[0001] The present invention relates to a protective garment for dangerous jobs, made with
a net or links of shock-proof material, such as for example metal net or links and/or
net or links of plastic polymers or the like. This is particularly useful, for example,
to protect the body of operators during use of agricultural machinery (such as bush-cutters)
and machine tools (such as circular saws).
[0002] Protective garments according to the state of the art involve a first problem, in
that they have a continuous, compact surface and for this reason do not allow the
skin of the person wearing them to transpire, thus creating particularly uncomfortable
working conditions. Furthermore, the protective garments commercially available today
do not cover the body of the operator completely, leaving many parts uncovered and
thus more frequently subjected to accidents during work.
[0003] The material forming the protective garment in reference may conveniently be made
in various manners, for example woven wires of whatever diameter, a printed panel
or chain links, the latter having the advantage of being more flexible and thus of
following the movements of the operator more easily.
[0004] The garment can be shaped in various manners, for example it can take the form of
an apron, that of a coverall or that of an overall, and said garment can also include
parts protecting the legs and arms, either in one piece with the garment itself or
to be added as required and optionally connected to the garment by means of suitable
connection strips.
[0005] Furthermore, according to the invention, a number of spacers of whatever convenient
form are provided inside the garment, for example circular, elongated, etc., capable
of holding the garment away from the body in such a way as to allow free transpiration
of the skin and to protect the body from waste materials and from spraying by poisonous
liquids or juices, in whatever manner the latter are released, in particular during
agricultural work.
[0006] Object of the present invention is to create a garment capable of protecting in a
complete and safe manner the body of the operator in the agricultural and industrial
sector, without impeding skin transpiration.
[0007] This is possible by foreseeing a protective garment made of netting or chains of
material that is resistant to impact, such as for preference metal netting or chain
links and/or plastic polymer or glass fibre netting or chain links. It is also advantageously
possible to use netting or chain links of any type, coated with plastic materials.
Said netting or chain links for preference comprise holes or openings of small dimensions,
such as to allow the heat of the operator's body to pass out while at the same time
protecting him from waste products, however these may be detached and thrown during
his work.
[0008] The above invention is illustrated by way of an example in the enclosed drawings,
in which:
figure 1 shows an internal front view of a protective net apron;
figure 2 shows a side view of the protective apron of figure 1;
figures 3, 4 and 5 show examples of the type of netting or chain links that can be
used to make the protective garment;
figure 6 shows a front view of the protective garment in the form of a coverall;
figure 7 shows a front view of the coverall garment with leggings;
figure 8 shows a perspective view of a protective sleeve of the open kind;
figure 9 shows a perspective view of a protective sleeve of the closed kind; and
figure 10 shows a front view of a protective overall with sleeves and trousers, fitted
with connection elements.
[0009] With reference to the above figures, the protective garment can take the form of
an apron 1 in chain links as illustrated in figures 1 and 2. This apron 1 has a belt
3 and relative ties 2 to fix it at the waist. Inside said apron 1 are various spacers
4 capable of spacing the apron from the normal clothing in order to give better skin
transpiration. It is obvious that these spacers 4 are particularly useful during the
summer season, when the operator is wearing light or no clothing, and when there is
also a possibility of spraying by poisonous juices or liquids.
[0010] Said spacers 4 are distributed as required over the whole or part of the surface
of the protective garment and can be of any convenient shape, such as circular button
shaped or elongated.
[0011] The apron according to figure 1 can have sleeves fixed to the front part of the armholes.
[0012] Figure 6 shows the protective garment in the form of a coverall 1a, again in resistant
net or chain links and normally provided with fastening ties 2. This coverall garment
obviously protects the rear part of the body as well.
[0013] Figure 7 shows a coverall garment 1b, similar to the preceding one, but equipped
with leggings 1b' for protection of the front portion of the legs, with relative ties
5.
[0014] Figure 8 shows an open sleeve protecting the arms of the operator, equipped with
ties 5, while figure 9 shows a closed sleeve 6'.
[0015] Figure 10 shows the protective garment in the form of an overall, comprising a body
7, trousers 8 and sleeves 9, in which optionally for ease of dressing the body 7,
trousers 8 and sleeves 9 are separate and joined together by means of connection means
10, preferably of a pleated type.
