Combined Diving Apparatus and Life-saving Raft.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Combined Diving Apparatus and Life-saving Raft.
I, JOHN SPEIRS of 92 Zabuskie Street, Jersey City in the County of Hudson and
State of New Jersey, United States of America, Ship-builder do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to a combined diving apparatus and life saving raft the object
being to make a device whereby the bottom of Hoating vessels may be approached for
repairs or cleaning without danger to life, or exhaustion from pressure of condensed
atmosphere and which in case of emergency by the simple addition of a cap may be
made into a life raft, and when not in use may be folded together so that it will
occupy but little space.
To enable others to make and use my improved apparatus I will give a description
of the same in detail, reference being had to the drawings hereto annexed.
Fig. 1 is a view of the device partly in section and of a portion of a vessel and
shows the position of the device making repairs on the rudder.
Fig. 2 shows the apparatus partially folded together.
Fig. 3 shows the device suspended from davits on the side of the vessel.
Fig. 4 shows the cap which is used when the device is prepared for a life raft.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing two of the apparatus fastened together to make
a life raft.
The body A of the apparatus is made of canvas or other flexible material, impervious
to water, and in the form of a hollow cylinder. The end which is used for the bottom
is closed air tight by a conical cap B made preferably of metal. At the apex of the
cone B a ring a is fixed into which ropes are fastened by which the bottom of the
device is drawn toward the vessel by passing said ropes underneath the keel and up
the opposite side as shown in Figure 3.
The ring, a, is also used to secure the two apparatus together for the life raft as
shown in Figure 5.
At the sides of the cone or cap B are rings 6 into which ropes c are fastened.
The upper end of the canvas cylinder is clamped between two bands d & e. The
inner band e, is threaded to receive the cap B¹ Figure 4, also has rings into which
the rope ladder C is fastened. The outer band d has rings in it into which the
ropes c are fastened. The ropes c are the supports by which it is suspended from the
davits and form the life lines when the device is used for a life raft. Rings may be
fastened to the ropes c which serve as fenders to keep the device from chafering against
the vessel.
At the proper distance from the bottom in the side of the canvas a window F is
fixed and a short distance below the window on each side is a sleeve D made in one
piece with gloves and secured water tight to the body A, into which the operator slips
his arms and hands as shown in Figure 1.
Ballast is put in the bottom of the device to sink it to the required depth.
On the inside of the canvas are several rigid hoops E fastened to it which keep the
cylinder from being crushed in by the pressure of the water.
The cap B¹ Figure 4 is similar to the cap, B, Figure 1 and has a shoulder and a
threaded part which screws into the threaded band e Figure 1.
A gasket g is used between the shoulder of the cap and the edges of the bands d & e
to ensure an air tight joint.
When the apparatus is used for a life raft it is drawn out to the full length and the
cap B₁ screwed home, making an air tight cylinder not unlike in form to those now
used for the same purpose.
Two or more of the apparatus may be secured together by ropes passing through
1

page_text: When not in use the apparatus is closed up by folding it longitudinally as shown in
Figure 2.
The tools h which are ordinarily used for work under water are hung by chains to
the outside of the tube within reach of the arms.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
Claim 1. A flexible tube A closed at its lower end and having a window F and
arms D and provided with hoops E as and for the purpose set forth.
Claim 2. A flexible tube A provided with rings E and permanently closed at one
end by cap B and having arms D and window F in combination with the cap B'.
a
3. The combination of the tube closed at one end by the cap B and having
threaded band e at the opposite end with the flexible arms D, window F and
ladder C.
Dated this 20th day of Mo 1800
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.