Scuba diver weight carrying backpack

A scuba diver weight carrying backpack comprising

• a packboard having an upper end thereof formed for shoulder strap attachment thereto and a lower end thereof formed for waist belt/shoulder strap attachment thereto, said packboard providing a weight mount surface for positioning variable numbers of weights and spacers to reside thereon when gravity acts to hold the weights on said board,
• a top cover having side walls detachably securable to said packboard and enclosing in spaced relation weights and spacers mounted on said packboard, said cover being open at said upper and lower ends thereof to allow weights and spacers mounted on said packboard to be extracted from the upper end thereof and to slide downward and off said lower end thereof under the force of gravity when said packboard is oriented vertically,
• upper and lower end cover plates detachably securable to said top cover at said upper and lower ends thereof by first and second release pins, respectively, projecting through said cover plates and said top cover side walls,
• a multiple of parallel control rods extending through said upper end cover plate and engaged therewith, said rods formed for mounting weights and spacers thereon which can slide therealong if unrestrained,
• a multiple of identical configuration generally rectangular brick weights and spacers, each having aligned central bores therethrough whereby said weights and spacers can be arranged on said packboard mounted on said rods in ordered vertical and horizontal rows,
• a quick release mechanism for said weights and spacers comprised of said release pins projecting laterally through said top cover side walls and said end cover plates, said rods being provided with cross-pins which can selectively engage said weights and spacers and by rotation of said rods be disengaged therefrom, said first release pin engaging said upper end cover plate and holding said plate and said rods in position on said packboard, and said second release pin engaging said lower end cover plate to hold weights mounted on said rods inside said top cover on said packboard whereby when said lower release pin is pulled, said weights and spacers not engaged to said rods by said cross-pins can slide out from under said top cover and off said packboard when a diver wearing said backpack orients vertically upright in the water, and when said upper release pin is pulled, said weights and spacers engaged to said rods by said cross-pins can be pulled out of the top of said backpack as a unit or when said lower release pin is subsequently pulled and when said packboard is oriented vertically, all of said weights can slide out the bottom of said backpack as a unit.

A scuba diver weight carrying backpack comprising

• a packboard having an upper end thereof formed for shoulder strap attachment thereto and a lower end thereof formed for waist belt/shoulder strap attachment thereto, said packboard providing a weight mount surface for positioning variable numbers of weights to reside thereon when gravity acts to hold the weights on said board,
• a top cover detachably securable to said packboard and enclosing in spaced relation weights mounted on said packboard, said cover being open at the upper and lower ends thereof to allow weights mounted on said packboard to be extracted from said upper end thereof and to slide downward and off said lower end thereof under the force of gravity when said packboard is oriented vertically,
• upper and lower end cover plates detachably securable to said top cover at said upper and lower ends thereof,
• a multiple of parallel control rods extending through said upper end cover plate and engaged there with, said rods formed for mounting weights and spacers thereon which can slide therealong if unrestrained, said rods being provided with cross-pins which can selectively engage said weights and by rotation of said rods be disengaged therefrom, said cross-pins being spaced along the length of said rods so that said weights and spacers can be individually engaged and mounted on said packboard in ordered vertical and horizontal rows,
• a multiple of identical configuration rectangular brick weights and spacers, each having aligned central bores therethrough, said bricks having opposing slots extending for the length of said bores and said bricks having recesses disposed at the lower ends thereof surrounding said bores wherein said cross-pins can be contained and in which said cross-pins can slide through said bores when aligned with said slots whereby, when said cross-pins are indexed to align with said slots, said bricks can slide on said rods, and when said cross-pins are indexed out of alignment with said slots, said bricks are prevented from sliding on said rods,
• a quick release mechanism for said weights and spacers comprising a pair of removable locking in release pins projecting laterally through said top cover side walls parallel to said packboard,
• a first upper locking pin engaging said upper end cover plate and holding said plate and said rods in position on said packboard,
• a second lower locking pin engaging said lower end cover plate to hold weights and spacers mounted on said rods inside said top cover on said packboard whereby when said lower release pin is pulled, at least a predetermined portion of said weights and spacers mounted on said backboard and not engaged with said cross-pins on said rods (and not having a weight or space or below it engaged with said rods) can slide out from under said top cover and off said packboard when a diver wearing said backpack orients vertically upright in the water, and when said upper release pin is pulled, those of said weights and spacers having a weight or space or below it engaged with said cross-pins can be pulled out of the top of said backpack or when said lower release pin is subsequently pulled, all of said weights and spacers can slide out the bottom of said backpack as a unit when said packboard is oriented vertically.