Improvements in Helmets.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1895
Complete Specification Left. 12th May, 1896-Accepted, 13th June, 1896
Improvements in Helmets.
I, ROBERT ELSDON, of Highlands, Burnt Ash Hill, Lee, in the County
of Kent, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
But my
be
This invention relates to improvements in helmets more especially of the kind
worn by policemen, volunteers and others, which helmets commonly consist of a
body of cork, with an outer cover of cloth or other similar material.
improvements are partly applicable to military and other metal helmets.
According to my invention I manufacture the body of the helmet of aluminium
or aluminium alloy, or in some cases thin brass, or other suitable metal
may
employed. I prefer to form the body of the helmet of four or six segmental pieces
or gores, which are first cut, shaped, and pressed, to the curve of the helmet, and
then lined with "gossamer," canvas, or other suitable material, cemented, or
otherwise securely attached to the inner curved surface of the metal segment or
gore. The outer surface thereof is then covered with cloth, silk, or other desired
covering material one or both of the curved edges of such material being turned
over the edge or edges of.the metal and cemented on to the "
"
gossamer or other
lining at the back thereof. The segments or gores are now secured to one another
at their edges by sewing, rivetting, clipping, or otherwise. I prefer to recess one
edge of each segment or gore so that when the adjacent.edge of the next segment
ог gore is laid in such recessed edge the surface of the cloth or other cover on
both segments or gores shall he even and continuous. Or in some cases I form the
joint of two adjacent segments or gores by folding the edges into one another, or
flanging them inwards and attaching them by rivets, pins, clips, or otherwise.
I prefer to perforate the metal body and its lining, before the cloth or other
outer cover is put on, with any required number of holes, thus affording ventilation
to the interior of the helmet. In order to reduce the weight of the helmet, the
said perforations may be made in the metal body only. "It will be understood
that these perforations are not visible when the cloth or other outer .cover,is
in place.
Helmets constructed according to my invention afford greater protection to the
head of the wearer from blows and other strains than helmets of ordinary
construction; the metal prevents the absorption of water..and the consequent
increase of weight of the helmet; the helmets retain their shape under all conditions
of weather etcetera; and when the outer cover is worn out, or shabby the helmet
can be taken to pieces, its segments or .gores re-covered,..and when put together
again is equal to new.
Dated this 13th day. of August 1895.

page_text: Improvements in Helmets.
I, ROBERT ELSDON, of Highlands, Burnt Ash Hill, Lee, in the County
of Kent, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in helmets more especially of the kind
worn by policemen, volunteers, and others, which helmets commonly consist of, a
body of cork, with an outer cover of cloth, or other similar material. But my
improvements are partly applicable to military and other metal helmets.
According to my invention I manufacture the body of the helmet of aluminium
or aluminium alloy, or in some cases thin brass or other suitable metal may be
employed. I prefer to form the body of the helmet of two, four, or six segmental
pieces or gores, according to the kind of helmet required. These segmental pieces
or gores are first cut, shaped, and pressed to the curve of the helmet, and then
lined with "gossamer," canvas, or other suitable material, cemented or otherwise
securely attached to the inner curved surface of the metal segment or gore. The
outer surface thereof is then covered with cloth, silk, or other desired covering
material, each or either of the edges of such material being preferably turned over
the corresponding edge of the metal and cemented or not to the " gossamer' or
other lining at the back thereof. Or if preferred the "gossamer" lining and the
covering material may be attached to the metal before the same is cut, shaped, and
pressed to the curve of the helmet, or after the segments are cut but before they
are shaped and pressed to the curve of the helmet. The segments or gores are
now secured to one another at their edges by sewing, folding, rivetting, clipping or
otherwise. The sewing may be effected with thread or metal wire in an ordinary
sewing machine of strong construction.
"
Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying drawings represent to an enlarged
scale transverse sections of joints so made. Figure 4 is an elevation of the clip-
joint shewn in section in Figure 3.
a b are the two adjacent metal segments or gores, c d are the cloth coverings,
ef are the "gossamer" linings, and g are the stitches of the sewing. One edge of
each segment or gore may be recessed as shewn in Figure 2 so that the surfaces of
the cloth or other cover on the contiguous segments or gores are level or even with
one another. In the joint shewn in Figures 3 and 4 the clips are formed from the
metal or segment or gore a, and are passed through the holes i in the segment or
gore b, and are then bent down as shewn in Figure 3.
I prefer to perforate the metal body of the helmet and its lining, before the cloth
or other outer cover is put on, with any required number of holes, thus affording
ventilation to the interior of the helmet. And in order to reduce the weight of
the helmet, the said perforations may be made in the metal body only. It will be
understood that these perforations are not visible when the cloth or other outer
cover is in place.
Instead of attaching the cloth or other outer cover to the metal segments or
gores before the said segments or gores are attached to one another, the said outer
cover may be formed separately and passed over the helmet after the segments or
gores of the latter have been connected together as hereinbefore explained.
Or, when desired, the cloth or other outer cover may be entirely dispensed
with.
After the beforementioned segments or gores have been secured together as
described, the front and back peaks and the side pieces (when such are employed)
may be attached to the helmet by sewing, rivetting, or otherwise. The front and

page_text: back peaks and side pieces may consist of "gossamer," metal, and cloth or other
covering and may be finished with leather binding stitched thereto by sewing, or
may be finished in any other desired manner.
Helmets constructed according to my invention afford greater protection to the
head of the wearer from blows and other strains than helmets of ordinary
construction; the metal prevents the absorption of water, and the consequent.
increase of weight of the helmet; the helmets retain their shape under all
conditions of weather, etcetera; and when the outer covering is worn out or shabby,.
the helmet can be taken to pieces, its segments or gores re-covered, and when put
together again is equal to new. Or where the cloth or other cover is made
separately it may be renewed without separating the metal segments or gores.
"
As the "gossamer' or other suitable material is employed chiefly for the purpose-
of increasing the strength of the helmet it is obvious that it may be applied as an
outer cover to the metal segments or gores instead of, or supplementary to, the
inner lining if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. A helmet constructed of segments or gores of metal having "gossamer"
or other suitable material attached to the inside or outside, or both inside and
outside thereof, and cloth, silk or other suitable covering material attached to the
outside thereof, such segments or gores so lined and covered being secured to one
another at their edges by sewing, rivetting, folding, clipping or otherwise,
substantially as described.
"
Second. A helmet constructed of segments or gores of metal having "gossamer
or other suitable lining attached to the inside thereof, such segments or gores so
lined being secured to one another at their edges by sewing, rivetting, folding,
clipping or otherwise, substantially as described."
"
Third. A helmet constructed of segments or gores of metal having "gossamer
or other suitable material attached to the inside or outside, or both inside and .
outside thereof, such segments or gores so lined being secured to one another at
their edges by sewing, rivetting, folding, clipping or otherwise and the helmet so
formed being covered with a separate cloth, silk, or other cover, substantially as
described.
Fourth. In helmets constructed as herein described perforating the metal and
its lining or the metal alone, substantially as described and for the purpose.
specified.
Dated this 11th day of May 1896.