IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIFE AND SWIMMING BELTS, JACKETS, WAISTCOATS, AND BUOYS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Kilburn, of Holloway, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIFE AND SWIMMING BELTS, JACKETS, WAISTCOATS,
AND BUOYS."
Sealed the 21st July 1868, and dated the 25th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Kilburn at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 25th January 1868.
I, CHARLES KILBURN, of Holloway, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIFE AND SWIMMING BELTS, JACKETS,
WAISTCOATS, AND BUOYS," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is the construction of life and swimming
belts, jackets, waistcoats, and buoys, wherein the buoyant material is
composed of waste corks, and by preference of drawn corks, whereby
at a comparatively small cost I am enabled to make most durable and
efficient articles. To make a life belt according to my Invention I
take a piece of canvas, by preference tanned canvas, because it is

page_text: more durable than the ordinary white canvas, and I cut it to the
length required for the belt, the breadth being double the breadth
of the belt I intend to make; I then fold the canvas, and so
reduce its breadth by one half; I then stitch together the ends of
the length, and at equal distances apart I run other stitches, the
distances being regulated by the size of the spaces I require to make.
This done I have a case composed of a series of cells, the number
being regulated by the length of the belt required to be made. Into
cach of these cells I place the corks above referred to in layers either
longitudinally or at right angles with the belt, and in rows of two,
four, or more corks, as desired. When all the cells are filled the open
end is closed, and I have a belt of a most buoyant description. I
would remark that instead of the case being made of one piece of
canvas folded as before described, it may be made of two pieces stitched
together. Sometimes I run an extra web of canvas between the two
pieces of canvas composing the frame whereby the rows of corks are
separated, but in most cases this precaution is not necessary, for as a
rule I find the corks will maintain their position equally well without
it. Apertures are formed for the reception of the arms, whereby no
obstruction to the movements of the arms is afforded, and the wearer
is consequently enabled to move about, go aloft, or row as the case
may be without being materially inconvenienced by the belt. The belt
is attached to the body of the wearer by straps or bands, and I prefer
as well a band made of stout webbing to go round the neck. The
jackets, waistcoats, and buoys are made of cells filled with corks in the
manner before described, and in the case of waistcoats and jackets are
secured to the body in the ordinary manner by arm holes, shoulder
or neck straps, and secured in front by strong web tapes or buttons,
or by both.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent 3
filed by the said Charles Kilburn in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th July 1868.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Charles Kilburn, Her special licence
that I, the said Charles Kilburn, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Kilburn, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIFE AND SWIMMING BELTS, JACKETS, WAISTCOATS,
AND BUOYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charles Kilburn, my exccutors 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
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Kilburn, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say:-
The object of my Invention is the construction of life and swimming
belts, jackets, waistcoats, and buoys, wherein the buoyant material is
composed of waste corks and by preference of drawn corks, whereby
at a comparatively small cost I am enabled to make most durable and
efficient articles. To make a life belt according to my Invention I
take a piece of canvas, by preference tanned canvas, because it is more
durable than the ordinary white canvas, and I cut it to the length
required for the belt, the breadth being double the breadth of the belt
I intend to make;. I then fold the canvas and so reduce its breadth by
one half; I then stitch together the ends of the length and at equal
distances apart I run other stitches, the distances being regulated by

page_text: the size of the spaces I require to make. This done I have a case
composed of a series of cells, the number being regulated by the
length of the belt required to be made. Into each of these cells I
place the corks above referred to in layers either longitudinally or at
right angles with the belt, and in rows of two, four, or more corks
as desired. When all the cells are filled the open end is closed, and
I have a belt of a most buoyant description. I would remark that
instead of the case being made of one piece of canvas folded as before
described, it may be made of two pieces stitched together. Sometimes
I run an extra web of canvas between the two pieces of canvas con-
posing the frame whereby the rows of corks are separated, but in most
cases this precaution is not necessary, for as a rule I find the corks
will maintain their position equally well without it. Apertures are
formed for the reception of the arms, whereby no obstruction to the
movements of the arms is afforded, and the wearer is consequently
enabled to move about, go aloft, or row, as the case may be, without
being materially inconvenienced by the belt. The belt is attached to
the body of the wearer by straps or bands, and I prefer as well a band
made of stout webbing to go round the neck. The jackets, waistcoats,
and buoys, are made of cells filled with corks in the manner before
described, and in the case of waistcoats and jackets are secured to the
body in the ordinary manner by arm holes, shoulder or neck straps,
and secured in front by strong web tapes or buttons, or by both.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a view of a piece of
material cut as I prefer to cut it for forming a life belt according to
my Invention. h, h, are apertures cut out to form recesses for the
arms of the wearer. To make up the belt it is folded over at the dotted
lines x, y, when it assumes the shape shown at Figure 2; it is
then divided into spaces by stitching across, as shown by the dotted
lines i, i.
Figure 3 is a view in elevation, and Figure 4 in horizontal section
of the belt complete and fitted with neck straps and bands to secure
it firmly to the body of the wearer.
a, a, are the spaces or receptacles for the corks b, b, which are
placed and arranged therein either in the position shown at Figure 4
or that shown at Figure 5. The number of the compartments may be
varied according to the length of the belt required or the extent of

page_text: buoyancy desired to be obtained.
c is a neck or shoulder strap firmly
stitched to the belt, as shown at d, and after being passed over the
shoulders or round the neck of the wearer is buttoned, as shown at e,
and for further security the end of the strap is passed through an
aperture formed in the belt as shown for that purpose and afterwards
knotted; h, h, are spaces left in the upper portion of the belt to fit
under the arms of the wearer; e¹, c¹, arc belts or straps for passing
round and for securing the belt to the body of the wearer.
For an ordinary belt sufficient to support the weight of a man of
average weight, I find the number of compartments shown in the
Drawings to be sufficient; I do not however limit myself to make
belts always with a similar number of compartments, as for example,
each compartment might be made to contain half the number of corks,
in which case it would be necessary to make the belt with twice as
many compartments, and again each compartment might be made
to contain double the number of corks or even more; however a belt
made with the number shown I have found in practice to answer
exceedingly well.
Figure 6 is a view of a portion of a belt made with a greater number
of corks in cach compartment, the corks being arranged therein as
shown in the Drawing. f, f, are divisions to facilitate the folding of
the belt, with the belt shown at Figures 3 and 4, and with two divisions,
the belt is to be folded into three parts, it may, however, be made to
fold only into two parts, or it may be made to fold into four parts,
a belt made with compartments and the corks arranged as shown at
Figure 6 is particularly adapted to fold into four parts, all which can
be arranged as desired for the convenience of carriage or as taste may
dictate.
I have not thought it necessary in this my Specification to further
illustrate my Invention in so far as it relates to the manufacture of
jackets, waistcoats, and buoys, as similar arrangements are adopted
for each after the article has been made of the shape required.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the
construction of life and swimming belts, jackets, waistcoats, and buoys
of a series of compartments filled with corks, by preference waste

page_text: bottle corks, substantially in manner herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Kilburn, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
CHARLES KILBURN. (L.S.)