SAFETY BRACE FOR FILTER POTSDESIGNED BY SHAWN HUBBARD

The objective of this project was to design a safety apparatus to prevent the heavy lid from unintentionally falling onto an operator. The only restriction was that the structural integrity of the filter pot must not be compromised. This means no cutting, welding, drilling, or other such alterations.

I had the following design objectives in mind:

The unit should be:

1. Inexpensive to fabricate.

2. Easy to install.

3. Small and unobtrusive.

4. Strong and durable.

5. Operated without removable parts that can be lost or damaged.

To ensure that this safety device will significantly reduce or eliminate the potential for incidents, the brace must be easy to use.

My design requires only a single step for the operator to be fully protected.

When the pin is engaged, the lid cannot be unintentionally pushed beyond its center of gravity. The brace does not bear the lid's weight. Therefore, the lid will never be precariously hanging over the operator.