IMPROVEMENTS IN DIVING APPARATUS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Ward, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DIVING
APPARATUS."
Sealed the 23rd February 1864, and dated the 27th August 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Ward at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
August 1863.
I, JAMES WARD, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DIVING
APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide or construct a diving dress in
which a diver will be protected from water pressure, and in which he will be
enabled to move and breathe with ease and safety, and descend to depths
under water hitherto unattainable. In the dress itself the body case which is
made of metal or other rigid material reaches from the thighs upwards, and
covers in the head of the diver. The configuration of the said body case is
somewhat similar to that of a man. The front thereof is provided or fitted
with strong glass to allow a diver to see in any position. In the back or else-
where there is an opening to allow him to enter, and this opening may be
closed by a hinged door or other means capable of closing securely and air-
tight. The thighs are protected by separate casings also made of a rigid
material connected at top to the body case, and at bottom to strong boots

page_text: stiffened if necessary to resist the pressure of water. Between the body case
and the said thigh casings there are rings of sufficient size pivoted or jointed
to allow free hip joint motions of the legs, the boots being flexible will permit
free knee and foot movements. The arm casings should also be of rigid
material. To obtain a shoulder joint rings are employed, the arm casings
being connected to the body case, one or more, pivoted or centred in the arm
holes to allow an up-and-down movement of the arms, and one or more
coupled to those just mentioned to allow backward and forward motions.
As the latter rings are fitted to move circularly round the shoulders on rollers
any movement of the arms may be made. At the elbows ring joints similar
to those of the thighs are employed. The hands are encased in strong gloves
secured to the arm casings. All or any of the joints above named, and any
other joints which may be made, should more be found necessary, are protected
by two or more thicknesses of flexible water and air proof material, say
india-rubber, oiled canvass, or leather, secured to the rigid parts. Into the
spaces between the thicknesses of the said flexible material, all of which for
convenience should communicate with each other, compressed air is admitted
or supplied by a pipe from the surface. The compressed air passes from the
said spaces inside the dress proper, for the use of the diver by a valve or by
valves controlled or governed by the pressure brought to bear thereon, and
when vitiated passes off through another pipe carried preferably from the top
of the dress, and this last-named pipe or tube should be larger than the
supply pipe, so that any sudden increase of pressure in the breathing space
may be carried off.
Thus that novel feature of my Invention as applied to diving dresses,
of making elastic (air) joints enables a diver to move about under water with
ease, and by allowing displacement of air at freedom to assume any necessary
position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Ward in the, Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
February 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE. PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WARD, of Liverpool; in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh

page_text: year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said James Ward, Her special licence that I, the said James
Ward, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Ward, 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
DIVING APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Ward, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Ward, 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,
(that is to say):
:-
The object of this Invention is to provide or construct a diving dress in
which a diver will be protected from water pressure, and in which he will be
enabled to move and breathe with ease and safety, and descend under water
to depths hitherto unattainable.
The novel features of this Invention which consist in so constructing or
fitting together the several metallic or rigid parts which constitute the frame-
work and principal part of a diving dress, that such metallic or rigid parts
shall substantially receive and withstand water pressure; in so constructing
or forming the joints of such dress, or of any other diving dress made with
rigid materials, that free and natural movements of the arms and legs, and
other parts of the person wearing the dress may be made; and in surrounding
such joints or any other joints of diving dresses with air, or in enclosing air-
at or about the joints between flexible or. other casings to assist a diver in
moving under water, and to allow him to assume any necessary position, are
clearly shewn on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Fig. 1 shews a perspective view of a complete dress constructed according
to my Invention; Figs. 2 and 3 respectively front and side elevations of the
same dress with the outer flexible coverings and gloves removed; Figs. 4
and 5, sectional views of front and back halves of the apparatus cut through
at about the liue x, x, see Fig. 3; Figs. 6 and 7, sectional views of both

