‘Poumondeau’ device from 1955

[eskimo3883]

Hi,

I have seen adds for this French device in old French dive mags but this is the first photo I have seen. Below is the translation in english:

http://archeoblog.hostoi.com/ffessm/?p=556

‘Poumondeau’


"Thanks to David Dekker we return to explore the history of diving equipment in the course of history .... a very big thank you for this information and these photos priceless. By 1955, the French Georges Herail Blagnac built his 'Poumondeau'. This unit was a direct copy of the apparatus of George Commeinhes of 1942 but it was smaller and covered the chest and not on the back as the Amphibious Commeinhes. Captain Cousteau will oppose the production of this device, claiming it was a copy of his invention: the GC45."

[Britmarine]

By 1955, the French Georges Herail Blagnac built his 'Poumondeau'. This unit was a direct copy of the apparatus of George Commeinhes of 1942 but it was smaller and covered the chest and not on the back as the Amphibious Commeinhes. Captain Cousteau will oppose the production of this device, claiming it was a copy of his invention: the GC45."

I expect everybody knows this, but just in case anybody doesn't, the name "Poumondeau" derives from the French "poumon d'eau", literally "water lung". I expect Cousteau would have been unhappy with the closeness of this name to "aqualung", the more so because it was in French, his mother tongue. According to Sam Miller's account at
http://www.internationallegendsofdiving ... 072705.htm
Cousteau was unhappy about possible copyright infringements when Sportsways introduced the Waterlung regulator brand.

[Sniox]

Hi,

Thank you for posting

Photos of the Poumondeau and George Commeinhes breathing apparatus from David’s collection is also available at Dominique’s frogman museum http://frogmanmuseum.free.fr/

Best regards

Niels

[jiguad]

Excellent web link. I've discover for the first time the first model of regulator used by JY Cousteau in picture (before he had create the CG-45). Many thanks to you!

[Phil]

Interesting thread. I guess the obvious question about the Poumondeau set is 'why?'. Simple diaphragm or bellows-activated lever arms and upstream seats were prior art many times over - far pre-dating the CG45 or the Poumondeau. The regulator mechanism in the Poumondeau was not the same as the Commeinhes (as reported) but that makes little difference, since the Commeinhes units were based on the Rene Commeinhes patent (Georges father) which had fallen into the public domain before the Poumandeau was developed.
The thread did lead me to Sam Miller's article on Cousteau,'Gagnon'(sic)and the development of the 'Waterlung'. I hadn't seen this particular article before . . a wonderful pastiche of fact, fiction and 'from my perspective'-ness. I think that Sam M. had previously qualified similar stuff as "at least, that's what Sam Lecocg told me".

The 1870's R/D 'aerophore' was a true demand system but lacked the hp stage (the back-pack reservoir could only handle about 450 psi and was intended only as a 'bail-out' system) since it was surface supplied. The suck-on-it-and-you-get-air systems were available in many variations well before any of the early scuba gear and the specific designs were largely in the public domain by the time Commeinhes, Gagnan, Poumandeau came on the scene. That's why the 'claims' on most patents for free-swimming air gear were for such things as reserve valves, exhaust mechanism and position, and so on.
The MSA military tank bail-out demand regulator was virtually identical to the 'Waterlung' second stage - (diaphragm at mouth, tilt valve, mushroom valve exhaust in same can as diaphragm, etc.) feed it LP air through a short hose from any one of dozens of available small O2 or air HP first stages and you have it - and that reg came out in the 1930's!
Yipes! another manuscript of pontifications . . .
P.

[luis]

Thanks Phil. I always enjoy your posts.

[scaph]

Here is mine, quiet rare
Mine is the surface supplied one.
Unfortunately the mouthpiece is missing and hoses are not original.









And the original manual (sorry in french and hard to read)

[Sniox]

Hi Eric.

Thank you for sharing

It is a cool regulator you have there

BTW Do you know if La Spirotechnique has the original drawings for the small square prototype cg45?
I might have found a source for a copy of them here in Denmark

Best regards

Niels