US2682062A - Bed sheet with separable corner pocket fasteners - Google Patents

Description

June 29, 1954 Av s. COGAN 2,682,062 BED SHEET WITH SEPARABLE CORNER POCKET FASTENERS Filed May 2, 1952 INVENTOR.

Patented June 29, 1954 BED SHEET WITH- SEPARABLE CORNER POCKET FASTENERS Anna. S: Cogan, Portland- Oreg. Application May 2, 1952; Serial No; 5585;699

My invention-relates to a bedusheet, blanket, or the like having a novel arrangementuofosepaa rablefastening devices at theccrners thereof. With .thesefastening devices, thecorner may be folded and fastened to formrpockets-which are complementary to and which willituck: around and under-the corresponding corners of a.mat-: tress in order that the-sheet wil1hlie flat'and smooth .and wfll not slip or bunch up during use.

One object of my invention is to provide.fas-. tening devicesfor -a sheet or the like whereby selected ones of the corners may be formed into pockets -wh-i1e others of the'corners. either. remain fiat or alsoare formed into pockets in. order that the sheet may be used either as a top sheet or as a bottom-sheet;

A- 'companion object of my invention is to pro vide'separable fastening devices whichare'arranged to: li'e -fiatwise upon the corners of a sheetwhereby mitered corner pockets maybe formed when .the fastening devices are secured yet whereby the fastening devices may be sepa-: rated and the pockets released. when desired, in order that thesheet will open up and lie flat for washing and ironing purposes;

Both the housewife and the institutional housekeeper chargedwith making beds are:

familiar with the fact'that conventional sheets and blankets of-t'en draw up from the bottom of the mattress. pull down from the-top,ortend towrinkleunder the body during use. In order to prevent this --undesirable dislodgment of the sheet, there has been available on the market for a number of years a sheet-having pockets in the four=corners thereof. Each'of thefour corners of this special sheet is sewn in overlapping folded relationshipso as to form a pocket with square-seams.- Additionally, the

central flat area ofthe sheet, exclusive of the" corners, is proportioned and dimensioned to fit over-the-top of a mattress-with each of the pockets inengagement with a* corresponding one of the corners of the mattress. In usingthis sheet; however; two difficulties have-"been found to exist;- permanent'and, when the -sheet*is--'Washed, it

is difiicult; to cleanaround-thefolded margins and inside of the-pockets. Secondly; the-sewn;

fixed nature: of I the pockets makes -diffibult-the ironing of the: sheet since neithenthepockets months-folded margins willliaflata Thus,- when;

th'eucsheet -is fed through -'a rotarydroner, such as? conventionally is used in a laundry; the:

corner pockets... tend to bunch up 1 and" form Firstly, the pockets themselves are 5..Claims.- (Cl... 5-336)' r with atop sheet or blanket.

'by providing separable fastening devices for' releasing the pockets so the sheet may lie flat while beingwashed and 'ironed- Additional advantages will become apparent'as this descrip-- tion progresses.

A further object of my inventiomin view-'of-the above difilculties, is to provide a pocket-type: sheet which may be used eith'er as a top or-a bottom sheet and which carries fastening de vices which lie flat and-are separable in order that selected ones of thecorner pockets may be" opened up to allow that portion of the sheet to lie flat and unfolded.-

Returning again to the previously described-- sewn corner sheet, it will benoted that, while thissheet is quite practical in function when used as a bottom sheet, it is impractical whenused as a top sheet or as a blanket. Thus; the sewn corners prevent the head end 0f the sheetfrom being-folded back fiatwise as is conventional Having this-additional dificulty in mind, it is a furtherobject of my invention to provide separable fastening devices-on all four corners of a sheet so the foot end may be provided'with two mattress engaging pockets while the fasteners at-the-head end are detached or separated to allow the-head end to lie flat along a lateral fold line. Further; in conjunction with such a lateral fold of'the head end, it is one object of my inventiomto' provide a second set of companion fastening de vices which will secure the head end in such a laterally folded condition, both'sets cf fastening devices being secured to the" same face of the sheet so as to be covered and hidden when'the head end is thu folded. By this latter provision, the face and body will be protected from contact with the two setsof fastening devices-when the sheet is usedas a top or upper sheet.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention W111 be set forth in the following;

3 engaging the mattress to prevent bunching and. wrinkling;

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing one corner of a sheet or the like with both sets of the separable fastening devices of my invention detached in order that the sheet may lie flat and unfolded; and

Fig. 4 is a further detail view wherein the sheet or blanket is folded and the first fastening devices are secured together to define a miter cornered pocket for engaging a mattress.

