US1060434A - Life-preserver. - Google Patents

Description

D. J. DEMAS.

LIFE PRESERVER.

LIGATION FILED M011 1912.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1v gmeowow D. J DEMAS.

LIFE PRBSBRVER.

APPLIOATION rum) DBO 11, 1912v Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

3 SHBETS SHEET 2.

l'vbbncooco D. J DEMAS LIFE PRESBRVER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC 11 I912.

Patented Apr. 29, 1.913

3 SHEETS SHEET 3.

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IlJl] emas- QM/m 1 914440 OOQO DEMETRIOB J. DEMAB, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

mrE-ransnavsn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1 913.

Application tiled December 11, 1912. Serial No. 738,227.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DEMETRIOS J. DEMAB, a citizen of the United States residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Alleghen State of Pennsylvania, have inventet certain new and useful Improvements in Lifelreservcrs, of which the following is a specification.

and has particular reference to a device of and i this character provided with novel means whereby the operator may readily travel through the water in desired directions.

An im ortant object of this invention is to provi tioned character, that a person may securely attach to the same whereby he will not become separated or which is so constructed e a life preserver of the above menhimself 1 disconnected therefrom in case he should fall asleep, faint or otherwise be- I come unconscious.

A further object of my invention is toprovide a life preserver of the above men-.

tionedcharacter, which will'support the operator in the most comfortable manner"; so that he will not become unduly fatigued A further object ofmy invention is to a life preserver of'the. above men-1 provide.

tioned character, which is strong, durable and cheap to manufacture.

Other ob'ects and advanta es of the mof the following escription.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, Figure 1 is a side view of the life preserver complete, shOWin the operator in place within. the same, ig. 2 is a plan viewof the complete life preserver, Fig. 3 iso longitudinal sec-.

tional view taken on line 3 3 of-F-ig. 2, Fig. 4 is a plan view of the life preserver,

the upper section or sections of cork beinging the sections of cork tothe main frame,

Fig. 8 is aside view of the improved form of screw, and, Fi 9 is a diagrammatic view showing a plum ity of life reservers connected with my improved li c preserver.

In the drawlngs, wherein for the sake of I a'central opening 11 My invention relates to life preservers vention wil be apparent durmgthe course the like.

illustration, I have shown a referred embodiment of my invention tie numeral 9 designates a main lon itudinal reinforcing frame, which is prefera ly formed of aluminum, although other suitable material may be employed. This reinforcing frame coinprises an enlarged bodv portion 10, having formed therethroug 1 for receivin the passenger or operator. The reinforcing frame 9 has portions thereof formed I-sha ed in cross-section, as shown. The rein orcing frame 9 comprises a laterally reduced forwardly extending portion 12, provided with a longitudinally extendingpropeller openin 13, as shown. This opening 13 is prefers ly rectangular and has upstandin walls 14, as shown. The longitudinal wa ls 14 are reinforced by upstandin ribs or lugs 16. The reinforcing frame 9 urther comprises a forward nose or reduced port-ion 16, provided with a lonitudinally extending opening 17, as shown.

he forward end of the nose 16 is provided with a longitudinal opening 18, which lead into the opening 17. An eye bolt 19 or the like passes through the opening 18 and carries a nut or nuts 20, disposed within the opening 17. The function of this eye bolt is to provide attaching means whereby the life preserver may be coupled or connected with another life preserver or to a boat or Connected with the rear end of the enlarged body portion 10, is a second eye bolt 21 or the like, forming means whereby any suitable number of life preservers may beconnected with my improved life preserver.

Rigidly connected with the enlarged body ortion are de endin rods 22, to the ower end of which are hinged or pivoted vertically swinging rods 23. These rods 23 carry at their lower ends a seat 24. The seat 24 is disposed directly beneath the opening 11, to support the operator therein. It is thus seen that the seat 24 by supporting the o erator or passenger will prevent him from eing subjected to undu'e fatigue while the body portion 10 will securely hold him in place upon the seat and prevent him from slilpping-ofi' of the same should he fall as eep or otherwise become unconscious.

