US2882537A - Swimmer's safety belt - Google Patents

Description

April 21, 1959 v. ORTZ 2,882,537 SWIMMERS SAFETY BELT v Filed May 9, 1958 INVENTOR United States Patent SWIMMERS SAFETY BELT Victor Lortz, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application May 9, 1958, Serial No. 734,225

4 Claims. (Cl. 9-19) This invention relates to swimming aids in the nature of safety belts.

In particular the invention comprises means to b carried on the person of a swimmer for aiding the latter to maintain buoyancy during rest periods or in the event that cramps or other misfortune causes a swimmer to exhibit impaired eiciency.

In a further aspect the invention comprises a buoyancy device designed to have a quiescent state in which it can be stored upon the body of a swimmer, and an active state wherein it is inflated with a gas to such a degree as to ensure buoyancy of the wearer to support the wearer in water.

The buoyancy device of my invention is further fitted with manually operable means for changing the apparatus from the quiescent to the active state as occasion may require.

In a still further aspect, the invention is arranged so that in the quiescent state it is made to assume the relatively flat and compact form of a belt so contrived that when the actuating means is operated, the belt unfolds so as to become an inflated annulus about the body of the wearer.

Devices for the purpose indicated are well-known and have been provided in many forms such as lifejackets, May Wests and similar inflatable garments.

Prior art arrangements suffer from the disadvantage that they are initially bulky and usually require the use of a gas bomb to inflate them. It is one object of the present invention to provide a device of this kind and for the purpose indicated which is initially compact and light in weight so that it does not interfere with the wearers normal freedom of action either in or out of the water, when in its quiescent attitude.

It is another object to provide an arrangement of the kind described which when rendered active in state will automatically assume an inflated attitude above the centre of gravity of the wearer so that it does not tend to upset a swimmer in the water.

It is a still further object to provide a buoyancy device which in the active state so resides about the torso of the wearer that it does not interfere with the arms or legs in their effort to maintain a swimming motion.

In accordance with these objects a buoyant device according to my invention comprises a belt composed of folds of preferably resilient material forming a folded tube clasp means for fixing the belt about the torso of a wearer and desirably for sealing the ends of the tube against the entry of water and the exit of gas, dehydrated chemical means disposed within the folds of the tube for generating a gas when wet by Water, and valve means for controllably admitting water into the folds of the tube for wetting the said chemical.

In a further aspect, the means for controllably admitting water into the tube includes guard means for preventing accidental operation of the control means.

In a still further aspect the said guard means also includes means co-operatng therewith for manually un- ICC .folding a portion of the folds of the belt so as to accelerate the unfolding of the remaining portions of the device as the water-generated gas `spreads in the tube.

The invention will now be further disclosed and ascer.- tained by reference to the following description of a typical example of construction, the text being aided lby reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a belt-shaped buoyancy .device according to my invention;

Fig. 2 shows a sectionized fragment of a buoyancy device according to the invention and displays details of a water intake valve Aand a guard-cover in the safety attitude;

Fig. 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and affords detail of the water valve and of the guard-strap and safety fixing means;

Fig. 4 depicts in section a portion of the folded tubular belt in the act of being opened by the hand tab of the safety guard;

Fig. 5 shows the arrangement of Fig. 4 after it has been completely unfolded;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a water intake valve for controllably admitting water to the interior of the tube;

Fig. 7 is a frontal view of the water intake valve;

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the water inlet valve assembly;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section detailing one manner of securing the water inlet valve in fluid and gas tight relation to the material of the belt-tubing; and

Fig. lO is a fragmentary section detailing the action 'of the belt clasp in sealing the ends of the'tube in fluid and gas-tight relation and at the same time affording means for latching the belt about the torso of the wearer.

Referring now to these figures, 1 is a belt comprised of a tube of preferably resilient gas tight material such as rubber and comprising two folds 2, 3, which compress upon the body of a wearer to form a relatively thin strip resiliently held in place therea-bout by two clasp members 4, 5, each having a complementary hook 6, 6. The clasp members 4, 5 also include, each, a snap closure means 7, which firmly grips and seals off a respective end of the folded tube 1. The tubular belt is folded upon itself in at condition to produce the folds 2, 3.

