USEFUL INVENTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1916, Page 8

USEFUL INVENTIONS.

FOR SAVING LIFE, Mr. A. B'mnie's life-savin;,' pillow invention has now been perfected and met with the approval of the Marine Department. Tt probably will now'replace the old fashioned,.incomplete cork life belt. The material used in Mi; Minnie's belt is kapoc, which iias a far greater floating strength, as demonstrations have shown, than cork. In fact, a two-pound "Kapock Life Pillow," as it is' called i* equal in buoyancy to two cork lifebelts, Slbs each. Moreover, it is soft and comfortable, whilst the cork belt is hard and uncomfortable, and cuts the skin. tt takes up no extra room in the cabin .and can be used as a cushion for deck chairs, etc. It makes a very comfortable pillow, and are such that shipping companies will no doubt substitute it for the present obsolete belt. Mr. Binnie has extended the idea to a life-saving mattress. Reporting upon it, Captain Attwood, surveyor of ships for the port of Auckland, says: ''The life Saving Mattress is an eveellent addition to life saving appliances, and I can recommend it to be put in the deck cabins, and spare ones kept in a sheltered position ready for emergency," Captain Hammond, assistant manager of the Northern Steamship Co., Ltd., says: '''Get the Marine Department to recognise it. I feel sure ibat most shipping companies would be prepared to adopt the use of them." Mr. Binnie is -putting his inventions upon the market, and townspeople will wish him every success in an invention which should very considerably help in saving life at sea. ' Its use in Home waters, now that the submarine danger is so real, would be incalculable. It is Air. B'mnie's idea to also exploit the inventions in the Old Country.