W. 0. Lutz and D. W. Gehres
Manchester College North Manchester, Indiana
An Economical Laboratory Safety Shield
The need for an adequate safety shield for many kinds of laboratory work should be apparent. We believe that the screen to be described meets the requirements of adequate protection, portability, resistance to chemical attack, high visibility, and minimum cost. The size of screen can be adjusted to the particular requirements of the application hut for our purpose, a 24- X 30-in. screen seemed best. The material chosen was laminated safety sheet available a t automotive glass dealers. We obtained glass of the indicated dimensions with ground edges and rounded corners. The cost was slightly less than $16.00. Safety plate glass, as recommended by Smith1, would have cost about $24. Supporting feet were constructed from two No. 15 rubber stoppers. This type of foot is not easily pushed along the bench top and will not crack the glass, as often happens with a cast iron base. Since the feet are removable, the shield can be used either horizontally or vertically. With this type of scree11 a separate top brace is required. One type consists of a 1/2-in. rod, 18 inches long, welded to a 5-in. section of angle iron. The inner surface of the angle iron can be lined with rubber from a discarded inner tube. A second type cor~sistsof two Flexaframe connect,ors on the end of the '/,-in. rod with space between to acco~nmodatethe thickness of the glass. A 1-in. length of rubber tubing is slit and placed over the edge of the glass to provide cushioning. A third type employs a No. 12 rubber stopper bored near one edge to accomn~odatea l/rinch rod.
After a straight cut is made near the opposite edge to give a flat side, a groove is cut edgewise into the stopper to grip the glass. The stopper is then attached to the rod with epoxy cement. The top support can be attached either to a ring stand or to a Flexaframe system. The use of two top braces provides a very rigid system which should be adequate for most purposes. The shield can be supported independently of the bench by employing four of the angle iron braces (two for the top and two for the bottom) and suspending the entire unit from a Flexaframe. Since there are no heavy feet or frame, the glass is easily and safely moved from place to place, and with reasonable care should be a useful and durable addition . . . to the laboratory.
'SMITH, DAVID T.,J. CAEM.EDUC.41, A521 (1964).
Volume 42, Number 10, October 1965
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535
