AN IMPROVED SAFETY GARMENT OR FLOATING VEST
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Le Sueur, of British Warehouse, No. 54,
King Street, St. Helier, in the Island of Jersey, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED SAFETY GARMENT OR FLOATING VEST."
Scaled the 19th November 1875, and dated the 6th September 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Le Sueur at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th September 1875.
I, CHARLES LE SUEUR, of British Warehouse, No. 54, King Street,
St. Helier, in the Island of Jersey, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SAFETY GARMENT OR FLOATING VEST," to be
as follows: —
Many kinds of garments have been Invented with the object of
keeping the wearers afloat in case of immersion in water, but most
of them are either unsightly, too bulky, or otherwise unsuitable for
general wear, and consequently although they may be worn when

page_text: -danger is-anticipated, they are not constantly worn, and therefore are
no provision against unforeseen or sudden-accidents.
1
I propose to supply a safety garment open to none of these objections
by placing within the lining of each of the two front-picces_of_an
ordinary waistcoat (and also, if desired, at the back)-an-air-tight-bag ||
or flexible vessel made of india-rubber or any suitable material, each
air bag being provided with a flexible tube so placed within the waist-
coat that it may easily be brought to the mouth of the wearer by the
usual open front, and without any unbuttoning of the garment. These
flexible tubes will be provided with any suitable air valves, permitting
rapid inflation of the air bag by the breath of the wearer.
The waistcoat will in every other respect, outer material, inner lining,
pockets, buttons, and shape, resemble ordinary waistcoats, and when
the bags or air receptacles are not inflated their presenco will not be
apparent, as they occupy the place of the padding usually applied to 1
winter waistcoats.
The shape of the waistcoat may be varied to suit fashion, whether for
male or female wearers.

page_text: 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 "AN IMPROVED
SAFETY GARMENT OR FLOATING VEST," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Charles Le Sueur, my executors 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 Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Le Sueur, 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
following statement :-
-
Many kinds of garments have been invented with the object of
keeping the wearer afloat in case of immersion in water, but most
of them are either unsightly, too 'bulky, or otherwise unsuitable for
general wear, and consequently although they may be worn when
danger is anticipated, they are not constantly worn, and therefore are
no provision against unforeseen or sudden accidents.
I supply a safety garment open to none of these objections by placing
within the lining of each of the two front pieces of an ordinary vest or
waistcoat an air-tight bag or flexible vessel made of india-rubber or any
suitable material, each air bag being provided with a flexible tube so
placed within the waistcoat that it may easily be brought to the mouth
of the wearer by the usual open front, and without any unbuttoning
of the garment. These flexible tubes are provided with suitable air
valves, permitting rapid inflation of the air bag by the breath of the
"
wearer.
My improved vest in every other respect, outer material, inner lining,
pockets, buttons, and shape, resembles an ordinary waistcoat, and when
the bags or air receptacles are not inflated their presence will not be
apparent, as they occupy the space of the padding usually applied to
winter waistcoats,

page_text: The accompanying Drawing, forming part of this my Specification,
represents a front view of my vest as buttoned upon the wearer, the air
chambers being shewn in dotted lines, A being-the-vest;-B; -B; the-
flexible air bags or chambers secured in lining of the same; C, C,
mouth-pieces or valves for charging air chambers B, B; D, D, flexible 5
tubes attached to air chambers; and E, a strap for securing vest more
firmly if the fabric. should not be_strong_enough_to_bear the strain
of the inflation upon any single button, but which need not be used if
the fabric is very strong and the buttons of a size to permit their being
strongly sewn thereon.
The valves in the mouth-pieces C are ordinary valves opened by
screwing to stop, and closed by screwing back again when the air bags
are inflated; but any suitable kind of valve may be used.
1
If desired an additional flexible air bag or chamber might be added
at the back of the vest; but I find air bags in the front pieces, as shown, 1
to be quite sufficient to keep the wearer afloat.
The shape of the vest, whether for male or female wear,
with the fashions.
will vary
I may find it advantageous to strengthen my improved vest with a
belt or strap, or by overlaying the seams with a strengthening band 2
stitched or otherwise applied.
The great advantages of my improved safety garment over those
hitherto used are, that it may be constantly worn without rendering
the wearer in any way conspicuous, that when danger is feared the
air bags may be inflated without attracting attention and comment if 2
the alarm should not be justified by the event, and that the means
of inflation are so handily placed that if the wearer be suddenly thrown
into the water the bags may be inflated in the few seconds during which,
he will float even if no swimmer, and might even be inflated beneath
-the-surface-if-the-wearer have-a-little-presence-of-mind,-which-the-8
knowledge of possessing this means of safety will tend to preserve
to him.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said In-
vention, and in what manner the same is or may be performed; I claim
as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited B

page_text: Letters Patent, the combination in an ordinary' vest or waistcoat of
air bags or chambers, substantially as described and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Le Sueur, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.