Emergency transmitter buoy and bracket assembly

A bracket assembly and a transmitter buoy which is mounted on the bracket assembly comprising:

• a transmitter buoy having an axial length;
• a rigid elongated bracket body having one side adapted for attachment to a support surface of a marine vessel and an opposite side for receiving the transmitter buoy;
• a support means comprising a cup-shaped lower shelf on the bracket body for supporting the buoy;
• a top rest on the upper end of the bracket body for receiving the top portion of the buoy, wherein the top rest extends above the top portion of the buoy body and is closely adjacent thereto to protect the said top portion from falling objects and to prevent objects from becoming positioned between the buoy top portion and the bracket body top rest;
• and
• wherein the top rest is smooth, continuous, and sloped downward from the support surface to prevent ropes or poles from becoming positioned between the buoy top portion and the support surface of the marine vessel.

A switch mechanism for a transmitter buoy in a mounting bracket comprising:

• a transmitter buoy;
• a mounting bracket;
• a mode switch on the transmitter buoy having ON, OFF, and SET positions, wherein the transmitter buoy will transmit a preselected message when the mode switch is in the ON position and will be off when the mode switch is in the OFF position;
• and
• SET control means for preventing transmission of said preselected message when the mode switch is in the SET position and the buoy is in the mounting bracket, and for automatically transmitting said preselected message when the mode switch is in the SET position and the buoy is removed from the mounting bracket.

A transmitter buoy for transmitting a distress signal in the event of an emergency situation comprising;

• an elongated buoy body comprising a lower cylindrical base portion, a middle deck portion, and an upper slender antenna cone;
• an electronic transmitter and a battery pack located in the base portion;
• an annular switch ring rotatably mounted on the deck portion;
• a transmitting antenna mounted in the antenna cone;
• and
• an illumination device mounted on the top of the antenna cone.