A young lieutenant in the US Army Cavalry witnessed the effectiveness of the helmet and realized its potential in the post-war industrial world. 19 19, Edward Brad returned to his family business in San Francisco and began to develop helmets for peacetime workers.
Edward Brad (National Inventor Hall of Fame) called it a boiling hat. This headdress made of canvas and leather is the first commercial head protection device. Brad's helmet is now worn by millions of workers, which has completely changed the safety product industry and made him a place in the National Inventor Hall of Fame. He will be mourned at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on May 7th.
"Brad's invention came at an important moment," said Peter Liburd, director of the work and industry department of the Smithsonian National Museum of History. Brad's helmet has three examples in his miner's lamp and hat series. "Mines are one of the earliest regulated workplaces in the United States. His helmet protects employees and limits his responsibility to employers.
Starting from 1898, E.D. Brad was founded by the inventor's father, Edward D. Brad. This manufacturer produces calcium carbide lamps and other equipment for miners in California, Nevada and Arizona. After returning from the battlefield, my son began to develop affordable safety helmets to protect miners. This miner's helmet is now part of the collection of the National Museum of American History. Manufactured by E.D. Bullard Company in San Francisco, California after 19 19. The leather and metal brackets in front are likely to have electric lights. (NMAH)
Although it is recognized that the metal "doughboy" helmet is an ideal wartime condition, it is not the best choice for the mining industry. It is big and heavy, and it is not suitable for working underground and maneuvering in narrow places. In addition, the cost is prohibitive.
"He realized that miners couldn't afford metal helmets," said Wells Bullard, the inventor's great-granddaughter, who now runs a family business. "He came up with the idea of a canvas hat, and the hat was shelled to make it durable and strong. He also invented the internal suspension system, which can disperse the impact force.
Edward W. Brad actually began to study the concept of protective helmet in 19 15. But it was not until he experienced World War I that his design finally took shape. He chose to use thick canvas and then spread it on his head with steam, hence the name "boiled helmet". He tied the leather edge to it, painted it black, and then coated it with shellac, so that it could maintain daily wear and tear in dirty and dangerous mines. 19 19, Brad also developed a protective cap for the US Navy to protect the safety of shipyard workers.
With the promotion of the new safety cap, workers in other industries began to wear it. Brad's invention won 13 patents, and he soon invented a new version of the hat, which was modified according to different uses. One of them includes the installation of calcium carbide lamps produced by his company, so that miners can find their way out through dark underground tunnels. The other is a hat made of bakelite, which is an early form of plastic and can stand the test of hard work.
"Brad sells calcium carbide lamps, which are early safety lamps for mining operations," Liburd said. "They use a closed acetylene system, which will not pose a threat during blasting."
E. Boulaleh