Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 4226205 | Auxiliary submersible for deep-sea work This invention relates to naval construction and oceanology. It relates to a one-man submersible characterized, firstly, by external shapes designed to prevent any accidental fouling with any fixed obstacles; secondly, propulsion and steering units which ... | 10/07/1980 |
| 4217066 | Diving bell umbilical conveyor system An umbilical conveyor system for a diving bell, including an umbilical conveyor, a pressure wheel, and hydraulic motors for the conveyor. The conveyor is designed to feed umbilical life support lines from a diving bell into or out of a storage location ov... | 08/12/1980 |
| 4212258 | Underwater apparatus for acoustically inspecting a submerged object An underwater apparatus is described for acoustically inspecting a submerged object at considerable depths such as the lower structural portion of an off-shore drilling rig to determine if the structure has internal defect which cannot be optically detect... | 07/15/1980 |
| 4195949 | Method and apparatus for emergency transfer and life support of saturation divers An emergency life-supporting capsule is disclosed for transferring saturation divers from a main decompression chamber on board a main support vessel. The capsule is attached to the main decompression chamber in anticipation of an emergency. The capsule i... | 04/01/1980 |
| 4170429 | Installation for inspecting and repairing installations in deep water For inspecting and maintaining a submerged installation comprising an emergent part such as a platform, such as an artificial island or a submerged reservoir, said emergent part is equipped with a track along which a trolley associated with a diving bell ... | 10/09/1979 |
| 4166462 | Self-propelled shark-proof cage The invention relates to a self-propelled shark-proof cage which is provided with at least one access opening and a propeller mounting frame having pivot means coupling it to the cage so that the propeller mounting frame is pivotal about two axes at right... | 09/04/1979 |
| 4165706 | Submersible vehicle deployment and recovery system for rough water A heavy submersible object is deployed from or retrieved to a floating vessel in rough water. The connection or release point is sufficiently far below the water surface that surface waves have little if any effect on the object. Deployment and retrieval ... | 08/28/1979 |
| 4157229 | Under-ice traveling shelter system A slightly negatively buoyant personnel-accommodating chamber is suspended from a pair of buoyant-link flexible drive loops engaging the under surface of an ice cover over the body of water in which the chamber is submerged. Propulsion of the chamber can ... | 06/05/1979 |
| 4153001 | Manned submarine A manned submarine includes first and second side-by-side chambers extending in a fore-to-aft direction. The first chamber is maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure and includes sleeping and eating compartments for ship-based personnel, and a ga... | 05/08/1979 |
| 4133180 | Apparatus for welding submerged pipe ends In a method of welding together two submerged pipe ends, the pipe ends are spaced apart and introduced through orifices into a receptacle by which they can be isolated from the surrounding medium. The spaced pipe ends are connected by a connection sleeve ... | 01/09/1979 |
| 4111313 | Diving bell handling system and method A handling system for lowering and lifting a diving bell between the ocean surface and the deck of a vessel or a marine platform includes a horizontally extendible and retractable frame which mounts sheaves used for directing the hoist cable and umbilical... | 09/05/1978 |
| 4109601 | Vessel for working under water A vessel for working under water comprising a substantially spherical residence chamber with an atmospheric pressure therein and accommodating necessary monitoring apparatus for controlling working tools and devices arranged on the outside of the residenc... | 08/29/1978 |
| 4095649 | Reentry system for subsea well apparatus A reentry system for a subsea apparatus or station including a normally retracted guide post, which is extendable above the well apparatus for connection to a single guide line. A frame structure lowered along the single guide line includes a gimbal mount... | 06/20/1978 |
| 4095437 | Submersible pipe installation systems In general, the present invention provides processes and apparatus for bending and straightening or otherwise installing marine pipelines at underwater installations, and includes systems in which marine pipelines are installed at water depths to 250 feet... | 06/20/1978 |
| 4094160 | Diving bell with transparent door for panoramic viewing A diving bell is provided with a cut-out or aperture from which extends a ring portion. Attached to one end of the ring portion is a transparent door or window maneuverable into position, for example, by a davit or by a hinge assembly mounted on the divin... | 06/13/1978 |
| 4086776 | Lock means for a tension line A lock means for one end of a tension line for securing said tension line to a subsea installation and particularly for securing one end of an umbilical line carrying hydraulical and electrical control circuits to a subsea installation. A lock means coope... | 05/02/1978 |
| 4068657 | Constant volume buoyancy compensation system A diver's buoyancy compensator employs a constant volume chamber which is controllably pressurized with air from the diver's SCUBA tank, and water is admitted to or emitted from the tank by a manually operated valve.... | 01/17/1978 |
| 4060076 | Breathing apparatus incorporating depth compensation Breathing apparatus is provided for use under water which comprises a connection device such as a helmet, mask, or the like and a breathing circuit in communication with the connection device. The breathing circuit includes a carbon-dioxide absorber and a... | 11/29/1977 |
| 4058945 | Pressure and buckling resisting undulated polyhedral shell structure A structure is disclosed for resisting pressure, such as external and internal hydrostatic pressure loading. A plurality of flat polyhedral plates are sealed together along their edges to provide an undulated cylindrical shell. An inner cylinder (and end ... | 11/22/1977 |
| 4029034 | Method and apparatus for buoyancy control of submergible chambers An apparatus having a bouyancy control tank mounted in conjunction with a submergible chamber, and being provided with a source of gas under pressure to the tank and wherein several vertically disposed pipes are arranged and constructed within the tank so... | 06/14/1977 |
| 4029483 | Diving bell heater and absorbent system A unit for use in a diving bell to heat and remove carbon dioxide from the breathing gas in the bell. A blower circulates the atmosphere in the diving bell through a heat exchanger, which is heated by hot water from an installation on the surface. Part of... | 06/14/1977 |
| 3986745 | Grabber This device assures the underwater recovery of heavy objects by marine mals. A trigger mechanism releases sections of spring biased tubing which converged about the object. After the tubing sections interconnect, the marine mammal pulls free and the obje... | 10/19/1976 |
| 3983937 | Method of connection of an undersea well to a flexible outflow pipe In the connection of a flexible outflow pipe to a submerged well head situated at a depth greater than that which can be reached by a diver, the pipe is connected to a bearing structure for bearing on and connection to the well head and on which a diving ... | 10/05/1976 |
| 3964543 | Underwater wellhead completions with portable atmospheric cellar This invention concerns means for protecting a marine wellhead (including the Christmas tree) on an offshore hydrocarbon-producing platform from damage due to fire. Special means are provided to place the wellhead a small depth, e.g., 25 to 50 feet, below... | 06/22/1976 |
| 3964866 | Helium reclamation Means for reclamation of helium from diving apparatus comprise a bell conduit coupled to the discharge valve of a diving bell, a first receiver coupled to the conduit and arranged to receive gas from the bell, a second receiver coupled through a regulatin... | 06/22/1976 |
| 3943871 | Submerging system for marine structure A submerging system for marine structure which comprises a floating capsule structure, sumbersibly anchored by a lever pivoted at one end to the bottom of the floating structure and at its opposite end to a mooring block fixed to the sea bottom, a land ba... | 03/16/1976 |
