US2463191A

US2463191A - Lifesaving device

Info

Publication number: US2463191A
Application number: US738818A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mackenzie Forbes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-04-02
Filing date: 1947-04-02
Publication date: 1949-03-01
Anticipated expiration: 1966-03-01

Description

arch 1, 1949. F. MacKENZlE LIFESAVING DEVICE Filed April 2, 1947 w .vm m om om M0 ,www .wm Nm A Tm. n ,Mw A Mw ,a f .m n v a. w BOW QV I m @n t L n@ o E m o @n o ,Q e mw Q Patented Mar. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

encircled, while in the open position, the ends oi .the members are spaced from each other to straddle the neck. A cover of rubber or other suitable air tight stock iS secured to the handle and includes a sheath portion for each member.

The handle has a seat for at least one inflatins f.

cartridge and .I house ,in the handle movable means including an operating member. a member in the handle to open a seated cartridge or Cartridges and to swing the members from their Open position into their closed positions. As an open cartridge is in communication with the interior of the sheath, my device is innated when the members are in their closed position.

My devices are of Very real advantage since they do not have the buoyance of the conventicnal life preserver until the members are in their closed position. It is thus relatively easy for one in rescuing a person from drowning to swim with a device held in one hand and to carry it with him under water if it is necessary to dive to reach the victim, Even if the victim is uncon scious, my device may be readily slipped around his neck and the oeprating member actuated both tc inflate the device and' to close it about the victims neck, In addition, if the device is applied to the victlms neck from the rear, the handles provide a convenient means of safely towing the rescued victim to safety.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown an illustrative embodiment of my invention from which its several novel features and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a section of a life-saving device in ac cordance with my invention with the members in their enen position.

Fig. 2 is a View, similar to Fig. 1, with the members in their closed position, and

3 is an enlarged section along the lines `33 of Fig. 1,

At 5, I have indicated a cylindrical handle having at one end a chamber 5 and a ring 'l threaded thereon to the ears li of which. are pivotally connected the arcuate members 8 and lli so that they may be swung from the open besition ci? Fig, l in which they are disposed to straddle a neck into the closed position of Fig. 2 in which they substantially encircle the neck.

The arcuate members 9 and I 0 include arms H and l2 respectively which extend into the chamber ii and each is under the influence of one of the springs I3 thereby normally to maintain the members 9 and I0 in their open position. Preferably, the members 9 and it each include an arcuate frame ld of tubular stock anchored in a base |'5 through which its pivot I6 extends and of which the chamber entering arm `Il or l2 is an integral part. I have indicated generally at l1 a cover sealed to the handle 5 and the cover includes sheaths I8 and i9 to fit over the frames of the members 9 and l0, respectively. The .cover Il may be of rubber or any other extensible and air-tight material.

At its other end, I provide the handle 5 with a chamber 20 separated from the chamber 5 by the partition 2l and including seats 22 to support inating cartridges 23, which may be ci any conventional type in parallel with the axis of the handle. The chamber 2B is closed by the cap 24 threaded on the handle 5.

The partition 2l has an axial bore slidably supporting a rod 25 which may, as shown in Fig. 3, be grooved as at 26 to ensure that the

chambers

6 and 29 are in communication with each other. In the chamber 6, the rod 25'has a head 21 and detachably secured to it as at 28 in the chamber 2E! is a plate 29. At 39, I have shown a pivot mounted in the chamber 3 by a bracket 3| and extending through the wall of the handle 5 and being sealed as by the cover Il. The inner end of the pivot 3B has a shifter fork 32 connected to the rod 25 and to its outer end is secured an operating handle 33 by which the rod 25 may be advanced from its inoperative position of Fig. 1 into its operative position shown in Fig. 2.

I provide the plate 29 with a pair of seats 34 in each of which is secured a coiled spring 35 to t over the neck of a cartridge 23 with which it is in alinement thereby to yieldably maintain the cartridge seated. Each seat 34 also has a cartridge opening projection 3S which is operatively positioned by operating the handle 33.

