AN IMPROVED BATHING DRESS
Year: 1884

page_text: I SAMUEL SIDNEY BROMHEAD, Patent Agent of 97 Newgate Street in the City
of London do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED
BATHING DRESS to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to supply a strong and buoyant garment con-
structed of some tough netted material or woven fabric such as cord, tape, twine,
silk, wool or cotton or some similar substance and waterproofed if preferred, for the
use & safety of bathers and others when in the water, to which Tunic or Jacket
shall be attached at short distances a number of floats or buoyant substances, such
floats to be composed of Wood, cork, hollow india-rubber vessels, chambers or Balls,
or hollow vessels of any similar kind and of any suitable material. Such vessels
being by preference of a spherical hemispherical or cylindrical shape with eyes
holes hooks or loops or if preferred placed in pockets within the said Tunic such
pockets opening from beneath when desired so that the said floats may be readily
attached to the said Tunic or Jacket in the quantity preferred by the wearer or
may be easily removed if the garment be found too buoyant.
Drawers or knickerbockers of suitable material may be attached to the said
Tunic, which drawers may be tightly fitted to the thighs of the wearer, or tied
thereto, so as to hold the said garment in place, and a padded strap may be placed
between the legs when desired.

page_text: I, SAMUEL SIDNEY BROMHEAD of 97, Newgate Street, in the City of London
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED
BATHING DRESS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My improved bathing dress is designed to afford effectual support to bathers
when in the water so that they may disport themselves freely without fear of
consequences, and may readily acquire the art of swimming. It can be formed in
any required pattern or material or combination of materials but is preferably
shaped as a combined jacket and drawers and of some fabric which has been
rendered waterproof by immersion in or application of some water-repelling
substance..
The said dress shall be rendered buoyant by being furnished with a number of
floats attached to its surface, either in pockets or tubular pleats or otherwise, and
so arranged and distributed over its surface, as to render the required support to
the wearer without impeding the free movement of his limbs.
The said floats shall be formed of some buoyant material, such as cork, which
may be used, preferably in the form of saw dust or small pieces, so as to present
no hard or unyielding outline to the wearer's person, and may be immersed in
some water-repellent substance, such as mineral wax; or the floats may be formed
wholly or in part of air-chambers contained in india-rubber or gutta-percha, or
some similar substance or combination of substances, and the said air-chambers may
be either hermetically closed or capable of inflation in the usual way, so as to be
adjustable to the weight or requirements of the wearer.
In the accompanying drawings the front of one of my bathing dresses is shown.
A A. are pleats or pockets filled with cork in a finely divided state.
B. B. contain air-chambers, and C. C. is an india-rubber air-chamber, extending
round the back of the figure, and capable of being inflated to the extent required.
I do not however, confine myself to the exact combination of floats here set forth,
but claim to avail myself of any of them either alone or in combination, or of a
quilted garment padded or lined with fine cork, according to the price of the
garment or the age and weight of the wearer. For example for children nothing
beyond the cork floats, or a garment quilted with cork, would probably be
necessary.
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-A life-preserving garment for use by persons, unable to swim, in bathing, or
when engaged in boating excursions.

page_text: 2-A buoyant garment either waterproofed or not by means of which swimming
may be easily acquired.
3-The combination of an ordinary or waterproof bathing dress with air-
chambers or floats adjusted or adjustable to the requirements of the wearer and
capable of sustaining him in the water.