Improvements in Diving Apparatus.
Year: 1897

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883) as allowed by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 27th day of June 1898.
Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 14th Aug., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Diving Apparatus.
I, ALEXANDER GORDON, of Broken Hill Chambers, 31, Queen Street, Melbourne,
in the Colony of Victoria, Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
66
This invention relates to further improvements upon an invention entitled
Improvements in diving apparatus" for which Great Britain Letters Patent
No. 14,672 dated 31st July 1894, have been granted. The main improvements
consist in providing the arms and the legs, which are made up as before of flexible
materials, strengthened with a coiled metallic core with spring stays, distance
pieces or articulated links or stays all arranged in such a manner that the diver
can bend his arms or legs or kneel or twist about with ease whilst in the water,
said stays or links preventing undue longitudinal compression of such parts. A
further improvement consists in improved means of securing the flexible parts to
the joint pieces and in the joints themselves all such improvements being herein-
after fully explained.
In order that the improvements in diving apparatus may be well understood they
will now be described aided by a reference to the attached sheets of drawings
which shew the improvements in a dress similar to that protected by said former
patent.
Fig. 1 of the drawings is a front view and Fig. 2 a side view of a complete diving
dress having the present improvements embodied in it. Both views shewing the
arms furnished with spring stays and the legs with articulated distance stays or
links.
Fig. 3 a half section of the flexible body piece shewing the improved joint
between it and the metallic jacket and also between the body and the leg joint
rings. Further this view shews the metallic core as arranged in said former
patent in the dress material and the improved means for securing the flexible
material to the joint pieces.
Fig. 4 a half plan of the metallic crutch plate which carries the body and leg
joint rings and also supports the segmental body distance piece.
Fig. 5 a side view of the metallic boot and shewing the lower end of the leg stay
and by a section the improved joint between the boot and the leg piece. Figs. 3, 4
and 5 are drawn to an enlarged scale.
Fig. 6 a general view of a diver as at work in the improved dress and in a
kneeling posture.
In the drawings A is the helmet connected by a screwed joint A¹ with a metallic
jacket D. B is the exhaust pipe leading from back of helmet to front of dress
whereat it is furnished with a stop cock B' which is connected with exhaust
hose B, the upper or free end of the latter being furnished with an escape valve.
C is the air supply pipe which is also brought from back of helmet to front of

page_text: or
dress and has a stop cock C¹ which is attached to air supply hose C. D¹ are short
metallic arm pieces and E tapering flexible sleeves attached thereto by a watertight
screw or other joint, said sleeves being constructed as before of waterproof material
having a spiral metallic core embedded between the folds of material, E¹ are india
rubber cuffs at end of sleeves. E2 are spring stays arranged as shewn in
Figs. 1, 2 and 6 on the arms and designed to strengthen them sufficient to resist
compression and without interfering with their flexibility. Said stays E2 are each
secured at their inner ends by a ball joint attached to the joint ring also they pass
through eyes or guides and their outer ends into and lie loosely supported in
socket attached to the sleeves as shown in the case of the upper stay in Fig.
their outer ends may be secured to straps at end of sleeves as shewn in the case of
the lower stay in Fig. 2. F is the flexible body piece made up as before of a
number of folds f¹ of prepared waterproof or watertight material fixed together
with rubber solution or cement and having the metallic spiral wire core f embedded
between the folds. Said core f is preferably made of "Delta" metal although it
may also be made of any suitable non-corrosive material. The top metallic end of
bodypiece F is connected to the metallic jacket D by a watertight joint, one half
of which has a bead or rib to fit upon a rubber ring f fitting as shown in Fig. 3
in a dove-tail groove in the other half of joint, the two parts being secured. together
by hinge bolts f5 as shewn in Fig. 3 while the bottom end of body piece F is made
up of a metallic crutch plate F2 having leg holes g¹ in it and around the latter
are screw joint connections I for attachment to the upper metallic joint 'rings of
the flexible legs G. A leather or other washer I¹ is inserted as shewn to ensure a
watertight joint thereat. The legs G are also made of layers of waterproof material
having the metallic core f between them in the manner described in the specifica-
tion of the said former patent. The flexible or watertight material and core
portions of the dress are now in all cases firmly secured over their metallic end
connections by toothed section clasp bands f the joints of which are secured by
bolts 3. F are the segmental shaped distance plates bolted as shewn to the crutch
piece F2 the upper ends of the distance plates being free for the purpose stated in
said former patent. H are the metallic boots connected to the lower part of the legs
by a watertight screw coupling joint M. H¹ are metallic slippers secured upon the
boots by the straps h. H2 are metallic soles bolted to the slippers and H³ lead
weights fastened by screws or otherwise to said metal soles. J and J' are chain
connections the former for adjusting the length of the body piece F and the latter
for adjusting the length of legs G to suit the diver wearing the dress. J³ are
articulated metal links or straps which are used for deep diving, they being fitted
as shewn at both sides of each leg, the joint at j allowing the knee to bend as
ordinarily are pins projecting from joint pieces to support the ends of articu-
lated links which are each provided as shown in Figs. 1, 2 & 5 with more than
one hole for the corresponding pin 1 to enable the leg to be adjusted in length
and are guide straps near central joint. K are electric wires passing through a
socket and connected with a press button or with a receiving and transmitting
instrument at inside of helmet and used for signalling and other purposes and L
is an air escape safety valve.
The lower end of flexible exhaust air hose pipe B2 is attached as before stated to
a metallic pipe leading from the helmet A, said metallic pipe being furnished with
a stop cock B whilst the other free end of the hose pipe B is provided with an air
outlet valve and this end is led upwards to the requisite height in the water to
allow the point of discharge to be below its surface. In practice it is preferred to
lash the air supply and exhaust pipes and the electric wires to a life line to prevent
their becoming entangled.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is.
f the trane in which the body piece arma or sleeves

page_text: and legs of the dress is constructed of several folds of waterproof material secured
together with rubber or other solution or cement and having a metallic spiral wire
core firmly embedded between the folds, furnishing the flexible parts with distance
pieces, spring stays and hinged or articulated links to resist longitudinal com-
pression substantially as herein described and illustrated in the drawings.
(2.) In a diving apparatus the body piece l' of the dress having its flexible part
constructed as herein specified and secured to the joint rings by toothed metal
bands and having a metallic ring for connection by hinge bolts f5 to a metallic
ring at lower end of the metallic jacket as D and a crutch piece as F2 supporting
distance pieces as F¹ and at its bottom two screwed rings I for connection to the
leg couplings upon which the flexible. parts are also secured by other toothed
bands substantially as herein described and illustrated in the drawings.
(3.) In a diving apparatus the legs G of the dress having the flexible part of each
constructed and secured as herein specified and furnished with articulated or hinge
links to resist compression, each leg having a metallic screw ring at its top end for
connection to the ring on crutch piece F2 and at bottom a screw ring for connection
to the metallic boot and both joint rings carrying pins 1 for the hinge links
substantially as herein described and illustrated in the drawings.
(4.) In a diving apparatus of the type herein specified the combination of the
helmet, jacket with arin pieces, flexible sleeves or arms, flexible body piece, flexible
legs, metallic boots and slippers, and the spring or hinged distance pieces or stays
provided on the flexible parts to resist compression with the exhaust hose or pipe
which exhausts under the surface of the water and the air supply pipe, all secured
together and arranged substantially as herein described and illustrated in the
drawings.