AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO FACILITATE SWIMMING
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Overton, of Percy Street, Coventry, in the County
of Warwick, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO FACILITATE
SWIMMING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Overton at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th May 1881.
JOHN OVERTON, of Percy Street, Coventry, in the County of Warwick. "AN
IMPROVED APPARATUS TO FACILITATE SWIMMING."
My Invention relates to an apparatus to facilitate persons to learn to swim, and
also to aid good swimmers and other persons in case of shipwreck or other accidents
on the water.
It consists of a pair of apparatus to be attached one to each leg below the knee,
but preferably round the ankle. A band or strap of leather or other suitable
material is fastened by means of a buckle or by any other suitable attachment
round the leg. Inside or outside this band or strap and all the way round is
stitched or sewn or otherwise secured a deep strip of textile fabric, india-rubber,
parchment, leather, or any other suitable material, or any of them in combination.
Ribs of metal, wood, or whalebone, or any other suitable substance are hinged or
suspended at the bottom of the band or strap, and are bent outwards and upwards.
The lower extremities of these ribs extend downwards to the bottom of the strip
of textile fabric or other material, where they are connected by any suitable means;
or the ribs may be straight and fixed at their top ends acting only by their own
elasticity.
In practice the textile fabric or other material expands by pressure against the
water, and contracts when that pressure is withdrawn, thus affording the means of
locomotion on the same principle that fishes swim. A bearing-piece is attached to
the band or strap and passes under the sole of the foot when the apparatus is
secured round the ankles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Overton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th November
1881.
JOHN OVERTON, of Percy Street, Coventry, in the County of Warwick.
IMPROVED APPARATUS TO FACILITATE SWIMMING."
" AN
My Invention relates to an apparatus to facilitate persons to learn to swim, and
also to aid good swimmers and other persons in case of shipwreck or other accidents
on the water.
It consists principally of a pair of apparatus to be attached one to each leg
below the knee, but preferably round the ankle. A band or strap of leather or
other suitable material is fastened by means of a buckle or by any other suitable
attachment round the leg. Inside or outside this band or strap and all the way
round is stitched or sewn or otherwise secured a deep strip of textile fabric, india-
rubber, parchment, leather, or any other suitable material, or any of them in
combination. Ribs of metal, wood, or whalebone, or any other suitable substance
are binged or suspended at the bottom of the band or strap, and are bent outwards
and upwards. The lower extremities of these ribs extend downwards to the
bottom of the strip of textile fabric or other material, where they are connected by
any suitable means; or the ribs may be straight and fixed at their top ends acting
only by their own elasticity. Any number of these ribs which may be found most
suitable may be employed.
In practice the textile fabric or other material expands by pressure against the
water, and contracts when that pressure is withdrawn, thus affording the means of
locomotion on the same principle that fishes swim.
A bearing piece is attached to the band or strap and passes under the sole of the
foot when the apparatus is secured round the ankles.
But in order that my Invention may be more clearly understood, I will proceed
to describe the same by the aid of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the apparatus to be secured round the leg in its closed
position; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same in its open or expanded position; and
Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2.
The
A is a band or strap of leather or other suitable material fastened by means of a
buckle or catch B or other suitable attachment round the leg; C is the strip of
textile fabric, india-rubber, parchment, leather, or other suitable material, or any of
them in combination; D are the ribs of metal, wood, or whalebone, or any other
suitable substance hinged or suspended at the bottom of the band or strap A.
lower extremities of these ribs extend downwards to the bottom of the strip of
textile fabric or other material C, where they are connected by any suitable means.
They are shown spread out or extended at their lower extremities for the purpose
of facilitating the closing of the apparatus when the pressure of the water is
withdrawn, but if necessary the two legs of the ribs may be parallel and jointed
together at their lower extremities by one clip; E are clips for attaching the
lower extremities to the textile fabric or other material. Figs. 4 and 5 are
respectively front and side elevations of the ribs D, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of
the same; F is the bearing piece passing under the sole of the foot.
Fig. 7 shows a back elevation of a modification of the apparatus to be attached
to the hands; Fig. 8 is a front elevation of same; and Fig. 9 is an end view of
same.
The strap or band A in this case is fixed by means of a buckle or other attach-
ment round the wrist, and the textile fabric or other material C is provided on its
inner surface with a band or strap of any suitable material G forming openings for

page_text: the fingers and thumb, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The ribs D are secured to the
strap or band A and they are parallel, their lower extremities being. jointed
together by means of the clips E.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, what I claim is the improved apparatus to facilitate
swimming, substantially as herein described and shown in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Overton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty third day of November, in the year of our Lord
1881.
JOHN OVERTON. (L.S.)