GB870877A - Improvements in or relating to inflatable body-attachments for marine lifesaving - Google Patents

Abstract

870,877. Inflatable life-jackets. FRANKENSTEIN & SONS (MANCHESTER) Ltd., P. Feb. 11, 1960 [Feb. 17, 1959], No. 5424/59. Class 77. An inflatable marine life-saving appliance, Figs. 2 and 3, having a neck opening 13 and adapted to be attached to the wearer's chest by means of a waist-encircling tape or tapes 29, is characterized in that the tape or tapes is or are normally anchored to, but capable when tensioned of sliding along, a loop of flexible material 32 whose ends are secured to patches 33 cemented to the opposite faces 10 and 11 of the appliance, at the lower part thereof. As shown in Fig. 4, the single length tape 29 has its central portion gathered into a small bight 30 by means of an attached strip 31 the resultant eye encircling the loop 32. When the appliance is deflated a press fastener element 34, within the eye of the tape, is connected to the other element 35 of the fastener, secured to the mid point of the loop. The loop 32 straightens out when the appliance is inflated but as soon as any pull is transmitted to the tape 29 by the press fastener 34, 35 the latter at once gives way and the loop 32 thereafter draws freely through the eye 30, 31 of the tape 29 which thus acquires no appreciable extra tension due to the expansion of the appliance. Thus if the appliance is worn back to front the tape will still position the lower end of the appliance without tightening the tape. The appliance is inflated from a gas bottle 17 operable by a toggle 19 and has oral inflation tubes 21, 22, and a lamp 25 connected by a cable 26 to a water-activated battery 27, The main buoyancy chamber 15 is divided into two compartments by a diaphragm 16. In another embodiment the appliance has a key-hole shaped neck opening and lifting beckets on either side thereof. The gas bottle is carried within the chamber 15 and operable by a pull knob disposed at the bottom of the appliance. A single long oral inflation tube is provided medially of the panel which normally faces outwardly of the wearer, so that if the appliance is worn back to front the tube can extend through the neck opening. The invention can also be applied to a "split-stole" jacket having permanentlyconnected front lobes and provided with a waist-attachment tape or tapes. Specification 673,035 is referred to.