US1947786A - Reversible helmet - Google Patents

Description

Fb. 20, 1934. H. w. Lut-:CK ET AL REVERSIBLE HELMET Filed April 1o, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 2Q 1934. H, w LUECK Er AL 1,947,786

I REVERSIBLE HELMET Filed April lO, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 di@ l@ /l gli E." Ti I A Waff,

Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REVERSIBLE HELMET Henry W. Lueck and Charles H. Davis, Park 1 Claim.

Our invention relates generally to helmets, and more particularly to helmets which are adapted to protect the face of the wearer when in use and the face guard of which may be easily moved to 4inoperative position when desired.

In many of the industrial arts, such as oxyacetylene welding and cutting, electric welding, operation of blast furnaces and the like, and in the pulling of switches in electric power generating g stations, it is extremely desirable, if not necessary, that the workman be provided with protection for his face. However, in most instances such protection is necessary only during a portion oi the working day and the workman will remove the protection at intervals. Unless the face protector is easily movable back into effective position, the workman will have a tendency to become careless and neglect to replace the protector when again commencing work where his face may be exposed to heat or dangerous light.

In some helmets for industrial use this problem has been partly solved by having the face guarding portion of the helmet pivotally mountedv on a horizontal axis with respect to the helmet proper so as to make it possible for the workman to swing the guard portion of the helmet up above his head. However, in many occupations this type of helmet does not prove satisfactory because of the additional head room required. This type of helmet does not prove practical, especially in power stations where the workman must walk through passageways, the low ceilings of which have suspended therefrom pipes, conductors, etc., which decrease the head room to a 'minimum. A workman in such restricted place will have a tendency to remove the helmet and not replace it prior to pulling a clip switch, and if the latter happens to be energized or carrying a load, he may be seriously burned by the resulting arc flash. Furthermore, the type of helmet in which the face protector swings upwardly on a horizontal axis is, when in its upper position, uncomfortable to the wearer due to improper balance of the helmet on his head, and when A used outdoors catches the wind. It is therefore the primary object of our invention to provide an improved helmet having removable means for protecting the face of the wearer.

A further object is to provide an improved pro- A tective helmet having face protective means which may be moved from a position in front of the face of the wearer to a position covering the back of the wearers neck.

A further object is to provide an improved helmet which is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis relative to a suitable supporting means fitting over the wearers head.

A further object is to provide an improved helmet which is simple in construction, which may be worn with comfort, which is light in weight, which may be economically manufactured, and which will afford the wearer full protection against heat and light.

Other objects will appear from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved helmet, showing the manner in which it is worn;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is a central vertical sectional View of the helmet shown in Figs. 1 and 2;Y

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Figure 5 is a central Vertical sectional View of a modification;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Figure 7 is a central vertical sectional View of a second modification.

The helmet shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, comprises a cap-shaped crown 10 which is preferably made of a fibrous material so as to retain its shape, the crown 10 having a depending ange or brim 12 around the major portion of its lower peripheral edge and a visor 14. The brim 12 and the Visor 14 may be made integrally with the crown 10 or be sewed or otherwise suitably secured thereto.

The crown 10, the brim 12, and visor 14 are preferably covered with a suitable heat resisting material 16, such as chrome leather, asbestos cloth or the like. This heat resisting material may be sewed or otherwise suitably secured to the crown 10.

A head harness comprising a pair of crossed bowed strips 18, anda lower band 22, the length of which may be adjusted by means of a thumb nut, the ends of which overlap and are secured in adjusted position by thumb nut and screw 24, is 100 rotatably secured to the crown 10, as best illustrated in Fig. 4. A relatively rigid dise 26 is secured to the harness by a shouldered rivet 28 which passes through the strips 18, 20, and a pair of washers 30. tatable in a metallic eyelet 32 positioned in the center of the crown 10. The disc 26 and the head harness are thus secured together to rotate as a unit relative to the crown 10, the disc preventing excessive relative tilting movement between the lvl! sov mij

The head of the rivet 28 is ro- 1 05 helmet proper and the head harness. The head harness is preferably lined with leather, or felt or similar material so as to fit comfortably upon the wearers head.

A. face protector or guard 34, as shown in Fig. 1, is riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the brim 12. This protector is preierably made of chrome leather but may be made or" other materials such as asbestos cloth or other fabric suitable for the particular use for which the helmet is intended. A window 36 of glass is secured over an opening in the protector 34 by means of aL ber frame 38 which is sewed or otherwise fastened to face protector 34, preferably without the use of metallic fastening means. If desired, two sheets of glass separated by an air space may be used in place or the single sheet disclosed, or for certain uses the glass may be replaced by a metallic screen. The glass will or course be of a type suited to the particular use for which the helmet is intended. Colored and other glass which will lter out harmful light rays and which will withstand high temperatures, will be most frequently used.

It will be noted that the face protector sheet 34 is sufficiently long to fully protect the face and neck of the wearer and extends backwardly a sufficient distance to cover and protect the wearers ears. This is of particular importance when the helmet is to be used by a workman engaged in pulling the switches in an electric power generating station where the arc causes a sudden and extremely hot blast of air.

The modified construction shown in Figs. 5 and V9 6 is generally similar to that previously described except for the means by which the head harness is rotatably connected to the crown of the helmet, and similar reference characters have therefore been applied to the parts which are identical with those previously described. As best shown in Fig. 6, the cross strips 18 and 20 of the head harness are securely fastened to a relatively large diameter disc 40 by a rivet 42, the head of which projects into a hole 43 in the center of the crown 10. A circular guide 44, Z-shaped in cross section, has one of its flanges projecting beneath the disc 40 to form a support and guide therefor, and has its outer ange secured to the crown 10 by a plurality of eyelets or rivets 46. The head harness is thus rotatably connected to the crown of the helmet, the engagement of the disc with the strip 44 preventing any material tilting movement of the helmet relative to the harnesss.

The construction shown in Fig. 7 is likewise generally similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 with the exception that the head harness comprises an adjustable band to which a plurality oi bowed strips 52 are secured. The upper ends of the strips 52 are secured to a disc 54 adjacent the peripheral edge of the latter. The disc 54 is ro tatably connected to the crown 10 by a shouldered rivet 56.

In all of the modifications shown, the user will suitably adjust the head harness to t his head, the band 22 usually fitting over the head at a point directly above the eyebrows. When working in a place where the wearer is subjected to dangerous heat or light, the helmet will be worn as shown in full lines in rlig. 1. When the danger is temporarily removed, the wearer, by grasping the visor 14, may rotate the helmet proper relative to the head harness about a vertical axis through an angle of approximately 180 degrees to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In this position the face protector sheet 34 will hang over the back of the neck and shoulders o the wearer and will not in any way interfere with the Vision and movements of the wearer. 1t will be noted that the face protector, when not in use, does not take up any extra space and will not increase, the head room neces sary for the wearer. The helmet when worn in either position is well balanced and hence will be comfortable to the wearer and its position not easily disturbed by wind or accidentally knocked from the wearers head.

While we have shown and described particular embodiments of our invention, we do not desire the scope of the invention to be limited to the particular constructions disclosed for the invention may be embodied in many other forms, all coming within the broad scope oi our invention.

We claim:

A helmet comprising a relatively rigid crown, a head harness having a disc secured at the top thereof, an annular strip secured to said crown and having a portion extending beneath said disc for rotatably securing said disc to said crown, and a face protecting shield secured to and depending from said crown.

HENRY W. LUECK. CHARLES 1-1. DAVIS.

Images