US1145510A - Life-preserver. - Google Patents

Description

N. PSZYSTAS.

LIFE PRESEBVER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1914. 1,145,511 0. Patented July 6, 1915.

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FUEL 1 2:9" m 3- '3 WITNESSES: 7/ 1/ '70 INVENTOR. 6? @Mi 3-. W W I @425. @4164 F By ATTORNEY S',

NICHOLAS PSZYSTAS, WESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Application filed November 7, 1914. Serial No. 870,897.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NICHOLAS PSZYSTAS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Westfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Life-Preserver, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in life-saving devices, and more particularly to that class of such devices in which is included means of propulsion and steering means, and said invention consists in general of a jointed and foldingframe provided with buoyant elements, a seat and a support for the feet, and certain peculiar propellirfg and steering mechanism, all as hereinafter set forth.

The object of my invention is to provide a comparatively simple and lightweight life-preserver, that can be folded for convenience in storing and in carrying about, and to equip such a device with easily operated means for both propelling and steering the same with the hands of the operator, either or both operations being performed by the operator while he grasps a cranked shaft. The operator does not have to release his original grasp, or make any manual change during the acts of propelling and steering this device, beyond the ordinary movement of the hands to revolve the aforesaid shaft and to oscillate the same on a horizontal plane. This is an important advantage, because it enables the operator to maintain constant control of the driving apparatus, and of the steering apparatus as well, using both hands for the purpose.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description.

I attain the objects and secure the advantages of my invention by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a life-preserver that embodies a practical form of my invention; Fig. 2, a bottom plan of the same, a portion of the foot-rest being removed to show in full lines the parts at and adjacent to the junction of the propeller shaft with its post, and, Fig. 3, an edge elevation of said life-preserver, showing it folded in readiness to be transported out of the water, or to be hung on some suitable support.

Similar numerals designate similar parts through the several views.

Although I have shown and will describe a preferred construction of the life-preserver, it is to be understood that changes in the shape, size, arrangement, and construction of some or all of its parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. 7

Referring to the drawings it will be observed that the frame of the life-preserver consists of fore and aft sections 1 and 2, respectively, which have inner semi-circular members 3--3, the contiguous ends of which are hinged or pivoted together at 44, and form, when the frame is extended or open, a ring for the body of the person using the device, that is, the operator. This frame may be constructed out of wood or metal, and should. be as light in weight as possible. Each pivot 4 passes through a pair of lugs 5 which depend from eachpair of contiguous terminals of the ring-forming members 3, and the construction and arrangement are such that the frame sections 1 and 2,

