GB1587124A - Weighted belt or jacket for divers - Google Patents

Description

(54) WEIGHTED BELT OR JACKET FOR DIVERS (71) I, ANTHONY ROBERT MORGAN, a British subject of 82 Castlemain Avenue, Southbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a pocket forming member which can be attached to a diver's belt, harness or jacket for containing a weight or weights and to a diver's jacket or belt provided with such a pocket forming member and is suitable for use by underwater divers in order to decrease their buoyancy whilst underwater.

It is known for divers to wear a belt to which are attached weights. If a diver gets into difficulties whilst underwater it is usual for him to discard the weighted belt in order to increase his buoyancy and make it easier for him to return to the surface. If a diver is at a great depth then if he discards his weighted belt he may return to the surface at a rate which is uncontrolled and this can result in death or serious after effects due to what is generally referred to as embelism, i.e. caisson disease caused by an accumulation of bubbles of nitrogen in the lungs or blood system. Another disadvantage of weighted belts is that the wearer may be unable to quickly discard the belt, particularly if it is connected to a harness.

There is a need for a weighted jacket or belt suitable for divers in which the weights can be easily discarded by the diver and which can be discarded individually so that the diver can have a controlled increase in buoyancy.

According to the present invention there is provided a pocket forming member which can be attached to a diver's belt, harness or jacket for containing a weight or weights, comprising a pocket portion for receiving a weight or weights therein and having an open bottom end, a flap portion which extends from the pocket portion and can be folded about the pocket portion to close said bottom end and retain a weight or weights in said pocket portion, and quick-release fastening means for releasably securing the flap portion in the closed position.

According to the present invention in another aspect there IS provided a diver's belt, harness or jacket provided with at least one pocket forming member as defined above for containing a weight or weights.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of one embodiment of a weight belt provided with a harness, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of one embodiment of a pocket member which can be attached to a weight belt, Figure 3 is a diagrammatic front perspective view of one embodiment of a weighted jacket, Figure 4 is a rear view of the weighted jacket, Figure 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a further embodiment of a pocket member which can be attached to a weight belt, Figure 6 is a side elevation of the pocket of Figure 5 in the closed position, Figure 7 is a perspective view of a diver's harness provided with pocket members for weights, Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the pocket members provided on the harness of Figure 7, Figure 9 is a side elevation of the pocket member shown in Figure 8, Figure 10 is a perspective view of a mould for casting metal weights, Figure 11 is a front view of a further embodiment of weighted jacket, and Figure 12 is a rear view of the jacket shown in Figure 11.

Figure 1 shows a belt 10 provided with a conventional buckle 11 at one end and to which is connected a shoulder harness 12.

The belt 10 may be provided with crutch straps as indicated by the chain-dotted lines 12a. Carried on the belt 10 are a plurality of pocket forming members 13. Each pocket member 13 is as shown in Figure 2 and has an opening 14 at its bottom end which is closable by a flap 15. A rear side of each pocket member 13 is provided with a tunnel 16 or loops 17 enabling the pocket member 13 to be slid onto the belt 10. Alternatively the rear wall of the pocket member 13 can be secured by bolts or rivets to the belt 10.

A front side of each pocket member 13 is provided with a strip 18 of self-fastener material such as that sold under the Registered Trade Mark "Velcro", and with one part 19 of a press-stud fastener. The flap 15 is provided with a strip 20 of said selffastener material and with the other part 21 of said press-stud fastener. Secured to the flap 15 is a tab 22. When the flap 15 closes the opening 14 of the pocket member 13 and strip2 is brought into contact with the strip 18 and the fastener part 21 is pressed into engagement with the fastener part 19.

A weight or weights (not shown) are placed in each pocket member 13. Each weight may consist of a rectangular block of suitable material such as lead. Where a single weight is housed in a pocket member 13 the weight may be dimensioned so as to take up all of the space within the pocket member 13. Any desirable number of pocket members 13 can be placed on the belt 10. If the user of the weighted belt 10 desires to release a weight or the weights from a pocket member 3 then the pocket member 13 can be quickly opened by pulling the tab 22 in order to disengage the press-stud parts 19 and 21 and separate the strips 18 and 20.

The weight or weights can then drop out of the pocket member 13 due to their own weight. The upper end of each pocket member 13 is provided with an aperture 23 to allow air in the pocket member 13 to escape when the pocket member 13 is immersed in water. It will be appreciated that the user of the weighted belt 10 can release the weights sequentially and thereby have a controlled increase in buoyancy.

