IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFE BUOYS."
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Samuel Hood, of Vivian Road, near Victoria
Park, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LIFE BUOYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Samuel Hood at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th July 1867.
I, JAMES SAMUEL HOOD, of Vivian Road, near Victoria Park, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN LIFE BUOYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to collapsible buoys made of flexible or elastic material
to encircle the body of a person, and which have to be inflated or filled with
air when required for use. The means heretofore employed for inflating such
articles has been to blow thereinto with the mouth through an orifice fitted
with a valve. This operation is slow and troublesome; and the object and
intention of this Invention is to remedy the above objections, and to render
the article self-inflating, which may be effected by the following means, that
is to say-In lieu of a valve I propose to employ a stop-cock, the opening of
which admits air into the buoy for inflating the same, and allows the air to
escape when the buoy is out of use. For example, in order to inflate a buoy
constructed according to this Invention it is simply necessary to open the cock,
when the air will quickly fill the interior of the buoy; the cock must then be

page_text: closed, and the buoy is ready for use. By opening the cock and forcing out
the air and then shutting the cock the buoy may be folded into a small space
or even be worn around a person's body always ready for use, and by placing
the cock in a convenient position for opening it the buoy may instantly be
inflated, and it is this self-inflating principle of action in life buoys which
constitutes the feature of novelty in this Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Samuel Hood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th January 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SAMUEL HOOD, of Vivian Road, Dear Victoria Park, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Samuel Hood, Her special licence that I, the said James Samuel
Hood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Samuel Hood, 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
LIFE BUOYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Samuel Hood, 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 months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Samuel Hood, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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, that
to say :-
This Invention relates to collapsible buoys made of flexible or elastic
material to encircle the body of a person, and which have to be inflated or

page_text: filled with air when required for use. The means beretofore employed for
inflating such articles has been to blow thereinto with the mouth through an
orifice fitted with a valve. This operation is slow and troublesome; and the
object and intention of this Invention is to remedy the above objections, and
to render the article self-inflating, which may be effected by the following
means, that is to say :-In lieu of a valve I propose to employ a stop-cock,
the opening of which admits air into the buoy for inflating the same, and
allows the air to escape when the buoy is out of use. For example, in order
to inflate a buoy constructed according to this Invention it is simply necessary
to open the cock, when the air will quickly fill the interior of the buoy; the
cock must then be closed, and the buoy is ready for use. By opening the
cock and forcing out the air and then shutting the cock the buoy may be
folded into a small space, or even be worn around a person's body always
ready for use, and by placing the cock in a convenient position for opening it
the buoy may instantly be inflated; and it is this self-inflating principal of
action in life buoys which constitutes the feature of novelty in this Invention.
And in order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawing accom-
panying these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference
marked thereon respectively as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 réprésents a side elevation of a self-inflating life buoy constructed
according to my said Invention; Figure 2, a top plan view thereof. At each
of the foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of reference to denote corre-
sponding parts in so far as such parts appear or can be seen at each of such
said Figures respectively.
A, A, marks a piece of vulcanized india-rubber made in the form of an
annular hollow vessel, the parts being joined together by the usual means of
joining together or uniting pieces of vulcanized india-rubber or other elastic or
flexible materials; but I prefer vulcanized india-rubber. B represents a screw
plug capable of being opened and closed by unscrewing or screwing the same,
so as to establish and shut off the communication with the external air and
the interior of the buoy; or instead of using the screw plug above mentioned,
the construction of which is well known by the manufactures of articles in
vucanized india-rubber, an ordinary tap or stop-cock may be employed, or
any other contrivance suitable for admitting and shutting of air air-tight.
C, C, is a network of string encircling the annular piece A; the use of this

page_text: network being to enable persons in the water readily to catch hold of the life
buoy. The plug or tap B when the buoy is placed around the body of a
person should be kept uppermost and ready of easy access by the mouth of
the wearer of the buoy, so that if necessary the buoy may be more fully
charged with air, so as to support several persons in the water by one buoy.
The buoy when discharged of the air therein by the means before stated may
be worn around the body of a person on board ship, and when required for
use it is simply necessary to open the plug or tap at B, when the air will
quickly enter the buoy and inflate it, after which the plug or tap must be shut
off, the buoy being rendered self-inflating by the above means.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object' of my said
Invention for improvements in life buoys, together with the best means I am
acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark, in
conclusion, that I hereby declare my Invention to consist in and I claim the
means above described of rendering life buoys self-inflating as constituting
improvements in life buoys.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Samuel Hood, have hereunto set
my band and seal; this Ninth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
JAMES S. HOOD. (L.S.)