US1380410A - Finger fence and protector - Google Patents

Description

W. H. PARRY.

FINGER FENCE AND PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-13,1919.

Patented June 7, 1921s [I ll| f||llli llllllllli WILLIAM H. PARRY, OF FAYETTEVI LLEyNOB/TH CAROLINA.

FINGER FENCE AND PROTECTOR.

Specification of'Letters Patent.

Application filed. November 13, 1919. Serial No. 337,900.

which when in position will serve as a means for protecting the finger against rubbing contact with the edge of a board, a.

sheet of metal, or other piece of work, when the carpenter or other artisan is in the act of marking off a line parallel to the edge of the piece of work, and which will not only protect the finger but serve as a guide for determining the position of the finger during the movement of the hand in marking off the parallel line.

Another object of the invention is to provide a protector or fence for the finger which is of a peculiar construction adapting it to its particular use, and which at the same time will not interfere with the use of the forefinger in holding nails, tools, and other devices which require theme of the forefinger and without the removal of the guard or fence.

The above, and various other objects and advantages of this invention, will be in part described in, and in part understood from, the following detail description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing,

wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of a finger guard and fence constructed according to the present invention, the view showing the device worn on the finger and in use.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device, a portion of the finger being shown as supporting the same. r

Fig. 3 is an inner edge view of the device.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the device taken on the line 44 of the Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a similar view enlarged, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2, and showing the device as applied to a piece of work and to a straight edge, ruler or the like.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of 4 9 device as applied to the finger, and illustrate the natural use of the finger in holding a nail while the device is worn.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, wherein similar parts are designated by corresponding numbers of reference thoughout the several views, the finger protector and fence of the present invention, and in its preferred form, comprises a one piece sheet metal body part 1, stamped and bent to the desired shape to provide opposed arms or portions 10 and 11 adapted to engage the opposite edges of the finger, the portion 10 being the outer edge portion for contact with the work and the other portion 11 being the inner portion or the resilient part used for maintaining the finger protector in place.

The finger protector is cut and stamped to provide a stall or thimble shaped device which is U shape in form and which has the arms 10 and 11 thereof transversely curved to fit substantially close to the-edge portions of the finger and to provide spaces 12 at opposite sides of the protector through which the top and bottom portions of the finger are exposed. The outer edge portion or arm 10 i provided with a longitudinally eX tending, relatively flat, bearing portion 18 adapted to abut against the edge of a board A, sheet of metal or other piece of work against which the protector is adapted to be held and moved longitudinally against said edge. The arm 10 is provided, at preferably the top of the bearing face 13, with a longitudinally extending and outstanding rib or flange 14, projecting at substantially right angles to the plane of the bearing face 18 and adapted to lap over the upper-edge portion of the piece of work A for supporting the finger protector and fence from slipping'down at the side or edge of the piece of work. The rib or flange 14 is in the forin of a shoe adapted to slide over the upper surface of the work to maintain the finger, and hand, which supports the ruler B in the ordinary manner from moving upwardly and downwardly, and thus insuring a more accurate measurement and marking off of the piece of work. The outer arm or edge portion 10 is also provided with a supporting ledge 15 which'projects upwardly and is arched inwardly from the flange or rib 14 in position to receive the ruler B thereacross for aiding the finger in sup- Patented J une 7, 1921.

porting and rigidly maintaining the ruler in proper position. It will be noted that the rib 14 and the member 15 constitute a rigid, noiryielcling spacing means between the piece of work A and the ruler B, at the same time permitting the required movement of the ruler B over the piece of work without changing the relative positions of the ruler and the work. The provision of the flange let and the support 15 therefore insures accuracy in the use of the ruler B.

As shown at 12, and particularly in Fig. 6, the opening or space at the under side of the finger guard or stall exposes a sufiicient portion of the finger to enable the use of the finger, while the finger guard is maintained in position, for grasping a nail C, or other suitable device, and making various adjustments with thumb screws and the like, requiring direct contact with the finger. The device is made of resilient metal and of a size andshape to conform to the end of the average finger, the spring arm 11 being connected to the body portion of the device by a relatively narrow resilient neck 16 admitting of considerable expansion of the device over large finger tips, and yieldingly urging the arm 11 toward the arm 10 so as to accommodate the device to thin fingers.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the resilient or inner arm 17 may be of flexible material such as leather, rubber or any other material or composition of materials which is cut and stamped to form the inner arm of the device, and which may be connected to the outer end portion of the arm 10 by a strip 18 extending from the arm 17 and secured by a rivet 19 or the like to the arm 10. The inner end of the flexible arm 17 is connected to the body part in any suit able manner, such as by a rivet 20 which is headed or otherwise suitably secured against the exterior surface of the metal. part of the device. The arm 17 terminates at its free end in a tab 21 adapted to be grasped by the fingers of the other hand for drawing the finger guard and fence into and out of engagement with the finger, the

tab 21 being so located that it assists in other suitable device, is grasped in the hand in the ordinary manner with the thumb on top of the ruler, as shown in Fig. 1, and with the ruler passing over the forefinger, The hand is now applied to the piece of work A and with the edge of the finger toward the piece of work. The protector has the flat bearing face 13 which engages the edge of the work A and has the rib 14- which overlaps the work A to hold the fence in proper relation to the work and prevent it from sliding down at the edge thereof. The rib 19': extends throughout the entire length of the arm 10. and gradually merges into the neck 16, the rib being of uniform width throughout the length of the arm and constituting a shoe or slide adapted to move over the upper face of the work. The support 15 extends above the rib 1 1, as shown to advantage in Fig. 5, and the ruler B is adapted to engage over this support and to be held thereagainst by the thumb, the bearing face 18 holding the support 15 from swinging upon the rib 14: as a pivot and thus maintaining definite relation between the ruler B and the work A.

What is claimed is:

1. A finger guard and fence comprising a body part having a bearing surface adapted to engage the edge of a piece of work along which the finger is to be drawn for protecting the finger and provided with an outstanding portion adapted to overlap the work to support the guard and finger.

2. A finger guard and fence comprising a body member having a portion adapted to engage over the edge of a finger, said portion having an outwardly directed bearing face for contact with the edge of a piece of work to protect the finger against rubbing the work when the finger is drawn along the edge of the work, said portion also having a flange at the top of said bearing face adapted to overlap the upper side of the work and support the guard on the work,

' said portion of the body member also hav- 'ing a support rising from said flange to a position above the upper surface or the work and adapted to support a rule thereacross in a definite position relative to the work.

3. A finger guard and fence comprising a body-part adapted to be engaged over the end of a finger for protecting the edges thereof in running the finger along the edge of piece of work, said body part having an outstanding rib adapt-ed to overlap the piece of work and support the finger from falling away from the work, said body part also having openings at opposite sides between the edges thereof for admitting ordinary use of the finger without removing the guard.

WILLIAM H. PARRY.

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