US2936755A - Safety device for skin divers - Google Patents

Description

May 17, 1960 C. M. GASSER SAFETY DEVICE FOR SKIN DIVERS Filed March 31, 1958 IN VEN TOR.

AZTORNEYS.

. jbreathing-gas-supply. pack.

fiel State Pam Q" 4. q 2,936,753 11 I I Fsarnrv DEVICE Fon sum- 1) Charles M. Gasser, Dover, Ohio, assignor to Knapp- Monarch Company, :St. Louis,Mo., a corporation of Delaware f ApplicationMarch 31, 1958,Serial-No. 725,22.9

" '3'Claims. ((31.128-142) This invention relates to a diversrbreathing-gas supply apparatus, and more particularly to a safety-float means for cooperation therewith.

The art of skin diving, or Swimming wholly submerged in water while carrying a supply of breathing-gas, has been greatly increasing in popularity in'rece'nt years. Of course, there are still many dangersconnectedwith this ice 12 disposed in parallel, adjacent relation and arranged so that their longitudinal axes are substantially vertically upright, when the skin diver is standing erect. The cylinders are of well-known construction and are provided a-t'their upper ends with taps, or valves, 14 for connection to a-m'anifold pipe 16, from whence breathing-gas is sup-' 6 plied to a breathing mask, or helmet, which is to be worn sport, and one of the principal dangers involves sudden emergencies'when it is requisite that '-the diver reach the surface and sta'ythere. in a position'to .breathe air. i While safety. belts. are available whichrrnayb'e immediately inflatedfrom compressed gas cartridges to effect the necessary buoyancy to carry the .diver'to. the waters surface, nevertheless there' still are deficiencies connected with these safetymeans'. For example, if the diver; is injured, unconscious or only semi-conscious; he may reach the surface on his back, and frequently the, weightpof the: battery of .breathin'gagas cylinders carried on the divers back-.may be sufficient to up-end.him,.or

safety belt, and of course this may be fatal.

Thus, one object of invention is to provide) a breathing-gas supply. apparatus in :combination with a safety float means-which insures that: the injured-or'unconscious divers head is maintained out of-water.

to immerse the divers headdespite the buoyancy of the Another object of this invention is to provide'a simple by the skin diver. T h'e'breathing mask, or helmet, is not illustrated-assaid structure forms no part of this invention.'- t

The safety float of this invention includes inflatable tubular float means 'carriedon the various gas-supply cylinders 12. A specific inflatable float means,'for the gas-supplypack 10 of Figurel, is generally indicated at 20 and isbestlseen specifically in Figure 3. The float means 20 in Figure 3 includes four upright, elongated, floatsegments 22 which are arranged to extend longitudinally of, and adjacent to, the gas cylinders 12. Each of the upright float segments 22 is closed at its lower end and communicates at its upper end with a laterally extending float segment 24 which is of a length to extend transversely across the upper ends of all of the cylinders 12 of gas-supplyvpack 10. The longitudinal float segments 22' and laterallyiextending float segments 24 are all inflatable tubular rnembers." Upon inflation thereof by a pressurized gas means, they expand from their deflated condition and operate to displace a suflicient volume of tent oflthe cylinders 12. .It is preferred, as best seenin safety float means'which is readilyadaptableto' existing divers breathing-gas-supply systems, and which is designed to insure against immersing of the divers head in the event. of an emergency requiring a divers buoyant rise to the surface of'the water. I

Further objects and advantages of thisrinvention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize *this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this application.

A preferred embodiment .of the'invention is shown in the accompanying'drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates adiver equipped with a'breathinggas-supply pack which is equipped with a safety"floa't embodying the invention herein.

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross-section view through the divers breathing-gas-supply pack showing portions of the safety float therefor. v a

. Figure 3 illustrates a safety float for a divers 3-cylinder I Figure 4 illustrates a safety float for a divers'2-cylinder breathing-gas-supply pack.

Figure 5 illustrates a safety float for a divers l-cylinder breathing-gas-supply pack.

Figure 6 is a cross-section view illustrating pertinent details of a manually releasable compressed-gas means for inflating the safety floa-t of this invention.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in Figure l a skin diver having mounted on his back a typical breathing-gas-supply system generally indicated at 10. The gas-supply system shown in Figure 1 includes three elongated breathing-gas-supply tanks, or cylinders,

Figure 2, that at least one central upright float segment 22a is disposed in' 'each crotch defined between a, pair of adjacent cylinders 12, and that at least one upright outer floa-t segment 22b belocated adjacent each lateral extremity of the gas-cylinder-pack 10.

Secured to thetransverse float segment 24 is a manually releasable compressed-gas-means generally indicated at 26. These compressed-gas-means include gas-cartridge receiving 'casing28, and a gas conduit means 30, for conveying 'gas'from a compressed-gas cartridge to the interior of the float means. More specifically, the casing 28 includes a hollow casing portion 32 and a cap portion 34 for cooperation with casing portion 32 to define an enclosed chamber within which a pierceable gas cartridge 36 maybe removably positioned. Gasket means 38 are provided between the abutting faces of easing portion 32 and cap portion 34. A threaded annular nutlike member 40 is threadably received by casing portion 32 and has a clamping flange 42 for engaging shoulder 43 on cap 34 for clamping cap 34 against casing 32 in assembled position, The casing portion 32 carries a piercingj pin mechanism which includes a headed piercing pin 44.-which is spring-biased to a retracted position by a coil spring 46 disposed between the head of'the piercing pin '44 and a restrictedportion 48 defined'in casing portion 32. The restricted portion 48 is apertured to slidably receive andguide the point of the piercing pin 44. The head of-thepiercing pin 44 is grooved to receive an annular seal which is designed to prevent fluid leakage past the piercing pin.

