A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OR COMBINATION OF APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN INSTRUCTING IN THE ART OF SWIMMING, IN BATHING, IN SAVING LIVES AT SEA, AND FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES."
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Stephen Levett, of Edinburgh, in the County
of Mid Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention of "A NEW OR
IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OR COMBINATION OF APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN
INSTRUCTING IN THE ART OF SWIMMING, IN BATHING, IN SAVING LIVES AT
SEA, AND FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Stephen Levett
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 29th December 1874.
I, JOHN STEPHEN LEVETT, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid
Lothian, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OR COMBINATION OF APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED IN INSTRUCTING IN THE ART OF SWIMMING,- IN BATHING, IN
SAVING LIVES AT SEA, AND FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES," to be as follows,
that is to say:—
This Invention which relates to a new or improved arrangement or
combination of apparatus to be employed in self or other instruction in
}

page_text: the art of swimming, or by persons whilst bathing in the sea, in rivers,
lakes, or other similar situations, and which is also applicable to the
saving of lives at sea, and for other analogous purposes, has for its
object to supply sufficient buoyant power to keep the person afloat, and
at the same time to secure safety to bathers or others in the water from
the consequences of cramp or similar scizures.
The apparatus consists of a light rectangular or other suitable shaped
frame, composed of wood, cork, vulcanite, other suitable material, and
which for the sake of portability is or may be made in two or more
pieces secured together by any suitable means, or the frame may bo
jointed so as to be capable of being folded up. To the framic straps or
bands are fixed, by which to secure it to the back of the person in tho
water, and to certain of these straps or bands which pass over or
around the breast of such person an elastic bag or bladder is attached.
A lath or strip of wood, cork, metal, vulcanite, or other suitable
material is attached to the frame in such a manner as to extend across
the back of the swimmer, and such lath or stripe may either be per-
manently, fixed to the frame, that is to say, it may be fixed so as not to
be detachable whilst the person is in the water, or it may be attached
by springs, clasps, or their equivalents to the frame and made so
detachable. At each extremity of the lath or strip an elastic bag or
bladder is fixed which in conjunction with the bag or bladder, herein-
before referred to, when inflated with air or other buoyant medium
maintain the body in the requisite position in the water. In lieu of
placing inflated bags or bladders at the extremities of the lath or strip
floats composed of wood, cork, or other buoyant substance may be so
placed.
The bags or bladders are each provided with a neck or tube through
which the air is blown into their interiors, and when cach bag or bladder
has been inflated to the requisite extent a plug or stopper of wood, bone,
valcanite, or other suitable substance is inserted into the neck thereof,
and the tube or neck being clastic closes tightly around the stopper or
plug and so prevents the pressure of air within from forcing it out,
whilst at the same time the plug is casily removable by hand when
desired.

page_text: vided with pulleys, around which the different ends of a cord or string
attached to the lath are passed, and from thence the said ends are con-
ducted over or under the shoulders of the swimmer. By pulling ono
end of the string the lath is disconnected from the frame and allowed to
float behind, whilst by pulling the opposite end it is immediately
readjusted in position. The string or cord may either be under control
of the porson smimming or of another in the water with him in a boat,
or on the bank or shore.
In applying the apparatus for saving life at sca the cords or strings,
and other mechanism whereby the lath or stripe is rendered removable,
is or may be dispensed with, and a flag or signal is or may be provided
in conjunction therewith, so as to render the person more easily seen
from a distance. Under a modification of the apparatus tho framing,
herein-before described, may be dispensed with, and the lath or strip
attached direct to the straps or bands which pass round the body..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Stephen Levett in the Great Seal Patent Offico
on the 25th June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
STEPHEN LEVETT, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,,
give and grant unto me, the said John Stephen Levett, Her special licenso
that I, the said John Stephen Levett, my executors, administrators, and.
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Stephen Levett, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUC-
TION OR COMBINATION OF APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN INSTRUCTING IN THE ART

page_text: OF SWIMMING, IN BATHING, IN SAVING LIVES AT SEA, AND FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS
PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Stephen Levett, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 Stephen Levett, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 :-
My said Invention which relates to a new or improved arrangement or
combination of apparatus to be employed in self or other instruction in
the art of swimming, or by persons whilst bathing in the sca, in rivers,
lakes, or similar situations, and which is also applicable to the saving
of lives at sea, and for other analogous purposes, has for its object
to supply sufficient buoyant power to keep the person afloat, and at the
same time to secure safety to bathers or others in the water from the
consequence of cramp or other similar seizures.
The apparatus consists of a light rectangular or other suitably shaped
frame composed of wood, cork, vulcanite, or equivalent material, and
which for the sake of portability is or may be made in two or more
pieces capable of being secured together, or the frame may be jointed so
as to be capable of folding up. To the frame straps or bands are fixed
by which to secure it to the back of the person in the water, and to
certain of these straps or bands which pass over or around the breast of
such person an elastic bag or bladder is attached. A lath or strip of
wood, cork, metal, vulcanite, or other material is attached to the frame
in such a manner as to extend across the back of the swimmer, and
such lath or strip may either be fixed to the frame so as not to bo
detachable whilst the person is in the water or it may be made so
detachable.
had
tion may ha nonorly understood T

