Patent ID: 9656283
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: B05B

Claim:
1. A sprinkler protector comprising: a housing; wherein the housing defines an aperture at an apex thereof and said aperture encloses a drop pipe; a plurality of circumferentially disposed fingers extending outwardly from the housing, wherein each of the fingers has a first end and a terminal end; wherein the first end is engaged with the housing and the terminal end is spaced a distance longitudinally outwardly from the housing, wherein each finger has a length measured from the first end to the terminal end; wherein the first end of each of the fingers is engaged with the housing; wherein a gap is defined between adjacent fingers and the gap is closed at the first ends of the fingers and the gap is open at the terminal ends of the fingers; wherein adjacent fingers are spaced a distance away from each other along substantially their entire lengths, wherein said protector is adapted to enclose a sprinkler attached to the drop pipe and the fingers are arranged to encircle a sprinkler head and extend for a distance outwardly beyond an outermost end of the sprinkler head; and wherein the fingers are comprised of radially extending webs from a center axis inwardly tapered towards the sprinkler; wherein the protector is constructed from first and second identical halves, each containing a semi-circular flange, a threaded inner bore, the first half containing a male key and the second half containing a female key, wherein when the first and second halves are assembled to form the protector, the flanges create a ring around the drop pipe, the male and female keys are mated and the first and second halves are secured together; and wherein the terminal end of each finger comprises a paddle; wherein each paddle comprises a curved surface with an inner side that is concave and having a vertical axis that is greater in length than its horizontal axis; and wherein; each of said paddles is located transversely to a distal end of the associated web; and wherein the gap is defined between adjacent paddles.