How did J and K valves get their name?

[Walter]

I'm glad to hear it arrived.

 

[PADI Knight]

Gotta love "Now thanks to this self contained diving unit, any healthy swimmer can dive among the wonders of the deep without training, below 100 feet and up to one hour unhampered by hoses or lines" Bet Padi would die reading this.

 

[CaptainNemo]

Oh dear... Wasn't it a particular US Divers catalog?

I believe you are correct. From my clouded memory of days past, I believe that is how the items fell out in the US DIvers Catalog. J & K were the letters assigned to the two types of valves. The J valves were used prior to spg's and were a bad idea if you were cave or cavern diving. You pulled down on the rod to release the spring which would give you your last 500psi. The problem was, it would ususally be pulled down if you hit something in an overhead environment by mistake. My Buddy did just that on a checkout dive and almost drowned. Can you believe they used to take students into an overhead environment for OP check out dives? I will take the plain on and off valve. Love the new stuff!

 

[Doc]

Refresh my memory. Didn't the J's have some kind of audible warning when you hit 500? I remember a kind of B-R-R-N-G, like a cheap alarm clock. Or, am I just dreaming or Narced? And, as I recall, if the reserve rod setup was a little sloppy, it could accidently slip down, leaving you with no reserve.

A few of them made some kind of noise, some kind of death rattle thing... valves and flaps trying to flap and valve...but no- at 500 they just shut down.

The 12" long stainless rods were the first thing you tossed in the closet. Better to reach back and flip the valve.

Remember, SPG's were extremely expensive. This was much cheaper.

The Fenzi was the first horsecollar in wide use, but it was adapted from a PFD emergency device. Looked good with my double hose regumulator.

In 1970, we used airline life jackets that easily tied off to our hard contoured backplates. There was no way to add air while diving, but it was pretty easy to vent air as your steel 72 became more buoyant. That wasn't in the semi-official PADI manual by Joe Strykowski (Diving for Fun).

At that time, I was well known for being the hippest guy in town (things change, allright?) so I had one of them fancy USD packs with the three thirty foot tanks inside the sleek shell. Looked kinda like a rebreather but absolutely useless. Looked cool, JC used one, chicks dug it.

We got J valves because my ex was a "Fathom" wetsuit model and USD wanted us to have their gear. When we amicably split up, she said I could keep the gear, she got the Remington 1100. That and the $9k in size 4 Roffe Ski Clothes (I was in the ski industry). Spunky little broad, but boy- did she look great in rubber!

Am I off topic? Okay, yes, they were catalog references, right-on Nemo.

 

[olddiver2]

For you folks wanting to take a gander at the catalog, one of my buddies has it posted on his website: http://www.geocities.com/athens/atlantis/2427/divecat/index.html
There's some good reading material elsewhere on his website, good for a look.

Thanks for the URL. Great memories revived. My earliest catalogs were from Mel Fisher when he was in Redondo Beach at Mel's Aqua Shop. They were almost hand made with black construction paper covers.

Times have changed.

 

[Chad Carney]

The old AT Packs or water gills harness had a horseshoe bladder around it
that I would consider a BC.... they connected to the harness with
steel rings around the tanks (steel 72's) and had the J valve with
the long wire to switch to reserve at around 500psi.

At Pacs by Water Gill came out in 1972. The first Scubapro horsecollars appeared in 1971 if I'm not mistaken. Those along with older Fenzi's at the shop where I trained in spring of 1972.

While touring early dive factories in CA, we were told that the J (reserve) & K (non-resereve) valves were stored in factory bins labeled J & K repectively, which matched the catalog sections.

I also remember one of those bell clapper valves, but the name eludes me. Nemrod or Healthways perhaps?

Chad

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

Just what you need, right here.

I've not been around SCUBA all that long, but am fascinated by the odd things that have gone by the wayside. I ran across a description online of a Watergill? regulator that sensed if you were breathing, and if you weren't, it would vent air into your BC. Now that's odd.

 

[ClevelandDiver]

My 1970 Rig:

J-vlaved steel 72 single with one regulator on a Dacor harnessed backplate; USD Pacifica mask and cheap snorkel; weightbelt with slide-on weights; USD Rocket fins; O'Neill neoprene (ah, that DuPont smell) wetsuit, hood, and booties; big USD leg-strapped knife; and a 1967 Omega Seamaster watch.

That's it.

My Vintage Rig I dove this past summer:

J-valved steel 72 single with Healthways double hose regulator on a Dacor harnessed backplate; Healthways mask; weightbelt with slide-on weights; USD Rocket fins; 1/4" Shark skin suit and gloves; big leg-strapped knife; and a princeton bottom timer.

Sound familiar?

Once my dive buddy gets around to emailing me the pictures I'll post them.

 

[pescador775]

I received a USD catalog in 1955. The valves in the catalog had rather long names and I and some other divers would just refer to them by the short hand method of catalog codes. The actual names given by USD were CONSTANT RESERVE, POSITIVE RESERVE and NON RESERVE. The constant valve is the one referred to as J valve. The positive reserve was dubbed R valve and the non reserve was K valve, all according to the catalog reference codes as mentioned. There was never an "I" valve. This is something that someone once used to refer to a "post" valve which, in fact, is a K valve. I guess they thought the valve resembled an "I" as opposed to a "K". However, shape or form had nothing to do with it. US Divers was THE divers' catalog and everyone understood the meaning of the letter designations. I still have that catalog, by the way.

All AquaLung and some other items in the catalog had letter designators. The two stage regulator was dubbed "DA" and the single stage was a "DX". All these conventions are still in use although there is obviously some confusion as to their origin and exact meaning. I hope this little note clears that up. I helped start the practice so it is the least that I can do.

 

[Divedaughter]

I read, on the board I believe, that the names came from their identifying letters in the Sears/Roebuck catalog. Does anyone know if there is merit to this? If there is does anyone have a catalog with the valves in them? I would like a copy (photocopy is fine) to put into my OW lectures.
Thanks!
Ber :lilbunny:

The j valve was actually invented by my father who was a founding member of the Atlantic Underwater Club in Cape Town South Africa. He was a leading deep sea diving trainer and was highly respected in his field. Unfortunately due to a slip on his behalf he let it slip into the hands of someone who patented it. My father was Johnny Wormser. Now deceased.