Abstract:
A system for changing the gloves of a glove box. The system requires the use of a new glove and a glove change ring to form a temporary secondary barrier to the exchange of atmospheres between the inner glove box and the room in which the glove box is operated. The system describes specific means for disengaging a used glove from the glove box port. The means for disengaging the used glove include use of a glove change hook and use of a glove with an attached tab for use in removal. A method for changing the gloves of a glove box is also described.

Description:
U.S. GOVERNMENT RIGHTS 
     The United States Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. DE-AC34-95RF00825 between the U.S. Department of Energy and Kaiser-Hill Company. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This system and method are an improvement in the art of changing the glove of a glove box. A glove box is a sealed enclosure for handling radioactive, chemical, hazardous, or biohazardous material. An operator may manipulate objects inside the glove box by inserting a hand into a rubber glove that is sealed at an entrance port to the glove box. 
     Periodically, the gloves attached to the port must be changed. When changing the glove on a glove box port, great care must be taken to avoid box breaching. Box breaching occurs when the glove box atmosphere is allowed to escape into the room in which the box is being used. Escape of the glove box atmosphere may occur even when there is an attempt to maintain negative pressure within the box and will expose the operator and anyone near by to the hazards associated with contents of the box. 
     Glove changes can be accomplished by completely shutting down glove box operations and evacuating the glove box of all materials and gases. The operator may then remove the used glove and then attach a replacement glove at the operator&#39;s leisure as long as the change is complete before the glove box is put back in service. 
     Glove changes may be accomplished if the glove box is in service. However, this glove change method requires the operator to pull the old, used glove from the from the entrance port with one hand, while securing the new, replacement glove over the port with the other hand. The operator is often required to struggle to “muscle” the old, used glove from the port for several minutes; and during this process, the operator may briefly and unintentionally allow the new glove to come away from the port, exposing the room air to the box atmosphere. This unintentional exposure of the box atmosphere to the room is a common occurrence during difficult glove changes. 
     The glove changing system and method described here requires the use of at least two gloves and incorporates a primary seal (between the old, used glove and the entrance port) and a secondary seal (between the new, replacement glove and the entrance port). This system and method also incorporate the use of a disengaging means to assist in the removal of the old, used glove from the entrance port. The system and method facilitate safer, easier glove box glove changes. 
     Some methods for fixing a glove to a glove box have described a dual glove procedure for glove changes (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,123 (“&#39;123”)). The &#39;123 patent describes a method using gloves that have an extended fin portion (i.e., longer end opposite the fingers of the glove) that folds over the port. During glove replacement, a new glove is placed on the exterior side of the old glove and a hole closing bung is inserted within the new glove to maintain a seal at the port as the old glove extended fin is released from the port. The new glove extended fin is then attached to the port and the operator completely removes the old glove by “jerking” it into the glove box. 
     The present system and method are an improvement over the &#39;123 patent because the area of overlap between the old and new gloves is much smaller than the overlap of the &#39;123 patent. No jerking action is required to remove the old glove, rather this system and method provide a mechanism to grasp and gently peel the old glove from the port of the glove box. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of this system is to facilitate safer and easier glove box glove changes than is currently possible using existing processes and tools. The system incorporates the use of at least two gloves to form primary and secondary seals on the glove box with the use of a disengaging means to assist with the removal of the old, used glove from the glove box port. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide specific means for removing an old, used glove from the glove box port. Two specific means for achieving the removal of the used glove include the use of a glove change hook and the use of a tabbed glove. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a method for changing the glove of a glove box while avoiding box breaching. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A system for changing the gloves of a glove box. The system requires the use of a new glove and a glove change ring to form a temporary secondary barrier to the exchange of atmospheres between the inner glove box and the room in which the glove box is operated. The system describes specific means for disengaging a used glove from the glove box port. The means for disengaging the used glove include the use of a glove change hook or use of a glove with an attached tab for use in removal. A method for changing the gloves of a glove box is also described. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 depicts the glove changing system in use with the glove change hook. 
     FIG. 1 a  is a standard glove change hook. 
     FIG. 1 b  is a concave glove change hook. 
     FIG. 1 c  is a curved gloved change hook. 
     FIG. 1 d  is a glove change hook with a ring-shaped handle. 
     FIG. 2 depicts the glove changing system in use with the tabbed glove. 
     FIG. 2 a  is a detail of the tabbed glove on a glove box. 
     FIG. 3 depicts the glove changing, system in use with the new glove and glove change ring. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 depict the glove changing system  10  with the old glove  30  in place prior to the formation of the secondary seal by the new glove  70  and the glove change ring  60  (both shown in FIG.  3 ). The old glove  30  has a cuff  32  at its open end  36 . Similarly, the new glove  70  has a cuff  72  (shown in FIG. 3) at its open end  76  (shown in FIG.  3 ). The cuffs  32  and  72  have elastic properties that allow the cuffs  32  and  72  of the gloves  30  and  70  to be stretched (expanded) to dimensions larger than the shoulder  26  of the entrance port  24  to the glove box  20  and then the cuffs  32  and  72  will contract toward their original size and shape forming a seal between the interior of the glove box  20  and the atmosphere in the room in which the glove box  20  is being used. The shoulder  26  is at least long enough (as measured from the outer wall of the glove box  20 ) to accommodate the old glove  30  cuff  32  and the new glove  70  cuff  72 . The cuffs are approximately equal in width. 