As this description progresses, it will become apparent that the fastening devices of the instant invention are of equal practicality when utilized in conjunction with a sheet, a blanket, a mattress cover, a spread, a sheet blanket, or with any imilar fabric covering. Accordingly, I intend the terms sheet and sheet or the like to be generic to all such fabric bed coverings. To this end, I have shown a mattress 5 having a fabric sheet 6 in place thereon. As is conventional, the sheet 6 is provided with a head end I and a foot end 8, these terms corresponding to the portion of the sheet which is adjacent the head and the feet, respectively, in a bed.

In order to provide pockets for one or more corners of the sheet 6, one novel combinative element of my invention includes a releasable fastening means. Referring to Fig. 3, this releasable fastening means preferably is a slide fastener which includes two separable tracks 9 and I and a slide means H for engaging the tracks and drawing them together in well known manner. As shown, the tracks 9 and I0 define separable halves which are secured flatwise to the face of the sheet on the respective opposite sides of a diagonal of the sheet through the corner. The tracks themselves diverge from the diagonal and are curved, as at I2, adjacent the lateral margins of the sheet in order to accommodate the tucked under portion of a pocket. Accordingly, as shown in Fig. 4, a pocket-like mitered corner is defined by folding the corner of the sheet and, thereafter, by moving the slide H to draw the two tracks 9 and it) together. When thus secured, the straight portions of the tracks 9 and lil run down the edge of the mattress and the curved portions I2 tuck under the bottom of the mattress. When separated or detached, on the other hand, the pocket will unfold and the sheet then can lie fiat as shown in Fig. 3. This latter factor allows a more thorough laundering to be had and accommodates a flat ironing as heretofore has been set forth.

In Fig. 2, I have illustrated a sheet 6 in which all four corners are provided with the fastening means 9, l0, Ii. When fastened, all four corners of the sheet thus will form and define encompassing pockets for the mattress 5. The sheet then may be utilized either as a mattress cover or as a bottom sheet, wrinkling and bunching effectively being prevented. In Fig. l,-on the other hand, I have shown the sheet 6 in condition for use either as a top sheet, a blanket, or a covering spread. Thus, the head end I has been folded back in accepted manner, and in accord with a second important feature of my invention, this folded condition serves to indicate the function of a second novel combinative element.

To the above end, Fig. 3 illustrates the manner in which one or more corners of the sheet 6 may be provided with separable snap type fastening devices. In this figure, the female snap I3 is shown secured fiatwise to the corner of the sheet. Similarly, the male snap I4 is secured to a lateral edge adjacent the corner but within the margins of the sheet. When the head end I is folded back as shown in Fig. 1, the female snap I3 is brought into juxtaposition with the male snap l4. Thereafter, the two snaps are mated and the folded condition of the sheet is preserved. At the same time, however, these snaps serve another important function. Thus, an inspection of Fig. 3 will reveal that the releasable fastening means 9, l0, H and the separable fastening devices I3, M all are grouped together in the corner and on the same face of the sheet. Accordingly, when the sheet is folded as shown in Fig. 1, all of these fastening means and devices are covered and hidden by the head end I of the sheet itself. In this manner, the face and body are protected against contact with the various fastening devices and the head end has the accepted appearance of a conventional sheet.

In use, it will be evident that a sheet or blanket which is equipped with my novel fastenings and securing devices can be used either as a top sheet or blanket or as a bottom sheet or cover for a mattress. Thus, when the sheet is used immediately adjacent a mattress (see Fig. 2), the corners all are folded over and secured, by the fastening means 9, :9, H, to define four miter cornered pockets which fit over and tuck under the respective corners of the mattress 5. On the other hand, when the sheet is used as a top sheet or as a blanket, the separable fastening devices l3, M are mated with the head end I of the sheet folded over along a lateral line. This latter positioning of the elements serves to hide all of the securing devices and presents a neat appearing bed. At the same time, the two foot end corners of the sheet still may be provided with the pockets formed by the fastening means 9, ill, I I so the foot will not pull up during use.

In summary, it will be seen that I have provided a sheet or the like which, selectively, may be provided with one or more pocket-like mitered corners in order to encompass and tuck under one or more of the corners of a mattress or, on the other hand, which will lie fiat and unfolded so as to accommodate washing and ironing. At the same time, I have provided fastening devices which allow the sheet to be used either as a top sheet or as a bottom sheet, the advantages of the invention flowing to both uses and being correlated one to another in that the folded condition of the sheet covers and hides all of the fastening devices. By utilizing these fastening devices, the housewife, the hotel chamber maid, and the institutional housekeeper can make a neater, more practical bed in less time and with less effort. Additionally, the fastening devices allow the sheet to be laundered and ironed in the same manner as a conventional sheet.

