GB1601888A

GB1601888A - Gas suits

Info

Publication number: GB1601888A
Application number: GB2478978A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: BABCO WELDED PLASTICS Ltd
Current assignee: BABCO WELDED PLASTICS Ltd
Priority date: 1978-05-31
Filing date: 1978-05-31
Publication date: 1981-11-04

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO GAS SUITS (71) We, BASSO WELDED PLASTICS LIM ITED a British Company, of 201 Sculcoates Lane, Hull, Humberside do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention relates to a gas suit intended to isolate the wearer from the surrounding atmosphere.

Gas suits are well known in the art and conventionally comprise a garment intended to cover the head, trunk, arms, and legs of the wearer with gloves permanently secured to the sleeves of the garment, by an adhesive or heat sealing, and with boots, conventionally so-called "wellington" boots permanently secured to the legs of the garment. The head covering, or hood, of the garment has a transparent visor permanently fixed in the face aperture of the head covering and the suit has a gas-tight zip fastener down the back of the trunk permitting rear entry or rear exit for the wearer.

The conventional gas-tight suit described above suffers two major defects as follows.

a) in the event that any part of the gas suit is breached, be this that the garment itself is torn or holed, the gloves or boots are torn or holed or the visor is broken, the entire gas suit, a relatively expensive item, must be scrapped.

b) in the event that the wearer must use a breathing apparatus, very common with such suits, the breathing apparatus is attached to the wearer's head independently of the garment and is therefore movable with the wearer's head within the head piece or hood of the suit. Thus, the wearer is not only forced to view the outside environment through the double visor arrangement of the breathing apparatus and the visor permanently secured to the suit but the independent movement of the breathing apparatus within the suit can cause rigid members of the breathing apparatus to strike the visor of the suit to the detriment of both the visor and the breathing apparatus.

The present invention seeks to provide a gas suit in which one, and preferably both, of the above defined disadvantages of the conventional gas suit are avoided.

According to the present invention there is provided a gas suit comprising a garment intended to cover the head, trunk, arms and legs of the wearer, and including a visor, gloves and boots in gas-tight relationship with said garment; said visor and said gloves and said boots being detachably gas sealed to said garment.

In a preferred embodiment said visor comprises a transparent panel surrounded by a resilient peripheral sealing member, and the garment material surrounding the face aperture of the garment is peripherally clamped to said seal by a detachable clamping member.

Preferably the visor forms part of a breathing mask and the head attachment straps for said mask are wholly within the head piece of the garment.

In a preferred embodiment the wrist or forearm section of each glove is clamped in sealing relationship with a sleeve of said garment between an annular rigid member within the glove and an external adjustable annular clamping member.

In a preferred embodiment a leg section of each boot is clamped in sealing relationship with a leg section of said garment between an annular rigid member within the leg section of the boot and an external adjustable clamping member.

In a preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention a gas suit comprises a rear entry, garment intended to cover the head, trunk, arms and legs of the wearer and to be closed by a single gas tight zip fastener, a breathing apparatus within the head covering of the garment with the visor of the breathing apparatus detachably clamped in the face opening of the head covering, and gloves and boots detachably clamped to the sleeves and legs of the garment.

The invention will now be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a gas suit in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 shows, in cross-section, the attachment of the visor to the suit illustrated in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shows, in cross-section, one arrangement for detachably connecting the gloves to the suit illustrated in Fig, 1, and Fig. 4 shows, in detailed cross-section, one arrangement for detachably damping the boots to the suit illustrated in Fig. 1.

The suit illustrated in Fig. 1 is made from panels of thermoplastics material, preferably woven material coated with a thermoplastics material, said panels being welded together, in known manner, to define a garment comprising a head covering 11, trunk portion 12, sleeves 13 and 14, and legs 15 and 16, the suit having a gas-tight zip fastener (not shown) down the back to afford rear entry and rear exit to the wearer.

The head covering 11 includes a face aperture 17 within which the visor of a breathing apparatus is detachably clamped, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

As will be seen from Fig. 2 the transparent visor 18, and visor seal 19, of a conventional breathing apparatus is located in the face aperture 17 from within so that the material defining aperture 17 surrounds the seal 19 and extends forwardly thereof. A metal clamp 20, of U-shaped cross-section, clamps the suit material against the seal 19 and is circumferentially tensioned, conveniently by screw 21, to periphorally seal the suit material to the seal 19. Thus, the face aperture 17 is made gas-tight and, with the conventional head straps for the breathing apparatus within the head covering 11 the wearer can see through the visor (only one thickness of transparent material) and as the head straps retain the visor to the wearer's head the visor will move with movement of the wearer and thus greatly facilitates freedom of movement.