In order that the passenger or operator may travel through the water, I provide propelling means or the life preserver, such propelling means comprising a rotatable propeller including a hub 25, which is rigi-orlc or other suitable material that idly mounted upon a rot-atable transverse. shaft 26. Connectedwith' the hub 25 aret propeller blades 27. I preferably have two of the ropeller blades 27 which lieinwther same p ane detachably connected with the. hub 25,. By, this means; these. propeller blades may be removed'and secured to the other two propeller blades which 'maynow occu y a substantially horizontal position withimthe opening-'13. This is done for lhepurpose of" protecting the propeller blades against 'bein broken when'the-life: preserver is-beings iippedlor is not in use. instead of 'h'aving only I two of'='the propeller blades detachably'con-nected with the -hubi all of them may be dctachablw connectedl therewith, if desi-redi Each of'the' ropeller? blades-Q'Z'is detach'ably'connecte "w1thai chain or other flexible element 28; having itso posite-end permanently-connected wit l the 'ub'25. Th'e'function-of th'is chain*28"! is to prevent the 'pr cller' 'blade from 'turning upomits longitu inal'axis and prevent; the same from :being' lost in case it should i breakor-otherwise'be' disconnected' from' the; hub';-- The shaft) 26 isjournaled tliroughl bearings 28; formed u on the side' walls'=14,, as-sh'owm One endo -'theshaft-'QN-isjour-2 na'led throu h a bracket 29, which is anextension of t ie-main reinforcin' 'fra-me -andl ispreferably cast: integral t erewith'; asg sh'own: Ri'gidly connected" withtlitvouter end of the shaft 26)- is asmall-lpinion: '30,; mounted within th bracket 29"and' driven l by alarge gear-"wheel' ill', asshown: Thisl large ear wheel is 'rigidl. mounted u on a seeon v transverserotata le shaft 3 asl showm The shaft 82 is journaled throughi upstanding "lugs or' bearin 88, which i are! )referably cast integrall with 'the reinforcing'frame and'braeket 29. The shaft 32isl rotated by a manually operated? crank or: handle 34. Disposed at the forwarden'd'of! the life' preserver and near" and belowthe! nose 16' 1s a direction"rudder-35,- which is; rigidly connected with an upstandingrshaftl 36, which is -j ournal'cdthrough a'bearmg-37,, as shown. Rigidly' connected withthe! upper end of-the shaft Bll'is a lever 38' hav ing'connection at its ends with a'fiexibie' ele ment 39. This flexible elementmay b'e 'al section" of chain; cord', or: thelik'e; The! flexible element 89 passes through guidea eyes orloops 40, mountedupon"removable! stri s41. Connected-with the TBMPOItiOj'H of t e'flexibleelemem QST-are'sna 'liooks42! to have detachable connection with fixed' e! bolts 43 or the lilde. Itis thusseew'thatzy' proper manipulationofthe fieXible-elementi 39 the operator on passenger 'mayj steer'the! life 'preserver in the desired direction.

Disposed'upon the upper'and 'lower sidesi of the main reinforcing frame 9 'are"'Beparate 'forw ard' and rear'sections =44 mass- 5 .causethe device to float. These sections of ,cork con-form generallytothe shape of the main reinforcing frame 9, as shown. The upper: and lower sections of cork 44 are .properly secured to the main reinforcing frame-9b means of im roved scre-wss lfi, as shown 1n F ig. 7. Eac screw comprises 'a'screw 'element47 and an anchor or socket element 48, as shown. The socket element 48 is embedded within one of the sections 4A of' corkwhile -thescrew element 47' passes -through"-the'other sections 44: and into the sockeflor anchor' element 48, thesame also passin' i throughan opening 49- formed th'roug thwextension =12 of the main frame.

'Th'ere ma'ybe -any suitable number of th'esc screws to hold the sections 44 together and ';they 1nay be suitably arranged as-1s found to 'beadvantageousa The rear sections-'45 of =eork= are connected together or secured to the main reinforcing-frame hy 'any suitable number'of the screws 46.

