US758218A - Buoy. - Google Patents

Description

No. 758,218. PATBNTBD APR. 26, 1904. s. w. ROBERTS.

} BUOY. APPLICATION FILED JULY '1, 1903.

80 MODEL.

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' Arronuzr WI TNESSES;

UNITED STATES Patented April 26,1904.

PATE T OFFICE.

SOLOMON W. ROBERTS, OF HURTSBORO, ALABAMA.

BUOY. T

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,218, dated-April 26 1904.

Application filed July 7, 1903. Serial No- 164,5Z4- (No model) To aZZ whom/it may concern:

Be itknown that I, SoLoMoN W. Ronnnrsof Hurtsboro, in the county of Russell and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buoys, of which they mately perpendicular position, so that the light which is placed on the top is always in view.

- A still further object is to provide the buoy with means placed considerably below the bod y to weight it down and keep it at all times approximately perpendicular.

The buoy is also secured in such a manner as to prevent its twisting and the consequent entanglingof the cable that supplies electrical energy with any other parts of the' apparatus.

The invention is illustrated in the accom' panying' drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved buoy, and Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of a modified form of the construction.

In the drawings similar reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts on both views.

10 is the body of the buoy, that is of course water-tight and maintains it on the surface of the water. A cover 11 may be secured on the top thereof and hinged at 12 with any suitable fastening means 13 to clamp the cover down tight on the body portion.

A central perpendicular column or post 1 L is arranged projecting up from the center of the cover 11, and suitable braces 15 can be employed to furnish additional stability and to properly brace the column 14. This column acts as a channel through whichthefeed- Wires (indicated indotted outline in Fig. 1) are disposed, and a lamp 16 is placed at the top, with a suitable reflector 17 disposed to shed the light upon the water, but not calcu lated to prevent the light being seen from a comparatively high free-board. The lamp 16 may be of any of the electrical varieties, either the arc, inclosed are, or incandescent kind; but the incandescent is preferable, as it has no carbons that will require renewaL' Depending from the. body of the buoy is a weight 18 of any suitable shape, being supported by the rods 19, suitably disposed, but preferably arranged as shown in the drawings, which pass through the lugs 20 and are secured by the nuts 20; This weightis situated far enough below the body portion to keep the center of gravity well down, so that the tossing of the waves Will not throw the column 1 1 very far out of the perp'endicular.

Suitable rings 21 are placed preferably on opposed sides of the body portion 10 and chains 22 are adapted to be connected to anchors that will keep the. buoy in the place where it is designed to be and at the same time are taut enough to prevent the twisting or turning of the buoy far enough to entangle the feed-cable with the chains or the rods 19.

As shown in'Fig. 1, the feed-cable can be run 7 ble before emerging from the bottom of the column, and a clamp 25 can be placed around the feed-cable and rest upon a cap or flange 26, screwed or otherwise secured to the bottonrof the column, thereby taking the weight of the cable from the lamp-socket. In this construction the weight 18 is rounded out at the bottom, as at 27, so that when the buoy rocks there are no sharp edges to engage and chafe the insulation of the cable, thereby preventing any sh'ort cirouiting. Suitable flanges or gaskets 28 are arranged at the points where the coiumn 14L passes through the body portion of the buoy 10 to insure the exclusion of the water. In this construction I have illustrated no cover, as it Would be impracticable; but in Fig. 1 the cover can be thrown back if necessity arises for any repairs or inspection.

It will thus be seen that the buoy herein described provides a safe and reliable means for identifying channels or marking and locating shoals, bars, or obstructions in a Waterway. They can be arranged in series, being fed through afeed-cable connected in series with a dynamo or source of electricity on land, or ghey can be used individually, as Will be evient.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is 1. A buoy comprising a body portion, a tuadapted to limit the turning of the buoy.

2. A buoy comprising a body portion, a hinged cover on the top of the body portion, a tubular post projecting from the cover and opening therein, Wires Within the body portion and the post adapted to project from the body portion, a lamp arranged on the end of the post, a reflector thereon arranged to allow the rays from the lamp to emanate at an acute angle to a horizontal plane, a Weight oppositely disposed in relation to the post adapted to maintain the buoy in its perpendicular position, and chains secured to opposite sides of the body portion adapted to be connected to anchors and secure the buoy, said chains acting to limit the turning of the buoy.

3. A buoy comprising a body portion, a tubular post projecting from the top thereof and opening therein, a lamp arranged on the post, a Weight disposed on the opposite side of the buoy andv suspended from the body portion to maintain it in its perpendicular position,means for limiting the turning of the buoy and an approximately horizontal reflector arranged approximately horizontal above the lamp to reflect upon the Water, but allowing the light to emerge at an acute angle to a horizontal plane.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

SOLOMON WV. ROBERTS. Witnesses T. S. DAVIS, C. J. TUNE.

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