US1442746A - Swimming appliance - Google Patents

Description

P. J. TIMBERLAKE. SWIMMING APPLIANCE, FILED MAY 29. 1922. 2 SHE'ETS'SHEET 1 Jan. 1 6, 19 23; 1,442,746

Jan. 16, 1923.

P. J. T IMBERLAKEI SWIMMING APP]. AYNOE- FILED MAY 29, I922. 2 SHEETS'SHEET 2 sons, such as the relative lung Patented clan... in, 1923 attain rear PAUL J'PI'IMBERLAKE, 0F JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

SWIMMING APPLIANCE.

App1ication filed May 29,

To all whom it may-concern v Be it known that I, PAUL J. ,T1MBER- LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the, county of Jackson and Stateoif Michigan, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Swimming Appliances, of which the follow ing is a specification.

My invention relates to a swimming applia'nce to 'beused. by bathers, and particularly by persons learning to swim. It comprises a pair of buoyant members and harness by which they are connected whenisecured to the body of the wearer in one or anotherposition. The object of the inventionis to produce a buoyant swimming appliance that may be adjusted to the person according as the wish of the wearer may dictate, or as may be suggested by-a teacher giving instructions in'swimming. It is well known that theposition of the centerof gravity of the body of one person differs from that of another from physiological reacapacity, relative weight of the lower limbs, disposition of fat, etc. These individual difi'erences and peculiarities make it desirable, under the advice of a. skilled?instructor, to 'apply a buoyant device, when used to give confidence and assistance to onelearning to swim, to one part of the body of one individual, and

individual; and my invention permits this shiftingot the appliance and adapting it to various parts of the body in an easy manner and without the necessity of complicatedor cumbrous harness.

In the accompanying drawings wherein my invention is illustrateche i Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device applied about the neck of a swimmer;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of? the parts assembled as represented in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 a rear view with the parts as they would be arranged when applied across the shoulders of a swimmer.

Fig. i is a plan view illustrating a construction of the buoyant members different from that shown in theother views;

Fig. is a detail view illustrating a feature of construction not shown in. other The appliance comprises two buoyant members 2, 2, formed with inner curved edges 18-.- the general contour of the members 2 being preferably kidney-shaped In water proof and may be 1922. Serial No. 564,485.

practice I preterthat the members 2 should be bags adapted to be inflated with air, being either entirely separate from each other, as represented in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, or united 0 by a hollow flexible neck 19, as represented in Fig. 4. The bags 2 should be constructed of thin flexible material that is air and formed of a single thickness of material, such as rubber in some form; but I prefer'the arrangement illustrated wherein there is an inner air bag 3 of rubber surrounded by a stout fabric bag 4. The inflatable members 2 are provided with air valves 5 of suitable construction.

The larger ends of the bags, when of the shape shown in the drawings, I designate the front ends, since these he under the chin when the appliance is worn about the neck, as represented in Fig. 1; the other, smaller, ends being designatedthe rear or back ends. The latter are connected, and I. have shown, two ways of effecting such connection. In Fig. at the connecting member 19 isa hollow necltronstituting an air conduit between the two. bags, the aiihvalve being located insaid neck so that both bags may be filled through a; single valve. The neck is otsuch size'and construction as to be flexible, permitting the bags to be readily adjusted when the device is applied to. the

person. to another part of the body to a different A l more simple connection [between the smaller or rear ends oi ;the buoyant members 2 is illustrated in the other views of the drawings and consists of a strap 6' which may be formed of asingle piece of tape secured at its ends in any suitable manner to the bags, as represented in F ig.j2;, or of two parts. adapted to be unitedand one ofthem looped and provided with a slide 20, thus making the connecting strap extensible. A neck band 7 is secured to the connecting strap 6, either, by

being" permanently stitched thereto. as mp resented in: Fig. 2-. or by means of a detachable, fastener as represented in Fig.

The neck band shown as being provided with a connecting clasp by which its ends may be united and is extensible as to 05 its length; one end thereof being doubled upon itself and. provided with a slide 1.7. V

9 indicates a strap adapted to pass under the chinot the wearer when the appliance is worn about the neckyas represented in Fig; 1; and which for that reason is termed tliechin strap. -It"unites-the. opposite bags verse middle thereof.