Figures 3 and 4 disclose a diver's weighted jacket 24 which has a plurality of pocket members 13 which are attached thereto.

The pocket members 13 are as described above except that they will not be provided with the tunnel 16 or loops 17 but will be attached directly to the jacket 24. The rear side of the jacket 24 is provided with pockets 25 which are space apart by a distance sufficient for a gas cylinder or cylinders to be placed between them. The pockets 25 may be openable at their bottom end if desired. The front of the jacket 24 is provided with closure straps 26 and eyes 27 and has two oPenings 28 through which the valves of a diver's suit can extend so as to be accessible. The jacket 24 may be provided with a built-in safety belt and harness 29 having rings 30 to which a safety line can be attached.Even though straps 26 and eyes 27 have been illustrated as the means for closing the front of the jacket 24 it will be appreciated that any other suitable fastening means can be used. The rear of the jacket is provided with a strap 31 for securing the gas cylinder or cylinders and the harness has crutch straps 32.

The jacket 24 can be made of any suitable material.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6 the pocket members 13 may consist of an elongate strip 33 provided on one side with a tunnel forming member 34 or straps and on the opposite side with a front wall forming member 35.

The strip 33 forms a top closure flap 36 and a bottom closure flap 37. The flap 36 is provided on one side with a strip 38 of a selffastener material and one part 39 of a press-stud fastener and the flap 37 is provided with a strip 40 of the self-fastener material and the other part 41 of the pressstud fastener. When the weight or weights have been placed in the pocket formed between the strip 33 and member 35 the bottom flap 37 is folded over the member 35 and the top flap 36 is folded over the flap 37 so that the strips 38 and 40 fasten together and the parts 39 and 41 engage each other.

The weights which can be housed in the pocket members 13 do not have to be provided with openings, in order that they can be slid onto a belt, as is the case with existing weighted belts and can therefore be produced more cheaply. This means that when the weights are discarded from the pocket members 13 the loss in value of weights is less than with conventional weights.

Figure 7 shows a preferred embodiment of a harness which consists of a belt 42 provided with a plurality of pocket forming members 43 for receiving a weight or weights, an adjustable shoulder harness 44 provided with lifting rings 45, and crutch straps 46. The belt 42 has a buckle 47 provided with two fastening prongs. The belt 42 and the shoulder harness 44 are each provided with bands 48 for receiving a compressed air cylinder. The pocket forming members 43 are shown more clearly in Figures 8 and 9 and consist of a length of webbing material 49 to which is attached a boxlike member 50 which is open at both ends and formed of a suitable plastics material, such as Polypropylene. One flap forming part 51 of the webbing material 49 is provided with self-fastener material 52 which when the pocket member 43 is closed cooperates with self-fastener material 53 provided on a flap forming part 54 of the webbing material 49. The rear side of the webbing material 49 is provided with selffastener material 55 which co-operates with self-fastener material 56 provided on flap forming part 54. Extending from the flap forming part 54 is a flap 57 whose free end is wrapped around and secured to a rod 58 formed of a plastics material, such as Polypropylene, to form a grip. Suitable press-stud fasteners 59 are provided on the flap parts 51 and 54. The weight for each pocket member 43 is slidably received in the member 50. The pocket forming members 43 are secured to the belt by bolts which extend through the webbing material 49 and the adjacent side of the member 50.The pocket forming members 43 may be provided with loops or a tunnel in a manner similar to the embodiment of Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6.

A suitable mould 60 for forming slab weights is shown in Figure 10. The interior of the mould 60 is provided with indicia 61 to indicate the level to which the mould should be filled to produce weights of a certain weight.

Figures 11 and 12 show a jacket provided with a built-in belt 62, shoulder harness 63 and crutch straps 64. Secured to the belt 62 are pocket members 43 such as disclosed in Figures 8 and 9. The front of the jacket is provided with openings 65 to give access to the valves of a diver's suit. The harness 63 is provided with lifting rings 66 and tool attachment rings 67 are provided on the belt 62.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A pocket forming member which can be attached to a diver's belt, harness or jacket for containing a weight or weights, comprising a pocket portion for receiving a weight or weights therein and having an open bottom end, a flap portion which extends from the pocket portion and can be folded about the pocket portion to close said bottom end and retain a weight or weights in said pocket portion, and quick-release fastening means for releasably securing the flap portion in the closed position.

