US3029440A

US3029440A - Safety thumb protector

Info

Publication number: US3029440A
Application number: US91283A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rudolph E Nelson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-02-23
Filing date: 1961-02-23
Publication date: 1962-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 1979-04-17

Description

April 1962 R. E. NELSON 3,029,440

SAFETY THUMB PROTECTOR Filed Feb. 23, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 17, 1962 R. E. NELSON 3,02

SAFETY THUMB PROTECTOR Filed Feb. 25, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,029,440 SAFETY THUMB PROTECTOR Rudolph E. Nelson, 410 Casa Linda Drive, El Dorado, Ark. Filed Feb. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 91,283 3 Claims. (Cl. 2-21) This invention relates to a thumb protector.

An object of the present invention is to provide a thumb protector which is capable of insuring full protection to the thumb of a wearer when the latter is engaged in a hazardous occupation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a thumb protector which is simple in structure, highly efficient in action, and commercially feasible.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the open-ended thimble employed in the thumb protector according to the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view through the thimble illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the sheet blank of soft cloth material from which the thumb cot employed in the thumb protector of the present invention is made.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the thumb cot employed in the thumb protector according to the present lnvention.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the blank of leather from which the thumb stall employed in the thumb protector of the present invention is made.

FIGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view of the thumb cot and thumb stall employed in the thumb protector of the present invention.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the thumb protector according to the present invention.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the hand of the wearer with the thumb protector according to the present invention fixedly mounted upon the thumb of the wearer.

Referring to FIGURES 6 to 8, it will be seen that the thumb protector 10 of the present invention comprises a thumb cot 20 having a cushion 26 in the form of a roll positioned so that the roll is forwardly of and extends transversely across and bridges the open front end of the cot, the cushion roll being attached to the front end of the cot. Extending about and embracingly engaging the portion of the cot 20 adjacent the front end thereof is a metal open-ended thimble 30. A thumb stall 40 encloses and is aifixed to the cot 20. As shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, a protective strap 42 extends over the roll cushion 26 and is attached to the thumb stall 40. Tie means 50 is provided and is carried by the cot 20 and stall 40, the tie means serving to secure the thtunb protector to the hand A of a wearer, as illustrated in FIGURE 8.

The thumb cot 20 is formed from a sheet blank 21, FIGURE 3, the blank being fabricated wholly of soft cloth material like flannel. The blank has opposed end edges 22 and a side edge 23 extending between each of the complemental ends of the end edges 22. The blank is provided with a tear line 24 which extends from one to the other of the side edges 23 and is parallel to and adjacent to one of the end edges 22. It will be observed from FIGURE 3 that the portion of each of the side edges 23 between the tear line 24 and the other of the end edges 22 flares outwardly to a mid-point 25. It is to be noted that there is a hole 28 in the blank at opposite ends of the other end edges 22 adjacent the merger point with the adjacent side edge 23, and also a hole 29 inwardly of and substantially midway of the tear line itself to form the cushion roll 26.

"ice

24, the purpose of the holes 28 and the hole 29 to be subsequently described.

To form the cot 20 from the thus described sheet blank the part defined by the tear line 24, the one end edge 22, and the adjacent portions of the side edges 23, is severed from the blank 21 by shearing along the tear line 24. The thus severed part of the blank is then rolled upon Next, the remainder of the blank 21 is bent back upon itself so that the side edges 23 between the severed tear line 24 and the point 25 partially overlap, and these overlapped side edges are then sewed together. This results in the formation of the cot 20 having a front open end 27. The previously formed cushion roll 26 is then positioned forwardly of the front end 27 of the cot 20 so that it extends transversely across and bridges the front end 27, whereupon it is attached to the front end 27 as by sewing.

The metal open-ended thimble 30 which is employed in the thumb protector it of the present invention has one end 31, FIGURES 1 and 2, which is flared, and has the other end 32 which is not flared, and in addition,

. is provided with a hole 33, the purpose of which will be subsequently described. The thimble 32 is applied to the cot 20 by inserting the flared end 31 over the cushion roll 26 and sliding the thimble along the cot until the other end 32 is free of the cushion roll 26 and contiguous to the front open end 27 of the cot, and the hole 33 of the thimble 30 is in registry with the hole 29 of the cot 20.

The thumb stall 40 is formed from a sheet blank 41, FIGURE 5, the blank being fabricated of leather, preferably of leather for boots. The blank 41 has opposed end edges 43 and a side edge 44 extending between each of the complemental ends of the end edges 43. The blank 41 is provided with a tear line 45 which extends from one to the other of the side edges 44 and is parallel to and adjacent to one of the end edges 43. It will be observed from FIGURE 5 that the portion of each of the side edges 44 between the tear line 45 and the other of the end edges 43 flares outwardly to a midpoint 48. It is to be noted that there is a hole 46 in the blank 41 at opposite ends of the other end edge 43, and also a hole 47, inwardly of and substantially midway of the tear line 45, the purpose of the hole 46 and the hole 47 being subsequently described. To form the stall 40 from the thus described sheet blank 41 the part defined by the tear line 45, the one end edge 43, and the adjacent portions of the side edges 44 is severed from the blank by shearing along the tear line 45, and this severed part forms a protective strap 42. Next, the remainder of the blank 41 is bent back upon itself so that the side edges between the severed tear line 45 and the point 48 partially overlap, and these overlapped side edges 44 are then sewed together. This results in the formation of the stall 40, as shown in FIGURE 6. Upon completion of the stall 40 an end portion of the strap 42 is fixedly attached as by sewing to the underneath portion of the stall 40 adjacent the forward end 49.

To assemble the thumb cot 20 carrying the cushion roll 26 on the front end 27 and the thimble 30 mounted thereon and the thumb stall 40 the rear end of the stall 40 is inserted over the front end 27 of the cot 20 and the stall slid backwardly along the cot 20 until the hole 47 is in registry with the registered

holes

29 and 33 of the cot 20 and thimble 30, respectively, and the pair of holes 46 of the stall 40 are in registry with the pair of holes 28 of the cot 20. A rivet is then extended through the registered

holes

47, 33, and 29, of the stall 40, the thimble 30 and cot 20, respectively, and thereby secures the stall 40 to the cot 20. It is to be noted that the inner end of the rivet 32 is bradded, and the contour line of the thumb of the wearer prevents the bradded end of the rivet from contacting or touching the thumb at any time. The other end of the strap 42 is then attached to the front end of the stall 40 as by stitching. The tie means 50 which is in the form of a cord has the intermediate portion trained about the exterior surface of the stall 40 and has its end portion threaded through the registering pairs of

holes

46 and 28 in the stall 40 and cot 20, respectively.

The flared end 31 of the thimble 30 and the cushion roll 26 prevent the thimble 30 from slipping, and also, protects the end of the thumb of the wearer when the wearer is engaged in the task of opening and hanging bag on a bag-packing machine.

What I claim is:

1. A thumb protector comprising a thumb cot fabricated wholly of soft cloth material and having an open front end, a cushion in the form of a roll of soft cloth material positioned so that the roll is forwardly of and extends transversely across and bridges the open front end of said cot and attached to the front end of said cot, a metal open-ended thimble extending about and embracingly engaging the portion of said cot adjacent the front end thereof, and a leather thumb stall enclosing and aflixed to said cot.

2. A thumb protector comprising a thumb cot fabricated wholly of soft cloth material and having an open front end, a cushion in the form of a roll of soft cloth material positioned so that the roll is forwardly of and extends transversely across and bridges the open front end of said cot and attached to the front end of said cot, a metal open-ended thimble extending about and embracingly engaging the portion of said cot adjacent the front end thereof, a leather thumb stall enclosing and affixed to said cot, and a protective leather strap extending over said roll cushion and attached to said stall.

3. A thumb protector comprising a thumb cot fabricated wholly of soft cloth material and having an open front end, a cushion in the form of a roll of soft cloth material positioned so that the roll is forwardly of and extends transversely across and bridges the open front end of said cot and attached to the front end of said cot, a metal open-ended thimble extending about and embracingly engaging the portion of said cot adjacent the front end thereof, a leather thumb stall enclosing and afiixed to said cot, a protective leather strap extending over said roll cushion and attached to said stall, and tie means carried by said cot and stall for securing said thumb protector to the hand of a wearer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 298,389 Kealen May 13, 1884 835,980 Paroubek Nov. 13, 1906 1,736,344 Hisek Nov. 19, 1929 2,437,886 Millard et a1 Mar. 16, 1948 2,827,635 Rasmus Mar. 25, 1958