Smoke-protector.

Application filed March 25,1903. Serial No, 149,525. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, William E. Andrew, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlantic Highlands, in the county of Monmouth and 5 State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Smoke-Protectors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skiliedin io the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved form of apparatus for protecting persons entering places where there is smoke 15 or dangerous fumes in the atmosphere, enabling the wearer to breathe a supply of good air, while the air from the lungs is exhaled as usual.

With this object in view and with others 20 my invention comprises the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, described, and claimed.

In the drawings, representing an apparatus embodying my invention in my preferred 25 form, Figure 1 is a front view of the device in position for use on a person. Fig. 2 is a side view of same, and Fig. 3 is a side view showing the mask in section.

In the several views, in which the characters 30 of reference indicate the same parts, A represents the mask, preferably made of soft rubber, that fits snugly over the upper part of the head and extends down to and snugly fits the upper lip. A plate A², preferably elastic, 35 extends under the ears (that are left clear of the mask) and around back of the head, thus securing the mask tightly in place and holding the lower edge of the mask tightly in engagement with the upper lip. There are 4° openings opposite the eyes and also one for the nose, as indicated in Fig. 3.

A plate of rubber A³ is vulcanized or otherwise secured to the front of the mask to inclose the nose and eye apertures and has a 45 beak portion A⁴ to extend in front of the nose, but not of contact therewith, so as to leave a chamber in front of the nostrils. A pair of lenses A⁵ A⁶ are inserted in the front plate A³ opposite the eyes of the wearer for 5° obvious reasons.

In order to supply the chamber around the nose with pure air, I provide a suitable reservoir B, preferably in the form of a vest, having a number of tubes or cells 5, which may be put on in the usual manner and secured by 55 buttons or otherwise. A tube B² connects the vest-tubes with the nose-chamber and has a suitable valve B³, by means of which the air in the vest-tubes can be admitted to the nosechamber as desired and the pressure con- 60 trolled. If desired, any of the well-known forms of pressure-reducing valves may be used, by which the pressure of the air in the nose-chamber can be automatically regulated. An air-pump of any suitable form, such as an 65 ordinary force-pump B⁴, is attached to the vest-tubes, preferably at the lower part of the vest. This pump I preferably have permanently secured to the vest.

This apparatus is especially designed for use 70 by firemen.

The vest can be worn at all times when on duty or can be quickly slipped on when responding to an alarm and adjusted, while the mask can be carried'in the pocket, say, of the 75 vest, without being disconnected from the vest-tubes. The tube B² is, however, made detachable from the vest-tubes δ by any suitable air-tight joint δ², so that the mask and tube δ²may be disconnected from the vest-tubes δ and 80 carried in a place other than the vest-pocket or for other purposes, as is obvious. When it is necessary for the fireman to enter a smokeladen room, he can quickly slip the mask in place and then pump into the vest-reservoir 85 a supply of pure air, if it is not already sufficiently full. Until he enters the room filled with smoke he can breathe, inhale, and exhale through the mouth, which is left entirely free, so that he can give orders and talk whenever 90 necessary; but when he enters a room filled with smoke he turns on the valve B³ and admits air from the vest-reservoir to the nosechamber and inhales through the nose, inspiring the air from the reservoir, while he 95 exhales through the mouth, taking care not to permit any air to be inhaled through the mouth. When the supply of air in the vestreservoir becomes exhausted, the fireman or other wearer goes to a window, door, or any 100

771,801 convenient place where a supply of pure air can be obtained and again fills the vest-tubes by the attached pump, which can be very quickly accomplished, and he can then return 5 to his work in the smoke-filled room.

Without limiting myself to the details of construction and arrangement hereinbefore set forth, what 1 claim as new, and desire to