US1978994A - Protective helmet - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 30, 19 34. D. A. FORTUNATO 1,973,994

PROTECTIVE HELMET Filed May 28, 1952 INVENTOR DomemcA.Fovtunato.

ATTORNEY Patented Get. 30, 1934 PATENT OFFICE UNITED STATES This invention relates to helmets for use by firemen, shipwrecked persons, and others and is adapted to protect the wearers head and emciently remove moisture and impurities from the air-being breathed.

One object of this invention is to provide a helmet of the above nature having eye pieces to insure proper vision, a mouthpiece having water-shielding means, and means for preventing leakage of water into the helmet around the neck.

A further object is to provide a helmet of the above nature having an adjustable respiratory device through which the wearer may selectively breathe air through a filter or directly from the atmosphere.

A further object is to provide a helmet of the above nature having means operable from the exterior for cleaning ofi any mist or moisture that may collect on the inside of the eye pieces.

A further object is to provide a helmet of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to put on and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of the improved helmet as it appears when fitted to a persons head.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the same on an enlarged scale, the persons head being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective View showing the eye pieces and the cleaner.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates a helmet preferably made from stiff rubber and adapted to fit loosely over a persons head. The lower open end of the helmet has a 5 flexible neck piece 11 cemented or vulcanized l thereto and designed to snugly surround or encompass the neck of the wearer.

In order to afford suitable vision for the wearer, the helmet 10 is provided with a pair of 0 spaced circular apertures 12 and 13 having suit- -able transparent eye pieces 14 and 15, such as non-shatterable glass or mica, fitted therein. The eye pieces 14 and 15 are permanently secured in place by means of a pair of annular flexible retaining rings 16 and 17 cemented or otherwise attached to the interior surface of said helmet 10, as shown in Fig. 3.

In case the eye pieces 14 and 15 should become clouded with mist or fog from condensation of moisture, provision is made of a wiper 69 member comprising an absorbent sponge 18 at-- tached to the end of a U-shaped wire member 19 pivoted between the eye pieces 14 and 15. The wiper 18 is adapted to be manually operated from the outside or said helmet 10 by means of a handle member 20 forming one of the legs of the wire member 19. If desired, a raised rubber piece 21 of the same thickness as and flush with the retaining rings 16 and 17 may be secured to the interior surface of the helmet, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the wiper 18 will slide along a surface on the same plane as the rings 16 and 17, and thus prevent excessive wear.

The helmet 10 has a forwardly extending cupshaped nose piece 22 of thin flexible rubber material which is secured to the edge of an aperture 23 out within said hood 10. A pair of wire pinchers 24 having crossed jaw members 25 and 26 extends rearwardly through the hood aperture 23, and said jaw members carry flat rubber buttons 27 on their extremities. This construction allows the pinchers 24 to be readily operable from the outside of the hood 10 by merely pressing the flexible nose piece inwardly to open the jaws and permit the buttons to hold the nose closed, and thus permit breathing only through the mouth.

In order to separate moisture and other undesired materials from the air, provision is made of a respiratory apparatus 28 attached to the front of the helmet 10 and comprising a breathing tube 29, a Y-connection 30, a manually operated pet-cock 31, and a filter bulb 32. The breather tube 29 is preferably made of corrugated flexible rubber tubing, such as is used in gasmasks, and is provided on its inner end with an integral mouth piece 33. The breather tube is adapted to pass through an aperture 34 cut in the lower part of said helmet 10, and has its outer end fitted tightly upon a reduced neck 35 of the Y-connection 30. A tubular member 36 of flexible rubber loosely surrounds the tube 29 and is cemented or otherwise secured to that portion of the helmet 10 surrounding the mouth aperture 34.

The filter bulb 32 is provided with an enlarged neck 37 for detachably fitting over a downwardly extending branch 30a of the /-connection 30. An inverted base cup 38 is fitted into the lower open end of the filter bulb 32 and is provided with a plurality of pierced holes 39. A smaller inverted cup 40 also having a plurality of pierced 7 i rotatable tubular shell 45 preferably having a.

cork gasket 46 disposed therebetween. The outer shell 44 is provided with an integral offset spout 47, While the inner shell 4 5.has anaperture 48 which is adapted to be rotated into and out of alinement with said spout. The lower end: of. the inner shell 45 is provided with a pair of spaced circumferential flanges 49 and 50 for forming an annular groove. 51 within which is, engaged the inner' endof a rivet pin 52secured. to the. outer shell 4.4. This construction locks the inner shell 45 securely within the outer shell 44 against longitudinal movement, yet allows the same to be rotated freely therein. The inner shell is adapted to be manually rotated, by means of av winged handle member 53 integrally formed: on the lower closedv end of said shell 45.

In order to permit thehelmet to behung upon a. hook when not in use, provision is made of a;

small rubber, lug. 54, attached to the top of the hood 10 and having a wirering 55 loosely fittedinv said. lugv 54.

Operation In operation, the helmet, 10 may be quickly put on by first stretching the neck piece 11 so asto allow it to slip over the wearers head. The pinchers, 24 will then. be. operated to clamp it upon the nose toclose the nostrils, and the mouth piece 33' will be inserted within the wearers mouth. When the wearer. desires protection from dust, noxiousgases, etc, the pet-cock 31 will be kept closed and airwill be breathed in and out only through the filtering bulb 32. conditions the pet-cock 31 may be openeddirectly to the atmosphere. In caseany water should accidentally getwithin the helmet 10, the water may be easily releasedby merely loosening the neck piece 11. and allow the water to runout.

While there has been disclosed in thisspecifi cation one form in which the invention may be embodied, it isto'be understoodthat this form isshown for the purpose of. illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may bemodified and embodied Under other in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a protective helmet, a helmet adapted to fitloosely over a. persons head, a flexible neck piece adapted to fit tightly around a persons neck; a pair of transparent eye pieces in said helmet, means pivoted between said eye pieces for removing mist from said eye pieces, a nose piece having a; pair of flexible wire pinchers enclosed therein for sealing the nostrils of a person, and a valve means'having a mouth piece through which air, maybe. selectively breathed directly from the. atmosphere or through a filtering device.

2; In aprotectivehelmet, a.helmet adapted to fit over a persons head. 1.. breather .tllbe, extend: ing' into said. helmet and hayinga mouth piece integratwithits. inner end,,a{ Y-connection attached to the outer end of said breather tube,

an adjustable pet-cock attached to one branch of said Yeconnection, a. filtering-bulb secured to the other branchof. said Y.-.conneotion, andmeans in said. filtering bulb. for purifying the air before it is drawn into the breather tube.

3. In aprotective heimet, a helmet adaptedto. j

fit over apersorfls head,a flexible. breathing tube extending, into said. helmet, a Y-connection. at-

tached. to the outer endof said. breather, tube, a. flexible tubular pipe loosely, enclosing, said. breather tube and forming a water-proof. connection betweensaid Y-connection and said helmet, a. filtering, bulb secured toone branch of said Y-connection, means in-said bulb for purifying the air. before it is. breathed. into the lungs, a petcock attachedtothe other branch of said Y-con- 1- nection,v andv manually operated handle means connected to said. pet-cock, for opening, a direct passage from. said -connection to the atmosphere.

4. Inaheadprotector, a flexible helmetadaptin a arc over said eye pieces, for removing mist therefrom, said wiper member havinga handle member locatedon the exterior of said helmet to facilitate the manipulation thereof.

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