AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SWIMMING
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederic Barnett, of No. 164, Rue de Rivoli, in
the City of Paris, in the Empire of France, Merchant, for the In-
vention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SWIMMING."
Sealed the 9th October 1868, and dated the 13th August 1868.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Frederic Barnett
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 13th August 1868, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERIC
BARNETT, of No. 164, Rue de Rivoli, in the City of Paris, in the Empire
of France, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR SWIMMING," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant
unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal
Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that
I am the true and first Inventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE that I, the said Frederic Barnett, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal,

page_text: fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed in and by the following
statement:
The organisation of man in no way indicates that nature fitted or
intended him to imitate aquatic birds on the water, or in a word to
possess the faculty or power of floating, propelling, or steering himself
upon the waters. Still in spite of this inaptitude and the opposing and
unstable nature of the element in question many become comparatively
expert swimmers. But this achievement is attributable to the vast
human intelligence seconded by a long and resolute apprenticeship.
And even then the great majority of swimmers venture with fear and
trembling beyond their depths because the exhausting exertion of the
muscular powers suffices but for a very limited period to sustain them
at the surface, so much so that but few when swimming as a recreation
go beyond aid or far from such places where they are enabled to rest
themselves by touching ground.
The object of my Invention is to remedy this defect and that without
impinging on or altering the present system as adopted by almost all
civilised nations, so that he who can swim, though he be habituated
to the use of my apparatus, should he by accident be deprived of them
would still be able to exercise his practice as heretofore and sustain
bimself in the water. But by the use of my apparatus a man will be
able to sustain himself with infinitely more case and propel himself
with less exertion very long distances with greater facility and celerity.
And to make this clear I herewith describe the nature and application
of my Invention; for which purpose I shall supply certain apparatus
answering such purposes which I call "human fins" having the properties
of fishes fins and at the same time answering the purposes of the feet of
aquatic birds. To obtain this end I supply the hands with extensive
membranes which are both firm and supple and rigid in one sense.
These membranes are composed of india-rubber, gutta percha, or any
other suitable substance of such a thickness as to permit them to be
perfectly pliable between the fingers when desirable to close them and
the thumb against each other. This membrane A, A, A, is both wider
and longer than the hand, going beyond it about two inches. To this
membrane I give the necessary rigidity by the insertion of small narrow
elongated ribs of whalebone (for preference) or of any other suitable
body. These ribs are sealed in the membrane running parallel to each
finger to which with the membrane they are attached by elastic or other

page_text: rings or bands. These ribs go to the extreme extent of the membrane or
fins beyond the fingers, springing from the root of the hand. The
whole is firmly held by elastic or other bands grasping the wrist, the
membrane, ribs, bands, and rings being all well and firmly united. By
preference I apply these fins or membranes to the inner or under part
of the hand. The supple and elastic nature of these membranes will
allow perfect freedom in employing the whole or partial surface. When
the whole surface be exerted to the full extent an immense sustaining
power is obtained without fatigue, enabling the swimmer to support
himself for a considerable period with scarcely any exertion and
that at the same time yielding increased power of locomotion by
paddling.
I also apply to the outer side of the leg between the ankle and the
calf what I call "propelling fins" C, C, D, D. These fins are manu-
factured of similar materials to those I have described as suitable for
the hands or "sustaining fins," and are also provided with ribs of
whalebone or other suitable material. In form and construction they
somewhat resemble the half of an umbrella or parachute, having the
form of a truncated cone C, C, D, D, of which the smaller end is
hermetically closed and attached near the calf of the leg while the
larger end radiates, opening considerably towards the foot, but does not
reach it, so as to avoid causing any inconvenience while walking. The
sides of this umbrella sort of cone are firmly attached to the band at
C, D, C, D, which band itself is attached to the leg either with buckles
E, E, or by an elastic belt or band passed over the foot, thus clinging
firmly by its contracting nature round the ankle and small part of the
leg.
It will be understood that by the form and disposition of this "leg
fin" it becomes perfectly self-acting, because when the leg is used as
a propeller it is from time to time drawn towards the body while
swimming, then the closed and small end of the umbrella-shaped cone
will offer no resistance to the water and the remainder of the fin being
perfectly supple will collapse against the leg, occupying comparatively
no volume, but immediately the leg be projected from the body, acting
as a propeller, the umbrella cone will like a parachute open to the extent
of its limit, acting as an enormous fin and presenting a vast surface of
opposition to the water. This fin being fastened by the side against
the band and sustained by the whalebone or other ribs can by no
possibility be turned inside out and will thus whilst opposing its whole

page_text: surface to the water endow the swimmer with an immensely increased
propelling power and thus enable him with comparative ease to perform
rapidly long distances.
By the employment of these fins swimmers will for the most part
escape an almost fatal danger, I mean that of being seized with cramp
in the legs which almost always results from the exercise of swimming
by overstraining the muscles when projecting the legs against almost
nothing, but with the fins a sufficient fulcrum will for the most part
prevent that evil.
By this explanation I declare and exhibit the nature of my Invention,
but I reserve the right to change and modify the composition, material,
application, dimensions, and form of my swimming apparatus or human
fins, as also the right to apply them to any other part of the human body
or to any inert body.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Barnett, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.