Protective cap for masonry straps

Abstract

A cap apparatus for preventing punctures and lacerations caused by exposed sheet metal hardware includes 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.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A cap apparatus for covering an exposed end of an article of hardware, the cap apparatus comprising:
 a base having a top side, a bottom side, and a perimeter side, the perimeter side extending between the top side and the bottom side; and   a sleeve coupled to and extending away from the top side of the base, the sleeve having a front wall, a back wall, and a pair of lateral walls, the lateral walls being coupled to and extending between the front wall and the back wall, the sleeve defining a slot surrounded by the front wall, the back wall, and the pair of lateral walls, the slot being open at a top end of the sleeve, the slot being sized and configured to fit around the exposed end of the article of hardware, the slot having a rectangular cross section.   
     
     
         2 . The cap apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the perimeter side tapers from the top side to the bottom side. 
     
     
         3 . The cap apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the top side and the bottom side have rounded shapes. 
     
     
         4 . The cap apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is sized and configured to have an interference fit with the exposed end of the article hardware. 
     
     
         5 . The cap apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the slot has a uniform thickness between the front wall and the back wall. 
     
     
         6 . The cap apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the slot has a uniform width between the pair of lateral walls. 
     
     
         7 . The cap apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is positioned entirely inwardly of the perimeter side of the base. 
     
     
         8 . The cap apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a support member coupled to the top side of the base and an exterior of the sleeve. 
     
     
         9 . The cap apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the support member has an outer surface which is angled toward the sleeve from the base to a distal end of the outer surface with respect to the base. 
     
     
         10 . The cap apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a front support member and a back support member coupled to the base and the sleeve, the front support member coupled to the front wall, the back support member coupled to the back support member. 
     
     
         11 . The cap apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the front and back support members each have an outer surface which is angled toward the sleeve from the base to a distal end with respect to the base. 
     
     
         12 . A cap apparatus for covering an exposed end of an article of hardware, the cap apparatus comprising:
 a base having a top side, a bottom side, and a perimeter side, the perimeter side extending between the top side and the bottom side, the perimeter side tapering from the top side to the bottom side, the top side and the bottom side having rounded shapes;   a sleeve coupled to and extending away from the top side of the base, the sleeve having a front wall, a back wall, and a pair of lateral walls, the lateral walls being coupled to and extending between the front wall and the back wall, the sleeve defining a slot surrounded by the front wall, the back wall, and the pair of lateral walls, the slot being open at a top end of the sleeve, the slot having a rectangular cross section, the slot being sized and configured to fit around the exposed end of the article of hardware, the sleeve being sized and configured to have an interference fit with the exposed end, the slot having a uniform thickness between the front wall and the back wall, the slot having a uniform width between the pair of lateral walls, the sleeve being positioned entirely inwardly of the perimeter side of the base; and   a front support member and a back support member coupled to the top side of the base and an exterior of the sleeve, the front support member coupled to the front wall, the back support member coupled to the back support member, the front and back support members each having an outer surface which is angled toward the sleeve from the base to a distal end of the outer surface with respect to the base.