little resume of the development of surface and underwater cutting

[Papyone]

Hello dear colleagues,
Just to maintain our general culture concerning commercial diving at a high level you’ll find here is a little resume of the development of surface and underwater cutting.

1901 Ernst Henner invents and patents the oxy lance but it was seldom employed until the Second World War.

1903 the French Charles Picard and Edmond Fouché invent the burning torch.

1908 First mention of underwater cutting, it was done with a common surface burning torch that made a cutting just under surface.

1915 British divers use the metallic arc cutting process for the first time.

1926 Commander Edward Ellsberg develops the underwater oxygen / hydrogen torch for the salvage of the S-51 submarine.

1942 Jensen Cyril from the US NAVY develops the underwater oxy-arc process. Two types of tubular rods were available: carbon rods or steel rods.

1960 Clucas develops the Kerrie cable.

1975-1978 Broco develops and patents the exo thermic rod

1959: invention of the plasma arc cutting. It is used a few years later for the first underwater but quickly abandoned due to the electrocution of a diver.

2005 Air plasma is again sporadically used under water with more or LESS success.

 

[Akimbo]

Here is a quote on the Birth of the Oxy-Arc Torch

 

[Papyone]

Here is a quote on the Birth of the Oxy-Arc Torch

Thank you Akimbo. Up to now the literature mentioned that it was Jensen Cyril (and his team) from the US NAVY that developed the underwater oxy arc cutting process in 1942. But I’ve now found this document written by Arthur W.C.Dobson and published in a revue in May 1940 that already mention underwater oxy arc cutting. Thus my question is WHO really invented this process?
https://books.google.be/books?id=DuUjAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA158&dq=underwater+cutting+by+arthur+dobson&hl=fr&sa=X&ei=Y1xYVe_pKKmaygPBjYHwBg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=underwater%20cutting%20by%20arthur%20dobson&f=false

 

[Akimbo]

I would not be surprised if a number of people came up with Oxy-Arc burning about the same time. It is a fairly obvious concept, which is reflected by the description of salvage divers in Pearl Harbor. Everyone learning to stick weld discovers it is easier to blow holes in the steel than actually weld it together.

A lot of people don't appreciate how new electric arc welding was in the early 1940s. They only reason I am aware of it is my dad was trained as a shipyard welder before the Pearl Harbor attack. The government tried to discourage him from joining the military because welding was in such high demand, even before the attack.

I never understood why the Hydrogen-Oxygen-Air gas cutting torch was still in the US Navy Diving Manual by the time I went through school in the early 1970s. We only trained on Oxy-Arc, but still were lectured on how to manage the dangers of HO2 torches. I don’t think any of my instructors actually used one either.

 

[Papyone]

I only used oxy/hydrogen torches (Victor and Seafire) a few times. But I’ve always used the French Picard gas torch first with propane and later with MAP and I must say that I preferred that tool over oxy arc or thermic rods in many circumstances has for instance the cutting of sheet pile curtains.

 

[Papyone]

Hello, in my first message I have written that the underwater cutting started around 1908 but up to now documentation proving these facts were rare.
I’ve just found a patent concerning an oxy/acetylene burning torch deposited in 1919 by the Germans Brusch & Beyers.
These 2 pioneers had even planned an electric device to ignite the torch underwater plus a little wheel to guide the torch.
And say that we never honored these guys. Today it’s done.

So here is now a little revision of what I had written previously.little resume of the development of surface and underwater cutting.

1901 Ernst Henner invents and patents the oxy lance but it was seldom employed until the Second World War.

1903 the French Charles Picard and Edmond Fouché invent the burning torch.

1908 First mention of underwater cutting, it was done with a common surface burning torch that made a cutting just under surface.

1915 British divers use the metallic arc cutting process for the first time.

1919 The Germans Brusch & Beyers invent and patent an underwater oxy/acetylene burning torch with an underwater electric igniting system.

1926 Commander Edward Ellsberg develops the underwater oxygen / hydrogen torch for the salvage of the S-51 submarine.

1939-1940 probable development of the underwater oxy-arc process as this cutting method is already mentioned in a technical American revue of May 1940.

1942 Jensen Cyril from the US NAVY (probably continues and improves) the development of the underwater oxy-arc process. Two types of tubular rods were available: carbon rods or steel rods.

1960 Clucas develops the Kerrie cable.

1975-1978 Broco develops and patents the exo thermic rod.

1959: invention of the plasma arc cutting. It is used a few years later for the first underwater but quickly abandoned due to the electrocution of a diver.

2005 Air plasma is again sporadically used under water with more or LESS success.

 

[Papyone]

Hello to all,
I’ve found 2 more elements concerning the development of the oxy arc process. 1929 Donald F.Frost, filled an application for a patent relating an oxy arc cutting nozzle and in 1939 Jon. Lex Swafford filled an application for a patent relating an oxy arc cutting torch.