2. A pocket forming member as claimed in claim 1, in which the pocket portion is provided on its rear side with means enabling it to be detachably mounted on a belt or harness.

3. A pocket forming member as claimed in claim 2, in which said means comprise closed loops or a tunnel formed on the rear side.

4. A pocket forming member as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a strip of flexible material having secured to one side thereof a member forming a said pocket portion open at each end, a portion of said strip of flexible material forming said flap portion for closing the bottom end of said pocket portion, another portion of said strip of flexible material forming a second flap portion for closing the upper end of the pocket portion, said flap portions each being provided with self-fastener material which are engaged with each other when the flaps are in their closed position, and press-stud fasteners being provided on the flap portions.

5. A pocket forming member as claimed in claim 4, in which the flexible material comprises a canvas material.

6. A pocket forming member as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, in which said member forming a pocket portion comprises a boxlike member open at each end.

7. A pocket forming member as claimed in claim 6, in which the box-like member is formed of a plastics material.

8. A pocket forming member as claimed in claim 7, in which the box-like member is formed of Polypropylene.

9. A pocket forming member as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the flap portion for closing the bottom end is provided with a pull-tab or grip portion.

10. A pocket forming member which can be attached to a diver's belt, harness or jacket for containing a weight or weights, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 2 or Figures 5 and 6 or Figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A diver's belt, harness or jacket provided with a pocket forming member as claimed in any preceding claim.

12. A diver's belt and harness substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 or Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A diver's jacket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 or Figures 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (13)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. forming part 54 is a flap 57 whose free end is wrapped around and secured to a rod 58 formed of a plastics material, such as Polypropylene, to form a grip. Suitable press-stud fasteners 59 are provided on the flap parts 51 and 54. The weight for each pocket member 43 is slidably received in the member 50. The pocket forming members 43 are secured to the belt by bolts which extend through the webbing material 49 and the adjacent side of the member 50. The pocket forming members 43 may be provided with loops or a tunnel in a manner similar to the embodiment of Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6. A suitable mould 60 for forming slab weights is shown in Figure 10. The interior of the mould 60 is provided with indicia 61 to indicate the level to which the mould should be filled to produce weights of a certain weight. Figures 11 and 12 show a jacket provided with a built-in belt 62, shoulder harness 63 and crutch straps 64. Secured to the belt 62 are pocket members 43 such as disclosed in Figures 8 and 9. The front of the jacket is provided with openings 65 to give access to the valves of a diver's suit. The harness 63 is provided with lifting rings 66 and tool attachment rings 67 are provided on the belt 62. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A pocket forming member which can be attached to a diver's belt, harness or jacket for containing a weight or weights, comprising a pocket portion for receiving a weight or weights therein and having an open bottom end, a flap portion which extends from the pocket portion and can be folded about the pocket portion to close said bottom end and retain a weight or weights in said pocket portion, and quick-release fastening means for releasably securing the flap portion in the closed position.

2. A pocket forming member as claimed in claim 1, in which the pocket portion is provided on its rear side with means enabling it to be detachably mounted on a belt or harness.

3. A pocket forming member as claimed in claim 2, in which said means comprise closed loops or a tunnel formed on the rear side.

4. A pocket forming member as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a strip of flexible material having secured to one side thereof a member forming a said pocket portion open at each end, a portion of said strip of flexible material forming said flap portion for closing the bottom end of said pocket portion, another portion of said strip of flexible material forming a second flap portion for closing the upper end of the pocket portion, said flap portions each being provided with self-fastener material which are engaged with each other when the flaps are in their closed position, and press-stud fasteners being provided on the flap portions.

5. A pocket forming member as claimed in claim 4, in which the flexible material comprises a canvas material.

6. A pocket forming member as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, in which said member forming a pocket portion comprises a boxlike member open at each end.

7. A pocket forming member as claimed in claim 6, in which the box-like member is formed of a plastics material.

8. A pocket forming member as claimed in claim 7, in which the box-like member is formed of Polypropylene.

9. A pocket forming member as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the flap portion for closing the bottom end is provided with a pull-tab or grip portion.

10. A pocket forming member which can be attached to a diver's belt, harness or jacket for containing a weight or weights, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 2 or Figures 5 and 6 or Figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A diver's belt, harness or jacket provided with a pocket forming member as claimed in any preceding claim.

12. A diver's belt and harness substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 or Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A diver's jacket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 or Figures 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawings.