Abstract:
The present invention, a tool safety shield, comprises a clip with at least one shield. The clip further comprises vent ribs. The shield extension further comprises a vacuum port. Both one piece and two piece embodiments are disclosed. The tool safety shield is attachable to a tool or to an adapter from the tool to the tool safety shield.

Description:
Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. Par. 119(e)(i) applicant claims priority of Provisional Application for Patent No. 60/108,534 of Nov. 16, 1998 for a “Tool Safety Shield”. 
    
    
     Statement as to Rights to inventions made under Federally sponsored research and development: Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a protective shield for, but not restricted to, small, hand held, motor driven tools, such as are used for grinding, polishing and cutting. 
     2. Background Information 
     Small electric motor driven tools, typically hand held or bench mounted, such as are used for grinding, polishing, and cutting are popular and widely used. These tools are typically light weight, 3600 rpm and higher, and convenient to use. However, at typical speeds of 3,600 rpm and higher, some of the items mounted on the tools, such as abrasive discs tend to shatter. Also, wire brushes tend to throw wires. Also, users of such tools sometimes injure fingers when they inadvertently rest them against a rotating chuck of such tools. Safety is a problem, because there are not currently available an adequate, light weight, and convenient safety shields for such tools. 
     As will be seen from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, these, and other shortcomings of the prior art are overcome. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention, a tool protective shield, in the preferred embodiment comprises a clip with a transparant shield. The clip comprises a clearance and vent ribs. The shield further comprises a vacuum tube. The tool protective shield is attachable to a tool or to an adapter from the tool to the tool safety shield. The shield can be manufacturer either as a one piece unit or as a multi-piece unit. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIGS. 1-16,  19 ,  20  and  22  illustrate various embodiments of the present invention, a tool protective shield, with various adaptors, installed on various tools. 
     FIGS. 17,  18 , and  23  illustrate embodiments of the present invention with a vacuum connection. 
     FIGS. 24 through 31 illustrate embodiments of the present invention which feature a two piece tool protective shield. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a first embodiment of the present invention, a basic protective shield assembly  1  comprising a mount clip  2  and a shield  3  wherein said clip  2  is affixed to said shield  3 . The shield  3  is a transparant shield with a clearance  4 . The clearance  4  permits the clip  2  to clip on to either a tool or a tool adapter. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a threaded adapter  50  which comprises mounting threads  51  and a chuck clearance  52 . 
     FIGS. 3,  5 , and  6  illustrate how the basic protective shield assembly  1  with the mount clip  2  and the shield  3  will mount on the threaded adapter  50  with the chuck clearance  52  which mounts on a prior art electrical hand held grinding tool  40  which comprises a threaded boss  42 , a tool chuck  41  with tightening flats  41 A with a tool accessory  500  which is a rotating tool accessory  500  during its indended use. Such tools  40  are available and known in the trade under the registered trademark DREMEL. When said shield assembly  1  is installed on said adapter  50  by mounting said clip  2  onto said adapter  50 , said shield assembly  1  serves as a guard between the tool accessory  500  and an operator of said tool  40  with said tool accessory  500 . 
     FIG. 7 illustrates a standard prior art hand held flexible shaft driven rotary tool  150  comprising a flexible shaft  152 , a common tool chuck  151 , with the tool accessory  500 . As said tool  150  with said shaft  152  is not threaded, said protective shield assembly  1  with said mount clip  2  and said shield  3  will mount directly on said tool  150  without the threaded adapter  50  which was required for said tool  40  shown in FIGS. 3,  5 , and  6 . When said shield assembly  1  is installed on said tool  150  by mounting said clip  2  onto said tool  150 , said shield assembly  1  serves as a guard between the tool accessory  500  and an operator of said tool  150  with said tool accessory  150 . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, said shield  3  is curvilinear in shape so as to maximize protection of an operator yet permit the accessory tool  500  to achieve its intended purpose, such as, but not limited to, grinding, abrading, polishing, or cutting. 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate said shield assembly  1  with said mount clip  2  and said shield  3 , a clip-on adaptor  200  with a clip-on clearance  201  and a small hand held flexible shaft driven grinding tool  60  comprising a flexible shaft drive  62 , a collet  61 , and the rotary wheel  500  and the installation of said shield assembly  1  on said adaptor  200  on said tool  60 . 
     FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate said shield assembly  1  with said mount clip  2  and said shield  3  with a bench mounted small grinder/polisher  70  with grinder/polisher wheels  502  and how said shield assembly  1  mounts on said grinder/polisher  70 . 
