IMPROVED APPARATUS POR SUPPORTING AND PROPELLING THE HUMAN BODY IN WATER
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Phillips, of Clipston Street, Portland Road,
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
APPARATUS POR SUPPORTING AND PROPELLING THE HUMAN BODY IN WATER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Phillips at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd May 1857.
I, JOHN PHILLIPS, of Clipston Street, Portland Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND PROPELLING THE HUMAN BODY IN
WATER," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to assist in supporting a swimmer in the
water, and to give him increased facilities for propulsion. To this end, I
propose to construct light discs, floats, or fans, composed of leaves of equal
proportions, and secured together by hinged joints. These joints are made so
as to admit of the leaves folding back (by the downward pressure of the water)
to a given angle, and of assuming their normal position when thrust against the
water. I connect these floats to soles or sandals, which are to be attached to
the feet of the swimmer; or they may be fitted to the knees or elbows of the
swimmer if thought desirable, and used as propellers or supports in the water.
And, further, in order to facilitate the propulsion of the body, I propose to
apply to the body, of the swimmer a belt, from which depends a suspending

page_text: strap, that carries an eye at its lower end. This eye acts as a guide for a rod
or handle, to the lower end of which I attach one of my jointed floats, and by
working which up and down in the water the swimmer will be able to propel
himself along. The discs or floats I propose to make of light metal frames,
covered with a suitable waterproof material.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Phillips in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd November 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PHILLIPS, of Clipston Street, Portland Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Phillips, Her special license that I, the said John Phillips,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Phillips, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no 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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR SUPPORTING AND PROPELLING THE HUMAN BODY IN WATER," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Phillips, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 John Phillips, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The object of this Invention, of "Improved Apparatus for Supporting and
Propelling the Human Body in Water," is to assist in supporting a swimmer
in the water, and to give him increased facilities for propulsion therein, by the

page_text: adaptation to certain parts of the body of the swimmer of certain apparatus,
hereafter described. To this end, I construct light discs, floats, or fans, com-
posed of leaves of equal proportions, and secured together by hinged joints.
These joints are made so as to admit of the leaves folding back (by the down-
ward pressure of the water) to a given angle, and of assuming their normal
position when thrust against the water. When this apparatus is intended to
be applied to the feet I connect these floats to soles or sandals, which are to be
attached to the feet of the swimmer; or the floats or discs may be fitted to the
ancles, knees, or elbows of the swimmer if thought desirable, and used as
propellers or supports in the water. And, further, in order to facilitate the
propulsion of the body, I sometimes propose to apply to the body of the
swimmer a belt, from which depends a suspending strap, that carries an eye
at its lower end. This eye acts as a guide for a rod or handle, to the lower
end of which I attach one or a pair of my jointed floats or wings, and by
working which up and down in the water the swimmer will be able to
propel himself along. The discs or floats may be made of light wood, thin
metal, or other suitable material; but I prefer to make them of light metal
frames, covered with a suitable waterproof material, such as some textile
fabric, covered with a coating of india-rubber or gutta percha.
in
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn various views of the way
which I propose to construct and adapt my improved apparatus to the intended
purpose.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the under side of an apparatus intended to be
attached to the feet; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a
perspective view of one of the apparatus complete with its attachments, and
shewing the method of adapting or securing the same on the foot of a swimmer.
a, a, are the wings or floats, which are made by preference of brass wire
frames, covered over with some waterproof fabric, as before mentioned. These
floats or wings are hinged or jointed, as at b, b, to a flat plate or board c, c, to
which the sole or sandal d, d, is secured by screws or otherwise. This sole or
sandal d, d, is placed under the sole of the foot of the swimmer, and is secured
thereto by the straps or bands e, e, Fig. 3, or by other suitable appliances.
It will be seen, on referring to Figures 1 and 3, that the fore and rear end
of the floats or wings a, a, are curved inwards, so as nearly to meet before the
toes and behind the heel of the wearer, and therefore they lap over the front
and rear ends of the flat board or plate c, c, to which they are hinged at or near
the middle. By this means, when the foot is drawn back by the swimmer
preparatory to striking out, the floats will be thrown back, as shewn in the
sectional view, Fig. 2; but immediately the foot is pushed down, as in the act

page_text: of striking out with the legs, the wings or floats will be made to assume a right
line, as shewn by dots in Fig. 2, and will thus present a considerable surface
of resistance to the water. It will also be evident that the wings or floats
will be prevented from being pushed further back than is indicated by the
dotted lines in Fig. 2, owing to the support they will receive by their over-
lapping ends bearing against the upper surface of the flat plate c.
Fig. 4 represents a swimmer provided with a propelling apparatus affixed.
to the lower end of a pole. The wings or floats are also in this instance
jointed or hinged at the middle, so as to vibrate on their centre pins, as
indicated by the dotted lines in Figures 2 and 4. The pole f is passed through
a ring attached to a belt that passes round the body of the swimmer, and by
moving the pole up and down, the wings or floats a, a, are caused to press on
the water, and assist in propelling the swimmer, whose feet may also be
provided with the propellers shewn at Fig. 3.
Having now described my Invention of "Improved Apparatus for Support-
ing and Propelling the Human Body in Water," and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that
I do not mean or intend to confine myself rigidly to the precise arrangement
or construction of parts herein shewn, nor to the materials of which the
apparatus may be constructed, as all these matters admit of modification
without departing from the nature and object of the Invention, which I desire
to secure under the Letters Patent above referred to. In conclusion, I claim
the mode herein shewn and described, or any mere modification thereof, of
constructing and applying to the human body apparatus for supporting and
propelling the human body in water.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Phillips, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
FRED. WALKDEN,
66, Chancery Lane.
JOHN PHILLIPS. (L.s.)