Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1899
I, FREDERICK HENRY SPRANG, of 86, Grange Road, Bermondsey, London, S.E.,
Indiarubber Works Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows: -
This invention relates to diving dresses, and has for object to prevent undue
wear and tear of certain portions of the dress, and also to facilitate the move-
ments of the wearer.
Heretofore it has been customary to attach the rubber collar of the diving
dress to the canvas body portion by cementing the lower edge of the rubber
between the upper margins of the two thicknesses of water-proof canvas of which
the body of the dress is formed, leaving the rubber of the collar entirely exposed
on both sides, and for almost its whole width, throughout the whole circuit of
the collar, the joint between the dress and helmet being made by clamping the
exposed width of rubber collar between the edge of the corslet and an outer metal
band or bands forming a continuous washer. This arrangement involves a great
strain being thrown in working upon that portion of the rubber collar between
the margin of the canvas and the outer edge of the corslet, so that the rubber
tends to become torn at or near its line of attachment to the canvas, and also to
become slit by the bolts and to drag away from around the latter. The unpro-
tected rubber is also very liable to become torn or frayed around the bolt holes
in the act of hitching the holes in the collar over the bolts when the dress is
being either put on or taken off.
One of the improvements forming the subject of this invention consists in
extending the outer of the two thicknesses of canvas forming the body portion
of the dress, so as to cover the outer surface of the rubber collar throughout its
whole width, the canvas extension being cemented to the rubber and the bolt
holes being punched through both canvas and rubber. By this arrangement the
canvas shares in the strain otherwise borne entirely by the rubber alone, the latter
being no longer liable to tear or to be slit by the bolts as heretofore, whilst the
bolt-holes being strengthened by the protective covering, are not so liable to
fray when being hitched over the bolts.
In order to preserve the elasticity imparted to the dress by the use of the
rubber collar, the outer canvas extension may be cut away between the bolts on
the shoulders of the dress, the tendency of the body portion to drag away from the
corslet being less where the dress crosses the shoulders, then elsewhere; but
in every case the outer thickness of canvas is extended so as to cover the whole
width of the rubber collar, wherever a bolt hole occurs.
A further improvement consists in so cutting out the canvas to form the sleeves
of the diving dress, that when made up, the sleeves are somewhat bent in the
natural direction at the elbows. Heretofore it has been customary to cut the
sleeves quite straight, so that, the sleeves being tightly confined at the wrists, it
has been difficult for the wearer to bend the arms, whilst in working a considerable

page_text: strain has been thrown upon the seams at the back of the shoulder, and upon
the rear portion of the collar. By cutting the sleeves as above described, these
disadvantages are entirely obviated, and the diver is enabled to move with much
greater freedom.
Dated this 11th day of November 1808
I, FREDERICK HENRY SPRANG, of 86, Grange Road, Bermondsey, London, S.E.,
Indiarubber Works Manager, 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 folowing statement:—
This invention relates to diving dresses and has for objects to prevent undue
wear of certain portions of the dress and also to facilitate the movements of the
wearer.
Heretofore it has been customary to attach the rubber collar of the diving
dress to the canvas body portion of the dress by cementing the lower edge of the
rubber between the upper margins of the two thicknesses of waterproof canvas
of which the body of the dress is formed, leaving the rubber of the collar entirely
exposed on both sides and for almost its whole width, throughout the entire circuit
of the collar, the joint between the dress and helmet being made by clamping the
exposed width of rubber collar between the edge of the corslet and an outer metal
band or bands forming a continuous washer. This arrangement involves a great
strain being thrown, in working, upon that portion of the rubber collar between
the margin of the canvas and the outer edge of the corslet, so that the rubber
tends to become torn at or near its line of attachment to the canvas and also to
become slit by the bolts and to drag away from around the latter. The unpro-
tected rubber is also very liable to become torn or frayed around the bolt holes
in the act of hitching the holes in the collar over the bolts when the dress is
being either put on or taken off.
My invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
forming part of this specification wherein Figure 1 represents a view of the
shoulder portion of the improved diving dress (apart from the helmet) as seen
looking from above, Figure 2 being a section, drawn full size, through the collar
of the dress and the corslet or shoulder portion of the helmet. Figure 3 is a
perspective side view of the dress, without the helmet and other accessories.
According to my invention the outer thickness a of the two thicknesses a a¹
of canvas forming the body portion of the dress is extended upwardly as at a³ so
as to cover the outer surface of the rubber collar b throughout its whole width, the
canvas extension being cemented to the rubber and the holes c which give passage
to the bolts e by which the dress is secured to the helmet, being punched through
both canvas 3 and rubber b. By this arrangement, when the dress and helmet
have been placed in position, and the nuts d of the bolts e have been screwed
down so as to clamp the collar between the corslet f and the continuous washer
plate g, the canvas extension a² is caused to share in the strains (due to the
weight of the dress and the movements of the wearer) otherwise borne entirely
by the rubber collar b alone, the latter being no longer liable to tear or to be
slit by the bolts e (Figure 2) as heretofore. Further the margins of the bolt-

page_text: holes being protected by the canvas a³ are not so liable to become torn or
frayed when being hitched over the bolts e.
Instead of the outer thickness a of the canvas being extended to cover the outer
surface of the rubber collar b, I may extend the inner thickness a' of canvas to
cover the inner surface of the rubber, or I may extend both the outer and inner
thicknesses of canvas so as to enclose the rubber collar b between them, the canvas
extension or extensions being in every case cemented to the rubber.
In order to preserve the elasticity imparted to the dress by the use of the
rubber collar, the canvas extension may be cut away for part of its width between
the bolt-holes c on the shoulders of the dress, as shewn in Figures 1 and 3,
this being permissible since the tendency of the body portion of the dress to
drag away from the corslet f is less where the dress crosses the shoulders than
elsewhere; but in every case the canvas extension is made to cover the whole
width of the rubber collar wherever a bolt-hole occurs.
A further improvement consists in so cutting out the canvas to form the sleeves
of the diving dress, that when made up, the sleeves are somewhat bent in the
natural direction at the elbows. Heretofore it has been customary to cut the
sleeves quite straight, as indicated in dotted lines at h in Figure 3, so that since
the sleeves are of necessity tightly confined at the wrists, it has been difficult for
the wearer to bend the arms, whilst, in working, a considerable strain has been
thrown upon the seams of the dress at the back of the shoulder and upon the
rear portion of the collar, thus increasing the tendency of the rubber b to become
torn at that part. By making the sleeves as above described and shewn in full
lines in Figure 3, these disadvantages are entirely obviated, and the diver is
enabled to move with much greater freedom and without risk of any movement
on his part causing damage to the dress.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a diving dress, extending the canvas forming the body portion of the
dress upwards so as to cover the surface of the rubber collar throughout its whole
width and cementing such canvas extension to the rubber collar through which
and through the canvas extension the holes for the bolts by which the dress is
secured to the helmet are punched, as and for the purposes specified.
2. In a diving dress, extending the canvas forming the body portion of the
dress upwards so as to cover the surface of the rubber collar throughout its whole
width except between the bolt holes on the shoulders of the dress, substantially
as shewn and described and for the purpose specified.
3. Providing a diving dress with bent sleeves substantially as shewn and
described and for the purposes set forth.
Dated thin 11+1 Jove of Aument 1000
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.