IMPROVEMENTS IN RESPIRATORY APPARATUS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Sinclair, of the City of Manchester,
Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RESPIRATORY
APPARATUS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Sinclair at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th June 1870.
I, JAMES SINCLAIR, of the City of Manchester, Merchant, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RESPIRATORY
APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to that description of respiratory apparatus
in which a reservoir of atmospheric air having tubes communicating with
a mouth piece is used to enable a person to enter localities or places in
which it would otherwise be impossible to breathe, and which is performed
by breathing the contents of such reservoir, one tube supplying the
necessary air for inspiration from the upper part of such reservoir and

page_text: another tube conveying the expired air into the lower part of the same
reservoir.
Now this Invention consists in the use and application of a face piece,
which is constructed by preference of thin sheet metal, and is surrounded
by a hollow pad of india-rubber filled with water or other liquid; this
face piece is of a suitable shape to cover the nose and mouth, and to lic
close against the face, so as to form an air-tight joint all round, and is
held in position by means of straps or bands passing round the back of
the head. To this face piece two lengths of india-rubber tubing fitted
with inlet and outlet valves are affixed, so as to enable the operator to
breathe the pure air from a distance although the immediate neighbour-
hood in which he is working may be injurious to health or calculated to
endanger life. This face piece is also used in substitution for the mouth
piece hitherto employed, and communicates with the air reservoir through
a three-way cock and the usual inlet and outlet tubes which are in this
case provided with inlet and outlet valves of any suitable construction.
The method of using this improved apparatus is as follows:-The
padded face piece herein-before described being fixed upon the face of the
operator, and the three-way cock being set open to the atmosphere, so as
to allow the operator to breath the surrounding air, he may proceed
into the vicinity of the vitiated or noxious gases, and immediately upon
feeling a difficulty in breathing may turn the three-way cock, and thus
open up a communication with the interior of the air reservoir and thence
forward breathe its contents, the inlet and outlet valves opening and
closing as he inhales and expires.
By disconnecting the joint of the tube leading to the bottom of the
reservoir he may expire into the surrounding air and inhale from the
reservoir, the inlet tube being provided with an extra valve opening
outwards for this purpose.
If the apparatus is required for proceeding into the immediate neigh-
bourhood of a fire or other locality where the presence of smoke or other
gases would be liable to affect the eyesight, the face piece for covering
the nose and mouth is extended upwards so as to cover the eyes as well,
and transparent glasses are introduced in proper positions and at suitable
angles in such face piece to allow the operator to see clearly.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Sinclair in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th December 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SINCLAIR, of the City of Manchester, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said James Sinclair, Her special
license that I, the said James Sinclair, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Sinclair, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed,, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RESPIRATORY APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said James Sinclair, my exccutors, or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Sinclair, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same, is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
These improvements relate to that description of respiratory apparatus
in which a reservoir of atmospheric air having tubes communicating
with mouth niano is used to enable a notson to antan localition

page_text: tube supplying the necessary air for inspiration from the upper part of
such reservoir, and another tube conveying the expired air into the
lower part of the same reservoir.
Now this Invention consists in the use and application of a face piece
which is constructed by preference of thin sheet metal and surrounded
by a hollow pad of india-rubber filled with water or other liquid, this
face piece is of a suitable shape to cover the nose and mouth, and to
lie close against the face so as to form an air-tight joint all round, and
is held in position by means of straps or bands passing round the back
of the head. To this face piece two lengths of india-rubber tubing fitted
with inlet and outlet valves are affixed so as to enable the operator to
breathe the pure air from a distance although the immediate neighbour-
hood in which he is working may be injurious to health or calculated to
endanger life. This face piece is also used in substitution for the mouth
piece hitherto employed and communicates with the air reservoir
through a three-way cock and the usual inlet and outlet tubes which
are in this case provided with inlet and outlet valves of any suitable
construction. The method of using this improved apparatus is as
follows:-
The padded face piece hercin-before described being fixed upon the
face of the operator, and the three-way cock being set open to the
atmosphere so as to allow the operator to breathe the surrounding air,
he may proceed into the vicinity of the vitiated or noxious gases, and
immediately upon feeling a difficulty in breathing may turn the three-
way cock and thus open up a communication with the interior of the
air reservoir and thence forward breathe its contents. By disconnecting
the joint of the tube leading to the bottom of the reservoir ho may
expire into the surrounding air and inhale from the reservoir, the
discending tube being provided with an extra valve which closes for
this purpose.
If the apparatus is required for proceeding into the immediate
neighbourhood of a fire or other locality where the presence of smoke
or other gases would be liable to effect the eyesight the face piece for
covering the nose and mouth is extended upwards so as to cover the
eyes as well, and transparent glasses are introduced in proper positions
and at suitable anglés in such face piece to allow the operator to see
clearly.

