Inflatable devices

Claim 1

APPARATUS INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND DEVICES, EACH OF WHICH INCLUDES AN INFLATABLE CENTRAL PORTION COMPOSED OF SIMILARLY-SHAPED UPPER AND LOWER LAYERS OF A PLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING SIDE AND END PORTIONS WHICH LAYERS ARE SEALED TOGETHER AT THEIR SIDE AND END EDGES AND LIE FLAT UPON EACH OTHER WHEN THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE DEVICE IS DEFLATED, VALVE MEANS ARRANGED IN ONE OF THE LAYERS OF THE CENTRAL PORTION OF EACH DEVICE THROUGH WHICH AIR MAY BE INTRODUCED BETWEEN THE LAYERS TO INFLATE THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE DEVICE TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL PORTION, AND EACH OF SAID DEVICES HAVING FIRST AND SECOND FLAPS WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY NONRESILIENT, THE FIRST OF WHICH IS CONNECTED TO AND EXTENDS FROM ONE END OF THE CENTRAL PORTION AND THE SECOND OF WHICH IS CONNECTED TO AND EXTENDS FROM THE SECOND END OF THE CENTRAL PORTION OF EACH DEVICE, A FIRST FLAT STRIP WHICH IS SLIGHTLY RESILIENT HAVING ITS INNER END SECURED TO THE FIRST FLAT OF EACH DEVICE AND A SECOND FLAT STRIP WHICH IS SLIGHTLY RESILIENT HAVING ITS INNER END SECURED TO THE SECOND FLAP OF EACH DEVICE, SAID APPARATUS BEING APPLICABLE TO A PERSON WITH THE CENTRAL INFLATED CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF THE FIRST DEVICE EXTENDING ACROSS OR SLIGHTLY BELOW THE CHEST OF THE PERSON TO WHOM THE APPARATUS IS APPLIED AND THE CENTRAL INFLATED CYLINDRICAL PORTIONOF THE SECOND DEVICE EXTENDING ACROSS HIS BACK IN OPPOSED RELATION TO THE FIST DEVICE, MEANS ASSOCAITED WITH THE FIRST FLAP STRIP OF THE FIRST DEVICE, AND THE SECOND FLAT STRIP OF THE SECOND DEVICE AND ARRANGED ALONG ONE SIDE OF THE PERSON TO WHOM THE DEVICE IS APPLIED FOR CONNECTING THE FIRST RESILIENT STRIP OF THE FIRST DEVICE TO THE SECOND RESILIENT STRIP OF THE SECOND DEVICE AND MAINTAINING THEM UNDER TENSION AND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SECOND FLAT STRIP OF THE FIRST DEVICE AND THE FIRST FLAT STRIP OF THE SECOND DEVICE AND ARRANGED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE PERSON TO WHOM THE APPARATUS IS APPLIED FOR CONNECTING THE SECOND RESILIENT STRIP OF THE FIRST DEVICE AND THE FIRST RESILIENT STRIP OF THE SECOND DEVICE TOGETHER AND MAINTAINING THEM UNDER TENSION.