P The sectionsof corlo '44 and 1 46 are' covered by a'casin or'sheathing: Th'is-casin ';is preferably-- ormed of canvas-althoug any other" suitably tough -and'- flexiblematerial may'be employed. The-casing ispreferably constructedintwo parts,- 50'and' 51. The'forward art 50 is formed in' two sec tions 52, whic are laced'=together'at their outer adj acent edges; as shown at' 53! Each 'of theswsections' 52 is" provided": with an opening 'fi' t to receive 'thelarge gear wheel 331i as l shown; Each: ofthe sections 1 52- is also' provided l with a'large central opening surrounding the" walls 14' of the propeller opening'lfiw Each secoonil'fi (formed of canvas ovi'the'like) has its'inaterinl adjacent the o ening=*13f0lded back upon' itself 'forprovi ing 'pookets on hems lili (see-Fig. 0); withinz'whlch are'disposed" sections of wire 56. The inneredgesvof the-heme 55 which hold: the -wires i 56;- as more clearly shown in'Fig. 6; are' disposed within grooves 'onreoesses-IST, as shown. Thedongitudinal strips 41*h0ld these seotions-ofwire 56 with- 'in th'egroovesa thus securely attaching the sections 52 with the main reinforcing 'frame.

The strips 4l are held in :place by-screws- 58 or thelike At the forward endsof'the 'str-ips 41"is -a-transverse=strip"59,' and it is'to -.be'understood--that the'section 62' is proivided with the same construction below the 'strip- 29, asset-forthin connection with 'strips 41. The rear part'51 of thecasing'is -formcd of' a single-section ofcanvason the dike, having'itsinner'ad acent'edges suitab l-y-laccd' together,was-s own' at'60. The forward and I rear parts fio'and 61- are laced 'to therg'as shown' at 61.

r p n Fig.4), which is a-diagrammatic view, haveshown my improved life preserver connected with a suitable number of life preservers'02,' by mcans of flexilileelements "($3. These life preserversmay be of any A 254, thus rotating the propeller in either direction, depending upon the direction in which he desires to travel. By manipulating the flexible element 39 the device may i he steered in either direction with respect to its lon 'tudinal travel.

It is to e understood that the form of m 1 invention, herewith hown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that certain changes in the shape, size and arrangement. of parts ma be resorted to without departing from t e spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

lHaving thus described my invention, I c a1m:-

1. In a life preserver of the character described, a main reinforcin metallic frame provided with an enlarge opening to re-' ceive the body of the operator or assen er and a propeller opening disposed orwardly of the enlarged openin section or sections of cork mounted upon t e frame, a propeller mounted within the propeller o ening, manually operated means to rotate t a propeller, and a seat suspended from the remforcing frame and arranged below the enlarged opening to properly support the operator or passenger.

2. In a life preserver of the character described, a main reinforcing metallic frame having an enlarged rear portion provided with an enlarged opening to receive the body of the o erator or passenger and having a forwardl y extendin contracted portion provided with a prope er opening, a transverse shaft journaled throu h the forward contracted portion and a jacent the propeller opening, a propeller mounted within the propeller opening and connected with the transverse shaft, a pinion carried by the transverse shaft, a laterally extendin r bracket carried by the forward contracted portion, a second transverse shaft journaled through the laterally extending; bracket, a large gear wheel carried by the aecphd transverse shaft and engaging the pinion, an upstanding shaft' journaled through the forward portion of the forward contracted portion, a rudder connected with the upstandingi shaft, a lever connected with the upper en of the upstanding shaft, a flexible element connected with the lever and extending rearwardly adjacent the enlarged opening which receives the body of the operator or passenger, light floating material carried by the ,reinforcing frame to cause the entire device to float, and means to rotate the second named shaft.

3. In a life preserver of the character described, a main reinforcin metallic frame, section or sections of cor disposed upon opposite sides of the frame, a casing surrounding the section or sections of cork and the metallic frame, said metallic frame being provided with grooves, the casing being provided with pockets, rods disposed within the pockets and adapted to fit within thegrooves, plates disposed upon the rods to retain them within the grooves, and means connecting the plates with the metallic frame.

4. In a life preserver 0f the character described, a long rigid floating structure provided near its rear end with an opening to receive the body of the operator and provided forwardly thereof with a pro eller opening extending longitudinall o the floating structure, a seat connecte with the body portion directly below the opening for receiving the operator and disposed a suitable distance therebelow so that the operator will be held in an upright position and prevented from slipping from the apparatus,-

a rotatable propeller mounted within the propeller opening, a crank disposed near one longitudinal side of the floating structure and in convenient reach of the operator when assuming the upright position, and speed increasing driving connection means between the crank and the rotatable propeller.

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

DEMETRIOS J. DEMAS.

Witnesses:

CALVIN T. MILANS, C. \V. Panama.

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