page_text: In order that the nature of this my said Invention may be the more
readily seen and understood, I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative of several modifications of my improvements in
respiratory apparatus. Similar letters being used to denote similar parts
in all the views.
Fig. 1 is a front view, and Fig. 2 a side view of the face piece used
in my improved respiratory apparatus drawn to a scale of about half
size; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of Fig. 1 through the line a to b.
This face piece consists of a thin sheet metal casing A surrounded on
its front edge by a tubular pad of india-rubber B filled with water or
other suitable liquid, and held on to the face of the wearer by means of
the strap C and broad elastic band D. To the lower part of this face
picce a tube E is connected which communicates at its lower extremity
with the three-way cock F shown in section in Fig. 1. This three-way
cock is provided with a hollow plug which is open to the tube E at the
bottom, and has a transverse passage direct through it corresponding
with the passages formed through the tail ends F¹ and G, and with an
opening H formed through the body of such cock seen in Figs. 2 and
shewn dotted in Fig. 1. In the tail ends of this cock (see Fig. 1) india-
rubber flap valves are mounted, the outlet valve marked J, and the
inlet valve (which is shown partly open) marked K. To these tail ends
the india-rubber tubes are attached for conveying the air to and from
the face piece.
Fig. 4 is a front view; and Fig. 5 a side view (drawn to a scale of
about quarter size) of a completo respiratory apparatus constructed accord-
ing to this Invention. The face piece herein-before described is shewn
in these views connected by the flexible inlet tube L and flexible outlet
tube M to the reservoir or air supply bag N, which may be made of
india-rubber or any other suitable material and be of any convenient
shape, the rectangular form illustrated on the Drawings and seen in plan
in Fig. 6, being found most useful for carrying on the back without
experiencing any difficulty in entering doorways or narrow passages.
It is supported in position on the back of the wearer by the shoulder
straps O, O, and can be inflated with atmospheric air or other gas, by
means of a pair of ordinary bellows, the nozzle of which may be inserted
through the connection P which unscrews for the purpose. The inlet
tube Lis continued down to the bottom of the bag, as seen dotted in
Figs. 4 and 5, and to prevent the descending part of this inlet tube
being bent and injured whilst the apparatus is being carried from place

page_text: to place, the wooden rods Q, Q, are affixed at the back of the bag as
illustrated in order to stiffen it and also. to. prevent it being folded
transversely when not inflated.
Fig. 7 represents a fireman equipped with my improved respiratory
apparatus, and in the act of carrying a quantity of valuables, showing
that free use of the arms and all parts of the body is retained whilst
wearing the apparatus.
I will now proceed to describe more precisely the action and manner
of using my improved respiratory apparatus. To fill the air reservoir
N it is only necessary to turn the plug of the three-way cock F so.
as to close the communication with the face piece, and then by means of
a pair of ordinary bellows, the requisite quantity of atmospheric air may
be introduced as herein-before described. The three-way cock is now in
the right position to allow the operator to breathe the outer air through
the opening G, formed in the body of the three-way cock F and the
face piece may now be fixed on the face of the wearer, the thin sheet.
metal casing being easily bent to suit the shape of any face, so that
the hollow pad will cover the nose and mouth and form an air-tight,
joint all round by being held securely in position by the straps C and
elastic band D passing around the back of the head as seen in Fig. 7.
The operator may now procced into the vicinity of the vitiated or
noxious gas or smoky atmosphere, and immediately upon feeling a
difficulty in breathing may turn the plug of the three-way cock Fa
quarter turn, and thus open a communication with the interior of the
bag or air reservoir N and begin to breathe its contents. The necessary
air for inspiration is now drawn by the simple act of inhaling from the
top of the bag through the outlet tube M and valve J, whilst tho
vitiated or expired air escapes through the valve K and inlet tube L
into the lower part of such bag or air reservoir. If it is requisite to
remain for a long time in the presence of vitiated air, and the contents
of such bag are becoming impure, the expired air may be allowed to
escape into the atmosphere direct without returning into the bag by
disconnecting the socket joint of the inlet tube as seen dotted in Fig. 4,
such inlet tube in that case being provided with an extra india-rubber
flap or other description of valve to prevent the escape of the contents
of the bag.
In localities where the presence of smoke or other gases would be
injurious to the eyesight, I employ another modification of face piece

