CUSHIONS. 259 



much more convenient on account of its being easily filled, 

 simply by pulling it open. The labor of inflating air-work, and 

 particvdarly beds, whether with a bellows or the mouth, has ever 

 been found a great objection to it. This objection does not 

 apply to the work here described, as it can be filled instantly 

 when needed ; and when not in use it miay be packed away in 

 a very small compass. The method of constructing this article, 

 although it might appear very complicated, is indeed very 

 simple. Every compartment is first formed separately. A 

 sufficient number of them to form the article are next cemented 

 together firmly, about half the distance from the centre to the 

 outer edge. The different compartments are each inflated by 

 separate tubes, or any number of them are inflated by one tube, 

 when they are so constructed that the air may pass from one to 

 the other.* 



Thin sheets of India rubber whalebone board are cemented in 

 between the cells, which, if they should become leaky, render 

 them more firm and safe when in use, by keeping them from 

 collapsing even. 



This contrivance now makes this article available, which was 

 before useless for the want of firmness in the cloth to cause the 

 article to inflate itself It also gives the article that degree ot 

 stiffiiess which causes it to resist the pressure of the water, and 

 prevents a leak from rendering it unsafe, which would cause one 

 of the common kind to collapse and sink immediately. 



CUSHIONS. 



These were among the articles first manufactured of the 

 Mcintosh fabrics, both in Europe and the United States, but 

 neither these or the different kinds that have since been made, 

 have been much used in comparison with what might have been 

 expected, considering the length of time since they were first 



* The life-preserver being more or less safe according to the number of cells inflated by each 

 tube. 



