US2296338A - Safety helmet - Google Patents

Description

sepf." 22, 1942. M, DAKIN 2,296,338

SAFETY HELMET Filed July 29, 1939 v v INVENTOR.

W /wa'mzzgu Patented Sept. 22, 1942 SAFETY HELMET Morrill Dakin, Concord, N. H.,`assignor to GeneralY Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application July 29, 1939, Serial No. 287,323

(Cl. 12S-145) This invention relates to hoods or head' covering devices intended' fory use by persons engaged in occupations requiring them to be exposed to an atmosphere laden with foreign particles.

In many occupations", itis necess-ary for persons to work in contaminated atmospheres, thus requiring them to enclose their heads within some form o-f hood or helmet to prevent inhalation of quantities of foreign particles or undesirable fumes or gases. Since the head of the person is entirely enclosed, it is necessary to supply the person wearing the hood with an adequate supply of fresh airv within the hood, sinceall of the air breathed by theperson` comes from within theinterior thereof.

The hoods or helmetsfheretofore used have been heavy, bulky devices whichy were difficult' to wear and would tire the operator. Further, these devices have afforded the operator an extremely limited field of vision, being. that obtained through a window provided before the eyesy of. the operator; The remainder of the bodyv of the hood or helmet has beeny constructed from an' opaque or translucent material.

It is thus an object of my invention to provide a helmet or hood constructed. from a lightweight transparent material which will permit anV operator to have clear and unobstructed vision inf all directions without 'regard to the particular position of a Vision window which'may be provided in such hoods;

A further object of my invention is to provide a hood or helmet of such lightweight con'struction thatV the helmet maybe comfortably sup-` ported directly upon thehea'd4` of an operator without the use of any supporting superstructure, and which may be retained' in position upon the head of the'oper-ator in such amanner thatV a' vision window, provided in the helmet, ist always in alignment with the eyes of the' workman'.

A still further object is toprovide'a ho'odf or helmet of such lightweight material that it may be supported upon acloth cap wornby'an operator; the cap having a flexible tubesecuredthereto through which fresh' air is supplied' to the interior of the hood when placed'over the head of the operator, the hood having means whereby the same can be-'attached tov thevisor of the cap, thereby aligning a vision.V window infront of the eyes of the operator.`

Further objects and advantages of thepresentl invention will be apparent from the following description, reference beingmade to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred'form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my protective head covering'device showing the sameY in position as Worn by an operator;

Fig. 2 is across section substantiallyl along` line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the cap and hood showing a modified arrangement of attaching the hood to the visor of the cap; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view `of the cap' showing a head band adjusting means.

In my protective head covering device, I have provided a cap, which may be constructed from a lightweight flexible material, which is adapted to be worn upon the head of `a wearer or operator.

I have also provided a hoed covering which is adapted to be positioned over the head of the wearer of the cap. This hood is constructed from a very lightweight,` transparent material and is of such lightweight construction that it may be supported upon the crown of the cap as' worn by the wearer. This transparent or semi-transpar-` ent hood will afford' the wearer of the devicel a complete field of vision about himself, which eld is normally obscured bythe opaqueor translucent type head covering devices previously known inthe art. In order' to aiord the person wearing my hood a perfectly undistorted eld of vision before himself, a semi-rigid vision window is provided in a depending wall of the hood. Thisvision window is of a` clear, transparent material which will afforda very clear and undistorted field of vision in front of the'wearer of my device. In order to supply the wearer of the hoodwith an: adequate supply of fresh air', a tubev is' cured' to the cap through which a supply of fresh air is continuously delivered from a suitable source of supply and exhausted within the interior of the hood' near the face of the wearer'of mydevice.

More specifically, my device consists of a flexible body portion lv which comprises a cap or hat to be worn b-y a workman required to follow his occupation in areas contaminated with foreignl particles or undesirable fumes or gases. This cap or hat ispreferablymade from a soft', flexible material, such as cloth, which is lightin weight, and will rest comfortably upon Vth'e head of the workman. The" cap lD- is provided with a rigid visor Il extending from ther front portion of the cap. This visor shields the eyes of the workman from glaring overhead lights, and is adapted to direct a fiow of fresh air., dischargedfrom suitable'supply tubes, over the face of the workman.

