US1595A - Ralph bulkley - Google Patents

Description

iIFFICE.

RALPH' BULKLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 1,595, dated May 8, 1840.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, RALPH BULKLEY, of the city of New York, Sta-te of New York,

. have invented a new and Improved Mode of Protection to Persons Exposed in Vater, called the New York Patent Metallic Life- Protector, and do hereby declare thatV the following is a full and exact description.

My invention consists in providing persons individually exposed in water with metallic floats, so applied under their arms as to sustain and preserve the person properly balanced in the water.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, to wit.

The floats are to be made of thin sheet metal in a tubular or other shape, hollow and air tight, the dimensions of the same to depend upon the extent of buoyancy required, and the shape depending partly on convenience of towage in places in which they are to be carried and partly on convenience of securing them to the person for use.

In regard to its operation I will describe one or a pair of supposed suitable dimensions for a grown person, to wit: For application under the arms of a person to consist of two tubes about two feet in length and about six inches in diameter at the ends, tapering from the two ends to the center to about one and a half or two inches in di ameter, as shown at letter a in the accompanying drawing. This smallest part is that which is placed under the arms, secured by a strap as shown at letter b in the drawing. The floats are to be secured to the person by means of a belt or jacket, as shown at letter A, containing shoulder loups as shown at F ig. 2. Straps and buckles for securing it in front of' the person7 as shown at Fig. 3. Straps and buckles for tightening or loosening it in the back, as shown at Fig. 4:. Foo-t pieces with straps extending upward, secured by buckles as shown at Fig. 5, for giving relief to the feet, as also a reh lief of a portion of the pressure from the arms.

The advantage of floats of this or nearly similar form, consists in theirextending in front and rear forming in addition to their buoyancy a lever purchase or bearing upon the water, to prevent the person from canting in the water, the smaller part being under the arms, operating as a pivot on which the extreme ends move upon the ruffled surface of the water.

The sheet metal of which the floats are composed, particularly when consisting of' tin, may be coated with japan, paint or other substance impervious to water, in orber to prevent corrosion or imperfections to which thin sheet metal is liable. And t-he above improvement as herein described is believed to differ from all other improvements in use.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the air-tight tubes with the belt in the manner and for the purpose described.

RALPH BULKLEY.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH BULKLEY, EZRA SMITH.

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