AN IMPROVED LIFE SAVING APPLIANCE CAPABLE OF ADAPTATION TO CABIN FURNITURE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Courtenay Osborne Weeks, of Eaton Cottage, Spring Road,
Sholing, near Southampton, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED LIFE SAVING
APPLIANCE CAPABLE OF ADAPTATION TO CABIN FURNITURE."
Sealed the 11th November 1879, and dated the 12th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Courtenay Osborne Weeks
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th May 1879.
COURTENAY OSBORNE WEEKS, of Eaton Cottage, Spring Road, Sholing, near
Southampton. AN IMPROVED LIFE SAVING APPLIANCE CAPABLE OF ADAPTATION
TO CABIN FURNITURE."
The improved appliance which forms the object of this application for Patent
consists of a belt of suitably shaped air vessels constructed of thin metal, such as
brass or copper sheet, and threaded on a flat ribbon spring, which contracts around
the body.
The spring is tempered to allow of its extension to its full length for the purpose
of stowage.
The air cases may be fitted with a strap on the back, through which the spring
or metal band passes, the extreme cases being in the case of uncovered belts, simply
secured to the spring.
For appearance and preservation the whole may be covered with either canvas,
duck, calico, or American cloth.
The mode of stowage may be varied. In one arrangement all that would be
required would be to lower the "lee board," and take out the belt. By a simple
arrangement the act of lowering the "lee board" may be made to release or with-
draw the belt.
These belts may be stowed in various places, under settees, tables, upper deck
seats, or other cabin furniture, and used as seats for camp stools, suitable then for
children, easy chairs, and lounges of different descriptions.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Courtenay Osborne Weeks in the Great Seal Patent Office on the.
12th November 1879.
COURTENAY OSBORNE WEEKS, of Eaton Cottage, Spring Road, Sholing, near
Southampton. "AN IMPROVED LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCE CAPABLE OF ADAPTATION
TO CABIN FURNITURE."
The improved appliance which forms the object of this application for Patent
consists of a belt of suitable shaped air vessels constructed of thin metal, such as
brass or copper sheet, and threaded on a flat ribbon spring, which contracts around
the body automatically, or it may be contracted by hand. The spring is tempered
to allow of its extension to its full length for the purpose of stowage.
The air cases may be fitted with a strap on the back, through which the spring
or metal band passes, the extreme cases being in the case of uncovered belts simply
secured to the spring.
·
For appearance and preservation the whole may be covered with either canvas,
duck, calico, American cloth, or any other suitable material. The mode of stowage
may be varied. In one arrangement, that is, under sleeping berths in cabins, all
that would be required would be to lower the "lee board," and take out the belt.
By a simple arrangement the act of lowering the "lee board"
may be made to
release or withdraw the belt. These belts may be stowed in various places, under
sleeping berths, settees, tables, upper deck seats, or other cabin furniture, and used
as seats for lounge chairs, easy chairs, and lounges of different descriptions.
My Invention will be clearly understood on reference to the accompanying
Drawings. Figure 1. represents one of the air vessels a made of sheet metal, and
provided with a recess to receive the ribbon spring or springs, upon which the
air vessels are threaded in making up a belt. The air vessel is provided with lips
c, c, by which each vessel is retained in its proper position on the said spring when
a number of the vessels are made up into a belt, as shown in Figure 2, which
represents the outside view of a life saving belt when laid out flat or fully extended,
whilst Figures 3 and 4 show an elevation and plan view respectively of the same
belt in the form it would assume when used to support a person in the water.
In these Figures a, a, are the air vessels, and d, d, the spring band or bands on
which they are threaded. In the belt shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4 two spring
bands are used. The end air vessel a¹ is connected at e to one end of the spring
band.d, which is provided with a knob at its other end, and the end vessel a² is
similarly connected at g to the spring band d, this band having a knob at its
opposite end. The band d is further provided with a slot i to clear the stem of
the handle as the two spring bands lay or fold over each other.
In putting on the belt the supporting cord is passed over the head of the
person, the belt being held in a horizontal position in the front; the knobs f and h
are then drawn together, the ends of the belt passing under the arms, and the pull
on the knobs fand h causes it to take the circular form, as clearly seen in Figure 4,
by which the body is embraced. The supporting cord is so attached that the belt
may be put on with equal facility either way up.
When the belt is in position on the wearer it is fastened by the catch plate l,
which is acted upon by the two ends 1, 7, of the double spring s. This fastening is
shown on an enlarged scale in Figure 5, and consists of a plate with claws m, n.
The claw m can take into notches in the spring band d¹ and n into the band d.
The stem o of the thumb piece carries an eccentric p capable of revolving in an
opening in R, a half revolution of which eccentric raises the plate for unfastening
the belt. The fastening is self-acting by the action of the spring 8
plate k, thus leaving the wearer the use of both hands for manipulating with the
knobs faud . The object of the thumb piece is to release the bands when the
on the

page_text: belt is to be taken off, care being taken that it (l) is in the position shown in
Figure 2 when about to put on the belt.
Many modes of fastening may be used, but the one shown I prefer. The belt
may be further secured by the ends being fastened by means of the snap link and
chain t as commonly used in watch guards, or any other similar simple contrivance.
This is shown in Figures 3 and 4.
On board ship the belt may be stowed in many ways, and Figure 6 illustrates one
ready method of doing it.
This Figure represents a side view of a ship's berth; it is provided with a second
bottom u, between which and the bottom proper v of the berth the belt is shown as
snugly stowed, yet ready on an emergency. The "lee board" w is hinged to the
lower bottom u, and it has only to be lowered to get at the belt, or the lowering of
the "lee board may be made to withdraw the belt.
"
The end vessels a¹ and a² of the belt are each provided with a small tube x,
which will enable the belts to be stowed away under settees, tables, deck seats, or
other similar furniture. For instance, the belt by means of the tubes may be
carried on pins passed horizontally through the frame work of such articles; and in
the case of a chair or seat they may form a back for the same, if the above mentioned
pins are placed vertically, or may form a chair, as shown in Figure 11.
Figure 7 shows an air vessel a with the lips c, c, formed on the outside, and in
Figure 8 a modification is shown in which the air vessel is filled with cork, the
buoyancy of which is very effective in case of leakage of the vessel, or the belt may
if preferred be composed of cork blocks. The belt has an inner lining y and outside
tapes z, to which each air vessel is attached, serving to hold them in position, and
to preserve the contour of the belt. The air vessel in lieu of being formed of metal
may be of wood covered with marine glue or canvas or some preparation of india
rubber or gutta percha, or any other suitable material.
In the belt shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4 the spring band is arranged on the
outside, but if the band is arranged on the inside the air vessels a may be provided
with a strap as formed on the vessel or on its covering (say, of canvas), as shown
in Figure 9. The spring band would pass through these straps, and in this arrange-
ment would collapse automatically. An automatic belt formed of vessels, as in
Figure 9, and with the self-closing spring d arranged around the inside is shown in
Figure 10.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner.
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the particular form of air vessel or material employed in construction of vessel,
nor to any particular size, as it is obvious that these may be varied without
departing from the nature of my Invention, but what I claim is, the formation of
life saving appliances by threading buoyant or floating vessels upon a metallic
spring or springs, or upon metallic bands, as described and substantially as shown
in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Courtenay Osborne Weeks, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy nine.
COURTENAY OSBORNE WEEKS. (L.S.)