Improvements in Firemen's or Stokers' Shields.
Year: 1889

page_text: ate of Application, 22nd Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 28th ec., 1889-Accepted, 1st Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Firemen's or Stokers' Shields.
I, NIKOLAUS WEBER, of Lambertville, in the County of Hunterdon, and State of
New Jersey, United States of America, Rubber Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an apparatus that is designed for the use of firemen or
stokers when they are drawing or raking their fires; the object of the invention being
to protect the face of the wearer from the heat of the fire.
The Invention consists essentially of a frame provided with a transparent panel and
with brackets that are pivotally connected to plates secured to a head cap, said plates
being provided with stops upon which the bracket members rest, the arrangement
being such that the frame may be placed in position in front of the face or turned so
as to rest behind the head.
The frame at its lower edge is provided with a flap or curtain preferably made of
refractory material such as asbestos cloth or other suitable material. The brackets
are secured one at each end of the frame, said brackets being formed with eyes
that engage studs carried by plates rivetted or otherwise secured to a cap or head
band. The plates carry outwardly-extending studs or projections, the one set of studs
serving to support the brackets in a position such that the panel will be directly
in front of the eyes of the user while the other set serve to support the brackets so
that the panel will be held at the rear of the user's head.
Instead of a cap it will, of course, be understood that any proper band which would
fit upon the wearer's head might be employed.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Firemen's or Stokers' Shields.
I, NIKOLAUS WEBER of Lambertsville, in the County of Hunterdon, and State of
New Jersey, United States of America, Rubber Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to an apparatus that is designed for use by firemen or
stokers when they are drawing or raking their fires; the object of the invention
being to protect the face of the wearer from the heat of the fire."
To the end above named, the invention consists essentially of a frame provided
with a transparent panel and with brackets that are pivotally connected to plates
secured to a head cap, said plates being provided with stops upon which the bracket
members rest, the arrangement being such that the frame may be lowered to a
position in front of the user's face or turned so as to rest behind his head, all as
will be hereinafter fully described and specifically pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specifi-
cation, in which figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved fireman's shield, the
parts being represented as they appear when the frame is lowered to a position in
front of the user's face. Figure 2 is a perspective view, the parts, however, being
represented as they appear when the frame is moved to a position behind the head
of the wearer. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the frame and the parts carried
Price 6d l

page_text: thereby, a portion only of one of the brackets being represented in this view; and
figure 4 is a detail view of a modified form of bracket.
Similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.
In the drawings, 10 represents a frame in which there is mounted a transparent
panel 11 made of glass or mica. as preferred. To the lower edge of the frame there
is secured a flap or curtain 12 that is preferably made of refractory material, such as
asbestos cloth, but any other proper material could be employed in the making of this
flap. To each end of the frame 10 is secured a bracket 13, said brackets being
formed with eyes 14 that engage studs 15 carried by plates 16, said plates being
rivetted or otherwise secured to a cap or head band 20. The plates 16 carry
outwardly-extending studs or projections 17 and 17ª, the studs 17 serving to support
the brackets in a position such that the panel 11 will be directly in front of the eyes
of the user, as represented in figure 1, while the studs or projections 17" serve to
support the brackets so that the panel will be held at the rear of the user's head, as
represented in figure 2. In this way I provide for the protection of the face of the
fireman or stoker and I also provide for the disposal of the frame and panel in a
manner such that it will be out of the way when not in use.
Instead of a cap it will of course be understood that any proper band which would
fit upon the wearer's head might be employed.
Although not positively essential, it is more convenient to have the frame 10
supported behind the head in the position in which it is shewn in figure 2, that is
in a higher horizontal plane than when the frame is lowered for use, as represented in
figure 1, and to this end I prefer to place the studs 15 as represented in the drawings
and to form the bracket as shewn in such drawings.
Instead of a bracket such as is shewn in the first three figures of the drawings,
I might employ such a bracket as is represented in figure 4, the difference being
that in the first three figures of the drawings the bracket is shewn as it would appear
if made from sheet metal while in figure 4 the bracket is made from wire bent
to form.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what 1
claim is ;-
1. A fireman's shield, substantially as herein described.
2. The combination, with a cap or head receiving attachment, of a frame having
a transparent panel and brackets carried by the frame and pivotally connected to
the cap or head receiving attachment.
3. The combination, with a cap provided with plates having studs 15 and projec-
tions 17 and 17" of a frame baving a transparent panel and bracket connected
with the frame and mounted upon the studs, substantially as described.
4. The combination, with a cap provided with plates 16 having studs 15 and
projections 17 and 17, of a frame 10, a transparent panel 11 carried thereby, a
flap 12 secured to the lower edge of the frame and brackets 13 also secured to th
frame and formed with eyes through which the studs 15 pass.
Dated this 28th day of December 1889.