US3335425A

US3335425A - Jacket closure

Info

Publication number: US3335425A
Application number: US386356A
Authority: US
Inventors: Karl E Senser
Original assignee: Sears Roebuck and Co
Current assignee: Sears Roebuck and Co
Priority date: 1964-07-30
Filing date: 1964-07-30
Publication date: 1967-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 1984-08-15

Description

Aug. 15, 1967 K. E. SENSER 3,335,4'2E

JACKET CLOSURE Filed July 30, 1964 IN VENTOQ Karl 5 Sense- United States Patent 3,335,425 JACKET CLOSURE Karl E. Seuser, Riverside, Ill., assignor to Sears Roebuck and Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New York Filed July 30, 1964, Ser. No. 386,356 3 Claims. (Cl. 2-96) My invention relates to garments of the jackets, coat, or shirt type adapted to be worn on the upper part of the body either as an article of underwear or as an outer garment. More particularly, my invention relates to an improvement in jacket-type garments normaly closed down the front by a slide fastener.

While not so restricted, my invention is especially applicable to the so-called thermal type of garment suitable for extremely cold weather, either as an undershirt or for outer wear, and characterized in that it is formed of a multi-ply fabric, including a batt or a synthetic foam or both, in any desired relation. Such fabrics are notably efficient in providing a high degree of thermal insulation with low weight and bulk.

As ordinarily fabricated, jackets of this type comprise a pair of joinable front panels extending from a vertical line approximately at the center of the body to the side where they are stitched to a back panel. These front panels are usually asymmetric for the reason that it is considered.

undesirable for the slide fastener to be exposed either at the outside or inside of the garment-if at the latter, it would contact the body in an undergarment, which would be highly uncomfortable, while in an outer garment it might catch and jam in an adjacent garment, and at the front would impart an unattractive appearance.

Accordingly, in the standard form of garment, it is customary to secure at least one row of fasteners along a line offset by several inches from the free edge of the panel in order to provide a substantial overlap to prevent exposure of the fasteners. This leaves the fasteners exposed on the inside, a highly undesirable condition in either an undergarment or outergarment, as noted above.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a garment of the type referred to characterized in having a pair of substantially identical front panels in size and shape. Both of the cooperating strips of slide fasteners are secured relatively close to the free edge of said panels and each secured along with a binding tape by a single row of stitching. In conjunction with the slide fasteners I provide on each panel, adjacent the slide fasteners, a row of spaced auxiliary detachable fasteners so positioned and arranged that, after the slide fasteners are secured, the marginal portion of one of said panels is folded over a corresponding marginal portion of the other panel, whereby said marginal portions overlap, covering the slide fasteners, and said auxiliary fasteners are then secured, making a neat and attractive appearance from the front and with the slide fasteners covered and unexposed from both sides of the garment.

My invention will best understood from the attached drawings forming a part of this specification and illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention, wherein FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of one type of garment to which my invention may be applied;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one front panel forming an element of the garment seen in FIG. 1, viewed from that face of the panel which is to be on the outside of the garment;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the opposite front panel designed to mate with that seen in FIG. 2 and viewed from the face which will be on the inside of the garment;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary diagrammatic perspective view of the bottom marginal portions of the respective 3,335,425 Patented Aug. 15, 1967 panels seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, in juxtaposition to each other;

FIG. 5 is a View similar to FIG. 4 after the panels have been brought together and the slide fasteners interengaged, and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 after the marginal porition of one panel has been folded over the other and immediately prior to securing the auxiliary fasteners.

Referring first to FIG. 1, I show here a garment 10 designed to be worn as an outer jacket, although it will be readily understood that with little or no modification except for such details as pockets, collar and the like, substantially the same construction might be employed as an undergarment. In any event, the garment may be of any standard or other suitable pattern or design except as hereinafter described.

The main body of the garment comprises a back panel (not shown) and a pair of front panels and 12b, as seen detached in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively. These panels are substantially identical in shape, size and material, thus making for the utmost economy and efiiciency in fabrication. Needless to say, any suitable type of fabric may be employed, although I consider my invention especially applicable, as stated above, to garments formed of the so-called thermal fabrics, characterized by quilted laminations.

