Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century Spain: Other manufacturers

[Popgun Pete]

Separating the valve and float is a smart idea as long as the seal opens up when you need to breathe. Certainly a hinged float carrying the seal directly could open if the diver is head down, but in reality the ambient pressure will hold it shut unless the diver breathes into the snorkel as the pressure outside exceeds that in the snorkel or the valve float is large. Anyone who has used the Oceanmaster dry snorkel will have noticed the squeeze effect in the snorkel if you don’t let some air into it when down in the water column. That snorkel has a caged cylindrical column float with a separate flat rubber ring as the seal. Really these valve devices are for surface swimmers being hit by an unexpected wave crest or surface chop.

P.S. I used the Oceanmaster snorkel for near shore swimming after some boys throwing stones scored a hole in one down my snorkel bore, the missile hitting me in the back of the throat, not a pleasant sensation. Not deliberate on their part, they never even knew that I was there. They remained oblivious to their lucky hit.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

And here is the final page of the patent, with an illustration of the patented diving mask design:

View attachment 793811​

The essence of the invention is (a) the metal rim with the top screw securing the lens and (b) the placement of the mask strap anchoring position on the metal rim rather than on the rubber skirt. Sadly, no evidence found of the design entering production at J. Carbonell Gimeno.

Another J. Carbonell Gimeno diving mask patent midweek.

This looks very close to the La Spiro Squale mask.

SeaRat

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Separating the valve and float is a smart idea as long as the seal opens up when you need to breathe. Certainly a hinged float carrying the seal directly could open if the diver is head down, but in reality the ambient pressure will hold it shut unless the diver breathes into the snorkel as the pressure outside exceeds that in the snorkel or the valve float is large. Anyone who has used the Oceanmaster dry snorkel will have noticed the squeeze effect in the snorkel if you don’t let some air into it when down in the water column. That snorkel has a caged cylindrical column float with a separate flat rubber ring as the seal. Really these valve devices are for surface swimmers being hit by an unexpected wave crest or surface chop.

P.S. I used the Oceanmaster snorkel for near shore swimming after some boys throwing stones scored a hole in one down my snorkel bore, the missile hitting me in the back of the throat, not a pleasant sensation. Not deliberate on their part, they never even knew that I was there. They remained oblivious to their lucky hit.

Wow! That must have been quite a surprise!

SeaRat

 

[David Wilson]

This looks very close to the La Spiro Squale mask.

SeaRat

Indeed, John. Image of Squale mask above, distributed by La Spirotechnique during the 1950s.

 

[David Wilson]

Now for the fin patents of the J. Carbonell Gimeno company.

 

[David Wilson]

And here is the drawing to accompany Spanish patent ES45812U:

So an "improved swimming paddle" with a symmetrical blade. The arrangement provides full-foot coverage other than cut-outs at the sides of the heel, presumably there, along with the drain hole on the top, to release water collecting in the foot pocket. No toe opening of the Cressi Rondine full-foot fin type.

Altogether a sandal-like design, similar to the original version of the Voit Viking of the mid-1950s:

Another J. Carbonell Gimeno fin patent at the weekend, one that actually entered production.

 

[David Wilson]

Another fin patent today from the historical Spanish diving equipment manufacturer J. Carbonell Gimeno.

 

[David Wilson]

There follows the patent drawing:

So a patent for a design of a fixed open heel fin with a rib-reinforced blade. The innovations include an elongated blade with extended ribs for reinforcement and a specially shaped foot pocket with drain holes.

This fin design actually entered production:

The foot pocket is embossed with the name of the manufacturer (J. CARBONELL GIMENO), the city and country of manufacture (BARCELONA, ESPAÑA) and the word "PATENDADO" indicating that the product is patented.

 

[David Wilson]

Of course, this J. Carbonell Gimeno fin bears a very close resemblance to the Duck Feet fin originally manyfactured by The Spearfisherman company of Huntington Beach, California:

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Here is an image of the Duck Feet packing department at The Spearfisherman:

And here is an advertisement acknowledging that Duck Feet had their imitators:

I wonder whether Arthur Brown, the proprietor of The Spearfisherman company, was aware of J. Carbonell Gimeno's Spanish patent.

This post completes our review of J. Carbonell Gimeno. Midweek I am minded to move on alphabetically to our next Spanish manufacturer: Copino.

 

[Popgun Pete]

As long as these Spanish fins did not land on the US market he would not be too concerned. Those Spanish firms with aspirations to also sell in the USA took out US patents, the most notable being Nemrod.