US1099814A - Diving apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

B. NIEHOFF.

DIVING APPARATUS.

APPIIJIGATION FILED JUNE 7, 1911; RENEWED NOV 1,099,814.

. 12, 1913. Patented June 9, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- ERNEST NIEHOFF, 0F ROANOKE, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ROANOKE WRECKING ROANQKE, VIRGINIA.

& SALVAGE COMPANY, -INC., 0F

Application med time 1,1911, Serial Io. 631,765.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST Nmnorr, a. citizen of the United States, residing at :Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke end State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Diving'Appcratus; and I do hereby declare the fOllOWAII to be a full, clear, and exact description 0? the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same. This invention rehntes to improvements in diving suits or apparatus, and particularly to improved diving apparatus which will permit a person to'opera'te in extreme depths of water if desired.

' he object in view is the arrangement of an improved diving suit or dress arranged to permit the diver to operate in extreme depths of water and use only a small pressure of air while so operatin' A. still tux-theiobject of tie invention is the arrangement of a diving suit or apperatus having an inner shell ordress of metal designed to resist high ssure of water, over which dress or Sheil is arranged a. flexible suit having connected therewith a helmet for receiving air under any desired pressure, the helmet and the flexible suit being designed to prevent the entrance of water while the metallic dress is designedto resist the pressure 'ofwater.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangement of parts as *will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed. a

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the invention, certain parts being shown in section for better illustrating the structure. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through a valve. Fig. 3 is a cross section through the valve shown-in Fig. 2. Fig. 4

is a longitudinal sectional view through an inlet valve embodying certain feetures of the invention.

In the use of an ordinary diving dress or apparatus the air which is pumped into the helmet is of higher pressure than the water in which the diver is operating as it isneces: sary to overcome the water pressure before the vitiated air can escape from the helmet. This necessitates thebreathing by the diver of more or less high pressure air according Specification of Letters Intent.

Patented June 9, 1914. lien ewed Iovembcr .12, 1913. Serial No. 800,677.

to the depth of water in which he is Workmg. In order to permit the diver to operate in any depth of water desired a pressure reslsting inner suit is provided, the same embodying certain features of the invention. This inner suit is designedto fit from the shoulders down to and including the feet, and is arranged to entirely cover the diver but is not constructed necessarily water portion of the inner suit is ample space for movement of the diver in the suit, and also to provide space for an amplewolume of air. Arranged over. this suit are one or more flexible suits, one of which is provided with a helmet constructed s'ullioiently strong to withstand substantially the some pressure which the inner suit isde- Y signed to withstand. The helmet and the outer suit revent the entrance of weteir; met and the inner suit resist the.

while the he pressure of water so that air maybe forced into the helmet under any desired pressure and the vitiated air removed therefrom and exhausted 'at the surface of thewater. When efthird suit is provided the semis designed principally to be used in floating the diver either to the surface or to .emy' intermediate point.

In order that the invention may. be more clearly understood an embodiment of the same is shown in the accompanying drawings in whichv 1 indicates the inner suit which suit is formed with legportions 2 and body por tion 3. Connected with body portion 3 are arm portions 4; The leg and arm portions are formed with -a ball and socket arrangement at the joints of any desired or preferred form. The body portion 3 is mzide sufficiently large for permitting the diver to move his y therein to a considerable extent and to provide space for a considerable volume of air. Positioned over the metal suit'l is a flexible suit 5 provided with a helmet '6. -The suit5 may be made of canvas and rubber or other materi'al as may be desired, and may be secured to helmet 6 in any desired way. Helmet 6 also is preferably of the usual type of helmets, and is arranged to fit over the head and extend down fee a short distance over the body 3. The helmet 6 is provided with an outlet tube 7 nn tube 8. These tubes are flmngg "E9 mud to the surface of the water so that tube 8 may receive air from.

, designed to register with apertures 19 of the reciprocatingsleeve 20 positioned in casing 17'.- The sleeve 20 is formed with a bottom 21 so that any air pressure entering casing 17 will also enter the sleeve 20 and move the same inward. -'A spring 22 is provided for resisting the inward movement of sleeve 20 so as to require more or less pressure for causing the apertures 18 and 19 to register.

