Garment

Jan. 15, 1952

H. L. WILLIAMS

GARMENT

2,582,811

Filed Jan. 31, 1947

SHEETS—SHEET 1

<img file="US2582811A_D0001.tif" />

INVENTOR.

HARVEY L. WILLIAMS

Jan. 15, 1952

H. L. WILLIAMS

GARMENT

2,582,811

<img file="US2582811A_D0002.tif" />

<img file="US2582811A_D0003.tif" />

<img file="US2582811A_D0004.tif" />

Patented Jan. 15, 1952

2,582,811

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,582,811

GARMENT

Harvey L. Williams, Hadlyme, Conn. Application January 31,1947, Serial No. 725,652

Claims.

This Invention relates to water-excluding garments designed to protect the wearer when he is partly dr wholly submerged. More particularly the invention relates to water-excluding garments of the one-piece step-in and slip-overthe-head type having, preferably, a single access opening closable by a water-excluding closure.

In garments of the type just referred to, as they have heretofore been made, the access opening has been sb located that either considerable added slack material was required in the garment structure to permit the wearer to don tire garment without undue strain upon and liability to injury to the garment structure, and particularly liability to injury of the access opening and to the closure therefor, or the opening and the closure therefor were so located as to be substantially out of the reach of the wearer, or both these conditions were present in the same structure.

It is, of course, important that the watertight closure for a garment of this character maintain a tight seal of the access opening so long as the garment is in use under water and it is therefore important so to locate the access opening and the closure therefor that there is no danger of accidental opening of the access opening nor danger of such injury to the closure by reason of the movements of the wearer that leakage can take place. It is furthermore important tiiat a garment of this character fit thfe wearer in such manner as to minimize interference with ttie movements of his arms and legs. There is, moreover, a further consideration in the design of such garments, that has not been satisfactorily accomplished heretofore, and that is that the garment should be so designed that the wearer, if necessary, can don and remove it without outside help.

A general object of the present invention is to overcome the defects in the designs of garments of this type as heretofore made and to provide a garment which the wearer can get into and out of alone and one which, moreover, is so designed as to require the least amount of added slack material, beyond that required for comfort, to permit the wearer to don and remove it.

Garments of this general type are of two general designs, those which have a neck of rubber or other resilient or elastic sheeting through which the wearer pushes his head by stretching the sheeting, the elastic sheeting making a watertight seal about the neck, and those which have an integral or attachable water-tight hood or helmet for the head. The present invention alms (Cl. 2—2.1) to provide an access opening and a closure therefor adaptable for use with either type of garment, that is, either with a garment provided with a hood or with one having the rubber sheet5 ing neck only.

While garments embodying my invention are quite satisfactory without a head covering for most occasions calling for garments of this type, there are circumstances which are better met io with the use of supplemental equipment such as a helmet or hood. For example, if the garment is being worn in low temperature areas where submersion might occur in extremely cold weather, the wearer’s discomfort would be lessened through the provision of a thermally insulated vest-like garment adapted to be worn over either the hooded or unhooded garment mentioned above. It is accordingly another object of my invention to provide such a vest-like garment which is so constructed as to protect the wearer against both wetness and low temperature.

In accordance with one form of my invention the vest may comprise a body portion and an integral hood, the body portion being cut and arranged to snugly fit and be fastened to the upper portion of the wearer’s body.

Other objects and important features of the invention to which attention has not specifically been directed hereinabove will appear hereinafter when the following description and claims are considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which—

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a waterrexclud35 ing garment, embodying the present invention, in position on the wearer and with the access opening in its open position, the garment shown in Figure 1 being of the type having a neck of rubber sheeting through which the wearer pushes 40 his head; and

Figure 2 is a front view of a water-excluding garment embodying the present invention having an integral head covering hood, this garment being shown With the access opening in its closed 45 condition,

Figure 2d is a section taken along the line 2a—2a of Figure 2.

Figure 3 is a front view of my hooded waterexcluding vest; and

SO Figure 4 is a rear view of the vest shown in

Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an isometric view partially shown in section, of a water-proof slide fastener in interlocked, sealed relation.

The water-excluding garment of the present

3,582,811 invention like those heretofore made, comprises legs 2 (Figs. 1 and 2) having closed foot portions, a body portion 6, arms 8 and 9 having hand portions 10 which may comprise integral Anger fitting gloves, or may terminate in elastic cuffs 5 which form a water-tight seal against the wearer’s wrists. The garment also includes shoulder portions 12 and 12 a and as shown in Fig. 1, an elastic circular rubber sheeting neck 14 connected to body 6, adjacent shoulder portion 12; lo the elastic neck or collar 14 is adapted to stretch sufficiently for insertion of the head therethrough and to contract again to water-excluding engagement with the wearer’s neck.

