Improved Construction of Collapsible Life Belt or Life Buoy.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 12th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Construction of Collapsible Life Belt or Life Buoy.
I, FRANK PIERCE DABELL, of Lucerne, Sandown, Isle of Wight Marine
Salvage Superintendent do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:
:-
The object of my invention is a life saving belt or buoy which in the smaller sizes
may be carried in the pocket or about the person without inconvenience and may
in a few moments be inflated with air ready for use, and (if required) be attached
to the person.
It consists of one or more air receptacles constructed on the principle of an
accordion or Chinese lantern, and may be made of canvas, rubber, or other suitable
material, fitted with rings, ribs, or bands of rope, wire, or steel, or a combination of
the same or other suitable material.
The receptacle or receptacles automatically fill with air (when the belt or buoy
is extended) through a metal nozzle, valve, or other like appliance which can be
readily closed when the receptacle is extended and consequently full of air.
The belt or buoy need not of necessity be wholly constructed on the accordion
principle, as one air receptacle of this nature may be made to fill, by compression
(through a pipe, valve or other like contrivance) another or other similar chamber
or chambers in the nature of a bag, which may previously have been empty or
flat.
The belt or buoy may be attached to the shoulders and body of a person by
means of elastic webbing, tapes, or other bands and secured by hooks, or other
suitable appliances; or it may be made in the form of a garment such as a collar,
waistcoat, or jacket.
1004
R. CORE GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said F. P. Dabell.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Construction of Collapsible Life Belt or Life Buoy.
I, FRANK PIERCE DaBell of Lucerne, Sandown, Isle of Wight, Marine
Salvage Superintendent, 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:-
The object of this invention is a life-saving belt or buoy which in the smaller
sizes may be carried in the pocket or about the person and may in a few moments
be inflated with air ready for use, and if required may be attached to the person.
The invention consists of one or more air receptacles constructed on the principle of
an accordion or Chinese lantern so that it can be folded up into a small compass
and made of canvas, rubber or other suitable material fitted with rings, ribs or bands
of rope, wire, steel or a combination thereof or of other suitable material.

page_text: The receptacles automatically fill with air when the belt or buoy is extended
through a metal nozzle, valve or other like appliance which can be closed air-tight
when the receptacle is extended and consequently full of air.
The belt or buoy need not of necessity be wholly constructed on the accordion
principle, as one air receptacle of this nature may be made to fill by compression
through a pipe, valve or other like contrivance another or other similar chamber
or chambers in the nature of a bag which may previously have been empty or flat.
The belt or buoy may be attached to the shoulder and body of a person by
means of elastic webbing, tapes or other bands and secured by hooks or other
suitable appliance, or it may be made in the form of a garment such as a collar,
waistcoat or jacket.
The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate some of the constructions of
this invention.
In these drawings
Figure 1 is a view of a life saving belt suitable to be placed round a person and
Figure 2 shows the same closed,
Figure 3 shows one of the rings.
Figure 4 shows the invention in the form of a rectangular life buoy,
Figure 5 showing the same closed.
Figure 6 shows one of the long rings or ribs of the ends of the life buoy shown
in Figure 4, and
Figure 7 shows one of the smaller rings or ribs of the same life buoy.
Figure 8 shows an arrangement similar to Figure 4 but without the central
opening and adapted to be used as a life buoy or raft according to size.
Like letters represent like parts throughout the drawings.
Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3, A represents a suitably shaped bag or tube
preferably with one side curved and the other side rounded as shown by one of the
frames B in Figure 3. The bag A should be water- and air-tight and provided
with any desired canvas or other straps, fastenings or equivalent C for convenience
in securing the belt to the person of the wearer. D represents a valve of any
suitable construction and preferably of large size which may be released or opened
to allow of the entrance of the air when the bag is extended by the operator, and
may then be closed up so as to be air-tight and prevent the escape of the air which
rushes in when the bag is extended. Figure 1 shows the belt after it has been
extended and the bag filled with air and the valve closed ready for attachment to
the person of the wearer, and Figure 2 shows the same with the valve undone, the
air pressed out, and the bag reduced to its smallest dimensions.
E is an ordinary rubber filling tube by which air may be blown into the bag by
the mouth of the wearer should from any cause more air be required; by means of
of the valve E if suitably placed the belt could be inflated after it was upon the
person. It will be understood that this valve E is merely for convenience and is
not a necessity and that no actual pressure above that of the atmosphere need be
imparted to the air in the belt. The straps or equivalent C may be provided with
buckles, buttons and button holes or the like and may be so arranged as to serve for
tying up the belt into a convenient compass when not required for use.
F is a
handle or equivalent to facilitate the extension of the belt for inflation purposes;
it may be arranged so that that end can be held by the foot while the bag is pulled
out and extended with one hand and the valve manipulated with the other. The
shape and size of this belt may be varied and it is sometimes a convenience to make
the belt larger in the centre than towards the ends so that the frames or ribs may
fit inside one another when the apparatus is closed, the smallest end rib fitting
inside its larger neighbour and that one again inside its larger neighbour. It is
not necessary that the side facing the wearer should be flat but it is convenient to
have it so.
In Figure 4 the same principle of construction and operation is adopted, but the
bag is shown in the form of a rectangular life buoy, the larger ribs B Figure 6
being used for the ends A¹ and the smaller ribs B Figure 7 being used for the

page_text: side walls A D is the valve as before and F the handle, G being cords such as
are usually used with life buoys. Figure 5 shows this apparatus folded up flat so as
to occupy very little space.
In Figure 8 the construction is substantially the same as in Figure 4 but the
central opening is not used, only the large ribs B of Figure 6 being employed; this
form of the apparatus may be made in large sizes so as to serve as a life raft and
folding up as in Figure 5 it may be contained in a flat case, box or cupboard upon
the deck of a vessel or inside the bulwarks, the back end being if desired temporarily
or slightly secured so that by opening the valve and pulling at the handle F the
buoy may be extended to its full limits and the valve closed, after which the
temporary fastening may be removed and a complete life buoy or raft capable of
supporting many persons is immediately ready for use. A large number of these
can thus be carried by steamers or vessels without being in the way or taking up
any appreciable amount of space.
I am aware that inflatable bags have before now been used as life belts or buoys
but these have generally had to be inflated, the inflation being the only means of
distending them. In another case the bag was adapted to be inflated at atmospheric
pressure but the distension was caused by internal springs which, besides being
costly and heavy and cumbersome, were liable to be damaged, and if broken to
perforate the wall of the bag. I do not claim either of these arrangements per se.
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. Inflating a life buoy or belt by extending it by manual power allowing the air
to enter and closing the air entrance.
2. A life belt or buoy consisting of a bag such as A having ribs such as B to
extend it to its full size in one sense or direction and adapted to be pulled out or
extended in the other sense or direction and to automatically inflate itself through
a suitable valve or equivalent substantially as described.
3. The combination with a life belt or buoy such as described in Claim 2 of a
supplementary filling nozzle or equivalent such as E substantially as described.
4. A life belt or buoy of the kind described in Claim 2 consisting of a bag such
as A A' with a central opening and ribs such as B of different shapes or sizes
substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 4, 5 6 and 7 of the accompanying
drawings.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete life belt
substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete life buoy
substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying
drawings.
7. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete life buoy
or raft substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 8 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated thie 0th day of January 1895