AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE IN CASES OF SHIPWRECK
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SAVING
LIFE IN CASES OF SHIPWRECK."-A communication from abroad by
John Benjamin Stoner, Leopold Mendelson, and Theodore
Crommelin, all of the City and State. of New York, United States
of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th February 1868.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 60, Chancery,
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS
SAVING LIFE IN CASES OF SHIPWRECK," to be as follows:-
By means of this Invention persons when compelled to commit
themselves to the water in case of shipwreck may sustain themselves
[Price Sd.]

page_text: until they are rescued, and may be enabled to carry with them food
and water sufficient to last them several days. The Invention includes
a propelling or swimming device, ballasting shoes or weights, and
provision receptacle, and also a rubber suit secured to the person of
the wearer. The rubber suit is made in one piece, the lower parts
or feet being made thicker than the other parts, and in the same
manner that rubber shoes are now made. The suit is made large
enough to put on over the ordinary clothing of the wearer, his
shoes only being removed. The only openings in the suit are at the
upper end or head and at the wrists for the exposure of the face and
hands of the wearer. The openings at the wrist are provided with
elastic cuffs or bands made in a piece with the suit to confine the
edges of the openings closely around the wrists of the wearer to prevent
the entrance of water. To the under side of the edge of that part of
the upper or top opening that comes upon the top of the wearer's
head is secured a tubular elastic band which passes under the chin
of the wearer. To the inner edge of the under side of the upper
opening is attached an open elastic band which is buckled over the
head of the wearer, and is prevented from slipping forward by an
auxiliary band which passes around the back of the head of the wearer.
The suit is secured to the body of the wearer by a strap secured to
the rear part of the suit and buckled around his body. A cork vest or
jacket made is by sewing two pieces of canvas or other suitable material
together, and stuffed with pulverized cork or other suitable material.
The vest or jacket is worn beneath the rubber suit, and is buckled
around the waist of the wearer, and is prevented from slipping down
by shoulder straps passing over the shoulders of the wearer. Metal
shoes or weights fit upon the feet, the greater part of the weight
(about five pounds) being collected upon the instep. The shoes are
made in two parts hinged to each other, at the heel for convenience
in putting them on. The shoes should be lined or padded upon their
inner side and edges to prevent them from chafing the wearer, and
they should be galvanized or wholly covered with rubber to prevent
the corrosive action of the water.
The propelling or swimming device has a bar or handle to be grasped
in the hand of the wearer, and to the ends of which are attached
wire bars and a wire framework, and hinged or pivotted to the bars. The
entire framework is covered with rubber fabric. When the hand with
the propeller is moved through the water in one direction the wings

page_text: fold down so as to encounter less resistance from the water, but when
moved through the water in the other direction the wings expand into
a horizontal position, beyond which they are prevented from passing
by a strap which passes beneath the hand or wrist, and the ends of
which are attached to the outer edges of the wings.
The floating provision receptacle is formed with two compartments.
The lower or conical compartment is designed to contain water, which
is poured in through a pipe the upper projecting end of which is closed
with a cap.
The lower end of the smaller or drinking pipe extends
down to near the bottom of the compartment, and to its upper end is
attached a small flexible tube terminating with a mouth-piece for
convenience in drinking. The upper and larger compartiment is
designed to contain the provisions and signals, and is provided with an
opening covered and protected by a cap, by removing which access may
be had to the interior.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Oflice on the 11th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in
the thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton,
Her special licence, that I, the said William Edward Newton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE IN
CASES OF SHIPWRECK," being a communication to me from abroad, upon

