US2426726A - Life-preserving bathing suit - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 2, 1947. .1. M. coMBs LIFE-PRESERVING BATHING SUIT Filed March 50, 1945 INVEVZ'OR. JAMES M. Comes Patented Sept. 2, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT O'FFICE Application March 30, 1945, Serial No. 585,699

10 Claims.

1 This invention relates, as indicated, to a lifepreserving bathing suit.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a bathing suit of the character described, which is especially adapted to be Worn by children, and which is highly effective to sustain a childs body afloat for a considerable time, even in the event of injury or damage to portions of the suit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bathing suit of the character described having a novel arrangement of distensible pouches and a manifold tube for simultaneously admitting air into all of the pouches.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bathing suit of the character described in which air-tight joints between the manifold tube and the distensible pouches are obtained :by means of coupling elements of efficient and durable construction, which may be easily attached or removed for replacement purposes.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a bathing suit of the character described which is extremely neat and attractive in appear ance, free from bulkiness, and extremely light in weight.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a front elevational View of a childs bathing suit embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a portion of the front of the suit, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the tube and pouch unit, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the elements of parts used for connecting each of the rubber pouches to the manifold tube, and

Fig. 5 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 4, but in fully assembled relation.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein is shown, for purpose of illustration, a childs bathing suit, the bathing suit will be seen to comprise a body portion I, consisting of a front and back, shoulder straps 2, and leg or thigh portions 3, the suit being made of any suitable textile or knitted fabric, as is customary in the manufacture of such bathing suits.

Secured to the inner faces of the front and back portion l of the .suit, as by parallel horizonpockets 8, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

tal lines of stitching 4 and 5,-is an annular band 6of a' fabric similar to that from which the suit as a whole is made. This band is further secured to the front and back portions of the suit by parallel vertical lines I of stitching, which provide between such lines of stitching a series of vertically-disposed pockets '8, which are closed at the bottom by the stitching 5 and are-partially closed at the top by the stitching 4.

The stitching 4 is interrupted at points intermediate the points of intersection of the stitching 4 and stitching l to provide openings through which pouches or containers 9 of rubber or like distendable material may be introduced into the These pouches or containers are preferably similar in size and contour to the conventional type of prophylactic sheath, but are of somewhatgreater wall thickness than the latter. These pouches, moreover, have a somewhat contracted neck portion Ill, the function of which will hereinafter appear.

The portion of the fabric band 6, whichis disposed above the line of stitching 4 forms a loose flap I! (Fig. 2), which is provided adjacent its upper edge with a series of spaced snap fasteners I2, which may be removably secured to cooperating snap fasteners I3 on the-inner face of the body portion l of thesuit. The flap II, when secured to the body l of the suit, as in Fig. 2, forms an annular pocket or compartment M in which is disposed a soft flexible tube I5 of rubber or the like, which is closed at one end, as at I6, and has secured to its other end a, valve [1, through which air may be blown, when a valve closure I8 is unscrewed.

The tube l5 forms a manifold for supplying. air to each of the pouches or containers 9, when air is blown through the valve H.

An important feature of the invention resides in the means whereby the tube or manifold I5 is connected to each of the pouchesor containers 9. For this purpose, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the tube I5 is provided in its wall with perforations 19, which are spaced to correspond with the spacing of the necks it) of the pouches 9. These perforations 59 form openings through which the externally threaded shank 20 of'a connector element 2! may be passed, as in Fig. 5, the perforation It being of somewhat smaller diameter than the diameter of the shank 20, so that the tube will securely hug the shank. The connector elementv 2| is provided with an axial port or opening 22, forming a passageway for the passage of air from the tube |51to the interior of thepouch 9.

The connector element 2| is rigidly secured to the tube l5 by means of a nut 23, which is threadedly secured to the shank 29, and which, when drawn up to the position shown in Fig. 5, clamps the wall of the tube about the opening I 9 between the upper flat face of a washer 24, which is interposed between the tube and the nut 23, and the lower flat face of the head of the element 2|.

The nut 23 is provided with a convex or spherical upper face 25.

The washer 24 has a convex or spherical lower 7 face 26, which, when the nut 23 is drawn up into abutment with the washer, as in Fig. 5, is disposed opposite the face 25 of the nut 23, the faces 25 and 26 forming an annular recess therebetween of wedge-shaped cross-section.

In connecting each of the pouches 9 to the tube l5, the parts 2!, 23 and 24 are first assembled with the tube as in Fig. 5, after which the constricted neck I of the pouch 9 is placed opposite the annular recess formed by the faces 25 and 26 respectively. Then, bymeans'of a rubber band,

string, or thread, indicated at 21 in Fig. 5, the.

cle, as a whole,.a commercially feasible one, since 7 the lack'of such a coupling or connection has heretofore been the principal deterrent to the production of this otherwise highly desirable item of wearing apparel.

' The ,use of the garment will be readily understood from the foregoing description.

The garment is first placed on the child in the ordinary manner, and with the pouches Bin deflated condition. The pouches may then be filled with air either by the child, or by an adult, who will blow air through the valve" and into the tube I'until the pouches 9 are properly inflated. The valve I1 is readily accessible for this purpose, since a considerable portion of the tube projects through an opening 28 in the suit, which opening is disposed behind a pocket 29 on the front of the suit. When the pouches'have been properly inflated, thevalve I1 is closed, and the projecting portion of the tube l5 may be folded and placed inside the pocket 29.

