U.S. patent number 3,774,825 [Application Number 05/276,842] was granted by the patent office on 1973-11-27 for back pack for underwater breathing apparatus and the like.
This patent grant is currently assigned to SAID Schone and Geer, by said Laxineta and Koistinen. Invention is credited to William W. Geer, Clayton W. Koistinen, Stephen C. Laxineta, Henry L. Schone.
United States Patent |
3,774,825 |
Schone , et al. |
November 27, 1973 |
BACK PACK FOR UNDERWATER BREATHING APPARATUS AND THE LIKE
Abstract
A pack for carrying compressed air or gas-filled cylinders on
the back of a human body comprising a flat, rigid frame; first and
second substantially U-shaped, rigid, shoulder engaging hangers
pivotably connected to an upper portion of the frame; a hip or
waist surrounding and engaging belt having disengagable belt
portions and belt fastening means securing the belt portions
together; and a rectangular fabric sheet connected between a lower
portion of the frame and the belt. The upper end of the fabric
sheet is connectable at any one of a plurality of positions along
the frame with the remainder of the fabric sheet extending
downwardly. The lower end of the fabric sheet is fixedly connected
to the belt. Finally, any one of a plurality of intermediate
positions along the fabric sheet is connectable at any one of a
plurality of positions along the lower portion of the frame to
adjust the overall length between the hangers and the belt and also
the length between the belt and the selected position along the
lower portion of the frame.
Inventors: |
Schone; Henry L. (Newport
Beach, CA), Geer; William W. (Capistrano Beach, CA),
Laxineta; Stephen C. (Yorba Linda, CA), Koistinen; Clayton
W. (La Habra, CA) |
Assignee: |
SAID Schone and Geer, by said
Laxineta and Koistinen (N/A)
|
Family
ID: |
23058287 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/276,842 |
Filed: |
July 31, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/265; 224/934;
224/262 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F
3/10 (20130101); B63C 11/22 (20130101); B63C
2011/2281 (20130101); Y10S 224/934 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A45F
3/10 (20060101); A45F 3/00 (20060101); B63C
11/02 (20060101); B63C 11/22 (20060101); A45f
003/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;224/25A,5W,8R,8A,9,11,5B,5A,26B,26R,5P,5MQ,5MA |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Sheridan; Robert G.
Assistant Examiner: Forsberg; Jerold M.
Claims
We claim:
1. A pack for carriage on the back of a human body comprising:
a rigid frame having upper and lower portions;
first and second substantially U-shaped, rigid, shoulder engaging
hangers suspending said frame and connected to said upper portion
thereof;
a hip or waist surrounding and engaging belt having disengageable
belt portions and belt fastening means securing said belt portions
together;
flexible suspension means having upper and lower ends, said lower
end of said suspension means being fixedly connected to said belt;
means for connecting said upper end of said suspension means to
said frame at any one of a plurality of positions along said frame,
said suspension means extending downwardly from said frame thereby
tensioning said frame on said shoulders to prevent upward movement
and disengagement of said hangers from said shoulders.
2. A back pack according to claim 1 wherein the inner and outer
surfaces of said frame are flat.
3. A back pack according to claim 1 wherein said shoulder engaging
hangers are pivotably connected to said upper portion of said frame
to permit adjustment of the angle between said hangers and the
vertical, longitudinal axis of said frame.
4. A back pack according to claim 3 wherein one arm of each of said
hangers is longer than the other, wherein said longer arm is
connected to said frame at two points along the length thereof, one
of said points being fixed, the other of said points being
variable.
5. A back pack according to claim 1 further comprising:
bracket means secured to said frame for permitting connection
thereto of one or two compressed air tanks.
6. A back pack according to claim 5 wherein said bracket means
comprises:
a pair of identical brackets, each of said brackets including a
central section and opposite ends, said ends being connectable to
said frame to hold said central section in spaced relationship
relative thereto, said central section being disposed at an acute
angle relative to said frame, said brackets being positionable with
said central sections facing inwardly for support of a single air
tank or facing outwardly fo support of a pair of air tanks.
7. A back pack according to claim 1 further comprising:
means for connecting any one of a plurality of intermediate
positions along said suspension means to said frame at any one of a
plurality of positions along said lower portion thereof.
8. A back pack according to claim 7 wherein said flexible
suspension means comprises a rectangular fabric sheet having a
width substantially equal to the width of said frame, said sheet
having first and second columns of holes along the opposite sides
thereof, wherein said frame has first and second identical columns
of holes along the opposite sides thereof, wherein said connecting
means comprises:
a plurality of fasteners extending through corresponding holes in
said sheet and said frame for connection of said sheet to said
frame.
