FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an item of protective clothing to prevent burns to clothing and users while welding.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When a person is material working on metals or other materials such as polymers or composite materials and performing such tasks as welding, grinding, cutting, and the like, they will wear protective clothing such as heavy welding gloves and a welding mask. They will also wear heavy shirts to afford a degree of protection to the user's arms. As the person (also referred hereafter to as the user or the metal worker or the welder) performs these tasks, sparks and embers are generated which will fly from the material surface. These sparks and embers are hot enough to burn the heavy clothing worn to protect one's arms while performing this work. This causes small holes in the fabric of the clothing and can also result in painful burns. These holes tend to form most often on the sleeve covering the users forearm above where the shirt sleeve tucks into the welding glove and below the elbow.
The current solution to this problem is to use long, heavy sleeves made of leather to prevent the burning of the arms. These sleeves can be expensive and hot and cumbersome to wear. They tend to be heavy and also to restrict movement. They also protect much area that won't typically be exposed to the sparks and embers and as such are excessive to the problem at hand. As the currently available long, heavy sleeves cover a much larger portion of the user and the users clothing than is necessary, they also tend to be expensive.
A better solution to the problem of preventing the burning would be focused on protecting the inner forearm of the metal worker from the sparks and embers while leaving the rest of the arm protected by the heavy shirt. This would enable the user to remain comfortable while having full mobility and being protected from the vast majority of embers. The present invention provides such a solution.
Additionally, when welding objects overhead, the welder will have his lower arm reasonably protected from contact with embers and sparks as the lower arm will be positioned nearly in parallel to the falling embers and sparks but the sparks and embers will tend to land on the welder's upper arm. And more specifically, these sparks and embers will tend to land on the outer portion of the upper arm and over the biceps. Having a focus on protecting the outer upper arm of the welder or a metal worker from sparks and embers while leaving the rest of the arm protected by the heavy shirt would be a preferable solution. The present invention also provides for such a solution to this problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1A a preferred embodiment of a user with an exemplary welding sleeve is depicted. The welding sleeve is preferably comprised of a fabric, leather, or leather-like synthetic material. There is an adjustable, secure means for attaching the welding sleeve to the lower arm of a user. In certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, the fabric may be impregnated with or made from a flame retardant material such as Nomex™, wool, and the like. The welding sleeve is preferably worn by the user to protect the portion of the users arm and the users clothing which is most likely to come in contact with hot material and embers generated by material finishing activities such as welding, grinding, and the like and other such similar activities and preventing the hot material and embers from striking or coming in contact with the user and the users clothing while still leaving the majority of the users arm and clothing uncovered by the welding shield and thereby unencumbered from free movement and cooler than if the user were wearing a heavy sleeve over the arm. When the user is welding (or performing other material working tasks on) an object in front of the user, the welding sleeve would be worn on the users forearm.
By making minor modifications to the welding sleeve depicted in FIG. 1A, the welding sleeve may be attached to the upper arm of a user which would provide protection for the user while welding or material working an object overhead.
While the welding sleeve of the present invention is useful when protecting a person performing any operation on a material that will produce sparks, embers, molten material, or shards of the material, to make the description of the activities a user might undertake more clearly understood the term welding is used throughout this specification as a proxy for other material working activities such as cutting, grinding, soldering, polishing and the like.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the present invention will be described by reference to the following drawings, in which like numerals refer to like elements, and in which:
FIGS. 1A and 1B depict a preferred embodiment of a welding sleeve in use;
FIG. 2 depicts a profile view of a preferred embodiment of a welding sleeve;
FIG. 2A depicts an end view of another preferred embodiment of the welding sleeve;
FIG. 2B depicts a profile view of another preferred embodiment of the welding sleeve;
FIG. 3 depicts a cross sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the welding sleeve previously depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B;
FIG. 4 depicts another profile view of a welding sleeve;
FIG. 5 depicts a cross sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a welding sleeve with an additional piece sewn inside the welding sleeve;
FIG. 6 depicts a preferred embodiment of another welding sleeve in use; and
FIG. 7 depicts a profile view of the welding sleeve previously depicted in FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an exemplary welding sleeve for protecting skin and clothing when a user is working with metal. Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B and the preferred embodiment of the present invention in use depicted therein, the welding sleeve 100 comprises a wrap 120 and a means for attaching the welding sleeve 170, hereafter referred to as a fastener 170, for securing the wrap to a user's arm 200. The welding sleeve 100 is worn on the user's forearm just behind the user's welding glove 210. The fastener 170 keeps the welding sleeve 100 in place. As is clearly depicted in FIG. 1A, the welding sleeve 100 wraps around the user's forearm 200 leaving only a small amount of the forearm uncovered. The portion of the forearm that remains uncovered is the outer portion of the forearm which is that portion that is nearest to the user's pinky finger and opposite the user's thumb.
