US Divers Catalog Page J&K Valves?

[Akimbo]

Also shown in Scuba Cylinder Valve Installation

Diving Trivia, Where did "J" and "K" valve come from?
I know it is hard to believe but the names that stick with us today came from the item designations on Page 5 of the 1953 US Divers Catalog:

Yeah, it really is that simple ​

 

[Luis H]

It is too bad we don't call the regulator the "D" item.

 

[boulderjohn]

Also shown in Scuba Cylinder Valve Installation

Yes, I saw that, but you really need to see the whole thing to see how the valves got their names. It is not just that they were items J and K. If you look at all of it, you will see that other items that can be purchased are referred to as being for the J valve or the K valve. In those parts, they are specifically referred to by those names. For example, item Z is a teflon washer "for J or K valve."

 

[Sam Miller III]

@boulderjohn

Posted:

"Yes, I saw that, but you really need to see the whole thing to see how the valves got their names. It is not just that they were items J and K. If you look at all of it, you will see that other items that can be purchased are referred to as being for the J valve or the K valve. In those parts, they are specifically referred to by those names. For example, item Z is a teflon washer "for J or K valve.""
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Very good John-- delighted you have access to an old US Divers catalog which Identifies the valves and all parts by a specific letter

~~~~~~~~~~~ but ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why were they referred to as J, K R etc?
Rather than some other identifying codes?

I suspect a lot of inquiring minds would like to know ....

SDM

 

[boulderjohn]

~~~~~~~~~~~ but ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why were they referred to as J, K R etc?
Rather than some other identifying codes?

I suspect a lot of inquiring minds would like to know ....

SDM

I can't answer definitively, but I am about 90% sure the speculation that follows is correct.

My speculation is that it all followed the following sequence:

1. The US Divers people work on the catalog pages selling the key parts.
2. As they work through the labeling, they label one valve item K and one valve item J.
3. Now they have to identify additional parts that go with those valves. Those valves are not named at this point in history, so how do they differentiate. The easiest thing to do is to label parts as being "for the K valve" or "for the J valve," and that is what they do. There is still no actual name for either valve.
4. Users ordering items "for the K valve" or "for the J valve" get used to using those terms to identify those items, since those are the only terms they have. The names stick.

 

[agilis]

@boulderjohn

Posted:

"Yes, I saw that, but you really need to see the whole thing to see how the valves got their names. It is not just that they were items J and K. If you look at all of it, you will see that other items that can be purchased are referred to as being for the J valve or the K valve. In those parts, they are specifically referred to by those names. For example, item Z is a teflon washer "for J or K valve.""
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Very good John-- delighted you have access to an old US Divers catalog which Identifies the valves and all parts by a specific letter

~~~~~~~~~~~ but ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why were they referred to as J, K R etc?
Rather than some other identifying codes?

I suspect a lot of inquiring minds would like to know ....

SDM

Interesting question. I always assumed that J valves were so named because of the air path. J valves have a spring loaded air block directly opposite the opening valve air block. Air pressure over a certain level, around 500 pounds, holds the spring back. The resulting air pathway does have a kind of squarish 'J' shape, and that's why I assumed it was called a J valve. This is entirely my assumption, based on nothing more than my imagination. I was never curious enough to trouble my sleep over K (and Z) valve descriptive names. I just assumed they had something to do with internal design. I was curious about J valves, since I used them when I started diving, so I examined the schematics.

 

[Akimbo]

It is also important to understand that US Divers had only recently morphed into a separate company from a licensed product line sold in a sporting goods store. You can tell from the catalog that it was still a pretty small and low-budget operation. I wouldn't be surprised if René Bussoz himself wrote all the copy and that English was not his first language.