US2012441A - Mask for air line respirators - Google Patents

Description

F. WILLSON ET AL MASK FOR AIR LINE REsPIRAToRs Aug. 27, 1935.

Original Filed Nov. 2l, 1932 smgentow omega Patented Aug. 27, 1935 MASK FOR AIR LINE RESPIRATORS Frederick Willson, Bern Township, Berks County, and Harry F. Shindel, Reading, Pa., assignors to Willson Products, Inc., Reading, Pa., a corporation oi Pennsylvania 1 Original application November 21, 1932, Serial No.

12, 1933, Serial No. 684,782

643,630. Divided and this application August.

2 Claims.

This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 643,630 filed November 21, 1932 and the invention disclosed herein relates to protective equipment and particularly to an im- 5 proved respirator mask especially adapted for use with air line respirators in which air is supplied under pressure to the respirator.

It is desirable when air is supplied under pressure to a worker's respirator to purify the air as much as possible, for example by means of aniair conditioner such as disclosed in said parent application. in order to remove traces of vapor.or fluids, such as water and oil, which enter the air line incidentally to the use olla compressor. It is also desirable to reduce possible discomfort and/or physical .1 irritation to a wearer arising from supplying air under pressure to the respirator; such. for example as result from air being blown along the sides of a wearers nose and escaping past the edges of the respirator mask into the corners of the eyes and against the eyelids and lashes.

Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a respirator mask adapted to reduce possible discomfort resulting from supplying air under pressure to the respirator.

The foregoing and other objects 4and advantages oi the invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and appended claims when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is an end elevation of the improved respirator mask, and

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the respirator mask and mounting casing therefor.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I0 designates a respirator to which air under pressure is supplied through a pressure airline preferably having therein an air conditioner for removing traces of oil, water and the like from the air beiore the latter reaches the respirator. The respirator lo, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, comprises a mask 3d, oi' suitable exible material such as rubber, formed to enclose the nose and mouth of a wearer and shaped to conformingly contact the iace about the nose and mouth. At its forward end mask is provided with a semi-rigid llange 3l insertable through an aperture in the end wall of a screw cap 32 so that the annuluslike end wall 33 of the cap ts in the groove between ilange 3l and the adjacent portion of the mask proper when the mask is attached to the cap. Screw cap 32 is interengaged with a similar screw cap. 34 to constitute a mask ring or casing. The convex portion of a hemispherical (Cl. 12h-145) end member 35 extends through the aperture in the cap 34 while the flange 3l of the member is disposed adjacent the annulus-like end. wall of the cap. Member 35 is provided with a nipple 23 for connection to air line I I for supplying the air under pressure 'to the respirator I0. l

At its lower side the inlet member 35 is providedwith a small aperture 24 forming a drain i for vapors and/or fluids, such as oil or water which may reach the mask and which` may be condensed out of the air stream by impingement on a balile plate 4I where one is provided.

In order to prevent air which enters under pressure forcing its way past the edges of the mask. particularly along the nose and adjacent the eyes atthe top portion of the mask, the wall of the mask is continued downwardly providing a web 3l extending across the usual respirator opening 39 opposite inlet 29 in the path of the stream of air entering the mask ring under pressure. An. opening 38 through which air enters the interior of the mask is provided in the lower portion oi' the web substantially in alinement with a wearer's mouth. As shown the opening 33 is located ad jacent theoutlet 40 of the mask so that air in excess of the amount required for breathing may escape by way of the outlet 40 through whicha wearer exhales, air admission through said opening being prevented by a ilap valve, not shown, but of any usual construction, as valve I1 in McBride Patent No. 1,730,227, oi October l, 1929.

'I'he web 31 thus acts as a baille to direct the iiow of air, preventing it being blown along the wearers nose so that it will not cause discomfort or physical irritation to a wearer.

If desired, the respirator may also be provided with a baile plate 4I which is substantially hemispherical and has a flange I9 engaged between the end of cap 32 and the iange 36 of member 35 for 4securing it in place. The convex surface of baille plate 4| is opposed to the inlet nipple 29 so that air forced under pressure into the mask impinges against the baie plate. The baille plate is provided with a plurality of circularly arranged apertures 22 through which the air is diverted to pass to the web 31 adjacent the outer part thereof. As shown in Fig. 2, portions 23 of the baille plate adjacent the apertures 22 are formed to extend outwardly at an angle relatively to the hemispherical surface of the plate so that they form secondary bales, about which the air flows to pass through the apertures instead of being blown directly therethrough. Thus, the concentrated stream of air entering the mask under pressure is broken up by impinging against baille plate Il and caused to flow substantially uniformly through the mask ring 32, 34, the baille plate 4I acting in conjunction with the mask-web 37 to prevent discomfort to a wearer because of the supply of air under pressure.

Although an illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, there are many changes and variations which may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and, therefore, it is desired to include al1 such changes and variations within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In combination with a pressure air line, an air-tight connecting casing comprising a pair of complementary clamping caps having apertured ends and surrounding rims adapted to clampingly engage a line connecting member in one apertured end and a face mask in its opposite apertured end, of a face conforming mask having a narrowed nose-enclosing upper end and a widened mouthenclosing lower end and an annular attaching flange engageable in said end apertured clamping cap, a membrane forming a web within the space surrounded by said attaching ilange, said membrane having an aperture therein adapted to direct air ow from said casing into the widened mouth-enclosing lower end of said mask.

2. An integrally formed face-conforming respirator mask of flexible material, comprising a cupped chamber having a face-contacting wall edge, a narrowed nose-enclosing upper portion, and a, widened mouth-enclosing lower portion formed with a membrane wall portion having an air-directing inlet to said chamber, and an air supplyattaching flange on the outer wall surrounding said membrane portion, substantially as set forth.

FREDERICK WILISON. HARRY F. SHINDEL.

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