I claim:

1. In combination with a bed sheet or the like having a head end and a foot end each terminating in two square corners, said corners of said head end being foldable inwardly to form pocketlike corners which will encompass the corresponding corners of a mattress, a releasable fastening means carried by each said corner at opposite sides of said inwardly folded corner material selectively to retain the corner in said pocket-like mitered condition or to release the same for return to a flat unfolded condition to accommodate fiatwise ironing of the entire sheet, said releasable fastening means including separable halves secured fiatwise to said head end corners.

2. In combination with a bed sheet or the like, said sheet having a head end and a foot end each terminating in two square corners, and at least one corner of said head end being foldable inwardly to form a pocket-like mitered corner which will encompass and tuck under one corner of a mattress, a releasable fastening means carried by said one corner at opposite sides of said inwardly folded corner material selectively to retain the corner in said pocket-like condition or to release the same for return to a flat unfolded condition, said releasable fastening means including separable tracks secured fiatwise across said one corner in diverging lines located on the respective opposite sides of a diagonal of the sheet through the corner, slide means engaging said separable tracks for drawing the same together and for securing the same against detachment, said head end also being foldable along a lateral line spaced inwardly from the head end and parallel therewith, and a separable fastening device having mated companion halves secured respectively to said one corner at said inward fold and to a lateral edge adjacent said corner but within the margins of the sheet selectively to secure said head end in said laterally folded condition or to release the same for return either to a flat unfolded condition or to said pocket-like mitered condition.

3. In combination with a rectangular bed sheet or the like, said sheet having a head end and a foot end each terminating in two square corners, said corners of said head end being foldable inwardly along separate diagonal lines of the sheet to form pocket-like mitered corners which will encompass and tuck under two corners of a mattress, a releasable fastening means carried by each said corner at opposite sides of said inwardly folded corner material selectively to retain the corner in said pocket-like mitered condition or to release the same for return to a fiat unfolded condition, each said releasable fastening means including separable tracks secured flatwise across the corresponding head end corner in diverging lines located on the respective opposite sides of a diagonal of the sheet through the corner, said diverging lines being curved adjacent the lateral margins of the sheet to accommodate the tucked under portion of the corner pocket, and slide means engaging said separable tracks for drawing the same together and for securing the same against detachment.

l. In combination with a bed sheet or the like having a head end and a foot end each terminating in two square corners, at least one corner of said head end being foldable inwardly to form a pocket-like mitered corner which will tuck under one corner of a mattress, a releasable fastening means carried by said one corner at opposite sides of said inwardly folded corner material selectively to retain the corner in said pocket-like mitered condition or to release the same for return to a flat unfolded condition, said releasable fastening means including separable halves secured flatwise to the same face of the sheet in said one corner but on the respective opposite sides of a diagonal of the sheet through the corner, said head end also being foldable along a lateral line spaced inwardly from the head end and parallel therewith, and a separable fastening device having mated companion halves secured respectively to said one corner at said inward fold and to a lateral edge adjacent said corner but within the margins of the sheet selectively to secure said head end in said laterally folded condition or to release the same for return either to a flat unfolded condition or to said pocket-like mitered condition, said releasable fastening means and separable fastening device being grouped together in said one corner and both being secured to the same face of the sheet so as to be covered and hidden when the head end is secured in said laterally folded condition.

5. In combination with a rectangular bed sheet or the like, said sheet being formed of a fabric material and having a head end and a foot end each terminating in two square corners, and at least one corner of said head end being foldable inwardly along a diagonal line of the sheet to form a pocket-like mitered corner which will encompass and tuck under one corner of a mattress, a releasable fastening means carried by said one corner at opposite sides of said inwardly folded corner material selectively to retain the corner in said pocket-like mitered condition or to release the same for return to a flat unfolded condition, said releasable fastening means including separable tracks secured fiatwise across said one corner in diverging lines located on the respective opposite sides of a diagonal of the sheet through the corner, said diverging lines being curved adjacent the lateral margins of the sheet to accommodate the tucked under portion of the corner pocket, slide means engaging said separable tracks for drawing the same together and for securing the same against detachment, said head end also being foldable along a lateral line spaced inwardly from the head end and parallel therewith, and a separable snap type fastening device having male and female companion halves secured respectively to said one corner at said inward fold and to a lateral edge adjacent said corner but within the margins of the sheet selectively to secure said head end in said laterally folded condition or to release the same for return either to a flat unfolded condition or to said pocket-like mitered condition, said releasable fastening means and separable fastening device being grouped together in said one corner and both being secured to the same face of the sheet so as to be covered and hidden when the head end is secured in said laterally folded condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,462,156 Berman Feb. 22, 1949 2,605,483 Ridenhour Aug. 5, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 417,680 Great Britain Oct. 10, 1934

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