Each of the

panels

12a and 12b has an edge 15, 15', which edges are designed to be free in the finished garment and disposed at the front and center of the body 'and to be detachably secured together when the garment is closed.

Turning now to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, wherein the various parts are shown diagrammatically, it will be seen that slide fasteners 18:: and 18b are carried by fabric tapes in the usual manner and adapted to interengage with each other. Secured to the free edges of said

panels

12a and 12b and overlapping the slide fastener tapes are strips of binding or

piping

20, 20, a single row of stitching 22 securing both binding 20 and slide tape for economy in production.

Also attached to each of the

panels

12a and 12b is a row of spaced detachable fasteners 25a and 251), which may be of any suitable type, such as snap fasteners. It will be readily understood that other well known or other suitable types of detachable fasteners, such as books and eyes, etc., might be employed in lieu of the snappers, although the latter are preferred. Such fasteners, which are well known in the art, comprise male studs 25a, a row of which is disposed on one of the panels, say panel 1211, while the mating female elements 25b comprise sockets facing the inside with heads exposed on the outside of the garment, as seen in FIG. 1.

It will be noted that the auxiliary fastener elements 25a are arranged inwardly of the adjacent line of slide fasteners 18a, while the mating auxiliary fasteners 2515 are arranged outwardly of the line of slide fasteners 18b, for reasons which will now appear.

When the garment is worn, in closing it, the slide fasteners are brought into juxtaposition by first moving

strips

18a and 18b from the position seen in FIG. 4 to that of FIG. 5, requiring bending both strips outwardly toward each other, and then interengaging the teeth by means of the usual slide. The parts now take the arrangement seen in FIG. 5, with the interengaged slide fasteners exposed.

The closure is then completed by moving the free marginal portion of panel 12b to the position seen in FIG. 6 overlapping the opposite marginal portion of panel 12a, and with snapper elements 25b overlying their mating elements 25a. The snappers (or other suit-able spaced o fasteners) are then secured together and the garment is now fully closed, as seen in FIG. 1.

The invention just described has many important advantages. As stated above, the use of identical patterns for the front panels 12a and 12]) effects substantial economies in production, resulting in a saving of several inches of material. Additionalyy, in producing garments in accordance with my invention, three sewing operations are eliminated as compared with the standard fabrication of garments of this general character.

Thus, there is a substantial saving in labor as well as material as a result of my invention. Furthermore, garments embodying my invention are highly attractive in appearance.

By reason of the double row of slide fasteners and the spaced fasteners, extra protection is provided against entry of cold air at the front of the garment as compared with the standard garment of this type.

Various changes coming within the spirit of my invention may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art; hence, I do not wish to be limited to the specific embodiment shown and described or uses mentioned, but intend the same to be merely exemplary, the scope of my invention being limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A coat-type garment, comprising (a) a pair of front panels constituting in outline substantially mirror images of each other,

(b) a pair of cooperating slide fastener strips,

(c) one of said strips being attached to the outer face of one of said panels adjacent the free edge thereof,

(d) the other strip being attached to the inner face of the other panel adjacent the free edge thereof, each strip having a row of teeth normally extending toward opposite sides of the garment and remote from each other, whereby, when said strips are bent about 180 along a longitudinal axis and toward each other, said rows of teeth will be disposed facing each other adjacent the center of the body, where they may be interenga-ged, and

