IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING RESPIRATION AND LIGHT IN SUFFOCATING ATMOSPHERES and under WaTER
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Imray at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
May 1873.-A communication from abroad by Henri Fayol, of the
Coal Mines of Commentry, Allier, France.
I, JOHN IMRAY, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING RESPIRATION AND
LIGHT IN SUFFOCATING ATMOSPHERES and under WaTER," to be as follows:—
This Invention relates to apparatus for supporting respiration and light
in suffocating atmospheres and under water, and consists of improve-
ments in the respiratory apparatus, in the portable air reservoirs, in the
air pumps, and supply tubes in the lamps, and in the diving dresses
employed for this purpose.
The respiratory apparatus employed when air is supplied at little more
than atmospheric pressure consists of a mouth piece and tube with a
branch outlet having valves so arranged that in inhaling air the valve in
the tube opens while that in the branch closes; while in exhaling, the
valve in the tube closes, and that in the branch opens.

page_text: The mouth piece, tube, and valves are all made of caoutchouc, and the
mouth piece is provided with projecting lips which fit against the
interior of the mouth of the operator. The valves being light flaps of
caoutchouc held in the middle over a glass ring are opened and closed
by the act of respiration without sensible effort.
When the air is supplied for respiration at a pressure considerably
above that of the atmosphere the valve which opens for inhalation is
governed by flexible diaphragms applied to a compartment of the tube
between the supply valve and the mouth of the inhaler, and connected to
the valve stem.
When this compartment is supplied with air exceeding that of the
external medium these diaphragms are distended and close the supply
valve. When, on the other hand, the pressure in this compartment is
reduced below that of the external medium the diaphragms are collapsed
and open the supply valve.
The portable air reservoir is in form like a bellows which can be
carried on the back, it is fitted with several nozzles to which can be
joined by screwed unions pipes for supplying the reservoir, and pipes for
supply of air for respiration and to support combustion of lamps. Each
of these nozzles is fitted with a valve opening inwards, which is always
kept closed by a spring unless when a pipe is joined to it, in which case
the valve is forced from its seat by the screw union bearing on its stem.
The reservoir is filled by expanding it in a pure atmosphere, in which
case a supply of air enters it by one of the nozzles. As the valves of
the nozzles close this air cannot escape except when the pipes for
respiration or light are screwed to the nozzles. The weight of the
expanded leaf of the bellows reservoir or a light spring applied to it
serves to give its contents a pressure slightly exceeding that of the
surrounding medium.
The improved lamp used in connection with this apparatus in
suffocating atmospheres has its wick enclosed by a glass, the interior of
which is supplied with air from the reservoir, for the purpose of
supporting the combustion. As the pressure in the reservoir somewhat
exceeds that of the surrounding medium the lamp is always supplied
with air, the products of combustion escaping by a chimney above the a
flame. The lamp for use under water has this chimney covered by a
valve opening outwards, which prevents access of water to the interior of

page_text: the lamp, but which opens to allow products of combustion to escape
when the pressure within the lamp becomes sufficient to raise the
valve.
This
The improved air pumps for supplying either fixed or portable
reservoirs are of two kinds, one for supply of air at pressure little
exceeding that of the atmosphere, the other for supplying air at
considerable pressure, such as is required for diving operations. The
former is made like a bellows the lower leaf of which is fixed in a
framing, and the upper leaf is caused to reciprocate vertically by a crank
on a shaft above, worked by hand or other convenient power.
bellows pump is provided with inlet and outlet valves, the latter being
in a nozzle to which the supply pipes can be joined and which may also
be provided with a gauge to indicate the pressure. Besides these two
valves a third valve on the outlet nozzle is made to open inwards so that
air can enter the supply pipes or reservoirs connected to them when
their contents are partly exhausted by inhalation or by the distention of
a portable reservoir even when the pump is not at work.
The improved pump for supplying air at considerable pressure, as for
use in diving, consists of two pistons or plungers fixed on the same rod
and working in two cylinders placed so as to face each other, the one
cylinder being of smaller diameter than the other. The rod which unites
the two pistons or plungers is tubular and fitted with the discharge
valve from the larger cylinder, which cylinder has also a supply valve,
the smaller cylinder having a discharge valve in the pipe for supplying
air to reservoirs or diving hoods. At each stroke in the one direction
the contents of the larger cylinder are forced into the smaller cylinder,
the air being thus to a certain extent compressed. At the return stroke
while the larger cylinder draws in a fresh supply the air previously
forced into the smaller cylinder is farther compressed into the supply
pipes, reservoirs, hoods, or other vessels with which they communicate.
The two pistons or plungers above described may conveniently be
worked vertically by a lever passing through a slot in the rod which
unites them.
The improved diving dress for use under water in connection with
this apparatus consists of three parts, the metallic hood having two
glazed apertures for vision and an aperture to which is united the
respirating tube, the jacket of waterproof texture which covers the bust

page_text: part of the body and the legs. The hood is connected to a stiff collar on
the neck of the jacket by caoutchouc flaps which are crossed over
corresponding flaps on the jacket. The jacket is tightened on the wrists
by elastic bands, leaving the hands exposed, and it is united to the waist
band of the trousers by caoutchouc bands in a manner similar to that
by which the hood is united to the jacket.
The diver may at pleasure breathe into the hood, he may expand his
volume of displacement so as to render himself light and rise to the
surface.
It is obvious that the apparatus for air supply described above may be
employed with any known diving dress, the mouth piece being provided
with the governing diaphragms and valve above described so as to
adjust the pressure of the air supplied to that of the surrounding
medium.
The pipes employed for supply of air are of two kinds, the one set of
considerable size for the supply of local reservoirs, and the other of
smaller size for the respiration or lamps of individual workmen, made
light and flexible preferably of air-tight fabric, covering externally and
internally a helical wire. These pipes made in lengths are united by
short pieces of metal tube each of which may have a side branch fitted
with a light valve opening inwards kept to its seat by a light spring.
Should the supply of air by the pump fail the act of inhaling by reducing
the pressure in the pipe will permit a supply to enter by these valves.
In employing the apparatus above described, as for example for
penetrating workings of mines charged with foul air, the following
method of procedure might be adopted. The low pressure pump is
worked in a pure atmosphere, one workman carries on his back a
reservoir having several nozzles to which the breathing tubes and lamps
of other workmen are connected. These workmen carry rolled round
their arms lengths of flexible pipe which they lay and connect as they
proceed along the workings. The several workmen may either receive
their supply of air continuously from the pipes thus laid in connection
with the pump, or when any one has to detach himself he can charge
from these pipes the reservoir on his back which will supply him for a
certain time independently. Even should the supply from the pump fail
although the lights would become extinguished the workmen could still

page_text: breathe, drawing in air by the inlet valve on the discharge nozzle of the
pump. In laying air pipes in mines they should be suspended by hooks
or holdfasts driven into the roof or sides of the workings, as they are
thus less liable to be trod upon and crushed.
Men accustomed to the use of the respiratory apparatus breathe solely
through the mouth piece, but until they become used to it they should
be provided with an instrument for closing the nostrils. This instru-
ment consists of a spring bent to a horse-shoe shape with elastic pads
inside each end, being placed on the nose, the pads bearing on each side
close the nostrils. In certain gaseous atmospheres which injure the eyes
spectacles should be used, these consist of an elastic band which passes
round the head, its front part being widened out and formed with two
conical openings which are fitted with glasses opposite the eyes of the
wearer.