IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS AND WEARING APPAREL FOR SAVING LIFE FROM DROWNING
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Mansfield Lloyd at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th June 1875.
I, CHARLES MANSFIELD LLOYD, of Millbank Street, in the City of
Westminster, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS AND WEARING APPAREL FOR
SAVING LIFE FROM DROWNING," to be as follows:—
The Invention relates to a novel construction of apparatus and.
clothing designed for saving persons from drowning whether at sea or
inland.
The Invention may be classed under two heads, the first of which
relates to a special form and construction of vessels or air chambers
designed to fit the body of the wearer, and so arranged that in cases of
emergency they can be readily applied and adapted with facility to the
body; and secondly, the Invention relates to a novel construction of
coat or dress made either of waterproof or ordinary material, and is

page_text: designed to be worn as an ordinary "walking" "dress
as a bathing gown for ladies.
"
or overcoat, or
The Invention under its different heads and appliances may be
described as follows:-
Firstly. I construct as a whole or in air-tight compartments a novel
form of boat, like air and water-tight vessels divided amidships or in two
parts transversely, so as to form an apature or space which will admit
of and encircle the body. The forward and aft portions of these air-
tight vessels may be connected together under the armpits of the wearer
by means of straps, waterproof fabric, webbing, elastic tubes, or other
equivalent and ready means of adjustable attachments. The air vessels
fore and aft can separately be inflated by tubes provided with screw
valve mouth-pieces, or collectively by one tube conveniently placed
supplying and inflating the whole of such compartments with air simul-
taneously. The entrance to each compartment for air may in thislatter
case be provided with a self-closing valve, so that when each capacity
has been inflated through the main passage, such capacity or air space
will independantly remain buoyant in the event of one or more of the
others becoming fractured. This apparatus may be applied to the body
when nude, or by preference when the body has been clothed with a
waterproof dress composed of one piece, forming a water-tight garment
from the soles of the feet to the neck of the wearer. The opening to
this dress necessary for the entrance thereto of the body is protected by
an internal tongue, which allows the entrance orifice to be closed in
and made water-tight round the neck.
"
Secondly. The Invention consists in permanently connecting with'
ordinary or waterproof coats, and also to bathing dresses, a double lining
of waterproof material, forming a zone around the body just under the
armpits of the wearer, and so arranged that when the coat is in ordinary
wear no disfigurement of appearance will be decernable. The pipe 8
employed for inflating this air chamber is connected to the inner side
piece of the coat out of sight. The coat or dress can be supplied with
double sets of buttons or other forms of attachments, and a contracting
belt placed just below the air-tight zone, so that when the zone is
inflated the second attachments are employed, which may or may not be a
adjustable so as to meet the expanded state of the coat when inflated,
at which time the contracting belt is secured around the thighs, in

page_text: which state the body will be sustained in an upright buoyant position
in the water, or with slight exertion in any position desired for swimming.
The collar of this coat or dress when turned up discloses a waterproof
cap or hood, which forms a protection to the neck and head when in the
water.