Patent US3670349A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3670349A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Light weight article
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1970-03-30
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Granted: 1972-06-20
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Expires: 1990-03-30
Abstract
Abstract A lifesaving device having: (1) at least one set of flatwise, doughnut-shaped tubes of rubber, other plastic or thin metal, inflated with gas preferably at a pressure well above that of the atmosphere, having peripheries that are bonded together and tied by bands, cords or wire; (2) skin means comprising joined skins of plastic-impregnated fabric, plastic sheeting, plywood, thin metal or the like; (3) in some cases foamed plastic within the doughnut-shaped holes; (4) optionally, helium balloons in the foamed plastic; and, where the device serves as an article of furniture (table, chair or bed) until its use in life-preserving, (5) lower framework, comprising stacked doughnut-shaped tubes and a survival-kit storage container in this framework. The article of furniture may be inverted and floated as a life preserver. The structure of the invention also may be used as a life buoy or other buoy, a floatable mattress or part of a boat.
Inventors
- 👤 Alvin E Moore
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 10:57
CPC Classifications
B; B63; B63B; B63B22/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
205 words
A floatable, light-weight device, adapted for use as an article of furniture aboard a transportation craft and in emergency life-saving over water, comprising: a tubular frame of annular rings at the top of the article of furniture and having a lower surface, said rings being arranged flatwise with their major diameters in substantially the same plane and having pairs of contacting peripheries, at least one periphery of each of said pairs being a radially outer surface of a ring; means for fastening said rings together at the said contacting peripheries; skin means, snugly envelopIng said rings; and tubular framework, jutting from and connected to at least some of the sidewalls of the said rings, comprising doughnut-shaped framework tubes with their major axes substantially normal to the said plane, gas within the framework tubes, means fastening the framework to the said sidewalls, and framework skin means over the said framework tubes; The said device, when the article of furniture is inverted and floating in water, having a center of gravity that is located between its center of buoyancy and said tubular frame; the said framework being sufficiently open toward said lower surface to allow a person to stand within the framework, supported by said lower surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
205 words
A floatable, light-weight device, adapted for use as an article of furniture aboard a transportation craft and in emergency life-saving over water, comprising: a tubular frame of annular rings at the top of the article of furniture and having a lower surface, said rings being arranged flatwise with their major diameters in substantially the same plane and having pairs of contacting peripheries, at least one periphery of each of said pairs being a radially outer surface of a ring; means for fastening said rings together at the said contacting peripheries; skin means, snugly envelopIng said rings; and tubular framework, jutting from and connected to at least some of the sidewalls of the said rings, comprising doughnut-shaped framework tubes with their major axes substantially normal to the said plane, gas within the framework tubes, means fastening the framework to the said sidewalls, and framework skin means over the said framework tubes; The said device, when the article of furniture is inverted and floating in water, having a center of gravity that is located between its center of buoyancy and said tubular frame; the said framework being sufficiently open toward said lower surface to allow a person to stand within the framework, supported by said lower surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said gas is under a pressure that is well above that of the atmosphere.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said gas is lighter than air and under a pressure well above that of the atmosphere.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
A device as set forth in claim 1, in which the tubes of said framework are stacked with the centers of their doughnut-hole-shaped spaces being substantially in the same line and the said line is substantially normal to the said planar surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
A device as set forth in claim 1, comprising pressurized gas in said rings.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
A device as set forth in claim 1, comprising means for fastening said framework to a transport vehicle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
A device as set forth in claim 1, comprising a storage container housed by said tubular framework.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
A device as set forth in claim 1, in which said tubular framework comprises spaced rows of stacked doughnut-shaped tubes, the centers of the tubes of each row being in a line that is substantially normal to said plane.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
A device as set forth in claim 8, comprising a storage container in each row, adjacent to said tubular frame of annular rings.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
145 words
A floatable, light-weight device, adapted to be transported by a vehicle, comprising; a tubular frame having a plurality of annular rings, each of which comprises a doughnut-shaped tube and gas within the tube, said rings being arranged flatwise with their major diameters in substantially the same plane, and having pairs of contacting peripheries, at least one periphery of each of said pairs being a radially outer surface of a tube; skin means, snugly enveloping said rings; and tubular framework, jutting from and connected to at least some of the sidewalls of the said rings, comprising a plurality of stacked, doughnut-shaped framework tubes with their major axes normal to the said plane, gas within the said framework tubes, means fastening the framework to the said sidewalls, and framework skin means over the said framework tubes; and connecting means for detachably fastening said device to a vehicle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
145 words
A floatable, light-weight device, adapted to be transported by a vehicle, comprising; a tubular frame having a plurality of annular rings, each of which comprises a doughnut-shaped tube and gas within the tube, said rings being arranged flatwise with their major diameters in substantially the same plane, and having pairs of contacting peripheries, at least one periphery of each of said pairs being a radially outer surface of a tube; skin means, snugly enveloping said rings; and tubular framework, jutting from and connected to at least some of the sidewalls of the said rings, comprising a plurality of stacked, doughnut-shaped framework tubes with their major axes normal to the said plane, gas within the said framework tubes, means fastening the framework to the said sidewalls, and framework skin means over the said framework tubes; and connecting means for detachably fastening said device to a vehicle.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
55 words
Structure as set forth in claim 10, in which: said device is adapted for use as an article of furniture on a vehicle and as a life-saving device in water; and said connecting means for detachably fastening the device comprises hooks connected to base portions of the device when used as said article of furniture.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
A device as set forth in claim 10, adapted for use in lifesaving, comprising a watertightly sealable storage container inside doughnut-shaped holes of the said framework rings.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