Near one end of the tubular belt 1 is positioned a spring loaded, pushto-open water intake valve 8. In a preferred embodiment, this valve has a body 9 of rigid material and containing a valve seat 10 encircling a water inlet opening 21; a valve sealing plate 11, loading spring 12, spring retainer 13 and actuating button 14. Plate valve 11 is pressed by spring 12 to engage seat 10 to seal opening 21. The assembly may include tabs 15 struck out from the body 9 co-operating with tabs 16 and slots 17 cut out of part 13 around its periphery so that the valve parts can be crimped together to form an assembly. The outer periphery of the valve -body 9 is circumferentially grooved at 18 to receive the material of the tube 1 in bonded gastight relation. Fig. 6 shows a fragment of the tube 1 turned inward and bound in the groove 18 of the body 9 'by a lapping of wire 19. Desirably there is an interposed lapping of adhesive tape 19. This is shown in enlarged fragmentary detail in Fig. 9. When the button 14 is depressed the opening 20 in spring retainer 13 admits water to the interior of the tube 1 from the valve opening 21 in body 9. The spring 12 closes the valve tightly as soon as button 14 is freed of hand pressure. To depress the Ibutton 14 together with the plate valve 11 the wearer merely presses on said button using a finger, as shown in Fig. 5.

The valve assembly 8 is normally covered by a guard piece 22 having tabs 23 and 24 attached to certain portions of the tube. Tab 23 is attached to the under side of the folds 2, 3 at their inner junction 25; this is seen 3 clearly in Figs. 4 andV 5. The tab 24 is tted with a standard dome fastener 26 which co-acts with a mating part 27 permanently fastened to the inner external surface of the folded tube 1. When the tabs are folded around the valve and belt, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and the fasteners 26, 27 snapped together, the valve cannot readily be operated and is in` safe water-tight condition for the quiescent or nonactive use of the device.

When it is desired to activate thedevice to make it buoyant, thesnap fasteners 26, 27 are parted and the tabs are manually pulled downward, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. .This partly unfolds the tube which, in the unfolded region or nearby, inside say at 28, contains a dehydrated chemical such as anhydrous sodium .bi-earbonate and anhydrous tartaric acid or the like in suiiicient concentration to provide, when wetted with water, an

appropriate volume of gas sufficient to unfold and inf.

ilatethe remainder of the belted tube 1, to its designed annularxsize and form. By depressing the button 14 just enough water can be controllably admitted to the inside of the tube 1 to completely wet the chemical or to partly wet it so as to provide a desired volume of gas.

By depressing button 14 to open plate valve 11 and by concurrently pulling on tab 24 a suction at the valve area is created to expedite inflow of water (see Fig. 5).

When the wearer has returned to land the belt can be removed by unfastening the clasping hooks 6, 6'. By unlatching the snap closures 7, the gas is released and the ,tube is enabled to be washed out, dried, recharged with chemical, and folded again, as shown in Fig. 2. The clasps 7 may be replaced and the device restored to its quiescent attitude of Fig. 1, ready for a further inationary operation.

It will be evident that the construction generally described provides means fully implementing the objects of` the invention. It is further evident that the co-operating elements of the invention can be individually modified in All such modifications are to be reopening, a chemical agent in said'tube adapted to generategas when wetted, and a pull tab device connected to said junction adjacent to said valve and extending outwardly therefrom between said undersides and terminating in a grasping free end part which when pulled produces an unfolding action of the tube-folds to aid in admitting water when the valve is opened.

2. A buoyancy device as defined in claim 1, in which the pull tab device is transversely arranged at the valve portion of the tube and carries a guard cover adapted to be detachahly secured over said valve to prevent accidental operation of said valve.

3. A buoyancy device-as defined in claim l, in which the pull tab device is transversely arranged at the valve portion of the tube and carries a guard cover intermediate of its length for fitting over said valve to prevent accidental operation thereof, and in which the free end part of said pull ta'b device is supplied with a detachable fconnectionffor fastening it in wrapped condition about the tube.

4. A' buoyancy device comprising in combination an inllatable tube folded upon itself transversely of its length, the folded tube providing undersides and outer sides,

' the undersides meeting at a junction, a depressible valve in an outer side of the folded tube controlling a water inletopening, a guard cover positioned over the said valve in :such attitude as to prevent accidental operation thereof, a` first tab fixed at one end to an underside of said `tube and at its other end fixed to said guard cover,

a second tab fixed at one end to said guard cover and having at its other end a fastening means, and on an outerside of: said tube a coactng fastening means whereby said two tabs andv said fasteners co-operate under manual control to detachably fasten and strap said guard References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,309,256 Rekersdres Ian. 26, 1943 2,642,693 Broady June 23, 1953 Boyle et al. Mar. 12, 1957

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