US2120231A - Respirator - Google Patents

Description

H. 5. COVER RESPIRATOR Filed Dec 26,

June 14, 1938.

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RESPIHATOR Filed Dec. 26, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 WEE/249355;. 56''. m

Patented June 14, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RESPIRATOR Harvey 8. Cover, South Bend, Ind. Application December 26, 1935, Serial No. 56,255 9 Claims. (01. 128-146) Myinvention' relates to improvements in respirators and has for an object the production of an improved device to be used for protecting the user from dust, smoke, and noxious gases of various kinds.

A specific object is the provision of a respirator provided with filter boxes which are compact and space-saving and at the same time are effective to admitthe desired flow of air. Space-saving is accomplished by providing a. thumb rest, or equivalent means, on the outside face of the inner element of the filter box, so the middle finger of the left hand can be placed in the air. opening in this element as a support, and the thumb rested against or supported against the above mentioned thumb rest in such manner as to be able to screw the lid or outer element on or off the inner element, while at the same time the outer element may extend clear across or over the margin of the inner element. Heretofore, in the art, this has been impossible to accomplish when .both elements have been grasped at the-outer margin of their circumferences.

Another object is the provision of a respirator which has theadvantage of having filter boxes or chambers which are removable and also adjustable in accordance with sight requirements among other reasons.

' admit the desired flow of air.

Still another object is the provision of a re-v I versible respirator provided with filter boxes which may be adjusted to permit reversibility without any interference with vision, etc. For

example, in the form shown, I have disclosed a reversible respirator having filter boxes which may be adjusted to top, intermediate, or low positions. This respirator may be reversed without anydisadvantages whatever as to filter boxes which have the advantage of being capable of adjustment to any position.

Myinvention makes possible the use of an unusually large diameter of filter box in a respirator and any disadvantages in the way of vision are eliminated .by virtue of the adjustability ofthe filter box.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a compact and light respirator provided with filter boxes of the character described, and a respirator having desirable audibility without any specially designed valves, such as a vibrating diaphragm.-

Another object is the provision of an exhaust Fig, 1;

valve provided with a minimum of contact between the valve and valve seat whereby any danger of sticking or sluggishness is eliminated. A further object is the provision of a filter box provided with corrugations arranged to ad mit the air in a most efficient manner and one My invention may be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawingain which: {r

Fig.1 1 is a front'vie'w of the device as applied to a face, showing the filtering boxes'in intermediate position; a

Fig. 2 is a similar view to that-of Fig. 1, showing the box on the left side (looking at the drawings) in low position, and the other box in intermediate position, either of the boxes being-capable of being moved to highposition; i

Fig. 3.is a section taken on the Fig; 4 is a view of the outside face of. the inner element ofone of the filter boxes; p

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a sectiontaken on the line 8-6 of l ig. 5, showing the face of the inner element of the box :opposite to that face shown in Fig. 4;- Fig. 7 is a face view of the outside of the outer element of the box: 7

Fig.8 is a. view substantially similar to Fig. 5, showing some of the parts disassembled; and r Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of adjustment.- j

has-been selected to illustrate the said invention, includes a respirator bodyihli,

provided with cut-outs it to accommodate the,

nose of a wearer. Also 'in the form shown a This'ahd others of the inventive features in the device shown have been, covered in previous applicaline a of g 35 The preferred form of my invention which;

principle 1' of! 40. guard of cloth or other material is shown wo'm in conjunction with. the respirator;

particularly in Figs. 1, 3, and 5, In the form shown it will be noted that one oftthe openings is superimposed over the other. located in the housing I] is a valve seat I! which in. the form I9 is provided around the openings 24 with sharp flared edges 25, particularly shown in Fig. 3. By the arrangement of the sharp flared edges 25 with the valve 26 there is only a minimum of contact between the valve and valve seat in the valve area, and this arrangement of the sharp flared edges has the advantage of eliminating any tendency there might be for the valve to stick or adhere momentarily to the valve seat or to act sluggishly, for example, under unusual atmospheric conditions.

