Improvements in or relating to Life Saving Collars or Appliances.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1899-Accepted, 6th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Life Saving Collars or Appliances.
I, HUBERT DE WILDE, of 68, Pécherie, Ghent, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Merchant, 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:-
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The present invention relates to the construction of a life saving collar or
appliance made of floating or buoyant material, the parts being preferably of a
particular shape in order to conform to the part of the body to which the device
is to be applied, the invention also relating to means for rapidly applying and
securing the appliance to the user.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of the component parts or buoyant bodies
which together form the collar or appliance showing the manner of stringing them
on one or more cords or chains.
Figure 2 is a plan view showing the whole of the collar and one way of closing
the collar.
Figure 3 is a half section of the collar on the line X X¹ of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a plan view of an appliance with a spring device for rapidly closing
the ends of same, and
Figure 5 is a view of the spring rod.
The component parts of the appliance may be of any suitable section, but it
is preferable to give them the shape of four-sided pyramids, such a shape being
accompanied by two advantages: the first consists in their being easily adapted
to the neck of a person, since the truncated apices of the pyramids easily fit within
the space between the head and the shoulders, while a very strong surface towards
the base is possible, resulting in a very great floating power, the latter being the
second of the advantages which cannot be realised to such an extent by other
shapes, such as, for instance, prismatic forms. The different parts are formed
preferably from cork, or any other substance which floats naturally or they may
be made hollow say of light metal such as aluminium. The collar or appliance
is formed by stringing a number of these parts A according to the length required
on a cord or wire cc passing through perforations I in said parts, the lateral
faces of which may be bevelled or cut away at B' to allow of greater play or
flexibility, and to render the application of the device easier. The two end
pieces A. A¹ are prevented from coming off by forming knots or the like on the
cordat convenient distances apart. In order to avoid the several parts A
being displaced as regards each other, by turning around the cord c c¹, they may
be held in position by two strong cords m n passed respectively through perforations
G and H parallel to the cord cc and terminating by a knot or in any other way
at the extreme end parts A A', thus forming a flexible appliance.
Any rapid means of attachment of the device to the body of the user may
be employed.
One of the essential qualities of a life-saving appliance should be that of being

page_text: rapidly and conveniently applied by the person in danger; a spring closing or
securing device has therefore been devised as represented in Figures 4 and 5,
which realizes every desideratum and should ensure its use by all maritime
agencies as well as on life saving stations.
The cord or, wire on which the solid parts are strung is here replaced by a
spring wire or a steel rod or strip bent into a circle and provided in the middle
with a helicoidal twist F acting as a spring.
The parts A are strung over the ends of each of the branches c c¹; the middle
pieces a a¹ having a groove cut in them so that they may fit closely around the
coil F so as to prevent any want of continuity in the appliance. Knobs or buttons,
with rounded off edges and screwed on the ends E E serve to prevent the parts
from coming off.
It is sufficient therefore for placing the collar or appliance in position to draw
the extremities E E apart with the hands so as to be able to pass the appliance
around the neck or part to which it is to be applied, the action of the spring. F
will then close it as soon as released, thus forming an automatic lock or fastening.
The employment of the device as described above, fully solves the question of
life saving appliances. As, when applied to the neck, the head alone is kept
above the water, the body may remain immersed in the water as deeply as possible,
which assures a maximum of stability and also a maximum floating power.
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 saving collar or appliance comprising a number of solids or hollow
buoyant bodies having the shape. of four-sided pyramids, strung on a cord or wire
and means for securing the appliance readily to the user, 'substantially as described.
2. A life saving collar or appliance of the kind described in which a number
of pyramid shaped buoyant bodies are strung on a curved metal wire or strip having
a central spring hinge substantially as described.
3. The complete life-saving collar or appliance substantially as described or
illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 or in Figs. 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of March 1899.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.