US1342619A - Swimming appliance - Google Patents

Description

G. W. BECHTEL.

SWIMMING APPLIANCE.

APPLICAHON FILED NOV. 5,1-919,

. 1,342,61 9, Patented June 8, 1920.

2 SHEE'lS-SHEET I.

1,342,619; Patented June 8,1920.

'2 SHEEIS-SHEET 2.

m: an. to z George WBechlel UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. BECI-ITEL, 0F SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

SWIMMING APPLIANCE.

Application filed November 5, 1919.

Z '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. BEOHTEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in S w1mming Appliances, of which the followmg 1s a specification.

The present invention relates to an 1mproved swimming appliance designed for manual propulsion and capable of belng steered both laterally and vertically whereby, in addition to the usual lateral steering, the appliance may be made to dive or descend below the surface of the water, or ascend from below to the surface, at the will of the swimmer by proper manipulation of the required devices.

The primary object of the invention 1s the provision of a buoyant swimming ap: pliance for use primarily in the sport of swimming, but capable, also, of being used as a self propelled life-saving apparatus when needed, and the invention consists essentially in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the appended specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention is illustrated, the parts being combined and arranged according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles of the invention.

' Figure 1 is a side elevation of a swim-- ming appliance built in accordance with the present invention and embodying the novel features thereof.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the appliance of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the operating gears for the propeller wheel, located preferably at the bow of the appliance, the housing and tubular casin for the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1920.

Serial No. 335,874.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the stern rudder for lateral steering of the appliance, showing also the foot operated tiller bar or tlller that is pivoted 011 the adjustable post.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view at line 66 of Fig. 2, showing a lever for controlling one of the vertical rudders or steering blades.

In the preferred form of the invention as illustrated in the drawings the appliance is adapted for use and propulsion by a single person, and consequently is sufficiently large to buoyantly support a swimmer, but is not so large as to be cumbersome and difficult to handle or manipulate by the swimmer. The body of the appliance comprises a keelboard 1 extending fore and aft approximately the full length of the appliance, of

.suitable wood and of proper dimensions for the convenience of the swimmer, while above the keel-board is a comparatively shorter deck board 2 secured to the keelboard amidships of the appliance and of width to permit the swimmer to sit astride the deck or straddle the deck board and keel-board when in swimming position. Beneath the keelboard are two keel sections 3 and 4:, the latter secured near the bow of the appliance and the former nearer the stern, the forward ends or prows of these keel sections being sharpened as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The keel sections are of proper weight, size and material to perform the usual functions and stabilize the appliance while afloat in the water, and are rigidly attached beneath the keel board as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

A pair of transversely arranged guide braces 5 and 6 are provided on top of the deck board and are cut out or curved at 5'- 6 to conform to the shape of the legs when the swimmer sits astride of the deck board between the forward fixed brace 5 and the aft horizontally swiveled brace 6. The respective braces 5 and 6 are equipped with securing pins or bolts 7 and 8 passed downwardly through them, (the bolt 8 havin a wing-nut 9) and through the longitudinafily extending central slot 10 in the deck board. Thus it will be seen that the braces or cross bars may be adjusted by the bolt andslot connection to suit the convenience of the 25 pliance. The propeller shaft extends hugewith thedriving shaft or crank shaft, and

peller wheel 11 and its shaft 12 by turning the two crank handles 13 and 14, on the ends of the transversely extending gear shaft 15, located beneath the keel board and keel sections in convenient position tobe grasped by the'two hands of the swimmer. The shaft 15 carries the large gear wheel or driver. 16 which meshes with the smaller pinion 17 on the countershaft 18 parallel a bevel gear wheel 19 on this countersha'ft engaging with the bevel pinion 20 on the propeller shaft rotates the shaft to drive,

thepropeller wheel 11' and propel the aptu-dinally of the appliance beneath the forward keel section 4 and is supported therefrom in brackets 21, and a tubular casing" 22 lncloses the shaft, while the housing or. gear case 23 conforming to the gear wheels within incloses the. gears. Oil may be placed in the casing and housing to lubricate and reduce friction, and these parts will of course bewater tight to prevent egress of the oil I and ingress of water. The housing and casing are of metal, preferably, and side flanges 24: are provided by means of which they are attached to and supported from the forward keel section at as indicated in dotted lines in lior lateralor surface steering of the ap-v pliance,- a rudder 25 1s ut1l1Zed,-the material andv size and shape being such as best suited for the purpose and the rudder is attached by its stein-26 to the tiller 2?, which latter,

is atransversely arranged bar, pivoted at 28 on the rudder post 29 which is passed through a selected hole 29, passing vertically through the keel board and through the keel section- 3. -There' are a number of theseopeningsQS', the series extending fore anrlafta-stern of the deck board, and the tiller post may be located in any one of these holestobest adapt the steering to the length of the legs of the swimmer, suit hiseonvenience. 7

At the ends-of the tiller are located stirrups-o'r loops 30', made of bent metallic rods with their outer ends fitted in sockets in the extremities of the tiller and their inner ends 31 bent to pass transversely through'the horizontal slots 32 in the tiller, and each end 31, which is'threaded, is provided with a clamp nut 33' so that the stirrups may be adjusted to moved toward or away from the tiller post or swivel point 28 of the tiller, and secured in adjusted position by the clamp nuts. it will readily be apparent that, with the toes and forefoot stuck down through the stirrupsand the ball of the foot pressing against the front face of the tiller, the latter may be turned on its post to steer the appliance in well known manner.

F or descending below or rising to the surface of the water, a fore rudder 34 and an aft rudder 35 are employed, these rudders, in the form of a horizontally disposed blade or vane, being hinged at 36" on the keel board 1 at its bow and stern, and connected by rods 37 and 38 on topof the keel boa-rd, extending beneath the deck board and pivotally attached to the hand levers 39 and 40 respectively. These levers are hinged or pivoted at ll on the keel board, and extend out beyond the sides of the keel board where they are in convenient position to be Inanipulated by the hands of the swimmer,- and they may be held in adjusted position by engagement with the rack plates42, one for each lever attached at the sides of the deck board. In Fig. 1 the movement of these two vertically moving rudders orplanes isindicated in dotted lines, and they may read-x ily be adjusted manually by'man-ipulation of the handle levers 39 and a0; and the con-' necting rods 37 and 38; 'Outri'gging or bow the appliance may be propelled and steered by the swimmer, while in aswimmers posture, and 'thatthe appliance may be steered both laterally and vertically andmade to maneuver as desired,- by hand and foot,-whi'le being propelled by hand power.

What I claim is- 1. In a swimming appliance, thee com'-. bination with manually operated propellingmeans, of a stern rudder forlateral ste'ering including a fixed stem and transversely arranged tiller, means on theti'l-le'r for engagement by the feet of the swimmer, and hand operatedbow and stern rudders for-f steering the appliance in vertical planes 2. The combination with the keel board and keel sections, the deck board andadjustable braces on the deckboard-between which the swimmer may sitastride, propelling means for the appliance, and steer-- ing means for the appliance, as described;

3. The combination with the propelled appliance including its kee'l board and keel section having a? series of openings there through, of a' transversely disposed tiller having its post passed through a selected one of said openings, foot stirrups at the ends of said tiller, and a rudder afiixed to the tiller as described.

at. The combination with the long keel board and the fore and aft keel sections attached at the underside thereof, of a shorter deck board having a central longitudinal slot, a pair of transversely arranged braces having supporting bolts passed through said slot and adjustable therein whereby the swimmer may straddle the deck board between said braces, and manually operable means for propelling and steering the appliance.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGE W. BEOHTEL.

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