1915 Harry Bowdoin

Bowdoin, 1915 (U.S.) – Harry L. Bowdoin of Bayonne, N.J., received a patent in 1915 for a new type of oil-filled rotary jointed armored diving suit. The joints had a small duct leading to the interior of the joint to allow the external and internal pressure to equalize. However, without constant lubrication, the joints likely would have run dry quickly and prevented rotation of the joint.

The suit was designed to have four joints in each arm and leg, and included one joint in each thumb, for a total of eighteen. Disconnecting the upper and lower halves made entry into the suit possible. The addition of spacers in the waist, arm, and legs would have made it possible to accommodate various operators. Four small viewing ports and a single built-in chest-mounted lamp facilitated underwater viewing. There is evidence that Bowdoin’s suit was built and used underwater. (There is a small filmfootage showing the actual suit with the inventor diving it).

The patented suit can be found here: https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/ff/29/44/2a85806c4a3984/US1146781.pdf

Bowdoin also designed a self-propelled diving bell to explore the seabed. No patent has been found for this, but there is a photo of it that is shown later in this article.

---

Recently I have received some fantastic pictures of a 3D model of the Bowdoin suit. This artist impression is made by
Mr. Charles Daigneault. His great work offers a great look in the design of the Bowdoin suit. I want to thank Mr. Daigneault for his highly appreciated permission to use his pictures of the models!