The valve 26 is a flat valve which is oval in form as described in previous applications filed by me and is attached in the central area. of the valve as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. By virtue of the arrangement as disclosed in the previous applications, the valve 26-lies against the valve seat with a minimum of contact in the valve opening area. The valve is normally closed to seal off tightly the outside air, and at the same time has a sensitive action to meet all the needs of expiration.

The body portion l5 looking at the drawings as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,has an integral right wall 23 and integral left wall 29, and the walls 28 and 29 are each provided with an opening 30 as shown in Fig. 5. Adapted to be secured to, each of these walls 23 and 29 in the area of the opening 39 is a fllter box. There are two of these filter boxes and a description of one of these boxes and the means for connecting and supporting it to the body will suffice, the boxes and connecting and supporting means being the same in' each case.

Adapted to fit into one of the openings 39 is a flanged, threaded locking cap 3| having an opening 32, which cap is also adapted to flt into an oif-center opening 33 in the base of an inner element 34, which, with an outer element 35, comprises each of the two filter boxes 36. These parts are clearly shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 8. For securing the inner element 34 to the wall 23, for example, a threaded locking-ring 31 is adapted to be screwed on the flanged locking cap, the ring 31 having thumb and finger cut-outs 33' for convenience in turning as shown in Fig. 8. Each of the inner elements 34 has a threading flange 39 and a retaining flange 49 as shown in Figs. 4, 5,

and 6, perpendicular to said flange 39, which flange 49 has the advantage of properly positioning the fllter material in the fllter box, as will be more evident hereinafter. Each of the inner elements 34 is provided with three pockets, 4|, 42, and 43, as shown inFlgs. 4 and 6; to wit, a top pocket 4|, an intermediate pocket 42, and bottom pocket 43, arranged in a radial manner in relation to the opening 33 to accommodate one of the nuts 44 which secure one end of a strap 45 to the body l5 and also provide raised portions to keep the fllter element away from the side wall of the inner element. The arrangementjust described has the advantage among others that by unscrewing the ring 31 the fllter box may easily be detached from the body l5, and furthermore may be a iusted to any position desired. For example, in Fig. 1, both of the filter boxesare in intermediate position, whereas inFig. 2 one of the boxes is in intermediate position and th other is in the lowermost position. This lowered position is also clear from Fig. 6, at B. By loosening the nut and moving the inner element 34 in a radial manner the inner element 34 may be moved to any one of three positions, and of course the positions fnay be made as numerous as desired. Fig. 6, at A shows the outline of the box in the uppermost position. When the inner element 34 has been swungto the positiondesired, the ring may be screwed on the locking cap to fix the position. Thus, if a user desires to have the filter boxes in the lowest position so that he can see more easily, or if he desires them in some other position for some reason. adjustment can be speedily made. It will be noted that the nut 44 will register nicely with each of the pockets.

A knurled knob or thumb rest 46 is fixed to the base of the element 34 for resting the thumb against the same when it is desired to screw element 35 on or off. As shown in Fig. 9, the handiest way to do this is to place the middle finger of the left hand (shown in dotted outline) in opening 33 and the opposable thumb against thumb rest 46 in proper manner'to screw element 35 on or 011?.

The purpose of this thumb rest is to make it possible to extend element 35 clear over the circumferential margin of the inner element 34, thus reducing the depth of the fllter box to the smallest possible amount. Without thumb rest 46 or its equivalent, in combination with opening 33, a

material reduction of the depth of the fllter box would be impossible, because there is nothing else to grasp when outer element 35 extends clear over and beyond the circumferential margin of element 34.

