A Combined Camp Stool and Life Saving Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 23rd May, 1899-Accepted, 20th July, 1899
A Combined Camp Stool and Life Saving Apparatus.
I, CHARLES HAMMOND, of Exchange Buildings, in the County Borough of
Swansea, in the County of Glamorgan, Master Mariner, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of a combined camp stool and life saving apparatus
for ships decks, piers &c. It will be found specially useful on board ship as
a substitute for life belts or cork jackets, which are often too small for use by
a stout man, and in some cases so rotten as to be of very little use at all. My
apparatus may be made wholly or partly of wood, sheet metal, aluminium, or
other suitable material of convenient size and weight.
I carry out my invention as follows. The whole apparatus is supported on
four legs or supports (2 pairs) each pair being hinged or otherwise pivotted
together at about its middle, and the upper part of each leg or support may be
widened out gradually to a considerable width at the top so that each opposite
pair may form the sides of an enclosed space or chamber having a remov-
able and preferably sliding cover. The two chambers so formed are intended
to receive light copper or other water-tight removable tanks, their function
being to give buoyancy to the apparatus when in the water. The tanks may
have orifices fitted with removable screw covers, and can thus be used as
receptacles for storing. provisions, &c. in. The legs or supports are hinged
or pivotted as before mentioned so that the distance between the two opposite
chambers or upper portions of the apparatus may be varied as desired, and may
be held in any desired position by providing cross straps or the like. When
the apparatus is opened for use as a camp stool, the gap between the two
chambers may be bridged by withdrawing the sliding covers before mentioned,
so that they constitute the camp stool proper. When it is desired to convert
the camp stool into a life buoy, the sliding covers of the air-tight compartments
are slid back over the chambers into their places, and the person steps into the
gap between said chambers and sits upon a cross plank which I provide to
connect the undersides of the chambers.
The apparatus could be made sufficiently large to take more than one person,
if desired.

page_text: A Combined Camp Stool and Life Saving Apparatus.
I, CHARLES HAMMOND, of Exchange Buildings, in the County Borough of
Swansea, in the County of Glamorgan, Master Mariner, 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 consists of a combined camp stool and life saving apparatus
for ships' decks, piers, &c. It will be found specially useful on board ship as
a substitute for life belts or cork jackets, which are often too small for use by
a stout man, and in some cases so rotten as to be of very little use at all. My
apparatus may be made wholly or partly of wood, sheet metal, aluminium, or
other suitable material of convenient size and weight.
The
I carry out my invention as follows. The whole apparatus is supported on
four legs or supports (two pairs) each pair being hinged or otherwise pivotted
together at a suitable point, and the upper part of each leg or support may be
widened out gradually to a considerable width at the top so that each opposite
pair may partly form the sides of an enclosed space or chamber having a remov-
able and preferably sliding cover or covers. The two chambers so formed are
intended to receive light copper or other water-tight removable tanks, their
function being to give buoyancy to the apparatus when in the water.
tanks may have orifices fitted with removable screw covers, and can thus be used
as receptacles for the storage of provisions, &c. The legs or supports are hinged
or pivotted as before mentioned so that the distance between the two opposite
chambers or upper portions of the apparatus may be varied as desired, and may
be held in any desired position by providing cross straps or the like. When
the apparatus is opened for use as a camp stool, the gap between the two
chambers may be bridged or partly bridged by withdrawing the sliding covers
before mentioned so that they constitute the camp stool proper; or I may pro-
vide a seat made up of canvas or like strips and cross strips fastened perma-
nently to one side of the apparatus, and adjustably attached by eyelets and
hooks to the other side. When it is desired to convert the camp stool into a life
saver, the strips or straps forming the seat may be unhooked at their detach-
able end, or the sliding covers of the compartments slid back into their places,
and the person then steps into the gap between the chambers, the appa-
ratus thus becoming a life buoy. The chambers in this position come in front
of the chest and between the shoulders of the person, who remains supported
well out of the water by the upward pressure under the armpits. The straps
may be passed over the shoulder and fastened to hooks in front of the person
for extra security.
The apparatus is, as will be seen, adaptable to individuals of various pro-
portions, and could be made sufficiently large to take more than one person,
if desired.
My invention will be more clearly understood upon reference to the accom-
panying sheet of drawings, upon which
Figure 1 shows a perspective view of my apparatus,
Figure 2 shows a vertical section taken midway across the air tight com-
partments, showing one air tight compartment partly withdrawn,
Figure 3 an end view of my apparatus showing same in use as a life saver,
and
Figure 4 is a view upon a smaller scale of a seat back for use, if desired,
with my apparatus,

page_text: Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
A A show the legs or supports, which swing upon bolts or rivets a a,
B B the air tight compartment casing, C C the air tight compartments,
DD the removable covers sliding in grooves D' D', E E cross bars secured to
said covers 1 D, F F guides for quadrant arms G G to work in when it is
desired to close the apparatus. H H are hooks capable of being rotated in
bearings JJ, K K are stops for limiting the opening of the apparatus, while
the dotted lines L L and M M show respectively the seat of canvas, leather, or
other suitable material and a back or support of my apparatus as a camp stool.
I prefer to employ a seat of this nature rather than use the sliding covers as a
seat. The seat back (Figure 4) may consist of a padded portion M for the
back of the person to lean against, and arms N N carrying inwardly projecting
feet N N
I will now proceed to describe the use of my apparatus firstly as a camp
stool, and secondly in its application as a life buoy.
As a camp stool, it may be conveniently used in the position shown in
Figure 1, the apparatus then being open to its full extent, and the stops KK
being in contact with the legs or supports A A. The back M may or may not
be employed, as desired, and may be placed in position by causing the bars E
which are fixed upon the sliding covers to approach one another slightly and
then moving them apart again in such a manner that the cut-away portions
slide over the feet N N¹, holding them down firmly to the camp stool.
For the purposes of a seat I may take two or more strips of canvas, leather,
or other suitable material L, and stretch them across the space between the
two side chambers, securing them in suitable position by causing the inner
ends H H of the hooks H H to project through the eyelets P P of which
there may be several for purposes of adjustment of the seat.
In the application of my apparatus as a life buoy, it is merely necessary to
release the strips L L from the hooks H H¹ (the back M being also removed)
and to step into the apparatus and pass said straps over the shoulders, hooking
them again in the required position. (See Figure 3.) The cross strips of the
seat are capable of sliding lengthwise of the main straps so as not to interfere
with the person.
The quadrant arms G will then come under the armpits of
the user, and the air tight compartments C C being relatively high up, the
user will be supported in an upright position.
It will be seen (Figure 2) that the air-tight compartments C C are remov-
able and may be provided with detachable covers or stoppers C¹ C¹ for the
purpose, say, of storing provisions or for any other suitable purpose.
It
One of the advantages of my invention, as compared with an ordinary life
buoy is that the user cannot assume any other than an upright position.
frequently happens in the case of the ordinary life buoy that the person, upon
becoming unconscious or faint, falls face forward upon the water, and thus
unnecessary loss of life is entailed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combined camp stool and life saving apparatus substantially as and
for the purposes described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of May 1899.
For the Applicant,
STANLEY. POPPLEWELL & Co.
61 and 62, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.