A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS OR GARMENT FOR PRE- PROVISIONAL SP
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Tulloch Goudie, of the Firm of Black-
lock, Goudic, & Co., of the City of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Waterproof Cloth Manufacturer, for the
Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS OR GARMENT FOR PRE-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Tulloch Goudie
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th February 1875.
I, JAMES TULLOCH GOUDIE, of the Firm of Blacklock, Goudie, &
Co., of the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Waterproof Cloth Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS OR GARMENT FOR
PRESERVING LIFE AT SEA," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in making an overcoat of india-rubber or other
air and waterproof material in such a manner that it may be used either
on land or at sea with equal facility or comfort; but in order to render it

page_text: "
specially applicable for the use of captains, sailors, passengers, and other
persons on board ship for preserving life in cases of shipwreck or accident,
that portion of the coat body above the waist which passes round the
chest, back, and shoulders of the wearer, both above and below the arms,
is made double or of two or more layers of india-rubber or other air and
waterproof fabric well and firmly sewn or cemented together all round
the extremities of the double portion (or it may be made in a "reeded
form), so as to constitute an air-tight and waterproof compartment or
bag, through which the sleeves pass. The inner layer of air and water-
proof fabric is merely in the form of a lining, and does not interfere with
the appearance of the garment, and the layers may be similarly sewn or
cemented with divisions so as to form two or more air and waterproof
compartments or bags, if desired. A short tube or pipe of india-rubber
or other air and waterproof material is led from either surface of the
coat into each air and waterproof compartment preferably about midway
down the chest, so that its outer end may be easy of access and ready
for use at any time, and on the outer end of this tube (or tubes) is fixed
a screw valve mouthpiece (such as is used for inflating other ordinary
air bags), through which the wearer can blow sufficient air into the air
and water-tight compartment or bag to give a displacement capable
of supporting one or several persons. It is preferred also to have a belt
attached to this coat (similar to the ordinary band of Ulster coats),
which when passed round the waist, and fixed in front in any usual
manner, keeps the coat securely in position upon the body of the wearer
when intended to be used in case of emergency.
When any accident occurs on board ship, or in cases of shipwreck,
this garment may at once be securely buttoned and fixed upon the
person, and by simply blowing in a sufficient quantity of air through
the screw valve mouthpiece the wearer, if immersed in the water, will
be kept afloat by the buoyant power of the air-filled portion of the
garment, and by this simple means many lives may easily be saved.
Another improvement, in addition to its life-preserving qualities, this
garment is provided with waterproof pockets, into which any valuable
papers, documents, or other property may be securely placed. These
pockets however need not be filled with air, but the mouth of the water-
proof lining has a runner of cord drawn round or through it, and when
the papers or other valuables are placed inside the runner is drawn and

page_text: twisted loopwise round the mouth of the pocket, and the ends fixed or
tied in the manner of closing money bags, or any other method may be
adopted which will give a water-tight closure, so as to securely protect
the contents against the destructive effects of the water.
Although the waterproof compartments or bags and pockets have only
been described as applied to waterproof overcoats it is to be understood
that they may also be made separate, and applied or attached to other
overcoats or to ordinary coats.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Tulloch Goudie in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
TULLOCH GOUDIE, of the Firm of "Blacklock, Goudie, & Co.," of the
City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Waterproof
Cloth Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Tulloch Goudie,
Her special licence, that I, the said James Tulloch Goudie, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Tulloch
Goudie, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times there.
after 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 Inven-
tion for "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS OR GARMENT FOR PRESERVING LIFE
AT SEA," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Tulloch Goudie, 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

page_text: My
rubber or other air and waterproof material in such a manner that it 1
may be used either on land or at sea with equal facility or comfort;
but in order to render it specially applicable for the use of captains,
sailors, passengers, or other persons on board ship or boat for preserving
life in cases of shipwreck or accident that portion of the coat body above
the waist which passes round the chest, back, and shoulders of the
wearer, both above and below the arms, is made double or of two or
more layers of india-rubber and cloth or other air and waterproof fabric,
well and firmly sewn, all cemented together all round the extremities of
the double portion (or it may be made in the reeded form) so as to
constitute an air-tight and waterproof compartment or bag, through
which the sleeves pass. The inner layer of air and waterproof fabric is
in the form of a lining extending a little beyond the air chamber to
attach it to the garment, and the layers may be similarly sewn or
cemented with divisions, so as to form two or more air and waterproof
compartments or bags, if desired. A short tube or pipe of india-rubber
or other air and waterproof material is led from either surface of the
coat into each air and waterproof compartment, preferably about midway
down the chest, so that its outer end may be easy of access, and ready
for use at any time, and on the outer end of this tube (or tubes) is fixed
a screw or other valve or mouthpiece (such as is used for inflating other
ordinary air bags), through which the wearer can blow sufficient air into
the air and water-tight bag or compartment to give a displacement
capable of supporting one or several persons. A belt is also attached to
this coat (similar to the ordinary band of Ulster coats), which when
passed round the waist and fixed in front in any usual manner, keeps
the coat securely in position upon the body of the wearer when intended
to be used in case of emergency.

