US1984119A

US1984119A - Breathing appliance

Info

Publication number: US1984119A
Application number: US582624A
Authority: US
Inventors: Davis Robert Henry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1931-10-15
Filing date: 1931-12-22
Publication date: 1934-12-11
Anticipated expiration: 1951-12-11

Description

Dec. 11, 1934. R H mm 1,984,119

BREATHING APPLIANCE Filed Dec. '22, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l Q, J W

Dec. 11, 1934. R H, DAVIS BREATHING APPLIANCE Filed Dec. 22, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 wa /v03;

Dec. 11, 1934. R H, v s 1,984,119

BREATHING APPLIANCE Filed Dec. 22, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l I JZ I 'imiii Patented Dec. 11, 1934 UNITED STA -Es BREATHING APPLIANCE Robert Henry Davis, London, England Application December 22, 1931, Serial No. 582,624

g In Great-Britain October 15, 1931 3 Claims.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to breathing appliances adapted more especially for submarine use, of the self-contained type comprising a breathing bag in the form of an inflatable envelope of rubber or the like, a mouthpiece preferably having means whereby it may be attached to the head of the person wearing the appliance, a breathing tube connecting the mouthpiece and breathing bag, means for absorbing carbon dioxide from the exhaled air and means for admitting a charge of oxygen to the interior of the breathing bag, for example, an oxygen cylinder forming a part of the appliance and provided with a valve controlled connection With the breathing bag.

It is a difliculty with appliances of this type,

that the wearer, when he reaches the surface of the water, may be in an unconscious condition or too unwell to close the shut-off valve of the breathing bag (usually provided in the mouthpiece of the appliance) and thereby convert this bag into a buoyancy chamber in the usual way (the wearer thereafter breathing from the open air instead of through the mouthpiece) and if not rescued in a short time, may exhaust his supply of air and oxygen in the breathing bag,

with the result that this bag may become so deflated as to be of insufficient buoyancy to keep the wearer afloat. Or, should the wearer be unconscious or dead when he reaches the surface the mouthpiece may become dislodged from his mouth and exposed to the sea, whereupon the breathing bag will simply flood, with complete loss of buoyancy to the appliance. In any of these contingencies, as will be appreciated, the person wearing the appliance will sink, without leaving any trace of his whereabouts, and this is regarded as a distinct drawback with existing forms of appliance of the type referred to.

The object of thepresent invention is to provide a modification of said existing forms of the appliance whereby this difliculty may in a simple and effective manner be met.

According to the present invention, a breathing appliance of the type referred to comprises, in combination, an inflatable breathing bag, a mouthpiece, a breathing tube connecting the mouthpiece and breathing bag, means for admitting a charge of respiratory gas to the breathing bag, means for absorbing carbon dioxide from the exhaled air, an inflatable buoyancy chamber additional to the breathing bag and integral therewith, a passage leading from the breathing bag to the buoyancy chamber and a non-return valve controlling said passage and permitting flow of gas from the breathing bag to the buoyancy chamber for the inflation of the latter.

As will be appreciated, the provision, as above,

of an additional buoyancy chamber provides in 5 a simple manner against the contingencies referred to by serving to keep the wearer afloat even though he should, as stated, have exhausted the whole of his air and oxygen supply and thus the breathing bag should have become deflated and have lost its buoyancy, or, again, even if the breathing bag should have become flooded and for this reason have lost its buoyancy. 7

Moreover, with the additional buoyancy bag, the wearer of the appliance has no need to conserve his oxygen supply to ensure that he has sufficient to keep him afloat when he reaches the surface; he can use the whole of his oxygen for breathing purposes, relying on the additional buoyancy bag to keep him afloat. 2

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate several embodiments by way of example, in which:

Figure 1 isa front elevation of a breathing appliance in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section through the appliance taken on the section line 2- 2 of Figure 1;

Figures 3 and 4 are a front elevation of and vertical cross-section through a modified construction in accordance with the invention, and

Figures 5 and 6 are similar views showing a further modified construction.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in ,35

the various figures.

The appliance, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, comprises a breathing bag in the form of a rubber envelope 10, communicating with a mouthpiece 11 by aflexibletubular connection 12.

Accommodated in a strap'fltting 13 at the bottom of the envelope is a cylinder 14, of compressed oxygen, having a connection 15 to the envelope 10. This connection is controlled by a valve 16, and terminates, within the envelope, in a nozzle fitting 17, adapted to carry a small capsule 18 of compressed oxygen having a readily breakable neck 19 by which it is connected to the nozzle fitting 17.

Vulcanized on to the front face of the envelope 10 is an additional buoyancy chamber in accordance with the present invention, in the form of a collapsible envelope 20 of rubber. This envelope is arranged to be inflated from the breathing bag, the air entering the chamber by a nonblowing through the inlet 21.

return Valve 26 in the wall of the breathing bag, which valve may be of any convenient construction.

