US227314A

US227314A - steuart

Info

Publication number: US227314A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1880-05-04
Anticipated expiration: 1897-05-04

Description

(No Model.)

"J. A. STEUART.

Life-Preserver.

No. 227,314. Patented May 4, 1880.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. STEUART, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO ASAHEL H. DILLON, JR, ()F SAME PLACE.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227,314, dated May 4, 1880.

Application filed March 24, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. STEUART, of Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Preservers; and I hereby declare the same to be fully, clearly, and exactly described as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1. is a perspective view of the device.

IO Fig. 2 is a central sectional view of the same.

My invention has reference to that class of life-preservers consisting, essentially, of an inflatable casin g provided with suitable straps for securing it upon the person; and it cons-ists in a device of the class named constructed and operating as hereinafter set forth.

The objects of my invention are twofold: first, to so attach the device to the person as to obviate the possibility of its becoming acci 2o dentally displaced while being worn; and, second, to so construct and locate it as not to 'impede the motions of the wearer in swimming, and not impede his motion through the water, while affording abundant buoyant effort 2 to keep his head above the surface.

In the accompanying drawings, A is an id flatable casing, by preference of india-rubber cloth, and approximately hemi-cylindrical in shape, the face 6 being, however, slightly con- 0 cave.

To the corners are attached straps a a, as shown, which are provided with buckles b b, to admit of their adjustment.

On one of the straps slides freely a ring, 0,

5 and on the other a catch or snap-hook, 0.

Should it be desired, a supplementary strap,

0, (shown in dotted lines,) may be attached to p a loop, a.

The device is designed to occupy a position 0 on the back of the wearer just below the neck,

(No model.)

and to adjust -it the arms are passed under the straps a, and the catch and ring are secured together in front.

The strap 0 may be used to prevent the device from riding up; but if the straps a are 4 5 properly adjusted it will scarcely be found necessary.

The peculiar mode of attaching the apparatus to the person is attended with advantages which may be briefly referred to. The dispo- 5o sition of the straps to a is such as to in nowise interfere with the free movement of the muscles used in swimming, or with the inflation of the chest in breathing, and the position of the device behind the shoulders is such as to offer no obstacle to the swimmers motion through the water.

When not in use the air-valve (not shown) is opened and the device is collapsed, when it may be packed in a small compass, or even carried in the pocket. This is a great desideratum in devices of this class, enabling one to carry them conveniently while traveling.

The peculiar shape of the life-preserver illustrated in the accompanying drawings is such as to eminently adapt it for use as an aircushion, as a head-rest for use in ordinary railway-cars, and as a pillow to supplement the attenuated conventional pillow of the sleeping-car.

What I claim is- The collapsible helm-cylindrical casing A, having adjustable straps a. a connecting its corners, and provided with the ring 6 and catch 0, sliding freely upon the straps, as set forth.-

JAMES A. STEUART.

Witnesses:

R. D. VVILLIAMS, A. H. DILLON, Jr.