Quote:
Originally Posted by steamgoat
Wow, 5 grand ! I used a rebreather back in the 60's, simple canvas bag with a cannister of co2 absorbing crystals and a small oxygen cylinder on top, when you had difficulty breathing you opened the valve for more oxygen, probably didnt cost $50, how things change !!
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I thought you were joking until I found this....Cant go past 20 feet, but it is a rebreather.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE USE OF THE DESCO MODEL “A” LUNG
Catalogue No. 59114
DRESSING: The diver slips the neck strap over his
head so that the lung will hang on his chest very much like an apron. A slide is provided for the desired adjustment of the height of the lung on the chest. Further adjustment will seldom be necessary. Important - It is recommended that at no time should this strap be tightened so that it cannot readily be slipped over the head in an
emergency, thus, the lung should be put on and taken off without adjustment of this slide.
The waist strap is next fitted around the diver’s waist. This should be secure enough to hold the lung firmly against the chest. This strap is adjusted by means of the quick release buckle.
Note that the relative position of the breathing bag to your own lungs is important for maximum ease in breathing. This will vary somewhat in different positions that you may assume in the
water. In an erect position, you will find that raising or lowering the position of the bag on your body will make exhalation easier or harder, respectively, and inhalation harder or easier, respectively. Be sure not to raise it so high that you cannot easily slip the strap over your neck. In horizontal or normal swimming position the above e positioning of the bag obviously will make little difference .
SURFACE SWIMMING: If the shut-off valve is closed at the mouthpiece no air can escape from the lung nor can water enter. The swimmer may thus let the entire mouthpiece fall into the water, if he so chooses, or he can carry it in his mouth with the shut-off valve closed and breathe through his nose with the mask slipped up on his forehead. Note: Whether the shut-off valve is open or closed, the breathing bag is always connected to the
exhaust valve, so that excess gas accidentally admitted into the lung will be automatically released.
A DESCO or other make swimming mask is worn with the lung. This mask should be of the popular type which cover eyes and nose but not the mouth, since a mouthpiece is worn with the “A” Lung.
Caution is suggested against many inexpensive masks
sold widely the stores. Many of these are poorly designed and are made of an inferior grade of rubber with the result that a satisfactory seal cannot –be accomplished. A leaking mask can be dangerous to the
novice, since vision will be seriously effected and the diver may get water in his nose, either of which could result in confusion and
alarm, which could result in serious consequences in deep water.
The diver should learn how to “blow his mask” before
diving with it and should practice until he can do it easily. This is the art of blowing the water out of the mask when completely submerged. Since he may accidentally bump or hit his mask when diving or suffer leakage from a poor fit or other causes, it is important that he know how to clear it.
In practice, flood your mask as you stand in shallow water. Move your head into an erect position or in a side-swimming position so that the glass of the mask is vertical. Break the seal of the mask from your face at the lowest possible point with your finger. With the mask thus open to the external water, exhale through your nose into the mask. A partial breath of air will now push the water level down until it reaches the opening, and then air will blow out. Remove your finger and your mask will be clearer, completely washed, and ready for continuation of your dive.
Goggles are not ordinarily recommend for diving since there is no provision for equalizing pressure in them, and in most types they give differential axes of vision for each eye.
-1-A-
PREPARING TO DIVE: Before entering the water, carefully check and inspect the entire apparatus., be certain that the oxygen cylinder is sufficiently full and that you have a fresh sufficiently filled cartridge of Baralyme with ample margin of
safety for the dive that you plan to make.
Void all air from the breathing bag and your lungs, This may be done before entering the water by pressing against the bag with the hands and then sucking the last portion out with the lungs. If in the water up to your neck, merely open the
exhaust valve or the shut-off valve ( with the mouthpiece out of your mouth) and the water pressure will automatically force it out.
Unless you are preparing for an immediate deep dive with full understanding of the special instructions do not take a deep breath before putting the mouthpiece in your mouth. This inhaled air is approximately 79% nitrogen and only 21% oxygen. Nitrogen cannot support life and its presence in the breathing bag may be very dangerous. It may mislead you to think that you have vital oxygen since it will distend the bag and your lungs. After you burn up the small amount of oxygen with it, it may result in a dangerously low oxygen content air.