The envelope 20 may also be provided for its inflation with an inlet 21 through which gas, for example, breath from the user of the appliance, may be forced directly into the envelope.

A non-return relief valve 22 is fitted in the wall of the envelope to prevent its over-inflation.

In place of the inflation inlet 21, or in addition thereto, the buoyancy chamber may be arranged to be inflated in known manner by gas, forsex ample, air, released from a small breakable capsule 23 containing the gas under pressure. This capsule is mounted upon theinner faceof a cap 24 screwed into a socket 25 vulcanized into the Wall of the envelope.

The construction shown in Figures 3 and 4: is one in which two buoyancy chambers'2'7, 28 are provided interconnected by a passage-way 29.

The=chambers are inflated as in the previous construction by air from the breathing bag, the air entering the passage-way 29 by a non-return valve 26 in the wall of the breathing bag.

Figures- .and 6 illustrate a further modification, in which the buoyancy chamber is incorporated in the lower part of the breathing bag envelope by the provision therein of a partition 30; IAs. in the previous constructions, the buoy- .ancychamber is-inflated by air from the breathingr-bag envelope, and for thispurpose a nonreturn valve26 is'provided in the partition 30.

In. the two modified constructions illustrated respectively in Figures 3 and 4 and Figures 5 and 6, thebuoyancy chamber, may, if desired, be

fitted, as'in the construction first described, with .a direct-inflation inlet 21 (shown in chain line), or with a breakable compressed gas capsule. 23

(also; shown in chain line), or with both.

As will be appreciated, the provision of a direct-inflation inlet 21 ora breakable compressed gas'capsule23, in addition to a non-return valve '.26"ir1':the wall of thebreathingbag envelope, en-

hances the utility of the appliance. Thus, for

instance, if circumstances permit, the wearer of the appliance. can initially inflate the buoyancy chamber. by'iexhaling his breathinto the inlet 2.1,..and .this initial iinflati'on' through the inlet 21 will serve to reduce the consumption of oxygen .or-tair-fromihe;breathingrbag for buoyancy purposes. Again, the same result may be achieved bybreaking the gas capsule 23, in the event of circumstances 'notpermitting the wearer of the appliance to inflate-the buoyancy chamber by Moreover, if the non-return valve 26 should become inoperative .for'any reason, so that air is prevented from passing itfromthetbreathingbag to the buoyancy chamber, the wearer'can use either of his alternative inflationt means, according to desire oras circumstances permit.

It is to be understood, however, that although, generally speaking, for example, for the reason just referred to, it is desirable to provide, in addition to the non-return valve 26, for the inflation of the buoyancy chamber, a direct-inflation inlet (21) or/and a breakable gas capsule (23) these supplementary inflation means may, if desired, be omitted.

It will beobserved that the invention-.iscapable of considerable variation in the precise form and position employed of the buoyancy chamber, and in other structural details without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

What I- claim is:

1. A. self-contained breathing appliance tor submarine use, comprising, in combination, an inflatable breathing bag, a mouthpiece, a breathing'tubeconnecting the mouthpiece and breathing bag, means for admitting a charge of respiratory gas to the breathing bag, means for absorbing carbon dioxide from the exhaled air, an inflatable buoyancy chamber additional to the breathing bag, a passage leading from the breathing bag. to the buoyancy chamber and a nonreturnvalve controlling said passage and per- .mitting flow of gas from the breathing bag to the buoyancy chamber for the inflation of the latter.

2. A self-contained breathing appliance. for submarine use, comprising, in combination, an inflatable envelope, a partition therein dividing the interior of the envelope into two separate compartments, one of-which compartments constitutes-a breathing bag and the other a buoyancy chamber additional thereto, a mouthpiece, a

breathing tube connecting the mouth iece and the breathing bag, means for admitting a charge of respiratory gas to the breathing bag; means for absorbing carbon dioxide from the exhaled air, a passage leading from the breathing bag to the buoyancy chamber, and a non-return valve controlling said passage and permitting flow of gas from the breathing bag to the buoyancy chamberfor the inflation of the latter.

3. A; self-contained breathing appliance for submarine use, comprising, in combination, an inflatable breathing bag, a mouthpiece, abreathing tube connecting the mouthpiece and breathing bag, means for admitting a charge of respiratory gastothe' breathing bag, means for absorbing carbon dioxide from the-exhaled air, an inflatable buoyancy chamber'mounted upon the exterior of the breathing bag, a passage leading from the breathing bag to the buoyancy cham-- ber andanon-return valve controlling said passage andp'ermitting flow of gas from the bag to the chamberfor the inflation of the latter.

ROBERT HENRY" DAVIS.