By allowing a small portion of the user's forearm to remain uncovered, the welding sleeve may be adjusted to protect the forearm of a typical adult which also allows for the user to comfortably wear the welding sleeve. The portion of the forearm that remains uncovered is struck with sparks and embers significantly less often while metal working than the rest of the forearm (the portions of the forearm that are upper, inner, and lower when the user's hand is in a prone position with the thumb pointed inwardly (as when a person is typing on a keyboard)).
Referring to FIG. 2, a profile view of the welding sleeve 100 in an unwrapped position is depicted. The length of the welding sleeve wrap 120, represented as L1, is preferably from about 80 to 95 percent of the length of an average adult's forearm and is more preferably about 90 percent of the length of an average adult's forearm. The width of the welding sleeve wrap, represented as L2, is preferably about from 70 to 90 percent of the circumference of an average adult's forearm and more preferably about 80 percent of the circumference of an average adult's forearm. It is desirable for the welding sleeve wrap to be comprised of a lightweight material such as a fabric, leather, synthetic leather, and the like. The fabric could be cotton canvas, Nomex™, wool, or the like. While the welding sleeve wrap could be constructed of a single ply of the lightweight material, a two ply wrap is preferable as it allows for greater durability. When the wrap is comprised of leather, the outer leather layer is preferably significantly more durable than the inner layer.
Attached to the welding sleeve wrap is a fastener. The fastener is preferably located such that it will allow a cylinder to be formed by the wrap and the fastener around the user's forearm when in use. The preferred material of construction for the fastener is Velcro™ due to the durability, adjustability, and strength of the hold. In the preferred embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the fastener is comprised of Velcro™ and the length of the first portion of the Velcro™ fastener, represented as L3, is preferably from about 40 percent to about 90 percent of the L1 and the width of the Velcro™ fastener, represented as L4, is preferably from about 20 percent to about 35 percent of L2. The length of the second portion of the Velcro™ fastener, represented as L5, is preferably from about 20 percent to about 40 percent of the L1, and the width of the second portion of the Velcro™ fastener, represented as L6, is preferably from about 20 percent to about 35 percent of the L2. And L4 and L6 are preferably approximately equal to each other. Other materials, such as elastic bands with 2 part eyelet snaps, lacing, bands with button and button hole pairings, and the like may be used for the fastener.
The fastener may be attached to the wrap such that the overlap of the two pieces causes the fastener to be located on either the outside or the inside of the wrap. However, when the wrap is comprised of a material more durable than that of the fastener, such as would be the case when the wrap is made of leather and the fastener is a Velcro™ strip, it is preferable to have the portion of the first portion of the fastener which overlaps the wrap 120 to be attached inside the wrap rather than outside the wrap. This provides additional durability to the welding sleeve relative to having the fastener attached to the outside of the wrap. This location of the portion of the fastener inside the wrap 120 is depicted in FIG. 2A.
Though not depicted in FIG. 2, it is preferable for the corners of the wrap to be beveled rather than sharp corners. This increases the durability of the welding sleeve by decreasing the likelihood of a corner to be rubbing against another object directly on the sharp point of the corner. The beveling of the wrap is depicted in FIG. 2B.
While the wrap and fastener may be any color, both the wrap and fastener are preferably black. This helps hide any smudge marks, scoring, or singeing due to sparks and embers impinging on the welding sleeve.
Referring now to FIG. 3, cross sectional view of the welding sleeve 100 is depicted. Each of the two plies of the wrap are observable as is the fastener attachment. As described above, the fastener may be attached to the wrap such that where the base of the first portion of the fastener overlaps the wrap either the fastener or the wrap is located on the exterior of the welding sleeve. In the preferred embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the wrap is located on the exterior of the welding sleeve.
The welding sleeve 100 further may have artwork placed on the wrap. This artwork may be preferably added to the wrap via silk screening of ink or attached via stitching, gluing, or other commonly used means to attach artwork to a fabric. This artwork may provide an eye catching design, a company logo, safety instructions or the like or a combination thereof.
In FIG. 4, another preferred embodiment of a welding sleeve 400 of the present invention is depicted. The welding sleeve 400 is comprised of the welding sleeve wrap 120 and the fastener 170 previously depicted in FIGS. 1-3. The welding sleeve 400 is further comprised of an insert 480 that fits between the two plies of the wrap. This insert 480 is preferably comprised of a hard, strike resistant, material which may be molded to curve in a manner that the insert fits to the inner forearm of the user and provides protection against striking or glancing blows from the user's arm contacting the metal being worked, the tool being used to work the metal or both the metal and the tool. The insert may be made of a plastic such as high density poly ethylene (HDPE) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Kevlar™, other similar composite material, or sheet metal such as stainless steel or aluminum.
