IMPROVE- MENTS IN LIFE-SAVING DEVICES
Year: 1888

page_text: We, THOMAS CANBY CHAPPELL, of 8 South Street, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.
Gentleman, and EVERETT DAGRETTA MOORE, of 907 Light Street, Baltimore aforesaid
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LIFE-SAVING DEVICES," and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to improvements in life-saving devices wherein are employed
nets, beds, or such like devices for receiving the weight of a falling body and lessening
the shock thereto; and it consists in suspending the said net or receiving device by a
suitable vibrating or spring combination from stanchions or poles, or it may be
supported by hand and readily and quickly placed in the desired position and securely
held thereat by manual force, as hereinafter described, whereby the momentuin of a
body falling in the said net or receiver will be gradually overcome and injury thereto
prevented, the construction of the device being such that it may be folded for
convenient storage or transportation and convenient for instant use.
In the further description of our invention reference is had to the accompanying
drawings, in which-
which may be
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device suspended from the stanchions.
Figure 2 is a detailed view looking down on, the stanchions and ropes
employed in the invention.
Figure 3 is a detailed view of the spring vibrator.
Figure 4 is a detailed view of one corner of the net or receiver showing the
construction thereof.
The same indicating figures refer to the same or similar parts throughout the
several views.
The figure 5 denotes the receiver, which may be made of netting, canvas, rubber
cloth, or such like material, the drawings showing the netting, which is considered the
most suitable for the purpose, and is made in the form of a perfect square, preferably,
that any corner thereof may be secured to any one of the stanchions when they are
employed, and thus avoid confusion in the adjustment of the device when required
for use.

page_text: In order that the receiver 5 might be employed without the stanchions 10 and the
ropes thereon, and that it may readily be moved from one place to another to catch
the falling body, the vibrators or springs 9 have the hooks 18 thereon, (see Figure 3,)
of convenient size to be held in the hand, the springs or other vibrators, 30, likewise
terminating in a convenient handle, 31, (see Figure 4) for the same purpose, whereby
the desired force to support the receiver 5 may be applied by manual strength. In order
to confer sufficient strength upon the receiver 5, it is constructed with a lacing-line, 6,
therearound, to which is secured in some substantial manner the said receiver 5, each
corner of the said lacing-line forming an eye, 7, in which is a thimble, 8 (see
Figure 4,) for securing therein the vibrator 9.
The stanchions 10, which are employed when time will admit of their adjustment,
are made of either iron or wood, preferably of the latter, in which case the lower end
thereof is provided with the iron shoe 11, which has thereon the foot 12, that is
turned inward toward the receiver when in position for use, whereby additional
leverage will be formed for the said stanchions 10 by the toe 13 thereof becoming
a fulcrum should there be sufficient strain on the receiver 5 to incline the said
stanchions inward. At a proper height on the stanchions 10, and on the same side
with the foot 12, is secured an eye-bolt or staple, 16, into which is secured the end 18
of the vibrator or spring 9, the other end of the said vibrator or spring being secured
to the eye S in the receiver 5, the said vibrator being provided to lessen the shock of
the person falling and to ease the strain which will be brought upon the persons
supporting the receiver. The vibrator consists of the plate 19, which has connected
thereto the bottom plate, 20, by means of the rods 21. An eye or hook, 17, is
swivoled to the said plate 19, for attaching to the stanchions or net, or for supporting
by hand. Moving freely on these rods 21, which serve as a guide therefor, is the
movable plato 22, to which is attached the rod 23, that moves freely through the
bottom plate, 20, and terminates with an eye or hook, 18, for securing to the receiver
or stanchions. Placed under the movable plate 22 is a spring, 24, the bottom
plate, 20, forming a backing therefor when a tensile strain is put on the vibrator.
In order that the stanchions 10 may be quickly placed in position for use and the
receiver 5 suspended therefrom and securely held in the extended position, the
lanyards 25 and 29 are secured to the stanchions in the manner following, referring
to Figures 1 and 2. A rope, 25, is passed through adjacent stanchions, holes being
made therein for that purpose, and sufficient spare end 27 provided at each stanchion
for holding on when the device is in use, a knot or stop, 28, (Figure 4.) being formed
on the rope 25 on each side of the stanchion 10 to prevent the said rope from being
pulled through the stanchion from either direction and to insure the said stanchion
being placed at proper distances to receive the receiver 5. In like manner the rope 29
passes through the other adjacent stanchions 10, terminating in the spare ends 27, and
knotted and stopped for the purpose described. Instead of securing these ropes 25
and 29 to the stanchions 10 in the manner just described, they may be secured thereto
by staples or some device of that description, which, however, would not prevent the
ropes from becoming twisted, as in the case where the ropes and spare ends are in one
piece and knotted, as described.
To aid in keeping the receiver 5 in the extended position and to assist in relieving
the shock thereto, the additional springs or vibrators 30 are employed, which may be
of the common spiral form, and are secured at intervals along the side of the net
or receiver 5, terminating in the hooks 31, by which they may be either secured to
the lanyards 25 and 29 or form a convenient handle for supporting by hand. For
convenience of holding on, the spare ends 27 can he provided with handles 32, as
shown in Figure 2, or said handles 32 may be attached to the stanchions in any
other well known way.
The manner of operating is as follows:
The receiver 5 and the stanchions are rolled up separately, in case it should be
desired to use the receiver alone, which, as described, may be readily held in position
from the vibrators or springs thereon and quickly moved from one position to
another to receive the falling body the said vibrators or springs relieving the shock

