Abstract: A plurality of rod elements, an inflatable mattress and a cover are configured so that they can be assembled to form a stable raft having good flotation characteristics for supporting an adult individual while traversing a body of water. The components used to form the raft can be reassembled to form a tent. The components can also be disassembled and packaged into a compact, lightweight parcel for easy backpacking.

Abstract: Scuba gear is disclosed for use by divers and the like for carrying a compressed air tank to provide an underwater source of oxygen, a backpack being adapted for securing the tank to the diver and including quick release components for permitting the diver to rapidly free himself of the tank, an inflatable transport raft being secured to the tank and held in compact and gathered form by releasable fasteners in order to permit the raft to open in response to internal inflation pressure, the backpack being adapted for connection to the diver's upper torso together with a separate vest type buoyancy compensator, the backpack being adapted to permit inflation of the buoyancy compensator if desired and also permitting separation of the tank with the buoyancy compensator remaining in place on the diver, the transport raft providing flotation for the tank when the tank is freed from the diver, the raft also providing transport for the diver on the surface of the water.

Abstract: The boat comprises in combination two lateral canvases (8) disposed tangentially to the two compartments (6,7), and a bottom canvas (11) held under tension by a longitudinal keel (9) interposed between a floor (10) and said bottom canvas (11).

Abstract: Inflatable article made of air impervious thermoplastic sheet materials including one or more inflatable units having one or more inflatable valves provided thereon respectively for injecting air into those one or more inflatable units, wherein at least two seals, with one of the seals being a stabilizing seal and being adjacent or touching one of the other seals, are located at selected inner and/or outer portions of the inflatable article with the stabilizing seals providing the selected portions with essentially flat and unruffled constant length seals which remain flat and constant length whether the inflatable article is inflated or deflated thereby permitting another article or articles with constant length portions to be joined to the selected stabilized constant length portions of the sealed inflatable article which would not have been possible if stabilizing had not been effected.

Abstract: A mast supporting structure for an inflatable dinghy including a pair of stringers for connection to the floor of the dinghy, a mast receiving tube adapted to receive the lower end of a mast, a transverse support member resting on the floor of the dinghy and which supports the lower end of the mast receiving tube, and a plurality of struts. The transverse support member is connected to one of the stringers at each of its ends and each strut being connected at one end to the mast supporting tube and at the other end to one of the stringers. The mast supporting structure may be connected together in articulated fashion so that it may be collapsed into a neat package in which all the parts lie alongside one another for transport and storage. When erected the mast supporting structure is connected to the floor of an inflatable dinghy and provides a rigid support for a sail carrying mast.

Abstract: Bifacial inflatable life raft structure defining a plurality of boarding stations equally useable by evacuees irrespective of facial orientation of the structure upon a body of water. Sea ballast structure with such a life raft is also disclosed.

Abstract: According to the invention, a folding, semi-rigid inflatable boat has a rigid hull portion with a rigid bow half and rigid stern half connected by a transverse hinge. The hull portion has a top extending from the bow along opposite sides of the boat to the stern. The top of the hull portion is below the gunwales of the boat. An inflatable gunwale portion extends rearwardly from the bow of the boat watertightly along the top of the hull portion on opposite sides of the boat.

Abstract: A pyramid constructed of upstanding inflatable beam members extending from an inflatable base upwardly to an apex. The inflatable base carries an integral sea anchor depending therefrom, comprising an inflatable cross tube carrying a depending inflatable anchor tube with an anchor weight positioned in the lowermost portion thereof. The sea anchor has a plurality of flood ports positioned in panels enclosing the vertical anchor tube and weight. Flat panels of flexible sheet material extend between the upstanding inflatable beams to form a pyramidal surface. The panels include an upper radar reflective panel portion, a lower colored panel portion, and a translucent panel portion positioned between the upper and lower panel portions. A solar still mechanism is positioned within the enclosure formed by the pyramidal surface. Pockets are provided for survival gear on the exterior of the pyramidal surface.

Abstract: A laminate comprises fused adherent layers of plastisol vinyl chloride polymer resins in which a first layer contains Sb.sub.2 O.sub.3 and a second layer contains TiO.sub.2. The flexible laminate is useful as a roofing membrane for the roof of a building wherein the layer containing the Sb.sub.2 O.sub.3 is adjacent a structural or insulation member of the roof of the building while the TiO.sub.2 layer can be exposed to the elements and can protect the Sb.sub.2 O.sub.3 layer from sunlight.

Abstract: An inflatable article, having a pair of gas impervious sheets which are heat welded together at their edges to form an envelope and are provided with parallelly spaced apart longitudinal first seams to define a plurality of air compartments between the pair of sheets, is provided with a reforming and reinforcing outer inflatable multiple-compartmented unit formed, on the wall of the envelope, by heat-sealing an additional outer sheet to one of the pair of gas impervious sheets at the edge portions and at the lines which lie between each two of the first longitudinal seams to form second seams whereby the article will achieve a stronger and stiffer construction and the acute fused edge portions thereof can be reformed by the expanded superimposed inflatable outer units adjacent to the edge portions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pneumatic boat of the inflatable-deflatable type capable of being propelled by a motor and comprising at least one inflatable member forming two parallel or substantially parallel arms joined at the front to form a stem-post and a rear board connecting these two arms and intended to receive or to house at least one motor, the two arms having, at least in their parallel or substantially parallel portions, a multi-lobe shaped cross section whose large axis slopes. The boat is characterized by the fact that a lateral canvas is fixed tangentially to at least some of the lobes on the outer side of the respective arm and by the fact that the slope of the large axis of the arm, the relative size of the lobes of this arm and the number of these lobes are such that the mean angle formed by this lateral canvas and the horizontal plane is between 5.degree. and 45.degree..

Abstract: An escape slide and life raft assembly for evacuating personnel from an aircraft or other elevated place and thereafter providing a floating support when the evacuation is on water. A slide portion of the assembly has side tubes connected to transverse and longitudinal tubes of an outrigger portion to provide additional seating capacity of the assembly when used as a life raft. Upon inflation and extension of the slide portion, the outrigger portion is reefed or held in against the side tubes and only partially inflated so that the partially inflated longitudinal tubes reinforce the side tubes of the slide portion. When the outrigger portion is fully inflated and extended by releasing the reefing, the pressure in the assembly will be reduced due to the increased volume of the inflatable support tubes; however, the reduced pressure is at a preferred level for operation of the assembly as a life raft.

Abstract: An inflatable, reversible liferaft designed to carry several persons and having an integral reserve buoyancy compartment which may be inflated at the discretion of the passengers in an emergency.

Abstract: An expansion type life-saving raft, in which the life saving raft is folded with the awning thereof being placed inside when it is housed in a container, after which fitting members are fixedly provided at opposite positions on the outer peripheral part of the annular gas chamber which is folded in mutual confrontation, and subsequently providing a fastening mechanism, which is capable of being ruptured, etc. by force of expansion of the annular gas chamber, between the fitting members, thereby making it possible to expand the raft with the awning thereof being positioned upward without failure so as to enable individuals to promptly be evacuated into the life-saving raft.

Abstract: A compact and portable stretcher has a rigid body board long enough and wide enough to support a supine human body. It is overlaid with an inflatable mattress and may be flanked by inflatable buoyancy tubes.The body board is preferably made up from a number of rigid portions each the full width of the board and hingedly joined together to fold up around the deflated flank tubes and mattresses to form a back-pack in which the inflatable components are protected in transport by the body board portions.The body board is held flat by stiffener strings along the long edges of the body board. These comprise elements hingedly connected where the body board portions are joined, and movable between a relaxed disposition where they permit folding of the board and a standing disposition where they hold the board flat for use.

Abstract: An inflatable bottom structure in an inflatable boat avoids blisters in the xposed, heavy duty outer walls of superimposed upper and lower inflatable floors by a composite wall construction wherein an outer layer of synthetic rubber material, in which a heavy woven synthetic fiber fabric is embedded, and an inner synthetic rubber layer, disposed on a flexible tension strand holding scrim cloth layer, are fused and cured into a unitary wall.

Abstract: The container (12) has an inflation opening (46) which is closed by a valve (56) with seals (66) compressed by spring (90) pressure during the packing process. Air is removed from the container (12) for deflation by a vacuum pump (20) and excessive vacuum necessary for deflating the container (12) in a reasonable time but which is too high for the packing process and may damage the valve (56) or seals (66) is limited by a vacuum control unit (20) adjusted to maintain the vacuum below a predetermined vacuum and then admit atmospheric air over that level. The vacuum control unit (20) may have a screw adjustment (34) engageable with a spring (36) for increasing or decreasing pressure on an inlet valve member (32).

Abstract: An inflatable boat having parallel side sponsons joined by a floor and hag a rigid keelson member includes a demountable transom capable of supporting an outboard motor. The transom is characterized by a motor mount pad connected to the keelson and having folding attachment arms connected to the sponsons.

Abstract: A self-collapsible, inflatable device consists of a sheet made of a thermoplastic material having a memory set such that it forms into a coil when unrestrained and at least one inflatable member, semi-rigid when inflated and capable of being coiled when deflated, the inflatable member being mounted on a surface of the sheet which assumes a concave shape when the sheet is allowed to form into a coil. In one preferred embodiment the sheet includes upper and lower sheet members joined at their respective leading edges and the inflatable member is attached to the lower surface of the upper sheet and the upper surface of the lower sheet. The inflatable member and the upper and lower sheets are arranged such that the self-collapsible device coils itself when the inflatable member is deflated.

Abstract: A convertible play vehicle comprising an inflatable flotation ring encircling an integral reinforced, load-bearing platform that lies mid-way of the height of the flotation ring and has spaced openings near the circumference thereof that may serve as hand grips and a separable sled portion releasably secured on the underside of the inflatable ring by straps that are attached to the sled and extend over the ring, passing twice through the ring platform via the circumferential openings therein. The inflatable ring may be formed of two circular disks of rubber-like material vulcanized together at their outer circumference and at a concentric circle spaced inwardly therefrom to provide an inflatable endless tube therebetween. The sled may be of fiberglass or plastic with its ends rounded up to accomodate the inflated ring and provided with integral strap-passing eyelets on its upper side and parallel runners extending longitudinally on the underside.

Abstract: One or more vanes of a rigid or flexible material are attached to the underside of a liferaft or other towable marine craft. The vane or vanes are suspended from the craft at an angle of 90.degree. or less relative to the direction of towing.

Abstract: This inflatable boat comprising at least one hull consisting of at least first and second elements disposed side by side, inflatable separately, and one or a plurality of additional elements inflatable separately and adapted to support one or a plurality of relatively heavy members to be secured to the hull, in case the first inflatable element becomes inoperative. Preferably, the additional element is included in the volume of the first element and in the upper portion thereof, in the vicinity of the wall of the second element, so that when the first element becomes inoperative the second element can support the additional inflatable element and the heavy member is kept in a fixed position. This heavy member may consist for example of an outboard motor or a sail mast supporting structure.

Abstract: A stretcher and litter combination, including a buoyant raft-like structure adapted for use as a rescue or recovery litter, and a buoyant stretcher. The litter has pontoons on either side of an elongated body section. The stretcher is in the form of an elongated board releasably secured to the body section of the litter.

Abstract: An elastomeric enclosure is initially inflated to a desired pressure by a gas having large molecules incapable of diffusing outwardly from the enclosure, except at a relatively slow rate. When the enclosure is surrounded by ambient air at atmospheric pressure, such air passes into the enclosures by reverse diffusion, thus extracting energy from the ambient sea of air to progressively increase the total pressure in the enclosure to a substantial extent over a period of several months, the pressure then decreasing very slowly over an extended period to its initial inflation pressure, such extended period being as much as about two years or more. This added energy may be used to perform useful work or used in various pneumatic devices to achieve essentially permanent inflation.

Abstract: An escape slide for evacuating personnel from an aircraft or other elevated place where there is the possibility of damage to the slide from fire or abrasion during the deployment and evacuation process. A protective shield of flexible material having a metalized coating for reflecting heat is positioned over the underside of the inflated slide to protect the slide. The protective shield may be connected to the sides of the slide and be spaced from the bottom of the slide to provide an insulating air space. The protective shield may also be movable to a position over the slide when used as a life raft and serve as a canopy to protect passengers on the slide raft from the weather and sea.

Abstract: An inflatable boat has a pair of elongated inflatable side portions extending lengthwise of the boat, disposed within an envelope that can be opened and closed by longitudinally-extending openings on its outer side, to permit insertion and removal of inflatable chambers. The margins of the envelope openings are maintained closed by interfitting loops, each loop receiving a slotted pin with the head and tail of the pin projecting from opposite sides of the loop, so that the pins of the loops associated with one margin of the opening interfere with the heads and tails of the pins projecting from the loops associated with the other margin of the opening, thereby to hold the margins together. A rigid panel at the stern of the boat supports an outboard motor, and is detachably secured between the side members by special screw assemblies. At the prow of the boat, relatively vertically swingable panels provide a deck in one position and the support for a short ladder in another position.