In FIG. 5, another preferred embodiment of a welding sleeve 500 of the present invention is depicted. The welding sleeve 500 is comprised of the welding sleeve wrap 120 and the fastener 170 previously depicted in FIGS. 1-3. The welding sleeve 500 further may have artwork placed on the wrap. This artwork may be preferably added to the wrap via silk screening of ink or attached via stitching, gluing, or other commonly used means to attach artwork to a fabric. This artwork may provide an eye catching design, a company logo, safety instructions or the like or a combination thereof.
In FIG. 6, another preferred embodiment of a welding sleeve 600 of the present invention is depicted while in use by the metal worker 250. The welding sleeve 600 comprises a wrap and a fastener (not visible in FIG. 6, it is hidden behind the user's arm) for securing the wrap to a user's arm. The welding sleeve 600 is worn on the user's upper arm just below the user's shoulder. The fastener keeps the welding sleeve 600 in place. As is clearly depicted in FIG. 6, the welding sleeve 600 wraps around the user's upper arm 230 leaving only a small amount of the upper arm uncovered. The portion of the upper arm that remains uncovered is the inner portion of the upper arm which is that portion that is nearest to the user's chest when the arm hangs down in a natural resting position of a standing person.
By allowing a small portion of the user's upper arm to remain uncovered, the welding sleeve may be adjusted to protect the upper arm of a typical adult which also allows for the user to comfortably wear the welding sleeve. The portion of the upper arm that remains uncovered is struck with sparks and embers significantly less often while metal working than the rest of the upper arm (the portions of the forearm that are outer, over the biceps, and over the triceps when the user's arm is in a resting position with the arm at the user's side.
Referring to FIG. 7, a profile view of the welding sleeve 600 in an unwrapped position is depicted. The length of the welding sleeve wrap, represented as L13, is preferably from about 80 to 95 percent of the length of an average adult's upper arm and is more preferably about 90 percent of the length of an average adult's upper arm. The width of the welding sleeve wrap, represented as L14, is preferably about from 70 to 90 percent of the circumference of an average adult's upper arm and more preferably about 80 percent of the circumference of an average adult's upper arm. As with the welding sleeve designed to cover a user's lower arm, it is desirable for the welding sleeve wrap to be comprised of a lightweight material such as a fabric, leather, synthetic leather, and the like. The fabric could be cotton canvas, Nomex, wool, or the like. While the welding sleeve wrap could be constructed of a single ply of the lightweight material, a two ply wrap is preferable as it allows for greater durability. When the wrap is comprised of leather, the outer leather layer is significantly more durable than the inner layer.
Attached to the welding sleeve wrap is a fastener. The fastener 670 is preferably located such that it will allow a cylinder to be formed by the wrap and the fastener 670 around the user's upper arm when in use. The preferred material of construction for the fastener 670 is Velcro™ due to the durability, adjustability, and strength of the hold. In the preferred embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, the fastener is comprised of Velcro™ and the length of the first portion of the Velcro™ fastener, represented as L15, is preferably from about 40 percent to about 120 percent of the L13 and the width of the Velcro™ fastener, represented as L16, is preferably from about 20 percent to about 35 percent of L14. The length of the second portion of the Velcro™ fastener, represented as L17, is preferably from about 20 percent to about 40 percent of the L13, and the width of the second portion of the Velcro™ fastener, represented as L18, is preferably from about 20 percent to about 35 percent of the L14. And L16 and L18 are preferably approximately equal to each other. Other materials, such as elastic bands with 2 part eyelet snaps, lacing, bands with button and button hole pairings, and the like may be used for the fastener.
The fastener 670 may be attached to the wrap such that the overlap of the two pieces causes the fastener 670 to be located on either the outside or the inside of the wrap. However, when the wrap is comprised of a material more durable than that of the fastener 670, such as would be the case when the wrap is made of leather and the fastener 670 is a Velcro™ strip, it is preferable to have the portion of the first portion of the fastener which overlaps the wrap 620 to be attached inside the wrap rather than outside the wrap. This provides additional durability to the welding sleeve relative to having the fastener attached to the outside of the wrap.
As depicted in FIG. 7, it is preferable for the corners of the wrap to be beveled rather than sharp corners. This increases the durability of the welding sleeve by decreasing the likelihood of a corner to be rubbing against another object directly on the sharp point of the corner.
While the wrap and fastener may be any color, both the wrap and fastener are preferably black. This helps hide any smudge marks, scoring, or singeing due to sparks and embers impinging on the welding sleeve. The welding sleeve may also be decorated without varying from the teaching of the present embodiment.
Additionally, a user could wear both the welding sleeve 100 designed to cover the user's forearm and the welding sleeve 600 designed to cover the user's upper arm at the same time for times when the user is performing more complex metal working operations requiring protection of both the upper arm and the forearm.
As should be readily apparent, the welding sleeves of the present invention can be made smaller to fit a smaller person such as a student learning to weld or larger for a particularly large individwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Although several embodiments of the present invention, methods to use said, and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present invention are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present invention may be implemented in any suitably arranged device.
Patent Application
20200121002
