6 box clips, or 7?

[duckbill]

I know Aqua-Lung general practice now calls for "Box Clip (7 reqd)", but weren't there some that only had 6 installed? Did they originally use 6 then up it to 7?

[captain]

Seven

[Bryan]

I think 7 as well......I had one in for service that had 9 on it and the owner wanted it back that way.....

[duckbill]

Yes, I know 7 is the current norm. I don't remember where else I saw or read about 6 being used, but I am now looking at Fred Roberts' 1963 Ed. of Basic SCUBA. Page 179 definitely shows AND specifies 6 for the Mistral (fig. 3-29). What I'm asking is if anyone knows if USD started with 6 and increased it to 7 later; why, and when?

[Bryan]

The DA diagram in the 1960 book shows and says 7.....The Mistral does indeed say 6 clips though. I curretly have a PRISTINE Warner Ave Mistral in my hands right now. I will bet the bank that it has never been apart and it has 7 C-clips.......So somewhere in between they must have put 7 on them all....It's a mystery indeed.

[1969ivan1]

A BAND CLAMP solves all problems. U only must count to one!

[Nemrod]

My Pico address Mistral had six. It now has seven. I do not think I will put a ring clamp on it as I have my others.
James

[21]

Re: Box clips

I reviewed "Diving wth the Aqua-lung" by Rene Bussoz, 1955. This was particular issue contained the "first repair manual" published for public consumption by US Divers. All the illustrations demonstrate seven (7) box clips. The regulators were the DA, Dx & DY.

Earlier issues of Diving with the Aqua Lung by Bussoz and the original published by Spaco in Febuary 1949 had indicated that the Aqua lung was good for over 1000 dives with out maintence. It appears that in the short time of six years they discovered the Aqua Lung did need attention.

Bill Milman was the first Aqua lung repairman for US Divers. I recall Bill was hired in 1953 or 1954 as a partime employee He terminated when Cousteau aquired control of US Divers in 1956. Bill is now retired to a local mountain community and is enjoying life to the fullest.

I did not check other manuals of that era, LA County, Cross, Owen, etc but they received their information from US Divers and one would and could assume it would be the same information.

Re:Band Clamps

Prior to Band Clamps divers used Shelly clamps. They only fit the very old pre B&B produced Aqua Lungs. I think I must have the only set remaining in the world--they were never installed.


Band Clamps were invented in Canada.

Band clamps were known to allow slippage of the regulator componets

For a number of years US Divers did not install them on their US produced regulators. The reason is unknown, possiblity of legal involvement-patent problems, product liability and or import duties from Canada at that time. (or they may have had a surplus of box clips!)

US Navy rejected band clamps---- (they were not Sailor proof-but-nothing is!)

They do not fit all US Divers regulators equally. There is a distinct differences in the box rim design/configutation between earlier and later US Diver/Voit regulators--would suggest using band clamps on later model regulators but if you must use them be careful with the earlier regulators.

With that said I have a band clamp installed on a very early Broxton along with a HP Non return.

21

[Bryan]

Thank you! We are all very lucky to have this kind of information available to us.

[duckbill]

Thanks for the responses. I'm always curious about the intricate details about an item's historical lineage.
Like Nemrod, I too have a W. Pico reg (howbeit a DA) having six clips. The gent from whom I bought it was the original owner and estimated that he probably had dived it about 35 times. This, and the fact that I could not find any evidence that the clips had ever been removed, has led me to suspect that it had never been serviced. If this is true, then this reg must have come from the factory having 6 clips.
Not really a big issue. I was just wondering why they went to 7- if there had been problems with only using 6.
In trying to keep this reg as true to the original as possible, as well as marking up the rim as little as possible, I elected to keep using 6 clips on it in the same positions.
Thanks again for the responses

[Bryan]

According to the schematic in Mr. Roberts book from 1960 your DA should have had 7 C-clips....

[duckbill]

Well, maybe that's it then. The DA came out in 1958, and Mr. Roberts was probably working on his book in 1959. Maybe they changed somewhere during that period.

On the other hand, maybe the assembly crews just weren't too concerned. I guess it would be easy to miss count as you get a sip of java or the secretary walks by!

[Bryan]

According to the schematic in Mr. Roberts book from 1960 your DA should have had 7 C-clips....

[21]

Duckbill,

FYI

The geneology of US Diver's Top regulators:

1949 - 1954 - Aqua Lung
1957- 1958 - DA Navy approved
1958 - DA Aqua Master (2 stage)
1959 - 1972 - Aqua Master
1964 - 1965 - Royal Master
1966 - 1973 - Royal Aqua Master

Please note that US Divers introduced the DA Navy approved in 1957 and discontinued in 1958. It was replaced in 1958 for one year only by the DA Aqua Master. Not as you stated " the DA came out in 1958"

Source:
US Divers Regulator time line
Pauline Le Bare ( employee)
Samuel Miller ( consultant)

[duckbill]

Thanks for that Sam. I've gotten into the habit as refering to the DA Aqua-Master as just the "DA". Much faster to type. I should have specified and I'll try to remember to in the future. How about "DAAM"!