IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Olark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
June 1875.—A communication from abroad by the American Life
Saving Suit Company, of the Oity, County, and State of New York,
United States of America.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 58; Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA," to be as
follows:-/
This Invention consists in a life-saving jacket and ballast weights con-
structed to fit loosely around the legs, and suspended by straps from the
jacket, whereby the weight of the ballast is removed from the limbs of
the wearer, and borne by the jacket as herein-after described.
To made a complete life saving apparatus I propose to provide in
connection with the jacket and ballast a suit to cover the wearer, (a
signal buoy, and provision: chests, as represented in the accompanying
Drawings, in which a man is shown equipped with the apparatus as he
would appear when in the water.

page_text: The letter a represents the india-rubber or web cuffs of the sleeves of
the suit; a' is the hood, and a³, the india-rubber border of the same;
b shows the opening of the suit as closed by a draw string; e is the
air-tight pillow when inflated, and in the position it would take when
the man was lying on the water; e' is an india-rubber tube for inflating
the said pillow, having an air valve at its outer end; d are hand paddles
made of thin board or other light material to be used in propelling the
person through the water; they are attached to the suit by the cords &;
e is a jacket formed of twelve separate and distinct air-tight india-rubber
tubes, each cased in strong canvas and secured to a lining of canvas, 1
each of these tubes being fitted with an air valve. The jacket is secured
around the wearer by straps and buckles e³, and a strap and buckle secures
the canvas lining around the wearer; fare the straps connecting the U
shaped weights f¹ with the jacket; are short straps attached to the
straps f, and to the weights f¹ for steadying the latter; fare stirrup ]
straps. The metal weights are made largo enough to allow of a spaco
of half an inch, more or less, between the inner face of the weights and
the ankle as shown, and to prevent the said weights striking against tho
.ankle or leg when moving in the water they are encased in strong
canvas cases or bags, to which on one side of the ankle a strap and
buckle are fixed, which strap passes round the front of the ankle inside
the said canvas bag, and through it on the opposite side of the ankle.
It is then passed across the back of the leg and buckled closely, thereby
securing the canvas bag in place; and also through or by means of the
latter the metal weight is laterally suspended, and therefore cannot ?
strike the leg of the wearer in either case; h are the shoulder straps or
suspenders of the jacket; i is an air-tight india-rubber buoy incased in a
canvas covering i, and attached to the jacket by the cord *, *, and **
from the lower or metal portions of the signal staff, and act as ballasting,
therefore is the upper or above water portion of the said signal staff; ;* {
is the flag or day signal.
Holes are provided in the central portion of the canvas for the
purpose of allowing water to pass freely through; are stay straps
attached to the canvas covering 3, and to the same canvas at the outer
edges of the washers j'; are metal rings fixed to the canvas covering &
on the buoy i for the purpose of attaching water, provisions, signals, and
other bags thereto that may be required; are rings fixed near the

page_text: attaching the free ends of the said provision and signal bags; ¿¹¹ is the
air valve through which the buoy i is inflated. j, Figure 2, is a hollow
nut tapered to receive the lower part of the staff; jare washers under
the nut j, between which the canvas covering is secured; ƒ is a
projection of tapped to fit the nut j, into which it is screwed, and
thereby secures the signal staff to the centre of the said canvas covering
of the buoy i
The ballasting portions or sections and of the signal staff are
constructed on the telescope plan, as shown for convenience in carrying.
When fixed in place and the buoy is floated, the tube slides down
until the upper end which is contracted as shown, meets and rests
upon the expanded lower end of 1, as shown at j. A water-tight bag
for carrying provisions, day and night signals, and other necessaries is
also provided. An air-tight circular buoy is fixed inside, and at the
neck of the bag for the purpose of floating the said bag and its contents.
It is furnished with an air valve and a cord for securing it to the buoy i
at the ring », also a second cord for attaching the free end or neck of
the bag to the signal staff at the ring . A water-tight bag for
carrying a store of fresh water is secured to the buoy i at the ring i³,
a tube being attached to the neck of the bag by an air-tight valve,
through which the said bag is filled with fresh water. The free end of the
said tube is provided with a suitable mouth-piece for convenience in
drinking the water.