What did Edmund Halley contribute to the history of scuba diving?

In 1690, Edmund Halley patented a diving bell that was connected to weighted barrels full of air and connected to a pipe.  The air in the barrels was able to be replenished from the surface above.  Both the bell with men in it and the barrel were lowered to measured depths.  Dives for 90 minutes at over 60 ft were recorded.  This proved that diving bells were practical devices.