IMPROVEMENTS IN DIVING APPARATUS
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Mechanical Draftsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Nineteenth day of June, in the first year of Her reign,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, and such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
and also in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DIVING APPARATUS," being a communication from a
Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso, obliging me, the said William Edward Newton, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain
the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is

page_text: to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months from the date thereof,
as in and by the same Letters Patent, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Edward Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of my said In-
vention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention of improvements in diving apparatus consists of two parts,
the first and principal feature being a box or case through which atmospheric
air, to be supplied to the diver when under water, is passed, and this box or
case is denominated a "manometre," the object of which is to supply air to
the diver in a regular and uniform manner, and not by puffs, as it would be if
conveyed to him directly from a pump. The second feature of the Invention
consists in an improved apparatus through which the diver is to breathe; and
this apparatus consists of a small box containing two valves, one opening
inwards through which the diver draws the air intended for his support
simply by the action of inhaling, this being sufficient to open the valve, and
allow a proper supply of air to enter the lungs; the other valve. opening
outwards is put in action by the diver exhaling the air he has breathed, the
force with which the air is expelled from the lungs being quite sufficient to
open the valve, and to effect its discharge under water.
In order that the Invention may be better understood, I have appended.
hereto a Drawing containing several Figures, which I now proceed to describe.
Fig. 1 represents a top or horizontal view of the "manometre." Fig. 2 is
also an horizontal view of the apparatus, with the upper part or covering
removed, to show the internal arrangements. Fig. 3 is a transverse section
taken through the middle of the apparatus in the line a, b, of Figs. 1 and 2,
and representing the manometre when it is partially distended, or, in other
words, when it is nearly full of air. Fig. 4 represents a similar view of the
apparatus to Fig. 3, but in this instance the air has all been supplied to the
diver, and a fresh quantity is entering the manometre through the supply pipe.
a, a, is a piece of wood upon which the apparatus is fastened by screws or
otherwise; b, a supply pipe connected at one end, as seen in the Drawing, to
the manometre, and at the other end to a reservoir of air in the boat above.
The air in this reservoir is supposed to be highly compressed by means of an
air pump. A flat tube c, extending across the interior of the apparatus, is

page_text: connected at one end to the supply pipe b; and at the other to the opposite
side of the box d is a peculiarly formed valve for admitting air to the interior of
the box, which peculiar construction I will describe hereafter. e, e, is the lid of
the box hinged at f, the opposite end being closed and kept air-tight by
means of a flexible covering g, made of india rubber, oiled silk, or other
suitable material. This covering g is fastened at its edges to the sides of the
box, and as the air enters the box, and forces up the elastic covering, it carries
with it the lid e, to which the covering is attached by screwing it between the said
lid and an outer board h. A weight i is fastened on the board h, for the
keeping the lid steady, and causing the air in the box to be under slight pressure.
jis a spring attached to the extremity of a bent rod k, the opposite end of this
rod being connected to the lid or cover by means of screws.
This spring
is intended to raise the cover or lid when it may be deemed desirable, the
tension of the spring being regulated by a rod 7, which has a screw cut on one
end of it, and passed through a nut m on the outside of the box.
purpose of
Fig. 5 is a detached view of the valve d, the flat pipe c being shewn in
section. This valve consists of a short tube closed at both ends, and having
two ranges of circular holes formed in it for the purpose of allowing the air to
pass into the interior. It will be seen, by reference to the detached view,
Fig. 5, that an annular passage, n, n, is formed round the valve or tube d in
such manner that air may be admitted into the interior of the tube from every
one of the holes of the upper range. And it will also be seen that only the
upper range can be put into connection with the annular passage. The
operation of the entire apparatus will therefore be as follows:-The diver
will draw through the breathing pipe o all the air contained in the box, and
as it passes from the box the cover or lid e will naturally descend, as there will
then be no power to overcome the gravity of the weight i, the consequence of
which will be that the lid will force down the valve d; and bring the upper
range of holes into communication with the annular passage in the tube. The
air from the supply pipe will then flow along the flat tube, and enter the upper
range of circular holes, and escape into the box by the lower range. The air,
before under considerable pressure, will now expand in the case, and cause the
lid to rise into the position shewn in Fig. 3; and a spring p, which presses
against the lower end of the valve d, will cause the valve to keep in contact
with the lid of the box.
The second feature of the Invention consists of an improved breathing appa-
ratus, of which the Drawings represent three methods of construction, in principle
and action essentially the same. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are all views of the apparatus
shewn in section, but as they are all so much alike it will be sufficient to

page_text: explain the construction of one of them only. Fig. 8 is a section of the
breathing apparatus complete; Figure 9, a detached view of the mouth-piece ;
Fig. 10, a section of the same., a, the fresh-air pipe connected at its opposite
end to the pipe 0 (Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4); b is the corresponding valve
opening inwards, kept closed by a spring c; and d is that part of the apparatus
which is applied to the mouth. The exit valve e opens outwards, and is kept
closed by a spring f when breath is expelled from the lungs, when sufficient
force is exerted by the breath to overcome the resistance, and the foul air is
caused to escape by the pipe g. It will be seen that the breathing apparatus,
as shewn in Fig. 8, is made in several parts capable of being detached; for
instance, the valves are in two pieces, and slidden into the ends of the bent
pipes a and 9, and the ends of these bent pipes, with the valves placed therein,
are slidden into the mouth-piece shewn at Fig. 9 in the manner represented
at Fig. 8. This apparatus, however, may be made in one piece, if desirable,
as shewn in Figs. 6 and 7.
Fig. 11 represents a side and Fig. 12 a back view of a diver equipped
with the apparatus above described. a is the box or manometre supplied
with air by the pipe b, and o the pipe which conveys the air to the diver.
q is the breathing apparatus, kept in contact with the mouth by a band
fastened behind the head. g, a pipe for the exit of foul air, bent as seen
in the Drawing, so that in whatever situation the driver may be placed
the end of the tube is never uppermost, and consequently there is no danger
of being drowned. The manometre is attached to a waistcoat, at the lower
part of which a sort of bag r is attached, made of any flexible water-proof
material. A pipe t is screwed on to a small pipe b*, which branches off from
a supply pipe b, and at the reverse end of t are formed two small branch pipes
furnished with cocks. One of these pipes communicates with the interior,
and the other with the exterior of the bag r. The tube s is used to ensure
a perfect communication with both sides of the bag, and is passed over the
shoulders of the diver. If it should be thought desirable, the head may be
entirely enclosed in a helmet, so as to protect the nose and eyes from the water.
But I do not claim this as any part of the Invention.
In conclusion, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to confine
myself to the construction of apparatus herein set forth, as it is evident that
many modifications may be made without departing from the principle. But
I claim,
Firstly, the apparatus denominated a manometre for supplying fresh air in
a regular and uniform manner to the diver. And,
Secondly, an improved breathing apparatus, by means of which the diver is

page_text: Inrolled the Nineteenth day of December, One thousand eight hundred
and thirty-eight.