page_text: in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried
into effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended Figure 1 is a plan of
one form of the apparatus as constructed in accordance with my said
Invention, whilst Figure 2 is a side view of the same, with one of the
air bags, and a portion of the lath or cross beam removed. As shewn by
these Figures the frame is composed of four bars A. of wood, cork,
vulcanite, or other suitable material, the two bars forming the sides being
articulated or hinged to that in front, and the fourth or rearmost bar
secured by swivel pins a to the sides, as shewn. To the upper faces of
the side bars metal or other clips B are fastened into which fits a lath
or cross beam C, extending equally from both sides of the frame, and
carrying at its extremities india-rubber or gutta percha air bags D which
are shewn inflated in the Drawings. These air bags D are secured to
the lath or cross beam C by swivel pins c held in short pieces 6 of wood
or other rigid material secured to the bags D by straps or bands d, as
shown.
To the front bar of the frame are attached two bands E of ribbon or
leather, which may be made elastic throughout some portion of their
length. These bands are united to one another and to the under sido of
a third air bag F, at such distance from the frame as will readily permit
of the passage of the head of a person putting on the apparatus. Tho
air bag F forms a cushion for the neck and buoys up the head of the
swimmer. From the front part of the frame A, whereat they are fixed
the straps or bands E are continued towards the back of the apparatus,
inclining inwards to each other, and ultimately uniting to form one
band, to which a ring 9 is secured, as shown. They are also continued
in the form of one strap or band beyond the front air bag or neck
cushion F, and terminate in a similar ring g¹ having ribbons, cords, or
other analogous fastenings attached thereto.
Immediately below the rearmost bar of the frame A, and suspended
therefrom by the vertical connections e, is a transverse band or strap G
also provided at each end with rings g², and with ribbons or cords, and
to the said band the bands E passing to the rear are attached, as seen
more particularly at Figure 2. By this means a convenient arrange-
ment of straps or bands for the body is obtained. The long strap E at
the rear passes over the back of the swimmer and is brought up between

page_text: g
the legs until the ring is nearly opposite the chest, whereat the ring g
is secured in position by the ribbands or cords attached to the ring y' of
the neck straps E. The strap or band G surrounds the body and meeting
at the same point is attached to the ring 9 by the ribbons or strings on
the rings g. Thus equipped a person in the water is buoyed up and i
prevented from sinking, except through destruction of the apparatus.
The air bags D and F are in certain cases constructed in compartments
so as to contain liquid or solid provisions in addition to compressed air
or other buoyant gas.
In order to test the capability of the swimmer to keep himself afloat 1
a pulley H is attached to the upper face of the front bar of the frame A,
and a similar pulley IT to the under side of the rear bar, and around
these are passed strings h, h', in the manner more particularly seen at
Figure 2. The strings h, h', are attached to a ring i connected to the
strings j, j', secured to loops held in the top of the lath or cross beam C. 1
The free ends of the strings h, h', are held by an instructor or other person
cither in the water with the swimmer, in a boat, or on the bank or shore,
or the pulleys may be so arranged as to enable the swimmer to work the
strings himself. It will be seen that by pulling the string the lath or
cross beam O is released from the clips B and floats loosely on the 2
surface of the water without rendering buoyant aid to the swimmer
whilst the said lath or strip is immediately replaced in its position in tho
clips B by pulling the string /'.
At Figure 3 of the Drawings is shown a modification of my Invention
under which the lath or cross beam C constitutes the end of the framing, 2
and is therefore not intended to be removed when in use. It is provided
with flat floats D of wood, cork, vulcanite, or other suitable material
instead of air bags, and is carried under the side frames and secured
thereto by the swivel pins a. Air bags may be employed in lieu of the
floats D, or both floats and air bags may be used together.
Figure 4 is a side view of one of the floats D with the lath or cross
beam C removed. The straps or bands (not shown on the Drawings) aro
arranged similarly to those herein-before described with reference to
Figure 1.
3
In the apparatus as adapted for females the arrangement of straps or 3

page_text: It will be seen that the apparatus is so constructed as to be readily
put together or taken to pieces, and is capable of being packed in a
small space and thereby rendered easily portable, or the frame as con-
structed in Figure 3 may be attached by the front bar to a bathing.
dress, and the lath or cross beam attached when in use. The air bags D
and F are shown provided with mouth-picces ƒ for the passage of air,
the stoppers of which are somewhat larger than the orifice, so that tho
india-rubber or gutta percha closely clasps them, and a perfectly air-
tight joint is thereby obtained.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and tho system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe
in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and there-
fore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement and combination of parts con-
stituting the new or improved apparatus herein-before described and in
part illustrated on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended, or any
mere modification thereof, and the employment of the same as and for
the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof I, the said John Stephen Levett, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of June, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.