The head 2l ts snugly within the chamber 5 and `has passages 31 extending therethrough to ensure that the chamber 6 is in communication with the interior of the sheaths i8 and i9. The head 21 has anaxially disposed projection 38 dis posed between the arms l l and l2 to wedge them apart When the rod 25 is operatively positioned thereby to swing the members 9 and I0 into their closed position. In practice, the arms Il and l2 have oppositely inclined cam surfaces 39 and lill. The tip of the projection 38 tapers to engage with the arm surfaces 39 when the members 9 and Iii are in their open position While the head 2T is tapered as at 4l to engage with the arm surfaces 39 when the members are in their closed position in which the arms Il and I2 are in contact with that part of the handle 5 establishing the chamber 6. In order that the arms I l and l2 are rigidly held in that position, the projection 38 is tapered as at 42 to engage with the arm surfaces 40.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that life-saving devices in accordance with my invention are well adapted for emergency use. the handle 33 is operated, the device has insufficient buoyancy to interfere with the life saver so that he may carry it with him under Water if Y necessary. It may easily be applied to the neck of the drowning person with one hand vand when the handle 33 is operated, the life saver may release his hold on the victim since the device is then inflated and the members 9 and I0 closed around the victims neck and, at the same time, the handle provides means by which the life saver may tow the rescued person to safety.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A life-saving device comprising a handle, a pair ofv arcuate members connected at one end to said handle so that at least one of them is pivotable so that it may be swung to establish an open position and a closed position, said members being of such shape as to substantially encircle the neck in said closed position and in said open position to enable a neck to be straddled thereby, an extensible air-tight cover secured to said handle and including a sheath portion for each member, a support in said handle for an inflating cartridge, means movably mounted in said handle and operable to open a cartridge in said support and to engage said members to swing them from their open position to a closed position, said cartridge when opened being in communication with said sheaths, and said means including an operating member mounted on said handle.

2. A life-saving device comprising a handle, a pair of arcuate members connected at one end to said handle to swing from a normally open position in which their other ends are spaced apart to -straddle the neck of a person in danger of drowning into a closed position substantially encircling the neck, an extensible air-tight cover secured to vsaid handle and including a sheath portion for each member, a support in said handle for an inflating cartridge, means movably mounted in said handle and operable to open a cartridge in said support and to engage said members to swing them from their open position to a closed position, said cartridge when opened being in communication with said sheaths,V and said means including an operating member mounted on said handle.

3. The life-saving device of claim 2 in which each of the members consists of a frame.

4. A life-saving device comprising a handle, a pair of arcuate members connected at one end to said handle to swing from a normally open position in which their other ends are spaced apart to straddle the neck of a person in danger of drowning into a closed position substantially encircling the neck, each of said members including an arm having a cam surface, an extensible airtight cover secured to said handle and including a sheath portion for each member, a support in said handle for an inating cartridge, means movably mounted in said handle and operable to Until Y open a cartridge in said support and including a Wedge-shaped head engageable with said cam surfaces thereby to swing said members from their open position to their closed position, said 5 cartridge when opened being in communication with said sheaths, and said means including an operating member mounted on said handle.

5. A life-saving device comprising a handle having a chamber in one of its ends, a pair of .l0 arcuate members connected to said handle adjacent said end to swing from an open, neckstraddling position into a closed, neck-encircling position and including a pair of arms extending into said chamber and having oppositely inclined surfaces, spring means in said handle and connected to each arm normally holding said members in their open position, an extensible airtight cover secured to said handle and including a sheath portion for each member, a support in said handle for an iniiating cartridge, slidable means in said handle including cartridge opening means and also including Wedge means engageable with said cam surfaces, and an operating member mounted on said handle to actuate said slidable means to open said cartridge and to wedge said members into said closed positions, said cartridge, when opened, 'being in communication with the interior of said sheaths.

6. The device of claim 5 in which the arms engage the handle when the members are in their closed position and the arms and the wedge means have coacting surfaces to limit the movement of the slidable means and to lock said members against movement from their closed position Yuntil the operating member is moved towards its original position.

7. A life-saving device comprising a handle having a chamber in one of its ends, a pair of i arcuate members connected to said handle adiacent said end to swing from an open, neckstraddling position into a closed, neck-encircling position and including a pair of arms extending into said chamber and having oppositely inclined surfaces, an extensible air-tight cover secured to said handle and including a sheath portion for each member, a, chamber in the other end of said handle establishing a seat for theV base of at least one inating cartridge, slidable means in said handle comprising a detachable head including yieldable cartridge seating and cartridge opening means for each cartridge .and also including wedge means engageable with said cam surfaces, and an operating member mounted on said handle to actuate said slidable means to open said cartridge and to Wedge said members into said closed positions, said cartridge, when opened, being in communicationwith the interior of said sheaths, and a cap secured to said handle closing said second named chamber.

FORBES MACKENZIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fue of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Claus May 26, 1931