US1881192A - Sand blast helmet and ventilating means - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 4, 1932. J. HULL 1,881,192 I SAND BLAST HELMET AND VENTI LATING MEANS Filed Oct. 7, 1927 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ct. 4 1932. J, ULL v SAND BLAST HELMET AND VENTILATING MEANS Filed Oct. '7. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 atboumq Cd. 4, 1932- F, J HULL 1,881,192

SAND BLAST HELMET AND VENTILATING MEANS Filed Oct. 7, 1927 3Sheets-Sheet 3 I Patented Oct. 4, 1932 ",UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca FOSTER J. HULL, F HAGERSTOWN,'MAI%YLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 PANGBORN CORPORA- TION, OF HAGERSTOWN, .MAR-YLAN'D, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND SAND BLAST HELMET AND VENTILATING MEANS Application filed October 7, 1927. Serial No. 224,587.

The invention rolatesto a head gear for use in a sand blast chamber or room, and for other similar purposes, to protect the sand blast operator from injury due to the flying abrasive and from other sources and to'furnish anadequate ventilation and a healthful air supply. The apparatus, as shown, in-" oludes a helmet, an air hose with means for supporting and coiling the hose, and means for controlling the air supply and mixing outside air or medicated air with the air under pressure, whereby outside air or medicated air at low pressure'and velocity is passed through the hose to the helmet.

The apparatus of the invention not only furnishes adequate and healthful ventilation whereby the air supply serves to cool the operator in addition to furnishing him freshpure air for breathing awn times, but the air is further directed in a manner to prevent condensation on the glass or other transparent material covering the sight openings.

Otheradvantages of the improved construction are that it is formed of soft rubber as to the most exposed wearing portions, being preferably of a fabricated material as to which the rubber serves as a coating and filler, the rubber serving toresist wear and providing for quiclneasy and inexpensive repairs,the rubber which is used being simi lar to that which .is used for; inner tubes of pneumatic tires, which may be repaired with the ordinary repair kit and material used for this purpose. p

The helmet is supported on the shoulders, freeing the head of the operator from this load and the shoulder and collar portion is lined with soft material which not only serves as a pad, but prevents the entrance of dust and also provides a convenient exit for the ventilating air. I p

The ventilating hoseis also attached to the helmet in a manner providing for a quick detachment therefrom, and means is further provided not only taking up the slack of the hose but for counter balancing it and supporting 1t onv the chamber structure so, that the operators shoulders are to a large extent 'i elievedv of, this burden. r I 1 The observationor sight openlngsare so constructed that the transparentmembers are conveniently removed, which, in conjunction with the quick detachability of the ventilating hose permits the user towalk beyond the confines of the sand blast enclosure or other enclosure without the necessity for removing the helmet.

In the preferred form, the sight openings are provided with flexible annular recesses to permit the insertion of the transparent members,which may or may not be protected by'a screen. In the secondary form the transparent members are externally placed and supported by means of a strap.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a protecting and ventilating apparatus including a head gear or helmet embodying the features of my invention in the preferred form.

In the drawings: v

Figure 1 is a front View of the helmet and shoulder covering or collar.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1. 1

Figure 3 is a view showing in section a, sand blast chamber with the operator therein equipped with the apparatus of the invention, shown on a reduced scale.

Figure 4c is a section on the line 4-4.0f Figure 3 showing the ventilating air nozzle and the manner of connecting the same to the helmet.

Figure 5 is an elevation of the helmet showing a modified form of sight opening and transparent closure or goggles.

Figure 6 is a similar elevation with the transparent closure removed.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 77 of Figure 5 showing the transparent closure or goggles in place.

Figure 8 is a similar view with the transparent closure removed, the same being taken online 88 of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a section showing themanner of mixing the outside air with compressed similar parts in the different figures, the apscreen 24 may be inserted paratus, shown, comprises the head covering or helmet proper 1, a shoulder portion 2 by which the helmet is supported, strap fastenings formed in front and rear portions 3, :1, and shoulder strapsia. "l li-eapparatus also Includes ventilatingaii' pipe, 7, supporting pulley 8, counter balance pulley 9 and the a mixing injector 10.

The helmet is preferably constructed of fabric 12 coated and combined with soft'rubber 14, particularly as to the external surface and wearing parts where the rubber offers the mosttenacious resistance to the action of the abrasive and is easily and inexpensively repaired by means ofa vulcanizing mixture of raw rubber'or the usual inner tube repair material and after the well known manner of repairing inner tubes.