9. A back pack according to claim 8 including four of said
fasteners, two of said fasteners connecting the upper pair of holes
in said sheet to a selected pair of said holes in said frame, the
other two of said fasteners connecting any remaining pair of holes
in said sheet to a corresponding pair of holes in said frame.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a back pack for carrying
compressed air or gas-filled cylinders and the like and, more
particularly, to a pack for carriage on the back of a human body
which has increased comfort without undue constraint and which may
be quickly and easily donned or shed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Back packs are well known and widely available for carrying a
variety of different objects. For example, back packs are used by
hikers, climbers, and mountaineers to carry a wide variety of
camping and hiking equipment. Back packs are also worn by
underwater swimmers for carrying compressed air, high pressure
cylinders which supply air to the swimmer. Similar packs are also
used to carry portable welding apparatus including two gas-filled
cylinders. While the present back pack is equally applicable to any
of these fields, it will be described in its preferred embodiment,
namely as a back pack to be worn by an underwater swimmer for
carrying one or two compressed air, high pressure cylinders.
A typical back pack for carrying compressed air cylinders includes
a back plate sculptured to fit the contour of the back in order to
hold the tank or tanks in correct position for the swimmer. The
upper and lower portions of such back plates are connected to the
body of the swimmer by a harness including a continuous strap which
extends over the shoulders and around the waist. Finally,
releasable bands connect the tanks to the back plate.
In spite of the fact that back packs of this type are widely used,
several problems are associated therewith. In the first instance,
the straps which connect the back plate to the body of the swimmer
are cumbersome so that it is difficult to get into and out of the
pack. In addition, since the straps are continuous, carrying the
pack by holding the straps causes the straps to pull through the
various slots in the back plate, requiring re-adjustment when put
on. Alternatively, additional accessories are needed to lock the
straps in place.
A significant problem results from the fact that the straps create
a rigid connection between the back plate and the body of the
swimmer. As a result, it is difficult, at best, to stoop when
wearing such back packs, the mobility of the swimmer being
substantially limited. To minimize the constraints placed on the
movements of the swimmer, existing back plates are usually
sculptured to conform to the back of a human body. While this
partially solves one problem, it creates another in that sculptured
back plates create manufacturing problems so that existing back
packs are relatively expensive.
Another problem with most existing back packs is that they are
usually designed to carry either a single tank or two tanks and it
is not possible to use a single back pack to carry one tank or two,
at the swimmer's option.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a back
pack for carriage on the back of a human body and, more
particularly, on the back of a swimmer, for carrying one or more
compressed air tanks, which solve the above problems. In the first
instance, the present back pack completely eliminates the use of
cumbersome straps so that the present pack is easy to don or shed,
whether in the water or out. The present back pack also eliminates
the sculptured back plates contoured to fit the back of the swimmer
and the expense associated with the manufacture of such back
plates. The back plate of the present invention is connected to the
back of the swimmer in a flexible manner which allows the swimmer
to stoop without undue constraint. The arrangement of the present
back pack permits the swimmer to tighten a hip engaging belt to
suit his taste, yet does not inhibit motion of the body, while
providing lateral stability for the loaded pack and restraining it
from moving forward off the swimmer's shoulders. Finally, the
present back pack may be used to carry either a single tank or a
pair of tanks with a simple rearrangement of certain of the parts
thereof.
Briefly, the present pack comprises a flat, rigid frame; first and
second substantially U-shaped, rigid, shoulder engaging hangers
pivotably connected to an upper portion of the frame; a hip or
waist surrounding and engaging belt having disengagable belt
portions and belt fastening means securing the belt portions
together; and a rectangular fabric sheet connected between a lower
portion of the frame and the belt. The upper end of the fabric
sheet is connectable at any one of a plurality of positions along
the frame with the remainder of the fabric sheet extending
downwardly. The lower end of the fabric sheet is fixedly connected
to the belt. Finally, any one of a plurality of intermediate
positions along the fabric sheet is connectable at any one of a
plurality of positions along the lower portion of the frame to
adjust the overall length between the hangers and the belt and also
the length between the belt and the selected position along the
lower portion of the frame.
OBJECTS
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a
back pack for carrying compressed air or gas-filled cylinders and
the like.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a back
pack for underwater breathing apparatus and the like which
completely eliminates the need for conventional shoulder
harnesses.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a
back pack for underwater breathing apparatus and the like which is
easy to don or shed, whether in the water or out.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a back
pack for underwater breathing apparatus and the like which
eliminates the need for sculptured back plates.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a
back pack for underwater breathing apparatus and the like which
allows a swimmer to stoop without undue constraint.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a back
pack for underwater breathing apparatus and the like which may be
used to carry either a single compressed air tank or a pair of
tanks.
