Heinke 12 bolt square breastplate (Pearler helmet)

The first style helmet that made Heinke world famous and was used all over the world in the pearling industry. 

Some of the first Pearlers were fitted with a speaking tube.

Have a look at this. A complete and new Heinke standard pearler diving set including spares. 
This picture simply gives us the shivers....
 
With its characteristic stamped breastplate we can date this helmet to anywhere between 1871 and 1922 at which time CE Heinke became a Limited Company.
Heinke Pearler helmets were used extensively in the pearl industry in Australia in the early 20th century. This is where this helmet was found.
On this helmet the brales have been removed and replaced by specially made lead weights (front weight missing).
The top of the non return valve is missing from the air inlet. The weights are held on by conventional hexagonal nuts.
 
Another CE Heinke & Co Helmet which dates from between 1871 and 1922. This style has the earlier design side windows with the heavier pattern outer ring. This helmet is probably from the earlier part of this era as it has a non-recessed neck ring. This is another helmet which was used in Australia.

Later style Pearler helmet
This is an earlier style Pearler helmet as identified by the none return valve . The maker's name is stamped into the breastplate and there are stamped marks on the brailles also. Notice the lack of weight pins both to the front and the rear. The rear picture shows there was no telephone connection. Often seen on working helmets are the small dents all around the top of the helmet . These are caused when the diver is working on the ship's bottom and the helmet is frequently knocked against the steelwork. The serial number is 2047.
 
This polished Pearler clearly shows the breastplate is made of Bronze or gunmetal. The serial number is stamped into the breastplate and the neck ring . The maker's plate is riveted onto the breastplate . The face glass retaining mechanism can be seen above the face glass and comprises of a heavy wire wound around the face glass and attached to the helmet with a safety chain . The helmet is fitted with the older style air intake gooseneck and non return valve . There is a converter for the air hose from Heinke to Siebe Gorman . There is no telephone connector on this helmet. The serial number is 2321. The air exhaust is their older pepperbox type . There is no spitcock fitted to this helmet.
 





Helmet number 2161. This helmet had a tough life in the Australian pearl diving industry. All the straps and some nuts and bolts are missing. Notice the patch on the right rear. It seems like the telephone elbow was removed. You can clearly see the dome is lower than on the early style pearlers. On the right, you see the helmet fitted with a great homemade frontweight.

There is heavy soldering on the neckring. The number on the bonnet is therefor not visible.

Below is the stamped name: C.E. HEINKE.&.C.o Ltd. This helmet was made in the last independant period of Heinke, before it was taken over by Siebe, Gorman and Company. We estimate it to be from the 1940-ies.

Photo courtesy of Mark Prain.


 


Helmet number 2165.
Look how great it looks with the stamped brales.
Different (later) style of communication elbow. It is similar to a Siebe Gorman telephone connection.
This helmet also has a later style exhaust valve with hand wheel and stem to close the valve.
 
Helmet number 2330 Ce Heinke and Co Limited. This helmet is in good original condition. You will notice this bonnet has a Siebe Gorman style front port, but interestingly it has a course Heinke thread not the finer Siebe Gorman thread which is associated with this type of port.

Photo by Diving Heritage


A Pearler with a difference. This helmet has weight lugs on the breastplate. There is a professional patch between the lugs.
This was once the location of a second air exhaust valve. This helmet also shows the bronze breastplate is made from a different material to the copper bonnet.
The serial number is stamped into the breastplate and the neck ring . There is no maker's badge but the name is clearly stamped into the brailles.
 

Collecting pearl shells and returning to the boat after a hard days work

Look at this poor neglected helmet. 
People should be ashamed of themselves!