Inflatable paddle wheel life saving device

A life saving device which permits controlled movement by a user through the water comprising a pair of inflatable tubular paddle wheels having a plurality of rigid bars connecting the wheels. A person lying on his back and pulling down on each successive bar causes the wheels to rotate while paddles on the wheels then cause the unit to move through the water pulling the operator with it. The unit may be carried in its deflated state on the person or stowed in a boat as are present day life jackets or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to life saving devices and more particularly 
pertains to such a device utilizing paddle wheels to permit positive 
motion in a desired direction. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The use of inflatable manually-powered paddle wheels or equivalents thereof 
is known in the prior art. More specifically, such devices have been 
heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose primarily of entertainment 
and are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious 
structural configurations, generally carrying a person on top of or within 
the buoyant structure, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed 
by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of 
countless objectives and requirements. Typical of such devices are those 
illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,934,291 and 3,779,201 (drawings from which 
are reproduced as FIGS. 1 and 2 herein); 4,154,188; 3,664,290; and 
4,379,701. 
In this respect, the device according to the present invention 
substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the 
prior art in that the user remains in the water external to the device. In 
so doing the present invention provides an apparatus primarily developed 
for the purpose of being a life saving device which contrary to life rings 
or like static units, permits positive directional motion which can help 
carry a victim to safety. 
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for 
new and improved life saving device which can be positively moved by the 
user. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this 
need. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of 
personal life saving devices now present in the prior art, the present 
invention provides an improved construction wherein the same can be 
utilized to transport a person under manual power while immersed in a body 
of water. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which 
will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and 
improved life saving apparatus which has all the advantages of the prior 
art devices and none of the disadvantages. 
To attain this, the present invention essentially relates to a life saving 
device which permits controlled movement by a user through the water 
comprising a pair of inflatable tubular paddle wheels having a plurality 
of rigid bars connecting the wheels. A person lying on his back and 
pulling down on each successive bar causes the wheels to rotate while 
paddles on the wheels then cause the unit to move through the water 
pulling the operator with it. The unit may be carried in its deflated 
state on the person or stowed in a boat as are present day life jackets or 
the like. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, 
additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter 
and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention 
in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its 
application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the 
components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the 
drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being 
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood 
that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose 
of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon 
which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the 
designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention 
of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to 
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved life saving device which has all the advantages of the prior art 
devices and none of the disadvantages. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved 
inflatable paddle wheel life saving device which may be easily and 
efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved inflatable paddle wheel device which is of a durable and reliable 
construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved inflatable paddle wheel device which is susceptible of a low cost 
of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which 
accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming 
public, thereby making such devices economically available to the buying 
public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved life saving device which provides in the apparatuses and methods 
of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously 
overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved manually-powered life saving device. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved inflatable paddle wheel device capable of manually moving a 
swimmer through the water. 
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved inflatable paddle wheel life saving device which may be stowed or 
carried on the person when in its deflated state. 
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various 
features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with 
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should 
be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate prior art devices intended for amusement rather 
than life saving but comprising buoyant structure capable of being 
manually propelled through the supporting water. In these devices, the 
user is supported on or within the structure and impetus to the structure 
is provided by the user's feet (much like a treadmill). 
In contrast and with reference now to FIG. 3 of the drawings, a new and 
improved inflatable paddle wheel life saving device embodying the 
principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated 
by the reference numeral 10 will be described. 
More specifically, it will be noted that in its inflated state, device 10 
comprises a pair of hollow wheel-shaped members 11 bearing on their 
external surfaces a plurality of extending hollow paddle members 12 
forming a unitary structure internally communicating with wheel members 
11. Wheel members 11 are pneumatically interconnected by a hollow axle 13 
also in internal communication with the interiors of wheel members 11. 
Also providing a connection between wheel members 11, but in this case a 
connection with the external surfaces thereof, are a plurality of rigid 
cylindrical rods 14 extending between wheel members 11 parallel to and in 
a surrounding relationship to the hollow axle 13. Affixed to an external 
surface of at least one of the wheel members 11 and in communication with 
the interior thereof (and hence with the interior of the rest of the 
structure 10 excepting rods 14) is a container 15 which, prior to 
inflation, provides a source of an expandable inflating gaseous medium, 
e.g. CO.sub.2. Using a conventional valve (not shown) on such cylinder 15, 
the inflating gas can be released to enter the structure 10 through 
suitable tubing shown at 16. 
In use, the device 10, as illustrated in FIG. 4, is powered by a swimmer or 
person 17 in the water 18. The user 17 positions himself in the water 
below and between the wheel members 11 and reaches up to progressively 
engage each cylindrical rod 14, pulling down on such rod as if climbing a 
ladder. As each successive rod 14 is pulled down, rotation is imparted to 
wheel members 11. During such rotation, paddle members 12 engage with the 
water impelling the device into motion over the water surface and dragging 
the user along with it. The impelling rods 14 are more clearly shown in 
the sectional view of FIG. 5 as is the hollow axle 13. 
FIG. 6 shows the communication internally of device 10 starting with the 
tubing 16 from the gaseous medium container 15 into wheel member 11 and 
its corresponding paddle members 12, thence to hollow axle member 13 and 
to the second wheel 11 and paddles 12. Rods 14 are clearly shown to be 
external to the inflatable portions of device 10 and to be anchored to and 
between wheel members 11. 
FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a variation of device 10 in that while all 
chambers are still in communication one with the other for introduction of 
the inflating gaseous medium, each wheel member 11 is divided into a 
plurality of annular chambers 17. A simple flap type valve 18 in each 
chamber 17 (shown clearly in FIG. 8) allows incoming inflatable gas to 
enter each chamber 17 but not to return since valve flap 19 is then forced 
against its seat 20. This allows one or more chambers 17 to receive damage 
while still retaining buoyancy for the device 10 as a whole. 
As to the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same 
should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further 
discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.