Life Saving Equipment

Abstract

Life saving equipment in which a life buoy and float pole are connected by a line and spring loaded in a container for rapid and substantially simultaneous release. The life buoy may be formed with ends curved in horseshoe manner and a drogue connected by a line to the life buoy may be foldably stored between the buoy ends.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of art to which the invention pertains includes the field of buoyant devices, particularly as combined with other life saving devices, and containers therefore.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the inherent dangers involved in boating, Coast Guard regulations require that life preservers of specified types be carried and a variety of "man overboard" devices are available for use on boats of all classes. When boating far from shore where high swells are common, the danger of accidental drowning are increased by the difficulty of keeping an overboard person in sight in rough water. As an additional safety precaution boats which are used under such conditions should carry a float pole (also called a "man overboard" pole) which is connected to a life buoy and which is thrown to the man overboard with the life buoy. The float pole is equipped with a flag which extends several feet out of the water, aiding location of the buoy. Additionally, particularly for use on a motorboat, a drogue can be attached to the life buoy to stabilize the location of the life buoy and prevent it from being dragged along with the boat. Other devices such as a dye marker, a whistle and a strobe or flashlight can be connected by lines to the buoy so that the man overboard can be more readily located.

Thus, for safest operation of a boat under heavy sea conditions, a conglomeration of safety devices must be assembled and stored for ready access. However, the number of such devices and their diverse structures make ready storage and access difficult so that the greater the number of such devices the longer the period of time required to get them to a man overboard. The result of attempting to utilize a plurality of such devices on a fast moving boat is to often reduce safety as compared to the use of a single device.

The present invention provides a mechanism for assembling a plurality of life saving devices in a single location and which provides ready and immediate access to the devices. In particular, a life buoy and a float pole are releasably secured to a holder whereby they can be rapidly and substantially simultaneously released. The holder is in the form of a container for the life buoy which can be mounted aft of the boat and which includes one or more springs or the like which are resiliently deformed by insertion of the life buoy into the container. A lid is provided closable with the container, to load the life buoy against the springs, which is provided wit a ready release latch, which may be a simple pull pin.

The container is formed with a base and defines a rear wall and side walls upright from the base and a roof whereby to secure the life buoy upright in the container. The base defines a groove for sliding engagement with one end of the float pole and the roof defines a slot whereby the float pole may be secured upright from the base. In particular embodiments the life buoy is formed with ends curved in horseshoe manner and a foldable drogue can be stored between the ends when the life buoy is spring loaded in the container. The float pole can be disposed anteriorly of the life buoy so that it is swept outwardly when the life buoy is ejected. The float pole can be telescopically collapsible and spring loaded in collapsed form so that upon its release it rapidly expands to full length.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating life saving equipment of this invention mounted aft of a boat;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the components constituting the life saving equipment of this invention after release thereof;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the containerized equipment loaded and ready for release; and

FIG. 4, is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated one method of mounting the containerized life saving equipment provided herein. A boat 10 is shown having a housing or container 12 for the life saving equipment mounted aft of the boat so that the front or ejection end of the container 12 is the rearward most point of the boat. The container can be mounted to the guard rail facing rearwardly. A float pole 14 is shown extending upright from the container 12 and is telescopically collapsed as will be detailed hereinafter. Other arrangements for mounting the container 12 will be utilized as desired as appropriate to the particular boat. The container 12 can be used with any of the standard commercially available float poles which are not telescopic and can be mounted at an angle whereby the flag end of the float pole is contained within a snap-on flag sleeve to a backstay cable as is presently customary. However, such additional securement can detract from the ready-release advantages of the present construction.

Referring to FIG. 2, the components of the containerized assembly are illustrated. The two major devices which are utilized in combination to effect the advantages of this invention are a life buoy 16 and a float pole 14 which is connected to the life buoy by means of a flexible line 18. The life buoy 16 can be any of the conventional rigid life buoys constructed of cork or of other light material. However, certain advantages accrue in the present invention by utilizing a life buoy having ends 20 and 22 curved in horseshoe manner as illustrated in that other components, as will be described, can be stored between the ends 20 and 22. The float pole or "man overboard" pole can be of conventional design, but in this embodiment is of collapsible, telescopic construction. The float pole 14 includes a bottom tubular member 24 to which is secured toward its top a float 26 of cork or the like having a plastic or canvass covering to which the line 18 is attached. An upper tubular member 28, somewhat narrower than the bottom tubular member 24 and which may be tapered to its top end 30, is telescopically disposed within the bottom member 24 and is supported therein by means of a spring, as will be detailed hereinafter. A flag 32 is carried at the top end 30 of the upper tubular member 28. For the line 18, one can use 25 feet of 5/16 inch plastic line, or any other convenient line.

In addition to the float pole 14 and life buoy 16, there is also provided a drogue 34 which is connected to the life buoy 16 by a pendant 36 of 3 to 5 feet. The drogue 34 is constructed with spring loaded steel ribs such as at 37 so that it springs open when released from a folded position.

In addition to the foregoing devices, one may also attach other life saving devices as desired. For example, a waterproof strobe or a flashlight 38 can be attached to the life bouy, as illustrated, by a short pendant 40. Similarly, a whistle 42 and an apertured can of dye marker 44 can be attached to the bouy 16 by means of lines 46 and 48 respectively. Each of these devices is useful for aiding the location of a man overboard and their use is well known to experienced boaters.

