Augustus Siebe
Christian Augustus Siebe | |
---|---|
Born | 1788 Saxony, Germany |
Died | 15 April 1872(1872-04-15) (aged 83–84) At home (5, Denmark Street) |
Resting place | West Norwood Cemetery |
Nationality | British (from 1856) |
Organization | Siebe Gorman |
Known for | Innovations in diving apparatus |
Awards | Vulcan medal |
Christian Augustus Siebe (known by his middle name; 1788 – 15 April 1872) was a British engineer chiefly known for his contributions to diving equipment.[1]
Contribution to diving
In the 1830s the Deane brothers asked Siebe to make a variation of their smoke helmet design for underwater use.[1] Later they turned to him to produce more helmets for diving operations. Expanding on improvements already made by another engineer, George Edwards, Siebe produced his own design; a helmet fitted to a full length watertight canvas diving suit. The real success of the equipment was a valve in the helmet.
Colonel Charles Pasley, leader of the Royal Navy team that used Siebe's suit on the wreck of HMS Royal George suggested the helmet should be detachable from the corselet, giving rise to the typical standard diving dress which revolutionised underwater civil engineering, underwater salvage, commercial diving and naval diving.[1]
The company that carried his name Siebe Gorman Ltd was founded by him and his son-in-law, Gorman.[1]
He is commemorated by a blue plaque on his former home in Denmark Street, London.[2]
Other inventions
Besides his contributions to diving he also invented:
- a rotating water pump patented in 1828,
- A paper making machine,
- a Dial weighing scale,
- an ice-making machine.
Siebe won many medals at the Great Exhibition in 1851 and the Paris Exhibition in 1855.
He died 15 April 1872 of chronic bronchitis, at his London home.[1] He was buried at the West Norwood Cemetery.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Acott, C. (1999). "JS Haldane, JBS Haldane, L Hill, and A Siebe: A brief resume of their lives". South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society Journal. 29 (3). ISSN 0813-1988. OCLC 16986801. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Images on Commons
External links
International | |
---|---|
Other |
- CS1 maint: unfit URL
- Articles with short description
- Short description is different from Wikidata
- EngvarB from April 2018
- Use dmy dates from May 2019
- Articles with hCards
- Commons category link is on Wikidata
- Articles with VIAF identifiers
- Articles with SUDOC identifiers
- 1788 births
- 1872 deaths
- British marine engineers
- British underwater divers
- Burials at West Norwood Cemetery
- Deaths from bronchitis
- Underwater diving engineers
- Place of birth missing