Document kaZMjnv02vymE9a8O7bw9DMJ

FILE NAME: 3M (3M) DATE: 1953 June 16 DOC#: 3M005 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: US Patent - Air Line Respirator Cartridge Holder June 16, 1953 c . j. b o y e r AIR L IN E RESPIRATOR FILTER CARTRIDGE HOLDER File Oct. 26, 1951 2,642,061 INVENTOR. By Charles J. J3or*x A T ro f& E r Patented June 16, 1953 2 ,6 4 2 ,0 6 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,642,OSI AIR LINE RESPIRATOR FILTER CARTRIDGE HOLDER Charles J. Boyer, West Reading, Pa., assignor to Willson Products, Inc., Reading, Pa., a corpo ration of Pennsylvania Application October 26, 1951, Serial No. 253,341 3 Claims. 1 The present invention relates to an air line respirator system and, more particularly, to a fil ter cartridge holder or container therefor de signed to enable the inhalation of filtered air with little or no breathing resistance even when the air line has been broken or the air pressure has otherwise been removed. In industries which have existing compressed air lines, it is advantageous to employ these lines to supply respirator masks worn on the face so th at a wearer can breathe filtered air continually with no breathing resistance and thus provide himself with protection against heavy concen trations of dust, fumes, mists, and vapors in oc cupations such as welding, paint spraying, flame cleaning and metallizing. Air pressure supplied respirators are also useful for protection against respiratory hazards encountered in the manufac ture of storage batteries, paints and glazes, as bestos and by-products, in cement and chemical plants, m foundries, granite quarries and many other industries. As a safety measure, it is desirable to provide the above described air line respirator with means for allowing inhalation of filtered air even a t times when by accident or otherwise there is a break in the compressed air line. While small ports and openings are adequate for breathing in air when under pressure, such openings provide considerable breathing resistance to air flow when the air is no longer under pressure. At tempts have been made to enlarge these air ports as much as possible so as to lower such breathing resistance at times when the air is not under pressure, as when there is a rupture of the com pressed air line. However, these attempts have not met with success inasmuch as there are def inite upper limits in size of these ports or open ings, therefore even with maximum enlargement there is considerable breathing resistance when the air pressure is removed. An object of the present invention is to provide an air line respirator system with a novel means for allowing in-flow of a considerable volume of filtered air even when the air pressure has been removed, such as occurs when the air line is rup tured. A more specific object of the present inven tion is to provide a novel filter cartridge holder or container having a supplementary air inlet opening which is operable only when air pressure is removed from the line to enable inhalation of considerable quantities of filtered air without breathing resistance when there is a rupture in the air line or when pressure in the line is for (Cl. 128--146) 2 any other reason lowered or reduced to atmos pheric pressure. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a study of '' the following description taken with the accom panying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an air line respirator cartridge holder or container em bodying the principles of the present invention; 10 Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the filter cartridge holder or container shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken through line 3--3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a bottom view of the perforated 15 screw cap or cover 2 shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, and Figure 5 is a somewhat schematic view of a complete air line respirator system including the filter cartridge holder or container shown in Fig- 29 ures 1 to 4, inclusive. Referring more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, numeral I denotes a substantially cup-shaped filter cartridge holder or container having screw threaded to the mouth or opening thereof a cap es or cover 2. Container I has rigidly secured to the rear face thereof a clip 3 which may be sup ported on a belt 4 worn by the wearer of the res pirator. Extending radially outwardly and down wardly from the holder or container i is an air 30 regulating valve 5 into which air under pressure will flow from an air inlet connector 6, which con nector has a coupling element 6a which can be readily pulled away from the casing of valve 5 by means of a slip fit connection. Within the 35 coupling element 6a there is provided a one-way acting ball element which is actuated by a spring (not shown) for normally closing the outlet of coupling element 6a as shown and described in de tail in IT. S. Patent No. 1,915,553, issued to Harry 40 F. Shindel, entitled "Pipe Coupling.'' As de scribed in this patent, the above described ball may be progressively unseated to adjust the valve opening by means of a knurled screw, such as 7, which may be locked in any suitable position 45 by a second knurled screw 8 whose hub portion is forced against the outer surface of the hous ing of the regulating valve 5. Thus any desired amount of air flow may be obtained by suitably adjusting screw T. However, if the wearer wishes 50 to leave the place where the air line is located, he may simply pull coupling element 6a away from the housing of valve 5 and in so doing, the compressed air line will be automatically closed by seating of the ball valve within coupling ele- 55 ment 6a and at the same time, outside air may ,2 640,001 3 be breathed in through the opening In valve 5. 4 continually sealed, it will become unseated as the This operation will be more clearly understood by result of inhalations by the wearer. Thus out referring to Figure 5 which shows that connector side air in large quantities will enter the holes 20 6 is connected to an air line 9 which in turn is and will pass beyond the periphery of the inwardly connected through a suitable air relief valve (not 8 flexed diaphragm. In other words, it will move shown) and pressure reducing valve 10 and gauge in the direction shown by arrows 21 through the 1( to any suitable source of compressed air, such filter unit 15 so th a t the air will he filtered and as a compressed air tank 12. The outlet con will finally flow outwardly to connector 13 to the nector 18 at the rear of the holder or container respirator. This in-flow of air will be in addition I is connected to an air line 13 which leads to -10 to th at breathed in through the path shown by the interior of a respirator face piece 14 of any arrows IT. A considerably greater amount of air well known type which is worn about the nose will be breathed in through holes 20 than through