Improved Means for Use in Saving Persons from Drowning.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Use in Saving Persons from Drowning.
ROBERT REED, Hotel Keeper Green Dragon Hotel Lincoln do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
A ball of wood with a groove round the center with 8 yards of cord attached for
the use of persons skating one end of the cord to be attached to the skater's arm
and the ball carried in the hand. If a person fell through the ice he would let go
the ball and it would roll on the ice and any one could pull him out of the water
and if he should go under the ice the ball would float and he could be got out
without danger to the rescuer.
Dated this Seventh day of February 1895.
Improved Means for Use in Saving Persons from Drowning..
I, ROBERT REED, Hotel Keeper Green Dragon Hotel, Lincoln 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 for object to provide simple reliable, portable, and convenient
means for use in saving persons from drowning and which will be particularly
suitable for the use of skaters.
A device for this purpose according to this invention is constructed as I shall
now proceed to explain with the aid of the accompanying drawings wherein
Figs. 1 and 2 represent the device in elevation and cross section respectively.
It comprises a ball a of wood or other suitable buoyant material, formed around
its centre with an annular groove b in which is normally wound a suitable length
of stout cord c, one end of which is attached to the ball in any suitable manner, for
example, by passing it outwardly through an inwardly tapering hole d in the ball
and forming a knot e on its end. The cord may be of various lengths but is
preferably longer than the depth of the water over which a person using the device
intends to skate, and should, excepting its outer end, be located within the groove b
so as not to materially interfere with the free rolling of the device when thrown
for example on ice. A convenient length in many cases will be about eight yards.
In use, the free end of the cord c should be fastened, say to the arm, of the
person using it, and the ball itself held in his hand. Should he fall through the
ice he would let go the ball or throw it along the ice on which it would easily roll,
the cord then unwinding but not becoming detached from the ball. If he should
go under the ice, the ball would remain on the ice or float on the water. In either
case, by means of the ball and its attached cord, it would then be comparatively
easy to find the person and rescue him from further danger.

page_text: Having now particularly described od ascoined the nature, of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same as to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
The device, substantially as herein before described with reference to and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing, for use in saving persons from drowning.
Dated this 6th day of May 1895.
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W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.