Each of the sleeves 13 and 14 has its cuff region turned back and a rigid annular member 22 is located in the upwardly opening pocket defined by the turned-back cuff.

The cuff, with the rigid member 22 therein is located within the forearm, or wrist, portion of a glove 23 or 24 and an annular clamp 25 surrounds the glove 23 or 24 in the plane of member 22 and is circumferentially tensioned to form a gas-tight seal between the upturned cuff of the sleeve and the glove between rigid member 22 and clamp 25.

The free edge of the upturned cuff may be heat sealed to the adjacent sleeve material, so that the annular rigid member 22 lies within a sealed annular pocket at the sleeve end and, to avoid gas pockets, an annular oversleeve 26 and 27 may be welded to sleeves 13 and 14 respectively to depend downwardly over the annular clamp 25 and, if desired, the free ends of oversleeves 26 and 27 may include a draw string 28 by which the free edge of each oversleeve can be drawn tightly against the gloves 23 or 24.

The sleeves 23 or 24 may include internal padding 29, adjacent the location of rigid member 22 for the comfort of the wearer.

In like manner to the sleeve 13 and 14 the legs 15 and 16 have their free edges turned upwardly and outwardly to define a pocket within which a rigid annular member 30 is located. As the boots normally worn with a gas-tight suit are of the well known "wellington" type, made from rubber or thermoplastics material, each member 30 has such circumference that, when the member, with the upturned end of leg 15 or 16, is entered into the upper regions of a boot 31 or 32 there is a relatively tight fit between the upturned leg 15 or 16 and the boot 31 or 32. An annular clamp 33, circumferentially adjustable, is located around each boot 31 or 32 in the plane of the member 30 and circumferentially tensioned to form a gas-tight seal between the upturned regions of the legs 15 or 16 and the regions of the boot 31 or 32 respectively between member 30 and the clamp 33.

In like manner to the sleeves the legs 15 and 16 may include annular sections, 34 and 35 respectively, heat sealed to the respective leg 15 or 16, and downwardly depending therefrom to cover the respective clamp 33 and the lower free edges of members 34 and 35 may have draw strings fitted thereto so that said lower regions can be pulled into tight engagement with the respective boot 31 or 32.

The annular, circumferentially adjustable, clamps 25 and 33 for the arms and legs respectively of the suit may be of any convenient type and may, for example, comprise simple jubilee clips and the suit may include, at the forward neck region, a connection 36 for a chest pack for the breathing apparatus.

It will be seen that the above defined arrangement a gas suit, capable of completely isolating the wearer from the surrounding atmosphere, is obtained and, in the event of a glove 23 or 24, a boot 31 or 32 or the breathing apparatus being rendered unusable it is only necessary to release the relevant clamp for the defective item and replace the defective item with a new part. In the event that the one piece garment is damaged, and thus rendered unusable, the breathing apparatus, gloves 23 and 24, and boots 31 and 32 can be recovered, so that only the suit is scrapped, and the removed items can be used on another one piece suit.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A gas suit comprising a garment intended to cover the head, trunk, arms and legs of the wearer, and including a visor, gloves and boots in gas-tight relationship