The outermost end of the casing 32 is bifurcated to receive therein a bell-crank-type lever 50 pivotally mounted on pin 52 carried by the ears of the bifurcated portion. The bell crank 50 has a camming portion 54, which is adapted to ride against the head of piercing pin 44 to eifect depression of same to effect piercing of cylinder latented May 1969..

35. A pull cord 56 is provided for actuating the bell. crank 50 to release the compressed gas.

The casing portion 32 is formed to also define therein a gas conduit 58, communicating at. one end with-the en closed chamber in which the compressed gas cartridge 36 is positioned, and communicating at the other end Witha conduit 60 that opens at its remote end into the space enclosed by float segment 24. The casing 32 carries. thereon a flexible annular mounting. flange 62, which may be appropriately vulcanized, or sealed, to the casing mem ber 32, and which is also appropriately vulcanized or sealed to the wall portion of the transverse float 24, so as to provide a non-leak gas passageway from the cartridge receiving means; 28 to the interior of the floatmeans.

The float means shown inFigure 3 is provided for a three-cylinder breathing-gas-supply pack as shown in Fig ure 1. However, breathing-gas-supply packs come in sizes that include either two cylinders or one cylinder, as these are the three popular sizes available. Where less. gas cylinders are provided, a smaller float means should be supplied. Thus, Figure 4 illustrates an inflatable float means for use witha two-cylinder breathing-gas-pack, and Figure 5 illustrates float means for use with a one-cylinder breathing-gas-pack. In Figure 4, only three upright float segments 22 are provided, and the transverse float "assen ed" 24 on which the compressed-gas-means 26 is mounted faces outwardly, or forwardly, so that the pull cord 56 is conveniently positioned for ready grasping thereof. A simple pull on cord 56 is all that is necessary to effect piercing of cartridge 36 to provide for immediate inflation of the float means 20. i 7 While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment. of this. invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes, and modifica1 tions may bemade. therein without departing from. the invention and, therefore, it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scopeof the invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to. secure by Letters 1 the upper end of the tank; and manually releasable com segment 24' is of smaller length as it only needs to bridge two cylinders 12. In Figure 5, only two upright float segments 22 are provided and the transverse float segment 24" is of a length to bridge one cylinder 12.

It will be seen that, basically, each of the float means shown in Figures 3, 4 and '5 provides what may be termed an inflatable, inverted U-shaped float means, wherein the legs of the U extend longitudinally of the cylinder, or cylinders, 12 and wherein the bightportion of the U extends across, or bridges, the entire upper end of the gas-supply-pack to which the float, means are attached. This latter feature is very important, because such an arrangement disposes a portion of the float means upwardly, or above,-the uppermost end portion of the gas-supply-pack, and leaves the lowermost end of the gas-supply-pack without any float means adjacent thereto. This particular arrangement disposes the float means so that the uppermost portion of the breathing-gas-supply pack is more buoyant than the lowermost portion and, in the event of an emergency rise to the surface, the pack with float means attached thereto will always assume an attitude wherein the uppermost portion of the pack points outwardly from the water. This latter feature insures that if the skin diver is unable to control his position or attitude in the water because of the fact that he may be disabled or unconscious, his head will be kept out of the Water, thereby preventing those unfortunate mishaps wherein the diver reaches the surface but is upended so that he drowns. I

The float means 20 may be secured to the breathinggas-supply pack in any appropriate manner. .In the instant disclosure the float means are shown provided with strap portions 21 connected thereto, which may be tied or strapped to the adjacent cylinders 12. When the float means are uninflated they lie in collapsed, flat condition against the cylinders 12, but when inflated, they balloon out to provide the necessary buoyant volume. It will be seen that float means 20 are secured to the gas-supplypack 10 so that the side of transverse float segment pressed-gas means carried on said float means for selectively inflating said float means.

2. A divers breathing gas supply comprising, in combination: aplurality of elongated breathing-gas-supply cylinders disposed in parallel, adjacent relation; harness means for positioning the plurality of cylinders on the back of a diver in substantially longitudinally upright con: dition; inflatable tubular float means carried on said supply cylinders and defining a plurality of upright elon; gated float segments extending longitudinally of and adjacent; to said cylinders, and a laterally extending float segment, communicating with each of said upright'float segmentsf and'extending transversely across-the :upper endsv of said plurality of cylinders; andmanuall'y releas able compressed-gas means carried on saidfloat means for selectively inflating said float means.

3.. A divers breathing gas supplycomprising, in com bination: a'plurality. of elongated breathing-gas-supply cylinders disposed in parallel adjacent relation; harness I means for positioning the plurality of cylinders on the back of av diverin substantially longitudinally upright con dition; inflatable tubular float means carried on said supply cylinders and defining a plurality of upright elongated float segments extending longitudinally of and adjacent to said cylinders, and a laterally extending float segment, communicating with each of said upright float segments and extending transversely across the upper ends of said plurality of cylinders, said upright float segments being arranged and disposed so that there is at least one upright float segment located outwardly of both lateral extremities of the plurality of cylinders and at least one upright float segment disposed in each crotch defined between each adjacent pair of cylinders; and manually releasable Manson July 7, 1936 Kissenberger Dec. 16, 1958

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