IMPROVEMENTS IN SWIMMING APPARATUS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Griffith Brewer, of 33, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SWIMMING
APPARATUS." A communication from abroad by Albert Paul Passet, of Paris,
France
Sealed the 14th May 1880, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, and
dated the 14th October 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Griffith Brewer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th October 1879.
EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of 33, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SWIMMING APPARATUS." (A communication from abroad by
Albert Paul Passet, of Paris, France.)
These improvements refer to swimming apparatus, and without referring to the
many kinds of apparatus which have been heretofore proposed for such purpose
it may be stated that in the natural swimming the force of the muscles of the legs
operates in combination with the width of the tread of the foot, logically more
the surface of the latter, the resistance and energetic action ought to be greater,
only by that there is a greater resistance or lost force to overcome at the starting
point. Starting with this principle the inventor proposes to add to the foot an
appendix having a large surface at the time the effort is made, the said surface
being annulled or diminished very materially when arriving at the point of
return.
For this purpose there are provided jointed blades or palettes secured to lower
members, and united to the said members by a convenient mode of attachment,
allowing the said members to develope all their power of action when required,
leaving to the apparatus the facility of developing or closing automatically by the
combination of the resistance to overcome, and the effort produced.
Supposing there are two blades hinged together by any convenient number of
hinges the foot is kept in position by straps of india rubber, leather, or other
Inaterial, which can be fixed to the blades or be continued and passed through slots
formed in the blades themselves, which at their central extremity are cut square

page_text: and abut against one another, and so that they cannot go beyond the plane of one
another. At the moment of exertion the blades take their leverage from the water,
and being open impulsion will be produced in the water when the swimmer brings
the legs to give a new impulsion, the blades being no longer under control will
return to themselves and close up together, by reason even from the impulsion i
acquired, and no longer offering any resistance. A continuous strap in caoutchouc,
which can contract or expand by its elasticity according as the swimmer exercises
bis power of propulsion, may be used, but if it should be feared that the tension
of this strap might fatigue the foot a plate jointed to the blades with straps may
be used, and in this way the blades will be independent of the plate, and 1
according as the swimmer extends or brings back his legs the blades will open
or close.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and
of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said Edward Griffith Brewer
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th May 1880.
EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of 33, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SWIMMING APPARATUS," (A communication from abroad by
Albert Paul Passet, of Paris, France.)
These improvements refer to swimming apparatus, and without referring to the
many kinds of apparatus which have been heretofore proposed for such purpose, it
may be stated that in the natural swimming the force of the muscles of the legs
operates in combination with the width of the tread of the foot, logically, therefore,
the greater the surface of the latter the resistance and energetic action ought to be
greater, only by that there is a greater resistance or lost force to overcome at the
starting point. Starting with this principle the inventor proposes to add to the
foot an appendix having a large surface at the time the effort is made, the said
surface being annulled or diminished very materially when arriving at the point
of return.
For this purpose there are provided jointed blades or palettes secured to lower
members, and united to the said members by a convenient mode of attachment,
allowing the said members to develope all their power of action when required,
leaving to the apparatus the facility of developing or closing automatically by the
combination of the resistance to overcome and the effort produced.
Supposing there are two blades hinged together by any convenient number of
hinges, the apparatus is kept in position on the foot by straps of india rubber,
leather, or other material, which can be fixed to the blades, or be continued and
passed through slots formed in the blades themselves, which (the blades) are at
their central extremity cut square, and abut against one another, and so that they
cannot go beyond the plane of one another. At the moment of exertion the blades
take their leverage from the water, and being open impulsion will be produced in
the water when the swimmer brings the legs to give a new impulsion, the blades
being no longer under control will return to themselves, and close up together by
reason even from the impulsion acquired, and no longer offering any resistance. A.
continuous atrap in caoutchouc which can contract or expand by its elasticity,
according as the swimmer exercises his power of propulsion, may be used, but if it
should be feared that the tension of this strap might fatigue the foot a plate jointed
to the blades with straps may be used, and in this way the blades will be
independent of the plate, and according as the swimmer extends or brings back his
legs the blades will open or close.
In order that the Invention may be more fully understood, I will now proceed
to more fully describe the saune with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus constructed according to this Invention,
showing the blades closed up; Figure 2 is a side elevation, showing the blades
open; and Figure 4 is a plan, shewing the blades extended; Figure 5 is a plan
of the underside, also shewing the blades extended; and Figure 6 is a back end
view of the same apparatus, also shewing the blades extended. Similar letters of
reference refer to like parts in all the above Figures.
a, a, are the blades or flaps; b, b, are the sole plates for the feet; and c, c. are
the hinges whereby the blades a and sole piece bare combined together; d, d, are
the heel pieces, with strap e for securing the heel of the foot; and f is the front
strap for securing the fore part of the foot of the wearer to the sole plates b of
the apparatus. These heel pieces and straps are made of any suitable material; for
example, in some cases the heel piece is made of a metal frame, with leather secured
to it by rivets or otherwise; but it is preferred to make them of some softer