Flexible Atubesl l2 and |"2a are attached'v to the' lower edge or periphery of the body portion of the cap I0. These tubes are positioned along either side of the cap IIJ and encircle the greater portion of the cap. One end of the tubes I2 and I 2a terminate on each side of the visor II, as indicated at I3 and I4, and below the bottom face oflthe visor II. These tubes I2 and |2a may be joined together at the rear of the cap by means of a connecting member I5. This member I5, as shown in Fig. 1, consists of a metal T-connection. The through portion of the T- connection is attached to one of the ends of each of the portions of tubes I2 and |2a. The T portion extends into a flexible tube I6. This tube I6 is adapted to be connected to a suitable source of fresh air supply which may deliver air under pressure through the tube I6 and into the tubes I2 and |2a. The air will exhaust from the tubes I2 and I2a near the front edge of the cap I0 and under the visor II. The means for delivering a continuous fresh air supply to the interior of the hood or head covering device is thus entirely supported by the cap I and is independent of the head covering or hood which is adapted to be placed over the head of the workman. The head covering or hood 2U is constructed from a material which is transparent or semitransparent, such as a rubber hydrochloride product or oiled silk, and which is flexible and Very light in weight. The hood is comprised of a crown portion 2|, which is substantially triangular in shape, the base of the triangular portion being positioned toward the front of the hood structure. A depending wall or body portion 22 is provided for the hood 20 and is adapted to be attached to the crown portion 2| by sewing or stitching the same along the edge of the triangular crown-shaped section, as indicated at 23 and 24. This depending wall portion 22 is also sewed or stitched along the back edge 25, thereby closing the structure and forming a complete head covering or hood. A flexible neck band 26 is provided around the circumference of the bottom edge of the hood structure. This neck'band 26 is adapted to retain the open end of the hood structure firmly about the neck and shoulders of the person wearing the device.

Since my protective head covering device is constructed from a material which is transparent or at least is semi-transparent, it is thus noted that a person wearing the hood will be afforded with an unlimited field of vision about himself and may look freely on all sides. However, long usage of a material which is flexible in nature may have a tendency to cause the material to wrinkle. These wrinkles may, in time, have a tendency to blur the eld of vision for the person wearing the hood or protective head covering device. In order to afford a eld of vision in front of the person which will not become blurred during use of my device, I provide a window in the depending wall 22 of my hood 20. This window includes a vision member 30 of transparent material such as sheet Celluloid or a sheet of regenerated cellulose which is free from distortion defects in order to afford clear vision therethrough. The window vision member is supported in an opening provided in the depending wall 22 of my hood 20 by means of a frame 3|. This frame consists of two sheets of a thin semi-rigid material which may be either transparent or opaque, as deemed necessary. These sheets of material 32 and 33 are stitched together along three of the outer edges thereof. When fastening sheets 32 and 33 together by the stitching 34, the edge of the crown 2| of my hood and the edge of the opening in the depending wall 22 are secured between the sheets 32 and 33 by the stitching 34, thereby providing a means for retaining the frame 3| in position in the depending wall 22 of my hood structure. As previously stated, the frame 3| is stitched along three edges thereof. The fourth edge 35 of the frame structure is permitted to remain open, so that the vision member 3D may be removed and replaced from between the sheets 32 and 33 of the frame 3|. This removable feature of the vision member is particularly useful in View of the fact that after considerable use of my hood, the vision member may become fogged or scratched in such a manner as would impair the vision of the workman wearing the hood. The fogging of the vision member would require the replacement of the entire hood if the vision member itself could not be replaced. The edge of the opening in depending wall 22 adjacent the open side 35 of the frame 3| may be secured to the inner sheet 33 of the frame 3| by stitching the same to that frame or cementing the same thereto, or by any other suitable means of attachment.V

In normal use of my protective head covering device, the cap I0 may rst be placed upon the workmans head. In order to provide a cap which will comfortably fit the head of the workman, I provide means to permit adjustment of the head band size. The adjusting means as shown in Fig. 4 consists of a cloth tab 60 which is attached at one end to the head band portion of the cap I0. The free end of the tab 60 is provided with one portion 6| of a snap button. The cooperating portion B2' of the snap button is attached to the head band portion of the cap I. Several of the snap button portions 62 can be attached to the cap to permit considerable adjustment of the head band size of the cap IIJ. After the cap has been comfortably adjusted upon the head of the workman, the hood 20 may then be placed on the workmans head, Since the hood 2'0 is of very lightweight structure, the crown 2| of the hood 2D may support the hood upon the cap I0 when in position upon the head of the workman. I am able to permit a supportl of my hood structure 20 in this manner in view of the fact that the hood structure is of a very lightweight material which will not rest in a heavy manner upon the head of the workman and tire him after wearing the same for a period of time. When the hood 20 is in position upon the head of the workman, fresh air is admitted to the interior of the hood through the tube I6 and tubes I2 and I2a. This fresh air is discharged from the ends I3 and I4 of the tubes I2 and |2a in a forward direction and below the lower surface of the visor I I. Since the air is delivered below the visor II, a clean, fresh current of air will be continuously circulated over the face of the workman. The excess air will exit from the neck opening around the neck and shoulders of the workman, since the elastic neck band 26 is not so tight as to prevent the air from exhausting from between the body of the workman and the elastic neck opening 26.

In order to provide a convenient means for retaining the vision window member 3|) in front of the eyes of the worknman, at all times, after the hood has been placed upon the workmans head. I have provided two U-shaped clips 43 and 4I. 'Ihese clips are attached to the upper edge of frame 3| by means of rivets 42, or any other suitable attaching means and are directed inwardly into the interior of the hood 20. The clips 49 and 4Iy -areprovidedV on either side of thef'rame. 3l.

andare.spacedlsufiiciently far apart to engage opposite edgesof4 the visor Il... The stiff visor Il of my capA L Ais adapted to extendinto the mouth ofi the U-shapedv clips 411 and' 4I and be retained within theclipsvby meansof friction. The clips thereby prov-ide ameans for retaining'. the visionv window-member` Sin a definite ylocation with respectto the cap` l0, and.V thus with respect to the eyesof thepersonwearing thehood 2B, regardless of the amount of movement the person may be required to do while performing his normal working functions. While these clips are not necessary from the standpoint of supporting my hood 2i] upon the head of the person Wearing the same, they are convenient from the standpoint of retaining the hood in a predetermined location upon the cap I0.

In Fig. 3, I have shown a modified arrangement whereby my hood 20 may be attached to the visor II of the cap in order to retain the vision window member 35) in a denite position with respect to the cap, In this arrangement, I attach two flexible tabs B and 5i to the top edge of the frame 3|. 'I'hese tabs may be attached in any suitable manner, such as by riveting the same to the frame 3| and are spaced sufficiently far apart as to align with opposite edges of the visor Il of my cap Ill. On the free end of the tabs 50 and 5|. I provide one-half of a snap button which is adapted to coact with the opposite half of the snap button attached to the visor ll of the cap I0. The portions of the snap buttons attached to the visor Il are attached adjacent opposite edges of the visor, so that when the portions of the snap buttons on the tabs 50 and 5| engage the portions of the buttons on the visor, the hood 2a will be secured in a definite relation with respect to the cap if). 'Ihis arrangement retains the vision window member 3|] in a definite relation to the cap l0 and to the eyes of the workman wearing the cap and hood.

It will be understood that the fastening means 40' and 50 for attaching my hood 26 to the cap IB are not essential in providing a support for my hood 29 upon the cap ID, since the hood 2B is of such lightweight, transparent structure that it may readily support itself upon the cap in position over the head of a wearer of the cap. However, these fastening means 4l) and 5l! are useful in that they provide a means for always maintaining alignment of the vision window member 30 with respect to the eyes of the person wearing my head protective covering device, so that the vision window member 30 will always be in front of the eyesI of the person, regardless of the movement of the head of the person while working.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a helmet or head covering device which affords a person wearing the device a complete held of vision about himself at all times, since the hood or head covering is constructed from a material which is transparent or at least semi-transparent. Also, my protective head covering device is very light in weight, since the material from which it is' constructed, such as oiled silk or a rubber. hydrochloride product, are light in weight.

The transparency of my head covering device is particularly advantageous where it is necessary for the workman to be engaged in localities requiring him to be careful of the welfare of other persons, and in watching moving objects so that he will not be injured by the same. The transparent hood also permits the workman to have sufficient vision to watch all of the activities abouti himself., thereby reducing Ythe accident hazard whichhas heretofore been. present When,

usingheadcovering devices having an opaque or translucent type hoody or head covering. Fur- Y ther, this` transparency of the head covering or hood reduces to aV minimum the affect of shadows by theheadcovering or hood upon the work being doneby the person wearing therdevice, thereby affording. better lighting conditions upon the work and consequently bettervision by the workman. wearing my head covering orV hood. By virtue of. the triangular shape of the hood, only three main seams are required for its manufacture. This shape is very desirable since the triangularly shaped crown provides a wide front to accommodate the window and prevents bulkiness at the rear. A hood of this shape requires less material for its manufacture and is more comfortable than the four-sided hoods or circular hoods.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A protective head covering device comprising a flexible cap provided with a visor, a flexible tube secured to the periphery of the bottom edge of the body portion of said cap, said tube having an end-terminating at each side of the visor of said cap, a flexible supply tube communicating with said tube on said cap and adapted to extend downwardly from said cap and be supported by said cap, and a transparent hood adapted to envelop said flexible cap and be supported thereby.

2. A protective heady covering device comprising a flexible cloth cap having a visor, a flexible transparent hood adapted to envelop the head of a person wearing the cap and be supported upon said cap, said hood having a loosely tted neck opening, a flexible tube secured to the' periphery of the body portion of said cap and having the open ends thereof adjacent opposite sides of the visor, and a flexible air conducting tube extending into said hood and communicating with said first mentioned tube.

3. A protective head covering device including A' a flexible cap adapted to be worn by an operator,

a hood comprising a flexible substantially triangular-shaped crown portion and a flexible body portion secured to said crown portion, a Window having a frame secured to said body portion and to the base of said triangularly shaped crown portion and a transparent vision member carried by said frame, said hood being adapted to be supported upon said cap when being worn by an operator and to envelop the head of the operator, and means for admitting fresh air within said hood.

4. A protective head covering device comprising a exble cloth cap having a body portion and a visor, a flexible transparent hood adapted to loosely envelop the head of a person wearing the cap and be supported upon said cap, Vsaid hood having a loosely fitted neck opening, a flexible tube carried by said cap adjacent the periphery of the body portion of said cap and having means for discharging air into said hood, a flexible air conducting tube extending into said hood and communicating with said rst mentioned tube, window means including a substantially rigid transparent portion and means for mounting said transparent portion in the front wall of said hood, and a disconnectable connecting and locating means between the visor and said Window means for locating the transparent portion of the window directly in front of the face of the wearer.

5. A protective head covering device comprising a exible cloth cap having a body portion and a visor, a exible transparent hood adapted to loosely envelop the head of a person Wearing the cap and be supported upon said cap, said hood having a loosely tted neck opening, a flexible tube carried by said cap adjacent the periphery 10 of the body portion of said cap and having means for discharging air into said hood, a exible air conducting tube extending into said hood and communicating with said first mentioned tube, Window means including a substantially rigid transparent portion and means for mounting said transparent portion in the front Wall of said hood, and a disconnectable connecting and locating means between the visor and said Window means for locating the transparent portion of the window directly in front of the face of the wearer, said means for discharging air into said hood including means to discharge the air towards said Window means.

MORRILL DAKIN.

CERTIFICME oF CORRECTION. 4 Patent No. 2, 296,558. september 22, 19m. MORRILL DAKIN.

It is hereby ,certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above umbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page l, seoond column, line 56, for "cured" read -secured; pageV 5, second column, line 52, claim 5, for secured to" read z"suspended from; and that the said Letters Patent should, be read with this correction therein that the same may coform to the record ofl the case in the Patent Office signed and sealed this 10th day of November, A. D. 19m.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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