Still other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the
present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art
from a reading of the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiment constructed in accordance therewith, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals
designate like parts in the several figures and wherein:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present back pack for
underwater breathing apparatus and the like as viewed from the back
thereof;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the back pack of FIG. 1 as viewed
from the front thereof;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the back pack of FIG. 1 showing the
configuration of the back pack for receiving a single compressed
air cylinder;
FIG. 4 is a partial, lateral sectional view of the back pack of
FIG. 1 showing the configuration of the back pack for receiving two
compressed air cylinders; and
FIGS. 5 and 6 are views showing the back pack of FIGS. 1 and 2 in
position on a swimmer and particularly showing the manner in which
the swimmer may stoop without undue constraint.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a back pack,
generally designated 10, for carriage on the back of a human body.
Back pack 10 may be used by hikers, climbers, and mountaineers to
carry camping and hiking equipment or may be used by a welder to
carry gas-filled clyinders. However, back pack 10 will be described
for its preferred use, namely as a back pack to be worn by an
underwater swimmer 11 for carrying one or two compressed air, high
pressure cylinders 12.
Back pack 10 includes a back plate or frame 15 having an outer side
15a and an inner side 15b which is adapted to contact the back of
swimmer 11. Back plate 15 is a generally rectangular, flat, rigid
member whose longitudinal dimension is adapted to be positioned
vertically. The four corners of back plate 15 may be rounded or
otherwise configured, as desired.
Back pack 10 further comprises first and second substantially
U-shaped, rigid, shoulder engaging hangers 16 connected to and
suspending back plate 15. Hangers 16 are adapted to be connected to
back plate 15 so as to be pivotably adjustable relative thereto, to
permit variation of the angle between hangers 16 and the
longitudinal axis of frame 15. Such pivotable adjustment allows
variation for different sizes of swimmers.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a
pivotable connection between hangers 16 and back plate 15 is
accomplished by forming first arms 17 of hangers 16 longer than the
other arms thereof and by providing arms 17 with first and second
spaced holes. Back plate 15 is provided with a first pair of holes
for receipt of bolts 18 which extend through back plate 15 from
inner side 15b thereof. Bolts 18 then extend through the holes at
the outer ends of arms 17 of hangers 16 and engage nuts 19. Bolts
18 and nuts 19 provide the pivot points for hangers 16.
Back plate 15 is further provided with first and second sets of
holes 20, each set including two or three or more holes, all
positioned on a radius around bolts 18. The other holes in arms 17
of hangers 16 are adapted to be aligned with any of holes 20 in the
two sets. Therefore, by extending a bolt 21 through one of holes 20
of each set and securing such bolt with a nut 22, the angular
position of hangers 16 may be adjustably selected. Furthermore, by
countersinking the holes in back plate 15 and by using flat head
bolts, inner side 15b of back plate 15 remains entirely smooth for
contact with the back of swimmer 11. Hangers 16 may be padded, such
as with rubber covers 23, for the comfort of swimmer 11.
Back pack 10 further comprises a hip or waist surrounding and
engaging belt, generally designated 25, of generally conventional
configuration. Belt 25 may be a single length of belt material
defining disengagable belt portions 26 and 27 which may be secured
together by means of a conventional belt fastening buckle 28.
Hangers 16 of back pack 10 provide three directions of support for
back plate 10, preventing forward and back motion and downward
motion. In order to provide the fourth direction of support, to
prevent upward motion of back plate 15, back plate 15 is connected
to belt 25. According to the present invention, back plate 15 is
connected to belt 25 by flexible suspension means, generally
designated 30, which allows swimmer 11 to stoop without undue
constraint. More specifically, and with reference primarily to FIG.
2, flexible suspension means 30 comprises a generally rectangular
fabric sheet connected between back plate 15 and belt 25, the width
of fabric sheet 30 being approximately equal to the width of frame
15. The lower end 31 of fabric sheet 30 is fixedly connected to a
central portion of belt 25 such as by stitching belt 25 to sheet 30
or by making sheet 30 integral with belt 25.
Sheet 30 includes first and second columns of equally spaced holes
32 along the opposite sides thereof. Back plate 15 has first and
second identical columns of equally spaced holes 33 along the
opposite sides thereof. By providing fabric sheet 30 and back plate
15 with identical columns of holes, fabric sheet 30 is adapted to
be positioned anywhere along the length of back plate 15 with holes
32 in fabric sheet 30 aligned with holes 33 in back plate 15.
Accordingly, fabric sheet 30 may be connected to back plate 15 by
extending a plurality of fasteners through corresponding holes in
sheet 30 and frame 15. Such fasteners may comprise bolts 34 and
wing nuts 35.
Two significant features of fabric sheet 30 should be noted. In the
first instance, sheet 30 is connectable to back plate 15 in a
manner which permits vertical adjustment of belt 25 relative to
frame 15 and hangers 16 to accomodate various sizes of swimmers.
