US3081726A - Underwater viewers - Google Patents

Description

March 19, 1963 w. M. BETTS ET AL UNDERWATER VIEWERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 15, 1962 r J m: U N P EE. 0 V3.C m m .w/A A A W6 Mum March 19, 1963 w. M. BETTS ET AL UNDERWATER VIEWERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 13, 1962 S 4 mm m% NW I I III I!!! I INVENTORS WILLIAM MBETTS 5v REGINALD c. zqz/a BY w' my ATI'OR E s,es1,726 UNDERWATER VIEWERS William M. Betta, 2691 NE. 22nd St, and Reginald C. Requa, 700 N. Riverside Drive, both of Pompano Beach, Fla.

Fiied Mar. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 179,442 3 Claims. (Qt. 114-66) This invention relates to underwater viewers, and more particularly to a floatable body upon which a person can rest, and which is provided with a viewing window so located and positioned that the person resisting on the float can look down into the water.

It is an object of the invention to provide an article of this character by which a bather or swimmer can conveniently and comfortably float upon the surface of the water while inspecting the bed of the body of Water on which the float is resting, or inspect fish or other water creatures swimming in the water beneath the float.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a relatively flat, hollow and buoyant float, preferably composed of flber glass or of a material of similar characteristics, and provided with a flat top or deck upon which a bather can rest in a prone position, and with a raised tower or turret having a Window at the bottom, provided on the float and positioned to receive the face of the float occupant and through which an underwater inspection is made available. The invention further contemplates the provision of means by which comfortable breathing by the user is had during his use of the viewing tower or turret.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, we have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an underwater viewer, constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially o the line 2-Z of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a detail view, showing the sleeve which covers the meeting ends of the rope;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view through the face pad;

PEG. 5 is a sectional view through the turret cap;

PK 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through. the upper shell of the float;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view through the turret or tower and the transparent viewing pane, and

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view through the lower shell of the float.

Referring to the drawings, 1 generally indicate the body of the float and which is preferably, but not necessarily, composed of fiber glass or of some other tough waterproof material of similar characteristics. In the form shown, the body is composed of two molded concave-convex shells of elongated and tapering form, and united at their edges to result in a hollow, floatable body. The upper shell is indicated at 2, and i provided with a flat top ordeck 3 upon which a bather can rest and upon which he assumes a prone position, face downwardly, when using the viewing turret or tower.

Theupper shell 2 of the float has its concave side 4 directed downwardly toward the upwardly-extending concave side 5 of the lower shell 6. Provided around the perimeter of theupper shell 2 is a radially extending flat flange 7, adapted to be adhesively or otherwise intimately fastened to a similar flange 8 provided around the perimeter of the lower shell 6 of the float. When the two flanges 7 and 8 are thus secured together as above described, they unite the two halves or shells into a rela- 3,981,726 Fatented Mar. 19, 1963 tively flat, tapered, hollow, watertight float of substantial buoyancy and capable of floatably supporting a person resting upon itsupper surface 3.

Extending outwardly from the flat flange 7 is acurved lip 9 and a similarcurved lip 19 is provided as a lateral extension of the flat flange 8. The twocurved lip 9 and 1t) co-operate in the formation of a channel or groove encircling the perimeter of the float. A piece of rope '11 is fitted in the groove and is cemented or otherwise secured therein. Portions of the rope are bulged outwardly from the opposite longitudinal sides of the float, and at one or both ends of the same, as shown at 13, to provide hand-holds for use in using the float in the water or handling it on land.Short rope sections 12 are insorted in the channel or groove formed by thelips 9 and 1 2, at the points behind the outwardly-extendedhandles 13. The meeting ends of the float-encircling rope 11 can be bridged and covered by a plastic sleeve 14a as shown in FIG. 3.

In the form shown, the float tapers in depth from its forward end to its rear, and provided in thebottom wall 14 of the lower shell near its larger and forward end, is anaperture 15 constituting a window opening. Disposed over the inside of the lower shell and covering theopening 15 therein, is a conning tower orturret 16, provided at its bottom with a radial flange 17, shaped to form a seat 18 to receive a sheet oftransparent material 19 such as Plexiglas, and confine it between the bottom of the shell 6 and the seat and cover theaperture 15. The portion of the flange 17 that extends beyond the seat 18 is adhesively or otherwise attached to thebottom 14 of the lower shell around thepane 19, thus mounting the turret on the bottom shell.

irovided in theupper shell 2 is anovate opening 20 conforming to the cross-sectional shape of the turret, said opening being surrounded by anupstanding flange 21 and theturret 16 projects upwardly through said opening 20 and has its upper end positioned well above thetop surface 3 of the upper shell. The top wall of theturret 16 is provided with anoval opening 22, and theide wall 28 of the turret is provided near said opening, with a row of breather holes indicated at 23. Theflange 21 is adhesively attached in a watertight joint to theside wall 28 of the turret.