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. Fig. 2 shows, in cross-section, the attachment of the visor to the suit illustrated in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shows, in cross-section, one arrangement for detachably connecting the gloves to the suit illustrated in Fig, 1, and Fig. 4 shows, in detailed cross-section, one arrangement for detachably damping the boots to the suit illustrated in Fig. 1. The suit illustrated in Fig. 1 is made from panels of thermoplastics material, preferably woven material coated with a thermoplastics material, said panels being welded together, in known manner, to define a garment comprising a head covering 11, trunk portion 12, sleeves 13 and 14, and legs 15 and 16, the suit having a gas-tight zip fastener (not shown) down the back to afford rear entry and rear exit to the wearer. The head covering 11 includes a face aperture 17 within which the visor of a breathing apparatus is detachably clamped, as illustrated in Fig. 2. As will be seen from Fig. 2 the transparent visor 18, and visor seal 19, of a conventional breathing apparatus is located in the face aperture 17 from within so that the material defining aperture 17 surrounds the seal 19 and extends forwardly thereof. A metal clamp 20, of U-shaped cross-section, clamps the suit material against the seal 19 and is circumferentially tensioned, conveniently by screw 21, to periphorally seal the suit material to the seal 19. Thus, the face aperture 17 is made gas-tight and, with the conventional head straps for the breathing apparatus within the head covering 11 the wearer can see through the visor (only one thickness of transparent material) and as the head straps retain the visor to the wearer's head the visor will move with movement of the wearer and thus greatly facilitates freedom of movement. Each of the sleeves 13 and 14 has its cuff region turned back and a rigid annular member 22 is located in the upwardly opening pocket defined by the turned-back cuff. The cuff, with the rigid member 22 therein is located within the forearm, or wrist, portion of a glove 23 or 24 and an annular clamp 25 surrounds the glove 23 or 24 in the plane of member 22 and is circumferentially tensioned to form a gas-tight seal between the upturned cuff of the sleeve and the glove between rigid member 22 and clamp 25. The free edge of the upturned cuff may be heat sealed to the adjacent sleeve material, so that the annular rigid member 22 lies within a sealed annular pocket at the sleeve end and, to avoid gas pockets, an annular oversleeve 26 and 27 may be welded to sleeves 13 and 14 respectively to depend downwardly over the annular clamp 25 and, if desired, the free ends of oversleeves 26 and 27 may include a draw string 28 by which the free edge of each oversleeve can be drawn tightly against the gloves 23 or 24. The sleeves 23 or 24 may include internal padding 29, adjacent the location of rigid member 22 for the comfort of the wearer. In like manner to the sleeve 13 and 14 the legs 15 and 16 have their free edges turned upwardly and outwardly to define a pocket within which a rigid annular member 30 is located. As the boots normally worn with a gas-tight suit are of the well known "wellington" type, made from rubber or thermoplastics material, each member 30 has such circumference that, when the member, with the upturned end of leg 15 or 16, is entered into the upper regions of a boot 31 or 32 there is a relatively tight fit between the upturned leg 15 or 16 and the boot 31 or 32. An annular clamp 33, circumferentially adjustable, is located around each boot 31 or 32 in the plane of the member 30 and circumferentially tensioned to form a gas-tight seal between the upturned regions of the legs 15 or 16 and the regions of the boot 31 or 32 respectively between member 30 and the clamp 33. In like manner to the sleeves the legs 15 and 16 may include annular sections, 34 and 35 respectively, heat sealed to the respective leg 15 or 16, and downwardly depending therefrom to cover the respective clamp 33 and the lower free edges of members 34 and 35 may have draw strings fitted thereto so that said lower regions can be pulled into tight engagement with the respective boot 31 or 32. The annular, circumferentially adjustable, clamps 25 and 33 for the arms and legs respectively of the suit may be of any convenient type and may, for example, comprise simple jubilee clips and the suit may include, at the forward neck region, a connection 36 for a chest pack for the breathing apparatus. It will be seen that the above defined arrangement a gas suit, capable of completely isolating the wearer from the surrounding atmosphere, is obtained and, in the event of a glove 23 or 24, a boot 31 or 32 or the breathing apparatus being rendered unusable it is only necessary to release the relevant clamp for the defective item and replace the defective item with a new part. In the event that the one piece garment is damaged, and thus rendered unusable, the breathing apparatus, gloves 23 and 24, and boots 31 and 32 can be recovered, so that only the suit is scrapped, and the removed items can be used on another one piece suit. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A gas suit comprising a garment intended to cover the head, trunk, arms and legs of the wearer, and including a visor, gloves and boots in gas-tight relationship

with said garment; said visor and said gloves and said boots being detachably gas sealed to said garment.

2. A gas suit as claimed in Claim 1 in which said visor comprises a transparent panel surrounded by a resilient peripheral sealing member, and the garment material surrounding the face aperture of the garment is peripherally clamped to said seal by a detachable clamping member.

3. A gas suit as claimed in Claim 1, or 2 in which the visor forms part of a breathing mask and the head attachment straps for said mask are wholly within the head piece of the garment.

4. A gas suit as claimed in Claim 1 2 or 3 in which the wrist or forearm section of each glove is clamped in sealing relationship with a sleeve of said garment between an annular rigid member within the glove and an external adjustable annular clamping member.

5. A gas suit as claimed in Claim 1 2 3 or 4 in which a leg section of each boot is clamped in sealing relationship with a leg section of said garment between an annular rigid member within the leg section of the boot and an external adjustable clamping member.

6. A gas suit as claimed in any preceding claim comprising a rear entry, garment intended to be closed by a single gas tight zip fastener, with a breathing apparatus within the head covering of the garment, the visor of the breathing apparatus being being detachably clamped in the face opening of the head covering,

7. A gas suit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.