Improvements in Buoyant Clothing for Saving Life from Drowning, for the Teaching of Swimming, and similar purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 14th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Buoyant Clothing for Saving Life from Drowning,
for the Teaching of Swimming, and similar purposes.
J; LEWIS SEPTIMUS BICKLEY of 45 Northam Road Southampton, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a form of clothing, which shall render the wearer buoyant.
in the water, and consists in the novel construction and disposition of the buoyant
air-tight cells in the clothing, the method of attachment of the clothing to the
wearer to prevent it from becoming displaced when in the water, and in the
arrangement for keeping out the extraneous water, and thus maintaining
the temperature of the body, whilst at the same time the clothing can be
adapted to give a neat and pretty appearance to the wearer, and may be worn
without discomfort on land or on the deck of a vessel.
The present invention is an improvement upon that patented to me under No. 1160
and dated the 19th January 1893.
I now make the dress in inany parts or in one part instead of, as heretofore,
and the buoyant cells or compartments distributed throughout the clothing, are
formed either of rubber, skin, composition, cork, or other suitable materials, of such
a small size from one inch square and upwards, and perfectly distinct from one
another as buoyant compartments, that they permit of very uniform distribution
over the whole surface of the clothing, without interfering with the fit and external
appearance of the clothing.
By making the fastening of the dress at the side or back, the front is more
especially available for the uniform distribution of the buoyant cells, and affords a
smoother surface to the swimmer, when in the prone position for most effective
swimming.
This dress, as it is sightly in appearance, like an ordinary bathing dress, inay be
worn as such, or as an overcoat, vest, uniform or combination suit in any colour,
pattern, or material, and with such trimmings as will adapt it to female wear, also
to that of boys and girls and little children, thus largely aiding novices in learning
to swim by the increased buoyancy it gives, and further retaining the heat of the
body by the exclusion of the extraneous water, and affording comfort when the
water is chilly.
The dress may also be worn, without inconvenience, owing to its perfect fit and
small thickness under ordinary external garments, for fishing, boating, or yachting,
or under any circumstances in which the wearer may desire to be protected against
sudden immersion in the water.
The airtight cells are inflated and sealed, whilst in a heated condition, when made,
and are perfectly distinct from one another in their specific construction, so as to
make destruction of buoyancy next to impossible, they are enclosed in the fabric in
Buch quantities and distances as the size of the wearer demands, after measurement,
and they are stitched or quilted into the material or may be cemented between the
fabrics by a suitable rubber or other cement, in which case the fabrics themselves
may be of mackintosh or waterproof sheeting, and thus may serve the purpose of a
waterproof jacket or ulster.
In this case, the garment may be made in one piece, with running strings at
suitable points, and the ends of the arms and legs may be closed water tight upon
the body

page_text: If one cell should happen to leak, the leakage is confined to that one in particular
and cannot depreciate or effect the next.
As to preventing extraneous water from continuously coming into contact with
the skin, this is assured and done by making the dress a perfect fit in the first
place, and further the running neck and waist strings, as patented to me under
No. 1160 of 1893, makes it quite impossible for any more water than that which
first enters by saturation to get next to the body. After the first soaking following
immersion, no more water can enter or penetrate the dress while the wearer remains
in the water, and the temperature of the body at once heats the wet clothing, and
thus forms an intercepting shield between the skin and the external tide or sea-
water, washing and flowing around the wearer, while immersed.
Each extra casing of fabric enhances its shielding powers and heat retaining
capacity, in the degree of the thickness of the material. Thus for a North Sea
fisherman the garment would be of all thick woollen stuff, and for the East or
West Indian seaman, thin cotton or cashmere.
Dated this 14th day of April 1894
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Buoyant Clothing for Saving Life from Drowning,
for the Teaching of Swimming, and similar purposes.
I, LEWIS SEPTIMUS BICKLEY, of 45 Northam Road, Southampton, Manufacturer,
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:
My invention relates to a form of clothing, which shall render the wearer buoyant
in the water, and consists in the novel construction and disposition of air-tight cells
in the clothing; the method of attachment of the clothing to the wearer, to prevent
it becoming displaced when in the water; and in the arrangements for keeping out
the extraneous water, and thus maintaining the temperature of the body; whilst at
the same time the clothing can be adapted to give a neat and pretty appearance
to the wearer, and may be worn without disconfort on land, or on the deck of a
vessel.
