Patent ID: 7520816

Claim:
A guard assembly for extending around a rotating drive shaft that extends between a driving device and a driven device, the guard assembly comprising: a. a first split cover comprising a sheet of bendable material having opposed end portions with each end portion having a flange, and wherein in an operative mode the first cover assumes a cylindrical configuration and in the cylindrical configuration the cover includes a cylindrical wall and the two flanges are disposed adjacent each other; b. one or more fasteners for securing the two flanges; c. a series of circumferentially spaced lug openings formed in the first cover about one end portion of the first cover; d. a split adapter for securing to either the driving device or the driven device and including a series of circumferentially spaced lugs that project into and are received by the circumferentially spaced lug openings in the first cover; e. a second split cover comprising a bendable material and having opposed end portions and wherein in one mode the bendable material assumes a cylindrical configuration and in the cylindrical configuration the second cover includes a cylindrical wall; f. one of the first or second covers being telescopically contained in the other and movable back and forth therein between a retracted position and an extended position; g. a series of elongated openings formed in the cylindrical walls of the first and second cover; h. fasteners extending through the elongated openings formed in the cylindrical walls of the first and second covers for securing the covers together and generally stationing one cover with respect to the other; and i. an end cap disposed on the end of the guard assembly opposite the adapter.