US981788A

US981788A - Life-preserving belt.

Info

Publication number: US981788A
Application number: US55115810A
Authority: US
Inventors: Francis J Nekarda
Original assignee: MABEL E DRAKE
Current assignee: MABEL E DRAKE
Priority date: 1910-03-23
Filing date: 1910-03-23
Publication date: 1911-01-17
Anticipated expiration: 1928-01-17

Description

F. J. NEKARDA.

LIFE PRESERVING BELT.

APPLIOATION FILED HAB.23,1910.

981,788, I Patented Jan. 17, 1911;

NIB l STATS PrglENT FRANCIS J. NEKARDA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO MABEL E. DRAKE, OF ROSELLE PARK, NEW JERSEY.

LIFE-PRESERVING BELT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS J. NEKARDA, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Life-Preserving Belts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in flexible air-containing belts such as are adapted to be attached to the body for the purpose of keeping a person afloat in the water. Difliculties have heretofore been had in the way of making these belts readily inflatable and deflatable, and at the same time having them strong enough and reliable to take the place of the solid cork jackets and other so-called llfe-preservers.

The object of my invention is to produce a simple, inexpensive and absolutely reliable life-preserver which can be closed up into a small compass when not in use, and which when so closed up will expel the air, but which when opened out for attachment to the body will automatically admit air in sufficient quantity to render the life preserver buoyant so that it will support the person.

I do not claim the invention of distending the belt, but the manner and means of doing it perfectly and efiiciently.

My invention relates to the detail construction of the sustaining frames or ribs, and more particularly to the valve arrangement by which the air is admitted into the belt and expelled therefrom, and by which the pressure of the body against the valve tightly seals the belt and confines the air therein.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the application of the belt to the body. Fig. 2 is a broken elevation of the inflated belt. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the belt when infiated. Fig. 1 is a cross section of the belt and shows in detail the valve construction, and Fig. 5 is a View of the deflated and collapsed belt.

An important feature of the belt is the ribs 10 each being made of a single piece of a generally semi-circular shape so that the convex part will be next the water and the relatively flat part next the body of the wearer. It has generally been the practice to make these ribs of at least two pieces, and the end portions of the sections have been likely to get out of alinement and to work holes through the covering skin. By making them in a single piece of the desired shape this difIicult-y is avoided and they can be made of light, strong material such as aluminum,.though anything suitable can be used. One of the ribs is provided with an in-bent portion 10 (see Fig. 4) which serves as a socket for the valve shank to be hereinafter referred to. The ribs may be made larger near the middle portion of the belt than near the ends, so that the belt may be more symmetrical as shown in Fig. 2, and the skin or covering 11 is made of strong tightly woven cloth which is fastened to the ribs by stitching or in any approved manner. After being constructed, the whole is dipped in a water-proofing material, which will render the skin impervious to water and will close up all needle holes or other slight perforations. At the ends the'belt is provided with fastening tabs 12, which can be tied together or, if desired, abuckle as 18, or other suitable fastening can be used.

In the socket portion 10 of the rib above referred to is set the shank 1 1 of the valve 15, and at this point suitable washers 14? can be provided on each side of the skin or covering, so as to stiffen the part through which the valve shank moves. This valve shank is hollow and is provided near its outer end with perforations 16, through which the air can flow to the interior of the belt, and the valve is normally pushed out by a spring 17 connecting the shank 14:, with the in-bent portion 10 of the rib 10.

It will be observed that if the belt is pushed together endwise, as it readily can be, because of the flexible covering 11, the air will be expelled from it and will pass out through the perforation 14. When, however, the belt is again opened, there will be sufficient suction caused by the opening of the belt to draw in enough air to fill it. It is then applied to the body and the valve 15 will be pressed against the body so as to keep the perforation within the outer surface of the belt and with the inner side of the valve snug against the belt so that no air can escape. In order that the belt may be comfortable to the wearer, the valve 15 is given a smooth, rounded outer surface. It will be further observed that when the belt isdefiated the tabs 12 can be fastened together as shown in Fig. 5 so as to hold the belt in a small and compact shape. When the belt is to be applied, it is simply opened up endwise and fastened around the body, and the large air area within the skin or covering 11 provides sufficient buoyancy to support a person safely in the water.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent v I l. A life preserving belt comprising a series of ribs spaced apart and each rib formed of a single piece of the desired shape, a flexible water-proof covering for the ribs, one of the ribs having an in-bent portion forming: a valve socket, a spring pressed valve seating in the socket, and means for fastening the belt upon the body.

2. A life preserving belt comprising aseries of ribs spaced apart and each formed of a single piece of the desired shape, a flexible covering securedto the ribs and made Water: tight after the belt is constructed, a valve 3 the body.

socket supported in one of the ribs on the 1 inner side of the belt, and a spring pressed valve having a hollow shank seating in the socket, and means for fastening the belt to 3. A life preserving belt comprising a series of ribs, spaced apart, and each formed 1 of a single piece of the desired shape, one of which is provided with a valve socket, a

flexible water-tight covering for the ribs, and a valve having a hollow shank seating in the socket, said shank being provided with air ports.

4. A life preserving belt comprising a series of ribs each made of a single piece of generally semi-circular shape, a flexible Water-tlght covering for the r1bs, means for fastening the belt upon the body, a valve socket supported by one of the ribs on the fiat side of the belt, and a spring held withy in the socket and supporting a valve having a hollow perforated shank.

FRANCIS J. NEKARDAL. lVitnesses WARREN'VB. HUTcHINsoN,

FRANK L STUBBS.