PROTECTIVE CAP FOR MASONRY STRAPS

Description

(B) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

(C) STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

(D) THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

(E) INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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(F) STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable

(G) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to protective coverings and more particularly pertains to a new protective covering for preventing punctures and lacerations caused by exposed sheet metal hardware.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.

The prior art discloses myriad coverings for shielding construction elements such as rebar and T-posts and drawing attention to the same to communicate hazards. However, the prior art fails to disclose such a covering which is adapted to fit over masonry straps and similar hardware elements. Such an apparatus would be advantageous by covering previously overlooked puncture and laceration hazards.

(H) BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a base with a top side, a bottom side, and a perimeter side. The perimeter side extends between the top side and the bottom side. A sleeve is coupled to and extends away from the top side of the base. The sleeve has a front wall, a back wall, and a pair of lateral walls. The lateral walls are coupled to and extend between the front wall and the back wall. The sleeve defines a slot which is surrounded by the front wall, the back wall, and the pair of lateral walls. The slot is open at a top end of the sleeve and is sized and configured to fit around the exposed end of the article of hardware.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

(I) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a cap apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of masonry straps of the type which would be covered by an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

(J) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 6 thereof, a new protective covering embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the cap apparatus 10 generally comprises a base 12 with a top side 14, a bottom side 16, and a perimeter side 18. The perimeter side 18 extends between the top side 14 and the bottom side 16 and tapers from the top side 14 to the bottom side 16. In some embodiments, the perimeter side 18 may be rounded. The perimeter side 18 also may have a rounded edge with the top side 14 and a rounded edge with the bottom side 16. The top side 14 and the bottom side 16 have oval shapes. In other embodiments, the top side 14 and the bottom side 16 have generally rounded shapes. For example, the shapes of the top side 14 and the bottom side 16 may be circles, rectangles or other polygons with rounded corners/vertices, or other complex shapes without sharp corners. Shapes with sharp or abrupt corners are, however, contemplated for the top side 14 and the bottom side 16.

A sleeve 20 is coupled to and extends away from the top side 14 of the base 12. The sleeve 20 has a front wall 22, a back wall 24, and a pair of lateral walls 26. The lateral walls 26 are coupled to and extend between the front wall 22 and the back wall 24. The sleeve 20 defines a slot 28 with a rectangular cross section surrounded by the front wall 22, the back wall 24, and the pair of lateral walls 26. The slot 28 is open at a top end 30 of the sleeve 20 and is sized and configured to fit around an exposed end 42 of an article of hardware 40 with an interference fit. A clearance fit or other fits suitable to position the sleeve 20 around the exposed end 42 of the article of hardware 40 are contemplated.

The slot 28 has a uniform thickness between the front wall 22 and the back wall 24 and a uniform width between the pair of lateral walls 26. The sleeve 20 is positioned entirely inwardly of the perimeter side 18 of the base 12. In other words, the base 12 extends forwardly, backwardly, and in opposite lateral directions from the sleeve 20 such that the sleeve 20 does not protrude over the edge between the top side 14 and the perimeter side 18.

A front support member 32 and a back support member 34 are coupled to the top side 14 of the base 12 and an exterior of the sleeve 20. The front support member 32 is coupled to the front wall 22, and the back support member 34 coupled to the back support member 34. The front and back support members 32, 34 each have an outer surface 36 which is angled toward the sleeve 20 from the base 12 to a distal end 38 of the outer surface 36 with respect to the base 12.

The cap apparatus 10 may be integrally formed of polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, or other suitable materials. The cap apparatus also may be formed of distinct segments fastened together. The cap apparatus may include indicia such as a bright, distinctive color (e.g., orange), a graphic, or the like to warn viewers of a hazard.

In use, the cap apparatus 10 is placed to cover the exposed end 42 of the article of hardware 40. Typical hardware which may be covered by the cap apparatus 10 includes masonry straps and ties which often have ends that are exposed after concrete or similar compounds are set and pose a puncture and laceration hazard. Other similar hardware including similar sheet metal brackets which may have exposed end 42s also may be covered. The indicia may warn viewers of the puncture and laceration hazard. The base 12 extends outwardly from the sleeve 20 to keep appendages or other objects away from the article of hardware 40.

The tapered nature of the perimeter side 18 of the base 12 facilitates deflection of appendages and other objects which may impact the perimeter side 18 from a generally rearward direction with respect to the base 12. The material used may also cushion against forces exerted against the cap apparatus 10 which would otherwise puncture or lacerate against the article of hardware 40. The front and back support members 32, 34 protect the cap apparatus from damage caused by bending or shearing the base 12 against the front wall 22 or the rear wall of the sleeve 20.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.