Accordingly, when the desired vertical size is selected, a pair of
bolts 34 and wing nuts 35 may be used to connect the upper pair of
holes 32 in sheet 30 to the selected pair of holes 33 in back plate
15. In addition, with fabric sheet 30 now extending downwardly from
a selected position along frame 15, any one of a plurality of
intermediate positions along fabric sheet 30 is adapted to be
connected at any one of a plurality of positions along the lower
portion of frame 15. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, connection is
achieved by extending an additional pair of bolts 34 through any
remaining pair of holes 32 in fabric sheet 30 and a corresponding
pair of holes 33 in back plate 15, bolts 34 being secured by wing
nuts 35.
With the construction just described, back pack 10 provides
complete adjustment of the length of the flexible section between
lower end 31 of fabric sheet 30 and the point at which an
intermediate portion of fabric sheet 30 is connected to back plate
15. This flexible section between belt 25 and frame 15 allows
swimmer 11 to bend over without undue constraint, as shown in FIG.
6. This arrangement permits swimmer 11 to tighten belt 25 to suit
his taste, yet does not inhibit motion of his body while still
providing lateral stability for the loaded pack and restraining it
from moving forward off of his shoulders.
As mentioned previously, back pack 10 is designed to be worn by an
underwater swimmer 11 for carrying one or two compressed air, high
pressure cylinders 12. For this purpose, back pack 10 includes
first and second identical brackets, generally designated 40. Each
of brackets 40 is made from an elongated length of flat, sheet
stock, such as aluminum. On either side of a central section 41,
the sheet stock is bent through an angle of 90.degree. along lines
42 perpendicular to the length of the sheet stock. The ends 44 of
the sheet stock are then bent in the opposite direction through an
angle of 90.degree. along lines 43 positioned at an angle of
approximately 22.degree. relative to the length of the sheet stock.
Ends 44 of bracket 40 have holes therein which are adapted to be
aligned with a pair of spaced, vertically aligned holes in back
plate 15. Connection of bracket 40 to back plate 15 is made with a
pair of blots 45 which extend through corresponding holes in ends
44 and back plate 15 and engage nuts 46. Furthermore, by
countersinking the holes in back plate 15 and by using flat head
bolts, inner side 15b of back plate 15 remains entirely smooth for
contact with the back of swimmer 11.
It can therefore be seen that with ends 44 of brackets 40 connected
to back plate 15, central sections 41 will be spaced from back
plate 15 and angularly positioned relative thereto by the same
angle as that between line 43 and the length of bracket 40. That
is, with brackets 40 in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3,
central sections 41 of brackets 40 face inwardly and provide
angular surfaces for contacting the outer surface of a single high
pressure cylinder 12. With a single cylinder 12 so positioned,
connection to back plate 15 is achieved through the use of
conventional clamps which surround tank 12 and central sections 41
of both of brackets 40. On the other hand, when it is desired to
use two compressed air cylinders, back pack 10 may be readily
converted to such use by removing each of brackets 40 and
reconnecting them as shown in FIG. 4. In this position, central
sections 41 of brackets 40 face outwardly and provide a single
surface to engage the outer surface of each of a pair of tanks 12.
As is conventional, a pair of clamps would be used to individually
connect tanks 12 to each of brackets 40.
It can therefore be seen that in accordance with the present
invention, there is provided a back pack 10 for carriage on the
back of a human body for carrying one or more compressed air tanks
12, which solves many of the existing problems of the prior art. In
the first instance, back pack 10 completely eliminates the use of
cumbersome straps and shoulder harnesses so that back pack 10 is
easy to don or shed, whether in the water or out. Hangers 16 also
provide a convenient carrying handle and a hook for hanging pack 10
on boarding ladders, gunwales, car seats, and the like. Back pack
10 also eliminates sculptured back plates contoured to fit the back
of swimmer 11 and the expense associated with the manufacture of
such back plates. Back plate 15 of back pack 10 may be entirely
flat since it is connected to the back of swimmer 11 in a flexible
manner which allows swimmer 11 to stoop without undue constraint.
The arrangement of back pack 10 permits swimmer 11 to tighten belt
25 to suit his taste, yet does not inhibit motion of his body while
providing lateral stability for the loaded pack and restraining it
from moving forward off of his shoulders.
The design of back pack 10 provides sufficient adjustment to
accomodate various sizes of swimmers 11. Since the fit of pack 10
is determined solely by the positioning of the various adjustments
and the attachment of pack 10 to swimmer 11 is by means of these
adjustable devices, pack 10 is equally comfortable for all sizes of
individuals.
Finally, back pack 10 may be utilized to carry either a single tank
12 or a pair of tanks 12 with only a simple rearrangement of the
position of brackets 40 relative to back plate 15.
While the invention has been described with respect to a preferred
physical embodiment constructed in accordance therewith, it will be
apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and
improvements may be made without departing from the scope and the
spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that
the invention is not to be limited by the specific illustrative
embodiment, but only by the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *