A NEW AND IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING PERSONS IN THE WATER WHILST LEARNING TO SWIM, THE APPLICATION OF WHICH MAY ALSO BE PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wrigley, of High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "A NEW AND
IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING PERSONS IN THE
WATER WHILST LEARNING TO SWIM, THE APPLICATION OF WHICH MAY ALSO BE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wrigley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th September 1875.
I, THOMAS WRIGLEY, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"A NEW AND IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING PERSONS IN
THE WATER WHILST LEARNING TO SWIM, THE APPLICATION OF WHICH MAY ALSO BE
EMPLOYED FOR OTHER SIMILAR AND USEFUL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of providing a running
support for persons learning to swim, and also for supporting and

page_text: conveying partially submerged bodies or merchandise from one place to
another.
☑
The apparatus when employed as a medium for teaching persons to
swim, whether as adapted to swimming baths or erected on the sea coast
or other open-air bathing places may be thus described :-I secure to
fixed supports placed at some distance above the surface of the water and
parallel therewith a strong metal wire, the attachments for and between
which this wire is stretched may be the opposite walls of a swimming
bath or perpendicular-poles-or-tripods placed and secured at some
distance apart on the sea beach or other open-air bathing place. Upon
this wire a running pulley or bowl is placed so as to be supported
thereby, from the axis of which a pendant bracket or link and an
elastic cord depends terminating in an eyelet or coupling. The length
of this cord is so adjusted to the weight it is intended to support, that
when a person bathing provided with an ordinary swimming belt and
line is connected thereto, the stretch of the cord keeps the suspended
body buoyant and in a comfortable easy swimming position in the water,
engendering thereby a confidence which enables the learner to devote
attention without fear to the motion of legs and arms necessary for
swimming. The yield to the body when striking out of the
supporting cord coupled with the running of the pulley or bowl on the
horizontal wire, not only gives "form" but encourages a confidence
which soon enables the most timid to become competent swimmers.
66
"
The application of the overhead wire carried on suitable supports
provided with the running pulley and suspended attachments, and
drawing-in ropes or chains may be employed with advantage in special
cases for removing partially submerged bodies and merchandise from
aboard ship or other places on to shore, or vice versa.
In conclusion I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
_to-the-use-of-single-wires or bowls and elastic supporting cords, as it is
-evident that parallel wires or rails and suitable carriage provided with
suspended cords or chains for attaching-to-partially-submerged-bodies or:
merchandise-may-be-employed-without departing from the nature of my
"said Invention as herein before described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Wrigley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WRIGLEY, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Wrigley, Her
special license that I, the said Thomas Wrigley, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Wrigley,
my executors, administrators, and 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 AND IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING PERSONS
IN THE WATER WHILST LEARNING TO SWIM, THE APPLICATION OF WHICH MAY ALSO
BE EMPLOYED FOR OTHER SIMILAR and useful PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Wrigley, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 Thomas Wrigley, 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 thereof :-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of providing a running
support for persons when learning to swim or acquiring the use of rink
skates, and also for supporting children when learning to walk, and for
other like similar purposes.

page_text: The apparatus when employed as a medium for supporting persons
whilst learning to swim, whether as adapted to swimming baths or
erected on the sea coast or other open-air bathing places may be thus
described:-I secure to fixed supports placed at some distance above the
surface of the water and parallel therewith a strong metal wire; the
attachments for and between which this wire is stretched may be the
opposite walls of a swimming bath, or perpendicular or diagonal cross
poles or standards placed and secured at some distance apart on the sea
beach or other open-air bathing place. Upon this wire a running
grooved-pulley or bowl is placed, from the axis of which a pendant
bracket or link and an elastic cord depend, terminating in an eyelet or.
coupling the elastic cord is regulated in length according to the
maximum weight it is intended to support, so that when a person is
attached thereto through the medium of an adjustable sling or belt, the
stretch of the clastic cord will maintain the suspended body in the water
(whether it be of a reduced or the maximum weight) in a buoyant and
easy swimming position, engendering thereby a confidence which enables
the learner to devote attention without fear to the motion of the limbs
necessary for swimming.
In applying the foregoing apparatus to rinks or other places for
supporting persons whilst learning the use of the rink skates or for other
like purposes, I, employ, by preference, two horizontal parallel wires,
with a bowl or pulley to each, provided with suitable depending cords
and attachments for supporting the skater; the said wires may be
permanently secured to the walls of the building in which the apparatus
is required for use, or otherwise supported and stretched for temporary
use, by the employment of portable cross bearers or standards.
In order that the Invention may be well understood and explained ¡in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings having letters of
reference marked upon corresponding parts on all the Figures alike.

page_text: Fig. 3 represents the same arrangement of apparatus applied to the
interior of buildings for skating or walking purposes.
Fig. 4 represents an arrangement of supporting cross bearers and
apparatus which offer a ready means for the temporary erecting of
the wires when required for the purposes of swimming, skating, or
walking.
And Figs. 5 and 6 represent respectively end and front views in detail
of the grooved pulley, and a portion of the supporting wire together with
the elastic depending cord and chin support.
In these Figs. a, a, is a strong metal wire or wires which is or are
stretched at some elevation above the water of a bathing place or floor of
a rink, or other building or place. The supports for these wires may be
the opposite walls of a building, room, or space in which such wires are
placed, or such supports may be constructed by means of cross poles or
standards b, b, placed and secured at some distance apart on the sea beach
or other bathing place or on ground used for skating or walking upon.
Each wire a is provided with the grooved running pulley c from the
axis of which depends the link d and the elastic cord e.
When the apparatus is intended for swimming purposes the elastic
cord e terminates in an eyelet or coupling f to which is readily con-
nected the adjustable sling or belt 9 which encircles the bather and the
chin sling or loop h. The yield of the elastic corde to the weight of
the bather supported by the sling g when in the water so regulates or
adjusts itself, that the weight of a boy or an adult suspended thereon
are equally supported in a buoyant and swimming position. The sling
or loop / when placed under the chin of the bather will keep the head
up and prevent water getting into the mouth.
When the apparatus is intended for the use of persons on terra firma,
I prefer using parallel wires, as seen in Fig. 3. According to this
arrangement each wire a is provided with an independent bowl or pulley,
from the axis of which links and cords depend, terminating in suitable
attachments for embracing the arms of the person using the same, and
arranged in such a manner that the movements of the skater from side
to side will alternately throw or exert a strain, first upon one wire and
then upon the other; but in the event of a stumble the fall would be
broken or-arrested exactly as though a strong person had caught and

page_text: upheld the skater by passing his hands gently and firmly under the
arms.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, together with
the means of carrying the same into practical effect, I would wish it to
be distinctly understood in conclusion that I claim,-
-
First. The novel arrangement and combination of a depending elastic
cord and grooved pulley or bowl running on and supported by a wire
stretched over a sheet of water, together with the apparatus in connection
therewith to be employed for, the purpose of forming a running support
for persons-learning-to-swim.
And, Secondly. Employment of the same apparatus slightly modified,
as herein described and shewn in the Drawings annexed, for the purpose
of preventing accidents to persons on terra firma when acquiring the
use of roller or other skates or other like purposes.
HA