Improvements in Life-saving Garments.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life-saving Garments.
I, STANISLAS AUGUSTE CAZALA, of 62, Rue de Provence, Paris, in the Republic
of France, 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:-
The life-saving garment illustrated in the accompanying drawing is intended
for use in case of shipwreck, and is based on the well-known principle of the
inflation with air of an elastic and water-tight receptacle.
Most of the existing devices of the same kind consist either of a single air-
chamber, or of a small number of capacious air-chambers symmetrically arranged.
The former are rendered unserviceable immediately the single air-chamber is
perforated. The latter have the following disadvantage: If one of the air-
chambers is punctured the equilibrium of the supported body is disturbed and
the body placed in a very awkward position. The garment forming the object
of the present application on the contrary, is composed of a very large number
of small elastic receptacles surrounding the body to be supported, so that, if one
or more of these receptacles be punctured, the position of the body supported in
the water is only inappreciably affected and consequently the body is still
effectually kept up.
I am aware that apparatus based on the same principle exist already, but, in
such apparatus, the connecting of the different air-chambers is carried out in an
imperfect and not very practical manner, whilst my improvements relate chiefly
to the manner of connecting the several air-chambers with a view to their in-
flation.
In the accompanying drawing furnished as an example I have shown a life-
saving garment, in the form of a vest which, when deflated can be carried like
an ordinary garment.
Fig. 1 is a view in elevation.
Fig. 2 a section along the line A-B in Fig. 1.
This garment is made of two thicknesses a a² (Fig. 2) of a supple fabric, with
air-chambers b, made of india-rubber or other suitable material, arranged between
them. These air-chambers are in the form of tubes arranged parallel to one
another between the two thicknesses a¹ and a² of the fabric and separated from
one another by sewing the two thicknesses of the fabric together. The tubes b
start from the front part of the garment and run up over the shoulders and down
the back to a suitable length. They are narrowed towards the part which corre-
sponds to the shoulder and which is not so wide as the part corresponding to the
stomach and the back. These tubes are closed at one end, preferably at the
back and have at the other end inflation valves c furnished with a small vertical
tube d. The small tubes d may be connected by means of a small india-rubber
tube e pierced with holes intended to receive the ends of the small tubes d and
tself furnished with a small tube e¹ on which is fitted the tube belonging to the
nflating apparatus f. In Fig. 1 the connecting tube e is only shown on the
ght, a similar tube connects the series of air-chambers on the left. By means
077

page_text: of the bulb f, which runs off into two branches f¹, all the air-chambers may be in-
Hated at the same time; but these air-chambers being independent of one another
can only be deflated separately. The valves e may be of any kind, which allow
air under pressure to enter and resists its exit. The deflation of the garment is
effected by opening the several valves in turn with the hand. The garment is
fastened by means of an arrangement of clasps as shown in the drawing or
by any other means.
It is of course understood that the shape of the garment may vary considerably
as may also the arrangement of the air-chambers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A life-saving garment distinguished by the arrangement of a large number
of small air-chambers, independent of one another and distributed in the double
thickness of the supple fabric and separated by seams in the latter, each of
these air-chambers being closed at one end and furnished at the other with an
inflating valve carrying a small vertical tube.
2. In the life-saving garment claimed under Claim 1 the arrangement of two
connecting tubes fitting at each side of the body, on the inflating valves so as to
allow of the garment being unfastened even when the connecting tubes are put
in place each of the two connecting tubes carrying a small tube to which one
branch of the inflating apparatus tube, which has two branches fits.
3. The improved life-saving garment substantially as described with reference
to the drawings.
Dated this 20th day of November 1899.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.