MANUFACTURE OF BUOYANT PURPOSES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Wentworth Brewster, of Bloomsbury, in the
County of Middlesex, for
MANUFACTURE OF BUOYANT
PURPOSES
"
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONTRIVANCES FOR LIFE-SAVING AND OTHER
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Wentworth Brewster
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th May 1883.
FRANCIS WENTWORTH BREWSTER, of Bloomsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUOYANT CONTRIVANCES FOR LIFE-
SAVING AND OTHER PURPOSES
"
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of buoyant
contrivances for life saving and other purposes.
The Invention has especial reference to the manufacture of a buoyant
contrivance which at any time can be quickly wound about the body, or about any
article it is desired to render buoyant, and so preserve the same from sinking in
water.
In a modification which is of especial advantage, I make the improved buoyant
contrivance as a continuous life preserving line by enclosing within a flexible.
tubing of any suitable diameter a filling of cork which has been rendered
considerably more buoyant than in its natural condition by having been roasted,
or more or less carbonized, or by being also rendered repellent of water by an
admixture with lamp-black or otherwise.
At suitable intervals apart I isolate the said buoyant filling in sections for the
purpose (amongst other reasons) of preventing it shifting, by twisting, tying,
stitching or otherwise fastening the tubing across, so as to attain and preserve a
thoroughly flexible formation, admitting of the contrivance being folded up into a
very small compass: and in order that this object may be most completely
attained, at some of the said intervals I leave longer spaces admitting of the
contrivance being completely doubled up in convenient lengths.

page_text: It is not material that the enclosing tubing should be made of any waterproof
material, and it may be enclosed within an outer casing.
At convenient intervals apart, the contrivance may be provided with fastening
means for securing the same in position about the body after being coiled around.
In another modification, the same result can be arrived at, by making independent
buoyant sections, equivalent to the said isolated buoyant sections, and connecting
them permanently or detachably into a continuous contrivance of any sufficient
length.
In other modifications, the buoyant means may consist of buoyant elastic
cotton, or of granulated cork rendered repellent of water, or of other equally
applicable buoyant means.
Such improved buoyant contrivances when made of a convenient diameter can
be temporarily worn around the body under any ordinary outer garments, during
short passages at sea, or when otherwise on the water: and in case of emergency
they will thus be available for their intended use without needing any attention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Francis Wentworth Brewster in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th November 1883.
FRANCIS WENTWORTH BREWSTER, of Bloomsbury, in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUOYANT CONTRIVANCES FOR LIFE
SAVING AND OTHER PURPOSES
"
The subject of this Invention, which relates to improvements in the manufacture
of buoyant contrivances for life-saving and other purposes, is a buoyant life-line
or device made (of any desired length and diameter) of such a flexible formation
as will permit of its being quickly coiled wound or lashed about the body or about
any article it is desired to render buoyant, and of its being thrown to a man
overboard and used as a means of keeping him afloat and of drawing him to and
raising or hauling him up the ship's side.
The accompanying drawings are illustrative of some of the various modifications
of which the principle of the present Invention is susceptible, and illustrate
various formations of the life-line or coil, and will be hereinafter more particularly
referred to.
In Fig 1, the device is represented as made by enclosing within a flexible
tubing 1, isolated sections of a buoyant filling 2, of roasted, carbonized, rasped, or
water-repellent cork, or of other suitable pliant buoyant means such as what is
known as elastic cotton or elastic felt, with a flexible core or centre 3, of rope,
cord or other like or suitable material running throughout the length of the
device, for affording any required strength, and allowing of the device being used
for towing and hauling purposes.
In the manufacture of the device as thus formed, I insert the core or centre 3,
throughout the length of the tubing 1, (which may be made of waterproof
material, though it is not essential that it should be) and close one end of the
tubing, leaving a length of (say) a foot of the core protruding as shown at the left
hand end of the Figure; keeping the core central of the tubing, I then, with any
convenient appliance, ram in the filling 2, of buoyant material, until I have filled
the length of one section; and I then lash or tie the tubing round the core or
centre with wire cord or string, as at 4, to isolate the one buoyant section from the
next adjacent one. I similarly proceed until the desired length of life-line (giving.
somewhat the appearance of a string of sausages) is completed, and the other
protruding end of the core may be made with a loop sufficiently large for being.
readily passed over the head and round the neck.
When thus forming a life-line by using a filling of soft or yielding buoyant
material, I prefer to make the line in short lengths for facility of ramming the
material, and I then tie or otherwise fasten such lengths together to make a
continuous line of any desired length by means of the said protruding ends of
core, or by other fastening means; the protruding ends of core also serve as means
for tieing the life-line about the body of the wearer. Such short lengths of
isolated buoyant sections can be conveniently made of about three feet 6 inches, to
4 feet in length; a suitable diameter of the tubing is about one and three quarter
inches and a suitable length of each section is about three and a half inches, but I
in no way confine myself to these dimensions, which are not material.
:
The sections may be divided off at the required intervals or in the required
lengths by tieing, twisting, stitching, eyeletting, or otherwise securely fastening the
tubing across and around the core, the objects being to prevent the buoyant
material from shifting along the tubing, and to attain and preserve a thoroughly

