US2229706A

US2229706A - Welder's protective headgear

Info

Publication number: US2229706A
Application number: US201984A
Authority: US
Inventors: John H Schneider
Original assignee: Mine Safety Appliances Co
Current assignee: MSA Safety Inc
Priority date: 1938-04-14
Filing date: 1938-04-14
Publication date: 1941-01-28
Anticipated expiration: 1958-01-28

Description

Jan. 28, 1941- J. H. SCHNEIDER WELDERS PROTECTIVE HEADGEAR Filed April 14, 193a a sheets sheet 1 INVENTOR- SM WITNES$ WW0 ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 28, 1941- J. H. SCHNEIDER WELDER S IPROTEC-TJVEL HEADGEAR s Shuts-Sheet z Filed April 14. 1938- WITNESSES MM. 7, d. M

ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 28, 1941.

J. H. SCHNEIDER WELDERS PROTECTIVE HEADGEAR Filed April 14. 19:8

My A ATTORNEYS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 w INVENTOR. S Mar-v BY V 2 65);; on I WITNESSES Patented Jan. 2a, 1941 2,229,706 waapsns rno'rao'rrvannsnenan Application April 14, 1938, Serial No. 201,98;

5 Claims.

This invention relates to protective headgear for welders and the like, and has among its objects the provision of unitary means which protects the head, face and lungs of the wearer, which effectively shields the face from intense heat, which is readily accommodated to different individuals, and which is strong and durable.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front view of my protective headgear; Fig. 2 is a side view thereof; Fig. 3 is a rear view; Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line IVIV of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section takenon line V-V of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a rear view of a modification of part of the gear; Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the face shield shown in Fig. 6; and Figs.

8, 9 and 10 are enlarged fragmentary se'tions of modifications of the face shield itself.

In accordance with this invention, a face shield, provided with the usual sight opening covered by a removable dark glass, is supported in front of the face by a blow-resistant protective hat to which it is pivotally connected to permit the shield to be swung upwardly out of the line of vision. Connected to the inner face of the shield is a respirator which is adjustably mounted so as to properly and comfortably fit different individuals. To keep the intense heat encountered in welding from being radiated by he shield to the face, the shield is preferably coated on one of both sides with a metal paint or foil of low emissivity, i. e. does not readily radiate heat absorbed by it and therefore forms an effective insulator. The insulating effect of the metal is increased if it also possesses a high degree of reflectivity.

Referring to the first four figures of the drawings, a protective hat I of any suitable design and adjustable to any desired size by the usual adjustable hat band, not shown, is formed of a suitable blow-resistant material. This hat supports a shield 2 in front of the face. The shield is made of light-weight rigid material, such as molded Bakelite or heat-resistant fibre board,

' and is provided with the usual sight opening 3 sition relative to the hat either in front of the face orabove it by any well known means, such as small pla'telike members 9 non-rotatablymounted on the shield .and hat and biased toward each other. These members are provided with interengaging detents H, as shown in Fig.

- 3, which are disengaged when the wearer swings the shield from one of its two positions to the other.

It is another feature of this invention that this protective headgear is suitable for welding where the air is laden with toxic gases or with an excess amount of dust or other foreign particles.

Accordingly, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a respirator is mounted behind the face shield so that pure air can be breathed by the welder while at work. The respirator preferably comprises a face-piece l2 of rubber or other flexible air-tight material adapted to fit snugly over the nose and mouth and which is connected by branch tubes l3 to a main inlet tube it through which fresh or pure air is pumped. The excess-air and exhaled breath escape from the face-piece through an exhalation valve 16 of well known construction. Main tube M extends through the shield at a point adjacent pivot plates 9 ,so that the tube is not pulled too much when the shield is raised relative to the hat.