page_text: material than leather, such as canvass or other suitable fabric, preferably such as
is not injuriously affected by sea water when the apparatus to which it is applied
is used for swimming with in the sea or salt water baths.
The hinges c are made of different forms, shapes, sizes, and construction, as will
be hereafter more particularly referred to. g is the india rubber band for keeping
the blades open when required for walking with the apparatus on stones and other
places. It should be noticed that the blades a, a, are hinged to the sole plate bat
or on each side of the centre thereof, and this is important both for the construction
and action of these plates, and for the following reasons:-That when the swiminer
strikes out with his legs to swim, the fulcrum of the lever is, as it were, taken
from one single starting point b', see Figures 3 and 6, and not from two starting
points, which would be the case if the blades were hinged further from the centre
point b¹ of the sole plate than they are; then, again, having struck out and partially
or wholly completed the leg stroke, the plates a come back and abut against the
sole pieces b, or against studs or blocks b³ thereon, which amounts to the same thing,
and by this means a firm resistance is offered to the action of the blades on the
water, while at the same time a buttress or resistance is afforded to the blades a;
they are thereby protected, as well as the hinges, from injury, and not nearly so
liable to break as when hinged to or nearly to the outer edges of the sole plates b.
For the return stroke or backward movement of the legs the plates nearly come
together, as shewn at Figure 3, only sufficient distance remaining between the
outer edges as to get a firm start or grip of the water for the return or backward
action, with at same time the advantages before explained and a great reduction of
resistance, chiefly owing to the fulcrum points b₁ being so close together. This
principle as it were in the construction is still more clearly illustrated, so far as it
relates to the fulcrum point or points, in the following Figures :-Figure 7, Sheet 2,
shews in side elevation, Figure 8 in plan, and Figure 9 an end view of a
swimming apparatus constructed according to this Invention where the hinged
portion is one single fulcrum point, and this is accomplished in this instance by
having the hinge made of wire such as is used for some packing cases.
This hinge
is made of coils of wire coated or not, two coils l, l, of which are secured to one
flap or blade, the two others m, m³, to the other flap or blade, the pin or wire n
passing through the coils, the wire n being secured to the sole plate b; Figure 10
is a cross section of same apparatus. In these views similar letters of reference
refer to like or corresponding parts, as in the previous Figures.
The action is similar to the action of the apparatus before described, but by the
use of binges of this description I am able to arrest the motion of the two plates a, a,
and at the same time bring them close enough together, and by simply bevilling
the inner edges o, o¹, one ou each blade, as shewn at Figures 8 and 9, the edges of
the two blades are thus caused to abut against the sole piece, which thus acts as a
stop, and cannot come closer together than into the position shewn at Figure 9;
at h, in Figure 2, in dotted lines I have shown a curved piece on the under side of
flap a in order to give or afford a better surface for walking on the beach or
otherwise; other blocks of wood or other material may be added for a like purpose.
i, Figure 10, shows a bevil surface on the sole plate for the foot to rest on instead
of on a flat surface, as heretofore described, which may sometimes be used if
desired, and for the other sole plate the direction of the bevilled surface should be
in the contrary direction to that of the other for the more effectually causing the
blades to act on the water.
Figure 11 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown applied to the foot of
wearer with the elastic band fitted thereto for holding the blades a, a, in position
while the wearer is on the beach or land, or other place other than the water,
before entering which the elastic band must be slipped over the blades or unbut-
toned Figure 12 is a view of a hand plate of similar construction in this
apparatus, the hinges c, c, are shown extending nearly from end to end of the
hand or sole plate, the underside of plate is provided with cross strips of wood ki,

page_text: to be gripped by the hand to prevent the appliance slipping from the grasp of the
swimmer; f¹ are the bands or loops under which to slip the bands for holding on
to the plates.
Sometimes instead of hinging the plates or flaps longitudinally, as before
described, I binge similar flaps crosswise, as shewn at Figure 13, which is a view
in plan of the underside of such an apparatus. By this means I provide a greater
bearing surface for the plates against the sole or bed plate, greater even than in
the other arrangements.
Sometimes also I place the sole plate further forward on the flaps than I have
shewn them in the Drawings. I do not, however, limit myself to the position of
these plates in respect to one another, or to the sole piece, except that the fulcrum
points of the hinges should be at or near the central part thereof. The plates and
hinges may be made of any convenient design or construction, and the hinges
having a large or small bearing surface on the plates themselves, as found most
convenient. Sometimes the hinges may extend from end to end of the plates or
flaps, as shown, for example, at Figure 12.
Figure 14 shews another form of hinge which clips the flaps on each side. The
bed of the hinge pin extends on each side of its centre, and is screwed to the sole
plate b, as shown.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I am aware that attempts have been
heretofore made to produce swimming appliances with flaps or plates which open
and close with the movement of the feet or hands. I lay no claim whatever simply
to the use of such flaps alone or separately, but I do claim as the aforesaid improve-
ments in swimming apparatus,—
First. The employment in such apparatus, hinged to a sole plate at or near the
central portion thereof, of plates or flaps operating substantially in the manner and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accom-
panying Drawings.
Second. The particular construction and combination of apparatus, namely, the
flaps a, a, binged at centre to flat or bevilled sole piece b, in combination with beel
pieces d, fasteners e and f, india rubber bands or loops g, and hinges and other
appliances, substantially in manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.