An Improved Apparatus for Use in Swimming.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Use in Swimming.
I, JOSEF TICHY, of 2, Kauergasse, Vienna, in the Empire of Austria,
Locomotive Driver, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
1:0
This invention relates to an improved apparatus for propelling or for assisting
in propelling the body in water.
According to my invention I provide an air girdle or cushion and a propeller
screw adapted to be rotated by hand.
In carrying out my invention I mount the propeller shaft and the mechanism
for actuating the same in a frame preferably of rectangular shape and arranged in
an inclined position. A second frame which is preferably composed of strong wire
and is rectangular in form but bent or bulged in the centre carries the air girdle or
cushion which, as hereinafter more clearly set forth is made in sections. The girdle
or cushion is fixed to the said frame by means of hooks or eyes attached to metal or
wooden strips which run along two sides of the frame, the said hooks, or eyes
passing through the air cushion between the sections thereby attaching it firmly
yet movably to the frame. Ou the two ends of the air cushion is a number of
hooks which can be fixed to the bent or bulged sides of the second frame thereby
enabling the central portion of the air cushion to take the form of the bent frame
two wings of the cushion hanging down from the sides of the said frame. On the
sides of this frame I provide two sets of supports or bearings which are preferably
formed fork-shaped at the top and carry the driving and propeller shafts the former
being carried by one set and the latter by the other set. The driving shaft is further
supported by struts.
The two shafts cross one another and pass through holes in lugs on the frame in
which the driving mechanism is arranged thereby supporting the same.
The driving shaft projects at both ends from its bearings the projecting ends
being made square so that they are adapted to receive handles or cranks. By
turning these cranks a toothed wheel on the driving shaft is rotated the said wheel
gearing in a second smaller wheel on an intermediate shaft which latter wheel
imparts its motion by means of a bevel wheel on the same shaft to a bevel
wheel on the propeller shaft. The whole of the driving mechanism is placed in a
case or box which can be easily taken apart to enable the gearing to be cleaned.
One end of the propeller shaft projects from its bearing and is made square so that
it is adapted to receive an ordinary screw propeller.
The whole apparatus is strapped to the breast of the swimmer after the air girdle
or cushion has been inflated the said air cushion being so formed that when inflated
it fills the space between the second frame and the driving mechanism and thereby
does not hinder in any way the movements of the swimmer and it is made of
sufficient size to support the swimmer.
F
When my apparatus is employed therefore three movements are made use of viz.,
the up and down motion of the hands, the movement of the feet and the rotation of
the propeller screw.
As already explained the air girdle or cushion is formed in sections. These
sections are so arranged that the middle one is placed in the second frame and the
two others to the right and left of the same. By this arrangement in sections a

page_text: .
great degree of safety from sinking is obtained as in case one of the sections is
damaged the remaining sectious would keep the swimmer afloat.
Dated the 5th day of June 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
An unproved Apparatus for use in swimming.
I, JOSEF TICHY, of 2, Kauergasse, Vienna, in the Empire of Austria,
Locomotive Driver, 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 :-
This invention relates to an improved apparatus for propelling or for assisting in
propelling, the body in water.
According to my invention I provide an air girdle or cushion and a propeller
screw adapted to be rotated by hand.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe it by reference to
the accompanying drawing, in which
:-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of apparatus constructed according to my
invention:
Figure 2 is a plan :
Figure 3 is a side view of the same, and,
Figure 4 is a view shewing the apparatus in use.
The apparatus is composed of three main parts, viz., the air girdle or cushion
which is to be attached to the body, mechanism for actuating the propeller and a
frame for supporting the said mechanism.
The propeller shaft and the mechanism for actuating the same are mounted in a
frame preferably of rectangular shape and arranged in an inclined position. A second
frame e which is preferably composed of strong wire and is rectangular in form but
bent or bulged in the centre as shewn in Figure 3 carries the air girdle or cushion d
which, as hereinafter more clearly set forth, is made in three sections. The girdle
or cushion is fixed to the said frame by means of hooks or eyes fattached to metal
or wooden strips e which run along two sides of the frame, the said hooks or eyes f
passing through the air cushion d between the sections thereby attaching it firmly
yet movably to the frame. On the two ends of the air cushion is a number of
hooks 9, 9 which can be fixed to the bent or bulged sides of the frame c thereby
enabling the central portion of the air cushion to take the form of the bent frame
two wings of the cushion hanging down from the sides of the said frame. On the
sides of this frame c I provide two sets of brackets or supports h, h' and i, i which
are pivotally or loosely mounted on the said sides and are preferably formed fork-
shaped at the top and carry the driving shaft k and propeller shaft the former
being carried by one set h, and the latter by the other set i, . The driving
shaft k is further supported in the frame c by struts. m. The shaft is arranged
in an inclined position as shewn in Figure 1 and the two shafts k and cross one
another and pass through holes in lugs n on the frame b in which the driving
mechanism is arranged thereby supporting the same.
The driving shaft k projects at both ends from its bearings in the supports hand h¹
the projecting ends being made square so that they are adapted to receive handles
or cranks a. By turning these cranks a toothed wheel o on the driving shaft k is
rotated, the said wheel gearing in a second smaller wheel g on an intermediate
shaft P which latter wheel imparts its motion by means of a bevel wheel on the
same shaft to a bevel wheels on the propeller shaft. The whole of the driving
mechanism is placed in a case or box t as shewn in Figure 1 which can be easily

page_text: taken apart to enable the gearing to be cleaned. One end of the propeller shaft I
projects from its bearing in the support and is made square so that it is adapted
to receive an ordinary screw propeller v.
The whole apparatus is strapped to the breast of the swimmer as shewn in
Figure 4 after the air girdle or cushion d has been inflated through the valves w, w,
the said air cushion being so formed that when inflated it fills the space between
the frame c and the driving mechanism and thereby does not hinder in any
way the movements of the swimmer, who grasps the cranks a, a in both hands and
thus actuates the propeller. The girdle or cushion is made of sufficient size to
support the swimmer in water.
--
When my apparatus is employed therefore three movements are made use of
viz., the up and down motion of the hands, the movement of the feet and the
rotation of the propeller screw.
As already explained the air girdle or cushion d is formed in sections. These
sections are so arranged that the middle one is placed in the frame c and the two
others to the right and left of the same. By this arrangement in sections greater
security against sinking is obtained, as, in case one of the sections is damaged, the
remaining sections would keep the swimmer afloat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
--
1. Apparatus for use in swimming having a propeller screw adapted to be
actuated by hand through the medium of suitable gearing, and propeller and
driving shafts mounted in supports or brackets pivotally connected to a frame
having an air girdle or cushion for supporting the swimmer substantially as
described.
2. In apparatus of the kind described in Claim 1 forming the air girdle or
cushion of several separate sections adapted to be inflated through separate valves
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
3. The improved apparatus hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawing.
Dated the 5th day of March 1896
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.