An Improved Life-saving Appliance.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1891-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Life-saving Appliance.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD HUTCHINSON, of Grove Hill, Middlesbrough-on-Tees,
in the County of York, Marine Architect and Surveyor, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved form of life-saving appliance 'to be used
instead of a life belt or life buoy.
The object of my invention is to design a simple, cheap and easily portable
contrivance which may be readily attached to the body of the person using it so as
to be reliable for saving life when exposed to the danger of drowning.
A life-saving appliance constructed according to my invention consists of two
hollow bulb shaped vessels preferably spherical which are united together by a
relatively small tube, these hollow bulb shaped vessels and the intervening tube
form three or more separate water tight compartments. The efficiency of the
appliance depends on its buoyancy and power of -resistance to shocks, I therefore
construct it of a material in which the properties of lightness and toughness are
combined, such for instance as copper. By this arrangement of setting the bulb
shaped vessels apart, dumb bell fashion, the appliance may be placed under the
armpit and slung from the neck so as to leave space between the said vessels for
the action of the arm which is left free to swim with or otherwise assist in keeping
the body of the. person above water. In order to attach the apparatus to the
person I furnish an adjustable strap secured to the intervening tube forming a loop
which may be slung from the neck, the means for adjusting the length of the strap
being simple and reliable and easily adjustable when afloat, it being essential that
the appliance should retain its proper position under the armpit. It is obvious that
the size of the appliance may be varied as found suitable.
Dated this 28th day of October 1900.
G. J. CLARKSON,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
An Improved Life-saving Appliance.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD HUTCHINSON, of Grove Hill, Middlesbrough-on-Tees,
in the County of York, Marine Architect and Surveyor, 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 an improved form of life-saving appliance to be used as
a substitute for the ordinary life belt or as a life buoy.
The object of my invention is to design a simple, cheap, reliable and easily
portable contrivance which may be readily attached to the body of the person to be
used as a substitute for a life belt, or which may be clutched and grasped in any
possible manner when thrown out as a life buoy to a person exposed to the danger
of drowning.
Referring to the drawing which forms part of this Specification it will be
observed that a life-saving appliance constructed according to my invention consists
of two hollow bulb shaped vessels a a, preferably spherical, which are united
together by a short tube b of relatively small diameter.
The utility of the appliance depends upon the facility with which it can be
controlled for the purpose of buoying up the person in the water, combined with
Prin fd1

page_text: its power of buoyancy and of retaining the same when subjected to shocks such as
would result from violently colliding with the sharp edge or projection of a hard
substance. I therefore construct it of a material in which the properties of
lightness and toughness are combined, such for instance as copper, which may be
painted white or be nickel plated to make the appliance conspicuous. In order
that the said appliance may not loose its buoyancy by filling with water in case of
divide it into separate water tight compart-
a puncture or rupture at any part,
ments by means of suitable partitions provided internally, for instance at each end
of the tube b, and at the position ce in the bulbs.
The advantage derived from these water tight compartments is that the shell of
the appliance must be injured sufficiently to take in water at several places before
its buoyancy is entirely lost.
By this arrangement of setting the bulb shaped vessels a a apart, dumb bell
fashion, the appliance may be used as a substitute for a life belt by being placed
under the armpit and slung from the neck, but it is an essential feature of my
invention that the distance between the two bulbs be limited, so that when the arm
is sling over the tube the space between the bulbs is sufficiently confined to bring
the bulbs close up to either side of the shoulder, whilst leaving space for the action
of the arm to swim with or otherwise assist in keeping the body above water; and
that all tendency of the appliance to change its position relatively to the body of
the person to be buoyed up is prevented. The relative position of the bulbs must
also be so adjusted as to prevent the weight of such person from being unequally
apportioned between them so as to overload one bulb in a manner which might
easily result in disaster.
Although my improved life-saving appliance may be varied in size (subject to its
fulfilling the aforesaid conditions) to adapt it to the convenience of persons of
different size and weight, the following dimensions will be found convenient for
general use, that is to say, when used as a life buoy :-94 inches diameter of bulbs
connected by a tube 5 inches long by 2 inches diameter; or when used as a
substitute for a life belt, 7 inches diameter of bulbs connected by a tube 7 inches
long by inches diameter. In the case of a life buoy the bulbs a a are furnished
with ring plates d of brass for receiving the Becket lines e; but in the case of using
it as a life belt the appliance is placed under the armpit and slung from the neck of
the user by an adjustable strap connected to ring plates furnished on the tube or
the bulbs a, from which the strap takes the form of a loop passing round the neck
of the user.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is
A life-saving appliance consisting of two hollow bulb shaped vessels united
together by a short tube of relatively small diameter and furnished internally with
separate water tight compartments, substantially as and for the purpose as herein
before described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
G. J. CLARKSON,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicant..