Charles Deane British inventor and innovator in the field of diving equipment. Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Charles Deane
2. The Invention of the 'Smoke Helmet'
3. The 'Smoke Helmet' Becomes a Diving Apparatus
4. The Legacy of Charles Deane

Biography of Charles Deane

Charles Anthony Deane was a British inventor and innovator in the field of diving equipment. He was born in Deptford in 1796 and attended the Greenwich Hospital School along with his brother John, who later became known as the Infernal Diver. After completing school, Charles became a sailor in the merchant fleet and spent seven years at sea before returning to his hometown of Deptford in London.

The Invention of the 'Smoke Helmet'

Upon his return, Charles Deane secured a position as a caulker at Barnard's Shipyard, where he became aware of the serious problem of fires in the ship's holds. In the 1820s, his brother John witnessed horses trapped in a stable fire and managed to save them by wearing a medieval knight's helmet connected to a hose from a fire brigade's water pump. This inspired Charles to invent the 'Smoke Helmet' in 1823, which was later patented. The helmet was successfully used by firefighters in smoke-filled areas.

The 'Smoke Helmet' Becomes a Diving Apparatus

Charles' inventive brother, John, lacked the means to bring his ideas to life and sold his patent to their employer, Edward Barnard. Initially, Charles' diving equipment designs did not gain popularity as Augustus Siebe's diving apparatus was widely used at the time. However, the Deane brothers joined forces to transform John's smoke helmet into a diving helmet. They also developed a 'diving suit' that could be attached to the helmet, allowing the diver to perform underwater rescue work in a vertical position.

The Legacy of Charles Deane

In 1829, Charles and John tested their new underwater apparatus in the waters near Whitstable, which led to the establishment of underwater swimming in the coastal town. In 1834, Charles used his diving helmet and suit to participate in salvage work on the sunken ship 'Royal George' in Spithead. He successfully retrieved 28 ship cannons from the seabed. Following this success, the brothers launched their own production of diving equipment.

In 1836, Charles and John published the world's first diving manual, 'Method of Using Deane's Patent Diving Apparatus,' which explained the operation of the apparatus, the pump, and emphasized safety techniques for divers. That same year, they retrieved various items from the sunken carrack 'Mary Rose,' including shipbuilding timbers, guns, and bows, which had been discovered by a fishing net in June.

Charles Deane passed away in 1848, leaving behind a legacy of innovation in the field of diving equipment. His inventions and contributions laid the foundation for modern diving technology and safety practices.