US1620421A - Life preserver - Google Patents

Description

March 8, A1927.

W. WILSON LIFE PREsERvER Filed June 19, 1926 INVENTOR ATTORNEY ITNESS:

vPatented Mar. 8, 1927.

UNITED STA-TES PATENT OFFICE.

LIFE PRESERVER.

Application filed June 19,

This invention relates to improvements in' life preservers.

The primary object of the invention resides in a life preserver which may be collapsed when not in use and carried in the pocket or bag of a tourist on a sea voyage for use in an emergency against drowning, and which may be made ready for use in quick time. i

. Another object of the invention is to provide a life preserver of the inflatable type and which may be inflated by a user under the surface of the water, without fear of water entering the buoyant elements.

Another object is to provide an emergency life preserver which when inflated for use is capable of supporting a relatively heavy body upon the surface of the water.

A further object is the provision of a life preserver which is simple in construction, easy to assemble for use or collapse when not in use, and inexpensive of manufacture.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel construction and combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in thel appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved life preserver ready for use.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view therethrough.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view on the li'ne 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the device when in a collapsed condition.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the coat-ting locking means between the two closure sections.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 10 designates my improved life prescrver in its entirety and which includes a valve casing 11 having a longitudinal bore 12 therein, with which a transverse bore 13 communicates. Headed sleeves 14 thread into the opposed ends of the bore 12 for clamping the open ends of a pair of balloons or bladders 15 and 16 to the casing for estat)lishingcommunication between the bore 12 and the interior of the respective balloons. The balloons or bladders are of oval shape to provide sufficient support for the body of a person when lying thereon. Also clamped 1926. Serial yNo. 117,117.

by the heads of the sleeves 14 are oval shaped nets 17 which respectively surround the balloons to limit inflation of the same and to retain them in proper shape.

Carried at the outer ends ofthe balloons are metallic shell members 18 and 19 which co-act as shown in Figure 4 of the drawing, to enclose the structure when in a deflated condition and not in use. Each shell member is supported by clamping the net 17 between the` inner walls of the members and disks 19 by passingscrews 20 through the respective members and into threaded recesses in the disks 19.

For simultaneously inflating the opposed balloons, I provide the casing 11 with an opening 21 in the top wall of the bore 13.k

Mounted within the bore 13 rearward of the opening 21 is a valve disk 22 having openings 23 therein while supported on the back of said disk is a flat flexible flap valve 24, adapted to normally close the openings 23 to prevent the escape of air from the bal loons during and after inflation of the same.

For normally closing the opening 21 in the valve casing to prevent accidental entering of water into the balloon when the device is in use, I provide a pivoted closure member 25, normally held closed by a spring 26, and which member is operable to an open position by a biting action on the part of a person upon a raised tail 27. From the description thus far, it will be seen that when y the sections 18 and 19 are separated, the user inserts the mouth piece of the casing 12 in his or her mouth and bites upon the tail 27,` to lift the closure member 25, .to uncover the opening 21 and blows air into the casing through the said opening 21, openings 23 in the valve disk, which causes the valve 24 to unseat, thus permitting an equal amount of air to pass through the opposite ends of the duct 12 into the balloons, until the same are fully inllated. In order to deflate the balloons to permit of the collapsing of the device7 the sleeves 14 are unscrewed from the valve casing by grasping the square heads of the same and turning them, it being understood that the thickness of the walls of the balloon cover the head. I/Vhen fully unscrewed, the air in the ballo-ons will imme` diately exhaust, after which the same may again be connected with the valvev casing by threading the sleeves therewith. It might be here stated that the sleeves 14 are fixedly connected with the balloons to prevent of their separation and to provide'an-air proof joint betiveen the same. After exhausting the air from the balloons, the two shell mein-- bers may be brought together to enclose the same.

For locking the shell sections in a closed position, I provide oppositely disposed slots 29 in the shell section 18 for the reception of the bills of a pair of pivoted clamping hook members 30 respectivelyy carried by pivoted levers liniounted Withinthe Walls of slots 82 provided in the" section 1S; Foren'ecting the connection of' the shell members,r the levers 3l are' swungoutward,` causing the expansioniofthe hoolimembers `30 to perm-it of their reception in the slots 29, after which the levers are pushed dori'nto seat Within the walls' of the slots 32. causing the hook` members to pull the' two shell membersinto tight vengagement with each other- For rmlockingand separating;v the shell members, the levers are again lifted to permit tbe hooks to be Withdrawn from the; slots29.

Fromtheforegoing description; it'will be' seenthat I have provided anvemerge'ncy lif" preserver whichA isfo'ldable into a compact caseso asitoperi'n-it'the article tobc carried in the pocket orfbag of a person'wlientaking sea trips for emergency purposes against drowning; The' deviceisso constructed' as to be puiclly assembled for use by an in-l dividual Should an emergency arise, in a manner s-iInilar to that just described.

llVhile I have described what I deem to be the mosty desirable embodiment of my invention, it is" obvious'that many of the details may be varied without in any Way departing from the spirit ofmy inventiom-and I therefore ldo not' limit myself to the'exact details ofconstruction herein set forth nor to anything less thanthewhole of my invention limited onlybyl the appended claims.

Whatis claimed -asvnew is:-

1. A life preserver comprising a pair' of inflatable members, netssurrounding said inflatable' members for limitinginflationl of the same and for confining said members to the shape of said nets, means for allowing said inflatable members to b-e inflated simultaneously, means for retaining said inflatable members in inflated condition and co-acting means carried by said inflatable members for housing the same in a collapsed condition.

2. A life preserver comprising a pair of oppositely disposed infiatable members, a casing? interposed betweenl said inflatable members for supportingl the latteryand co-A acting shellmembers carried by the outer ends of said inflatable members for housing the inflatable members when in acollapsed condition.

3*. A lifepreservcr comprising a pair of'v oppositely disposed inflatable members', a casing interposed between said inflatable membersfor supportingthe latter, and coacting shell members carried by the outer endsof said inflatable membersior housing the inflatable members Wlienina collapsed condition, and eo-actingfmeans between said shell members for locking thesame in tight engagement with each other.

4l. Ar lifev preserver compris-ing a` casingl having a duct therein opening onto a mouthpiece provided thereon, a pair of oppositely disposed inflatable members, means for removably supporting said inflatable niembers upon said casing in communication with said duct', af valve normally closing the' entrance 'of said duct'and operable to an open position'by a biting action on the partof an" operator Wh'enthe mouthpiece is inserted inv the mouth for inflation of said inflatable members, andla check valve Within said duct forpreventing the escape of air fromsaid' members after the saine has been blown therein by the operator, and c'o-acting shell members carried by the ends of' said inflatable members for housing said inflatable members when in a deflated condition.

In testimony whereof I= have' affixed my signature.

WiLLmM WILSON-

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