Appliances to enable Persons engaged in Subaqueous Operations to Speak to one another or to Persons above the Water Level, and to be Spoken to.
Year: 1885

page_text: Appliances to enable Persons engaged in Subaqueous Operations
to Speak to one another, or to Persons above the Water
Level, and to be Spoken to.
I WILLIAM AUGUSTUS GORMAN, of the firm of Siebe, Gorman and Co, of
187 Westminster Bridge Road, in the County of Surrey, Submarine Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "APPLIANCES TO ENABLE
PERSONS ENGAGED IN SUBAQUEOUS OPERATIONS TO SPEAK TO ONE ANOTHER OR TO
PERSONS ABOVE THE WATER LEVEL AND TO BE SPOKEN TO" to be as follows:-
My invention has for object to enable persons engaged in subaqueous operations
to speak to one another under water or to others or to be spoken to, and relates to
the use in connection with diving apparatus (in which expression I for the purposes
of explaining my invention shall include diving helmets, diving bells and air locked
bells) of appliances the nature of which I proceed to describe.
The diving apparatus is provided with a shallow box or chamber across which
there is a diaphragm the thickness of which will depend upon circumstances. One
side of the diaphragm is open to the interior of the diving apparatus and the other
side is open to a tube that leads to another instrument of like kind. According to
one arrangement each shallow box or chamber consists of two metallic discs or.
plates each having through it a central hole with a tubular extension. The dia-
phragm is secured between the two discs or plates so as to bear normally against the
annular face of the one without touching the corresponding face of the other, which
has an annular projection so that it resembles a box, whereof the other disc or
plate represents the lid, and the diaphragm is held between the lid and the edge
of the wall of the box. The tubular projection of the one disc or plate is provided
with a mouth piece or equivalent device, so that the voice of a person using the
apparatus can be directed towards the diaphragm.
The communicating pipe may be provided near one or both ends with a branch
to an ear piece, and a valve may be introduced whereby communication with the
mouth piece at the same end can be closed whilst the ear piece is in use.
In the communicating pipe that connects two such apparatus a vacuum or partial
vacuum may be created.
In another arrangement of apparatus for the purposes of my invention (with or
without a diaphragm) the mouth piece is arranged to be capable of sliding telesco-
pically a short distance within the communicating pipe; which at one end projects

page_text: into the diving apparatus. Holes are formed through both the mouth piece and
the projecting part of the communicating pipe, so that when the mouth piece is not
pushed home air may flow through the holes into the mouth piece, thus enabling
the user to breathe through his mouth when not speaking. The mouth piece is
made to be kept against the user's face and for this purpose is provided with
fastening attachments and with a device for forming around the wearer's mouth
an air-tight joint. This can be effected by providing the mouth piece with an
airtight elastic surrounding tube that can be charged with air and which will
accommodate itself to the contour of that part of the face to which it is applied.
Dated this twenty seventh day of January 1885.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
Applicant's Agent.
DE MULTICATION.
Appliances to enable Persons engaged in Subaqueous Operations
to Speak to one another, or to Persons above the Water
Level, and to be Spoken to.
I, WILLIAM AUGUSTUS GORMAN, of the firm of Siebe Gorman and Co of
187 Westminster Bridge Road, in the County of Surrey, Submarine Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention has for object to enable persons engaged in sub-aqueous opera-
tions to speak to one another under water or to others or to be spoken to, and
relates to the use in connection with diving apparatus (in which expression I for
the purposes of explaining my invention shall include diving helmets, diving bells,
and air locked bells) of appliances the nature of which I proceed to describe.
The diving apparatus is provided with a shallow box or chamber across which
there is a diaphragm the thickness of which will depend upon circumstances. One
side of the diaphragm is open to the interior of the diving apparatus and the
other side is open to a tube that leads to another instrument of like kind.
According to one arrangement each shallow box or chamber comprises two
metallic discs or plates each having through it a central, hole with a tubular
extension. The diaphragm is secured between annular projections or faces of
the two discs or plates one of which resembles a box, whereof the other disc or
plate is the lid, the diaphragm being held between the edge of the lid and the edge
of the wall of the box. The tubular projection of one disc or plate is provided