The helmet,-as shown, hook 15 at the top center. This hook is shown as having a threaded shank 16 which 18 passed through washers 17 on the inside and outslde of the helmet fabric, being secured by means of nuts 18 engaging the threaded shank 16 and locked above and below thewashers17. The hook 15,-inthe,

form'show-n, engages an: eye 19 ,or other hanger in the cellingof the chamber suspending the helmet and connected member whencnot in use.

The observationor sight openings 20, in

* the preferred structure shown in Figures 1 outside and inside, which and 2, are formed with an annular circumferential recess 21 in which the edges of the P P glass 22 and screen 24:, by which the glass may be protected, are seated. This recess is to the'best advantage formed of flexible portions of fabric and rubber 25, 26, on the may be,and to the best advantage are, integral with the fabric and rubber structure forming the helmet or head portion 1 of the apparatus. The portions 25 and 26 surrounding the opening are 1 so flexible that the edges of the glass 22 and which, in

therein and removed therefrom easily and conveniently and," in fact, instantaneously at the will of the 0perat0r, th e"said'members 25 and 26- fact, form, an. encircling frame for the glass and screen, being easily flexed and even stretched for this purpose, admitting and "releasing the glass and screen.

, In the form of the invention shown, the parts to be referred to being best illustrated in Figures .1 and 4, the ventilating-or air pipe 7 is connected to the helmet 1 at theneck portion 27 on each side,-though the exact construction shown is not essential to the inventlon.

This manner of connection has important advantages, as the air is firstbrought in contact with the neckof the workman int e vicinity of the large arteries and veins through which the blood supply to the brain passes, so thatthe workman is thus relieved by the is provided with a cooling contact at this point of the otherwise oppressive effect of the apparatus which nec-.

essarily completely, encloses the head and neck of the wearer in a covering which is essentially impervious to the usualand natural coolin'g and ventilatingfagencies"."

In the form of the invention 'shown,there are two air nozzles or connections 28 by which 'the'xairsupply, to be further describedand discussed, is led to and introduced into the helmet, preferably as to the neck portion as already stated. 7 v

The said nozzles, in the form shown, are

flanged at29 at the outer or discharge end and the nozzle passage 30 is inclined to the planeof the flange directing the air from the pipe 7 which is at the rear, forwardly and upwardly in contact with the We'are'rs neck,

as valready pointed out, and the arrangement of the nozzle passage is such that it further directs the air supply into contact with and across the respiratory organs of the wearer and against the insidesurface of'the trans-f parent material which closes the sight open ings, preventing condensationat this point whereby the vision of the wearer would otherwise be obscured. v

In order to supply the two nozzles 28, the air pipe 7 is formed at its delivery end with a branched or Y portion 31" :whereby the two nozzles 28 are connectedas to'their shank portion 32 with the I pipe 7, the'shanks 32 being, as shown, inserted in the ends of the i e at 33, which ends are expanded by the insertion of thenozzles, forming a'tight closure around the nozzle shanlnf j,

The nozzles 28, in addition tobeing inclined to the flanges 29, whichare secured to the helmet walls, are expandedin cross sec-" tional area at'the outward end, reducing'the veloclty oftl're discharge and producing an expanding jet which covers substantially the entire face portion of the helmet. The

nozzle flanges29, asjsliown, are secured to the wallsof thehelm'et by means of bolts 34 passing through the flanges 29 and seated at their inner ends in washers 35 which underlie the'helmet fabric on the inside, surrounding the nozzle openings 36. v

The helmet,' as shown, is provided with shoulder portions or 'sections2 lined with -w0ol-like material 39, which may tOi dvanat the front and back at each side of the apparatus,'i. e., each shoulder, and the shoulder straps 5 are secured in any, suitable manner to the front shoulder strap 3 and the rear shoulder strap 4', respectively, at the front and rear ends of the straps 5 and this'securing means 41 preferably arranged with a plurality of points of attachment 42 so that the straps may beadjusted to suit the operator, a desirable securing device being like or similar to the snap fasteners used on automobile curtains.

In operation the apparatus is secured to the workman in any obvious manner, the helmet being placed in position and the shoulder portions resting on the shoulders, the straps 3 and 4 are buckled together at the ends beneath the operators arms, as shown particularly in Figure 3, the buckles being indicated by reference character 43.