with their members 3, can be brought into,

alinement with each other, as shown in the first two views, or can be folded downwardly or inwardly so as'to assume a parallel relationship, as shown in the last view. The frame members are prevented, when opened or extended, from passing beyond a plane common to both, by means of the contiguous ends of the members 3, which ends come together as soon as the full open position is attained and so effectively check further movement upwardly or outwardly on the pivots *1. Buoyancy in the required degree is produced through the medium of fore and aft floats or pads 6 and 7, respectively, which are secured to the frame sections 1 and 2, respectively. These pads or floats may be made of upper and under sheets of water-proof fabric or other material, and a filling of cork or other suitable material. The floats 6 and 7 are let into the sections 1 and 2, and the major portion of the thickness of each of said floats is below the bottom inner plane of the section to which it is attached. Eyes 8-8 are provided at the outer ends of the frame sections 1 and 2 for the reception of a hook or other supporting device, when the life-preserver is folded and stored. The lugs 5 are of sufficient length to leave room for the floats when the frame is folded. Attached to the rear ring member 3 is a seat 9, preferably of flexible material, and having its ends secured to the frame sections 1 and 2 near their outer terminals and beneath the floats 6 and 7 is a fo0trest 10. The foot rest 10 in this case consists of a strip of flexible material of sufficient length to extend the required distance below the center of the frame, when the latter is extended, to accommodate the feet of the person on the seat 9. An oscillatory post 11 is mounted beneath and supported from the frame section 1 in the central longitudinal plane of said section and just forward of the body opening in the ring members 3. Journaled in the post 11 is a shaft 12 having therein two cranks 13, one for each hand of the operator when seated in the life-preserver. Two collars 14c on the shaft 12, one each side of the post 11, hold said shaft against endwise movement. Secured on the shaft 12 at each end is a propeller 15. Hangers or brackets 16 are provided as additional supports for the shaft 12 and the parts and members carried thereby. The brackets 16 depend from the section 1 at or adjacent to the junction with said section of its member 3, and are rigidly secured thereto. The base of each bracket 16 is in the form of a bearing box 17 which is provided to re ceive the shaft 12, and in which said shaft not only can revolve freely, but can also be oscillated, the ends of such box limiting the amount of the oscillatory movement. The amount of oscillation permitted the shaft 12 by the boxes 17 is sulhcient for the steering operation presently to be described. Securely attached to and depending from the frame section 2, near the rear end thereof, is a stud or post 18, and mounted on said post is a rudder 19 of ordinary type. A tiller in the form of oppositely-disposed laterallyextending arms 20 is provided for the rud der, and tiller ropes 2121 (or equivalent members) extend from the outer ends of said tiller or arms to a pair of rings 22 loosely mounted on the shaft 12. Each ring 22 is located on the shaft 12 between one of the cranks 13 and a pin 23 set transversely in said shaft. The ropes 21 are both of the same length. The shaft 12 can revolve in the rings 22 without carrying them around with it. It will be seen from the foregoing that oscillation on the part ofthe shaft 12 is transmitted through the rings 22, the ropes 21 and the arms 20 to the rudder 19, wherefore the latter is operated from said shaft to steer the lifepreserver, said shaft being actuated by the hands of the operator on the cranks 13, in whichever direction may be required to throw said rudder in the proper direction. This steering operation can be effected either while the shaft 12 is being revolved or when said shaft is rotatably idle. In practice the operator sits on the seat 9, with his feet on the support 10, bends forward and grasps the cranks 13, and revolves the shaft 12 and the propellers 15 to drive the device through the water, steering meanwhile in the manner described above. The device can be driven backward as well as forward, the backward movement being brought about simply by reversing the direction of the propellers.

Obviously this device is well adapted for aquatic pleasure, besides being a safe and serviceable life-preserver.

What I claim as my invention, and desire with a float-provided frame, and brackets having slotted bearing boxes, said brackets being attached to said frame, of a rotary crank-shaft carried by said boxes and adapted to be oscillated therein, propelling members on said shaft, a rudder supported from said frame, and connections between said shaft and rudder, whereby the latter is controlled by the former.

3. The combination, in a life-preserver,

with a float-provided frame, brackets having slotted bearing boxes, said brackets being attached to said frame, and an oscillatory post carried by said frame, of a crank-shaft journaled to rotate in said post and bearing and adapted to oscillate in said boxes, means to hold said shaft against endwise movement, and propelling members on said shaft.

4. The combination, in a life-preserver, with a float-provided frame, brackets having slotted bearing boxes, said brackets being attached to said frame, and an oscillatory post carried by said frame, of a crank-shaft journaled to rotate in said post and bearing and adapted to oscillate in said boxes, means to hold said shaft against endwise movement, propelling members on said shaft, a rudder supported from said frame, and connections between said shaft and rudder whereby the latter is controlled by the I former.

5. The combination, in a life-preserver, with a float-provided frame, of a rotary and oscillatory crank-shaft carried by said frame, propelling members on said shaft, loose members on said shaft, a rudder supported from said frame, and tiller connections between said loose members and said rudder, whereby the latter is controlled by said shaft.

6. The combination, in a life-preserver, with a float-provided jointed and folding frame consisting of fore and aft sections having body-receiving members at their inner ends, and body-supporting means attached to said frame, of a rotary and oscillatory crank-shaft carried by and transversely to said fore section, propelling members on said shaft at both ends, a rudder supported from said aft section, and connections between said shaft, at points on both sides of its transverse center, and said rudder,Whereby the latter is controlled by the former.

Copies of. this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. G.

NICHOLAS PSZYSTAS.

Witnesses:

F. A. CUTTER, A. C. FAIRBANKS.

Commissioner of Patents,

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