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Disassembly and Reassembly:

The Air Hat can be completely disassembled using a screwdriver and wrench. The headpiece assembly is held
in the Air Hat by a single #10-32 hex nut in the center of the top band. To remove the headpiece assembly
unscrew the hex nut as pull the headpiece assembly out by the side opposite the air control valve. Backing out
or removing the communications binding posts will ease removal.

To replace the headpiece assembly insert the side at the air control valve first making sure it is clear of the
copper tube. Rock the assembly in till the top band is over the retaining stud, then check the assembly is aligned
left and right by gauging the distance between the snout/shell seam and the front end of the side pads. Replace
and tighten the hex nut.

To remove the copper air distribution tube, first loosen the air control valve-retaining nut so that the valve will
rotate freely. Secondly, completely unscrew the compression nuts at both ends of the copper tube and rotate the
valve body counter clockwise until the tube drops free. If the tube is undamaged it can be reused. If replacement
is necessary the compression ferrules will also have to be replaced. A set of stainless steel ferrules are used on
the valve end, and a set of brass ferrules on the elbow end. The small ferrule goes on first, then the larger one
with the tapers on both pointing towards the end of the tube.

WARNING: Teflon tape should never be used on any part of the Air Hat. The possibility exists for pieces
of Teflon tape to enter the air delivery system and cause a blockage.

Removal and installation of the other components of the Air Hat are obvious from inspection and require no
special instructions.

To Adjust Headpiece Insert for Head Size:

Size adjustments to the headpiece assembly are made with the assembly removed from the Air Hat. Loosen the
two brass screws on the upper edge of the back plate at the rear of the assembly. The proper fit is achieved by
changing the circumference of the headpiece assembly, by sliding the back band in or out. The headpiece
should fit snugly on the diver’s head, as the liner will compress somewhat under pressure. When the correct fit
is achieved tighten the two screws and reinstall in the Air Hat.

To Replace Foam Neoprene Pads on Headband Assembly:

All new Air Hats use an improved Headpiece Assembly utilizing Polypropylene band, which are impervious to
corrosion, unlike the brass bands of earlier Air Hats. The side pads are attached to the side band with pressure
sensitive tape making replacement simpler. The top pad is held in place by the top band passing through a slot
in the top. To change the pads remove the liner from the Air Hat. It is held in by a # 10 – 32 hex nut in the
center of the top pad. Peel off the old side pad and discard. Unbolt one side of the top band and slide off the old
top pad. Slide the new top pad into place and rebolt the top band. Clean any oil, grease, dirt, or old adhesive
from the area where the new side pads will go. You can use Denatured Alcohol or Lacquer Thinner to clean the
area. Make sure all the solvents are completely gone before using the Air Hat again. Peel the paper backing
from the new side pad and press firmly into place. As you reinstall the liner into the Air Hat make sure the top
pad is centered on the retaining stud hole in the top band. Watch the side pads as you install the liner so they do
not roll as you press the liner into place. Check the liner to make sure it is centered in the Air Hat and replace
and tighten the hex nut.

How to Choose the Proper Size of Neck Dam:

Neck Dams are available in sizes 12 through 15. The appropriate size is approximately two sizes smaller than
the diver’s regular collar size. Thus, a diver who wears a size 16 collar should use a size 14 Neck Dam. Custom
sized Neck Dams are available upon request.

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Summary of Contents for 61000

Page 1: ...good care and maintenance on a regular basis to operate at peak efficiency DESCO believes this design is the best balance of utility durability and economy DESCO Corporation cannot recommend sanction nor condone field modification of the Air Hat Modifying the Air Hat could result in unforeseen serious and life threatening consequences Under no circumstances should you remove wholly or in part any ...

Page 2: ... 2 6 Disassembly and Reassembly 3 7 To Adjust Headpiece Insert for Head Size 3 8 To Remove or Replace the Flat Neck Ring Gasket 3 9 How to Choose the Proper Size of Neck Dam 3 10 Airflow rate 4 11 How to Minimize Air Intake Noise 4 12 Non Return and Bail out Non Return Valves 4 13 Communications 5 14 Mounting Blocks 5 15 Welding Shield 5 Section 2 Maintenance Schedule for the DESCO Air Hat 6 Secti...

