SNEAD.
CO.
JERSEY. CITY. N.J.
PATT. PENDING.
Introduction
The Snead company from New Jersey made 4 different styles of shallow water diving helmets. Styles 1 to 3 were cast iron, style 4 was bronze.
Style one
In a 1933 catalog the first style Snead helmet was advertised as follows:
"This helmet operates with ordinary automobile or bicycle pump and has a sensitive check valve to prevent escape of air. It is made of corrosion resistant Duram iron and finished in enemal. Non breakable window. Effective at depths up to 18 feet. Every municipal and state police department, ship chandler, boat owner, swimming pool owner, boat club, shipyard, fisherman and life saving station should have one of these inexpensive diving helmets. Weight 65 pounds, buoyant weight in water 1,5 pounds" In those days the price for a complete outfit with hose and pump was $20 (!).
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This style was
cast in two parts. It was caulked and then bolted together. It weighs 56
pounds. This early model had the tendency to leak. It has a large
faceplate and the air inlet is located on the top, front. All Sneads have
the name cast in the front. This one reads:
SNEAD.
CO. |
Style two
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This style was
cast in one piece, and has a prominent foundry parting line, or flange. The
air inlet is also top front and it also has a large faceplate. It weighs
56 pounds. All Sneads have the name cast in the front. This one reads:
SNEAD.
CO.
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Style three
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This was the
third and most abundant style Snead produced. This model has a smaller
faceplate than the first two styles. The air intake is on top, rear. It
weighs 62 pounds and was cast in one piece. Unlike the first two models,
this one has the abbreviation PAT after it's name. This one reads:
SNEAD.
CO. In a catalog
the third style Snead helmet was adverstised as follows:
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Bright
yellow style three
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This looks
like an unrestored style three. |
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Have fun, dive a Snead ! |
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| Snead Style
three restoration
"Dear Bert and
Karin. First, I want to thank you for the information you so kindly
shared with me regarding my desire to restore a Snead shallow water
helmet. I have just completed the project and wanted to share a
photo with you of the end result. With your help, the help of the
HDS-USA, Leon Lyons and Peter Jackson of the UK, I was able to determine the
proper materials to use to most correctly restore the helmet.
I used the same material originally used by the Snead Company to replace
the missing faceplate. The correct material is cellulose acetate,
1/16 inch or .060 inch in thickness. I was also able to determine
that the silver-aluminum that I used to paint my restoration was also an
original color. Both Leon Lyons and Peter Jackson agreed that this
was correct for this helmet. When I was removing the many layers
of paint built up over the years, the last layer of paint I discovered
was indeed silver-aluminum in color. The helmet is also divable as
well as a correct representation of a "factory fresh" Snead
Company product. If you feel that this photo would be appropriate
to include in your excellent webpage under shallow water helmets, please
do so! Thanks again and my most sincere best wishes, Jack
Schrader, member HDS-USA."
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Style four
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This style was
cast in one piece. It is the only Snead cast in brass. It also has a
smaller faceplate like the third model and the abbreviation PAT as well.
The air inlet is also on top, rear. It weighs 71 pounds and is concidered
too heavy by those that dove it. This one reads:
SNEAD.
CO. Below this is the distributors nametag. It reads: Manufactured
by E.J. Willis Co. WARNING: Collectors should be aware that there have been reproductions of this helmet produced, and offered for sale. The helmet in the picture is an original one. |
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Many thanks to:
