Maurice Fernez facts for kids
Maurice Fernez was a clever French inventor. He was born on August 30, 1885, in Alfortville, Paris, France, and passed away on January 31, 1952. Maurice Fernez was a pioneer in creating equipment for breathing underwater. He also invented respirators and gas masks. His ideas helped change diving from heavy, old-fashioned suits to the lighter, self-contained gear we know today. Even though his diving gear was always connected to the surface, his inventions, especially his special mouthpiece, inspired Yves Le Prieur, a famous scuba diving pioneer. Fernez was also a smart businessman. He started a company to make and sell his inventions, including gas masks and filters.
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Inventing Underwater Breathing Gear
Maurice Fernez had a childhood accident where he hurt his foot in the water. This made him want to create a device that would help people stay underwater. He wanted something light and simple to help save people who were drowning. Unlike heavy, traditional diving suits, his invention could be used quickly. From 1905, Fernez started experimenting with ways to breathe underwater.
Early Ideas for Breathing Underwater
Fernez's first idea was a rubber balloon connected to a swimmer's mouth. He thought it would hold enough air to breathe. But he quickly found it only worked for a few breaths.
His next idea was a flexible rubber tube. One end connected to the diver's mouth, and the other end stayed on the surface with a float. Fernez got a patent for this idea on May 14, 1912. The part for the swimmer's mouth had a T-shape. One side connected to the air hose with a special valve that let air go only one way. The other side had a valve to let used air out. Fernez thought a diver could just breathe normally to pull air down the tube.
Adding an Air Pump
Fernez soon discovered that breathing through the tube became impossible deeper than one meter. This was because the water pressure squeezed the diver's chest. He realized air needed to be pushed down the tube with enough force to match the water pressure.
So, he added a hand-operated air pump, like the ones used for car tires. He also added a nose clamp to stop water from entering the diver's nose. Goggles were added to protect the eyes and help divers see underwater. Air was continuously pumped down the tube and flowed out of the mouthpiece's exhaust valve. This made the pressure inside the mouthpiece the same as the water pressure outside. Divers could then breathe easily. This invention was called the Fernez model 1.
Testing the Fernez Model 1
In the summer of 1912, Fernez tested his equipment. He dove 6 meters deep in the Seine River near Alfortville. He stayed underwater for 58 minutes, only coming up because of the cold water.
On August 20, 1912, Fernez showed his equipment to officials in Paris. He dove 6 meters deep in the Seine River and stayed underwater for 10 and 6 minutes. On October 27, 1912, a scientific test was held in a Paris swimming pool. A volunteer named Sigismond Bouyer stayed underwater for 35 minutes. A doctor checked him and confirmed his breathing and heart rate were normal. Bouyer said he felt fine and could stay underwater for as long as he wanted.
Improving for Deeper Dives
In 1920, Fernez wanted to reach greater depths. He made the breathing tube 45 meters long. He also replaced the car tire pump with a stronger pump that needed two people to operate. This improved device was called the Fernez model 2.
For shallow dives, divers could wear Fernez's special goggles. For deeper dives, he created a rubber face mask with two lenses. A Greek trade group visited Fernez to see the new model 2. They were so impressed that they ordered sets of the equipment for their sea sponge divers.
In 1923, Fernez won a gold medal at the Exposition Pasteur. His diving equipment was also shown to the public in December of that year. A diver demonstrated cutting steel underwater using Fernez's gear.
Working with Yves Le Prieur
In 1925, Fernez showed his equipment at an exhibition in Paris. Yves Le Prieur saw the demonstration and had an idea. He asked Fernez to work with him on a new kind of breathing device. This new device would be completely independent from the surface, using an air tank instead of a long tube. Fernez was very excited about this idea.
The Fernez-Le Prieur Apparatus
In 1926, Le Prieur and Fernez introduced their new diving gear. Instead of a long tube, it had an air tank worn on the diver's back. This tank supplied a steady flow of air to the Fernez mouthpiece. The diver could adjust the air pressure by hand using a regulator designed by Le Prieur. There were also two gauges to show the tank pressure and the air output pressure.
This was the first practical system that freed the diver from being connected to the surface. It was called the appareil Fernez-Le Prieur (Fernez-Le Prieur apparatus). On August 6, 1926, Fernez and Le Prieur showed their device to the public at the Tourelles' swimming pool in Paris. The French Navy approved it.
In 1933, Le Prieur changed the design. He removed the Fernez goggles, nose-clip, and one-way valve mouthpiece. He replaced them with a full face mask that he invented. This mask got air directly from the tank. After 1933, all of Le Prieur's future inventions used this mask and were called the appareil Le Prieur (Le Prieur apparatus).
The Fernez Company
In 1912, Fernez started a company to make his equipment in large numbers. His equipment was very successful because it cost much less than traditional diving suits. It was also simple, small, light, easy to carry, and quick to set up. A traditional helmet diver took half an hour to get ready, but Fernez's gear took only a few minutes.
The complete set of equipment came in a wooden box and weighed 12 kilograms. It cost 200 francs. It was sold to many countries, and Fernez became so famous that he once received a letter addressed simply to "Monsieur Fernez - France."
Awards and Expansion
In 1912, Fernez's equipment won a top award at the Concours Lépine for small inventors. In 1913, he received a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Ghent, Belgium. He also won a silver medal from the Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Industry.
Fernez expanded his company's products. He started making respirators for use in mines. During World War I, his company produced gas masks for people, horses, and even dogs.
Other products from Fernez's company included:
- The Fernez model 3 breathing apparatus, for use in underground pipes and tunnels up to 80 meters long.
- Charcoal filters to protect against bad gases like ammonia and sulfur.
- An oxygen rebreathing device that absorbed carbon dioxide.
- A medical oxygen inhaler.
- An air circulation helmet for firefighters.
In 1930, the Fernez company patented new filter cartridges for gas and dust. In 1931, the company won a silver medal for its creations and innovations. Over time, the company focused less on diving equipment and more on respiratory filters for dangerous environments.
Maurice Fernez passed away from a heart attack on January 31, 1952, at the age of 67. His son André continued the family business. After André passed away in 1966, Maurice's daughter, Mrs. Alice Fernez, ran the company until 1997. In 1997, the company became part of the Bacou group, which was later taken over by Sperian Protection. Since September 15, 2010, Sperian Protection has been part of Honeywell.
See also
- Timeline of diving technology
- Jacques Cousteau