page_text: of the fall to the falling person and to those supporting the receiver. When time
will afford the employment of the stanchions, they are placed in position and the
lanyards 25 and 29 are drawn tant by means of the spare ends 27, and the receiver
is suspended therefrom by the vibrators and springs 9 and 30, in the manner
described. When sufficient number of persons have hold of the spare ends 27 to
exert the required force, the device is ready to receive the falling person, it having
been placed in a convenient position for a person to jump in the receiver thereof,
when the vibrators and springs 9 and 30 will yield to the first strain brought upon
the receiver 5 and gradually lessen the force of the fall, the stanchions 9, with the
resistance applied thereto through the lanyards, being sufficient to resist the strain
brought to bear upon the receiver by the momentum of the falling body, the foot 12
affording additional leverage to the said stanchions should the force of the fall be
sufficient to incline the stanchions toward the centre.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In a life-saving device, the combination of a flexible receiving-net provided at
its outer edge with flexible vibrators, or springs the said vibrators or springs being
connected to handles suitable to be grasped by the hands of persons supporting the
net, substantially as described.
2. In a life-saving device, the combination of a flexible receiving-net provided at its
outer edge with flexiblo vibrators, or springs the said vibrators being connected to
lanyards which are provided with handles at their extremities suitable to be grasped
by the hands of persons supporting the net, and stanchions to which said lanyards are
secured between the handles and the vibrators, substantially as described.
3. In a life-saving device, the combination of a receiver, 5, the stanchions 10, the
lanyards 25 and 29, secured to the said stanchions, the rope ends 27, secured to the
said stanchions, and vibrators supporting the said receiver and secured to the said
stanchions, for the purpose set forth.
4. In a life-saving device, the combination of the receiver 5, the stanchions 10, the
vibrators or springs 9, connecting the said receiver with the stanchions 10 the
lanyards 25 and 29, provided with the stops 28 thereon, the said lanyards terminating
in the spare ends 27 and being so rove through the stanchions that thereby the said
stanchions 10 will be mutually supported, and when placed in position for use will insure
the proper adjustment for attaching thereto the receiver 5, and the vibrators or
springs 30, connecting the said receiver with the lanyards 25 and 29, for the purpose
set forth.
5. In a life-saving device, the combination of the receiver 5, the stanchions 10, the
shoes 11, provided with the foot 12, attached to the said stanchions, the vibrators or
springs 9, connecting the said receiver to the stanchions 10, the lanyards 25 and 29,
provided with the stops 28 thereon, the said lanyards terminating in the spare ends 27
and being so rove through the stanchions 10 that thereby the said stanchions will be
mutually supported, and when placed in position for use will insure the proper
adjustment for securing thereto the receiver 5, and the vibrators or springs 30,
connecting the said receiver with the lanyards 25 and 29, for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1888.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.