IMPROVEMENTS IN GARMENTS ADAPTED TO THE SAVING OF LIFE FROM DROWNING
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Richards, of The Hall, Huttons Ambo,
in the North Riding of the County of York, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GARMENTS ADAPTED TO THE SAVING OF LIFE FROM
DROWNING." A communication from abroad by Thomas Richards,
of Cleveland, in the State of Ohio, in the United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Richards at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th October 1875.
I, ALFRED RICHARDS, of The Hall, Huttons Ambo, in the North
5 Riding of the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GARMENTS ADAPTED TO THE SAVING OF LIFE
FROM DROWNING," communicated to me from abroad by Thomas Richards,
of Cleveland, in the State of Ohio, in the United States of America, to
be as follows:-
O
0
The garment may be formed as an overcoat or jacket or other covering

page_text: to the upper part of the wearer, with openings through it for the free
passage of the arms, and it is secured to the wearer by a band or strap
fastened by buttons or other suitable fastening across the front of the
neck, and another or others at the waist.
The body of the garment is formed of two or more surfaces quilted
together, or with the inner and outer parts of it connected together at
intervals, and so as to enclose and hold in position pieces of cork, thereby
to obtain a tendency to floating. This lining of cork is continued
throughout the entire surface of the body of the garment, from just.
below the line of the arms, and generally I form the cork in thinner
blocks at and towards the upper part. This garment is also provided
with a cape formed in two or more thicknesses, with picces of cork
between them, and held in position by sewing or connecting the thick-
nesses at intervals.
The inner edge of this cape is connected securely at the neck to the
body of the garment, and towards the outer edge or circumference it is
on its under surface connected by bands or other strands to the lower
part of the body of the garment, so that when the wearer is in the
water this cape will in floating be controlled to lic extended on the
surface of the water around the neck and head of the wearer to further
aid in supporting him.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Richards in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 27th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED 2
RICHARDS, of The Hall, Huttons Ambo, in the North Riding of the
County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the 3
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Richards, Her
special license that I, the said Alfred Richards, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred

page_text: Richards, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN GARMENTS ADAPTED TO THE SAVING OF LIFE
FROM DROWNING," communicated to me from abroad by Thomas Richards,
of Cleveland, in the State of Ohio, in the United States of America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Richards, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly describo 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 immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Richards, 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 thereof, that is to say :—
The garment may be formed as an overcoat or jacket or other covering
to the upper part of the wearer, with openings through it for the free
passage of the arms, and it is secured to the wearer by a band or strap
fastened by buttons or other suitable fastenings across the front of the
neck, and another or others at the waist.
The body of the garment is formed of two or more surfaces quilted
together, or with the inner and outer parts of it connected together at
intervals, and so as to enclose and hold in position pieces of cork,
thereby to obtain a tendency to floating. This lining of cork is continued
throughout the entire surface of the body of the garment from just
below the line of the arms, and generally I form the cork in thinner
blocks at and towards the upper part. This garment is also provided
with a cape formed in two or more thicknesses, with pieces of cork
between them, and held in position by sewing or by connecting the
thicknesses at intervals.
The inner edge of this cape is connected securely at the neck to the
body of the garment, and towards the outer edge or circumference it is
on its under surface connected by bands or other strands to the lower

page_text: the water around ще песк апа neau or the wearer to rurther ard
supporting him.
But that the Invention may be fully understood I will by the aid of
the accompanying Drawings proceed to describe means adapted for
carrying the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews an external view, and Figure 2 a section of a garment
arranged according to the Invention.
The garment is formed as an overcoat or jacket, or it may be other
covering, and it is adapted to furnish a life-preserving jacket to float the
body of the wearer, completely leaving the limbs free for use.
The garment produced is fitted with pieces of cork a of suitable sizes
stitched on to a separate intermediate piece or lining b, which lining
with the pieces of cork a are enclosed between the parts c and d, and
are there held by sewing at intervals, as when quilting, so that the cork
forms a yielding yet firm filling for the garment. The garment shown is
intended to fit the chest, but without sleeves, e, e, being the arm-holes,
so to leave the arms of the wearer free.
The garment when applied is held in position on the wearer by means
of straps f,f, aided by buckles, or by belts or bands, or by hooks and
eyes or other suitable and secure fastenings. The intermediate pieces of
cork may be secured, if desired, to the outer fabric, by which they may
be readily removeable.
The advantage of attaching pieces of the cork to a separate fabric
placed within the inner and outer surfaces of the garment is that the
intermediate pieces of fabric b and cork a may if desired bo withdrawn
from or inserted into the garment for repairs or otherwise.
The intermediate pieces also serve as reinforcing material, and are
protected from accidents whereby the fabric would be severed from the
cork if attached to the exterior pieces, and thereby displace the cork
and render the garment unsafe from such derangement; also the inside
fabric forms a hinge between the sections of cork, and allows them to
fold up and bend round the body of the wearer without drawing or
stretching the exterior fabric so as to cause it to tear at such points.

page_text: The cork in the skirt or the lower part of the body of the garment
may be held by being placed on the opposite side of the intermediate
picce or lining 6 from that of the body, so as to admit its turning up
more freely against the body when in the water, to the advantage of the
wearer, as it thereby forms a double coating of cork round the waist
from under the arms to the bottom of the waist, leaving the legs per-
fectly free. is a cape formed in like manner by separate pieces of
cork h, h, affixed to a lining i, and then enclosed between the inner and
outer surfaces of fabric forming the cape. The parts between the
surfaces of cork are sewn together, and the cape is connected not only
all round the neck at g', but also by straps or bands g³ to the body of
the garment.
Having thus described the Invention, as communicated to me, I
would have it understood that what I claim is, the improvements in
garments adapted to the saving of life from drowning by the adaptation
or combination of parts substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Richards, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this 24th day of April, in the year of our