A device as set forth in claim 10, in which said gas in the said framework tubes is lighter than air.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
A device as set forth in claim 10, further comprising foamed plastic in at least some of the central spaces within the said doughnut-shaped tubes.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
A device as set forth in claim 14 in which balloons, containing gas, are located within said foamed plastic.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
A device as set forth in claim 15, in which the gas in said balloons is lighter than air.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
50 words
A device as set forth in claim 10, in which the tubes of the said tubular frame are concentric and each pair of said contacting peripheries comprises the radially inner surface of an outer tube and the radially outer surface of a tube that is nested witHin said outer tube.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device as set forth in claim 17, in which the tubes of said framework are stacked with the centers of their doughnut-hole-shaped spaces being substantially in a line.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
38 words
A device as set forth in claim 10, in which the rings of the said tubular frame are in juxtaposed rows, and each of the said pairs of contacting peripheries comprises juxtaposed radially outer peripheries of adjacent tubes.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
27 words
A device as set forth in claim 19, in which each of the said rows comprises tubes that are staggered relative to those of an adjoining row.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
A device as set forth in claim 19, in which the tubes of said framework are stacked with the centers of their doughnut-hole-shaped spaces being substantially in the same line.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
52 words
A device as set forth in claim 10, in which said framework comprises at least three rows of tubes and the tubes of each of the said last-named rows are stacked with the centers of their doughnut-hole-shaped spaces being substantially in a line, and the said lines are parallel to each other.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
149 words
A floatable device, comprising: a floor frame having opposite top and bottom surfaces, comprising annular rings, arranged flatwise with their major diameters in substantially the same plane and having pairs of contacting peripheries, at least one periphery of each of said pairs being a radially outer surface of a ring; means for holding said rings together at the said contacting peripheries, comprising skin means of strength-providing material, at least a portion of said skin means being upright and curved in plan view; and tubular framework, jutting from and connected to at least some of the sidewalls of said rings and portions of said skin means, comprising a plurality of stacked doughnut-shaped framework tubes with their major diameters in planes substantially parallel to the said first-mentioned plane, gas within the framework tubes, and means fastening the framework to the said sidewalls comprising framework skin means over the said framework tubes.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
149 words
A floatable device, comprising: a floor frame having opposite top and bottom surfaces, comprising annular rings, arranged flatwise with their major diameters in substantially the same plane and having pairs of contacting peripheries, at least one periphery of each of said pairs being a radially outer surface of a ring; means for holding said rings together at the said contacting peripheries, comprising skin means of strength-providing material, at least a portion of said skin means being upright and curved in plan view; and tubular framework, jutting from and connected to at least some of the sidewalls of said rings and portions of said skin means, comprising a plurality of stacked doughnut-shaped framework tubes with their major diameters in planes substantially parallel to the said first-mentioned plane, gas within the framework tubes, and means fastening the framework to the said sidewalls comprising framework skin means over the said framework tubes.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
31 words
A device as set forth in claim 23, in which said rings are tubular and comprise gas within the rings at a pressure of at least eight pounds per square inch.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
36 words
A device as set forth in claim 23, comprising, within at least some of the said doughnut-shaped tubes, at least one storage container, having a perimeter adjacent to the inner peripheries of these said last-named tubes.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
36 words
A device as set forth in claim 23, in which said doughnut-shaped framework tubes are in a single stack and have centers on a substantially straight line that is substantially normal to the said first-named plane.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
45 words
A device as set forth in claim 23, in which said doughnut-shaped framework tubes are in a plurality of stacks, and in each of said stacks the doughnut-shaped tubes have centers on a substantially straight line that is substantially normal to the said first-named plane.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
45 words
A device as set forth in claim 27, comprising a lifeline fixed to portions of said stacks, adjacent to the ends of the stacks that are opposite from the said floor frame, the said lifeline being taut and bracing the said ends of the stacks.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
50 words
Structure as set forth in claim 23, in which each of the said pairs of contacting peripheries comprises juxtaposed radially outer peripheries of adjacent rings and said skin means comprises a pair of sheets that are substantially parallel to said first-mentioned plane and an endless strip, joined to said sheets.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
90 words
A light-weight structure comprising: skin means comprising a pair of spaced, substantially parallel sheet-like skins and an endless band-like skin fixed to said sheet-like skins; a plurality of inflated doughnut-shaped tubes within and enveloped by said skins, arranged flatwise with their major diameters in substantially the same plane and having pairs of contacting peripheries, each pair of the said peripheries comprising radially outer surfaces of two contiguous tubes; gas under above-atmospheric pressure within thE walls of each of said tubes; and foam plastic filling the doughnut-hole-shaped spaces within said tubes.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
90 words
A light-weight structure comprising: skin means comprising a pair of spaced, substantially parallel sheet-like skins and an endless band-like skin fixed to said sheet-like skins; a plurality of inflated doughnut-shaped tubes within and enveloped by said skins, arranged flatwise with their major diameters in substantially the same plane and having pairs of contacting peripheries, each pair of the said peripheries comprising radially outer surfaces of two contiguous tubes; gas under above-atmospheric pressure within thE walls of each of said tubes; and foam plastic filling the doughnut-hole-shaped spaces within said tubes.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
28 words
Structure as set forth in claim 30, comprising a bed adapted for use as a life-saving device, having balloons filled with lighter-than-air gas, imbedded in said foam plastic.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
17 words
Structure as set forth in claim 30, in which said sheet-like skins are of firm, strength-providing material.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-06-20 | 1975-12-20 | 1976-06-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-06-20 | 1979-12-20 | 1980-06-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-06-20 | 1983-12-20 | 1984-06-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |