Switlik Parachute Company, Inc.

Richard Switlik, Jr

Stanley Switlik

Harold J Moran

Gregory Switlik

Leonard R Rupertus

Gustavo Fanjul

A life vest of the inflatable type is disclosed in which the inflation cell or cells are combined with a back panel and a single-attachment, single-adjustment, waist strap. The single-attachment waist strap may be permanent, or alternatively separable. The waist strap is stitched or otherwise non-movably connected to the inflatable cell or cells, and has a sliding connection to the back panel, for self-adjustability when tightened about the waist of the user, in a preferred embodiment.

Inflatable life vest of the single-attachment, single-adjustment type

A rescue transportation device having an inflatable support member with a generally horizontally extending main section and an inclined section adjacent to one end of the main section extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom. A cover is adapted to extend about the inflatable support member and is capable of placement on and off the inflatable support member by way of a slot means defined therein to facilitate fitting. A wide open mesh head restraint device is selectively attachable with respect to the cover to receive a user's head and hold it fixedly with respect to the main support member. A lower body restraint device is also attachable with respect to the cover and is adapted to receive and selectively hold the user's lower body with respect to the inflatable support member. Two restraint attachment devices are fixedly secured to the cover and are adapted to receive the head restraint or the lower body adjacent to the inclined section and in the other orientation the head of the user will be at the opposite end of the inflated support member from the inclined section thereof. Towing securement means may be defined on the cover adjacent the inclined section or adjacent the opposite section thereof. An inflating device such as a gas cannister or other mechanical device such as a pump may be attached with respect to the cover to facilitate inflation of the support member in the field. The cover member may be of two or three additional thicknesses along the bottom section thereof to prevent damage to the support member during dragging thereof. The head restraint preferably includes two inflatable cushions spatially disposed with respect to one another to receive a user's head therebetween. This distance can be varied in order to compensate for various sizes in the head of a user or for a helmeted head where removal of the helmet might further aggravate the injuries of the user. Furthermore, the head retaining means includes a wide netting being laterally securable between the inflatable cushions to facilitate fixed securement of the head of the user with respect to the inflatable member.

Growing community of inventors

Bay Head, NJ, United States of America

Richard Switlik, Jr