Patent Abstract:
A length adjustable guard system for shielding the driveshaft and coupling joint directly abuts the motor housing at one end and is secured at a second end to the pump housing. Interchangeable mounting plates allow the guard assembly to attach to various pumps. The guard system is lightweight, easily installed by one individual, and incorporates vent ports and inspection ports, allowing a worker to grease motor and pump bearings without removing the guard system. Flexible finger guards further secure the motor and pump assembly as they are designed to matingly conform to recesses about the pump housing.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Providing a safe environment is important in any industrial setting. A healthy, happy workforce is a company&#39;s most prized asset. Accordingly, companies look to not only meet OHSA standards but also exceed them. Rotating parts on industrial pumps, for example, pose serious safety concerns, for those using and maintaining the pumps. The coupling, or drive shaft of the pump system, is often encased in a removable housing, to protect workers from the spinning parts. However, often this housing is heavy, requiring at least two workers for installation, often has no inspection ports, commonly has area of exposure, and does not allow for maintenance of the motor or pump without first removing the guard. A new guard system will allow employers to create a safe work environment while minimizing the lockout time required for maintenance, and hence increases the efficiency of the equipment in question. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the invention, the guard system for a pump assembly is lightweight, adjustable in length, incorporates vent ports and inspection ports, and allows a worker to grease motor and pump bearings without guard removal. The guard system is lightweight, and easily installed by a single individual. Additionally, interchangeable attachment plates allow the guard system to be installed on a plethora of pump designs, and flexible finger guards employ a z-shaped compression flange at both ends, and are designed to matingly conform to recesses about the pump housing, further securing the pump and motor assembly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the guard system of the present invention installed on a pump; 
         FIG. 2  is a first perspective view of the guard and guard extension coupled together; 
         FIG. 3  is a second perspective view of the guard and guard extension coupled together; 
         FIG. 4  is a third perspective view of the guard and guard extension coupled together; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the guard with the guard extension in an extended position; 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the guard and guard extension coupled together; 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of the guard and guard extension coupled together; 
         FIG. 8  is a right-side view of the guard and guard extension coupled together; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the guard; 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of the guard; 
         FIG. 11  is a right-side view of the guard; 
         FIG. 12  is a front view of the guard; 
         FIG. 13  is a top view of the guard extension; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the guard extension; 
         FIG. 15  is a right-side view of the guard extension; 
         FIG. 16  is a left-side view of the guard extension; 
         FIG. 17  is a front view of mounting plate; 
         FIG. 18  is a front view of a second mounting plate; 
         FIG. 19  is a front view of a third mounting plate; 
         FIG. 20  is a perspective view of the third mounting plate; 
         FIG. 21  is a front view of a fourth mounting plate; 
         FIG. 22  is a perspective view of a first flexible finger guard; 
         FIG. 23  is a perspective view of a second flexible finger guard; 
         FIG. 24  is a perspective view of a third flexible finger guard; and 
         FIG. 25  is a perspective view of a first mounting plate with access door attached. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Looking at  FIG. 1  the guard system, made of a guard assembly  10  and a finger guard  18  can be seen installed on a pump. Guard assembly  10  comprises a guard  12 , guard extension  14 , and mounting plate  16 . Guard assembly  10  encloses a driveshaft (not illustrated) that couples rotational movement of the motor  20  to the fluid pump  22 . Since the driveshaft is spinning very quickly, it is a serious safety issue for workers, engaging in work on and around the pump. 
