Improvements in or relating to Diving Apparatus.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Diving Apparatus.
We, JOHN DAY, Cordwainer, and GEORGE DAY, Engineer, both of 13, High
Street, Maesteg, in the County of Glamorgan, Wales, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention relates to the joints of a non-collapsible diving apparatus
the principal object being to reduce the friction so that the joint or joints can
be easily moved and yet rendered water tight.
In carrying out the invention we form the portion of the apparatus constituting
the inner piece of a joint partly spherical or spheroidal and carry this in an
outer piece of suitable shape to accommodate and allow of the necessary movement
of the partly spherical portion.
The joint is arranged to turn about an axis provided by studs or their equi-
valent forming part of a flattened portion of the spheroid and having bearings
upon the knife-edge principle which may be of hardened steel so that the friction
due to the bearing itself will be only nominal.
Each working centre or bearing of the joint may be protected by a screwed cap
or the like secured upon the casing and made water tight by any suitable means
which will not prevent its being removed if necessary. By this means the joint
is readily accessible for inspection or repair.
A suitable packing is provided between the spheroidal portion and its casing
so as to prevent access of water to the inside; and to reduce the friction due to
the packing if desired a lubricant such as French chalk, lamp black, oil, tallow,
soft soap or the like or a mixture of all of them, may be used at the outside of
the joint. A convenient way of applying the above is to cover the joint with
some waterproof material in the form of a sleeve or dress, tying it above and below
the joint and filling the space with the lubricant. Or the space between the outer
and inner dress may be filled with air at a pressure equal to that of the water in
which the apparatus is used; in this case should there be a leak at the joint or
joints it would be a leak of air which is to be rather invited as it will serve the
operator for breathing. The excess and vitiated air may be carried off by a suit-
able pipe connected with the helmet or other suitable part of the dress and open
above water.
Should the leakage at the joints be insufficient for breathing purposes the
operator has control of a valve connected with the pipe conveying air from the
pumps to maintain the pressure between the outer and inner dress, and can thus
increase his air supply at will.
The dress or covering. will also serve to protect the joints from sand or other
foreign matter.
To enable our invention to be clearly understood we will describe it by reference
to the accompanying drawings in which,
Figure 1 is a front elevation partly in section of a diving dress provided with
joints constructed according to our invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section of the same, the arm casing which
would otherwise be in view being omitted,

page_text: drawn to a larger scale.
pavy
Figure 4 is an underside view of the same, and
Figure 5 is a section on the line 5, 5 of Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a vertical section drawn to a larger scale of the lower part of one
of the sleeves or arm casings of the diving dress.
A is the helmet, B the upper part of the body or trunk, C the lower or abdominal
part of the said body and DD and EE the leg and arm casings respectively of
a diving dress. FF are the shoulder joints which are advantageously of a
cylindrical form as shown in Figure 1. G is the air supply pipe connected to
the helmet and provided with a valve G¹ which will close when the pressure of
water exceeds that of the air in the pipe and open when the pressure of the air
exceeds that of the water, or it can be closed by the operation of the lever G
within the helmet through the medium of the rod G³ and lever G. H is the pipe
for carrying off the excess or vitiated air.
II are our improved joints which are advantageously employed to constitute
a joint between the parts. B and C of the body, the hip, knee and ankle joints
of the leg casings DD and the elbow joints of the arm casings E E.
As the joints II are similar in construction although varying in proportions
according to the kind of joint they constitute we will describe only one of them,
riz: one of the elbow joints illustrated clearly in Figures 3, 4 and 5. In the
said Figures I¹12 indicate the inner and outer parts of the joint, the inner part
which is spherical being adapted to turn upon an axis within the outer part of
similar shape thus forming a kind of ball and socket joint, the sides of the
parts I being advantageously flattened where intersected by the axis. I³ is a
stuffing box formed in the part 12 and designed to receive a packing held in place
by an annular plate I whereby leakage of water between the parts I¹12 is pre-
vinted.
JJ are the studs formed on or attached to the flattened sides of the
part I and carried in bearings in blocks II upon the sides of the part I², the
said bearings being constructed upon the combined principles of the cylindrical
bearing and the knife-edge, that is to say, one side of each stud is formed semi-
cylindrical, and can fit and turn in a partial bush J of suitable shape carried in
sue of the blocks I, the other side of the stud being provided with a knife edge .J'
in contact with the unler surface of a block or enlargement I formed within the
said block I³, the said studs bushes and blocks being advantageously of hardened
steel. The opposing surfaces of the studs J and blocks 16 are of such shape as
to allow the required amount of movement between the parts I¹ 12 of the joint,
stops I being provided upon the part I for determining the extremes of such
movement which stops are designed when the part I¹ is moved on its axis to
come into contact with the plate I. J3 J3 are screwed studs which pass through
the blocks I into contact with the bushes J¹ and serve to move the latter so as to
force the knife edges on the studs JJ into close contact with the blocks 17.
KK are the caps which are screwed into or otherwise attached to the blocks 15 and
serve to protect the bearings therein, packing rings K¹ K' being employed to
render the joints tight between the said caps and blocks.
L Fig. 3 is the water-proof sleeve or dress with which we advantageously
cover and protect each of the joints I, the said sleeve serving for the reception
of a lubricant such as is hereinbefore described to reduce the friction between.
the packing in the stuffing box I³ and the part I¹ of the joint. The ends of the
sleeve are attached to the parts I¹ I² respectively, sufficient slack being allowed
to enable the joint to be moved without disturbing the attached parts of the
sleeve.
Instead of the lubricant we may fill each sleeve L with air at a pressure equal
to that of the water surrounding the dress, pipes (not shown) connecting the
sleeve with the air supply pipe G. By this arrangement in the event of the
packing in the stuffing-box 13 not forming a perfect joint with the part I the
air would leak through into the diving dress and augment the supply for breathing.

