Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-01-15
Carrying Pure Air in q Knapsack.

Successful experiments have been
carried on by Mr.. Warrington Smythe,
at the New Seaman 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
sllffocation run by firemen and those
employed under ground, where poison
GUS fumes are so liable to break forth
and sufocate those who may be subject
to them. With the aid of the Fleuss
machine men can work without danger
under all these inimical conditions.
The apparatus has the size and shape
of soldiers knapsack, its principal por-
ton being case Of sheet copper, twelve
inches long, twelve inches wide, and two
and half inches deep. The case is in
ternally divided into four longitudinal
compartments, fitted up SO 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 apparatus passes
through one side of mouthpiece and
down the corresponding short length of
pipe over his left shoulder to the first
compartment of the case. There it goes
through finely balanced valve, which
gives way to the softest breath passing
from the mouth, 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 re-
spired 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 il
passage into the third compartment,
which it descends, to find a similar out
let at the bottom.into the fourth cham
Der. Rising to the head Of this com.
partment, the air thus purified from the
deleterious matter that it has carried
from the lungs passes through valve
into pipe laid over the right shoulder
Of the operator. Oxygen is added by
means Of G small pipe that runs from
the cylinder at the bottom of the case,
and finds it's opening close to the juno
ton of the clean air-pipe and the before
mentioned Indiarrubber bag. This lat
ter performs the part of reservoir o.
pure and properly oxygenated air, and
by it's presence the act Of breathing is
rendered easy and natural. In fact, the
only limit to the space Of time during
which the apparatus enables the man tc
move about in the midst Of poisonous
gases is the capacity of the oxygen cylin
der and the Individuals physical ability
to carry the copper knapsack about witt
him. The capacity Of the cylinders a
present in use is one-fourth of cubic
foot, and as the oxygen is pumped il
under pressure Of sixteen atmospheres
they hold four cubic feet of gas. The
supply, which can be regulated through
| the medium Of a valve, is calculated tc
last for four hours shift of work, al
though no man employed under sucf
conditions of danger as require it's use il
kept at labor more than three hours.
An essential portion Of the apparatus
is the mask, to which is attached {
mouthpiece screwed on one side to thu
pure-air pipe and India-rubber bag, ant
on the other to the pipe conveying ths
expired air back to the compartment II
the knapsack case-Ru6ber Era.