and unwinding the line in its downward course through the water. Of course, when the anchor is resting on the bottom, it no longer exerts any gravitational pull upon the line and drum; and the eccentric weight holds the drum against further rotation, thereby marking precisely the desired spot.

The above and still further objects of our invention will be apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claim, and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing our invention in operation in a body of water; and

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the parts showing :Fig. 1 with some parts being broken away.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, the numeral I indicates a buoyant body, preferably and as shown, in the nature of a cylindrical winding drum. Rigidly secured to the interior of the drum, also preferably and as shown immediately adjacent the periphery thereof, is an eccentrically disposed, preferably cross sectionally segmental, elongated weight 2 which, as shown, extends from one end of the drum to the other.

Secured to the exterior of the drum and projecting radially therefrom are spool-forming elements, preferably and as shown, in the nature of diametrically opposed pairs of fingers 3 which are longitudinally spaced apart with one pair being immediately adjacent each end of the drum I so as to provide therebetween a spool surface 4. As shown, one of the pairs of spoolforming fingers 3 immediately underlies the center of gravity of the weight 2 which is secured "to the interior of the drum and the other pair immediately overlie the weight 2. A line 5 is secured at one end, as indicated at 6, to the winding drum I and is adapted to be wound thereabout as indicated at 1 intermediate the pairs of spool-forming fingers 3. The opposite end of the line 5 is secured at anchor 8 which is of sufficient weight to exert a gravitational pull upon the line 5 suflicient to overcome the rotation checking tendency of the eccentric weight 2 secured to the drum when the drum I and anchor 8 are placed into a body of water or the like which is indicated by the letter .B.

It will be observed that when the anchor 8 is resting on the bottom y of the body of water and the eccentric weight 2 is preventing rotation of the drum I, one pair of fingers 3 are in an upstanding position to positively prevent the line 5 from slipping off either end of the drum I.

Our invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the above objects.

What we claim is:

In a-"device of the class described, a hollow cylindrical water-tight winding drum, pairs of diametrically-opposed radially-projecting fingers adjacent the ends of said drum, a longitudinally-extended eccentrically-disposed weight rigidly secured within said drum, a line secured at one of its ends to one of said fingers and adapted to be wound on said drum intermediate said fingers, and an anchor on the other end of said line, said anchor exerting a greater gravitational pull on the line than the weight secured to said drum, one pair of said spool-forming fingers underlying the center of gravity of the weight in said drum.

GEORGE S. LEWIS. GLEN D. KERNS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 946,174 Vroman et al. Jan. 11, 1910 1,288,108 Messer Dec. 17, 1918 1,993,974 McVickar Mar. 12, 1935 2,044,795 Knight June 23, 1936