At 24 is shown a cup-shaped oval cap member which is secured over the top of the turret, said cap having a centraloval aperture 25 registered with the opening 22 in the top of the turret. The cap has a. downwardlyextending annular flange orskirt 26 which is spaced away from theside wall 28 of the turret and ha its lower edge located above theupper face 3 of theshell 2. There is thus provided anair passage 29 between the side wall of the turret and the flange as to permit the intake and exhaust of air for breathing by a person Whose face is disposed in theopenings 22 and 25.

A softrubber face pad 30 in the form of a roundedtop rubber ring is adhesively or otherwise fixed o the top of thecap 24 around the registered opening 22 and 25.

From the foregoing, the use and advantages of the improved viewer will be apparent. The shape of the float is such that a person lying upon it can propel it with the hands or feet and while doing so can peer through the turret and the window at the bottom of the same, and thus observe the activities of fish or other elements in the water. The float and its parts can be made of molded material and an economical, strong and safe device i the result.

Having thus described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming Within the scope of the annexed claims.

What we claim is:

1. An underwater viewer comprising, a float in the form of a hollow buoyant body having an upper surface upon which a person can lie in a prone position, a hollow turret extending vertically through the body, said turret being open at the top and closed at the bottom by a transparent pane, the upper end of the turret being elevated above the upper surface of the body so that the face of a person lying upon the float can be placed in the open top of the turret and the person can have vision through the pane at the bottom of the same, wherein the float is composed of a pair of concavo-convex shells united at their perimeters, the turret consisting of a sleeve secured to the upper concave face of the lower shell and confining the transparent pane between it and said face of the lower shell, the sleeve having ventilating openings in its side wall and having an open top, a cap fitted on the top of the sleeve and having an opening in registry with the open top of the sleeve, the cap having a dependent skirt extending around the sleeve and spaced therefrom to provide for an annular air pasage between it and the sleeve, the ventilating openings being in communication with said annular air passage.

2. An underwater viewer comprising, a hollow fiber glass buoyant float having a flat top on which a person can rest in a prone position, handles extending from the opposite sides of the float, a hollow turret mounted in the float, a transparent pane interposed between the bottom of the float and an open bottom on the turret, the turret having an open top in which the face of a viewer can be inserted, a protective pad extending around the top of the turret, the turret being provided with openings in its side walls, and a protective flange extending around the turret adjacent to its upper end and over and spaced therefrom the openings and preventing water from splashing through said openings.

3. An underwater viewer comprising, a hollow float for the support of a person on the water, the float consisting of upper and lower concavo-convex shells united at their perimeters, the shells forming a rope-receiving groove around their edges, the lower shell being provided in its bottom with a window opening, a transparent pane inside of the lower shell and covering the opening, a turret of inverted cup-shape fitted over the pane and extending upwardly through the top of the upper shell and having its upper end positioned above the top of said upper shell,

the turret having an open top and having a plurality of ventilating openings in its side wall above the top of the upper shell, a cap titted on the top of the turret, the cap having an opening disposed in registration with the open top of the turret, said cap having a dependent skirt portion at its periphery, the skirt portion extending over the part of the turret that is located above the upper shell, the lower edge of the skirt portion terminating above the top of the upper shell, and the skirt portion being spaced from the side wall area of the turret in which the ventilating openings are located to thereby provide an air passage between the skirt portion and the side wall of the turret with which air passage the ventilating openings are in communication.

References ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,376,753 Bowen May 22, 1945 2,712,139 Kelly July 5, 1955 2,717,399 Back-house Sept. 13, 1955 Love Sept. 5, 1961 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Science, September 1937; page 58 relied on.

Claims (1)

1. 2. AN UNDERWATER VIEWER COMPRISING, A HOLLOW FIBER GLASS BUOYANT FLOAT HAVING A FLAT TOP ON WHICH A PERSON CAN REST IN A PRONE POSITION, HANDLES EXTENDING FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FLOAT, A HOLLOW TURRET MOUNTED IN THE FLOAT,A TRANSPARENT PANE INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE FLOAT AND AN OPEN BOTTOM OM THE TURRET, THE TURRET HAVING AN OPEN TOP IN WHICH THE FACE OF A VIEWER CAN BE INSERTED, A PROTECTIVE PAD EXTENDING AROUND THE TOP OF THE TURRET, THE TURRET BEING PROVIDED WITH OPENING IN ITS SIDE WALLS, AND A PROTECTIVE FLANGE EXTENDING AROUND THE TURRET ADJACENT TO ITS UPPER END AND OVER AND SPACED

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