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the_diving_museum

I am a volunteer who works with The Diving Museum in Gosport, England. The museum is dedicated to promoting and preserving diving history.

the_diving_museum's collections

 

The Path to the Diving Helmet

<p>Some inventions are said to be ahead of their time, and some behind their time; but most inventions arise as a result of present needs, or as a result of a new development that enables an existing idea to be produced.</p> <p>Think of the example of space travel.  Space travel wasn’t possible in the 1930s because the rocketry technology wasn’t available — that was only developed during the Second World War. So it was with the diving helmet; everybody knew what they wanted to do, but they couldn’t make it work until the materials and technology became available.</p> <p>Key words: Diving, diving helmet, Deane helmet, James helmet, Halley helmet, diving hoses, diving pumps, Diving Museum, Gosport, England.</p>
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Oxygen Booster Pump for divers

<p>SINGLE CYLINDER BOOSTER PUMP</p> <p>This lever-operated pump was designed to charge high pressure oxygen or air cylinders to a maximum pressure of 3,000 psig (205 atm, 211 kg/sq cm) from large cylinders with pressures down to 600 psig (41atm, 42 kg/ sq cm).</p> <p>It is portable – the folding handles make it easy to transport to wherever it was required. A power driven version was also available, which would have been a welcome option for those who had to pump by hand - it was very hard work!</p> <p>Manufactured by Siebe Gorman Ltd, c. 1960s</p>
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The Lethbridge Diving Engine

<p>In 1715 an English wool merchant called John Lethbridge invented what is possibly the world's earliest diving 'suit' (or as he called it, 'diving engine') that did not require air to be provided by a pipe from the surface.</p> <p>Other people had tried to do similar things and it is probable that John Lethbridge knew about these and based his design on precedent.</p> <p>He had a very large family to support (he reputedly had 17 children!) and his plan was to make a diving engine that could enable him to make his fortune recovering treasure from shipwrecks.</p>
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