An Improved Buoyant Garment.
Year: 1890

page_text: -Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1891-Accepted, 6th June. 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Buoyant Garment.
I, FRANCIS WENTWORTH BREWSTER, of Regent Street, in the County of
London, Manufacturer of Life-saving Appliances, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved buoyant garment.
The garment consists of a sleeveless, collarless, tailless jacket, which is formed
with shoulder bands and surrounds the body, and is secured at a vertical front
opening by buttons or the like in such a manner as to permit of the garment being
readily put on, the garment being made of a doubled rot-proof fabric doubly stitched
together so as to form a series of adjacent comparatively narrow vertically
disposed pockets extending as regards the front and back from the bottom of the
garment to the shoulder bands and as regards the sides from the bottom to just
below the arm pits, and into which pockets the material known as "elastic cork
is compressed in comparatively short sections or in sectional pads, such sections or
pads being isolated by stitching the pockets across, the said vertical and transverse
stitching being effective in isolating the said cork in a comparatively large
number of small sections which in the aggregate render the garment exceptionally
buoyant and are so arranged as to render the garment perfectly flexible to the
movements of the body.
"
In the manufacture of the garment, a doubled fabric or two separate fabrics may
be used, the arm openings and neck and shoulder parts and thigh or side openings
are firstly cut or cut out, and the whole of the required stitching, excepting the
cross stitching and the closing of the bottom ends of the pockets, is effected prior
to the introduction into the latter of the "elastic cork." After such introduction,
the sectional isolation thereof is effected in the manner aforesaid, whereupon, the
bottom ends of such pockets are closed by double stitching and the shoulder-bands
are stitched together, when the garment is ready for use.. When the garment is
intended to be used for the use of the crews of torpedo boats or for any like use,
I prefer to use a black or non-reflective rot-proof fabric for the outer fabric of
the garment in order to minimise the chance of its being rendered visible to those
employing a search-light to detect the approach at night of any such craft. When
the garment is intended for any such use, I also insert in the narrow channels
formed by the vertical double stitching, between the adjacent pockets into which
the "elastic cork" is compressed, flexible ribs of steel or the like which con-
junctively with the compressed "elastic cork will be effective in preventing cutlass
or sword cuts from penetrating to the wearer.
Dated this 3rd day of July 1890.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Buoyant Garment.
I, FRANCIS WENTWORTH BREWSTER of Regent Street, in the County of
London, Manufacturer of Life-saving Appliances, do hereby declare the nature of
the said 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 relates to an improved buoyant garment, and is illustrated on

page_text: the accompanying drawings in distended elevation in Figure 1, and in position for
use in Figure 2.
The garment consists of a sleeveless, collarless, tailless jacket, which is formed with
shoulder bands 3, and surrounds the body, and is secured at a vertical front opening 4,
by buttons and button holes or the like 5, in such a manner as to permit of the
garment being readily put on, the garinent being made of a doubled rot-proof
fabric 15, doubly stitched together as at 6, so as to form a series of adjacent
comparatively narrow vertically disposed pockets 7, extending as regards the front
and back from the bottom of the garment to the shoulder bands, and as regards
the sides from the bottom to just below the arm-pits 8, and into which pockets the
material known as "elastic cork is compressed in comparatively short sections or
in sectional pads 9, such sections or pads being isolated by stitching the pockets
across as at 10, the said vertical and transverse stitching 6, 10, being effective in
isolating the said cork in a comparatively large number of small sections 9, which
in the aggregate render the garment exceptionally buoyant, and are so arranged as
to render the garment perfectly flexible to the movements of the body."
22
In the manufacture of the garment, a doubled fabric 15, or two separate
fabrics 15, may be used, the arm openings 11, and neck and shoulders parts 12, 3,
and thigh or side openings 13, are firstly cut or cut out, and the whole of the
required stitching excepting the cross stitching 10, and the closing of the bottom
ends of the pockets 7, is effected prior to the introduction into the latter of the
"elastic cork." After such introduction, the sectional isolation thereof is effected
in the manner aforesaid, whereupon, the bottom ends of such pockets are closed by
.double stitching, as at 14, and the shoulder bands 3, are stitched together, when
the garment is ready for use. When the garment is intended to be used for the
use of the crews of torpedo boats or for any like use, I prefer to use a black or
non-reflective rot-proof fabric for the outer fabric of the garment in order to
minimise the chance of its being rendered visible to those employing a search-light
to detect the approach at night of any such craft. When the garment is intended
for any such use, I also insert in the narrow channels formed by the vertical
double stitching 6, between the adjacent pockets into which the "elastic cork" is
compressed, flexible ribs of steel or the like which conjunctively with the
compressed "elastic cork will be effective in preventing cutlass or sword-cuts
from penetrating to the wearer.
22
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
The herein before described improved buoyant garment.
1 1
T
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant