US3908197A

US3908197A - Protective heat shield

Info

Publication number: US3908197A
Application number: US450662A
Authority: US
Inventors: Paul D Griffin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-03-13
Filing date: 1974-03-13
Publication date: 1975-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 1992-09-30

Abstract

Protective heat shield having an overlapped asbestos sheeting adjustably mounted with the palm and fingers of the hand and forming an insulating air pocket between the overlapped asbestos sheeting and the hand, to protect the back of the hand from heat and molten metal in welding operations.

Description

United States Patent Griffin Sept. 30, 1975 i 1 PROTECTIVE HEAT SHIELD [76] Inventor:

[22] Filed:

Paul D. Griffin, PO. Box 86. Alvin. Tex. 775l l Mar. 13, 1974 21 1 Appl. No: 450,662

[52] US. Cl. 2/20 [5]] Int. Cl A4ld l3/00 [58] Field of Search 2/16. 20. 161 R. [58. 170:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1905 Liebenstcin 2/l6l R X l.377.l03 2.068. l 82 2.448.697

Suhr 2/16 l/l937 Jackson 2/20 9/1948 Bakke 2/l6l R Primary E.\'aminerRichard J. Scanlan, Jr. Attorney. Agent, or Firnt-Pravel & Wilson ABSTRACT Protective heat shield having an overlapped asbestos sheeting adjustably mounted with the palm and fingers of the hand and forming an insulating air pocket between the overlapped asbestos sheeting and the hand, to protect the back of the hand from heat and molten metal in welding operations.

9 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PROTECTIVE HEAT SHIELD BACKGROUND The field of this invention relates to heat shields for protecting the back of the handin welding operations.

In welding operations, welders commonly find the intensity of heat so extreme that they frequently dip their gloved hands in water to get relief from the intense heat or attempt to block the heat with protective heat shields. Prior art heat shields include devices such as those disclosed in US. Pat. Nos. 1,377,103; 2,044,105; 2,968,182; 2,394,136; 2,448,697; 2,561,891; and

Numerous disadvantages are found in the prior art, such as full gloves which are cumbersome to put on and to take off, and heat shields that have bulky, rigid configurations hampering the use of the fingers in welding operations.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION hand for forming an air insulation layer protecting the back of the hand from both heat and molten metal in welding operations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an oblique view of the apparatus of the present invention as used for protecting the back of the hand; and,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings, the letter S designates the protective shield of the present invention. The protective shield S includes a flexible insulating material I and adjustable mountings M1 and M2, which are identical except for mounting positions.

The protective shield S has a flexible insulating material I made up of a flexible asbestos sheet 10, having a top face a, a bottom face 10b, end 16f and end 10s, and sides 10w, 10x, 10y, and 102:. The flexible asbestos sheet 11 is capable of resisting and insulating against high temperatures encountered in a welding operation. The asbestos sheet 10 is of a flexible nature and of appropriate rectangular dimensions to adequately protect the back of the hand, being preferably of approximately 3 to 6 inches in width from side 10y to side 102 and of 8 to inches in length from side 10w to side iflx.

Adjustable mountings M1 and M2 are adhesively bonded to the flexible asbestos sheet 10. The adjustable mounting M1 includes a first leather strip 12 and a first elastic mounting band 14, and the adjustable mounting M2 includes a second leather strip 16 and a second elastic mounting band 18. The first leather strip 12 is adhesively bonded adjacent to the end 10f on the bottom face 10b extending outwardly from the top face 10a of the flexible asbestos sheet 10 while the second leather strip 16 is adhesively bonded adjacent to the end 105 on the top face 10a extending outwardly from the bottom face 10b of the flexible asbestos sheet 10. The

leather strips

12, 16 are so constructed of leather because of the heat resistant, strength, and flexible nature of this'material.

Elastic mounting bands

14, 18 are attached'by metal brads 20 to the'leather

strips

12, 16 respectively. The metal brads 20 are used in lieu of other connecting methods as stitching inasmuch as the brads 20 will remain relatively unaffected by the heat while alternative methods, such as stitching, may fail to hold due to'the heat encountered in welding. The elastic mou riting bands l4, l8 allow for adjusting to a wide range of various hand sizes capable of using the protective shield S of the present invention without the need forvarie'ty of sizes necessary to accommodate each and every hand size, either right or left;

' In the use or operation of the form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2; the preferred configuration of the protective shield S is illustrated in FIG. 1. A. hand 22 is slipped into a loop (not numbered) formed by the flexible asbestos sheet 10 and the adjustable mounting M1 including the first leather strip '12 and the first elas tic mountin'g band 14 such that the top face 10a of the asbestos sheet 10 overlies the'back portion of the hand 22 with the elastic mounting band 14 running laterally across the breadth of the palm of the hand 22 and the end re er the asbestos sheet 10 facing towards the finger tips of the hand 22. The'end 10s of the asbestos sheet 10 is lifted up and over the end 10f in the direction of the finger tips of the hand 22, and then slipping the finger tips into the loop (not numbered) formed by the flexible asbestos sheet 10 and the adjustable mounting M2 including the second'leather strip 16 and the second elastic mounting band 18. In this overlapped position an air pocket 24 is formed. Thus, a unique and novel protective 'shield S for the hand 22 results, having dual insulating qualities attributable to the asbestos sheet 10 and the air pocket With respect to the portion of the back of the hand 22 opposite the palm of the hand 22, an effective heat preventative shield results as a consequence-of the multi-layer overlapped configuration consisting of asbestos sheet 10, air pocket 24, and overlapping asbestos sheet 10 adjacent the end 10f. Thus the dual insulating characteristics of both the asbestos sheet 10 and that of the air pocket 24 are utilized to the benefit of the back of the welders hand to protect it from both the intense'heat generated in and around a welding operation as well as any sparks and/or I molten metal resultant to a welding process.

Alternatively, the overlapped configuration may be reversed in such a fashion as to provide the air pocket 24 adjacent to thefinger tips rather than adjacent the .back portion of thehand 22 opposite the palm. In this configuration the loop (not numbered) formed by the flexible asbestossheet 10 and the adjustable mounting M2 including the second leather strip 16 and the second elastic mounting band 18 is slipped over the finger tips, palm, thumb, and onto the wrist of the hand 22 such that the bottom face 10b of the flexible asbestos sheet 10 overlies the wrist of the hand 22 with the end Hts facing away from the finger tips of the hand 22. The end 10f of the asbestos sheet 10 is looped beneath the asbestos sheet 10 such that the end 10f faces away from the direction of the finger tips of the hand 22, as does end 10s. In this position the top face 10a of the flexible asbestos sheet 10 overlies the finger tips and the finger tips are then slipped into the loop (not numbered) formed by the flexible asbestos sheet 10 and the adjustable mounting Ml including the first leather strip 12 and the first elastic mounting band 14, with the elastic mounting band 14 running laterally across the breath of the finger tips of the hand 22. In this alternative configuration the air pocket 24 thus is adjacent the finger tips rather than the palm of the hand 22 providing greater heat-resistive insulating characteristics for the finger tips.

A further alternative to the above alternative is to reverse the mounting of the adjustable mounting M2 such that the top face 10a of the asbestos sheet 10 is adjacent the hand 22 with the ends lOf, 10s facing one another. ln this configuration, an air pocket 24 is formed having overlapped portions adjacent both the back portion of the palm and the finger tips of the hand 22 forming the air pocket 24 such that it extends the entire length of the hand 22 for heat resistive protection for the same.

The only parts of the protective shield S of the present invention that will easily burn are the elastic mounting bands l4, l6 and they are in a protected position in the palm and under the finger tips of the hand 22. Also due to the flexible nature of the asbestos sheet 10 at the looped or overlapped position, almost complete freedom of the fingers and thumb of the hand 22 exists while being protected from the heat and molten metal of a welding operation. Furthermore, the protective shield S of the present invention can be used on either hand, thus eliminating the need to make various configurations for either right-handed or left-handed welders and is easily adapted to be used over and in conjunction with presently existing commercially available welders gloves, if so desired.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape, and materials as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: 1. A protective shield for protecting the back of a welders hand from the heat and molten metal of a welding operation, comprising:

flexible insulating means including a flexible, heat protective sheet for mounting with a welders hand;

mounting means for mounting said protective sheet in a position overlapped upon itself on the back of the hand for forming an air insulation layer protecting the back of the hand from both heat and molten metal and,

said protective sheet including a protective face which, in said overlapped position, is bent to form an insulating air space with said air insulation layer.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein said overlapping mounting means includes:

a first mounting band attached to a first end of said protective sheet for mounting said first end in an overlapped position over the back of the hand palm; and,

a second mounting band attached to the other end of said protective sheet for mounting said other end over the back of the fingers with said heat protective sheet in an overlapped position.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2, wherein said overlapping mounting means includes:

means for flexibly mounting said protective sheet in an overlapped position for allowing greater movement of the hand during welding operations.

4. The structure set forth in claim 2, including:

said protective sheet including first and second protective faces;

said first mounting band being attached for extending outwardly from said first face of said protective sheet; and,

said second mounting band being attached for extending outwardly from said second face of said protective sheet.

5. The structure of claim 4, further including:

flexible heat resistant mounting means for mounting said mounting bands to said protective sheet to protect said mounting bands from heat and molten metal, said heat resistant means being adhesively bonded to said protective sheet.

6. The structure of claim 5, wherein said heat resistant mounting means includes:

a first heat resistant mounting means and a second heat resistant mounting means being adhesively bonded to said protective sheet, said first heat resistant mounting means being bonded to said second face at said first end of said protective sheet and said second heat resistant mounting means being bonded to said first face at said other end of said protective sheet.

7. The structure of claim 5, further including:

metal attaching means for securing said mounting bands to said heat resistant mounting means to prevent separation of said mounting bands from said heat resistant mounting means when exposed to heat.

8. The structure of claim 5, wherein said heat resistant mounting means includes:

leather strips for mounting said mounting bands with said protective sheet.

9. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said insulating air space is formed between opposing portions of said protective face for protecting the hand.

Claims

1. A protective shield for protecting the back of a welder''s hand from the heat and molten metal of a welding operation, comprising: flexible insulating means including a flexible, heat protective sheet for mounting with a welder''s hand; mounting means for mounting said protective sheet in a position overlapped upon itself on the back of the hand for forming an air insulation layer protecting the back of the hand from both heat and molten metal and, said protective sheet including a protective face which, in said overlapped position, is bent to form an insulating air space with said air insulation layer.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein said overlapping mounting means includes: a first mounting band attached to a first end of said protective sheet for mounting said first end in an overlapped position over the back of the hand palm; and, a second mounting band attached to the other end of said protective sheet for mounting said other end over the back of the fingers with said heat protective sheet in an overlapped position.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2, wherein said overlapping mounting means includes: means for flexibly mounting said protective sheet in an overlapped position for allowing greater movement of the hand during welding operations.

4. The structure set forth in claim 2, including: said protective sheet including first and second protective faces; said first mounting band being attached for extending outwardly from said first face of said protective sheet; and, said second mounting band being attached for extending outwardly from said second face of said protective sheet.

5. The structure of claim 4, further including: flexible heat resistant mounting means for mounting said mounting bands to said protective sheet to protect said mounting bands from heat and molten metal, said heat resistant means being adhesively bonded to said protective sheet.

6. The structure of claim 5, wherein said heat resistant mounting means includes: a first heat resistant mounting means and a second heat resistant mounting means being adhesively bonded to said protective sheet, said first heat resistant mounting means being bonded to said second face at said first end of said protective sheet and said second heat resistant mounting means being bonded to said first face at said other end of said protective sheet.

7. The structure of claim 5, further including: metal attaching means for securing saId mounting bands to said heat resistant mounting means to prevent separation of said mounting bands from said heat resistant mounting means when exposed to heat.

8. The structure of claim 5, wherein said heat resistant mounting means includes: leather strips for mounting said mounting bands with said protective sheet.

9. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein: said insulating air space is formed between opposing portions of said protective face for protecting the hand.