What's this for? Mistral related

[Ghetto Diver]

Aquired a Mistral [W Pico] and have it prepped for assembly.
Under one clamp I find this.

 

[herman]

I think it was to prevent the clamp from pinching the hose and creating a gap that could leak. The later clamps had a tab that did the same thing.

 

[Ghetto Diver]

Thanks Herman. Have another set from DAAM.
Makes sense now

 

[Sam Miller III]

It was common practice to tape the hose horns and or install a small rubber shim to insure at tight fit and minimum leaking.

You have a shim

SDM

 

[herman]

It's not rubber Sam, it's copper/brass. I have found a few of them and it appears to be installed by USD.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

When the hoses were new, with that old clamp it was possible to pinch the hose and cause a small open channel for air to leak out of, or water to get in. The small metal (copper?) shim was used to keep the clamp from pinching the hose. The later clamps shown above incorporated the concept into the clamp design.

SeaRat

 

[Sam Miller III]

@SeaRat
John,
After a good night's sleep I agree it was a shim and the later hose clamps incorporated a shim...

However, In all the many years I was associated with US Divers and all the US Diver regulators I have owned and used and all the 8 hours a day 5days a week 40 hour US Diver company regulator repair courses I attended -- I do not recall seeing a brass shim in the US Diver classes ,inventory or repair manuals -- and I have a stack of them.

Now early on - in those golden years- we often taped the regulator horns...and at this late date in life I can't exactly recall why? But I suspect t was for a better purchased and watertight fit-- I do know that we always immediately replaced the factory tennamen (S) and later plastic hose clamps with WW 11 aircraft grade (guaranteed to rust ) surplus hose clamps

I question if the shim was a temporary modification when B&B was on strike for about a year and all those bright shinny cans were imported from Spiro ? The Spiro cans would have possibly had a slightly different OD based on European measurements which would have been compensated with a shim.

I ever so briefly chatted about these shims with my son, Dr. Sam IV who also competed to US Diver 40 hour regulator repair course and he also was baffled - didn't recall seeing them in his course so many years ago, which was prior to the B&B strike.

Perhaps the OP @Ghetto Diver can provide additional pictures of the regulator cans ? Just might provide some hint or an answer.

Sam Miller. III

 

[Bryan@Vintage Double Hose]

Copper shims were common as were black plastic ones. I can only remember seeing them on regulators with yellow hoses though.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Something that was over looked and tossed immediately

But how about the subject of the thread--- the round brass shim ? Catalog number ? Year(s) installed ?

SDM

 

[Ghetto Diver]

Sam
Some photos of the cans

Assuming the mark on the hose was USD #?

Never would have thought that that little piece of copper would flush out the SB vintage dream team.
Thanks for the replies and insight.