An Improved Apparatus for Minimising or Preventing Shocks, applicable for Life-saving, Acrobatic, and other Purposes
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 17th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Minimising or Preventing Shocks,
applicable for Life-saving, Acrobatic, and other Purposes:
LAURENCE CHARLES STRANGE Bellvue Terrace Waterford Solicitor PETER
VALENTINE MCMAHON Electric Light Depôt Waterford Electric Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of our invention for AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
MINIMISING OR PREVENTING SHOCKS APPLICABLE FOR LIFE SAVING ACROBATIC &
OTHER PURPOSES to be as follows:-
In a net sheet of canvas or other suitable material supported in a manner herein-
after to be described into which a person may leap or a heavy body may be thrown
from a height.
.
In a framework to support the aforesaid net, canvas, or other suitable. material
made in the following manner-a main framework resembling, the letter X lying on
the ground this may or may not be hinged at the middle for convenience of transit ;
near the end of each of the four corners are secured by a special or common hinge or
other fastening four uprights or supports; these will slope at an obtuse angle to the
middle of the frame to these last mentioned uprights or supports, are fastened four
stays or strengthening pieces these to be hinged at their upper ends and catching in
a rack at their base in the main frame, to tighten the net sheet of canvas or other
suitable material. On the top of the four uprights or supports are four pulleys
over which pass the ropes or chains holding and keeping extended the net canvas or
other suitable material. The other end of the said ropes or chains are made fast to a
spiral spring or india-rubber buffer in a suitable tube secured to the upright or
support in this manner sufficient spring or elasticity is given to the net sheet of
canvas or other suitable material to break the fall of the body without injury. If
necessary a special form of lever may be used to stretch the net sheet of canvas or
other suitable material by making the angle formed with the upright or support and
the middle of the frame more obtuse.
Dated this 12th day of February 1890.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Minimising or Preventing Shocks,
applicable for Life-saving, Acrobatic, and other Purposes.
"
31
We LAURENCE CHARLES STRANGE, of Number 4 Bellvue, Terrace Waterford
Solicitor and PETER VALENTINE MCMAHON The Electric Light Depôt Waterford
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed; to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
-
Our invention consists in a net sheet of canvas or other suitable material supported
in a manner to be hereinafter fully described, into which a person may leap or a
heavy body be thrown from a height.
In a framework to support the aforesaid net, canvas or other suitable material, made
in the following manner; a framework made in the form of the letter X laying on
the ground, this may or may not be hinged at the middle for convenience of transit,
near the end of each of the four corners; are secured by a special or common hinge
027

page_text: .
or other suitable fastening, four uprights or supports, these will slope at an acute
angle to the middle of the frame, to these last mentioned uprights or supports are
fastened four stays or strengthening pieces; these to be hinged at their upper ends,
and catching in a rack at their base in the main frame; to tighten the net, sheet of
canvas or other suitable material. On the top of the four uprights or supports are
four pulleys over which passes the ropes or chains holding or keeping extended the
net, sheet of canvas or other suitable material, the other end of the said ropes or chains
are made fast to spiral spring or india-rubber buffer in a suitable. tube secured to the
upright or support. We may sometimes dispense with the stays or strengthening
pieces, and instead of passing the ropes or chains at the end of the net, sheet of
canvas or other suitable material, over pulleys make them fast to the top of the
uprights or supports, and put a spiral spring as stay on the other side of the supports
or uprights, to be more fully described in the drawings.
In this manner sufficient spring, or elasticity is given to the net sheet of canvas or
other suitable material, to break the fall of the body without injury. If necessary a
special lever may be used to stretch the net, sheet of canvas or other suitable material,
by making the inside angle formed with the upright or support and the frame more
obtuse.
The drawings appended illustrate our invention, and its applications, the same letters
and figures applying to all views.
Fig. 1 shows half of the frame with uprights at each end, and strengthening
pieces D.
Fig. 2. also shows half of the frame with uprights or supports at each end, but
with the spiral springs on the other side of the uprights or supports, to form
the stays.
Fig. 3. shows the frame in plan, with the uprights removed, the racks and half
hinges shown in position.
Fig. 4 shows a special form of lever that may be used if the form shown in Fig. 1
be adopted.
In Fig. 1A is half of the framework or one leg of the letter X in this case notched
at the middle, so as to fit over the other half which is also notched to suit. This frame-
work may be made in four pieces hinged at the middle if smallness of parts is
aimed at.
CC are the supports or uprights hinged to the framework at F, this hinge is made
so that C C can he slipped in from the side, but any other suitable form of hinge may
be used.
DD are the stays or strengthening pieces hinged to C C, and having a shoe at
their bases to engage in the racks G G, in the top of C. C. are pulleys H. H. over
which the ropes from the ends of the net, sheet of canvas, or other suitable material
passes, the free ends of these ropes are attached to the spiral springs in the tubes E E
secured to the uprights or supports C. C. 1 and 2 are eye bolts to which the hooks 1¹
and 2¹ of the lever Fig. 4 may be attached to stretch the net, sheet of canvas, or other
suitable material.
Fig. 2. shows one half of the frame but without the stay or strengthening pieces D. D.
In this case the springs and tubes E E are detached from the uprights or supports,
and joined at one end to the frame, by an eye bolt 4, and an iron stay or chain 5
connected to the tube E, the eyebolt 3 in C takes the other or upper part of the spring
or piston of the tube on which the spring acts.
The net, sheet of canvas, or other suitable material ends, or ropes therefrom may be
attached directly by hooks to the uprights or supports C. C. or there may be small
drums with a ratchet and paul in the top of C. C. to tighten up the net, sheet of
canvas or other suitable material.
Fig. 3. is a plan of the framework.
A. B. being the halves joined at the middle. F F. F. F. are the half hinges.
G G G G are the racks, but if the form described in Fig. 2 is used these racks are
unnecessary.
Fig. 4 is a special lever with links 1 and 21 By pressing down the end of the

page_text: lever the distance between 1 and 2¹ is reduced, the points are hooked to-1, and 2, as
explained in Fig. 1.
The whole apparatus can be taken to pieces in about a minute, and conveniently
carried by a few men, or on a small trolly, or alongside a fire engine to the place
where wanted and again erected in about a minute. We thus obtain a very portable
form of apparatus admitting of being erected in the smallest possible space of time
which is of the utmost importance in the case of fires.
Our apparatus can be used to break the fall of circus performers and thus minimise
the danger of acrobatic performances, and it can also be used in the discharge of
perishable goods from ships by breaking the fall thereof.
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 :-
By supporting a net sheet of canvas or other suitable material as above described
we obtain an apparatus to be placed under a window or other suitable place, so that
people can jump into it the net sheet of canvas or other suitable material which is
held taut by the springs at the ends, will break the fall of the person or body thrown
on it through the elasticity engendered by the net & springs as combined.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1890.
LAURENCE C. STRANGE.
P. V. MOMAHON.