page_text: the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and inme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference.being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
This Invention has for its object to construct an apparatus by
means of which persons when compelled to commit themselves to the
water in case of accident on steamboat or shipboard may sustain
themselves for days or until they are rescued or reach a place of safety,
and may be enabled to carry with them food and water suflicient to
last them several days.
The Invention further consists in the construction of a propelling or
swimming device, ballasting shoes or weights, and provision receptacle,
and in the manner in which the rubber suit is secured to the wearer,
the whole being constructed and arranged as herein-after more fully
described.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the
improved apparatus as applied in practical use; Fig. 2 is a detail
sectional view of the same taken through the line x, x, Fig. 1; Fig. 3
is a detail view shewing the manner in which the propelling device is
attached to the hand or arm; Fig. 4 is a vertical central section of the
provision receptacle; Fig. 5 a perspective view of the ballasting
weight or shoe; Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the same taken
through the line y, y, Fig. 1.
A, Fig. 1, is a rubber suit made in one piece, the lower parts or feet
being made thicker than the other parts and in the same manner that
rubber shoes are now made. The suit A is anade large enough to be put
on over the ordinary clothing of. the wearer, his shoes only being
removed. The only openings in the suit A are at the upper end pr

page_text: head and at the wrists for the exposure of the face and hands of the
wearer. The openings at the wrist are provided with elastic cuffs or
bands a¹ made in a piece with the suit to confine the edges of the
openings closely around the wrists of the wearer so as to prevent the
entrance of water. To the under side of the edge of that part of the
upper or top opening that comes upon the top of the wearer's head is.
secured an elastic band B, which is made tubular in form and passes
under the chin of the wearer beneath the chin flap C. To the inner edge
of the under side of the upper opening is attached an open elastic
band D, which is by preference made in the form shown in Fig. 2,
that is to say, formed by connecting two elastic tubes longitudinally
with an elastic membrane so as to leave a space or channel between
the two tubular edges of the band. The band D is buckled over the
head of the wearer, and is prevented from slipping forward by an
auxiliary band E attached to it, and which passes around the back
of the head of the wearer, as shewn in Fig. 2. The elastic tubular
band B is then sprung into place beneath the chin of the wearer
and passes also beneath the chin flap C in such a way as to lie in the
space or channel between the tubular edges of the elastic band D, as
shown in Figures 1 and 2. The slack of the upper opening is gathered
into a roll and placed in the hollow between the jaws and neck of
the wearer, as shown in Fig. 1, where it is confined and secured by a
strap F secured in proper position to the outer side of the suit, and
which is buckled around the neck of the wearer. The flap C projects
forward beneath the chin of the wearer, and is intended to protect his
mouth and nose from the splash of the water.
The upper or top
opening of the suit A must be made so large that the wearer can
conveniently insert his body through it. The suit A is secured to the
body of the wearer by a strap G secured to the rear part of the suit
and buckled around his body. The suit is still further supported by
straps or suspenders H secured to the lower part of the body of the
suit and passes over the shoulders of the wearer, as shewn in Fig. 1,
I is a cork vest or jacket made by sewing two pieces of canvas or
other suitable material together in such a way that when stuffed with
pulverized cork or other suitable material it may be smooth or flat-
upon the inside and corrugated upon the outside as shown in Fig. 1.
The vest or jacket I is worn beneath the rubber suit A, is buckled
around the waist of the wearer, and is prevented from slipping down by
shoulder straps J. passing over the shoulders of the wearer as shown in

