Wacky Patent of the Month (Jun. 1996): U.S. Patent 1,143,835

<BODY BGCOLOR="#C0C0C0"> <center><b>LIFE-SAVING APPARATUS<p>MICHAEL KISPÉTER</b><p> Patented June 22, 1915<p></center> <hr size=2> To all whom it may concern:<P> Be it known that I. Michael Kispéter, a subject of the King of Hungary, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful improvements in Life-Saving Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.<P> This invention relates to life saving apparatus and its object is to provide means whereby the life of a person dropping from an aeroplane or airship either over land or over water may be saved.<P> I attain my object by means of an outfit consisting of a life jacket, lined with airtight inflatable cushions, a spring helmet removably attached to the jacket and a parachute fastened to the body over the jacket, adapted to be opened and shut at the will of the wearer thereof.<P> In the accompanying drawings: <A HREF="1143835/fig1.htm">Figure 1</A> is a partly sectional, partly elevational view of my device in operation, showing a person fitted out therewith. <A HREF="1143835/fig2.htm">Fig. 2</A> is a side elevation of a part of the device. <A HREF="1143835/fig3.htm">Fig. 3</A> is a plan of part of my device, partly broken away. <A HREF="1143835/fig4.htm">Fig. 4</A> is a section taken on the line <I>a</I>-<I>a</I> of Fig. 3. <A HREF="1143835/fig5.htm">Fig. 5</A> is a section taken on the line <I>c</I>-<I>c</I> of Fig. 4, on an increased scale. <A HREF="1143835/fig6.htm">Fig. 6</A> is a detail sectional view. <A HREF="1143835/fig7.htm">Fig. 7</A> is a sectional view of another detail.<P> The same reference characters refer to the same part throughout the several views.<P> Referring more particularly to the drawing, <EM>J</EM> is a jacket substantially of the shape of an ordinary coat, having two side tails <EM>j<SUPER>1</SUPER></EM>, the front and rear part being cut away below the waist. This jacket is lined at the inside with air-cushions <EM>j<SUPER>2</SUPER></EM> made of rubber, two at the front and two at the back of the body portion and one on each side tail, <EM>j<SUPER>3</SUPER></EM>. The jacket <EM>J</EM> is buttoned at the front from neck to waist and if the wearer thereof falls into water, the two coats will, on account of the buoyancy of the air cushions, float on the surface of the water, coacting with the air cushions in the body part of the jacket to keep the wearer afloat.<P> Over the jacket <EM>J</EM> is strapped a parachute <EM>P</EM> consisting of two parallel cylindrical hoops <EM>p<SUPER>1</SUPER></EM>, each of two parts hinged together at the back and having means for closing or opening it at the front. The two hoops <EM>p<SUPER>1</SUPER></EM> are connected with each other by six vertical bars <EM>p<SUPER>2</SUPER></EM> placed equidistantly around their periphery. Hinged to the top end of each bar <EM>p<SUPER>2</SUPER></EM> are ribs <EM>R</EM> and hinged to the lower end of each bar <EM>p<SUPER>2</SUPER></EM> are stays <EM>S</EM>. On top of the ribs <EM>R</EM> is conveniently fastened at a substantially circular cover <EM>F</EM> of some suitable fabric, with a circular opening at its center around the hoops <EM>p<SUPER>1</SUPER></EM>. The cover <EM>F</EM> is slit at the front, the edges overlapping each other and held together by clasps <EM>C</EM>.<P> The ribs <EM>R</EM> are halfround metal bars, having a concave portion from <EM>r<SUPER>1</SUPER></EM> to <EM>r<SUPER>2</SUPER></EM> slotted as at <EM>r<SUPER>3</SUPER></EM> and covered by a convex lid <EM>r<SUPER>4</SUPER></EM> removably secured thereto and forming an elliptical channel therewith. The lid <EM>r<SUPER>4</SUPER></EM> has all along its inside a vertical projection or guide rail <EM><EM>r<SUPER>5</SUPER></EM></EM>.<P> The stays <EM>S</EM> are flat bars of light metal, forked at their outer ends and carrying between the prongs <EM>s<SUPER>1</SUPER></EM> of the fork pivotally mounted swivelling blocks <EM>s<SUPER>2</SUPER></EM>, provided with a screw hole each at its outer surface adapted to take up therein the threaded stem of a screw <EM>s<SUPER>3</SUPER></EM>, having a head <EM>s<SUPER>4</SUPER></EM> with a groove <EM>s<SUPER>5</SUPER></EM> diagonally to the length of the stays <EM>S</EM>. The screw <EM>s<SUPER>3</SUPER></EM> is inserted into the slot <EM>r<SUPER>2</SUPER></EM> in the concaveportion of the ribs <EM>R</EM>, when the lid <EM>r<SUPER>4</SUPER></EM> is removed therefrom and screwed into the swivelling block <EM>s<SUPER>2</SUPER></EM> so that the groove <EM>s<SUPER>5</SUPER></EM> is parallel with the length of the rib <EM>R</EM>. Then the lid <EM>r<SUPER>4</SUPER></EM> is fastened on, the guard rail <EM>r<SUPER>5</SUPER></EM> engaging the groove <EM>s<SUPER>5</SUPER></EM> which is adapted freely to slide thereon. Straps <EM>p<SUPER>3</SUPER></EM> are provided on top of the two of the ribs diametrically opposite, for slipping the hand into and thereby open or shut the parachute.