In accordance with this invention, a container 12 is provided for storing the aforedescribed life saving devices in such a manner as to allow their rapid release. The container 12 includes a base 50, side walls 52 and 54 secured upright from the base 50 and joining to form a roof 56, and a rear wall 58 also secured upright from the base 50 and formed integral with the side walls 52 and 54 and roof 56. A front lid 60 is provided for closing the container 12 and which is connected by a hinge 62 to the bottom of the base 50. The side walls 52 and 54, rear wall 58 and lid 60 can be constructed from fiberglass or other waterproof, durable material. The base 50 can be constructed from teak and is formed with a groove 66 centrally thereof, extending inwardly from its front edge 68, a distance at least as great as the diameter of the bottom end 70 of the float pole 14. The groove 66 is sufficiently wide to receive the float pole end 70 and the roof 56 is formed with a corresponding slot 72 which is just slightly deeper than the width of the lower tubular member 24 of the float pole 14. A pin 74 is formed in the slot 72 for projection into openings 76 and 78 in the float pole members 24 and 28 respectively when telescopically collapsed and inserted into the container 12, as will be described. Coil springs 80 and 82 are secured to the rear wall 58 to extend outwardly, one on each side thereof, and serve to forcibly eject the life saving devices. The roof 56 defines a centrally offset opening 84 for a pull pin whereby the lid 60 can be retained in a closed position. Teflon washers (not shown) may be inserted in the openings 76,78 and 84 to aid release. Mounting holes such as at 86 are defined through the rear wall 58 for mounting the container 12 in the manner depicted in FIG. 1. However, other mounting means may be provided.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the manner of mounting and packing of the container 12 is illustrated. The container 12 is mounted on a rail 87 by means of a clamp 89 secured by bolts 90 through the rear wall mounting holes 86. Initially, the drogue 34 is folded and placed between the ends 20 and 22 of the life buoy 16, along wit other ancillary devices such as the whistle 42, the dye marker 44 and flashlight 38. The life buoy 16, folded drogue 34 and other small components are placed in the container 12 and pushed rearwardly against the springs 80 and 82. The float pole 14 is then inserted with its bottom end 70 in the base groove 66 and the upper tubular end 28 is pushed downwardly into the lower tubular member 24 to telescopically collapse the float pole 14. Prior to collapsing the float pole 14, the flag 32 may be wrapped closely about the upper end 30 of the upper tubular member 28 so that it may be slid easily into the lower tubular member 24. As shown in FIG. 4, a coil spring 88 interconnects the bottom of the tubular members 24 and 28 so that when the upper tubular member 28 is inserted into the lower tubular member 28 it is spring loaded therein and when released is forced to an expanded condition as illustrated in FIG. 2. Holding the float pole 14 in collapsed position, with the bottom end 70 thereof inserted in the groove 66, it is positioned in the roof slot 72 so that the pin 74 projects into the openings 76 and 78 to thereby secure the float pole 14 in its collapsed disposition. Following placement of the float pole 14, the lid 60 is raised and closed against the float pole 14. The side walls 52 and 54 extend somewhat beyond the front edge 68 of the base 50 so that there is sufficient overlap when the lid 60 is closed as to allow the insertion of a pull pin 94 through the offset roof opening 84 to thereby secure the lid 60 in place. The pull pin is provided with a lanyard 98 which may have a dowel 100 or the like at its free end.

In operation, one need merely pull the lanyard 98 to withdraw the pull pin 94 from the opening 84, whereupon the force of the springs 80 and 82 immediately throws the lid 60 to an open position and ejects the contents of the container 12. The float pole 16 and life buoy are ejected substantially simultaneously carrying the drogue 34 which springs open to prevent the devices from being dragged in the wake of the boat.

There is thus provided a mechanism for the rapid and substantially simultaneous release of a plurality of life saving devices. As required, a detailed illustrative embodiment of the invention has been disclosed. However, it is to be understood that this embodiment merely exemplifies the invention which may take many different forms that are radically different from the embodiment specifically disclosed. Therefore specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims which define the scope of the invention.

Claims

We claim:

1. Life saving equipment, comprising:

a life buoy;

a float pole;

means for connecting said float pole to said life buoy, comprising a line therebetween;

a holder releasably securing said life buoy and float pole;

means for rapid release of said life buoy and said float pole from said holder;

said holder comprising a container for said life buoy;

said rapid release means comprising at least one resiliently deformable member disposed in said container for resilient deformation by insertion of said life buoy into said container; and

means for releasably securing said life buoy in its inserted position.

2. Life saving equipment comprising:

a life buoy;

a float pole;

means for connecting said float pole to said life buoy, comprising a line therebetween;

a container for said life buoy and float pole, said container comprising a rear wall, a lid, a bottom wall between said rear wall and lid, and means for pivotal interconnection between said bottom wall and said lid;

means for releasably securing said lid upright from said bottom wall to retain said float pole and life buoy;

means for release of said lid to pivot downwardly to release said float pole and life buoy; and

means for securing said container to a boat;

said float pole being disposed between said lid and said life buoy for substantially simultaneous release thereof.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said container defines side walls upright from said bottom wall and a roof, said bottom wall defining a groove for sliding engagement with one end of said float pole, said roof defining a slot therethrough for said float pole, whereby said float pole may be secured upright from said bottom wall.

4. The invention according to claim 2 in which said float pole is telescopically collapsible and said releasably securing means is formed to spring load said float pole in collapsed form for rapid expansion when released.

5. Life saving equipment, comprising:

a life buoy;

a float pole;

means for connecting said float pole to said life buoy, comprising a line therebetween;

a holder releasably securing said life buoy and float pole;

said life buoy being formed with ends curved in horseshoe manner;

a drogue foldable for storage between said ends; and

means for connecting said drogue to said life buoy comprising a line therebetween.

6. The invention according to claim 5 including means for securing said float pole anteriorly of said life buoy and said drogue, and at least one resiliently deformable member on said holder posteriorly of said life buoy resiliently deformed by securement of said life buoy, whereby upon release of said securement said life buoy, drogue and float pole are rapidly and substantially simultaneously released.