[0016] The protective garment as described in its various forms can be completed by headgear
and a mask to protect the head and face, made of strong net and/or chain links.
[0017] The material used to make the protective garment described can be woven net 11 as
illustrated in figure 3, or a panel 12 printed with holes 13 of whatever form, for
example square, rectangular or circular. It is also advantageously possible to use
chain links of the sinusoidal type as shown in figure 5, which has an excellent level
of flexibility.
[0018] Said net or chain links can be in metal wire of whatever diameter, optionally coated
with plastic, or it can be a thread of resistant plastic polymer. Non-run nets that
can be advantageously used for the purposes of the present invention are commercially
available.
[0019] For greater protection of the operator according to whether the invention is being
used in the agricultural or industrial sector, the garment can be either partially
or wholly made of a double layer of net. Furthermore, to increase its strength and/or
level of protection according to whether the invention is to be used in the agricultural
or industrial sector, certain parts of the net can be covered or replaced by other
non-net materials, such as the edges, sleeve or pocket seams, thickening and reinforcing
bands, very bottom part of the apron. The sleeves can also be fitted with cuffs.
[0020] The spacers 4 inside the garment, as shown in figures 1 and 2, can also be provided
in the other solutions shown in figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, and are placed in the most
suitable positions for aeration, body transpiration and increased protection from
waste materials. These spacers 4, of whatever convenient shape, are preferably of
a soft material such as soft plastic or rubber, and are fixed using suitable means
meshing with the net, with the chain links or with the panel forming the garment.
[0021] According to a version particularly of use for bush-cutters, the inside front portion
of the apron is equipped with a rather rigid pipe positioned horizontally at the level
of the belt, so as to hold the apron open for better protection of the legs. This
pipe is narrower than the width of the apron, leaving the outer edges of the latter
free to allow connection of the bush-cutter to the operator's neck-strap.
[0022] This protective garment can be made of a combination of elements in net, panel or
chain links, according to requirements.
[0023] Obviously the solutions illustrated as non-limiting examples can be combined together
in a variety of ways to satisfy the various possible needs of operators in the agricultural
and industrial field.
1. A protective garment for dangerous jobs, especially useful for operators in the agricultural
and industrial fields, characterised in that said garment, or part thereof (1, 1a,
1b, 1b', 6, 6', 7) is made using net (11), perforated panel (12, 13) or chain links
(14) of a strength sufficient to support the impact of elements or parts that are
broken off or thrown during the work, and at the same time to allow body transpiration,
in which said garment or parts thereof comprises fixing ties (2, 5) and spacers (4)
on its internal surface, said spacers (4) being suitable to separate the garment from
the body, for greater protection from waste materials, particularly useful when the
operator is working in conditions of extreme environmental heat and with the danger
of spraying by poisonous juices.
2. A protective garment according to claim 1, characterised in that it is made using
a net (11) of woven threads, preferably of the non-run type.
3. A protective garment according to claim 1, characterised in that it is made using
a panel (12) with holes of small size and whatever shape.
4. A protective garment according to claim 1, characterised in that it is made using
sinusoidal chain links (14).
5. A protective garment according to claims 2 and 4, characterised in that the threads
forming the protective garment are threads of a suitable diameter and strength, of
metal material, of plastic polymer material or of metal material coated with plastic.
6. A protective garment according to claim 1, characterised in that it has the shape
of an apron (1), optionally provided with sleeves.
7. A protective garment according to claim 1, characterised in that it has the shape
of a coverall (1a, 1b), optionally provided with leggings (1b').
8. A protective garment according to claim 1, characterised in that it has sleeves (6,
6') of an open or closed type protecting the arms.
9. A protective garment according to claim 1, characterised in that it has the shape
of an overall with a body (7), trousers (8) and sleeves (9), in which sale separate
elements are connected together by connection means (10), preferably of a pleated
type.
10. A protective garment according to claims 1 and following, characterised in that it
can take the shape of a mixture of apron, coverall and overall.
11. A protective garment according to claims 1 and following, characterised in that it
can be wholly or partially made of a double layer of net (11, 12, 14) of any type,
that is to say cross-woven net (11), panel (12) or chain links (14).
12. A protective garment according to claim 1 and following, characterised in that certain
parts of the net can be covered or replaced by other non-net materials.