Improvements in Diving Dresses.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 30th May, 1859-Accepted, 6th July. 1889
PROVISIONAL
PECIFICATION.
Improvements in Diving Dresses.
We, WILLIAM ROBERT FOSTER, of No. 87, Grange Road, Bermondsey, in the
County of Surrey, India Rubber Manufacturer, and ROBERT Fox, of No. 79, Great
Portland Street, Marylebone, in the county of Middlesex, Submarine Engineer,
jointly trading as C. E. Heinke and Company, Submarine Engineers, at No. 79,
Great Portland Street, aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to the formation of holes or apertures in divers' dresses, and
the arrangement in connection therewith of a plate or disc of suitable flexible material
by means of which the hole or aperture is securely closed when the diver is under
water, but which can be readily removed at the will of the diver. The holes or
apertures will be found specially useful to permit of the wearer of the dress relieving
himself without removing the latter.
The hole or aperture, which is formed in a convenient part of the dress, is circular
in shape and has round its edge two rings of india-rubber and canvas which are fixed
to the dress. The said hole or aperture is closed by a plate or disc of india-rubber
or other suitable flexible material, the diameter of which is greater than that of the
hole or aperture, so that when the said plate or disc is forced or pushed into the hole
or aperture the edge thereof will enter the space between the before mentioned rings
thereby securely closing the hole or aperture. A handle or projecting piece is
attached to the face of the disc to facilitate the handling thereof.
Dated this 30th day of August 1888
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Diving Dresses.
We, WILLIAM ROBERT FOSTER, of No. 87, Grange Road, Bermondsey, in the
County of Surrey, India rubber Manufacturer, and ROBERT Fox, of No. 79, Great
Portland Street, Marylebone, in the County of Middlesex, Submarine Engineer,
jointly trading as C. E. Heinke and Company, Submarine Engineers at No. 79,
Great Portland Street aforesaid, 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 formation of an opening or aperture in diving dresses
and the arrangement in connection therewith of a plate disc or stopper of suitable
flexible material by means of which the opening or aperture is securely closed when
the diver is under water but which can be readily removed at the will of the diver.
The opening or aperture will be found especially useful to permit of the wearer of the
dress relieving himself without removing the latter.
"
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The opening or aperture which is formed in a convenient part of the dress, is
circular in shape and has round its edge two rings or a grooved ring of India rubber
and canvas fixed to the dress. The said opening or aperture is closed by a plate
disc or stopper of India rubber or other suitable flexible material or it might be of
rigid material or of combinations of rigid and flexible materials the diameter of which
is greater than that of the opening or aperture so that when the said plate disc or
stopper is forced or pushed into the opening or aperture the edge thereof will enter
the space or groove formed by the rings or ring thereby securely closing the opening
or aperture. A handle or projecting piece is attached to the face of the disc or
stopper to facilitate the handling thereof.

page_text: And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings more fully
to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. is an outside view of a portion of a diving dress having our invention
applied thereto and showing the disc plate or stopper in position.
Figure 2. is a horizontal section thereof.
Figure 3. is an outside view with the disc plate or stopper removed.
Figure 4. is an inside view of the disc plate or stopper separately.
Figure 5. is an edge view thereof and
Figure 6. is a horizontal section of part illustrating a slight modification.
In the several figures of the drawings like parts are indicated by similar letters
of reference.
Referring to Figures 1. to 5. a. represents a portion of a diving dress and a¹
represents the opening or aperture therein.
The opening or aperture a¹ which is formed in a convenient part of the dress is
circular in shape and the dress material is thickened around its edge by means of two
rings a a of India rubber.
These rings a a³ are formed cup shaped so as to leave a groove a' between them
and with flanges a by means of which they are connected together and they are
cemented to rings of canvas a which meet beyond the flanges a* of the rings u² a
and are securely united the whole forming a flange a which is placed between the
two thicknesses of material forming the dress a. and the several thicknesses are then
united in the usual way thereby fixing the rings a² a securely in position in the
aperture a¹.
The disc plate or stopper b. which serves to close the opening or aperture al is
formed of India rubber or other suitable flexible material or it might be of rigid
material or of combinations of rigid and flexible materials and its diameter is somewhat
greater than the opening through the rings a² a so that when the disc plate or
stopper b. is pushed or forced into the aperture a¹ the edge thereof will wedge itself into
the space or groove a between the rings a³ a³ thereby securely closing the opening or
aperture 4¹
The inner ring a³ is preferably of smaller diameter than the outer one a³ in order
to form a stop for the disc plate or stopper 6 when it is being placed in position in
the groove a
The disc plate or stopper b. is provided with a loop or eye upon the inner face
thereof to which is attached one end of a cord or chain the other end of such
cord or chain being connected with the dress a. in order to prevent the disc or
stopper b. becoming lost or mislaid and the disc plate or stopper 6. is further provided
upon the outer face thereof with a projecting handle or tab to facilitate the handling
thereof.
The arrangement represented at Figure 6. is very similar to that herein before
described but in this example in lieu of employing two separate rings a² a³ to form the
edge of the aperture al a single ring is employed formed with a groove a' therein
having lips or flanges a' a³ and this ring is also formed with a flange a* which is
united with the canvas rings as thus forming the flange a hereinbefore referred to.
We would here remark that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details
herein shown and described as the same may be varied without departing from the
spirit of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a diving dress an aperture surrounded by a thickened grooved edge of
India rubber adapted to receive and hold a disc plate or stopper substantially as
herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.

page_text: 2. In a diving dress the combination of an opening or aperture surrounded by a
thickened grooved edge of India rubber and a disc plate or stopper substantially as
herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 20th dow of Mow 1000
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.