Thetension of'spring 22 may be controlled and-varied by a set'screw device or adjust i'ng member 23 connected to the lower end 24 of the casing 17. Under ordinary circumstances where a diver is operating at extreme dc ths air is supplied to him under ten or fi teen pounds pressure, and spring 22 is therefore set to permit apertures 18 and 19 to register under the desired pressure. If the pressure falls considerably below the desired pressure or rises considerably above the same the registration of the apertures will not take place. This is of ex treme advantage whenever it should become necessary for the diver to cut himself loose, that is, cut the tubes 7 and 8 and 14, so that he may come to the surface without delay. The valve 9, however, is preferably of the construction shown in my Patent #650,650 which will freely permit the exhausting of the vitiated air but will act as a check valve and prevent the entrance of any water in case the tube to which it is connected is cut. This-is .of advantage in that the valve will not-admit water into the helmet 6 in case the diver finds it-necessary to sever tubes 7 and 8. f Valve 9 is formed with a housing 25 which is preferably threaded at 26 in order to be secured to tube 7. Housing or sleeve 25 is formed with a plurality of apertures 27 and an annular offset portion 28. Arranged within the housing or sleeve 25 isa reciproeating valve member 29 formed with a plurality of openings 30 designed to register with or come opposite apertures 27 when a predetermined amount ofvpressure has been brought t3 bear on the inner side of the plug 31 which acts as means for closing the end of valve member 29. Connected with the lower end of valve member 29 is a reciprocating bearing membenor sleeve 32 against which presses a spring 33. Spring 33 also presses against the annular project1on'28 so that the u ward or inward movement of valve mem or 29 is resisted and the valve --member 29 is caused to assume the position shown in Fig. 2 when not positively moved therefrom by pressure in hei met 6. By this structure whenever the pressure in helmet 6 is sufiicient valve member 29 will be moved longitudinally of housing or sleeve member 25 until openings '30will come opposite or register with openings 27,-

whereupon air may escape from helmet .6

clamping member 11 is provided for firml clamping the wrist of the flexible sheve wit the wrist of the sleeve of arm 4. In this way no part of the body will be subjected to the pressure of 'the water except the hands which will ordinarily withstand a comparatively high pressure. In addition to the flexible suit 5 a second flexible suit 12 may be provided which extends only from the bottom of the helmet down toand including the feet. This second'suit is preferably arranged to [it the feet and legs,

up to the knees reasonably tight, but from the knees up to the bottom of the helmet suit 12 is made sufiiciently large or full for providing a space between the same and flexible suit 5. Suit 12 is formed with an ordinary check valve .13 which will permit the exhausting of air out from between suits 5 and 12 but will not admit water therein. Also connected'with suit 12 is-a tube 14 having a valve 15 associated therewith which will permit the entrance of air between suits 12 and 15. Valve 15 is constructed similar to valve .10 so that the same opens and closes at each stroke of the piston of the pump. This prevents the entrance of water between suits 5'and 12 in case tube 14 should become out or broken as the pressure of water will cause only one movement of valve 15 and allow the entrance of only a negligibly smallquantity of water. The tubes 7, 8 and 14 are grouped and held together by suitable clamps 16 so that in a certain sense they present only the appearance of a single tube orrope.

'The helmet 6 may be provided with a telephone of any desired structure if de-' sired and the suit may have connected therewith a signal rope if the same should be necessary or desirable. Under ordinary circumstances the pressure resisting suit 1 is used and suit 5, which will permit the diver to operate at varying depths down to the limit of resistance of suit 5, and helmet 6, which preferably is made to withstand suflicient pressure to permit the diver to operate freely at 200 01'300 feet of water. Iffor any reason it should be desired to float the diver to the surface, or partially to the surface, air may beinserted through tube 14 into theflexible'suit 12 to any desired extent for accomplishing the purpose desired. Any excess of air in suit 12 will,

of course, exhaust out valve 13, which air, of course, must be at a higher pressure than the water.

In constructing metal suit 1 the same may I be made of solid metal, though preferably it is made of perforated metal for providing a comparatively light pressure resisting armor but one sufliciently strong for the purpose desired. To additionally lighten the armor the metal may be composed of aluminum or partially aluminum if desired.

That I claim is:

1. A diving apparatus comprising a pressure resisting suit formed of a plurality of parts fitted together for permitting a substantially free movement of a person using the suit, a water resisting suit formed with a body of flexible material and a helmet,

an inlet tube for supplying air to said hel-' met, a valve arranged at the juncture of said inlet tube and said helmet for admitting air into said tube under a predetermined pressure, an air escape tube connected with said helmet, and a valve arranged at the juncture of said escape tube and said helmet formed so as to permit the air to escape r'rom said helmet into said tube to prevent anything from entering into said helmet fromsaid tube.

2. A diving apparatus comprising a presria'l,'and an inlet tube for directing air into said second mentioned flexible suit for permitt-ing said second mentioned flexible suit to be inflated independent of the inflation of the helmet and first mentioned flexible suit.

3. A diving apparatus comprising a metallic suit arranged to resist pressure of water and formed so as to extend from the neck down to and including the feet, a second suit formed of a flexible portion, and a discharge tube for discharging helmet being designed to fit over the head and part of the first mentioned suit, and said flexible portion to fit over the remaining part of said first mentioned suit, an air supply tube connected with said helmet, an air exhaust tube connected with said helmet, a third suit of flexible material extending from said helmet, an air supply tube connected with said third suit, and a check valve for permitting the excess air pressure in said third mentioned suit to escape. 1

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST NIEHOFF.

* Witnesses:

Ron'r. T. LANG, ASL, KITCHIN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. Q.

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