Augustus Siebe
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Augustus Siebe (1788–April 15, 1872) was a German-born British engineer chiefly known for his contributions to diving equipment.
Born in Saxony in 1788, little is known of his early years. He learned metalworking in Berlin and served as an artillery officer in the Prussian army at the Battle of Waterloo. After the war he moved to London England and settled at 5 Denmark Street in Soho London where he became an engineer.
[edit] Contribution to diving
In the 1830s the Dean brothers asked Siebe to make a variation of their smoke helmet design for underwater use. Later they turned to him to produce more helmets for diving operations. Expanding on improvements already made by another engineer, George Edwards, Seibe 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 the Royal George suggested the helmet should be detachable from the corset, giving rise to the typical standard diving dress which revolutionised underwater civil engineering, underwater salvage, commercial diving and naval diving.
The company that carried his name Siebe Gorman Ltd was founded by him and his son-in-law, Gorman. This later became the engineering firm Siebe plc which in turn merged with BTR plc to form Invensys in 1999.
[edit] 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 April 15th, 1872, at his London home.