page_text: with a mouth piece or equivalent device so that the voice of a person using the
apparatus can be directed towards the diaphragm.
The communicating pipe may be provided near one or both ends with a branch
to an ear-piece and a valve may be introduced whereby communication with the
mouth piece at the same end can be closed whilst the ear-piece is in use.
In another arrangement of apparatus for the purposes of my invention (with or
without a diaphragm) the mouth piece is arranged to be capable of sliding telesco-
pically a short distance within the communicating pipe, which at one end projects
into the diving apparatus. Holes are formed through both the mouth piece and
the projecting part of the communicating pipe, so that when the mouth piece is
not pushed home air may flow through the holes into the mouth picce thus
enabling the user to breathe through his mouth when not speaking. The mouth
piece is made to be kept against the user's face and for this purpose is provided
with fastening attachments and with a device for forming around the wearer's
mouth an air-tight joint. This can be effected by providing the mouth piece with
an air tight elastic surrounding tube that can be charged with air and which will
accommodate itself to the contour of that part of the face to which it is applied.
Referring to the accompanying two sheets of illustrative drawings Fig. 1 is
a vertical section of a divers helmet fitted with appliances according to this
invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal
section of an appliance for attachment to the upper end of a communicating pipe,
and Fig. 4 is an end view of the same. Fig. 5 shews in central longitudinal section
a speaking tube with branches fitted with a mouth piece and two ear pieces. Fig. 6
is a section illustrating a telescopic mouth piece fitted to a speaking tube carried
by the base of a diver's helmet. Fig. 7, is a modified detail view.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, 1 is a divers helmet provided with a shallow box
or chamber composed of two discs or parts 2, 3 each provided with a central
hole (4) (4*), and an annular projection (5) (5*). The part 2 resembles a cap and
is arranged to screw on to 3. 6 is a diaphragm held between the annular projec-
tions 5 and 5*. The part 3 has a tubular extension 7 to which is connected a
The part 2 is in the
pipe 7* protected by a sheath 8 secured to the helmet.
example shown so formed as to constitute a mouth piece and placed in such a
position as to be convenient for the mouth of the person wearing the helmet. To
the upper screw threaded extremity of the pipe 7* a flexible communicating pipe
or tube (not shown) is attached, which connects with a device such as illustrated in
Figs. 3 and 4 situated at the place with which communication is to be established.
This device comprises a shallow box or chamber provided with a diaphragm 6 and
with tubular extensions 9 and 10. 11 is a tube or socket for connecting the flexible
communicating tube to the extension 9.
In the arrangement shown in fig. 5 there is a communicating pipe 12 one end of
which (not shewn) is connected to a diving apparatus. The end shewn is provided
with a mouth piece 13 and with two flexible branch pipes 14 each carrying an ear
picce 15. 6, is a diaphragm which serves to prevent sound being wasted through
the mouth piece 13 instead of passing to the ear pieces 15. 6*, 6* are receiving
diaphragms. A valve (not shown) may be introduced into the pipe or extension 9
if desired for the purpose of cutting off communication with the mouth piece when
the ear pieces 15 are in use. Both ends of the communicating pipe may, if desired,
be provided with mouth and ear pieces as above described.
In the arrangement shown in fig. 6 the mouth piece 13 is provided with an
extension 16 capable of sliding a short distance within the lower end of the com-
municating pipe 12 which terminates within the helmet (not shown). 17 and 18
are holes formed through the mouth piece extension 16 and projecting end of the
pipe 12 respectively. These holes are so relatively arranged that when the exten-
sion and mouth piece are pulled out and are not in use for speaking, a diver may
5 breathe air through his mouth from the diving apparatus. When the extension
and mouth piece are pushed home speech may be transmitted through the commu-
nicating pipe to the other end of the pipe. The mouth piece 13 may be used both

page_text: as a transmitter and receiver of sound or as a transmitter only, branch ear pieces
being then employed as shown in fig. 5.
To enable the mouth piece, as also the ear pieces when used, to be kept close
against the user's face when in use suitable fastening straps or attachments 19
(Fig. 7), may be employed in a manner that will be readily understood. An air
tight joint between the mouth piece and the wearer's mouth may be obtained as
already described (that is to say) by providing the former with an air tight elastic
surrounding tube 20 Fig. 7 that can be charged with air and which will accommo-
date itself to the contour of that part of the face to which it is applied. The
diaphragms may in some cases be dispensed with, persons at the respective ends of
the communicating pipe being then in direct communication with each other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim in appliances to enable persons engaged in sub-aqueous operations to speak
to one another or to persons above the water level, and to be spoken to, is
1. Providing the communicating or speaking tube at one or both of its ends
with a diaphragm arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the
purpose described above with reference to and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
2. Providing the end of the communicating or speaking tube within the diving
apparatus with a mouth piece capable of sliding telescopically within or upon the
said tube or an extension thereof, the tube and the part or extension of the mouth
piece that slides within or upon it being formed with holes there through substan-
tially in the manner and for the purpose herein before described and illustrated by
the drawings annexed.
3. Apparatus constructed combined and arranged as hereinabove described with
reference respectively to and shown in figs. 1 to 4; in fig. 5; in fig. 6 and in Fig. 7
of the drawings, for the purpose set forth,
Dated this 26th day of October 1885.
W. A. GORMAN.
W. Lloyd Wise,
40, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
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