US1034142A - Life-saving device. - Google Patents

Description

J. J. REGTENWALD.

LIFEiSAVING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1911.

Patented July 30, 1912;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

4 TTORNEY5 J. J. RBCTENWALD.

LIFE SAVING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1911.

Patented July 30, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

A TTORNE Y5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. YRECTENWALD, 0F MOUNT OLIVER BOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

LIFE-SAVING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters latent. Patented July 30, 1912, Application filed July 15, 1911. Serial No 638,667.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN- J. REOTENWALD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Mount Oliver borough, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This inventl'onrelates to life saving .de-" vices especially designed for a r craft, and

the invention resides in a novel construction,

combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed. a I v Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein Figure 1 1s a side elevation of a portion of an air craft in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is a bottomplan of the same, Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a portion of the craft, Fig. 4 is a bottom plan portion of the craft illustrating a modification of the invention, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the 3 same.

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a bi-plane of the ordinary type, the bi-plane having the longitudinal rudder frames 1 thereof connected by straps 2 beneath the lower plane of the machine, and suitably connected to said straps, as at 4 are collapsed flexible bags or receptacles 6, which when inflated'constitute floats capable of sustaining the machine upon the surface of a body of water, said bags orreceptacles constitute floats and of a combined width substantially equal to the distance between flated to constitute a float cooperating with the floats beneath the bottom plane of the machine. 7

The bags or receptacles 6 and 9 are connected by branch tubes or hose 10 to a pipe 11 in communication with a tank or reservoir 12, said tank being located in the rear of the drivers seat 13 of. the machine. The

or any suitable gas or gas producing sub stances or chemicals, the air or gas being retained under pressure, and the pipe 11 is provided with a valve 14 convenient to the operators seat 13, whereby the valve 14 can be opened and the contents of the tank or reservoir 12 admitted to the bags or receptacles 6 and 9. It is preferable to store carbon-dioxid (C0,) or other fire extinguishing gases in the tank or reservoir 12, where by' thetubes 10 can be detached from the floats and the; carbon-dioxid or other gas used for extinguishing fire as might occur by a leakage in the. gasolene tank, pipes or other parts of the operating mechanism of the air craft.

It is a well known fact that it is the practice of aviators toafollow wherever possible.

rivers and bodies of water and thereby lessen .tank 12 is adapted to contain carbon-dioxid the danger of their lives being lost-should an accident occur. As-an additional safety factor, I provide the floats in connection with the air craft, not only to save the life of the operator of thecraft, but to prevent the craft from sinking in the body of water and becoming a total loss. When an aviator discovers that he 'mustalight u on a body of water, it is only necessary for im to open the valve 14 to inflate the floats 6 and '9, and

these floats are of suflicient size to support the machine upon the surface of the bodyof water. t

The air craft is provided with a water propeller designated 20 and mounted upon the end of a shaft: 23, journaled in bearings 22' carried by frames 19 located at the base of the aircraft The shaft 23 is provided with a sprocketwheel 24 and this wheel is driven by a chain 25 passing over ag sprocket wheel 26 mounted upon the main driven shaft 27 v ofthe air craft. The rear rudder 28 ofthe air craft can be used for steering the ma chine either in the air or in water.

In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings there 1s illustrated a modification of-theinvention wherein additional propellers are shown to cooperate with the propeller 20, said pro pellers being arranged to revolve in unison and two of said propellers in an opposite direction, to serve functionally as a brake. The frame 19 is provided with two inwardly projecting brackets and journaled in said brackets are shafts 31. Mounted upon the outer ends of the shafts 31 are beveled gear wheels 32 meshing with beveled gear wheels 33 mounted upon shafts 34, journaled in the brackets 30 and bearings 35, carried by one of the frames 19. Mounted upon the shafts 34are propellers 36. The inner ends of the shaft 23 are provided with beveled gear wheels 37 and adapted to alternately mesh with these gear wheels are beveled gear wheels 38 slidably mounted upon the shaft 23 and adapted to rotate therewith. The beveled gear wheels 38 are connected by a collar 39 and this collar is shifted throhgh the medium of a connecting rod 40 having a forward end thereof pivotally connected, as at 41 to an operating lever 42 fulcrumed upon a bracket 43, carried by the 'operators' seat 13. In addition to the propellers 36 and 20, other propellers or paddles can be used by locating the same upon the axles or spokes of the wheels of the craft.

lrVhat I claim is:

An air craft including a body portion, inflatable buoyantineans therefor,adrive shaft for aerial propulsion arranged in the upper portion of said body, a propeller carried by said shaft and positioned rearwardly of said body portion, a rearwardly extending frame arranged below and suspended from said body, inwardly projecting brackets carried by the sides of said frame, a pair of outer propeller shafts for marine propulsion, said outer shafts journaled in said brackets and said frame, propellers carried by said outer shafts between the brackets and the forward end of the frame, an intermediate propeller shaft for marine propulsion journaled in said frame, a propeller carried by said intermediate shaft rearwardly of said frame, means for operating said intermediate propeller shaftfrom said drive shaft,and means for operating said outer shafts from said intermediate shaft.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 111 the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN J. RECTENWALD.

\Vitnesses:

MAX H. SnoLovITz, KARL H. BUTLER.

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