     Turning to  FIGS. 2-12 , it can be seen that adjustable guard  12  is a longitudinally split cylindrical housing with abutting flanges  26  extending normally therefrom the periphery of each of the split ends of the housing. It is the split housing design that both allows for the placement or removal of guard assembly  12  around a driveshaft, such that the driveshaft resides within the hollow center of guard  12  and also allows for the tightening of the adjustable guard  12  around the guard extension  14 . Flanges  26  are mechanically secured together in the preferred embodiment by positionable nut/bolt combinations  34  as illustrated in  FIGS. 2-6  and  FIGS. 8-11 . As is illustrated in  FIG. 10 , once flanges  26  are secured together they define the cylindrical housing. It is to be noted that the inner diameter of adjustable guard  12  is smaller than the outer diameter of the guard extension  14 , which is partially housed within the adjustable guard  12  when these two units are assembled. Flange slot  36  allows the placement of the central nut/bolt combination  34  to vary along the longitudinal axis of the flanges  26 . Two flange orifices  35  reside therethrough both ends of flanges  26  as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , allowing for three nut/bolt combinations  34  to mechanically secure abutting flanges together. Therefore, regardless of the amount the guard extension  14  that extends from the adjustable guard  12 , the adjustable guard  12  will be able to be closed about its split with sufficient force to grip the guard extension  14  securely. 
     Numerous vent orifices  24  extend therethrough guard  12  allowing for both the venting of heat from the rotating driveshaft and also serving as visual inspection points for viewing of the now encased driveshaft and any associated coupling components. 
     Three mounting plate slots  38  are cut circumferentially into a first end of the guard  12 , spaced approximately 120° apart at their midpoints  21   a , and are designed to capture and retain mounting plate  16  by the set of mounting plate tabs  28  that extend from the peripheral edge of mounting plate  16  and are inserted into the mounting plate slots  38  during assembly. 
     Guard extension  14  is illustrated in  FIGS. 13-16 . Guard extension  14  is a cylindrical body in its “in use” configuration. Guard extension  14  is made from a planar rectangular sheet  23  of steel or any suitable, durable material. At a first end of the rectangular, planar metal sheet  23  is formed a slot  11 , which resides perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sheet  23 , adjacent the peripheral edge of the first end of the guard extension  14 , while the second end has two cuts  19  beginning at the edge of the second end and that lie approximately parallel to each other, separated by a distance smaller than the distance of the length of slot  11 . These cuts  19  extend partway along the, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sheet  23 , such as to form three tabs, a first end tab  13 , a middle tab  15 , and second end tab  17 . As the first and second ends of the rectangular, planar metal sheet  23  are brought together as to form the cylindrical body of the guard extension  14 , middle tab  15  is inserted through slot  11  in the first end, (partially visible in  FIGS. 13-14  and  FIG. 16 ) such that middle tab  15  now resides within the cylindrical body of guard extension  14 , contacting its inside surface as shown in  FIG. 13 , while first end tab  13  and second end tab  17  contact the outside surface of the cylindrical body of guard extension  14 , as illustrated in  FIG. 14 . To “lock” or maintain the cylindrical body of guard extension  14 , middle tab  15  may optionally be bent back onto itself after being inserted in slot  11 , so as to prevent it from being withdrawn through the slot  11 , thereby maintaining the assembled cylindrical configuration of the guard extension  14 . 
     Guard extension  14  has two knockouts, a ground knockout  30  and Zerk fitting (or oil/grease lubrication access point) knockout  32 . Ground knockout  30  is to accommodate the passing through of the shaft grounding brush on the drive side of the motor (not illustrated) and is generally square or rectangular in shape. Zerk knockout  32  is to accommodate insertion of a grease gun hose to lubricate a Zerk grease fitting and is generally parabolic in shape. Either of these knockouts may or may not need to be removed, depending on the specific design of the lubricating and grounding systems of the equipment involved. 
     In use, guard extension  14  and guard  12  are always used in conjunction with one another in a nested configuration as illustrated in  FIG. 1-8  (wherein a portion of guard extension  14  resides within guard  12 , while a portion of guard extension  14  resides outside of guard  12 ), so as to ensure complete access blockage of the area between the pump and the driving motor having the rotating equipment there between, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Without complete blockage, security is compromised. 
     Turning to  FIG. 17  mounting plate  16  is illustrated. Mounting plate  16  anchors the guard system  10  to the pump  22 , holding the assembled system in place. 