The air pipe 7 is supported by means of pulley 8 mounted in a suitable housing 44 and supported in any suitable manner as by swinging the housing from the ceiling 45 of the chamber 46 and the hose 7 is counter balanced by means of a pulley 9 and counter balance weight 47 connected to the pulley in any suitable manner, the preferred form being as illustrated;

Ventilating and cooling air is, in accordance with the preferred form of the invention shown, supplied to the hose 7 by means of the injector mixer 10 illustrated in detail in Figure 9. In accordance with the illustration the injector nozzle 49 is supplied with compressed air from any suitable source by way of the pipe 50. This nozzle 49 discharges into the injector or mixer chamber 51 to which pure air from the outside or medicated air is supplied, entering the side of the chamber by way of air supply passage 52. The air pipe 7 is connected to a discharge fitting 53 seated in chamber 51 and of an internal diameter many times as large as the nozzle, the same being placed directly opposite the nozzle so that the nozzle is directed into the end of the discharge pipe 53, which is funnel flared at its intake end, as shown at 54, and spaced away from the noz- I zle to provide for the entrance of pure air or medicated air from the chamber 51 supplied by way of passage 52 at the side.

It will be understood that the velocity of the jet from the nozzle 49 will create a vacuum in the chamber 51, drawing in the air by way of passage 52, and that this air will This manner of introducing a large volume the velocity of the jet, and at a comparatively small quantity of air under pressure has 0bvious advantages in the way of economy and convenience, the necessity for pumping a large volume of a-ir-at low pressure being thus dispensed with, it beingunderstood that the highpressure air ordinarily supplied for various purposes in manufacturing plants and'machine shops would not be desirable for this purpose except for the provision of the mixing device described, whereby the pres sure and velocity are reduced and the volume of air discharged is greatly increased.

In Figures 5, 6 and 7 I have illustrated a modified form of sight opening and glasses. In this instance a single sight opening 60 is provided, so located and formed as to overlie both eyes of the operator. This sight opening, in the form shown, is encompassed on both the inside and outside of the helmet wall 12 with frames 61 and 62 of thin spring metal which may be secured together by rivets or other suitable fasteners 63, giving a slight degree of stiffness to the helmet fabric at this point. In the preferred construction ofthis modification the eye glasses 64.

.are passed around the outside of the helmet and secured or connected to each other in any. suitable manner.

The manner of operating and using the apparatus has been fully brought out in the preamble and in connection with the description. The .walls of the neck and head portions of the helmet are so flexible and the neck is of such proportions that the helmet is easily put on and taken off by passing the head through the neck portion and in this position is held by means of the straps 3,4 and shoulder straps 5, as already described, the position of the straps 3, 4, relatively to the shoulder straps being varied to suit the operator by changing the position of engagement of fastenings 41 and 42. i

In voperation, as illustrated in Figure 3, the air hose 7 is supported by the pulley 8, the slack being taken up by the counter balance pulley 9 and weight 47. The air draft is preferably directed as shown and described, being introduced at the sides of the neck in the vicinityof the large arteries and veins where the air has the greatest met and shoulder covering. The draft is also directed forwardly and'upwardly to the respiratory.organs and. in contact with the transparent members, i. e., the screen and iglass preventing condensation and conseturned freely. The supporting of the helmet on the shoulders, as described, with the hose connected to the neck, cause the stresses incident to dragging the hose to be'taken up entirely by and on the operators shoulders, relieving the head therefrom. The strapping of the shoulder piecetothe operator, as shown, beneath the operators arms, contributes to this result; The supporting pulleys 8 and the counter balance pulley 9 also assist in taking the Weight ofthe hose from the operator and disposing of the slack. I

An important advantage consists in the provision of a supply of pure outside air or medicated air at, or substantially at atmospheric pressure which is introduced by means ofthe airpressure injector 10, as already described, the velocity incident to the release of the air under pressure through the nozzle 49, much reduced onaceount of the increased volume, being imparted to the outside air admitted through the; passages 52 and 53 to the hose 7.

Another advantage of the apparatus, as already pointed out,.consis ts in the provision of removable transparent coverings for the sight openings 20 and 60 and aconven iently removable connection as at 32, 33, which permits the operator to go outside the chamber at will, removing the covering of the sight opening and disconnecting the hose 7 without taking off the helmet. This is necessary for various purposes, as removing nected to the neck portion of the helmet at the sides and directed upwardly and forwardly toward the eye openings supplyingbreathing air and preventing condensation on the transparent members, the helmctgb eing adapted to release quantities of air corresponding to the quantities introduced to prevent the and bringing in the Work, in the form of castings or the like to be treated with the sand I have thus described specifically and in detail av sand blast helmet or head gear and ventilating apparatus therefor, the descrip-' tion being specific and in detail in order that the co'nstruction and manner of using and operating the apparatus of the invention may be fully understood, however, the

specific terms herein are used descriptively ratherthan in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the claim.

lVhat Iclaim as new and desire to secure by'Letters Patent is: r

A helmet having eye openings with transparent closures and means for supplying air thereto comprising an air hose and nozzle, means for supplying an air draft through the hose and nozzle, the nozzle eing con

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