
OXYLET SMALL EMERGENCY APPARATUS
(R. H. DAVIS’S Patent)
Figure 1 shows a small, self-contained breathing apparatus for short emergency use in poison gas or underwater. This apparatus includes a watertight breathing bag with a “Protosorb” CO₂ absorbent canister and “Oxylet” capsules. Breaking the seal of the “Oxylet” instantly fills the bag with oxygen. The equipment also has a mouthpiece and noseclip and is worn around the neck with a waist-belt for stability. The apparatus can have one or more “Oxylets,” and illustrations show single and double sets. A connection and non-return inlet valve are also included, allowing the breathing bag to be refilled with oxygen from an external source, like a cylinder, to extend usage time.
Figure 2A & 2B describes a watertight breathing bag connected to an “Oxylithe” canister. “Oxylithe,” a mixture of Sodium and Potassium peroxides, absorbs moisture from breath and releases oxygen, with the alkaline residue absorbing CO₂ . To ensure immediate oxygen availability, as “Oxylithe” takes a couple of minutes to react sufficiently, an “Oxylet” capsule provides an initial charge of high-pressure oxygen when its seal is broken.





Therebreathersite was founded by Jan Willem Bech in 1999. After a diving career of many years, he decided to start technical diving in 1999. He immediately noticed that at that time there was almost no website that contained the history of closed breathing systems. The start for the website led to a huge collection that offered about 1,300 pages of information until 2019. In 2019, a fresh start was made with the website now freely available online for everyone. Therebreathersite is a source of information for divers, researchers, technicians and students. I hope you enjoy browsing the content!
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