In the hooded embodiment of my invention as 15 shown in Fig. 2, a hood generally indicated at 15 formed integrally with body 6 and shoulder portion 12, takes the place of, or supplements the elastic collar 14. This hood comprises a head cover 15a, suitably cut to provide a fairly snug 20 fit and provided with a face opening lined with a sealing rim 15b of sheet rubber (see Figure 2a also, where the thickness and width of the rim are exaggerated for clarity) which stretches over the slope of the forehead against the cheeks and 25 under the chin of the wearer when he dons the garment to make a water-tight seal around the face, thus to preclude the entrance of water into the hood.

To assure sufficient snugness of fit of hood 5u 15, it may be provided with suitable elastic insertion (not shown) or may be partially lined at the rear with a cushion 30 (Fig. 2a) or the like of sponge rubber or similar material to maintain sealing rim 15b sufficiently tight against the 35 wearer’s face to exclude water.

To permit access to the garment without providing considerable additional slack at the crotch or elsewhere thereof to avoid undue strain on the garment when donning it, I have provided 40 an access opening in the form of a slit 16 extending across one shoulder, e. g., the left shoulder of the garment as shown in Fig. 1 and diagonally down across the front and rear thereof respectively, to points 18 and i 9 which points are 45 remote from the shoulder and preferably positioned conveniently between the waist region and the armpits of the garment. I have found that through the provision of an access opening of this nature, a normal amount of slack provided 50 in the crotch 20, legs 2 and body 6 of the garment, is sufficient to allow the wearer after stepping into legs 2 and partially inserting the right arm upwardly into the right sleeve, to slip the rubber collar 14 or the hood 15 over his head 55 and then to slip his left arm into the left sleeve of the garment. Thus the wearer can easily and quickly don the garment and the necessity of providing any more slack than would ordinarily be provided in any overall garment is obviated 60 with the result that the garment fits snugly and offers a minimum of obstruction to the wearer’s movements.

A garment provided with an access opening of the character just described has the further 65 advantage that, it is, and remains during use, . fully water-tight if this access opening is provided with a water-excluding closure of the slide fastener type 24, such for example as that shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,385,816, 70 granted October 2, 1945, to B. F. Goodrich Co., assignee of Carroll P. Krupp, or a closure such as is described and claimed in my co-pending applications Serial No. 644,699, filed February 1, 1946, now Patent No. 2,557,163, dated. June 19, ⁷⁵

1951, (Figure 5) and Serial No. 644,700, filed February 1, 1946, As illustrative I have shown in Figure 5 a closure according to my application, Serial No. 644,699, filed February 1, 1946. The scoops or teeth 56 have the conventional noses 57 but the heels 58 have been enlarged and waterproofing integuments 59 and 60 embracing their respective rows of teeth to form a waterproof seal when pressed together upon closing, have been added. The integuments cover the fastener tapes 61 and 62. A slider 63 of the conventional type is shown at the right-hand end after closing the fastener.

The wearer of the garment can not only get into it without outside help, but also can effect the closing of the access slit 16 and can later open the access slit and remove the garment, all without assistance. As herein shown, the slider 22, for bringing the scoops of the slide fastener chains into interlocking relation to each, other, is provided with a relatively long pull 26 for pulling the slider along the fastener chain. The slide fastener 24 is preferably so arranged in the access slit 16 that pull 26 is at the back of the garment when the fastener is open and at the front when the fastener has been closed, thereby enabling the wearer to observe the seating of the slider at the end of the fastener. The fastener may, alternately, be arranged in the access slit so that the pull is at the back of the suit when the access slit is closed.

Pull 26 is of rather substantial length so that when the wearer desires to close the fastener all he need do is bend over sharply until his shoulder is approximately at or below the level of his waist line. In this position the end of pull 26 will hang adjacent his left shoulder, when the access Slit extends over that shoulder, when he can readily grasp it with his right hand. The wearer can then straighten up and draw pull 26 to run the slider up his back, over his shoulder and down over his chest until the slider seats at the end of the fastener.

When the wearer desires to open the fastened and accordingly the access slit, he may grasp pull 26 with his right hand and draw it upwardly to run the slider to the top of his left shotildeiiHe then may throw pull 26 over his shoulder so that it will hang down his back, the end of the pull accordingly lying low enough below the wearer’s shoulder for him to grasp it easily with his right hand and draw it downwardly, to completely open the access slit. Or if necessary or easier the wearer may lean toward the right So that the end of the pull will swing toward his right hip where it can readily be grasped by his left hand.