<P> The clasping device of the cover of the parachute consists of a metal clasp <EM>C</EM> of the form shown in Fig. 7 suitably fastened on the fabric at a convenient distance from one edge of same, having a hinge <EM>c<SUPER>1</SUPER></EM> and a spring <EM>c<SUPER>2</SUPER></EM> tending to keep it open. A small metal cup <EM>c<SUPER>3</SUPER></EM> is passed through the fabric near the same edge thereof to which the clasp is fastened. Attached to the bottom of the cup <EM>c<SUPER>3</SUPER></EM> is one end of the helical spring <EM>c<SUPER>4</SUPER></EM> and to the other end of same is fastened a resilient plate <EM>c<SUPER>5</SUPER></EM>, integral with a pushbutton <EM>c<SUPER>6</SUPER></EM>. The two ends of the resilient metal plate <EM>c<SUPER>5</SUPER></EM> overlie the upper edges of the cup and the edges of the circular aperture in the clasp <EM>C</EM>, fitting over the cup, thus preventing it to open. The other edge of the fabric is provided with eyelets fitting over the cup <EM>c<SUPER>3</SUPER></EM> and the two edges are clasped together as shown in Fig. 7. If the button <EM>c<SUPER>4</SUPER></EM> is pressed down by a finger, the metal plate <EM>c<SUPER>5</SUPER></EM> will be forced into the cup <EM>c<SUPER>3</SUPER></EM>, thereby releasing the clasp <EM>C</EM> which will then automatically be opened by the action of the spring <EM>c<SUPER>2</SUPER></EM>. When clasped together again, the spiral spring <EM>c<SUPER>4</SUPER></EM> will push the metal plate <EM>c<SUPER>5</SUPER></EM> and button <EM>c<SUPER>6</SUPER></EM> out again of the cup <EM>c<SUPER>3</SUPER></EM>.<P> <EM>H</EM> is a cylindrical metal helmet having a solid rubber lining <EM>h<SUPER>1</SUPER></EM> inside the top and a metal plate <EM>h<SUPER>2</SUPER></EM> under the rubber. To the metal plate h<SUPER>2</SUPER> is fastened a helical spring <EM>h<SUPER>3</SUPER></EM>, resting on another metal plate underneath it, <EM>h<SUPER>4</SUPER></EM>, which projects through horizontal slots in the cylindrical body of the metal helmet on both sides and is continued in two bars running down vertically to the shoulders of the wearer and there shaped like epaulets as shown at <EM>h<SUPER>5</SUPER></EM>, removably attached to the shoulder portions of the jacket <EM>J</EM>. At the back the material of the helmet is prolonged to the back of the jacket <EM>J</EM>, where it is removably fastened to, as seen at <EM>h<SUPER>6</SUPER></EM>. The helmet is supported on the shoulders of the wearer by means of the bars <EM>h<SUPER>5</SUPER></EM> just above the head of the person and not resting thereon.<P> It will be readily understood from this description of my invention that a person falling from the air, equipped with my life saving apparatus, will first open the parachute by means of raising slightly the hands slipped in the straps over the ribs, the rest being done by pressure of the air against the lower surface of the fabric covering the parachute. Should the person fall into water, the air-cushions will keep him or her afloat and should the respective person fall on land and the parachute not assure a descent smooth enough to prevent a violent impact with same, the impact will considerably be reduced also by the air cushions. Should the person fall head foremost the sides of the helmet will break on contact with the soil and the resilient means contained in the helmet will mitigate the concussion.<P> While I have thus shown and described the preferred form of my invention, it is understood that I do not wish to be limited to its mechanical details and may resort to alterations and modifications which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.<P> What I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:<P> 1. A life saving apparatus, for aeronauts, comprising, in combination, a jacket lined with air-tight inflatable cushions, a parachute adapted to be easily opened and closed, removably attached to the body over said jacket, and a helmet supported over the head of the wearer by means of supports attached removably to the shoulder and back portions of said jacket, resilient means in said helmet, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.<P> 2. A life saving helmet, comprising, in combination, a cylindrical body portion closed at the top, said top lined at the inside with resilient material, a helical spring between two metal plates within said cylindrical body, projections of the lower of one of said plates piercing the sides of said cylindrical body, adapted to be fastened to the shoulder portions of a life saving jacket, and to support said helmet just above the head of the wearer, and a prolongation of the material covering said helmet adapted to be removably fastened to the back portion of a life saving jacket, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.<P> In testimony whereof, I have hereunto fixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. <P>MICHAEL KISPÉTER. <P>Witnesses: <P>ALEXANDER DENES,<BR> ABADAR HAMBURGER. <hr size=2> <CENTER> <A HREF="wacky/wackyold.htm"><IMG SRC="image/shared/b5.gif" WIDTH=113 HEIGHT=28 ALT="Prior page" border=0></A> <A HREF="index.htm"><IMG SRC="image/shared/b1.gif" WIDTH=113 HEIGHT=28 ALT="Home page" border=0></A> <A HREF="links.htm"><IMG SRC="image/shared/b4.gif" WIDTH=113 HEIGHT=28 ALT="Inventor Links" border=0></A> </CENTER> </BODY>