(e) a row of spaced auxiliary fasteners secured on each of said panels adajacent and aligned parallel to said strips, at least certain of said auxiliary fasteners being disposed on the opposite side of said one strip from the free edge of said one panel and at least certain of said auxiliary fasteners being disposed between said other strip and the free edge of said other panel, those of said other panel being brought into opposed juxtaposition with mating auxiliary fasteners of the one panel, after the slide fasteners have been interengaged, when a marginal portion of one panel is overlapped on the other and said strips are parallel with said panel faces whereby said auxiliary fasteners may be detachably secured together to provide a double closure for said garment. 2. In a combination as claim 1. 5 (a) a binding strip embracing the free edge of each panel together with one of said fastener strips, and (-b) a row of stitching securing each binding strip to its respective panel. 3. In a garment having a pair of oppositely disposed 1O panels have interengageable and readily separable substantially vertical free edges, quickly attachable and detachable means for closing said panels comprising (a) a pair of cooperating slide fastener strips disposed respectively adjacent each of said edges,

(b) one of said strips being secured to the outer face of one of said panels,

(c) the other strip being attached to the inner face of the other panel, each strip having a row of teeth normally extending away from said free edges in spaced parallel lines, whereby, when said strips are both bent about 180 along a longitudinal axis and toward each other, said rows of teeth will be disposed facing each other adjacent the approximate front center of the garment where they may be interengaged, and- (d) a row of spaced auxiliary fasteners secured on each of said panels adjacent and alined generally parallel to said strips, at least certain of said auxiliary fasteners of one row being disposed on the opposite side of the slide fasteners of said one strip from the free edge of said one panel and at least certain of said auxiliary fasteners of the other row being disposed between the slide fasteners of said other strip and the free edge of said other panel, whereby, after said fasteners are interengaged and a marginal portion of one panel is over-lapped on the other with said strips being parallel with said panel faces and the auxiliary fasteners of said other panel are brought into opposed juxtaposition with the mating auxiliary fasteners of the one panel, said auxiliary fasteners of the respective rows may be detachably secured together to provide a double closure for said garment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/ 1927 Hart 21- 79 4/1951 Ganz 296

Claims

1. A COAT-TPYE GARMENT, COMPRISING (A) A PAIR OF FRONT PANELS CONSTITUTING IN OUTLINE SUBSTANTIALY MIRRIR IMAGES OF EACH, (B) A PAIR OF COOPERATING SLIDE FASTENER STRIPS, (C) ONE OF SAID STRIPS BEING ATTACHED TO THE OUTER FACE OF ONE OF SAID PANELS ADJACENT THE FREE EDGE THEREOF, (D) THE OTHER STRIP BEING ATTACHED TO THE INNER FACE OF THE OTHER PANEL AJDACENT THE FREE EDGE THEREOF, EACH STRIP HAVING A ROW OF TEETH NORMALLY EXTENDING TOWARD OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE GARMENT AND REMOTE FROM EACH OTHER, WHEREBY, WHEN SAID STRIPS ARE BENT ABOUT 180* ALONG A LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND TOWARD EACH OTHER, SAID ROWS OF TEETH WILL BE DISPOSED FACING EACH OTHER ADJACENT THE CENTER OF THE BODY, WHERE THEY MAY BE INTERENGAGED, AND (E) A ROW OF SPACED AUXILIARY FASTENERS SECURED ON EACH OF SAID PANELS ADAJACENT AND ALIGNED PARALLEL TO SAID STRIPS, AT LEAST CERTAIN OF SAID AUXILIARY FASTENERS BEING DISPOSED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID ONE STRIP FROM THE FREE EDGE OF SAID ONE PANEL AND AT LEAST CERTAIN OF SAID AUXILIARY FASTENERS BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID OTHER STRIP AND THE FREE EDGE OF SAID OTHER PANEL, THOSE OF SAID OTHER PANEL BEING BROUGHT INTO OPPOSED JUXTAPOSITION WITH MATING AUXILIARY FASTENERS OF THE ONE PANEL, AFTER THE SLIDE FASTENERS HAVE BEEN INTERENGAGED, WHEN A MARGINAL PORTION OF ONE PANEL IS OVERLAPPED ON THE OTHER AND SAID STRIPS ARE PARALLEL WITH SAID PANEL FACES WHEREBY SAID AUXILIARY FASTENERS MAY BE DETACHABLY SECURED TOGETHER TO PROVIDE A DOUBLE CLOSURE FOR SAID GARMENT.