page_text: which is extended upwards so as to cover the eyes as well as the nose
and mouth; and transparent glasses are introduced in proper positions
and at suitable angles in such face piece to allow the wearer to see
clearly. This face piece is seen in Figs. 7 and 8, illustrating respectively
a front and side view. In these views R, R, represent the transparent
glasses or goggles, situated in the upper part of the face piece opposite
to the eyes of the wearer, and this face piece is surrounded by a similar
description of india-rubber pad S, filled with water or other suitable
liquid to that which is described in reference to the face piece, illustrated
by Figs. 1, 2, and 3. These face pieces are also useful for breathing
pure air from a distance in trades or occupation where the atmosphere
immediately surrounding is charged with dust, injurious vapours or
gases, such pure air being conveyed through inlet and outlet tubes
attached to such face picce, or compressed air may be employed, in
which case I prefer to use an intermediate receptacle into which the
compressed air is first fed. A suitable apparatus for this purpose is
illustrated by Figs. 9 and 10, representing a front and side view, in
which T is the receptacle or intermediate cistern, which is fastened
round the wearer's waist by the straps U at the back, and is supplied
with atmospheric air, either compressed or at atmospheric pressure,
through the supply tube V, and regulated in quantity by the cock W.
This receptacle is in communication with the face picce X, through the
india-rubber tube Y (seen in section in Fig. 9), which has a number
of slits cut tranversely through its whole length, as illustrated, in order
to render it extremely flexible, and is surrounded by an outer tube of
air-proof cloth Z, which hangs loosely about it, as illustrated, for the sake
of flexibility, and so as not to interfere with the movements of the body
and head of the wearer.
a is a valve box formed in two parts, one marked ₺ sliding within the
other (marked c), so as to open a communication with the outer air
through the holes & formed around the outer casing, when the internal
casing is drawn out as seen in Fig. 10, and on an enlarged scalc in
Fig. 11. The internal casing b is provided with a disc valve c, seen
in section on an enlarged scale in Fig. 11, which opens when the wearer
exhales, and immediately closes again by the action of the spiral
springs surrounding its spindle when he inhales.
The action of this apparatus is as follows:--The receptacle T forms
a cistern which is always filled with air supplied as herein-before

page_text: described and from which the operator may inhale without the incon-
venience of having to draw the air through a long length of tubing,
whilst when he exhales the disc valve e opens and allows the vitiated
air to escape into the outer air through the perforations g, formed
through the end of the internal casing. If the wearer requires to
breathe the outer air whilst wearing the apparatus, all that is necessary
is to draw out the internal casing 6 to the position shewn in Figs. 10
& 11, when he will inhale and exhale through the holes c surrounding
the outer casing.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
my said Invention, together with the best methods with which I am
acquainted for carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be
understood that I claim,―
1st. The peculiar construction and arrangements of the face picces
and goggles to be used in conjunction with respiratory apparatus, as and
for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated on the accom-
panying Drawings.
2nd. The use and application of a three-way cock fitted with inlet
and outlet valves as and for the purpose described and illustrated on the
accompanying Drawings.
3rd. The peculiar arrangement and construction of intermediate
reservoir and valve box, described in reference to Figs. 9 & 10, for
breathing compressed air or air conveyed from a distance, as and for
the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Sinclair, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Agent,
71, Market Street,
Manchester.
JAMES (L.S.) SINCLAIR.