page_text: flexible formation, admitting of the contrivance being rolled coiled or folded into a
very small compass, and to facilitate this, it is convenient to leave longer spaces 4*,
between some of the sections than between others for admitting of the device being
completely doubled up in convenient lengths.
In lieu of filling the buoyant material directly into flexible tubing, it may,
according to the modification illustrated in Figs 2, or to other like formations, be
filled into independent cases, envelopes, or cartridges 5, of any convenient form,
and which may then be inserted endways into the tubing 1, the cartridges being
isolated and the desired flexibility obtained by contracting and fastening the
tubing across between the cartridges, as hereinbefore described, or otherwise.
The Figures of the accompanying drawings to which reference is now made, also
represent the formation of the life-line without a central core of cord, this
formation would be serviceable where any considerable strength for towing or
hauling purposes would not be required, and where a greater degree of buoyancy
would be of more advantage, but I prefer that the device should be made with a
continuous core or centre of cord, rope, or other flexible material, even if only of a
light formation.
When using solid means of buoyancy, I do not need, though I may use, an outer
covering or tubing, as, according to the modification illustrated in Figs 3 or to
other like formations, the flexible life-line may be made by threading a series of
suitably shaped corks or buoyant floats 6, upon a core or centre 3, knotting the
latter between the sections, as at 7, or placing small beads 8, of wood or cork
between them, or otherwise isolating the buoyant sections to obtain the necessary
flexibility.
Another modification of using solid means of buoyancy is illustrated in Figs 4.
where the centre 3, is replaced by two finer cords 9, passing in grooves 10, around
the sides or edges of the corks or floats, and being tied or lashed together between
the latter as shown at 4.
The device may be made in one continuous piece, or the device may be otherwise
than as herein before described made in short lengths, and may be provided with
any suitable fastening means for being readily and detachably or permanently
connected into any desired continuous length; and at convenient intervals apart,
and however made, the device may be further provided with lashings of cord or
like means, or with other fastening means for securing it in any required position
about the body after being coiled round.
Such improved buoyant devices when made of a convenient diameter and length
can be temporarily worn around the body under any ordinary outer garments,
during short passages at sea, or when otherwise on the water, and in cases of
emergency they will thus be available for their intended use without needing any
attention.
I am aware that belts and other life-preserving contrivances of particular
formations have before been made to be strapped about particular parts of the
person, but the peculiarity and special advantage of my present Invention consists
in the application of buoyant means to a flexible life-line device not made to fit or
conform to any part of the person of the wearer, but capable of being readily
wound about any part of the wearer (where it would be of advantage to place it)
and tied or fastened in position, and which, when thrown to a man overboard, will
float upon the surface of the water with a considerable margin of buoyancy, and
when laid hold of by him can be instantly twisted or passed round him and under
his arms and will serve both as a life-buoy and as a means of drawing him to and
up the ship's side. The device possesses more advantages than an ordinary life-
buoy and attached line, the former of which cannot always be thrown within reach
of a man in the water, and the latter of which always sinks out of his reach :-
inasmuch as the life-line is buoyant and rests on the water throughout its length,
and there is consequently considerably more likelihood of some portion of the line
coming within reach of the man, when he can at once draw and throw or gather it
round him, and under his arms.-The device is also capable of being readily lashed

page_text: together in a circular or other form of convenient diameter, and of being used as a
flexible life buoy which fits the body better and can be more easily held than-and
possesses other advantages over existing rigid circular buoys. It can be also
lashed together in its folded or doubled form and used as a straight buoy or float
over which on an emergency a man can throw his arms to support himself. The
device may be further applied to the rendering of boats and rafts of various kinds
uncapsizable, a sufficient number of the buoyant lines of about the length of the
boat being lashed together and fixed along the outside of each gunwale and serving
as buoyant life lines which can easily be caught hold of and held by any one in the
water needing assistance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and objects of my
said Invention, together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I
desire it should be distinctly understood, as herein before referred to, that the
accompanying illustrations are merely indicative of some of the numerous_modifi-
cations of which the principle of my Invention is susceptible, and that I do not
restrict myself to the exact details of construction herein before described and
illustrated on the accompanying drawings; as the principle of the Invention is
obviously susceptible of being carried into effect in various other equivalent ways
and the device is capable of being put to various analogous uses; but what I
believe to be novel and original and therefore claim as the improvements
constituting the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is :-
1. The manufacture of a flexible buoyant life-line or buoyant device (which can
be used for various purposes) of any desired length, by flexibly connecting end to
end series of buoyant sections composed of or filled with any suitable buoyant
material, substantially in the manner herein before described.
2. The manufacture of a flexible buoyant life-line or buoyant device, which can
be used for hauling and various other purposes, by combining a series of buoyant
sections composed of or filled with any suitable buoyant material, with a flexible
centre or core or other equivalent means about or by which such sections are
flexibly connected end to end, substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.
In Witness whereof I the said Francis Wentworth Brewster, have hereunto set
my hand and Seal this 2nd day of November in the year of our Lord, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
Witness.
FRANC WENIWURIN DREWSTER L.S.)
CHARLES AUBREY DAY. Fel. Inst. P. A;
Office for Patents, Trade Marks, & Designs.
321. High Holborn. London. W.C.