Gas-mask

Application filed. October 18, 1918. Serial No. 258,753.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, Otto F. Wageniiorst, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of; Summit, State of 5 Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Masks, of which the following is a description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to improvements in gas masks such as are used by soldiers in modern warfare to ward off the effects of poisonous gas attacks. It frequently happens that, with respect to some kinds of gas 15 used, the attacks are prolonged a considerable period or that the gas projected lingers for an indefinite period in the atmosphere or even permeates the ground, so that the soldiers, for protection, must wear their 20 masks for a long period of time—thirty-six or forty-eight hours, or perhaps even longer.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improvement to the modern type of gas mask, whereby, without removal of 25 the gas mask, the wearer may be supplied with nourishment or medicines or liquids of any description that are essential to relief; and, furthermore, by my improvement a. wounded man may be supplied with neces30 sary medicine or liquid nourishment without such removal of the mask.

It also frequently happens that the canister which contains the filtering material through which the air is purified before being drawn 35 into the mask, and which is carried by the wearer in a pocket or belt on the blouse, and attached to the end of a corrugated tube leading into the mask, is defective or becomes punctured, in which event the func40 tioning of the filtering material may cease and the effect of the gas mask is destroyed.

It is the object of my invention to provide a gas mask with an arrangement whereby the canister containing the filtering ma45 terial may be removed and the pipe leading from the same shut off and. a new canister supplied immediately; or, if desired, two canisters may be attached to the air inlet pipe, each under separate control so that a 50 defective canister may be cut off and the perfect one used. The invention, therefore, consists in the matters hereinafter described and referred to in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings—

Figure 1 is a front view of the ordinary gas mask, showing my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, partly broken away, showing the connection of the feedingtube with the mask; 00

Fig. 3 is a front view of a different means for attaching the feeding tube.

The gas mask shown, except for the improvements hereinafter described, is of the standard type now in use by the American 65 Army, and is shown generally in the drawings at 1. It is provided with the usual aluminum die casting 2, having an outlet 3 through which air is expelled, this outlet being covered by a flutter valve 4, allowing 70 the air to pass from the mask when exhausting the air from the lungs but which closes upon inhalation. The die casting 2 is provided with an air intake nipple 5 which is connected to a flexible rubber pipe 6. The 75 pipe, as heretofore constructed, has attached to its lower end a canister containing filtering- material to purify the air to be breathed. It often happens, as above stated, that the canister is defective or may become punc- 80 tured and useless, in which event the filtering material would not perform its function or purify the air and the poisonous gas would be inhaled into the lungs of. the wearer of the mask. To obviate this a. 85 rubber pipe 6 is provided with a branch 7, to which another canister containing filtering material may be applied as a substitute for the other defective canister, or it may be that a canister may be attached to each of 90 the pipe ends. The main pipe 6, below, the connection of the branch pipe, is provided with a valve 8, and the branch pipe 7 is also provided .with a valve 9, so that the air fed to the mask may be taken from either canis- 95 ter, as desired. This structure lessens to a considerable degree the liability of. the wearer becoming gassed, as it is not likely that both canisters would become ineffective at the same time. . . ¹⁰⁰

The die casting 2 is provided with a pipe connection having a nipple 10 on the outside and a nipple 11 on the inside. Connected to the nipple on the inside is a short flexible rubber pipe 12 of a length so that 105 the wearer can place it in his mouth, when desired, by pressure with his finger from the outside. The outer nipple 10 is provided with a valve 13, to which is connected a rubber pipe 14 leading to a receptacle con- 110

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1,366,437 taining medicine or liquid food or water, and, upon the opening of the valve, the wearer of the mask can suck up the contents of the receptacle without removing the δ mask. When not using the feeding apparatus, the valve 13 is closed and the rubber connection or tube 14 may be removed so that the attachment will in no way interfere with the wearer. This structure, as 10 will be seen, allows the wearer to be fed or given medicine or water, without removing the mask, which is very essential as it often happens that the masks have to be . worn continuously for hours. Even patients 15 in hospitals have been compelled to wear them and it has heretofore been impossible to give nourishment or water to a patient when greatly in need of the same.

In the. modification shown in Fig. 3 of 20 the drawings, instead of having the connection through the die casting, the flexible part of the mask adjacent the die casting has a pipe connection cemented or otherwise secured thereto. In this event, the pipe 25 extends inwardly a short distance, so that the wearer of the mask may readily insert it in. his mouth and on the outside, it is provided with a valve 15, to which may be connected the tube 14, and the operation 30 would be the same as that in the preferred form.

While I have shown the heretofore described structure, it will be understood that the same could be varied in many ways to 35 accomplish the desired results without departing from my invention.