1898 James J Devine

Return to 1898 in timeline James J Devine James J Devine patented a diving suit with a fish-like appereance. The main purpose was to transport a “torpedo” underwater. There was also fin shape reversible in direction for walking on land or swimming....

1903 John L Watson

Return to 1903 in timeline John L. Watson John Watson designed a diving bell with some interesting futures. The diving bell was equipped with a toolbox placed on the outside of the bell. Also Watson made an escape system for the diver. The cover (G) is connected with...

1903 Wichmann und Zopke

Return to 1903 in timeline Wichmann und Zopke Spiral wire armouring makes its appearance yet again in a design by Wichmann and Zopke in 1903. This proposes to encircle the diver’s trunk and tights with flat steel spiral bands drawn tight by a handle-operated ratchet....

1895 Murray and Stuart

Return to 1895 in timeline 1895 James Baxter Murray and Stuart Murray and Stuart patented there suit in 1895. They used the old spiral technique and even used three layers to get the suit watertight. They received a GB patent 9755 in 1895. They use barrel-shaped...

1893 Arthur Hemenger

Return to 1893 in timeline 1893 Arthur Hemenger Arthur Hemenger was listed earlier when he obtained a patent in 1890. A later patent of Hemenger’s of 1893 carries the use of spiral wires considerably further. A metal casing is retained for the trunk, but both...

1891 William Carey

Return to 1891 in timeline 1891 William Carey The strange-looking suit shown in the figures was invented by William Carey, of Southampton. It shows a plate suit, with ball-and-socket joints, but provision is made for easing the action of the joints by mounting...

1870 Charles Wilson

Return to 1870 in timeline 1870 Charles Wilson and C.F. Mudge Charles Wilson and Charles F. Mudge of Bridgeport patented a diving armor in 1870. Unfortunately I have not been able to find more information about there invention. I would be very pleased to receive...

1838 William Taylor

Return to 1838 in timeline 1838 William Taylor The problem with the Lethbridge gear was that the diver hardly had a possibility to move. This is something that has challenged inventors from that day on until today. The first guy that designed a suit with...

1720 Jacob Rowe

Return to 1720 in timeline The late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries saw an increased interest in the business of diving, and a proliferation of new designs of equipment. In the first half of the eighteenth century, a number of divers...
Oxygen

Oxygen

Oxygen as a breathing gas Oxygen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. Carl Wilhelm Scheele Oxygen was discovered in 1771 by the Swedish pharmacist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. The rediscovery by Joseph Priestley only made it more widely known. It was soon understood that...
Floating or Sinking

Floating or Sinking

Why are divers wearing weight belts? Divers Lead weights You all know the phenomenon that if you throw something into the water one object will float and the other will sink. At first you think about the weight, a brick is much heavier than wood, isn’t it? But...
Partial Pressure

Partial Pressure

This page explains how the pressure of gases in a gas mixture develops underwater. John Dalton (1766-1844) lived in England and was originally not encouraged to study by his church background. He was inspired by John Gough, a blind English philosopher of nature and...
Pressure and Volume

Pressure and Volume

This page is about the relationship between pressure and volume In 1627-1691 lived an Irish scientist who before diving drafted perhaps the most important law named after him, Boyle’s Law. Sometimes this law is also called Boyle-Mariotte law. The French...
Pressure under water

Pressure under water

This page explains why the pressure increases underwater and how to calculate it This page is meant for non-divers who are reading a first time about underwater sports. The pages in the vademecum provide information about very well known theory to advanced rebreather...