Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-11-12
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Carrying Pure Air in a Knapsack.


Successful experiments have been
carried on by Mr.. Warrington Smythe,
at the New Seaham colliery, near New
castle, England, with what is termed
the Fleuss breathing apparatus. The
Importance Of this invention will at
once be apparent to those who are in
any way acquainted with the risks from
suffocation run by firemen and those
employed under ground, where poison
ous fumes are so liable to break forth
and suffocate those who may be subject
to them. With the aid of the Fleuss
machine men can work without danger
under all these mimical conditions.
The apparatus has the size and shape
Of soldiers knspsack, its principal
portion being case Of sheet copper,
twelve inches long, twelve inches wide,
and two and half inches deep. The
case is internally divided into four lon
gitudinal compartments, fitted up 30 as
to secure the complete circulation
through them OF the air that has been
robbed of its oxygen by passage through
the lungs. Each compartment is fitted
with small cubes Of india rubber sponge,
coated with specially prepared caustic
soda. The air that passes from the
lungs of the man fitted with the sp-
paratus passes through one side of
mouthpiece and down the correspond
ing short length of pipe over his left
shoulder to the first compartment Of the
case.
There it goes through finely-bal-
anced valve, which gives way to the
softest breath passing from the month,
but is immovable to anything from the
inside of the case. The partition of the
first compartment fits closely up to the
top of the case, but is about one inch
open at the bottom. This arrangement
thus permits the respired air to pass
down the first chamber and to enter the
second at the bottom. Here it circu-
lates to the top, where an inch opening
in the next partition gives it passage
into the third compartment, which it
descends, to find similar outlet at the
bottom into the fourth chamber. Ris-
ing to the head of this compartment,
the air thus purified from the deleterious
matter thst it has carried from the
lungs passes through valve into pipe
laid over the right shoulder Of the oper-
ator. Oxygen is added by means Of
small pipe that runs from the cylinder
at the bottom of the case, and finds its
opening close to the junction Of the
clean air-pipe and the before mentioned
india rubber bag.
This latter performs the part Of a
reservoir of pure and properly oxygen
ated air, and by it's presence the act of
breathing is rendered easy and natural.
In fact, the only limit to the space Of
bilu0 dulluS WuuCA bAo apparatus
enables the man to move about in the
midst of poisonous gases is the capacity
of the oxygen cylinder and the indi-
viduars physical ability to carry the
copper knapsack about with him. The
capacity of the cylinders at present in
use is one-fourth of cubic foot, and as
tho oxygen is pumped in under pres
sure of sixteen atmospheres, they hold
four cubic feet of gas. The supply,
which can be regulated through the
medium of a valve, is calculated to last
for four hours shift Of work, although
no man employed under such conditions
of danger as require its use is kept OF
labor more than three hours.
An essential portion of the apparatus
is the mask, to which is attached q
mouthpiece screwed on one side to the
pure-air pipe and india rubber bag, and
on the other to the pipe conveying the
expired air back to the compartment in
the knapsack case.--RubJer Era.