page_text: In some cases we arrange that the leakage of air through the joints shall supply
the diver for breathing. In the event, however, of such air being insufficient
by reason of defective pressure or other reason we arrange a valve similarly to
the valve G¹ between the air supply pipe G. and the helmet A and operated in a
similar manner so that the air can be admitted to the helmet at will.
As our improved joints are perfectly water-tight by reason of the waterproof
sleeves covering the same the pipes G and H can be dispensed with and an
arrangement for purifying the air carried in the helmet or other convenient part
of the dress thereby giving the diver absolute freedom of action in the water.
For grasping objects under water we provide each of the arm casings of the
diving dress with a pair of jaws M. M, (Fig. 1 and 6) designed to be manipulated
by the hands of the diver. The jaws of each pair are pivoted or hinged at M¹, M
to a tubular rod N carried and designed to turn within an elongated bearing O
attached to the lower spherical end of the arm casing, a stuffing box P being
provided with packing to form a tight joint-between the rod N and bearing O.
The rod N is provided with a handle Q within the part E whereby the jaws can
be revolved in the bearing O, a spring catch R being provided designed to engage
with holes S in the part E¹ to lock the jaws against rotation when required.
For opening and closing the jaw a rod T is provided passing through the rod N
in which is a stuffing-box with packing to form a tight joint and provided
at its lower end with a head U having notches VV engaging with spurs or
projections W W on the jaws, whereby when the rod T is reciprocated it will
open and close the jaws. For moving the rod T a wing nut Xengaging a screw
thread on the rod T and a compression spring Y inserted between a handle Z
on the said rod and the handle Q are employed, the said nut when revolved
in one direction enabling the spring Y to thrust down the rod and thus open
the jaws but when revolved in the opposite direction to draw up the rod and
close the jaws. The rod T is prevented from turning within the tubular rod N
by projections Z' on the handle Z engaging with slots 72 in the sides of the
handle Q.
We sometimes employ a pad or cushion on the helmet to lessen the shock in
case it should come into contact with any object during a rapid rise to the surface
of the water. This pad is advantageously of the pneumatic type, in which case
the pressure of air may be maintained from the air supply to the diver or in
some other convenient manner.
If desired in place of the hand operated jaws we may employ gauntlets made
after the manner of the diving dress with joints of the same description and
preferably covered with an outer waterproof covering.
If preferred instead of treating the outer waterproof covering as a separate
cover for each joint it may form a complete suit or dress which will entirely
envelope the pressure resisting diving apparatus. In this case the covering may
if desired be tied around or attached to the inner dress at various points or may
be employed singly as a loose outer cover attached only at the neck wrists and
ankles, in any case lubricating material or air is arranged between the two
dresses.
Although we have described our improved joints as being applied to a diving
dress, it will be obvious that they can be used in connection with other forms of
jointed diving apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The combination with a non-collapsible diving dress or apparatus of an outer
Hexible waterproof dress or covering for the purpose described.
2. The combination with a non-collapsible diving dress or apparatus of an
bufer flexible waterproof dress or covering with oil blacklead or other lubricant

page_text: interposed between the outer covering and the non-collapsible part for the purpose
described.
3. The combination with a non-collapsible diving dress or apparatus of an
outer dress or covering with air interposod between the outer covering and the
non-collapsible part for the purpose described.
4. The employment of a knife edged bearing in a joint for a diving dress or
apparatus.
5. In a diving dress or apparatus a joint with knife edged trunnion bearings
for the purpose described.
6. In a diving dress or apparatus a joint comprising inner and outer pieces such
as I¹ 12 pivotted one within the other upon knife edged bearings substantially as
described.
7. The combination with a diving dress or apparatus of hand-operated jaws
constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose described and illus-
trated in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.
S. In a diving dress or apparatus the combination with a helmet of a pro-
tective pad or cushion substantially as and for the purpose described.
9. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete diving
dress or apparatus substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2
of the accompanying drawings.
10. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete joint
for a diving dress or apparatus substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th
от магen 1091.
JOHN DAY.
GEORGE DAY.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.
JOHN DAY.
GEORGE DAY.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.