The aforementioned outer element 35 is adapt: ed to be threaded on the inner element 34 clear across its circumferential margin and is provided with a base 41. The base 41 as particularly shown in Fig. '1 has an outer circular ridge 43 and an inner circular ridge 49, the inner ridge being greater than the outer as shown in Fig. 5. The base 41 has an outer depressed portion 53 and an inner or central depressed portion 5|. The base 41 has a plurality of holes or apertures 52 which are preferably not located at the tops of the ridges nor at the bottoms'of the depressions, except in the case of the center hole, for the purpose of having the greatest strength at the point of greatest advantage, and to provide a more satisfactory air passage. With the apertures on the sides of the ridges, for example, the air will pass easily into the inside spaces of the filter box formed between the outer element 35 and the fllter. The arrangement maintains a proper space relation between the base 41 and the fllter 53 adapted to be supported in the outer element 3.5, which element has a threaded flange 54' adapted to thread on the flange 39 of the inner element 34 to lock the filter in place against the retaining flange no further explanation is needed of the struc- 'ture, operation, and advantages of the invention. f P

It should. be understood that what I have disclosed is merely a preferred embodiment selected for purposes of illustration to illustrate the principle of my invention; and it should be under stood that while I have shown certain forms of filter, boxes and certain means of adjustment and removability, for example, the invention is not confined to the means shown, and these means including the ridge and depression arrangements of the filter boxes and the other features, may be modified without departing from my invention, 1

While I have illustrated and described therefore the preferred form of structure for carryin my invention into effect, I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a respirator, a body portion and a removable filter box mounted eccentrically of the filter box on the side of said body portion and adjustable about the mounting, substantially as described.

2. In a respirator, a body portion provided with an exhaust valve and a plurality of removable filter boxes mounted eccentrically of the filter boxes on the sides of said body portion and adjustable about the mounting.

3. In a respirator, a body portion providedwith an exhaust valve and a removable and adjustable filter element, and means for securing said filter element to said body portion, said means including an open flanged cap and a locking ring adapted to thread on said cap.

4. In a respirator, a body portion having an exhaust valve, a head strap having securing means, and a filter box secured thereto and having inner and outer elements and a filter,

said inner element of said filter box being provided with a plurality of pockets adapted to receive said head strap securing means, the

5', walls of said pockets forming raised portions adapted to keep the filter element spaced from the side wall of the inner element, whereby to facilitate passage of air to the interior of the body portion, after filtration.

5. In a respirator, having a body portion, an exhaust valve, and a filter box having inner and outer elements, the combination of a flanged locking cap having an opening and adapted to secure said filter box to said body portion, and a thumb rest on said inner element, said cap opening and said thumb rest being adapted to provide engaging means for a finger and thumb of one hand to facilitate attachment and detachment of said inner and outer elements.

' 6. In a respirator, a body portion and a filter element, said filter element comprising a plate eccentrically mounted on said body, a filter and filter retaining means detachably connected to said plate and means for securing said filter element in adjusted position about said eccentric mounting.

7. In a respirator, a body portion and a filter box secured thereto, said filter box comprising an inner element attached to the body portion, an outer element detachably connected to the inner element, and a filter element secured between said inner-and outer elements at the periphery thereof, said outer element including a perforated plate completely covering the filter element and provided with means engaging portions of said filter element remote from the periphery to maintain the same out of contact with the major portion of said perforated plate,

' substantially as described.

8. In a respirator, a body portion and a filter box secured thereto, said filter box comprising an inner element attached to the body portion, an outer element detachably connected to the inner element, and a filter element secured between said inner and outer elements, said outer element including a concentrically corrugated plate completely covering the filter element and provided with a plurality of perforations and means on the inner element remote from the periphery thereof for spacing the filter element therefrom. I

9. In a respirator, a body portion and a filter box secured thereto, said filter box comprising an innerelement. attached to the body portion, an outer element detachably connected to the inner element, and a filter element secured between said inner and outer elements, said outer element including a concentrically corrugated plate completely covering the filter element and provided with a plurality of perforations and a plurality of outwardly extending portions on the inner element remote from the periphery thereof for spacing the filter element therefrom.

HARVEY S. COVER.

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