     Tabs  28  extend from the peripheral edge of mounting plate  16 , and are spaced approximately 120° apart at their midpoints  21   b  and are designed for mating engagement with mounting plate slots  38 . Extending from mounting plate  16 &#39;s approximate center point to the outside edge is a large positioning slot  40 . Positioning slot  40  allows mounting plate  16  to slide over the driveshaft, such that the driveshaft will reside perpendicular to the plane of mounting plate  16 , and be contained within the hollow center of guard assembly  10 . Four fastener slots  42  are oblong with one end being larger in diameter than the other end, in a keyhole shape. Two fastener slots  42  reside on each side of positioning slot  40  in a pattern matingly configured for sliding engagement with the bolts of the pump housing (not illustrated). To accomplish this, the width of the narrow end of slots  42  is narrower than the width of the head of the pump bolt for which it fits, allowing the bolts on the pump housing to be loosened rather than removed for receipt of mounting plate  16  between them and the pump housing. Finally, mounting plate  16  is designed to accommodate a hinged viewing door  47 , as is illustrated in  FIG. 25 . Door  47  is secured to mounting plate  16  via angled door tabs  45 , which slide into door slots  44 . Door  47  can then be closed and locked onto mounting plate  16  via wing nut  49 , which passes through door orifice  46 . 
     Second mounting plate  50  is illustrated in  FIG. 18 , still employing the same mounting plate tabs  28 , door slots  44  and door orifice  46  as mounting plate  16 . However, circular center cutout  52  extends to the perimeter of second mounting plate  50  with a reduced width from the diameter of the center cutout  52  forming a keyhole shaped cutout, and resulting in the C-shaped appearance of second mounting plate  50 . Four circular connection orifices  54  extend therethrough second mounting plate  50 , two on each side of center cutout  52  for mating engagement with bolts on the pump housing. (In this configuration the pump bolts will have to be removed fully to install the plate.) Center cutout  52  allows second mounting plate  50  to slide over the driveshaft, such that the driveshaft will reside within hollow center of guard assembly  10  and reside perpendicular to the plane of the second mounting plate  50 . 
     Third mounting plate  60  is illustrated in  FIGS. 19-20 . Third mounting plate  60  is similar in design to mounting plate  16  and second mounting plate  50 , comprising the same mounting plate tabs  28 , door slots  44 , door orifice  46 , and in similar fashion to second mounting plate  50 , third mounting plate  60  also employs a circular center cutout  52  extending to the perimeter of third mounting plate  60  with a reduced width from the diameter of the center cutout  52  forming a keyhole shaped cutout, and resulting in the C-shaped appearance of third mounting plate  60 . For connection to the pump housing, third mounting plate employs four clamp tabs  64 , two clamp tabs  64  located on each side of center cutout  52 . In order to secure third mounting plate  60  to the pump housing, an adjustable gear clamp goes around flexible clamp tabs  64  and is tightened, contacting flexible clamp tabs  64  and drawing them into frictional engagement with the outside of the pump casing. Again, center cutout  52  allows third mounting plate  60  to slide over the driveshaft, such that the driveshaft will reside within hollow center of guard assembly  10  and reside perpendicular to the plane of the third mounting plate  60 . 
       FIG. 21  illustrates fourth mounting plate  70 . Fourth mounting plate also employs tabs  28  for mating engagement with slots  38  on guard  12 . Additionally, it has a star-shaped cutout  72 . Star-shaped cutout  72 , can generally be described as having the shape of an eight-point star, wherein the “points” do not taper to a point, but instead extend in a rectangular design. Four pump orifices  74  are positioned 90° apart from one another from their midpoints, around star-shaped cutout  72 . While star-shaped cutout  72  is designed to slide around driveshaft, it cannot be installed on the pump housing without first removing the driveshaft. This design is sized for specific manufacturer&#39;s pumps so as to have the precise bolt pattern and spacing. The points of the star-shaped cutout  72  allow for the plate  70  to reside approximately vertical on the pump casing, allowing non-planar protuberances to extend therein. 
