Improvements in or relating to Life Belts or Saving Devices.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Life Belts or Saving Devices.
I, WILLIAM JONES, Acacia Villa, Holly Green, Earl's Croome, near Worcester,
Brewer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of improvements in or relating to life belts or saving
devices, and the same is carried out as follows; The belt may be worn by
either sex, either over or under a vest or bodice, as an ordinary waist band, or
any other suitable position. The belt is so constructed as to have a chamber
which may be inflated, when required by suitable gases, and this inflation is
effected in the following manner. I provide a casing which is in communication
with the chamber to be inflated, and this chamber contains zinc or other suitable
material which when acted upon by an acid, will devolve a gas. The acid
in this case, is preferably sulphuric acid, and the gas devolved would of course
be hydrogen, the relative quantities of zinc and acid being so regulated as to
sufficiently inflate the belt.
The required acid is carried in a receptacle provided with a valve which
prevents the acid coming into contact with the zinc or metal until required. The
valve and parts in contact with the acid are of such a material or nature as to
be unaffected thereby and the holder or receptacle carrying the metal to be
acted upon is also of such a nature if desired. Any convenient material may be
employed for the purpose of forming the chamber to be inflated which may
wholly surround, or partially surround the body of the wearer. It will thus be
seen for the purpose of example, that in the case of alarm being raised
at sea, the individual wearing the belt may, by opening the valve, allow the acid
to come into contact with the zinc or metal, a generation of gas takes place
which inflates the belt sufficiently.
I have referred to hydrogen gas, as this being the lightest gas, would therefore
give greater buoyancy than gases of heavier atomic weight.
Of course it will be seen that I might employ calcium carbonate or sodic
carbonate and act thereon by hydrochloric acid, thus giving an evolution of
carbonic acid gas. Suitable straps may be provided for maintaining the belt in
position upon the body of the wearer. It will be seen that the essential feature
of my invention consists in the employment of two agents separated from one
another in such a way that when required they may be allowed to come into
contact, thus developing the required gas for the purpose of inflation by a life
belt.
This 1111
T
1000

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Life Beits or Saving Devices.
I
I, WILLIAM JONES, Acacia Villa, Holly Green, Earl's Croome, near Worcester,
Brewer, 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:-
This invention consists of improvements in or relating to life belts or saving
devices, and the same is carried out as follows: The belt may be worn by
either sex, either over or under a vest or bodice as an ordinary waist band or
any other suitable position. The belt is so constructed as to have a chamber
which may be inflated when required by suitable gases, and this inflation is
. effected in the following manner. I provide a casing which is in communication
with the chamber to be inflated, and this chamber contains zinc, or other suitable
material which when acted upon by an acid, will devolve a gas. The acid
in this case is preferably sulphuric acid, and the gas devolved would be of course
hydrogen, the relative quantities of zinc and acid being so regulated as to
sufficiently inflate the belt.
The required acid is carried in a receptacle provided with a valve which
prevents the acid coming into contact with the zinc or metal until required. The
valve and parts in contact with the acid are of such a material or nature as to
be unaffected thereby and the holder or receptacle carrying the metal to be
acted upon is also of such a nature if desired. Any convenient material may be
employed for the purpose of forming the chamber to be inflated which may
wholly surround or partially surround the body of the wearer. It will thus be
seen for the purpose of example, that in the case of alarm being raised
at sea the individual wearing the belt may by opening the valve allow the acid
to come into contact with the zinc or metal, a generation of gas takes place
which inflates the belt sufficiently.
I have referred to hydrogen gas as this being the lightest gas would therefore
give greater buoyancy than gases of heavier atomic weight.
Of course it will be seen that I might employ calcium carbonate or sodic
carbonate and act thereon by hydrochloric acid, thus giving an evolution of
carbonic acid gas. Suitable straps may be provided for maintaining the belt in
position upon the body of the wearer. It will be seen that the essential feature
of my invention consists in the employment of two agents separated from one
another in such a way that when required they may be allowed to come into
contact, thus developing the required gas for the purpose of inflation by a life
belt.
For purposes of illustration, I will now refer to the annexed drawings in
which:-
Figure 1, is an enlarged plan view of my apparatus removed from the belt..
Figure 2, sectional elevation through line X Y in Figure 1.
Figure 3, perspective view showing my complete belt.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 & 3, I provide what I term an inflatable belt a
which may take the form of a tube of any required section, and which is worn
by the wearer either underneath or over the clothes, for instance, it may be worn
under the waistcoat or other garment according to the individual wearing it.
The straps b in the case of a belt which is worn around the waist, will rest upon
the shoulders.
Although I have described this particular position upon the body, there are
other positions in which the belt might be worn according to the circumstances
required and these belts or straps would be secured or adjusted in any convenient
manner.

page_text: c is a chamber secured in what I have termed, the belt or inflatable chamber a
in any convenient manner. The chamber c is provided with the apertures d.
e is another chamber or reservoir seperated from the chamber
through the
medium of the plug or valve f The required substance is placed in the
chamber c such as zinc and the necessary acid is carried in the chamber e.
Upon withdrawing the plug f from the seating g by means of the ring h moving.
in the direction of the arrow t, the acid and zinc coming into contact will generate,
say, hydrogen gas, which will then inflate the chamber or belt surrounding the
body of the wearer. The flap is for the purpose of preventing the accidental
withdrawal of the plug f in the seating g, being buttoned or otherwise secured
over the ring by means of the stud or other suitable fastening j. The relative
quantities or the ingredients employed for the chambers c and e, are of course
suitably arranged according to the amount of gas required for the inflation.
Although I have referred to zinc and say, sulphuric acid, I may if desired,
employ other substances, such as calcium carbonate and hydrochloric acid, or
in fact any substances which when brought into contact evolve a gas for the
purpose of inflation, but of course hydrogen being the lightest gas is preferable.
The material of which the chambers cand e and the adjacent parts are composed
of are such as to resist the action of the acid, and the substance upon which it
acts and the resultant chemical products.
way
It will be seen that the essential feature of the invention is the employment in
conjunction with an inflatable belt of an apparatus carrying two substances so
related to one another chemically that when brought into contact, a gas is
evolved, the quantity of substances being relatively arranged so as to, as iar as
possible, give a complete chemical combination suficient to produce the required
amount of gas for the full inflation of the belt. Of course in ordinary circum-
stances, the belt or inflatable chamber will not be obtrusively visible or in the
of the wearer, but in, to take for instance a ship wreck or disaster at sea an
individual wearing this belt has merely to withdraw the plug f from the
seating g when the admixture will at once evolve the necessary gas for the
inflation of the belt, thus dispensing with the necessity of very often scrambling
for a belt, and even if got, it in some cases is only put half on, and relative
drowning, as in belts there is a proper position in which they should be worn,
and owing to the belt being adjusted when there is no panic the wearer has a
better chance of life in the event of being suddenly precipitated into the water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is:-
1. In life belts of the class herein described, the combined construction and
arrangement of the various parts, substantially as described and illustrated herein
and for the purpose set forth.
2. In life belts, an inflatable belt or chamber in communication with a con-
tainer or holder so arranged as to carry two substances separated by means of a
plug or valve so that upon the opening of the valve or removal of the plug, the
contents may mix and generate a gas for the inflation of the belt or chamber,
substantially as described and for the purpose set forth and illustrated herein.
3. In tubes for inflating belts or the like, a container adapted to carry two
substances for the purpose of generating gas, apertures for the admission of said
gas to the belt or the like to be inflated, substantially as described and illustrated
herein and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 10th day of August 1900.