Page 3: ... the helmet neck ring with adhesive Seal No 2 is provided by the large O ring which is pressed at its top against the shoulder of the neck ring and at its bottom against the lower surface of the channel in the brass neck ring insert As the neck dam or dry suit yoke age the material may compress necessitating the use of a shim to take up the additional space These two seals are different both in op...

Page 4: ...l care must be taken to see that the large O ring is correctly fitted so its outer circumference contacts completely around the inside surface of the Air Hat neck ring when it is clamped in place Both the large O ring and the mating sealing surface in the Air Hat have been given a light coat of lubricant at the factory It will be found that keeping these parts clean and lubricated will ease instal...

Page 5: ...moved from the Air Hat Loosen the two brass screws on the upper edge of the back plate at the rear of the assembly The proper fit is achieved by changing the circumference of the headpiece assembly by sliding the back band in or out The headpiece should fit snugly on the diver s head as the liner will compress somewhat under pressure When the correct fit is achieved tighten the two screws and rein...

Page 6: ...the factory the interior of this air distributor is tightly packed full of Lambs wool which greatly reduces air intake noise If a new air distributor is installed be sure new Lambs wool is inserted and packed Lambs wool is a coarse fiber material that does not compress to the point where it would choke airflow THERE IS NO SUBSITIUTE FOR LAMBSWOOL Cotton and other similar materials will compress to...

Page 7: ...the fitting as far as possible by hand It should easily engage the threads and turn in about 1 3 of the way Remove the fitting and mix a small amount of fast set two part epoxy Apply the epoxy to the threads on the fitting and insert into the port Tighten the fitting to approximately 3 4 of the length of the threads Allow the epoxy to set per the manufacturers recommendations Slip the compression ...

Page 8: ...nd air train Close the air control valve to pressurize the air train Turn off the compressed air supply to the helmet After one minute open the air control valve Air should be heard escaping from the air distributor If no air is heard check all fittings for leakage repair and retest Periodic Maintenance Due to the varying conditions that DESCO Air Hats will encounter it is not possible to suggest ...

Page 9: ...ct the solder joint where the adjuster cap meets the cover Look for corrosion or cracking Check the movement of the plunger in the cover assembly and the action of the spring Work the adjuster cap as a check for the condition of the cap threads Excessive play in the operation of the adjuster would warrant further disassembly down to the component parts Check the condition of the four cover retaini...

Page 10: ...e Speaker Cup Check for wear and damage Headpiece Assembly Band Assembly Inspect for corrosion missing parts or loose hardware Check for wear and cracking Insert Check for wear and excessive hardening of the pads Check the screw fasteners to make sure they are still firmly attached to the pad Top Side Pads Inspect for wear compression or damage Check that they are still firmly attached to the band...

Page 11: ...it On helmets where the shim has been in use for a long time it may have adhered to the insert ring It will be necessary to destroy the shim to remove it Carefully scrape the shim off of the insert ring The insert ring can be cleaned with Lacquer thinner and very fine steel wool to remove the residual shim material Window Assembly a Remove the six window screws from the front window Take note of t...

Page 12: ... c The liner is easiest to remove by pulling the side by the binding post block in and up to clear the block then hooking the assembly around from under the air train assembly Air Train Assembly a Remove the Non Return Valve s from the helmet b Remove the Air Control Valve Handle c Loosen the valve retaining nut d Loosen the compression nuts on the copper tube and remove the tube e Remove the valv...

Page 13: ...11 ...

Page 14: ...T 54016 12 45 55 HEAD PIECE ASSEMBLY 61100 45 TOP BAND 61103 46 HEAD BAND 61101 47 BACK PLATE 61104 48 3 8 BRASS SCREW 61108 49 BRASS FLAT WASHER 61109 50 BRASS NUT 61110 51 TOP PAD 61113 52 SIDE PAD 61112 53 7 16 BRASS SCREW 61114 54 INSERT 61106 55 SCREW 61107 56 59 COMMUNICATIONS 61200 56 BINDING POST COMPLETE 61224 57 SPEAKER WITH CLIPS 61205 58 FOAM SPEAKER COVER 61226 59 NPT PIPE PLUG 61227 ...

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