     Looking at  FIGS. 2-3  it can be seen that mounting plate slots  38  are approximately twice as long as mounting plate tabs  28 . This configuration (2 to 1 ratio of slot length  38  to tab length  28 ) allows a mounting plate  16 ,  50 ,  60 , or  70  to accommodate a plethora of guard  12 /guard extensions  14 . Guard extension  14  can increase in diameter up to two inches without the diameter of mounting plate  16 ,  50 ,  60 , or  70  having to increase, easing the manufacturing process. Increasing the diameter of guard extension  14  will result in a larger gap between abutting flanges  26  when they are mechanically secured together, such as with nut/bolt combinations  34 ; however, the integrity of guard assembly  10  is maintained as long as abutting flanges  26  are positioned to face the base plate on which the pump and motor reside. 
       FIGS. 22-24  illustrate first vented flexible finger guard  18 , second vented flexible finger guard  90 , and third vented flexible finger guard  100 , respectively. Flexible finger guards  18 ,  90 , and  100  are formed with a z-shaped compression flange  92  at either end thereof, and are placed into matingly conformed recesses about the pump housing. As illustrated in  FIGS. 22-24  flexible finger guards can vary in size, depending on the pump housing recess, which requires obstruction. Made from a flexible metal, flexible finger guards,  18 ,  90 , and  100  will simply deform slightly when pressure is applied to both z-shaped compression flanges  92 , and will lock (friction fit) into the conformed recess when the pressure is released. 
     To install and adjust the guard assembly  10  the mounting plate  16 ,  50 , or  60  is placed over the driveshaft of the motor via positioning slot  40 , center cutout  52 , or in the case of third mounting plate  70 , the drive shaft must be removed. The pump end cap bolts (not illustrated) located on the pump housing are slightly unscrewed such that the wide end of fastener slots  42  may be slid over the bolts until the mounting plate  16  contacts the end cap of the pump  22  and then the mounting plate  16  is slid downward to lock the narrow end of the fastener slots  42  behind the bolts. The bolts are then tightened. For second mounting plate  50  the bolts on the pump end cap must be removed an then inserted through connection orifices  54 , and for the third mounting plate  60  a gear clamp is placed around flexible clamp tabs  64  and tightened until tabs  64  are frictionally engaged with the pump casing. For fourth mounting plate  70 , the driveshaft must be removed before the bolts on the pump end cap can be removed and then inserted through pump orifices  74  and tightened. Next, guard extension  14  in its planar configuration is slid under the rotating components, which couple the pump  22  to the motor  20 . It is then curved around so that the middle tab  15  engages slot  11  and guard extension  22  is now in its cylindrical form. At this time the middle tab  15  may or may not be bent back on itself to lock guard extension  14  in its cylindrical configuration. Next, guard  12  is opened by separating flanges  26  with enough clearance to get over the pump/motor physical connections, (the rotating components) the guard extension  14 , and the outer diameter of any of the mounting plates  16 ,  50 ,  60  or  70 . Guard  12  is rotated such that the flanges  26  are at an accessible point for maintenance workers. The mounting plate tabs  28  in the mounting plate  16 ,  50 ,  60 ,  70  are aligned and inserted into the mounting plate slots  38  in the first end of guard  12 . Nut/bolt combinations  34  are now placed through the flanges  26  and the center nut/bolt combination is slid to a location that allows adequate closing force to be exerted on the assembly. Guard extension  14  is slid outward from inside the guard until it abuts the end of the motor  20 . Depending on the design of the pump, the Zerk fitting knockout  32  and/or ground knockout  30  may have to be removed prior to this step, to allow guard extension  14  to completely abut the motor. Nut/bolt combinations  34  are then tightened to secure the flange  26  around the guard extension  14 . Since the guard  12  is slightly smaller in diameter than the guard extension  14 , the nut/bolt combinations  34  will not be able to draw the flanges  26  together and they will reside slightly apart and approximately parallel when the bolt/nut combinations are tightened. Door  47  is installed on mounting plate  16 ,  50 , or  60 , wherein the angled door tabs  45  are inserted into the door slots  44 , and wing nut assembly  49  is inserted through door orifice  46 , allowing the drive shaft to be viewed and minor maintenance to be accomplished without removing guard assembly  10 . Finally, flexible finger guards  18 ,  90 , and/or  100  are inserted in appropriately sized recesses on the pump and or pump housing accordingly.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5