page_text: On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figure 1 represents an open
front or inside view of the waterproof life preserving coat complete; and
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the same taken on the line 1 - - - 1 in
Figure 1. The entire body of the waterproof coat or overcoat A is made
of india-rubber and cloth of cotton, flax, wool, or other material in the
usual way, and the air or waterproof bag or compartment B is preferably
made by itself, and afterwards cemented or otherwise attached to the
inside upper body part of the garment, as shown particularly in Figure 1.
The air and waterproof fabric forming the bag or compartment B may be
composed of one, two, or more layers with the air space in the centre,
these layers being joined together all round the edges in the usual
manner adopted for cementing or seaming waterproof articles, a pro-
jecting web part or feather O being left at the junction all round by
which the bag or compartment B is similarly cemented or secured to
the coat body; or otherwise the entire surface of the back part B¹ of the
bag may be attached to the inside body of the coat, as at c, although
this is not preferred. As this bag B extends round the shoulders, back,
and chest of the wearer, and passes over and under the sleeves at c¹ holes
have to be left in it for the sleeve spaces, and the junctions or web
part c¹ of the front fabric of the bag at and around the sleeve holes is
cemented or otherwise attached to the coat body around these holes, or
to the junction of the sleeves therewith, all in a similar manner to that
adopted for fixing the outer margins C of the bag B to the coat A. The
back or inner fabric of the bag B is seen clearly at B¹ in the sectional
view Figure 2, from which it will be observed that this method of
forming the bag separately and afterwards attaching it to the coat body
does not to any extent interfere with the outer surface or appearance of
the coat proper. These air and waterproof bags or compartments B,
instead of being plain, as shown in the Drawings, may be of the well
known "reeded or "tacked" form employed in making some kinds of
airproof pillows, and which prevents them from being distended too
much in a lateral direction by equalizing the distension all over the
surface when the bag is inflated; or, as before stated, the bag B may be
divided into two or more compartments when desired, and by forming
the divisions in the vertical direction the form of the bag when inflated
would be preserved similarly to that of the reeded or tacked bag. The
inflation of the bag or compartment B is effected by the person blowing
in air through the pipe D, which is provided with a screw valve mouth-
piece E or other equivalent for that purpose. The end of this pipe D
وو

page_text: carrying the mouthpiece E may be slung in the loop F within the breast
of the coat, the inner end of the tube or pipe D being permanently fixed
or cemented into the inside of the fabric of the bag B, or the pipe may
be attached to the outside of the bag through the breast or outer fabric
of the coat, and the projecting part and mouthpiece concealed and
carried in a pocket formed in the coat breast, as at G in Figure 3.
In addition to its life preserving qualities this garment may be provided
with waterproof pockets I, as shown in all the Figures, into which any
valuable papers, documents, or other property may be securely placed.
These pockets I need not be filled with air, but the mouth of the water-
proof lining has a runner of cord drawn round or through it, and when
the papers or other valuables are placed inside the runner is drawn and
twisted loopwise round the mouth of the pocket, and the ends fixed or
tied in the manner of closing money bags, or any other method may be
adopted which will give a nearly water-tight closure, so as to protect the
contents against the destructive effects of the water. Thus, this garment
whenever desired, may at once be securely buttoned upon the person,
and fastened by the belt H, shown in Figure 3, and by simply blowing in
a sufficient quantity of air through the screw valve or mouthpiece E the
coat assumes the inflated form shewn in Figure 3, and the wearer, if
immersed in the water by any accident such as shipwreck or boat
accidents, will be kept afloat by the buoyant power of the air filled
portion of the garment for any length of time, and by this simple means
many lives may be easily saved.
The great advantages of this life-saving overcoat over any other
method hitherto devised for saving life at sea, are its extreme simplicity
of application, economy when considered in the light of its double useful-
ness, and above all its perfect life preserving property of keeping the
right part of the body, viz., the head of the wearer, above the water, and
always in the safest upright position.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the construc-
tion and use of waterproof coats or overcoats with life-preserving air and
waterproof bags or compartments formed and fixed inside the coat, round
the upper part of the back, shoulders, and chest for inflation with air,

page_text: substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein described and
shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Tulloch Goudie, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
JOHN BROWN,
96, Buchanan Street,
Glasgow.
JAMES T. GOUDIE. (L.S.)