US1302823A - Life-preserver. - Google Patents

Description

comfort or interference.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE. i

FRANK MARCOVSKY, 0F DUQUESNE, PENNSYLVANIA.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

Application tiled-July 30, 1918.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK Mimcovsnr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duquesne, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life- Preservers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of life belts or life preservers of the kind adapted to be Worn on the body, and to provide a buoyant support therefor in water.

The present invention consists of a bodysurrounding construction adapted to be in- Y Hated` by air and to also, when collapsed,

relax into comparatively small size so that it may be continuously worn without dis- The device is so arranged as to be adapted Jfor attachment to the body, either underneath or outside of the ordinary clothing, and is capable of being quickly inflated at any time by con nection with a suitable source of air pressure.

Preferred constructions of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of the invention in elew vation as applied to the body;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional detail view on an enlarged scale indicated by the line II, Il of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional detail view, showing the device deflated.

Referring to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the iniiatable element consists of a continuous inner tube 2 preferably of rubber, arranged when applied in spiral form, to terminate at o and b respectively. The tube 2 is continuously inclosed within outer surrounding walls 3-3 of suitable material, as canvas, webbing,or the like, which is stitched or otherwise secured at each side of the tube, continuously along y throughout its full spiral length, as indicated at 4.-4.. V

As thus constructed, the tube-inclosing portions are provided with terminal edge members 5-5, which, when the tube and its cover are spirally arranged as shown, are located adjacent to each other with an intervening space 6. The adjacent edge members 5 are connected ,at intervals b short flexible straps 7 which are prefere 1y securely attached at one side to one of the edge portions ,5w as indicated at 8, and are re movably connected with the opposite edge Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1919.

Serial No. 247,361.

5 by a releasable button 9. (See Fi 3). By this construction, the coils of the evice Iare held in their desired relative arran e ment and may be easily disconnected or removal or application, or for comp-actly folding or rolling the device for storage or packing. The releasable buttons 9 enable matic tire and provided with an automati-` cally seating check valve. By this means, immediate connection may be made with any source of air pressure, and the device can be quickly inflated to any desired extent, as say, one pound pressure, or more or less. Air pressure may be produced by connecting the nipple 10 with a su ply ipe, or a short hand tube may be used), and) the inflation may be produced by blowing of the operator.

Shoulder straps 11 are provided having suitable buckles l2 whereby the device may be supported, additional straps 13, and buckles 111, being also provided for holding the lower portion of the device -to the body. A connectin strap 15 and buckle 16 connect the terminalqb with the side portion of the rst spiral member, tending to hold the device better in position, and also assisting in its adjustment to the bod of the wearer.

llVhen thus constructe and applied, the device in irts de-flated condition is com aratively flat and thin, as indicated in Fig. 3, lying closely and compactly against the body of the wearer with ample looseness to permit inflation. When inflated, the volume of air in its displacement function results in sulficient buoyancy to provide ample supporting tremely eificient Iuoyant Vlife preserver or life belt, and because of its extreme lightness in Weight and ease of collapsbilty, .to gether with its adaptability to easy and quick lnflation by connection with readily available terminals of an air supply system, as on a ship, it is vpossible for many of the preservers 'to be inflated at the same time. It provides ya very practicable and usefll device, avoiding the objections ofl cumbersome and heavy life preservers utilizing Cork in any ofthe usual 'forms Having thus described my invention, what I 'claim is:

1. A life preserver consisting of a tube havin `an inc'losing sheathing, an 'ai-fr eup- 'ply nipple, means for maintaining the tube in spiral arrangement around the fbody Aand -for adjustment lto the girth thereof, I'and means for attachment to andsupport thereon.

2. A life fpreserver 'consisting o'f a =flexi'i'i'le inflatable tube havin an air supply nipple, an inclosin'g fieXible s 'eatlringthere'fon Voenneoting devices located at intervals adapted to connect 'the adjacent edges ofthe shea-thing when arranged in spiral formation, and holding and supporting straps foret-bathing the preserver to the body.

3. A life reserver consisting of a fie-Xible infiatabletu e .hav anair supply nipple, an inc'losing flx'iblensieathing therefor, conmeeting devices located at intervals adapted to connect the adjacent edges of the sheathing when arranged in spiral formationyholding and supporting straps for attachingthe preservar* to fthe body, and a tightening strap connecting one end portion of the sheathing' to another portion of the sheathing between its 4;. A 'life reserver consisting of a flexible inflatable tube-having an 'ai'r supply nipple, an 4.in eiiirg feirible sheathing therefor 'havdpposi'tely Ie'fztenliiigrdgeptions, separa'. '1e -feonnenting fevees at .intervals throughout the length of the sheathing daptedto-:mai-twin rtandthertube in coil-ed arrangement on the ria'uiy 'and to permit 'of tiglftteiiing or loosening fadeustment thereon, and means 'for `su@piot'ltrnjg and :attaching 'the ,same with relation 'to l'the body of the Whler.

in testimony whereof il hereunto aix `my signature.

MAIRCOVSKY.

Copies of this patent may be :obtained for ve .vente etch, ahyadressing' "eth1: "Gmmiasionr of Patents,

Wask1ngtox'i,=*l). Si"

Images