page_text: sides cut through the apparatus at about the line Z, Z; Fig. 8 is a longitu-
dinal section of a complete arm and glove; and Fig. 9 is a vertical section of
the valve which admits air from between the flexible casings into the breathing
space. In all the views the same letters indicate like parts.
a represents the body case, made of metal or other rigid material, which
reaches from the thighs upwards, and covers in the head by the raised crown-
piece b; c, the window fitted with strong glass or other transparent substance
between the bars, both in front and at the sides, to allow a diver to see objects
under water outside the dress in which he works; d, the door through which
the diver enters the dress; this door may be hinged or otherwise fitted to close
securely; on the Drawings, however, it consists of a sheet of metal fitted to be
fastened to the body case by bolts and nuts and indian-rubber or other packing;
e, the breech piece, also of a rigid material passing at an angle diagonally
downwards from front to back of the body case to which it is secured;
f shews the thighs' casings or upper leggings made of metal, and connected
to the body case and breech piece by the joint pins g, and coupled also by the
hinged joint protecting plates h. The thighs' casings, it will be seen, when
the apparatus is unbent, pass inside the body ease at the back upwards a
considerable distance; this is so that a person in the dress may bend forwards
without destroying the "lap" of the metallic or rigid parts. The hinged
sliding plates h are provided to cover and protect the space which otherwise
would be open between the bottom of the body case and the thighs' casings ;
this space is necessary to allow free bending of the dress. Secured to the
body case and the thighs' casings are the button-headed studs i, passing
through the slots in the plates h; these studs i keep the plates close up in
position, and the slots allow such plates h to move upwards and downwards
and outwards at their upper and lower terminations a distance equivalent to
the bend made forwards by the person in the dress; the fulcrum joints j
allow the plates h and their hinge pin to move up and down as may be
required, is a bar passing across inside under the hinge of the plates h
that a flexible band 7 may be passed over the outer side thereof to keep the
pressure of the air which is contained between flexible casing, and herein-after
more particularly described, from the person in the dress when a forward
movement is made. m, lugs, to which ropes or chains may be attached for
lowering the apparatus into the water. Joints similar to those herein-after
described as suitable for the shoulders might be used for allowing bip joints
motions, but I prefer the modification above described. n.points out the
knee or lower leggings with shoes o, both made of rigid material; p, joint
pins connecting such lower leggings to the thighs' casings or upper leggings,

page_text: within which latter the former pass upwards at the front when the knee is
unbent; g, double hinged plates fitted either to the upper or lower leggings,
and with or without button-headed studs and slots similar to those covering
the opening between the body case and. thighs' casings. The free ends slide
upwards or downwards according as they are attached to the upper or lower
leggings, and allow free knee movements; to protect the knee joints at the
back is the object of this arrangement. ", the joint pins coupling the shoes
to the lower leggings; these joint pins move in slots s, and allow sufficient
lateral motion for convenient turning and moving under water; it is pre-
ferred that the shoes be of considerable weight. At moderate depths under
water strong leather or other, flexible boots, stiffened if necessary with rigid.
framework, might be used, but to assist in poising the apparatus during
descent in the water, to facilitate movement in the water, and thoroughly to
protect a diver from pressure, the arrangement of parts or construction just
described is much better. t, the arm casings, also made of strong rigid
material secured at the shoulders to the body case shoulder pieces by rings u;
these shoulder pieces have heir openings made circular in a turning lathe.
The rings fit closely in the said openings, and are held in position by the
screw pins v passing through the shoulder pieces of the body case into the
grooves on the outer circumferences of the said rings, which are at freedom
to move round circularly. Rollers might be fitted on the ends of the pins v,
or rollers with flanges might work between the rings and the strengthening
pieces of the body case. To the rings u other rings w of smaller size are
jointed by pins, preferably at right angles to those joint pins z which attach
the said smaller rings to the arm casings to allow free movement. More
than two rings for each shoulder, jointed and fitted in similar manner to those
described might be used, two, however, will usually be found sufficient. The
lower arm casings * are connected to the parts market t by the joints pins >,
and the fore part of the elbow joints are protected by the hinged plates y',
shewn secured to the upper arm casings t, and fitted to slide over the parts t*
as the elbows are bent. a shews the gloves made of flexible material or
materials, and fastened to the arm casings by the metal clamp w¹; v' repre-
sents a thin diaphragm placed at the end of each arm, the edges of the
openings in which fit close to the wrists of the wearer, and prevent the
entrance of water should the gloves get damaged; 2, the air space in
the gloves. a¹ points out the outer flexible covering, made, preferably, of oiled
canvas, or india-rubber and cloth, although any other flexible air-proof material
would answer, it, the said covering, is secured to the body case under and
sometimes by the window frame, round and under the valve, round the door,