and mouth of the wearer. the path indicated by arrows IT since a consider In operation, so long as air line 9 contains air able greater area-opening is provided In holes 20. under pressure, this air will flow in the path 15 Therefore, the wearer will not encounter breath indicated by arrows IT (see Figure 3), Within ing resistance even when air pressure no longer container I there is provided a shoulder portion exists in inlet connector 6. having seated thereon a sealing gasket 16 against Of course, other designs of diaphragm or one which is pressed a peripheral edge of the filter way -acting valves may be provided instead of unit 15 which may be a chemical cartridge or 20 that shown on cap 2. Also, other types of filters other suitable type of filter unit. A well known may be substituted for chemical cartridge .15, type of chemical cartridge Is shown having a hol low cylindrical casing filled with a chemical filter such as a hollow filter .pad of felt or other -suit able filtering material. ing material and having perforated end walls in Thus i t will be seen th at I have provided an the form of wire gauze or other pervious m ate 25 efficient -air line respirator system involving a rials to enable air to flow through the cylindrical novel cartridge holder or container which is con container parallel to the axis thereof. As will structed so as to enable th e breathing in, from the appear more clearly in Figure 4, the cap 2 has surrounding atmosphere, of a copious supply of integrally formed on Its inner surface a plurality filtered air without breathing resistance, even of projections 2a separated by arcuate cutouts 2b. 30 when the air pressure in the line has been reduced Projections 2a are forced against the opposite pe to atmospheric .pressure, therefore overcoming ripheral edge of the cartridge 15 by screwing of the disadvantages of .previous devices in which cap 2 as shown more clearly in Figure 3. The considerable breathing resistance was provided arcuate cutouts or openings 2b enable air to flow because of limitations of the openings in the air in the direction indicated by arrows IT, th at is, 35 inlet valve. first along the outer wall of the cartridge 15, While I have-illustrated and described, a certain thence through openings 2b and into the left side specific embodiment of my invention, it will be of the cartridge as shown in Figure. 3, thence understood th at this is by way of-illustration only, flowing through the cartridge so as to filter the and that various changes and modifications may air. Filtered air thus flows through the right 40 he made within the contemplation of my invention side opening of cartridge 15 and into the outlet and within the-scope of .the following claims. connector 18 which is connected to the respirator I claim: face piece. 1. In an air line respirator system, including a On the cover portion of the cap or cover 2, there respirator -face piece, having an air inlet hose, is mounted a flexible diaphragm 19 of rubber 45 a filter unit connected to said hose and which or any other suitable flexible material'and which is supplied by air under pressure, said filter unit is somewhat disk-shaped, having a central inte comprising a container and a readily detachable gral portion 19a which is mounted in a hole outer cap, said cap having a one-way acting in formed centrally of the cap 2. A plurality of halation valve which -is normally closed as the apertures 20 are provided in cap 2. However, so 60 -result of air pressure in said system and which long as air is under pressure in line 9, this pres is opened only as a consequence of .removal of sure is sufficient so th at at all times it will push said air pressure and inhalation by the wearer of the diaphragm 19 to the closed position as shown the respirator face piece, said container having in Figure 3, that is, so th at the periphery thereof passageways for allowing air flow through said will be in sealing engagement with the inner sur 65 filter unit irrespective of the-presence or absence face of the cap 2. of said air pressure. However, in the event there is a rupture in air 2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said line 9, or if for any other reason the pressure is container is of substantially cup-shape and removed from line 9, such as in the case where a wherein said cover is perforated and is Screw worker pulls connector 6a away from the valve 60 threadedly mounted on said container and where housing of valve 5, the immediately surrounding in said one-way acting valve is in the form of air will enter the opening of valve 5 and air will a flexible diaphragm disposed opposite air inlet still flow m the direction shown by arrows IT. openings formed on the face of said cover -and However, since this air is no longer under pres which is centrally supported on said cover so as sure, considerable breathing resistance will be 65 to permit a supplementary air inlet flow through offered when attempting to force this air by in said openings only when the air pressure in said halation of the wearer through cartridge 15, therefore making breathing Quite difficult and tir ing to the wearer. line has been reduced to substantially atmos pheric pressure. 3. In an air line respirator system having a This breathing resistance is overcome by an out 70 respirator face piece, an air line connected there standing feature of the present invention which to and a source of compressed air for providing is in the form of a large supplementary air inlet air under pressure in said line, a filter unit in such as provided by the flexible diaphragm 19 and said line comprising, in combination, a substan openings 20 because since the air pressure is no tially cup-shaped container enclosing a filter car longer sufficiently high to keep the diaphragm- 75 tridge and having a screw threaded cap for firm- ,2 642,061 S 6 ly supporting the cartridge in sealing engage opened as the result of inhalation of the wearer, ment with a bottom portion of said container, said thus forcing outside air through said holes in cap being engageable with a peripheral portion of the cap, thence through the filter cartridge to the said cartridge in a manner so as to allow air under respirator. pressure to flow from said air line along the outer 5 CHARLES J. BOYER. walls of said cartridge, thence through the joint between the cap and cartridge, thence through References Cited in the file of this patent the cartridge unit so as to become Altered, and finally to the respirator face piece, said cap hav UNITED STATES PATENTS ing a plurality of holes on its face and having 10 Number Name Date mounted thereon a one-way acting diaphragm 804,272 Schw arz___________Nov. 14, 1905 disposed opposite said plurality of holes by air 1,304,374 Robeson___________ May 20,1919 under pressure in said air line but which upon 2 ,5 1 5 ,4 2 5 Restem eier_________J u ly 1 8 ,1 9 5 0 removal of said air under pressure will become