Should it be desired to have the slider at the back of the garment when the fastener is closed, the above described procedures are reversed. Having the slider and accordingly the pull at the back when the fastener is closed gets the long pull out of the wearer’s way when he is handling things which might become tangled with the pull were it in front.

As noted above, access opening or slit i 6 extends across one shoulder of the garment and diagonally, down across the front and rear thereof. It accordingly follows that slide fastener 24, when closed, lies in the same position. Because of the natural and characteristic shoulder, slope: of the average man’s physique, the plane of the fastener where it passes over the shoulder is slightly inclined from the horizontal. By extending the fastener diagonally across the back and chest portions of the garment, the plane of the

2,682,811 fastener is maintained, I. e. thefastener lies flat over the wearer’s body without torsional twists along its length. The maintenance Of the fasten er in a condition free of torsional twists is important for the reason that such twists in fasten- ., ers of the type herein referred to tend to weaken the seal of the fastener and render it less resistant to the passage of water.

It may now be seen that the garments shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and described hereinabove are 1&lt; admirably suited to protect the wearer in the event of his submersion and further, through the provision of the access slit 16, the garment may be quickly donned in case of emergency without outside assistance to the wearer. i

Furthermore, minimum fullness is required in the material and cut of the garment, thus economizing on material and making the garmentless bulky.

It should also be noted that fastener 24 does 2 not in any way interfere with the neck opening of the garment. It therefore follows that the neck opening may be of any desired construction, e. g. the neck opening may comprise. a heavy, rigid ring of the type commonly used- for the 2 support and attachment of divers’ helmets, Clastic conical neckband, a hood integral with the garment, or other desired form.

While the garments of Figs. 1 and 2 are well adapted to protect the wearer from the effects of submersion in temperate climates, occasions might well necessitate the use of such a garment in extremely cold weather conditions where the wearer might well need additional protection. Under such circumstances, the garments of Figs. 1 and 2 are advantageously supplemented by the garments shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

As shown in Fig. 3,1 have provided a vest generally indicated at 48, comprising a chest portion 4ί., a back portion 42 (Fig. 4).-, a neck portion 43 and a hood portion 44, these portions being integral and formed Of any suitable waterproof material. Integral with the opposite lower sides of back portion 42, are a pair of attaching straps 45 and 46, the free ends of which, as shown in Fig. 1, are provided respectively with fastener elements 47 and 43, adapted to cooperate with complementary fastener elements 49 and 50, respectively, which are secured to the opposite lower corner of chest portion 41. The chest and back portions 4 i and 42 of the vest are joined by abbreviated shoulder portions 5!, adapted to overlie shoulder portions 42 and 12a of either the hooded or unhooded garments hereinabove described.

Preferably the back portion 42 (Fig. 4) of vest 40 is provided with suitable elastic inserts 52, the chest portion 41 (Fig. 3) of the vest also having an elastic insert 53 all of which inserts stretch when the chest and back portions of the vest are , fastened together by straps 45 and 46, so that this ^ljportion of the vest is held snugly against the undergarment.

Hood portion 44 of the vest is of course provided with a face opening lined with a rim 54 of „ sheet rubber similar to rim 15b (Fig. 2). Also, ‘ hood 44 is fitted so as to snugly fit the wearer’s head, thus to maintain the sealing rim 54 in proper position about his face.

As shown in Fig. 4, the back of vest- 40 or rather a portion of hood 44 and the upper part of back portion 42, are lined with a suitable insulating material 55, which not only protects the back of the wearer’s head and the upper portion of his spine, but also provides a padding or lin6 ing in hood 44, which (makes the hood fit more snugly on the wearer’s head.

It should also be noted that when the wearer οι the coverall and vest is submerged in water, the air that is trapped inside the coverall rises to the upper portion thereof causing it to inflate and accordingly press.outwardly against the vest. Thus the fit between the coverall and vest is made s'O snug as to limit entrance of water between the two.

Thus it will be seen that through the provision of either qf the garments of Figs. 1 and 2, supplemented by the vest of Figs. 3 and 4, the wearer is adequately protected against submersion and 5 is given softie degree of protection against excessive coldness of the water in which he is submerged. . .

It follows that through the provision of the above-described garments, I have attained the 0 several objects hereinbefore set forth in a thoroughly practical and efficient manner.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention, and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set 5 forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.