Improved Material and Garments for Life Preserving Purposes, and the Method of Manufacturing the same.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1897--Accepted, 1st May, 1877
Improved Material and Garments for Life Preserving Purposes, and
the Method of Manufacturing the same.
A communication from RUDOLF LINKE, of Burgstadel 545, Aussig a. Elbe, in the
Empire of Austria, Merchant.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
The present invention relates to material and garments manufactured from rein-deer
hair which have the property of preventing the wearer from sinking in water and of
supporting him on the surface, and the process of manufacturing the same.
It is known that the hair of reindeer, especially the white hair with which they are
covered in winter, consists of a great number of closed capillary tubes, which contain
air and are not affected by water. The good swimming and floating capability of the
reindeer is due to this circumstance.
If such reindeer hair is used for the manufacture of garments, the wearer of the
latter can sustain himself above water.
This is of great importance for anyone going on a long sea-voyage, or generally
having to be frequently at sea, and instead of wearing ordinary dresses of wool,
cotton etc. which would become soaked and weighted with water and pull the wearer
down, garments of reindeer hair can be worn which in appearance and other respects
do not differ from those of ordinary wool and the like and in case the wearer of such
dress fall into the water, the dress will act as an efficient support and prevent him
from sinking.
Of course, life-belts, cork-jackets and the like answer the same purpose, but they all
have the disadvantage, that they cannot always be worn in consequence of their great
bulk and in case of danger or panic it is often difficult to obtain them or put them on.
Garments of reindeer hair may be rendered waterproof or not, as desired, so that
they may be also used as bathing dresses having the added advantage of preventing
their wearer from sinking.
The process for manufacturing such life preserving material garments is as
follows:-
The hair of the reindeer is at first washed and cleaned, then a felt like fabric is
made from the hair. For this purpose part of the hair is spun with wool, cotton, or
other fibrous material so as to form threads, which latter are used to manufacture a
fabric which is utilised as an intermediate foundation layer or fabric between two
layers of the reindeer hair felt. The manufacture of the felt is conducted in the usual
well-known manner. The felt is preferably made of the thickness of thick cloth and
garments such as jackets and trousers for men bodices and skirts for ladies are made
of this felt.
These garments are provided in suitable places with linings of pure reindeer hair.
For these lining parts the strongest and longest hairs are chosen which are connected
into a fleece of considerable thickness on a spreading machine. This fleece-lining in a
man's clothes is preferably secured to the inside of the breast shoulders and back of
the garments and in ladies' garments to the bodies, and to the upper part of the skirt,
and to drawers on the part round the waist and to the bottom portions.

page_text: Garments made in this manner are capable of supporting the heaviest person on the
surface of the water as the reindeer hair although letting water through the fabric
does not soak into the fibres which remain filled with air.
Of course the dresses may also be rendered watertight by impregnating or treating
them with a solution of rubber liquid wax or any other water-repelling substance.
This treatment is, however, not absolutely necessary and does not form part of the
present invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. Life-preserving garments of reindeer hair felt or fabric substantially as
described.
2. Life-preserving garments of reindeer hair, felt or fabric, having linings of
reindeer hair, fleece substantially as described.
3. The method of manufacturing life-preserving material and garments from rein-
deer hair consisting of spinning reindeer hair with wool or other fibrous material to
form threads which are woven into a fabric to form an intermediate layer or foundation.
for the reindeer hair in the form of a felt substantially as described.
Dated thin 95th
1007
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant..
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant..