IMPROVEMENTS IN ADAGA WACILITATE WORKING UNDER WATER
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jacques Marie Edouard Masson, of Rue des Fosses,
. St. Thomas, Evreux, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ADAGA WACILITATE WORKING UNDER WATER."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Jacques Marie Edouard
Masson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 4th February 1859, pursuant
pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. I, JACQUES
MARIE EDOUARD, MASSON, of Rue des Fosses, St. Thomas, Evreux, France,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
N APPARATUS TO FACILITATE WORKING UNDER WATER," and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus to facilitate
working under water. For this purpose I employ a submarine boat con-
structed as herein described and represented in the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
Figure 1 is a side view of the boat, and Figures 2, 3, and 4 are sections
taken at different parts of Figure 1. a is a cylinder of sheet iron of a

page_text: thickness of about 3 of an inch, the cylinder being of a diameter of 8 feet,
and about 25 feet long, and the plates being united together by double rows
of rivets. This cylinder should be covered both externally and internally with
a suitable paint. b is an opening through which the workmen enter the
cylinder, it is formed by a frame of cast iron firmly rivetted to the said cylinder.
On this frame there is an external and internal flange, both furnished with
long screws, which pass through a ring of vulcanized india-rubber. Two wrought
iron covers pierced with holes corresponding to the screws are applied to
these flanges, and may be firmly pressed down on to them by means of the
screws. The screws holding down the top cover being screwed in from the
exterior, and the screws fixing the lower cover being screwed in from the
interior of the cylinder a. The lower cover is furnished with a cock b¹, which
can be opened from the interior, and which is for the purpose of permitting air
to pass from the interior of the cylinder to the space between the two covers.
c (Figures 1 and 2) is an opening by which the divers may have access to the
bottom of the sea. It is divided into two parts, which are closed by wrought
iron covers from the interior, in the same way as the opening b. Each of
these covers is furnished with a cock d, which permits air to pass at pleasure
from the cylinder a. e, e, (Figures 1 and 3) are openings which are fitted
with lenses. These lenses are made capable of resisting a great pressure, and
are fixed to the inner side of the cylinder a by means of sheets of caoutchouc,
a ring of iron, and screws f, as shown at Figure 6. They are furnished with
moveable iron shutters g, which by means of the bar g' which turns around
the screw g³, the hooks h and binding screw h¹ can be pressed against the
frame, the edges of which are furnished with plates of vulcanized india-
rubber. Each of these shutters is furnished with a cock i, which permits
compressed air from the cylinder a to pass between the shutter and the lens.
(Figures 1, 2, and 4,) are wrought-iron cylinders about 3 of an inch thick,
19 inches in diameter, and 7 feet long. They have at one of their extremities
an opening which is closed by a wrought-iron cover in the same manner as the
openings and c. One of these covers is furnished with a water gauge j',
(Figure 1.) These two cylinders are put in communication with the sea at
their lower extremity by means of a copper tube k (Figure 2), furnished with
a tap (Figures 1 and 2), and at their upper extremity they are put in
communication by means of the tube 1 (Figures 1 and 2), first, with the
sea by the cock 1, (Figure 1), placed in the interior of the cylinder a;
secondly, with the interior of the cylinder a, by means of the cock ;
thirdly, with the cylinder m, by means of the tap n on the tube n¹, which
is united to the said cylinder m by the tap n³. m (Figures 1 and 5) is a

page_text: cylinder of wrought iron about 3 of an inch thick, 18 inches in diameter, and
4 feet high; it is closed at its upper part by a cover in the same manner as
the cylinders and the openings b and c (Figure 1). On the supports o
(Figure 5) rests a case of wood furnished internally with a bag of vulcanized
india-rubber in the shape of a bottle, and which terminates at its lowest end
by a flexible tube o', which passes through the bottom of the said case of
wood. The passage through this tube may be closed by means of a presser,
which is made to press on the exterior of the tube in the following manner:-
An axis p, which passes from the cylinder in through a stuffing box, is furnished
with a screw thread which works in a nut; this nut in advancing under the
action of the rotating axis causes the presser q to advance or recede, which,
according as it presses on or recedes from the vulcanized india-rubber tube,
permits or prevents the escape of sulphuric acid enclosed in the caoutchouc
bag into the cylinder m, of which the bottom and sides are covered with
vulcanized india-rubber, and in this cylinder crystals of bicarbonate of soda are
placed, which are intended to disengage their carbonic acid when sulphuric
acid is allowed to fall on them from the caoutchouc bottle, which action takes
place freely when the tube of the said bottle is open in consequence of the
pressure on the top of the acid being the same as the pressure below, so that
the acid remains subject to the laws of gravity. The tap n (Figure 5)
permits the carbonic acid gas to pass into the pipe n'; the two taps s, s,
(Figures 4 and 5) on the two branches of the pipe n', puts this pipe in com-
munication with two caoutchouc bags (Figure 4), which are contained
within the two wooden cases which occupy the two sides of the cylinder a, as
far as the end of the cylinders (Figures 1 and 4). These cases are
hermetically closed, but are capable of being opened at one end; the air also
contained within them is put in communication with the air in the central
part of the cylinder a by two taps which ordinarily remain open, but are
capable of being closed if the caoutchouc bags burst. In place of these
wooden cases caoutchouc bags of a greater or less size according to the
degree of pressure that is desired to be obtained in the cylinder a may be
suspended from the sides of the cylinder a itself, so that they may be capable
of expanding, and so encroach on the internal capacity of the cylinder a; in
this case it will be necessary that the bags should be made very strong and
perfectly air-tight. u, Figure 1, is a tap which may be closed from the
interior, and u¹, Figure 1, a tap which can be closed from the exterior of
the cylinder a, which taps are placed at the extremity of a copper tube by
which compressed air can be forced by means of a force pump into the interior
of the cylinder. The extremity of this tube, as also the extremity of the tube 1,

page_text: are guarded externally from all blows by means of a metallic ring or guard
rivetted on to the cylinder a. A flooring of wood is placed on iron supports
above and just up to the end of the cylinders j, on which lead weights
are placed as ballast, so that the cylinder (when it contains the divers
their different tools, the compressed air which will have been forced into it,
and when cylinders J are th filled with water), just floats on the surface of
the water. v (Figure 1) is an iron screw with its axis, its stuffing box, its
supports, and its driving crank. w (Figure 1), rudder with its axis, its
stuffing box, and its crank. (Figure 1), a cast-iron shell filled with lead,
which can be made to descend or be lifted by means of the chain x', which
runs over two pullies y, and is wound on the external cylinder y, of which the
axis passes through a stuffing box, and can be turned by a crank placed in
the interior of the cylinder a. z (Figure 1), stuffing box, through which a
submarine cable passes by means of which the interior of the cylinder a may
be put in telegraphic communication with a boat on the surface of the water.
The stuffing boxes of the screw of the rudder, of the rope holding up the
weight, and of the cylinder m, are all constructed in the manner shewn at
Figure 7, in which A is the axis; B, pieces of caoutchouc; C, screw nuts, which
in descending press more and more on the pieces B, and make them press
more and more on the axis or on the cable, as also on the sides of the stuffing
box.
D, Figure 1, is a cable about 400 yards long attached to the ring E, the
other extremity of which is attached to the boat on the surface of the water;
the electrical cable r ought to be attached to this cable at intervals.
F, Figure 1, is a bar of iron, in the end of which there are two branches,
between which the cable D passes. This bar pivots and can be fixed in
different positions by means of a screw entering holes pierced in the quadrant
G, which is rivetted on to the cylinder a. The cable D is passed between
the two branches of the bar in order that when the boat on the surface of the
water draws the cylinder a in any direction the conical end of the cylinder is
always in front.
H, Figure 1, is the conical end of the cylinder, and is for the purpose of
facilitating the passage of the cylinder through the water; this conical end can
be separated at pleasure from the cylinder.
Having now described the different parts of my submarine boat, I. will pro-
ceed to describe the manner of working the same.
The apparatus being ballasted as above described, and the two covers of the
opening b, being adjusted and firmly screwed on to the rings of caoutchouc,
the divers will close the shutters of the glass lenses, but will open the taps

