IMPROVED RESCUE APPARATUS TO BE USED IN ICE ACCIDENTS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Christopher Kennedy, of West House;
Elgin, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVED RESCUE
APPARATUS TO BE USED IN ICE ACCIDENTS."
Sealed the 14th February 1873, and dated the 20th December 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Christopher
Kennedy at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 20th December 1872.
I, JAMES CHRISTOPHER KENNEDY, of West House, Elgin, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVED
RESCUE APPARATUS TO BE USED IN ICE ACCIDENTS," to be as follows:-
-
The object of this Invention is to prevent casualties too frequently
consequent upon ice accidents by supplying skaters and others who
venture upon ice with a ready and efficient apparatus by means of
which they may be rescued from danger in case of the breaking of
the ice.
The apparatus consists of a strong belt of leather or other similar
chaut tuen inches broad and about six feet long. To each end

page_text: of this belt is to be attached in the strongest manner a spring swivel
catch similar to the spring swivel catch by which a sword is attached to
a sword belt. This belt is also to be provided with a buckle for the
purpose of regulating its length, so as to suit the wearer, also of a strong
stick or staff of about an inch and a quarter in diameter. To each end
of this stick is to be affixed in the strongest and firmest possible manner
a spring catch similar to those attached to the belt, but without a swivel.
The length of this stick including the spring catches is to be twenty-
four inches.
The mode of using this apparatus is as follows: The belt is to be
worn round the waist of the person using the apparatus, and is passed
twice round the waist and fastened in front by means of the spring
catches being hooked to a flat ring.. The stick may be either carried in
the hand or hooked on to the bolt, the catches being made of proper
size to suit the breadth of the belt. In the event of an accident
happening on the ice and one or more persons being immersed in the
water, three bystanders furnished with the safety apparatus can instantly
and without any delay form a triangle of their sticks by simply pressing
the catch of cach of the three sticks to the catch of the other of the
three sticks. Their three belts may also be speedily fastened together
by the spring swivel catches, so as to form a rope of eighteen feet long,
which attached to the triangle constitutes an effectual, expeditious, and
portable rescue," and which being thrown to the person or persons in
the water may readily be attached to the belt he wears by means of the
⚫spring catch.
"
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of, the Letters Patent,
filed: by the said James Christopher Kennedy in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 20th June 1873.
"
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CHRISTOPHER KENNEDY, of West House, Elgin, North Britain, send 3
: greeting...
...
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her
Letters. Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the

page_text: thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said James Christopher Kennedy,
Her special licence that I, the said James Christopher Kennedy, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Christopher Kennedy, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED RESCUE APPARATUS TO BE USED IN
ICE ACCIDENTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Christopher Kennedy, my exccutors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Christopher Kennedy, do
.hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thercon (that is to say) :—
The object of my Invention is to prevent casualties which are too
frequently consequent upon the accidental breaking of the ice upon
which persons are skating or otherwise engaged, by supplying the
persons who so venture upon the ice with a ready and efficient apparatus
by means of which they may either be rescued themselves or rescue
others from danger, in case of the breaking of the ice.
The apparatus will be readily understood by reference to the accom-
panying Drawings, in cach of the Figures of which the same letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
The apparatus consists of two parts, that is to say, of a belt A, A, and
a staff, stick, or truncheon B, B. The belt A, A, is a strong belt of
leather or other suitable material, about an inch broad, and about six
fect long. To cach end of the belt is to be attached in the strongest

page_text: manner a spring catch a, a, similar to the spring catch by which a
sword is attached to a sword belt. This spring catch may have a swivel
or nut, as is found most convenient. In the Drawing I have represented
it without a swivel. The belt is also to be provided with a buckle x, for
the purpose of regulating the length of the belt, so as to suit the user
or wearer. The staff, stick, or truncheon B, B, Fig. 2, is to be made of
as light and strong wood as possible. The shape or form of this staff,
stick, or truncheon, shewn in the Drawing, Fig. 2, I have found a
convenient shape. The centre portion of this staff where it is to be
grasped by the hand of the user is to be about an inch in diameter, and 1
at about 2 inches from each end there are to be raised portions of about
2 inches diameter, on the circumference of which raised portions aro
grooves for the reception of strong india-rubber rings b, b, or other
suitable elasting shoeing. The object of these raised portions is to lift
the centre portion of the staff or truncheon about an inch or so from the
surface upon which it lics, and thereby render it more easy to lay hold
of, and the shoeing of india-rubber or other elasting material is to cause
it to run more easily and smoothly along the surface of the ice when it
is necessary to make use of it in case of accident. To each end of this
staff or truncheon is to be affixed in the strongest and firmest possible
manner a spring catch c, c, similar to those attached to the belt, but
without a swivel. The entire length of this staff or truncheon including
the spring catch is to be twenty-two or twenty-four inches.
The mode of using the apparatus is as follows:-The belt is to be
worn either round the waist or in any other convenient way round the
body of the person using the apparatus. If worn round the waist it
fastened in front by means
must be passed twice round the waist and
of the spring catches being hooked to a flat ring, as shewn at d, Fig. 3.
The stick or truncheon may be either carried in the hand or hooked on
to the belt, the spring catches c, c, being made of proper size to suit the
breadth of the belt. In the event of the ice breaking and one or more
persons immersed in the water, three bystanders furnished with the
safety apparatus can instantly and without any delay form a triangle of
their staves, sticks, or truncheons, by uniting their ends by simply
pressing the catches of eacli of the three staves, sticks, or truncheons to
the catch of the other of the three staves, sticks, or truncheons. Their
three belts may also be speedily fastened together by uniting the spring
catches, so as thereby to form a band or rope of eighteen feet in length,

page_text: which band or rope being attached to the triangle of staves, sticks, or
truncheons constitutes an effectual, expeditious, and portable rescue
apparatus, and which being thrown to the person or persons in the
water may
be laid hold of, and readily made use of and attached to the
belt or belts worn by them by means of the spring catches.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed or carried into effect, I declare that
what I claim as the Invention which I wish to be secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the improved rescue
apparatus to be used in ice accidents, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Christopher Kennedy, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.