IMPROVE- MENTS IN LIFE BELTS AND SWIMMING BELTS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LIFE BELTS AND SWIMMING BELTS."-A communication from
abroad by Torrilhon, Verdier, and Company, of Paris, in the Empire of
France, Manufacturers.
Sealed the 23rd February 1864, and dated the 17th September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry .Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th September 1863.
I; JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BELTS AND SWIMMING BELTS," a communication to
me from abroad by Torrilhon, Verdier, and Company, of Paris, in the Empire
of France, Manufacturers, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of life
belts or safety apparatus and swimming belts to be used for the purpose of
sustaining a person when in the water.
This apparatus consists of two cushions- or pads, or of a corset or jacket
stuffed with cotton or other light material previously rendered impermeable to
water; the length of the cushion, pads, corset or jacket depends on the length
of the chest and back of the wearer, and they are closed round the body so as

page_text: to fit closely thereto by lacing under the arms. The leather straps hitherto
employed for adjusting the apparatus are replaced by girths composed of a
flattened tube of cloth, the interior of which is cemented with india-rubber
solution, so as to hold the two sides firmly together, and prevent moisture from
penetrating therein. Metal eyelet holes are inserted at intervals in the strap
so formed to receive the tongue of a buckle, and thus prevent tearing of the
material. To this same apparatus is fitted a double girth, which extends a
little beyond the cushions or pads, and the extremities of which are provided
with metal eyelets, through which a cord passes, in order to tighten the appa-
ratus to the body..
This arrangement is important inasmuch as it serves to keep the appa-
ratus in its place when the wearer throws himself head downwards into the
water. When made in the form of a jacket or corset, a number of ver-
tically disposed pads or cushions are formed therein, and stuffed with cotton
rendered impermeable to water. The front and back of the corset aro
united by an arrangement of cords which can be tightened at pleasure.
The band which suspends the apparatus from the neck of the wearer is
provided with a buckle at one of the shoulders, whereby it may be instantly
disengaged when a dive is to be made. Safety belts or jackets. of the con-
struction above referred to are not liable to sink should the outer casing or
covering become torn, perforated, or otherwise injured, as the buoyancy of the
prepared cotton is sufficient to maintain the weight of the wearer.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters,
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto.
me, the said. John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said
John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators,
or assigns,, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to,

page_text: time and at all tinies 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 LIFE BELTS AND SWIMMING BELTS," a com-.
munication to me from abroad by Torrilhon, Verdier, and Company, of
Paris, in the Empire of France, Manufacturers, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or
under the hand and seal of one of them, should particularly describe
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 John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of
life belts or safety apparatus and swimming belts, to be used for the purpose
of sustaining a person when in the water.
This apparatus consists of two cushions or pads or of a corset or jacket stuffed
with cotton or other light material previously rendered impermeable to water.
The length of the cushions, pads, corset or jacket depend on the length of the
chest and back of the wearer, and they are closed round the body, so as to fit
closely thereto by lacing under the arms. The leather straps hitherto employed
for adjusting the apparatus are replaced by girths composed of a flattened tubo
of cloth, the interior of which is cemented with india-rubber solution, so as to
hold the two sides firmly together, and prevent moisture from penetrating
therein. Metal eylet holes are inserted at intervals in the strap so formed to
receive the tongue of a buckle, and thus prevent tearing of the material. To
this same apparatus is fitted a double girth, which extends a little beyond the
cushions or pads, and the extremities of which are provided with metal
eyelets, through which a cord passes, in order to tighten the apparatus to the
body.
This arrangement is important inasmuch as it serves to keep the apparatus.
in its place when the wearer throws himself head downwards into the water.
When made in the form of a jacket or corset a number of vertically disposed
pads or cushions are formed therein and stuffed with cotton rendered imper-

page_text: meable to water. The front and back of the corset are united by an arrange:
ment of cords which can be tightened at pleasure. The band which suspends:
the apparatus from the neck of the wearer is provided with a buckle at one of
the shoulders, whereby it may be instantly disengaged when a dive is to be
made. Safety belts or jackets of the construction above referred to are not
liable to sink should the outer casing or covering become torn, perforated, or
otherwise injured, as the buoyancy of the prepared cotton is sufficient to main-
tain the weight of the wearer.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures in the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding
Figures.
.:
• Figure 1 of the Drawings represents an external face elevation of the
improved life belt; Figure 2 is a plan of the same; Figure 3 is an end.
elevation looking at right angles to Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a transverse.
vertical section taken along the line 1, 2, in Figure 1.
A, B, are two pads or cushions stuffed with cotton or other' portable mate-:
rial a rendered waterproof and enclosed tightly in a covering b. These pads
are slightly curved to fit over the chest and back of the wearer. C, C,' are
ears provided with metal eyelet holes, in which pass the strong laces or cords d
serving to tighten the apparatus to the figure; these cords are connected to
the ends of a girth a composed of a flattened tube of cloth or any suitable stout'
textile fabric, the inner surfaces of which are cemented together with india-
rubber solution to form a waterproof band or girth; this girth after passing
through the guides o, o, is provided with an ordinary buckle f situate in the
front of the chest pad, so as to be easily tightened at any time by the wearer:
when adjusting the pads more closely to the figure; S, S¹, represent a double
girth attached to the pad B, and provided with metal eyelets at their extre-
mities, to which, are secured the ends of a cord g, which keeps the apparatus
adjusted to the body of the wearer. This arrangement will be found very
serviceable when plunging head first into the water. Figure 5 represents
a safety apparatus constructed in the form of a corset or jacket of textile
fabric. r, r, are a number of pads or cushions formed in the corset or
jacket by leaving spaces therein, and stuffing such spaces with cotton or
other suitable material rendered waterproof; o, o, are metal eyelet holes
through which pass the laces or cords d, which serve to tighten the jacket to
the body of the wearer; 9, 9, are shoulder straps constructed in a similar
manner to the girth e, herein-before referred to, one or both of these shoulder

page_text: straps being provided with a buckle h to facilitate the instant disengagement of
the jacket when diving.
By constructing the buoyant part of these apparatus of an outer envelope or
casing stuffed with cotton or other suitable light material rendered impervious
to water, the apparatus will answer perfectly well, even though the outer
casing or covering should become torn, perforated, or otherwise injured by
contact with sharp rocks, pieces of wreck, or from any other cause.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the peculiar construction and
arrangement of safety or life belts or jackets, as herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of March, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.s.)