Swimming device.

Application filed March 5, 1908. Serial No. 481,307.

To dll whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, Emanuel Eastman, a ^Cje^1Z-*?· United States, and a resident of Middletown, Middlesex county, Con5 necticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swimming Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to swimmers’ aid devices and has particular reference to an at10 tachment for the swimmer’s hand or hands which is constructed to as nearly as possible perform the function of the webbing in a water fowl’s foot.

With this object in view my invention 15 consists m the novel construction, combination and arrangement hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and incorporated in the appended claim.

In the drawing—Figure 1 is a plan view of a hand-web, fin or flexible paddle em^b®<Wⁱⁿg ^my invention. Fig. 2 is a section i¹®· 1* Fig. 3 is an edge view seen from the large end. Fig. 4 is a reduced end or 25 edge view with a hand in position in finger depressions, and Fig. 5 is a reduced plan view of the device attached to a swimmer's hand.

Referring in detail to the several views, 2 30 represents a flexible plate made of any suitable metal or other material cut into approximately or substantially ovate form, the broad end providing for a spread of finger ends as shown in Fig. 5. This plate 2 is 35 made heaviest in its middle portion and tapered in cross section toward its edges as shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 4 are shown depressions 3, 4, 5 and 6 for the fingers of the hand shown in 40 big. 5, said fingers corresponding in their swimming functions to the toes of a duck’s foot, while the plate 8 in this form of construction corresponds to the web of a duck’s The plates 2 and 8 are held against 45 the hand of the swimmer by a flexible band over the back-of the plate, said band having its ends inserted in slots 10 and 11 and fastened to the inside of the plate by means of rivets or other suitable means 12 and 13. The plates 2 and 8 are made slightly con- so cave as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the concave side being presented to the direction of the swimmer s stroke, and corresponding substantially to the natural curvature of the

I palm and fingers of a human hand. This 55 gives the device an effective hold upon the water and the flexibility of the device contemplates a fair degree of variation in the form or concavity under the natural tendency of the fingers to contract during each 60 forward swimming stroke, and scoop the water. The comparatively rigid central portion of the plate is designed to lend ample support for the more flexible outer portions and the thm edges made so to enable 65 them to readily cut through the water at each return stroke. This plate 2 or 8, or hand-web, as it may be termed will be of a size to enable the user to carry several of them conveniently on his person and in- 70 stantly on hand in case of an emergency making the more elaborate devices unavailable.

Aluminum, on account of its lightness and flexibility, would be a material well suited 75 for the. construction of this invention.