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Post by sea.explorer on Apr 16, 2006 7:20:12 GMT -8
As I understand it Us Divers was offered the Jet Fin first and passed on it in favor of the Caravel. Not the best decision they ever made. I would love to find a pair of Caravels since they were the original fin used with Cousteau's Hydrodynamic Suits. So let me know if anyone has a pair they are willing to part with My question is: What year did Cousteau & Gagnan recieve a patent for their fin design? -Ryan
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Post by DavidRitchieWilson on Apr 17, 2006 8:56:35 GMT -8
Ryan: Do you really mean "fin design" in the question you ask? Just checking. Incidentally, there's a reproduction of the first page of the Cousteau-Air Liquide "aqualung" patent at www.leman-ips.ch/doc/GB_PATENT_case_study.pdfA patent application was filed in Paris on 8 July 1943, when France was under wartime occupation. The French patent for the Cousteau-Gagnan invention would eventually be granted in 1948.
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Post by sea.explorer on Apr 17, 2006 9:13:43 GMT -8
There is infact a C-G patent for a diving fin -Ryan
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Post by JES on Apr 18, 2006 12:34:50 GMT -8
Cousteau & Gagnan were issued US Patent 3,082,442 for their fin on March 26, 1963. They originally filed for the US Patent on September 01, 1959. Here is a picture of the patent drawing: I will post my trivia question a little later (after I think of a good one ).
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Post by Linda on Apr 18, 2006 15:51:34 GMT -8
Good job, Joe! If you want, you can get out of posting a question for now, because I think David posted one on the last page that got skipped over... So much good info here! Here's David's question: Oscar Gugen was the founder of the British Sub Aqua Club in the 1950s. He was in partnership with Eric Skinner in a jigsaw, toy and novelty business. What became of the company after Skinner left for Canada?
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Post by JES on Apr 19, 2006 12:58:10 GMT -8
Good job, Joe! If you want, you can get out of posting a question for now, because I think David posted one on the last page that got skipped over... So much good info here! Here's David's question: Oscar Gugen was the founder of the British Sub Aqua Club in the 1950s. He was in partnership with Eric Skinner in a jigsaw, toy and novelty business. What became of the company after Skinner left for Canada?I will gladly yield the thread to David. I'm sorry that we somehow skipped over him. His question is an excellent one and I'm looking forward to the correct answer. ;D
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Post by Seahuntjerry on Apr 19, 2006 14:24:25 GMT -8
This wa the Snorkair the spare air is a takeoff of it. Jerry
Who manufactured a portable j valve that attached to a K valve on a scuba tank?
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Post by SeaRat on Apr 19, 2006 14:46:41 GMT -8
Actually, I don't think it was the Snorkair. I did a Google search, and came up with this: This is from this site: boron.chem.ox.ac.uk/publications/inspires/Issue08.pdf If that's correct, that this toy company started manufacturing diving gear (swim fins and goggles) and that it became the springboard for the formation of the British SubAqua Club, then we should go with the question from SeaHuntJerry, as I'm a bit too tired to post a new one. John
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Post by Gomez' echo on Apr 19, 2006 16:49:46 GMT -8
To answer Seahunt Jerry: Sportsways sold one in their 1961 catalog as a "SJ" portable Reserve valve It is listed as item number 1101 and cost $30.00 Allan I will post another question tomorrow morning.
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Post by JES on Apr 19, 2006 17:02:59 GMT -8
... If that's correct, that this toy company started manufacturing diving gear (swim fins and goggles) and that it became the springboard for the formation of the British SubAqua Club, then we should go with the question from SeaHuntJerry, as I'm a bit too tired to post a new one. John John, I found the following and I believe the correct answer is: "Typhoon International. They are the world's largest manufacturer of drysuits for commercial, leisure, diving and military purposes. The company, based at Dormanstown, Redcar, began in 1946 when Second World War fighter pilot and British Sub Aqua Club founder Oscar Gugen set up the business to make diving equipment." David, be sure to let us know if we are correct.
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Post by DavidRitchieWilson on Apr 19, 2006 20:45:18 GMT -8
Well done, JES. The company did indeed become Typhoon International. Its manufacturing base is now in Redcar, not a million miles away from where I live. My first "serious" set of basic snorkelling gear, purchased in the mid-1960s, all came out of the Typhoon stable. And well done too, John, for unearthing all that information about Oscar Gugen on the Oxford Sub Aqua site. The pioneers of diving are always colourful, versatile characters, which makes them so interesting, and Gugen seems to fit that pattern too.
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Post by Gomez' echo on Apr 20, 2006 7:12:10 GMT -8
I guess this thread is becoming confusing in regards to questions and RIGHT answers. I therefore suggest that before another question is asked that the author of the most recently answered question give a correct or wrong to the person who attempted to answer the question. If my answer to Seahuntjerry's question was correct, here is my question: Many of vintage divers/collectors are interested in obtaining yellow hoses. In the late 1950's up to 1960 USD used yellow hoses on their double hose regulators: In 1961 they made a major change in both the hoses and the mouthpiece, but only on their Aquamaster. The mistral remained the same with yellow hoses and a black straight mouthpiece: The mistral did not recieve the "new hoses and mouthpiece" until what year?
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Post by SeaRat on Apr 20, 2006 7:30:25 GMT -8
I will help narrow the time line, as I bought a Mistral with the new hoses in 1970. However, I have no knowledge of whether that was the year that these became available on the Mistral. By the way, the hoses on the Aquamaster pictured by Simonbeans above were not kept too long either. These were a special, very flexible hose that had a much higher quality to them than did even the "new" hoses later used. I saw one still in a box that a friend had, and he would not sell it to me. If you'll look, the number of corrugations per inch is quite high on the Aquamaster pictured above in comparison to the Mistral below it. I am curious as to how long these Aquamaster hoses were in production, and why they were discontinued.
John
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Post by Gomez' echo on Apr 20, 2006 7:58:55 GMT -8
It appears that those black hoses as illustrated in the 1961 catalog were only for one year as they do not appear in the 1962 catalog. But the Mistral changed over to black hose with the curved mouth piece earlier than 1970. In other words, "you're too high".
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Post by kgehring on Apr 20, 2006 13:47:52 GMT -8
My guess is that the Mistral used yellow hoses and mouthpiece in 1958 and had black mouth piece w/ yellow hoses in 1959 and 1960. The curved mouthpiece was then used with black hoses on all models. The DA also used yellow hoses for 2 or 3 years. That is my guess!
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