Should one or several of the pouches 9 become punctured, the leakage from the remaining pouches into and through the punctured pouch or pouches will be at such a slow rate, that the child will be maintained afloat for a considerable period.

Although a'series of pouches is shown as disposed at both the front and back of the body portion of the bathing suit, it will be readily understood that either the front or back series may be eliminated, since suflicient buoyancy will be afforded by a single series of such pouches, when properly inflated.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herein described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that Various changes may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims. a

. Having thus described my invention. I claim:

1. In a bathing garment, a series of parallel pockets, pouches of a distensible material disposed in said, pockets, a manifold tube of flexible material disposed adjacent said pouches, and 7 means connecting said manifold tube with each of said pouches, said means comprising an element connected to said tube and a flexible attaching element securing the 'mouth of the pouch to said first-named element. a

2. In a bathing garment, a series of parallel pockets, open-ended pouches of a distensible material disposed in said pockets, a manifold tube of flexible material disposed adjacent the openings in said pouches, and means connecting said manifold tube with each of said pouches, said means comprising a connector element rigidly secured to said tube, and a flexible cord-like element securing the open end of said pouch into the pouch, a'nut rigidly securing said connector element to said tube, a washer secured to said connector element, said nut and washer coac'ting to form an'annular recess, and means drawing the open end of said pouch into said recess'to form anair-tight joint between said pouch and said nut and washer.

4. In a bathing garment, a seriesof parallel pockets, open-ended pouches of aidistensible material disposed in said pockets, a manifold tube of flexible material disposed adjacent the openings insaid pouches, and means connecting said manifold tube with each of said pouches, said means-comprisinga connector element having a threaded shank and an axial passageway through said shank communicating the interior of said tube with the interior of the pouch, a nut mounted on said shank and rigidly securingthe connector element to said tube, a washer mountedon'said shank, said nut and washer coacting to'form an annular recess therebetween, and means for drawing the open end of said pouch into said recess, thereby constricting the open end of the pouch and establishing an air-tight joint between said pouch and said nut and washer.

5. In a bathing garment, a series, of parallel pockets, open-ended pouches of a distensible material disposed in said pockets a manifold tube of flexiblematerial disposed adjacent the openingsin said pouches, and means connecting said manifold tube with each of said pouches, said means comprising a connector'element having a threaded shank and an axial passageway through a said shank communicating the interior of said tube with the interior of the pouch, a nut mounted on said shank and rigidly securing the connector element to said tube,a washer mounted on said. shank, said nut and Washer'having convex surfaces which coact 'to form arr-annular recess of wedge-shaped cross-section, and means drawing the open neck of said pouch into'said recess,

said last-named means and said convex surfaces 6. Means for connecting an open-ended rubber pouch to the wall of a flexible rubber tube, said means comprising a connector element having a threaded shank and an axial passageway through said shank communicating the interior of said tube with the interior of said pouch, a nut mounted on said shank and rigidly securing the connector element to said tube, a washer mounted on said shank, said nut and washer ccacting to form an annular recess of Wedge-shaped crosssection therebetween, and means for drawing the open end of said pouch into said recess to form an air-tight joint between said pouch and said nut and Washer.

'7. Means for connecting an open-ended rubber pouch to the wall of a flexible tube having an opening in said wall, said means comprising a connector element having a head disposed within said tube and a threaded shank extending through said opening and having a passageway extending through said head and shank adapted to form an air passageway between the interior of said tube and the interior of said pouch, means mounted on said shank and clamping said tube to said head, said last-named means providing an annular recess, and means for drawing a portion of said pouch into said recess to thereby connect said pouch to said clamping means.

8. In a bathing garment, a series of parallel pockets, pouches of a distensible material disposed in said pockets, a single manifold tube of flexible material disposed adjacent said pouches and extending past the mouths of all of the pouches, and means connecting said manifold tube with each of said Pouches, said means comprising an element connected to said tube and a flexible attaching element securing the mouth of the pouch to said first-named element.

9. In a bathing garment, a series of parallel pockets, pouches of a distensible material disposed in said pockets, a single manifold tube of flexible material disposed adjacent said pouches and extending past the mouths of all of the pouches, and means connecting said manifold tube with each of said pouches, said means comprising a connector element rigidly secured to said tube, and a flexible cord-like element securing the open end of the pouch into constricted air-tight relation to said connector element.

10. In a bathing garment, a series of parallel pockets, pouches of a distensible material disposed in said pockets, a manifold tube of flexible material disposed adjacent said pouches and having openings in the Wall thereof, connector elements having heads disposed in said tube and threaded shanks extending through said openings and having passageways extending through said head and shank adapted to form air passageways between the interior of said tube and the interior of said pouches, means mounted on said shanks and providing annular recesses, the mouths of said pouches being drawn into said recesses and in constricted air-tight relation with said means.

JAMES M. COMES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,730,812 Ford Oct. 8, 1929 1,596,573 Beaulieu et a1 Aug. 17, 1926 665.260 Ostermeyer Jan. 1, 1901

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