Two French inventors, brothers Alphonse and Theodore Carmagnolle of Marseille, obtained a patent for an armored diving suit in 1882 (filed in 1878). The joints were made of partial sections of concentric spheres formed for a perfect fit and intended to be kept waterproof with a loop of waterproof fabric attached to both sides of the joint and folded to the floor.
A distinctive feature of the Carmagnolle brothers' diving suit was the helmet. It had 25 individual two-inch diameter glass viewing ports spaced at the average distance of the human eye. An additional port on the top of the hull could be removed to the surface. The Carmagnolle is on display at the National Maritime Museum in Paris.
Below we present a series of images for you to take a closer look at:
And next we present a series of sketches of the patent of these brothers.
Patent FR132761
Filled: 1878.
Authorized: December 20, 1882
As a curious fact, it is worth mentioning that this suit inspired "Big Daddy" from the BioShock video game.
