US1449183A

US1449183A - Baseball mask

Info

Publication number: US1449183A
Application number: US497063A
Authority: US
Inventors: James E Johnstone
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1921-07-23
Filing date: 1921-07-23
Publication date: 1923-03-20
Anticipated expiration: 1940-03-20

Description

Man. 20,1923. 11 449 16 JLE.JOHNSTONE BASEBALL MASK Filed July 25, 1

iNVENTOR Y.,- a P WMQM -ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 243,

unmet TATEZS taaiaa EAECIEF: JQEHETQNE, 01'? NEWAI EK, NE W JERSEY.

aasananr.

application filled July 23,

' construction than those heretofore available.

The conventional mask depends for its protective features on a multiplicity of wires interlaced and'arraifged in a complicated manner. These wires must be so interwoven as to furnish ample protection for the frontal features of the wearer and at the same time provide ample areas so that the vision will be unimpaired. lln order to withstand the severe blows of a-base-ball, it is neces sary to use very heavy wire and to join the intersections very securely and likewise to use certain reinforcing elements. As a' result, the conventional vizor is much heavier than its appearance-indicates and it admits of being gradually injured and rendered ultimately unserviceable by the successive impacts of the base-ball.

This invention contemplates the elimination of wires and of their separate pieces connected in various ways, byv rendering available a one-piece integral vizor in the nature of a thin shell of very light weight yet malleable metal of a nature capable of being formed by a single castin operation; thereby reducing the cost an creating a more serviceable and more desirable vizor.

Other objects and advantages will be in part indicated in the following description and in part rendered apparent therefrom in connection with the annexed drawings. I

enable others skilled in the art so fully to apprehend the underlying features hereof that they may embody the same in the various ways contemplated by this invention,

drawings depicting a preferred ty )ical construction have been annexed as part of this disclosure. I p v the drawings show in perspective a baseball mask embodying a vizor characteristic of this invention. I

Referring to the drawings, A denotes the vizor which is in the shape of a semi-ellipsoidal shell which is comparatively thin and which is made by a casting-operation of a suitable light-weight alloy of a non-brittle 1923K. Serial H0. 487,063.

character. This shell is formed with sidewings B and C extending outwardly and rearwardly so'as to clear the ears of the user; these ear-guards being of suitable length and breadth to shield the ears and to deflect a base-ball so that the user may not be injured. Extending downwardly from the crown D of the vizor is a frontal or forehead-guard E which meets a transversely arched foreheadguard F; the lowermost margin G of which lies approximately in the plane of the eyebrows so as not to obstruct the vision of the player. The crown or brow portion of the vizor above the marginal edge G is provided with suitable ventilating ports H and J which may be iven any shape desired and which may be located accordingly in va rious ways. t

The bridge-piece Kextends transversely across the face of the vizor in approximately the plane of the nose so as to form a noseuard. This strip is preferably so dimensioncd and distanced from the brow-edge e as to provide falarge substantiallyrectangular opening L affording a wide and unobstructed vision for the wearer; the height of this opening being preferably about a half-inch or'so less than the diameter of a base-ball so that it. will be impomible for any base-ball to enter said opening sufficiently to injure the user.

The lower mouth and chin portions of the vizor are preferably alsoventilated in any suitable manner. F or example, a large opening M may be provided immediately below the nose-bridge K and, in the interests of lightness and to permit free-spitting, may be made of ample proportions. Likewise a suitably shaped opening or series of openings N will be arranged in the chin-protecting ptfition of the vizor for purposes of ventilation. Preferably also, the lower edge of the vizor will be inturned as represented by P so as to form a guard to protect the chin against rip-bounding balls.

F or the sake of comfort and to protect the user against transmitted shocks, the edge of the vizor will be interiorly protected by a suitable marginal pad indicated by Q. This pad may be secured in place by wires or thongspassing through small aperturesl, 2, 3, etc., drilled through the margins of the vizor atv suitable points.

The mask is held in place by means of a suitable harness consisting of a back-strap R and a riser S; the riser being attached to the vizor through a slot a in its crown, and the ends of the back-strap being attached to similar slots 1) in the ear-guards.

It will be seen that this invention is well adapted to achieve the above enumerated objects and advantages and it may also be observed that it has the very pronounced ad vantage of appreciably reducing the extent to which base-balls are injured by coming in contact with masks. Wire vizors present comparatively thin edges and also numerous small projections which have a tendency to cut the jacket of the ball. whereas the presentvizor presents comparatively few edges and it 1 presents chiefly we'll-rounded and unbroken surfaces which can occasion no injury whatsoever to the ball. It has been found by experience that a vizor made in the manner disclosed is very materially lighter than a vizor of corresponding size and strength made in the conventional manner.

\Vithout further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily .adapt it for various utilizations by retaining one or more of the essential characteristics of either the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and, therefore, such adaptations should be, and are intended to be, comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims Having thus revealed this invention, I claim asnew and desire to secure the following combinations and elements, or equivalents thereof, by Letters Patent of the United States 1. A vi'zor for base-ball masks compriswardly-bulged bars arranged in paralleisin to form an enlarged eye-sl1textend1ng with out obstruction from one side to the other side of the mask and isolated ventilating portslocated above and below said eye-slit;

2. A base-ball mask combining a one-piece integral vizor having a crown and rearwardly-extending ear-wings and a chin guard and two widely-separated narrow elongated outwardlybulged bars extending in parallelism to form with said chimguard two isolated elongated apertures ext iding horizontally across the face of the mask without interruption for the mouth and eyes; a marginal pad; and a retaining harness attached to the crown and the earwings.

3. A one-piece integral vizor for base-ball masks having its crown apertured for ventilation and having an enlarged faceopening sub-divided only by a single narrow transverse nose-protecting bridge extending hori zontally to provide a substantially unobstructed vision to the wearer.

4. A base-ball mask comprising a onepiece integral vizor in the nature of a rneta lic shell having a single narrow transverse nose-arch devoid of vertical extensions, vizor providing rearwardly and outw; extending ear-guards and an inturnedv chingua-rd, the brow-portion and chin-piece having ventilating apertures; a marginal pad; and a retaining-harness secured to the brow and the ear-guards of said vizor.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, as attested by the two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES E. JOHNSTUNEQ \Vltnesses:

IIARRY SILVERSTEIN, MINNA STRAUCK.