     FIG.  13  and illustrates a double shield assembly  100  comprising a motor mount clip  102  and two shields  103  mounted on said grinder/polisher  70  wherein said shields  13  are affixed to said clip  102 . The double shield assembly  100  differs from said shield assembly  1  only in that said assembly  100  has two shields  103  as opposed to a single shield  3  as does said assembly  1 . Both assemblies  1  and  100  clip onto said grinder/polisher  70  as the repsective clips  2  and  102  of assemblies  1  and  100  are of the same construction as shown for said clip  2  in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     FIG. 14 illustrates a slotted and drilled adapter  80  comprising a slotted and drilled adapter clearance  81 , a slot  82  and, a collet tool clearance  83 . 
     FIG. 15 illustrates a slotted adapter  90  comprising a slotted adapter clearance  91  and a slotted adapter slot  92 . 
     FIG. 16 illustrates a ribbed shield assembly  10  comprising a ribbed shield clearance  14 , a ribbed mount clip  12  with vent ribs  11 , and a ribbed shield assembly shield  13  wherein said clip  12  is affixed to said shield  13 . This is an alternate embodiment to said shield assembly  1  previously discussed. The vent ribs  11  facilitate heat dissipation from a tool, such as said tool  150 , by providing for a gap between said clip  12  and said tool  150  to which said shield assembly  10  is applied. 
     FIG. 17 illustrates a vacuum shield assembly  20  comprising a vacuum shield assembly mount clip  22  with a vacuum shield assembly mount clip clearance  24  and a vacuum shield  23  with a vacuum tube  21  wherein said clip  22  and said tube  21  are affixed to said shield  23 . The vacuum tube  21  permits connection of a vacuum or air hose for either pulling a vaccum on a work piece or for blowing air over said work piece. 
     FIG. 18 illustrates an alternate vacuum shield assembly  30  comprising an alternate vacuum shield assembly mount clip  32  with an alternate vacuum shield assembly mount clip clearance  34  and an alternate vacuum shield  33  with an alternate vacuum tube  31  wherein said clip  32  and said tube  31  are affixed to said shield  33 . 
     FIG. 19 illustrates an offset ribbed shield assembly  190  comprising an offset ribbed assembly shield  193 , an offset ribbed mount clip  192  comprising an offset ribbed mount clip clearance  194  and mount clip ribs  191 , and an block  195  which connects said offset ribbed mount clip  192  to said offset ribbed assembly shield  193 . 
     FIG. 20 illustrates an offset shield assembly  110  comprising an offset assembly shield  113 , an offset mount clip  112  comprising an offset mount clip clearance  114 , and an offset block  115  which connects said said offset assembly shield  113  to said offset mount clip  112 . 
     FIG. 21 illustrates a capped shield assembly  120  comprising a circular plane end cap  124 , a capped shield  123 , and a capped shield assembly mount clip  122  wherein said cap  124  is affixed to said shield  123  which is affixed to said clip  122 . 
     FIG. 22 illustrates a end capped shield assembly  130  comprising a semi-circular plane end cap  134 , an end capped shield  133 , and an end capped shield assembly mount clip  132  wherein said cap  134  is affixed to said shield  133  which is fixed to said clip  132 . 
     FIG. 23 illustrates an end vacuum shield assembly  140  comprising an end vacuum shield  143 , and an end vaccum shield assembly mount clip  142 , an annular cap  144 , and an end vacuum tube  145 , wherein said tube  145  is affixed to said annular cap  144  which is affixed to said shield  143  which is affixed to said clip  142 . The purpose of said tube  145  is to permit either a vacuum to be pulled on, or air blown through, said shield assembly  140 . 
     FIG. 24 and 25 illustrate a double projection shield assembly  310  comprising a double projection shield  313  with projections  316  and a receptacle clip  300  comprising projection receptacles  312 , each with a receptacle clearance  315 , and a receptacle clip clearance  314  wherein the projections  316  mate with and are received by said clearances  315  of said receptacles  312 . 
     FIGS. 26 and 27 illustrate a singular rectangular projection shield assembly  320  which comprises a projection shield  323  with a singular rectangular projection  327 , and a single rectangular projection shield clip  322  comprising a single rectangular protection shield clip clearance  324  and square projection receptacle  325  with a square receptacle clearance  326  wherein said projection  327  mates with and is received by said clearance  326  of said receptacle  325 . 
     FIGS. 28 and 29 illustrate an offset singular rectangular projection shield assembly  330  which comprises said clip  322  and an offset projection shield  333  with a singular rectangular projection  337  offset so that when said clearance  326  receives said projection  337 , said clip  322  is offset from said shield  333 . 
     FIG. 30 illustrates an end cap  340  with inner diameter  341  that mates with and accepts said shield  313  with said projections  316  as shown in FIG.  31 . 
     Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
     A clear structural injection moldable plastic is the preferred material of construction for the various shields discussed. Other parts of the preferred embodiment of the present invention can be plastic or of a metal such as steel or aluminim. 
     Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.