Triple Tank, Triple Manifolds!

[Seabear70]

These are pictures of Jean-Michel Cousteau's old unit with titanium tanks.
It's now part of the Nick Icorn collection.

Got the spcs on that unit?

 

[bryon]

Nice set up pescador775! I might use that as a guide when I rig up that US Divers triple!

 

[Alex@SeaTrekBVI.com]

Hey, I am new to this thread, and scubaboard actually, but I have been thinking about setting up a rig like the ones you have been discussing. Have you found a place that carries the manifold pieces, or have you had to make them custom?
Thanks
Alex

 

[pescador775]

I don't know of a source for manifolds. Recently, a vintage dive business contacted me for purchase of a US Divers, 1955 triple manifold. Actually, it was to be a trade but I guess my price is too high. Anyway, he wanted the manifold for HIS personal triples. So, it would appear that they are hard to find. EBay carries them from time to time.
Pesky

Hey, I am new to this thread, and scubaboard actually, but I have been thinking about setting up a rig like the ones you have been discussing. Have you found a place that carries the manifold pieces, or have you had to make them custom?
Thanks
Alex

k

 

[caveseeker7]

These are pictures of Jean-Michel Cousteau's old unit with titanium tanks.
It's now part of the Nick Icorn collection.

I know this is a four tank unit in a three tank thread, but since I already posted the other three images here ...

 

[Turtleguy9]

Aloha Caveseeker
Its nice to see the guts inside the housing. I would really like to get a better look, but this is great.
Turtleguy

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I have recently been looking at the original Cousteau patent, and it is apparent from the patent that the Cousteau system involved a different type of reserve for their triple tank system. This also appears to have gone into the quadruple tank systems too. Basically, the way the patent reads the original Cousteau triple tank systems had a full 1/3 of their air supply (or 1/4 in their quadruple rigs), in the form of one full cylinder, as a reserve. Instead of a J-reserve system, they would open the cylinder's valve and empty the entire contents of the reserve cylinder into the other tanks. This also made for a very audible reserve tripping, where the divers in the immediate vacinity knew someone had gone on reserve too. The patent reads:

A third cylinder C serves as a reserve; the gas contained in it being available for the diver when he feels that the supply of gas contained in the two cylinders A and B is close to being exhausted. The capacity of this third cylinder is sufficiently large to supply sufficient air to the diver to enable him to rise to the surface sufficiently slowly. The diver can thus dispense with any instruments for measuring the pressure inthe two cylinders A and B.

I have detailed the drawing of this on An Old Idea for Reserve

I think it is interesting that the Cousteau/Gagnan idea for reserve air actually thought about the possibility of a SPG, and decided actively against the idea. I have a new respect for these old rigs now, after reading the actual patent.

SeaRat

 

[rndboulder]

Here is a photo of me from two weeks ago. I am diving an original Cousteau silver suit. The helmet and tank pack are reproductions. The tank packs will be available through Flashback Scuba.

www.flashbackscuba.com

The website is just getting going. There will be product photos added soon as well as other photos and information. Stay tuned.

Ryan Spence

 

[pescador775]

British military used inverted doubles in which the reserve consisted of tripping the fill valve on the 'spare' tank. They did this twice----the second time was time to come home. Sounds similar to Cousteau triples.

 

[rndboulder]

Here are photos of the US Divers ABS system. It is a simplified version of the UDS-1 as has been discussed earlier. The third photo is of my triple set. It uses the manifold from the ABS and a standard US Divers Backpack. I have been working on a traditional harness set-up like the one used in the fourth photo which will replace the backpack. This is the set used by the Cousteau divers when they dove the Britannic. They are triple 11.7L tanks. 11.7L is slightly larger than an 80. Enjoy.
Ryan