The present invention is an improvement upon that patented to me under
No. 1160 and dated the 19th January 1893-and in order that my invention
may be the better understood, I now proceed to describe the same, reference
being had to the drawings hereto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon.
Figure 1 is a dress, rendered buoyant by this invention, suitable for female wear
for bathing.
Figure 2 is a buoyant swimming dress suitable for male wear in bathing.
Figure 3 is a buoyant combination dress of water-proof material, and made
water-tight against extraneous water for protection against unexpected iminersion.
Figure 4 is an enlarged section through any dress, made according to this inven-
tion, showing details of inflated cells.
I render any form of dress or clothing buoyant, by distributing a large number
of separate and hermetically closed inflated cells A, over the whole of the upper
part of the body and hips.
The buoyant cells or compartments A, are formed of rubber, skin, composition,
cork, or other suitable materials, of such a small size, from one inch square
upwards, that they permit of very uniform distribution over the whole surface of

page_text: the clothing B, without interfering with the fit and external appearance of the said
clothing.
By making the fastening of the dress B at the side, Figure 3, or back, the front
is more especially available for the uniform distribution of the buoyant cells, and
affords a smoother surface to the swimmer, when in the prone position for most
effective swimming.
This dress, as it is sightly in appearance, may be worn as a bathing dress, as in
Figures 1 and 2, or may be worn as an overcoat, vest, uniform, or water-proof
combination suit, as in Figure 3, in any colour, patterns, or materials, and with
such trimmings as will adapt it for the wear of ladies, boys, girls, or little children,
thus largely aiding novices in learning to swim by the increased buoyancy it gives ;
and further, retaining the heat of the body by the exclusion of the extraneous water,
and affording comfort when the water is chilly..
The dress may also be worn without inconvenience, owing to its perfect fit and
small thickness, under ordinary external garments for fishing, boating, or yachting,
or under any circumstances in which the wearer may desire to be protected against
sudden immersion in the water.
The air-tight cells A are inflated and sealed, whilst in a heated condition, when
made, and are perfectly distinct from one another in their specific construction, so
as to make the destruction of buoyancy next to impossible. They are enclosed in
the fabric in such quantities and distances, as the size of the wearer demands after
measurement, and they are stitched and quilted into the material, or may be cemented
between the fabrics, by a suitable rubber or other cement, in which case the
fabrics themselves may be of mackintosh or water-proof sheeting, and thus may
serve the purpose of a water-proof jacket or ulster.
In this case the garment may be made in one piece with running strings Cat
suitable points, and the ends of the arms and legs DD may be closed water-tight
upon the body, as in Figure 3. If one cell should happen to leak, the leakage is
confined to that one in particular, and cannot depreciate or effect the next.
As to preventing the extraneous water from continuously coming into contact
with the skin, this is assured and done by making the dress, a perfect fit in the
first place; further the running neck and waist strings as patented to me under
No. 1160 of 1893 makes it quite impossible for any more water than that which
first enters by saturation to get next to the body. After the first soaking, following
immersion, no more water can enter or penetrate the dress, while the wearer remains
in the water, and the temperature of the body at once heats the wet clothing, and
thus forms an intercepting shield between the skin and the external tide or sea
water, washing and flowing around the wearer, while immersed.
Each extra casing of fabric enhances its shielding powers, and heat retaining
capacity, in the degree of the thickness of the material. Thus for a North Sea
fisherman, the garment would be of thick woollen stuff, and for the East or West
Indian seamen, of thin clothing or cashmere.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1st. The adaptation to buoyant clothing of distinct and separated inflated cells,
hermetically sealed, and securely fixed in, or between, any suitable fabrics forming
a dress, coat, swimming garment or clothing of any description.
2nd. Clothing rendered buoyant in water by the adaptation to fabrics of distinct
and separate inflated cells for any purpose, substantially as described and illustrated
herewith.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.