Welder's helmet

Claim 1

A welder's helmet including a helmet portion, a filter support portion, a filter portion and a filter actuating portion; said helmet portion including a shield section, a head band section connected to said shield section, a viewing opening in said shield section; said filter support portion being mounted adjacent to said viewing opening, said filter support portion including a first frame section, said first frame section being disposed over the outside of said viewing opening, a second frame section disposed over the inside of said viewing opening, said second frame section including an opening therein adjacent said shield viewing opening, a third frame section disposed adjacent to said second frame section, said third frame section including an opening adjacent said helmet viewing opening, said third frame section including an elongated vertically oriented slot therethrough below said third frame section opening, said filter portion including a filter member slidably positioned between said second and third frame sections, said filter member being movable from a position between said second and third frame section openings to a position below same; said filter actuating portion including an actuator plate section disposed over said third frame section and movable with respect thereto, guide means for said actuator plate section, said actuator plate section being movable linearly in a plane substantially parallel to said third frame section, a stud member extending from one side of said actuator plate section, said stud member being positioned to extend through said elongated opening in said third frame section, an actuator arm member disposed between said second and thrd frame sections, said actuator arm member being pivotally connected to one of said second or third frame sections, said pivotal connection being adjacent one end of said arm member, a link member operatively connecting said filter member with said actuator arm member at a point remote from said pivotally connected end thereof, said stud member of said actuator plate section extending through an opening in said actuator arm member disposed along the length thereof, biasing means urging said filter member into a position over said viewing opening of said shield section, said biasing means including a spring strip operatively connected between said actuator plate section and one of said frame sections, a chin-contacting member affixed to said actuator plate section, said chin-contacting member including a substantially horizontal section and a substantially vertical section; whereby when said helmet is positioned on a person's head, movement of the person's chin while in contact with said chin-contacting member will cause said filter member to move downwardly from said viewing opening.