Improved Life-belts.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 19th May, 1893-Accepted, 1st July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Life-belts.
I, EDWARD WILLIAM WEST, of Cornhill, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to those kinds of belts which are applied over or
round the upper part of the body for affording buoyancy to the wearers when in
the water, usually called life-belts; and for the purpose, mainly, of saving life
at sea.
According to this invention, slabs or pieces of cork (or equivalent material) are
connected together by cords which pass on both sides of the said slabs or pieces and
also through them, riz., from front to back and back to front. They also pass in
both directions between the edges of the adjacent slabs or pieces, forming joints or
hinges, so that the different slabs or pieces have free movement in relation to each
other and are capable of being folded one against the other, side to side. These
two cords pass one round each side for a part of each slab or piece, then through it
in opposite directions, and then again over each side thereof; and then at each
edge they pass over same in opposite directions, and again over the opposite.sides of
the next slab or piece in like manner.
Two or more sets of these double or duplex sets of cords or bands may be
employed in a belt one above the other.
This mode of constructing life-belts may be applied to different forms or types of
belts. For instance one form of belt may consist of a set of slabs or pieces adapted
to go or fit over the back, and one over the chest, and connected together as above
described; the belt being supported on the shoulders by shoulder straps or cords
crossing each other, or otherwise suitably arranged and connected, and fastened on
by said cords, or other cords, or bands, in any suitable way. Another form of belt
may consist of a single or continuous band or structure made up of the slabs or
pieces connected together as described, and adapted to be fastened on as described,
or in any suitable way. Or any other suitable form or structure of belt may be
employed.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1893.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Life-belts.
I, EDWARD WILLIAM WEST, of Cornhill, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, 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:-
This invention has reference to those kinds of belts which are applied over or
round the upper part of the body for affording buoyancy to the wearers when in
the water, usually called life-belts, and for the purpose, mainly, of saving life
at sea.
According to this invention, slabs or pieces of cork (or equivalent material) are
connected together by cords which pass on both sides of the said slabs or pieces and

page_text: also through them, viz., from front to back and back to front. They also pass in
both directions between the edges of the adjacent slabs or pieces, forming joints or
hinges, so that the different slabs or pieces have free movement in relation to each
other and are capable of being folded one against the other, side to side. These
two cords pass one round each side for a part of each slab or piece, then through it
in opposite directions, and then again over each side thereof; and then at each
edge they pass over same in opposite directions, and again over the opposite sides
of the next slab or piece in like manner.
Two or more of these double or duplex sets of cords or bands may be employed
in a belt one above the other.
This mode of constructing life-belts may be applied to different forms or types of
belts. For instance one form of belt may consist of a set of slabs or pieces adapted
to go or fit over the back, and one over the chest, and connected together as above
described; the belt being supported on the shoulders by shoulder straps or cords
crossing each other, or otherwise suitably arranged and connected, and fastened on
by said cords, or other cords, or bands, in any suitable way. Another form of belt
may consist of a single or continuous band or structure made up of the slabs or
pieces connected together as described, and adapted to be fastened on as described,
or in any suitable way. Or any other suitable form or structure of belt may be
employed.
In the drawings which serve to illustrate this invention, I shew some examples of
life-belts in accordance therewith.
In Figure 1, which is a perspective view, and Figure 2, which is a horizontal
section, I shew a double form of belt according to the invention. In Figure 3, a
life-belt, of continuous form to wrap round the body, and extended, is shewn; whilst
in Figure 4 a modified mode of securing the cork or equivalent slabs together is
shewn.
Referring to the drawings, a are the slabs or pieces of cork (or equivalent
material); b are the cords or bands by which the slabs or pieces are connected
together; and c are the holes through the slabs through which the cords or bands
pass. dare the shoulder cords or straps of the belt, by which the belts are
supported when in use.
It will be seen by the drawings, that the cords or bands 6 pass on both sides of
the slab, then through them by the holes c in opposite directions, and then again
over each side of them; and that also at the edges of two adjacent slabs, the cords
or bands are passed over such edges in opposite directions between such slabs, and
again over the opposite side of the next slab in like manner, as at e.
In the belt shewn in Figures 1 and 2, the. two sets of slabs are connected by the
shoulder cords or straps d, which may be secured to the cords 6 where they pass
between the slabs or otherwise. These two parts may be fastened on the wearer by 4
tying the cords in the usual or any known way adopted with or in any or other
known forms of double belt.
In the belt shewn in Figure 3, the slabs are made shorter at the parts of the belt
which come at the sides and under the arms. This belt is fastened on in any
suitable way.
In Figure 4, in lieu of employing a single hole through the centre of the slabs at
the top and bottom two such holes are provided, and the fastening cords or bands
passed through them.
In lieu of employing cords (of fibre or metal) as the means of fastening the slabs
together, other forms of bands or straps may be used for that purpose; and any
known suitable mode of holding and fastening the belts to the body may be employed
in lieu of those shewn in the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The herein described life-belt, consisting of slabs or pieces of cork (or equivalent
4
5

page_text: material), a, fastened together by cords or bands, passed on either side of the same,
and crosswise through them, and also carried crosswise in between the edges of the
adjacent slabs or pieces; substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 18th day of May 1893.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.