Improvements in Life-saving Appliances.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left. 15th Dec.. 1892-Accepted. 28th Jan.. 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life-saving Appliances.
I ROBERT LETHBRIDGE TAPSCOTT of 62 Croxteth Road, Liverpool in the
County of Lancaster Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :—
Improvements in life-saving appliances consisting of a wicker frame enclosed in a
torpedo-shaped rubber case having two openings, for individuals to crawl through,
controlled by contracting and expanding frames and rubber blocks to make them
water tight. Sufficient space being provided to form an air chamber for buoyancy
and for a reservoir for fresh air or oxygen. The frame being divided by one or two
partitions and provided with head, arm, and leg supports to maintain two
individuals in a full length position lying on their sides, while subjected to the tossing
of the waves. The frame is intended to be suspended by two guides from a rope and
to be used in place of the life-saving basket now in use; and will be constructed
so that it may be hauled from the stranded ship to the shore beneath the surface
of the water.
Dated this Fourteenth day of March 1892.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Life-saving Appliances.
I ROBERT LETHBRIDGE TAPSCOTT of 62 Croxteth Road Liverpool in the
County of Lancaster Civil Engineer 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a substitute for the life-saving basket
now in use with the rocket apparatus. For this purpose I provide a torpedo-
shaped case, made of wicker and covered with rubber, and provided with two
openings filled by rubber blocks, and held in place by iron frames. The interior
is divided longitudinally to provide separate cavities for two people with spaces
between them and the framework. The case is suspended by two ropes passing
round it, and is hauled to and fro in the same manner as the life-saving basket.
The accompanying drawings show the general arrangement of the torpedo-shaped
case.
Figure 1.
Figure 1 shews the case in position with the hauling lines.
Figure 2 shews a cross section on the linea a Figure 1.
Figure 3 shews a longitudinal section on the line z z
The different parts are denoted by the following letters-
Rubber covering r, wicker frame w, cable from which case is suspended c, hauling
lines m and n, guides running on cable c and attached to hauling lines 9, openings
for entrance and exit d, rubber blocks to close openings s, ropes suspending case 1,
cavities for the rescued a, b, air spaces e, h, k, reservoir for oxygen o.
In applying this invention the rocket apparatus is first used to establish com-
munication, then the torpedo-shaped case is suspended from the cable, instead of
the ordinary life-saving basket, and is then hauled backwards and forwards between
the ship and the shore in the same way. The rescued will get in through the
opening d and probably feet first so as to be able to draw the blocks into its place
and close the opening thus enabling the case to sink beneath the waves without
endangering the lives of its occupants,

page_text: 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 application of the torpedo-shaped case, substantially as and for the purpose
herein described and shown upon the drawings.
Dated the Fourteenth day of December 1892.
R. LETHBRIDGE TAPSCOTT.