Patent ID: 8025577

Claim:
A guard for shielding a pair of exposed rotating shafts and a coupling joint interconnecting the shafts in a machine assembly, comprising: first, second, third, and fourth cover components, each including a semi-circular body and an end wall and edges on opposing sides; the bodies of the first and second cover components forming a first cylindrical shape and the associated end walls forming a first opening for a first shaft when the edges of the first and second cover components are abutted; the bodies of the third and fourth cover components forming a second cylindrical shape and the associated end walls forming a second opening for a second shaft when the edges of the third and fourth cover components are abutted; the first cylindrical shape being sized to telescopingly slidingly fit over an outer surface of the second cylindrical shape in order to enclose the coupling joint and associated portions of the first and second shafts wherein the edges include lateral flanges.