Q insane 2, being connected to each at about the trans The opposite ends of the chin strap are adapted to be united as by a hook 11, carried by one part, engaging with an eye or ring 14, carried by the other part. The chin strap is extensible as to its length, permitting the appliance to be adjusted to the person of the one using givin it. WVhen the several parts of the appliance are arranged about the neck ofthe person as shown in Fig. 1, the chin strap 9 serves to hold the bags in place about the neck, preventing them from rising. Byj connecting the opposite ends of the chin strap with the bags at about the transverse middle portions of thelatter the tendency is, when the strap is drawn fairly tight, to roll the bags slightly, lifting their outer edges and pressing the inner concave edges closely about the neck of the wearer, thus to the user of the device a sense of securlty that is wanting'if the bags are loose and free to move upon theperson. In order to improve the fit of the appliance and to hold the front ends of the bags down against the upper portion of the chest, I unite such forward ends of the bags by means of a "fastener, such as a hook 12 and eye 13, se-

cured, respectively, to the upper sides of the said forward end portions of the bags.

This fastener holds together the said end portions of the bags'and prevents them from being lifted up from the chest of the user and separating, as would be the tendency if they were left free.

' Should the user of "the appliance prefer to wear it across his shoulders the parts are arranged as shownin Fig. 3. When thus worn the bouyant members 2 lie across the shoulders of the wearer with their smaller ends upward and their concave sides toward each other. The fastener, consisting of the hook 12 and eye 18, is disconnected, while the chin strap is extended so as to permit the larger ends of the bags to separate farther than do the smaller ends. Thebags are so applied to the person that the straps 9 extend across the outer sides of the buoyant members, holding them against the person of the wearer and preventing them, in co-operation with the body straps, to be referred to, from floating away from the body. Body straps 16, coimected at 15, 15

' with the bags or buoyant members 2, are

then passed about the body of the wearer and tied, or otherwise united. The con nections 15 with which the straps 16 engage are preferably secured to the bags near their outer edges and between the middle port-ion thereof and the enlarged or forward ends.

If the user of the appliance should prefer to wear the buoyant members 2 across his chest instead of over his shoulders the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 will be maintained, except that theparts will be shifted. half way around the person, thus bringing the connecting strap 6 in front of and below the chin instead of at the back of the neck. In applying the device either across tl'ieshoulders or the chest, ashas just been described, the neck band 7 is enlarged to the desired extent, and serves to hold the buoyant members from slipping down below the desired positions upon the body. This neck band is not an essential feature when theappliance is used as represented in Fig. 1, although it is customary to secure it about the neck as represented in the drawings even when the parts are thus used.

It'willbeseen by reference to Fig. 3 that the strap 9 and the connections between it and the loops 15, with which the body straps 16 are connected together, constitute a continuous band extending across the outer faces of the enlarged end portions of the buoyant members 2. This arrangement prevents undue strain being put upon the covering of the buoyant members when the body st 'aps are drawn tight and fastened.

Should it be desired to wear the appliance about the waist the neck band 7 is unfastoned, its ends either being left loose or else the band entirely removed. The chin strap 9 is disconnected, the buoyantmembers then being united only by the strap 6 (or its equivalent, as the connecting neck 19), when the parts 2 are placed about the waist of the wearer with their concave" edges next the person and there secured by means of the body straps 16, which in this instance are fastened to the connections 12 and 13 at the larger ends of the parts 2, that is, the ends opposite to those united by the strap 6.

Each adaptation and application of the device to the person may be easily'accomplished; and, as is apparent from the drawings and this description, requires only very simple harness. By the use of the latter, however, the buoyant members are firmly and comfortably secured to the person, the

various straps and bandswhich constitute the harness being so arranged and united with the buoy-ant members that, when properly admsted, whatever he the position of the said members upon the body, they are means for connecting the rear ends of the said buoyant members, and a strap adapted to pass under the chin oi? the user connected with the forward portions of the buoyant members, the latter connection being separable to permit application and removal of the appliance to the person.

2. A swimming appliance such as described in claim 1 where the chin strap connections with the respective buoyant memhere are made at approximately the trans-.

Verse center of the said members whereby upon tightening the strap the tendency is to lift the outer edges of the members and press the inner edges closely against the person.

3. A swimming appliance such as described in claim 1, including also a fasten- .ing for uniting the :tront ends of the buoyant members, located in advance of the chin Strap.

4. A. swimming appliance such as described in claim 1, Where the connection serving as the chin strap is adjustable as to its length between the buoyant members.

5. A swimming appliance, comprising a pair of buoyant members, a flexible connection uniting the back ends of such members, a band adapted to go about the neck of a wearer to which the said flexible connection is secured, a cross band connecting the front portions of the buoyant members, and body straps connected, respectively, with the outer edges of the buoynt members approximately in line with the said cross band.

PAUL J. TIMBER-LAKE.

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