Wacky Patent of the Month (Apr. 2005): U.S. Patent 1,264,523

<BODY BGCOLOR="#C0C0C0"> <center><b>Device for Walking Upon the Surface of the Water<p>Martin Jelalian</b><p>Patented Apr 30, 1918<p></center> <hr size=2> <p> To all whom it may concern:</p> <p> Be it know that I, Martin Jelalian, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Cranston, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Walking Upon the Surface of the Water, of which the following is a specification.</P> <p> The object of the invention is to provide a device of such character that will easily permit a person to walk upon the surface of the water in a most safe and successful manner.</P> <p> The device is provided with a gas balloon in order to assist in lifting or to give additional buoyancy to the operator and to enable the latter to slidably walk through the water.</P> <p> The invention consists of the special features of construction and combination of parts as hereinafter described and claimed.</P> <p> In describing the invention in detail, reference is had to the accompanying sheet of drawings forming a part of this specification, in which:</P> <p> Figure 1 is a front view of the improved device, showing the parts of the same in their relative position.</P> <p> Fig. 2 is a view of the rear of device.</P> <p> Fig. 3 is a side perspective view of one of the foot support members.</P> <p> Fig. 4 is a bottom perspective view Fig.3.</P> <p> Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the joints of the foot support members separated.</P> <p> Fig. 6 shows the joint of Fig. 5 in their engaged position.</P> <p> Referring to the drawings, numeral 1 designates a gas balloon having circumferentially arranged rope connections 2 and also rope connections 3 extending from the central portion of the gas balloon and connected at a point as at 4. Rope connections 5, 5 extend from the central portion of the gas balloon 1 and have their ends connected to the upper portion of a ring 6. Ropes 9, 9have their upper ends attached to the ring 6 and the lower ends thereof suitably connected to the upper portion of the detachable abdominal strap 12' secured to the abdominal part of the operator 10.</P> <p> The ring 6 is provided with a wire netting 7 and has a layer of canvas 8 secured to the netting in order to serve as a plane or to react against the atmosphere; cylinders 9', 9'are carried beneath the said plane and are provided with strap connections 9", 9" secured thereto.</P> <p> Said plane is also designed to serve as a float for the operator in case the gas bag is that the same will assist in the lifting operation and also will keep the operator in erect position.</P> <p> A pair of foot boards 16', 16' is detachably secured to the foot part of the operator 10 and each has an integral main foot strap 19' upon the top of the same and also a pair of air containers 17, 17 secured upon the bottoms thereof by means of straps 17', 17' in order to give additional buoyancy to the operator 10 and to float upon the surface of the water.</P> <p> Each foot strap 19', 19' is also provided with attaching strap connections 19, 19 for attaching to the lower leg parts of the operator or user 10 as shown by Figs. 1, 2, and 3.</P> <p> A hand support 17" is adapted to support the operator and designed to keep the latter imperfectly erect position and said support has a rectangular shaped board 18' secured at its lower end, and the buoyant members 19, 19 secured upon the bottom thereof by means of straps 17 and said buoyant members are adapted to float upon the surface of the water in the manner shown in Fig. 1.</P> <p> Thus it swill be readily understood that the arrangement of the parts of the device as described will enable a person to slidably walk upon the surface of the water in a perfectly safe and successful manner.</P> <p> Thus having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:</P> <P> 1. In a device of the character described, a means for walking upon the surface of the water comprising a gas balloon having a main plane suspended therefrom, said plane consisting of a metallic ring provided with a wire netting a layer of canvas secured to the same, buoyant cylinders carried beneath said plane and having integral strap connections secured thereto, and said cylinders adapted to float upon the surface of the water in case of gas bag should collapse; rope connections extending from said ring and the free ends thereof attached to the upper portion of an abdominal part of the operator. </P> <p> 2. In a device of the character described, a means for walking upon the surface of the water comprising a gas balloon carrying a main flat circular plane suspended therefrom, and said plane consisting of a metallic ring provided with a wire netting and a layer of canvas secured thereto; rope connections extending from said gas balloon and the free ends thereof connected to the perforations formed at the upper end of said ring, and also rope connections extending from the lower end of the latter and connected to an abdominal support carried by the operator, a pair of foot board members on of the same having a flat sided outwardly projecting portion adapted to have sliding movement within the other, and each of said board members provided with an integral foot strap upon the top of the same and having strap connections for securing said board members to the lower leg parts of the operator, a pair of lateral buoyant cylinders carried beneath each of said foot board members and provided with strap connections for securing said cylinders upon the bottoms of the board members, and said cylinders adapted to float upon the surface of the water.</P> <p> 3. In a device of the character described, a means for walking upon the surface the surface of the water consisting of a gas balloon and an abdominal strap, a pair of slidable foot board members secured to the foot part of the operator and each having air containers secured upon the bottoms of the same, a hand support for the operator designed to keep the later in perfectly erect position, and said support having an integral rectangular shaped board at its lower end, a pair of buoyant cylinders carried beneath the same and provided with strap connections for securing the cylinders thereto.</P> <p> In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.</P> <p>Martin Jelalian.</P> <p>Witnesses: James Kelunian, Ralph Altoian</P> <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>