How did J and K valves get their name?

[drbill]

I never dove with a BC back when I used to dive J-valve tanks (ca 1960's-1970's). I was surprised to find pictures showing that some of my students wore horse collars back then... I didn't remember them.

 

[james croft]

I also heard that the valves were named after the part number in the Us Diver catalog. There was a I, J, and K valve listed. I still dive all three valves.

 

[Walter]

There is no I.

There are K, R, J1, J2 & J3

The atpak was around in the 80's, I don't think it was invented yet in the 50s.

 

[mike_s]

what's the I valve? (Is that similar to the H? I and H are similar letters if you rotate one 90 degrees)

 

[captain]

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.

There were no B/C's in the 50's and most of the 60's. When I went through the YMCA course in March 1970 BC's were not used and I really can't recall if any existed at that time. I believe the horse collar was just coming into use in the early 70's. The only thing in use was what is considered a snorkeling vest today, which was for surface flotation if needed.

 

[garyfotodiver]

There were no B/C's in the 50's and most of the 60's. When I went through the YMCA course in March 1970 BC's were not used and I really can't recall if any existed at that time. I believe the horse collar was just coming into use in the early 70's. The only thing in use was what is considered a snorkeling vest today, which was for surface flotation if needed.

I took my course at about the same time. My check-out dive photos are dated April 1970. We learned to use a "horse collar" device to control our bouyancy underwater by blowing air manually into it, or by leaking air out of the inflator. It wasn't shaped like a current snorkeling vest.

If I still had it, and it was in good shape, I'd use it.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I was told once that the J valve was becuase on the old equipment of the wire than ran down the BC (with the loop on the end ) looked like a "J".

We were cleaning out the dive locker at school and I found two of the hooks for the j-valves. We threw a bunch of old stuff out but we did keep those and 2 old J-valves to show our classes.

It was the 1953 Aqualung catalog. I don't have that, but I do have a copy of the 1955 catalog. I'll drop a photo copy in the mail on Monday. Look on page 7. The k valve is $7.95, the J is $30.00.

Thank you :10:
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Leadking]

There were no BCs then.[/QUOTE]

We used old May West (military life vest used by aviators) oral inflatables back then. (I really am not that old)

 

[daniel f aleman]

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.

 

[olddiver2]

I never dove with a BC back when I used to dive J-valve tanks (ca 1960's-1970's). I was surprised to find pictures showing that some of my students wore horse collars back then... I didn't remember them.

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.