page_text: which are placed in them, and will see that the taps through the covers a
and c are exactly closed, air from the exterior will then be introduced by
means of a pump through the taps u, u, into the cylinder until the air con-
tained therein is at a pressure corresponding to the pressure of the column of
water under which the divers may wish to work. The taps of the shutters
should remain open in order that an equality of pressure may be established
on both sides of the shutters, but the passage through these taps is so small
that in case one of the lenses breaks, the decrease in the pressure may not be
instantaneous and consequently dangerous.
In case one of the lenses breaks, the closing of the tap in its shutter will
prevent the loss of compressed air or the influx of water into the apparatus.
The requisite pressure having been obtained, the taps u and u' (Figure 1)
will be closed, and the apparatus will be separated from the tube which unites
it to the force pump; it will then be conducted by the boat attending it to
the point where it ought to descend, which has previously been sounded, the
cord will then be sufficiently unwound by the boatmen, and the divers
enclosed in the apparatus will open successively the tap k¹ and the tap l'
Figure 1, so that the water entering by reason of its superior pressure through
the tap into the cylinders i, drives away entirely or in part the air enclosed
in these cylinders, and will render the apparatus sufficiently heavy that it may
descend with the desired rapidity. The water guage j' will give all the
necessary indications for this purpose. The taps k¹ and will be closed as
soon as the descent has commenced, which will be indicated by comparing two
well-regulated pressure guages, of which one will be in permanent commu-
nication with the sea, and the other suspended freely in the cylinder a.
Previous to the introduction of water into the cylinder i, the divers will have
lowered the weight x several yards, so that the weight, on touching the bottom
of the sea, will cause the apparatus to lose a superior weight to that of the
water which had been introduced into the cylinders i before con.mmencing to
descend. The apparatus, thus regaining the lightness which it had lost, will
remain floating above the bottom at a distance which varies according to the
distance the weight is from the cylinder. The divers will then open one or
more shutters, and will examine the bottom of the sea, and by means of the
telegraph will signify to the sailors in the boat above in what direction to draw
the apparatus. The divers will also be able to move themselves to the precise
spot towards which the boat above can only bring them approximately by means
of the screw. To arrive at this point, they will raise the weight so as to keep
close to the bottom of the sea; they will then open the taps d of the covers c
until a perfect equilibrium is established between the pressure of the air of

page_text: the apparatus and the pressure of the column of water beneath the cover;
they can then lower this cover, and put themselves in communication with the
bottom of the sea. The cylinders having been ths filled with water before
the apparatus descended, it is evident that if this water was now to be driven
out, the apparatus would be capable of bringing up from the bottom of the sea
substances equal in weight to the amount of water displaced. This is easily
effected as soon as the cover c has been replaced and screwed down, by pro-
ducing in the cylinder ma disengagement of carbonic acid gas, which, as soon
as the tap k¹ (Figure 1) and the taps n, n², Figure 5, are opened, will pass by
the tube (Figures 1 and 2) into the cylinders i, and will drive away the water
which was contained in them. The carbonic acid gas may also be employed
to compress the air in the cylinder a, if the divers desire to work in a deeper
part of the sea. For this purpose they have only to cause more carbonic
acid gas to be introduced into the bags t, t, placed in the cases at the side of
the apparatus; these bags, in expanding, will drive away the air from the
cases into the central part of the cylinder a, and will thus place the air con-
tained therein under greater and greater pressure. The two guages contained
in the cylinder a will indicate, by comparing them, the times at which carbonic
acid gas ought to be forced into the bags t, and when the production of carbonic
acid gas should be stopped.
It will be seen that as the apparatus descends, the pressure in the interior
of the apparatus will be more and more counterbalanced by the pressure of the
column of water on the outside, so that the apparatus may as it descends
receive without any danger a greater and greater amount of pressure, but when
the pressure in the apparatus has thus been increased, the divers must only
rise to the surface slowly in order to allow time for the carbonic acid to escape
from the bags t, which will be easy if after closing the tap n² (Figure 5) the
taps s, s, (Figure 4) are opened, and also the tap n (Figure 5) and the tap 1
Figure 1. Before ascending, the divers must first warn the sailors in the
boat above, by means of the telegraph, to wind up quickly the towing cable,
so that the weight of the cable may not hinder the apparatus from rising; or to
counterbalance the weight of the cable, pieces of cork may be attached to it
at intervals.
When the apparatus has risen to the surface of the water, the sailors in the
boat will take off the top cover of the opening b, and will open the tap u¹,
whilst the divers will open carefully first the tap 1, to empty entirely the bags
t, t, afterwards the taps u and b¹, Figure 1, to permit the compressed air from
the cylinder a to escape slowly. They may then open the lower cover of the
opening b, and get out of the cylinder.

page_text: In order to purify the air contained in the cylinder a, and to absorb any
carbonic acid gas that may escape from the apparatus m, it will be well to
have a large surface within the cylinder kept constantly moist with a solution
of soda or potash.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
First, the compressing the air in the submarine boat or diving apparatus
before it descends below the water.
Second, the employment of carbonic acid or other gas, which can be pro-
duced by a chemical reaction for increasing the pressure of the air in the
boat or diving apparatus, when necessary, after it has descended beneath the
water.
And also, generally, the combination of apparatus herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jacques Marie Edouard Masson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
JACQUES MARIE EDOUARD MASSON. (L.S.)
0
T. BASSET,
14, Bd Montmartre, Paris.
29th January, 1859.
".