It is also a feature of this invention that the respirator is so mounted in the shield that it can be accommodated to the faces of various individuals in order to fit them properly and comfortably. For this purpose the face-piece is mounted for vertical adjustment relative to the shield and for movement toward and away from it. Preferably, the adjustable mounting comprises a plate ll disposed against the inner face of the shield that is provided with a central vertical slot I8 through which extends a bolt N that is secured to the plate and carries a nut 2! (Figs. 1, 2 and 5). The plate is prevented from. tilting by means of two parallel vertical ribs 20 pressed out of or otherwise formed on the shield, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Secured to the rear face of the plate is a coil spring 22 on the rear end of which is mounted a disc 23 or other suitable member that is connected to the front of the respirator face-piece to support it within the movement of the respirator vertically when necessary, but vertical adjustment is effected principally by loosening nut 2i and slidingpiate ll up or down between ribs 20.

A protective headgear constructed in accordance with this invention is highly advantageous where there is danger of the wearer being struck on the head by falling objects, as his head as well as his face is protected. Likewise, the lungs are protected where the air is not pure because a respirator is carried by the face shield. By mounting the respirator on the: shield it is not necessary to be put to the trouble of applying and adjusting a separate respirator every time one is needed. Once the respirator is adjusted in the shield to fit an individual, it is automatically and properly positioned over his nose and mouth whenever the headgear is donned and the shield sight opening assembly. The frame 21 for the fopening 28 is integral with the face shield, and the glass-carrying frame 29 is hinged directly to the shield.

when a considerable amount of welding is being done, the face shield may become so hot from the heat of the welding torch that the shield will radiate sufllcient heat inwardly against the face to cause material discomfort. To avoid this the face shield is preferably coated with a layer of aluminum Si or other metal which does not readily radiate heat absorbed by it, and which has a high degree of reflectivity of heat rays to which it is exposed. Such a coating may be applied as a paint or as a foil. Also. it may be applied to either the outside or the inside of the shield or to both sides, as shown, respectively, in

Figs. 8, 9 and 10. The heat reaching and absorbed by this layer of metal is not radiated in wardly toward the face to such an extent as to be unduly objectionable, and when the metal is applied to the outside of the shield it also reflects a large part of its heat, whereby the metal coating forms an efficient heat insulator without rendering the shield too heavy or cumbersome.

According to the provisions of thepatent statutes, I have explained the principle and construction of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that. within the scope of the'appended 'all directions relative to the shield.

rigid face shield adapted to be connected to the 5 head, means mounted on the inner face of said shield for vertical adjustment thereon, resilient meanssecured at one end to said adjustable means and projecting therefrom with its opposite end universally movable relative to said shield, and a respirator mounted on said opposite end of said resilient means, whereby said respirator is free to move in all directions relative tothe shield.

2. Welder's protective headgear comprising a rigid face shield, adapted to be connected to the 15 head, means mounted on the inner face of said shield for vertical adjustment thereon, a coil spring secured to said means and projecting rearwardly therefrom, and a respirator mounted on the rear end of said spring.

3. Welder's protective headgear comprising a rigid face shield member adapted to be cone rigid face shield provided with a vertical slot, a

plate disposed against the inner face of said shield, means connected to the plate and extend- 85 ing through said slot for detachably clamping the plate to the shield, the shield being provided with inwardly projecting portions at the opposite sides of said plate for holding the plate against rotation relative .to the shield, resilient 40 means secured at one end to the rear face of the plate and projecting therefrom with its opposite end universally movable relative to the shield, and

a respirator mounted on said opposite end of said means, whereby said respirator is free to move in all directions relative to the shield.

5. Welder's protective headgear comprising a rigid face shield member adapted to be con-' nected to the head, a plate member disposed against the inner face of said shield, one of said members being provided with a vertical slot, means connected to the other of said members and extending through said slot for adjustably positioning said plate on the shield, resilient means secured at one end to the plate and pro- 65 jecting therefrom with its opposite end universally movable relative to the shield, and a respirator mounted on said opposite end of said resilient means, whereby the respirator is free to move in JOHN H. SCHNEIDER.