Voit LP72s

[lexvil]

Adding more background context here --

• Tanks are within hydro and visual
• Valves, manifold, and bands all brand new
• Used regularly by another diver in my community, but they are moving and didn't want to ship them - which is how I ended up with them

Much more dangerous than I thought!

 

[lexvil]

By disposal you mean sending them to me? lol

Or using them until you bring your kids to Disneyland and then only needing to collect a small storage fee.

 

[Tracy]

Nice!

I'm not sure about the "C" in the manufacturer date. I think it might be another symbol there that would be the manufacturer. A clearer picture of that "C" with the marker removed would help identify the maker I think.

Nice tanks either way. As singles they are great tanks that dive really well. Very comfortable. Nice find.

Cochrane Labs was the tester for PST I believe.

Those tanks are a bit odd. 1968 should be stamped DOT instead of ICC. Apparently the changeover wasn't completed by February.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

People give me tanks like that all the time. My dive shop gives me 72’s but they are the painted ones, any galvies they keep and re-sell.
People think they are outdated and junk and give them away. I just jeep my mouth shut and let them dump them on me. Yeah, they’re REAL JUNK alright! …Wink nod.
I have a whole gang of them. One of the best, if not THE best tank ever made for beach diving.

 

[Tracy]

People give me tanks like that all the time. My dive shop gives me 72’s but they are the painted ones, any galvies they keep and re-sell.
People think they are outdated and junk and give them away. I just jeep my mouth shut and let them dump them on me. Yeah, they’re REAL JUNK alright! …Wink nod.
I have a whole gang of them. One of the best, if not THE best tank ever made for beach diving.

It is rare that people give them to me, but I have bought and sold a few hundred of them over the years.
I like them.

 

[captain]

The second picture slowing the C looks like there may be an L inside the C. Maybe the original qualifier of the tank and PST was the manufacturer.

It is actually a C with an L superimposed over it or vise versa. It is the symbol for Cochran Laboratories who PST used for the initial hydro.

Voit existed under several entities, W.J. Voit Rubber Company, Voit Swim Master a subsidiary of American Machine and Foundry the last being Mares ownership.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Recently acquired these twinset steel tanks, which I think are vintage. If anyone has any insight, that'd be greatly appreciated.

1) What do the markings mean?

On tank #1:

ICC3AA2250
5826
VOIT
2C68+PST

On tank #2:

ICC3AA2250
5826
VOIT
2C68+PST

Here is my initial assessment based on discussions with local dive shops, but please correct us if mistaken --

1st line: ICC = Interstate Commerce Commission; 3AA = federal DOT code; 2250 = service pressure in psi
2nd line: tank serial #
3rd line: manufacturer
4th line: tank birthday i.e. born Feb 1968

2) What happened to Voit as a company?

Thank you!


View attachment 782356View attachment 782357View attachment 782358

While the tanks are vintage, the valve is not. It is a newer valve designed for use in cave and technical diving, with two independent regulators. The center on/off valve is to isolate one cylinder in case there is a run-away free flow or loss of LP/HP hose on that side, so it doesn't drain both tanks. This is what an original twin manifold from U.S. Divers Company, and early on, Voit, would look like:

IMG_1464 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

SeaRat

 

[vickasaurusrex]

While the tanks are vintage, the valve is not. It is a newer valve designed for use in cave and technical diving, with two independent regulators. The center on/off valve is to isolate one cylinder in case there is a run-away free flow or loss of LP/HP hose on that side, so it doesn't drain both tanks. This is what an original twin manifold from U.S. Divers Company, and early on, Voit, would look like:

IMG_1464 by John Ratliff, on Flickr

SeaRat

Makes sense - thank you!

 

[Cthippo]

I've got a pair of those and one is my daily diver. Only once so far have I ever wished for a bigger tank.

 

[Nemrod]

Voit came to be owned by AMF, who also came to own Harley Davidson. Voit in the fullness of time was absorbed by Mares who for a short time was also owned by AMF and Harley Davidson reached escape velocity and the rest is history. That is a score on the valve and the tanks look good too.