The Spirelmo Breathing Apparatus is a type of smoke helmet that used manual air pumping from below to feed fresh air into the helmet through a tube. This reliance on tubing meant these smoke helmets were only capable of traveling short distances into the mines, sometimes as short as 18 meters or as far as 64 meters. This distance could have been even shorter in practice due to the chance of the hose becoming caught or torn, with the biggest risk being debris falling onto the hose.
Despite the shortcomings from the lack of distance, smoke helmets had more advantages than self-contained breathing apparatus in some circumstances. Smoke helmets were easier and quicker to put on and could travel into far hotter areas without their air supply becoming too hot.
This specific model of smoke helmet was made by Siebe Gorman in London and was potentially used at Heriot-Watt rescue station. The knob at the top of the helmet is most likely an exhaust valve to let out excess air from the pump. The glass viewing panels on the front can open up like windows and are locked in place by a bolt in the centre. Interestingly, the use of the horn system that is attached to the helmet seems to be a regional system, with some other plaques telling the user to tug the hose instead.
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