page_text: and to the ends of the arms; it may, however, be secured to other parts to
support it, although usually it would be unnecessary, and, indeed, if fastened
to other parts, sufficient slack must be left for free movement of the joints.
6 shews the inner linings or coverings made of the same material as the outer
covering; such inner linings or coverings are. attached to the rigid casings at
various parts or points, some of which are marked c³, and as the object is
to surround the joints with air, or to allow the said joints to work wholly or
partly surrounded with air, it is necessary that they should be attached to the
rigid parts on both sides of a joint, that is, both above and below inside the
jointed parts which allow the rigid parts to be moved, but, preferably, not so
securely as to prevent the passage of air. d', the air spaces, supplied by air
from the surface, by any suitable engine or means at a pressure equivalent to
the depth in the water at which the apparatus is being used through the
small pipe e, shewn carried or led down to the lower and back part of the
body case. Although the inner linings or casings are not shewn carried
upwards inside the front. part of the body case all the way from the lower
parts of the dress to the shoulders and arms, still the air in such lower part
will pass upwards at the sides by pipes or tubes if so fitted, or, in any case,
whether there are inside communications from one joint to another or not,
between the outer flexible casings and the rigid parts of the dress. The said
inner linings or casings are secured to the breech piece, or its upper surface,
by a plate so as to keep them, the said linings or casings, from coming into
contact, at pressure, with the person in the dress. Air forced into the
spaces d¹ at a pressure from the surface as above mentioned, to surround the
joints, and to allow displacement of air from one part of the dress to another,
according to the position it may be necessary for the diver to assume, is
allowed to escape into the interior of the dress, to supply air for respiration by
the valve fitted just under the window c, and shewn in section by Fig. 9. The
current of the air is indicated by the arrows, and a continuous supply is
allowed to pass through the small apertures f¹ in the valve g¹; if, however,
the pressure of air between the casings is greater than the pressure or head of
water acting on the flexible ball h³, not shewn in connection with the spring,
as keeping the valve closed, then such pressure will open the valve g', and
the air will escape into the breathing space in quantity, thence through the
large pipe to the surface of the water. The outlet pipe being much
larger than the supply pipe e', or the valve aperture at g¹, will always regulate
the pressure and ventilation of air inside the dress in the breathing space;
this valve is, preferably, made of gun metal and steel valves and the flexible
ball of vulcanized caoutchouc.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the
details laid down in the Drawings, and herein specified, as far as the joints,
flexible coverings, and means of supplying air between the latter are con-
cerned. What I claim as my Invention, is,-
Firstly, the particular arrangement and construction of the rigid and main
pressure resisting parts of the diving apparatus or dress herein described and
shewn on accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Secondly, the shoulder, elbow, wrist, thigh, knee, and foot joints, together
or separately, for diving dresses however constructed in their other parts,
substantially as herein set forth and shewn on the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
And, thirdly, surrounding the joints of diving dresses of whatever character
with air, or bringing air in contact with the said joints for the purpose of
allowing such joints to move freely, and for other advantages, all as herein
described and shewn on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Ward, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
In the presence of
JOHN THOMSON KING,
Patent Agent,
4, Clayton Square,
Liverpool.
JAMES WARD. (L.S.).