Rather, exhale before placing the mouthpiece in your mouth and empty your own lungs of air. With the breathing bag also collapsed, now admit fresh oxygen. You will thus be assured that you will have pure undiluted oxygen.
If your mouthpiece is in the water as you prepare to dive spill or shake the fraction of a teaspoon of water out of the mouthpiece tube. Place the rubber mouthpiece in the mouth, biting on the rubber tabs and placing the rubber flange between the 1ips and the teeth. If you have not yet voided the system of air, do so now by opening the exhaust valve and exhaling thus clearing your lungs. The water pressure will now void the breathing bag of air. Now admit fresh, pure oxygen and start breathing.
Breathe for a few seconds before starting down just to make certain that everything is in operating order.
There are two valves on the cylinder. The large cylinder valve, the shaft of which is coincident with the centerline of the cylinder, is used only for filling the cylinder. The small “needle valve” which connects to the breathing bag is the only one with which you will be concerned in actual diving. This controls the feed of oxygen into the apparatus.
The diver has his choice of methods of admitting oxygen, intermittent or constant flow. In the former method he admits gas at the start of his dive until his breathing bag is properly distended (as explained later) and then turns it on or off at intervals as he consumes the oxygen or as the increasing pressure requires distension of the bag. In the latter method he cracks his needle valve until he has attained what he estimates is the proper flow (about a quart a minute). He will soon learn correctness of his assumption, for if he has not opened it far enough he will soon find that his bag is collapsing on the end of a deep inhalation. If he has opened it too far he will find that his bag is completely inflated and that he cannot quite complete the end of an exhalation. He must then exhaust a little into the water with a resultant waste of oxygen.
Probably the best system is a combination of the two – crack your valve to admit a constant flow a little less than you need. Then, at infrequent intervals, as you need it, admit a little more. This will obviate any chance of wastage.
SURFACING: As your head rises above the surface close off the mouthpiece. When this is closed, you may drop the mouthpiece in the water, if you choose. If you do not close the valve, there is the possibility of water running through the mouthpiece down into the lung and also the undesirable loss of oxygen in your bag. Since the lung will ordinarily still be in the water, the pressure of that water will instantly expel all of the gas in the bag unless the valve is closed. With the shut-off closed, please note again that the manual or automatic relief valve is still operative.
-2-A-
To remove the canister from the bag, disconnect the breathing hose by turning the breathing hose "coupling'' nut. Next remove the canister "seating nut" immediately below it. The supplied wrench fits both of these. With this off the "annular" sealing plate may be lifted off. The canister may now be easily removed from the breathing bag. With the canister removed from the breathing bag, the locking bar is turned a fraction of a turn to the left and lifted out. This will allow the cartridge to be easily removed. A new cartridge may be inserted and the canister put back into the breathing bag.
Always be sure that the large open end of the cartridge is inserted last into the canister and that the end with the small hole is inserted first. This s will readily be remembered by noting that the small hole in the metal end of the cartridge corresponds to the small inlet of the canister where the breathing tube is connected. The large open screened end of the cartridge corresponds to the large open end, or locking bar end, of the canister. It will be noted that the metal ring on the cartridge is intended to seat against the,
gasket on the top end of the canister, such that air must go through the cartridge. rather than around it. It will be noted that on the large, or lower and of the canister a pressure "perforated plate" is applied to insure the diver that the pellets will be under pressure at all times. This will avoid any possibility of looseness among The pellets and possible channeling, such that the air won't go over rather than through the chemicals, Although the cartridge will
work if put in backwards, it will be noted that the
gasket seat, will not be as satisfactory and the spring will not apply pressure directly to the pellets.
Do not use the lung unless the canister is fully filled with Baralyme and there is full tension on the spring connected to the locking bar end.
Be sure to remove pecking
seals from the cartridge before inserting for use.
The DESCO A-Lung
Also known as the Adventurer, and the Sportster Lung. This unit was designed in the early 1950's. It was a simpler, more compact design than the B-Lung. The unit evolved during its short run. Early units had a
canvas breather bag, while later units had a vinyl bag. The A-Lungs were only produced for a few years in the mid-50's.