     The system  10  for changing the gloves requires that the old glove  30  that has been used in the interior of the glove box  20  be worked toward the edge of the shoulder  26  prior to the formation of the secondary seal using the new glove  70  that is attached to the glove change ring  60 . Once the old glove  30  has been worked toward the end of the shoulder  26 , the new glove  70  is secured to the shoulder  26  between the old glove  30  and the outer wall  22  of the glove box  20 . During the time that the new glove  70  and old glove  30  are both attached to the shoulder  26  the interior atmosphere of the glove box  20  is separated from the room atmosphere by two seals. The primary seal is formed by the attachment of the old glove  30  to the shoulder  26  of the entrance port  24 . The secondary seal is formed by the attachment of the new glove  70  to the shoulder  26  of the entrance port  24  so that the secondary sealed is formed completely between the old glove  30  and the outer wall  22  of the glove box  20 . 
     Once the secondary seal has been formed by the new glove  70 , the operator may reach into the new glove  70  and break the primary seal of the old glove  30  with a means for disengaging the old glove  30 . The disengaging means allows the operator to loosen and gently remove the old glove  30  from the shoulder  26 . The operator may then place the old glove  30  completely within the interior of the glove box  20  so that the old glove  30  may be properly discarded. 
     The disengagement means depicted in FIGS. 1,  1   a ,  1   b ,  1   c , and  1   d  are glove change hooks  40 . The glove change hook is an elongated tool that has a tight curve  42  designed to partially encircle the bead  34  on the old glove  30 . The glove change hook  40  may be used to partially encircle the open end of the old glove  30  and aid in its disengagement even if the old glove  30  does not have a bead  34  formed at or near the open end of the glove  30 . 
     The glove change hook  40  is intended to be disposable. The hook  40  must be rigid enough to maintain its strength and shape during use and, therefore, may be manufactured from steel or other rigid metal or alloy, or may be molded or extruded using a rigid plastic polymer. The shape of the glove change hook  40  may vary as shown in FIGS. 1 a - 1   d.    
     FIG. 1 a depicts a glove change hook  40  that maintains a generally linear shape between the tightly curved  42  end and the handle  44 . FIG. 1 b  shows a glove change hook  40  that maintains a concave curve between the tightly curved  42  end and the handle  44 . FIG. 1 c  shows a glove change hook  40  with a slight serpentine curve between the tightly curved  42  end and the handle. FIG. 1 d  shows a glove change hook  40  with a ring-shaped handle  44 . The glove change hook  40  will be effective if the width and depth are equal or nearly equal (as with a wire). The width is the dimension that would parallel to the floor (not shown) as the hook  40  is oriented in FIG.  1 . Preferably the width of the hook  40  is greater than its depth for added leverage when disengaging the old glove  30  from the shoulder  26  of the port  24 . 
     The disengagement means depicted in FIGS. 2 and 2 a  is a tab  50  attached at or near the open end of the old glove  30 . The tab  50  is added during the glove manufacturing process and is not offered as an accessory or after market product. The operator to loosen and gently remove the old glove  30  from the shoulder  26 . The operator may reach into the new glove  70  and grasp the tab and pull radially and outwardly to break the primary seal formed between the old glove  30  and the shoulder  26 . The operator may then place the old glove  30  completely within the interior of the glove box  20  so that the old glove  30  may be properly discarded. FIG. 2 a  is a detailed depiction of a tabbed  50  new glove  70  sealed to the shoulder  26  of the entrance port  24  to the glove box  20 . 
     FIG. 3 shows the system after the secondary seal has been formed between the new glove  70  and the shoulder  26 . A slight bulge  74  forms briefly as the disengagement means is used to initiate the break of the primary seal formed between the old glove  30  and the shoulder  26 . 
     To remove the old glove  30  and replace it with a new glove  70 . The glove port band  62  must first be removed from around the old glove  30 . The band  60  secures the old glove  30  to the shoulder  26  of the port  24  until the glove changing method or system  10  for changing the gloves is initiated. The old glove  30  is worked toward an edge  28  of the shoulder  26  to loosen the glove  30  for subsequent removal and to prevent tearing of the old glove  30  that may require the operator to remove the old glove  30  in a piecemeal fashion. 
     The new glove  70  is attached by its open end  76  to the glove change ring  60 . The operator places a hand in the new glove  70  and grasps the disengaging means, and secures the hook  40  under the bead  34  of the old glove  30 . The disengaging means may be a glove change hook  40  or a tab  50  attached to a glove. The open end  76  of the new glove  70  is folded to double over the outside of the glove  70  toward the fingers of the glove  70 . The open end  76  of the new glove  70  is placed on the shoulder  26  of the glove box  20  port  24  between the old glove  30  and the outer wall  22  of the glove box  20 . The new glove  70  will completely surround the old glove  30  and form a secondary seal to prevent the migration of the interior glove box atmosphere to the room. 
     The old glove  30  is then removed by pulling the disengagement means in a slight radial direction from the port  24  and outwardly from the glove box  20  Constant pressure should be kept against the glove change ring  60  during the removal of the old glove  30  to reduce the possibility that the secondary seal created between the new glove  70  and the shoulder  26  will be broken. The old glove  30  is then pushed entirely into the glove box  20  and will be properly disposed of. The glove port band  62  is tightened over the cuff  72  of the new glove  70 . The new glove  70  is then ready for use. 
     Alternatively, the new glove  70  may be positioned on the shoulder  26  between the old glove  30  and the outer wall  22  of the glove box  20 , or pressed against the outer wall  22  of the glove box  20  prior to the operator grasping the tab  50  or securing the hook  40  under the old glove  30 . The operator will then blindly feel for the disengagement means and then grasp the tab  50  or secure the hook  40  and pull for removal of the old glove  30 .