page_text: Fig. 1. When not in use the vest A can be folded into a very small
bulk. K, K, are metal shoes or weights fitting upon the feet, the greater
part of the weight (about five pounds) being collected upon the instep.
The shoes K are made in two parts hinged to each other at the heel for
convenience in putting them on, and secured to each other by a strap
or straps K' buckled around the shoes and around the feet of the wearer.
The forward parts of the shoes or weights are kept from slipping or
working upon each other by one or more dowel pins or projections
formed upon the edge of the one part, and entering holes or cavities
in the other part. The particular manner in which the weights K are
secured to the feet of the wearer is wholly immaterial so long as they
are securely connected with his feet. The shoes K should be lined or
padded upon their inner side and edges to prevent them from chafing
the wearer, and they should be galvanized or wholly covered with rubber
to prevent the corrosive action of the water; M is the propelling or
swimming device in which m¹ is a bar or handle to be grasped in the
hand of the wearer and to the ends of which are attached the wire
bars m3; m³ is a wire framework hinged or pivotted to the bars m³, as
shown in Fig. 1. The entire framework m², m³, is covered with rubber,
as shown in the Drawings. When the hand with the device M attached
to it is moved through the water in one direction the wings fold down
so as to encounter less resistance from the water, but when moved
through the water in the other direction the wings expand into a
horizontal position, beyond which they are prevented from passing by
the straps m' and m; the strap m passes beneath the hand or wrist
and its ends are attached to the outer edges of the wings; m³ is a strap
the middle part of which is attached to the under side of the upper end
of the middle part of the device M and which buckles around the arm
of the wearer to secure the upper part of the device to the arm. The
outer ends of the straps m³ are attached to the outer edges of the
upper parts of the wings and their inner ends are secured to the
strap m near the point at which it is buckled; or if desired the
straps m³ may be made in one piece passing beneath the arm and
having its ends secured to the outer edges of the wings. L is a cord or
strap attached to the upper part of the device M and to the sleeve of the
suit A, so that when detached from the hand and allowed to float upon
the water it cannot float away and be lost; N is a floating provision
receptacle or carpet bag shown in Figures 1 and 4; the lower or
conical compartment n' is designed to contain water which is poured

page_text: in through the larger pipe n³, the lower end of which terminates in the
upper part of the compartment n' and the upper projecting end of which
is closed with a cap. The lower end of the smaller or drinking pipe n³
extends down to near the bottom of the compartment n¹, and to its
upper end is attached a small rubber tube n* terminating with a mouth
piece for convenience in drinking. The upper and larger compartment
n is designed to contain the provisions, signals, &c., and is provided
with an opening n" covered and protected by a cap, by removing which
access may be had to the interior of the compartment n, the cap being
made water-tight by means of a rubber band or packing, as shown in
Fig. 4.
ni is a tube extending vertically through the centre of the,
receptacle N and having its lower part contracted as shown in Fig. 4;
n³ is a rod passing through the tube n' and having a weight of four or
five pounds made somewhat in the form of an inverted saucer secured
to its lower end by a screw nut or nuts; the upper end of the rod m³ is
enlarged, so that when allowed to drop down to ballast the receptacle
it cannot escape from the tube n'; n is a handle which screws upon a
screw thread cut upon the upper end of the rod ns and which is detached
when it is desired to lower the weighted rod n to ballast the receptacle;
the handle n is connected to the body of the receptacle by a cord no,
as shown in Fig. 4, so that when detached from the rod n³ it may not
float away or sink and be lost; n" is a signal staff made of several
lengths of metallic tubing put together and attached to the tube n³, as
shown in Figures 1 and 4, and bears a flag or other signal at its upper
end. The parts or lengths of the signal staff n" should be connected
together by elastic links n, so that should one or more of the parts or
lengths be dropped it may not be lost. The signal staff n" when
attached to the receptacle may be strengthened and supported by guy.
ropes or cords n extending from the upper part of the body of the
receptacle to the upper end of the signal staff n"; the provision
receptacle N is connected with the suit A by a cord or strap O, one
end of which is attached to the body of the receptacle and its
other end to the waist belt or body of the suit; n are ears or handles
attached to the lower or conical part of the receptable N so that when
necessary one or more persons may take hold of the ears or handles and
be temporarily sustained in the water. It should be observed that the
provision receptacle is intended for use only when navigating the ocean,
as in inland bays, lakes, and rivers, where the shore is only a few miles
distant, it will seldom or never be necessary.

page_text: Having now described the Invention which has been communicated
to me as aforesaid I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent,
First. Securing the upper or top part of the rubber suit A made in
one piece around the face and neck of the wearer by means of the
elastic bands B and D and the strap F as herein shown and described.
Second. The propelling or swimming device M constructed and
secured to the wearer, as herein shewn and described.
Third. The floating provision receptacle N, as herein shown and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.).