US998146A - Swimming appliance. - Google Patents

Description

J. G. ALFIER & M. J. MANEAS.

SWIMMING APPLIANCE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 29, 1911.

Patented July 18 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

CDLUMB!A PLANOGRAPH cm, WASHINGTON, D. c.

J. G. ALPIER & M. J. MANEAS.

SWIMMING APPLIANCE.

APPLIGATION IILED- 111111. 29, 1911.

Patented July 18, 1911.

2 SHEETSr-SHEET Z.

COLUMBIA PMNOURAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. ALFIER AND MANUEL J. MANEAS, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN G. ALFIER and MANUEL J. MANnAs, subjects of the King of Greece, residing in the city of Oak land, county of Alameda, State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Swimming Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices adapted to be worn by a person engaged in swimming, and more particularly to appliances which will not only aid in sustaining the user near the surface of the water and pre vent his sinking, but also afford propelling mechanism auxiliary tothat afiorded by the usual movement of the limbs.

To these and other useful ends, the invention consists broadly speaking, in a body harness with which is combined wings, blades or paddles pivoted and movable from points located approximately at the shoulder blades of the user, and operatively con nected with the legs at or near the heels, whereby each stroke of the latter will impart a propelling action to such wings, blades or paddles.

The body harness is also preferably wholly or partially constructed of fioatable or inflatable material; certain other features and details of construction are also embodied in our invention, one preferred construction thereof being illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and which we will now proceed to describe with reference thereto.

In said drawings, similar reference numerals are employed to designate similar parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 is a rear View with our swimming appliance in position. Fig. 2 is a side view of a swimmer in the water, with our appliance, the dotted lines showing the extended position of the leg and appliance. Fig. 3 is a rear view of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view of one of the paddles. Fig. 5 is a side broken view of Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the plate to which the blade or paddle is secured.

The numeral 10 indicates themain body portion or jacket of a harness to be worn by the swimmer adapted to be secured around the chest and back in any suitable manner, leaving the neck and arms free, such body portion being preferably con structed at the chest with a chamber 11 adapted to be filled with cork or other float- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 29, 1911.

of a standing figure.

Patented July 18, 1911. Serial No. ermss.

able material, or to be inflated with air or gas as may be found most desirable. This jacket 10 is made of any desired material and is preferably fastened centrally in front for convenience, although it may be of continuous circular form and also adapted to be tightened up by laces or other devices to suit different girths and sizes of wearers. It has two rear extensions 12, 4 from the lower edge of the jacket each down to about the thick part of the wearers leg, and there terminating in bands 13 encircling each limb and afiording secure fastenings at these points.

Intermediate of the waist line of the body 10 and the encircling leg bands 13 and attached to or formed out of the material of the extension 12, are eyelets or sheaves 1 1, one to each extension. The harness further, and of necessity, embodies anklets erably composed of straps 15 be buckled around the leg just below the ankle joint and having in connection therewith supplementary straps 15 extending underneath the hollow of the wearers feet.

0 some convenient part at the rear of these anklets 15, we affix one end of a flexible cord 16, and pass the same vertically through the eyelet or sheave 14 on the extension 12, and thence diagonally outward to a convenient point upon the rear face of a wing, blade or a paddle 17 connected to the body 10 of the harness at the back thereof at a point approximately located at or near the shoulder blade of the wearer.

It being premised that all of the above auxiliaries to the body 10 are duplicated and disposed for connection and operation with opposite limbs and shoulders of the wearer, we may say that the wings, blades or paddles 17 are of any light, durable material as aluminum or its equivalent and by preference of the elongated, curved, spoon-shape with the concave at the rear and the wide end at the outer free extremity, the cords 16 being connected sufficiently near the latter as to give the most powerful purchase. The inner ends of these members 17 are reduced in area, and provided with offsets 17 adapted to be pivoted between legs l8" pivotally secured upon suitable plates or housing 18, secured to the body or jagket 10 (at the shoulder portions thereof as already mentioned) the pivot pins 19 therefor being preferably spring-controlled, somewhere as illustrated, and. the whole adapted to adapted to 15 pref-.

--approved movements swivel upon the body 10 or otherwise be con structed upon the general principles of a universal oint, as may be found convenient or desirable.

In the operation of our invention it willbe seen that the body of the swin'nner may be sustained alloat either entirely by the buoyancy alij'orded by the chamber 11 or by its combination with the wings 17', the arms be ing le'l t entirely tree to be given any of the for swimming withor buoyant device, (thus inspirout harness ing confidence and aiding the wearer 1n acquiring the natural artot' swimming) while the :torward, backward and outward movements ot the legs will, through the flexible (though normally tense) cord cormections between the anklcts and the wings 17, attord to the hands and arms powerfully enhanced means of propulsion through the water. The also, being thus insured against sinking toward the bottom, as is always a detriment to young swimmers, will be controlled and directed in their movements until within a short time, any beginner using our appliance will naturally fall into the same positions and actions when deprived of the appliance as though it were being worn, should he unexpectedly find himself in the water without it.

While we have described and illustrated what we consider to be the most simple and convenient embodiment of our invention, it must be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise details of construction or arrangement oil? parts herein above set forth, as the same may be varied or modified according to skill or judgment without departing "from the principles or sacrificing the a d vanta ges ol our invention.

What we 0 aim and desire to secure by Letters Patenti as follows:

1. A swinu'ning appliance embodying a harness and means of propulsion; such harness ctuisisting of a jacket for the wearers body, downward rear extensions therefrom one for each leg, eyelets or sheaves on each extension and anklets or heel fixtures near each heel; and such propelling means consisting of wings, blades or paddles pivotally connected to the rear of the jacket, one at or near each shoulder, and cord connections extending from such anklets through the eye lots or sheaves on the extensions, to points upon the rear of the wings intermediately of their ends.

2. in a swinnning appliance embodying a harness and means of propulsion, the combination with a body-jacket having a buoyancy element incorporated therewith, extensions from the lower rim of said jacket adapted to lie along the rear of the wearers legs, eyelets upon said extensions, bands rorming anklets or heel tastenings elongated, concaved wings, blades or paddles having swiveling connections at their inner ends with the shoulder blade portions of the jacket atthe rear thereof and cord connections between the anklet bands and the rear faces of the wings, approaching their outer free ends.

3. in a swinnning appliance embodying a harness and means of propulsion, the combination with a body-jacket having a buoyancy element incorporated therewith, extensions from the lower rim of said jacket adapted to lie along the rear of the wearers legs, eyelets upon said extensions, bands forming anklets or heel tastenings, elongated, concaved wings, blades or paddles having swiveling connections at their inner ends with the shoulder blade portions of the jacket at the rear thereof, springs at such swiveling connections normally in tension, and cord connections between the anklet bands and the rear faces of the wings, appreaching their outer free ends.

ln witness whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN G. ALFIER. MANUEL J. MANEAS.

ll itnesses An'rnun L. SLEE, Pn'rnn E. Anonsi'.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

Images