Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-12

crosses for their work in developing the
escape device. and Hobson, being in
eligible for service cross, was award
ed a years extra pay.
According to Hobson, information
reaching him and his associates indi-
Gates that the Davis lung" reported to
be the invention of Londoner, r. H.
Davis. is modelled after the American
invention, except that it employs an
oxygen tank. He declared the Ameri-
can Jung is patented to use a tank
also, but that in practice it has been
eliminated.
News dispatches state the British
admiralty has confirmed use of the
Davis lung" by six members of the
Poseidons crew, two of whom died on
reaching the surface. Hobson said
today the death of the two men ap-
parently was due to failure of the Brit
ish to employ a buoy line, with which
the rapid ascent of escaping men can
be retarded. Too rapid ascent results
in an explosion Of the person, caused
by expansion of the air in the body.
Hobson pointed out that the British
admiralty some time ago bought two
of the American lungs" from the
Mine Safety Appliance Co. for expert
mental purposes" At the time of the
successful conclusion of tests with the
Hobson- Momsen- Tibbals lung" the
American Government notified all for
eign nations of its willingness that the
safety device should become common
property, subject to patent rights of
the inventors.
Cites Patent Rights.
Under that invitation, Brazil and
Norway already have contracted to
equip their submarines with the Ameri-
can lung" and one or more samples
of the invention have been purchased
by Italy, Spain, Japan and several other
foreign powers, it is understood.
Hobson emphasized that he and his
colleagues have no objection to use of
the American lung" by the British or
any other navy, providing patent rights
OF the inventors are respected. Any
Infringement of those rights will be
fought vigorously, he stated.
The Davis lung" is said to have been
manufactured for the British Navy by
the Siebe-Gorman company, which
builds much of the submarine and SINH
lar equipment for the admiralty
The British patent Office, Hobson
said, has granted broad" patents for
the American lung"
Requests Refused.
Great Britain samples of the Davis
lung" have been unsuccessful to date.
Press descriptions and drawings of it,
however, are said to have convinced the
inventors that their patents have been
infringed upon
The American 'lung" now is stand
ard equipment on all United States
submarines. Repeated tests under &C
, tual diving conditions have proved its
efficiency as a rescue agent 1t con-
sistS of breathing bag and attached
mouthpiece, with a purifying chamber
for eliminating carbon iioxicie from
exhaled breath, SO that the air may be
breathed again safely.
The air is exhaled through the rub
Der mouthpiece and conveyed to a
soda Lime compartment, where it is
purified and sent back into the mouth
piece and lungs by natural inhalation
Two complete sets of lungs" for
each member of the crew are on every
submarine, one set being in the forward
part of the craft and another set in
the stern. Thus, If the bow Of the ship
should be caved in, escape could be
made with the lungs" in the aft. The
men emerge through a hatch and
ascend by rising, hand over hand, along
buc. line sent to the surface.