US3400710A - Chest binder - Google Patents

Description

Filed May 13, 1965 E. GOLDSTEIN CHEST BINDER- Fig. 2

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

EUGENE GOLDSTE'IN ATTORNEY P 1968 E. GOLDSTEIN 3,400,710

CHEST BINDER Filed May 13, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 6

INVENTOR. EUGENE GOLDSTFIN ATToRmY v United States Patent 3,400,710 CHEST BINDER Eugene Goldstein, Kansas City, Mo., assignor t0 H. G. Enterprises, a co-partnership Filed May 13, 1965, Ser. No. 455,459 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-78) 7 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A chest binder which has a rear elastic section of uniformwidth that extends entirely across the back of the wearer and to which are secured a pair of inextensi-ble sections that are adjustably secured together at their forward ends to extend around the body at the chest. There is a mens and a 'womens form illustrated both of which have the top and bottom edges of the inextensible sections extending downwardly from their rear ends to their forward ends so as to cause the entire inextensible section on each side to extend downwardly toward the front end. Each of the inextensible sections of the mens binder is cut out at the top edge under the armpit and each of the inextensible sections of the womens binder tapers gradually from the back section to its front end. The parts are so proportioned that the inextensible parts will lie in engagement with the sides and front wall of the chest while the extensible section will extend only across the back.

My invention relates to chest binders, and more particularly to chest binders for supporting fractured or otherwise injured ribs.

Chest binders that have been used for the purpose 0 supporting the rib structure of human beings ordinarily have been made either entirely of inextensible material or entirely of extensible material. Chest binders made entirely of inextensible material, when fitted to the body closely enough to serve their purpose, fit around the body so tightly that breathing of the wearer-is interfered with, breathing being quite difficult for wearers of such inextensible chest binders. Chest binders made entirely of extensible material allow the chest to move so that there is likelihood of slippage out of proper position and provide insufficient rib support.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide a rib supporting chest binder that is capable of carrying out all the supporting functions of an inextensible chest binder, but which is so made that the same will extend sufiiciently during breathing that the breathing of the wearer thereof will not be interfered with. In order to accomplish this purpose the chest binder is so made that the portion thereof which engages the back of the wearer is of such an extensible character that it will give sufficiently to permit the wearer of the binder to breathe without any difficulty and the parts of the binder that engage the chest and the sides of the wearer are inextensible so that the supporting property thereof is not reduced.

More specifically my invention comprises a rib supporting chest binder that has an extensible rear section such as above referred to, which is made of a strong elastic fabric material and a pair of sections of inextensible fabric, each secured at one end thereof to an end of the rear section, which inextensi-ble fabric sections engage the sides and chest of the wearer, and means for adjustably connecting the front ends of these inextensible sections to embrace the body of the wearer.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide chest binders of the above referred to character that are particularly adapted for use by male persons and chest binders that are particularly adapted for use by female persons.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the description of the drawings proceeds. I de- 3,400,7 l0 Patented Sept. 10, 1968 "ice sire to have it understood, however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the particular details shown or described, except as 'defined in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chest binder in substantially the position it would have on the body of a wearer, said chest binder being particularly adapted for wear by male persons.

FIG. 2 is a similar view of a chest binder particularly adapted for wear by female persons.

FIG. 3 is a view of the chest binder shown in FIG. 1 in a flat condition, showing the inner face thereof, the mid-portion of the elastic back engaging portion being broken away.

FIG. 4 is a similar view of the chest binder shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1, on a greatly enlarged scale.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 7 is a similar section taken on the line 77 of FIG. 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in FIG. 1 is shown a chest binder with a rear back engaging section 10 of strong elastic fabric, which is adapted to extend in the direction of length of said rear section 10. The chest binder shown in FIG. 1 is also provided with a pair of inextensible sections 11, which are connected with the op posite ends of the extensible section by a plurality of rows of stitching 12, such as shown in FIG. 7. The inextensible sections 11 are provided with substantially straight bottom edges 13, with substantially straight end edges 14 and each with a top edge that has a slightly convexly curved portion 15 and a concavely curved portion 16, which is adjacent the rear end edge thereof that is joined to the rear elastic section 10, the concavely curved portion 16 being provided so that the binder can be brought up closely under the arms of the wearer, the concavity being provided so as to fit into the arm pits of the wearer. It will be noted that both the top and bottom edges of the sections 11 incline downwardly from the rear section 10 to the end edge 14. The sections 11 thus incline downwardly relative to the back section 10. This provides a close fit of the chest binder to the body. The elastic section 10 is provided with substantially straight top and bottom edges 18 and 19 and with straight end edges where the same are connected with the inextensible sections 11. A binding 20 extends around the top and bottom edges of the inextensible sections and the end edges 14. The elastic portion 10 is of such a length that it will only extend across the back of the body of the wearer of the binder, and when the binder is in position on the body of the wearer the inextensible portions 11 will engage with both the sides and the chest of the wearer.

The inner face of the one section 11 of said binder is provided with tabs 21 and the outer face of the other section 11 of said binder is provided with tabs 22. The tabs 21 are made of a fabric material that has hook shaped portions 23 and the tabs 22 of a fabric material that has loop portions 24, the hook portions 23 being adapted to engage the loop portions 24 of the tabs 22 to adjustably detachably secure the two sections 11 to each other at the front of the body of the wearer, the tabs 21 and 22 being separable fastening devices of a well known type having these characteristics. The inextensible sections 11 are preferably each provided with a pair of stays 25 at substantially the junction of the convexly curved portion 15 and the concavely curved portion 16 of each of said sections, said stays being secured in position by rows of stitching 26 extending through strips of tape 27 and the body portion of each of the sections 11.

In placing the chest binder in position around the body of the wearer it is adjusted by means of the interengaging tabs 21 and 22 so as to be fit as tightly as possible around the body when the air is expelled from the lungs. It will then bind the ribs tightly both when the patient breathes in and out. When expansion of the chest occurs in breathing, the elastic rear section will extend sufficiently to permit this, but the inelastic sections will still bind the chest at the sides and at the front of the body sufficiently that the ribs will be properly supported.

The form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 is particularly adapted for use by male persons. The form of the invention shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 is particularly adapted for use by female persons. It is provided with a rear section 10 that is a duplicate of the rear section of the chest binder shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The front sections 11, however, are not provided with a stay, as are the sections 11, and are provided with tabs 21' and 22 that are similar to the tabs 21 and 22 and are used in the same manner.

The inextensible sections 11 are of the same character as the sections 11, but are shaped differently, the bottom edges 13 being substantially straight and incline downwardly as in the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, but the top edges 28 incline gradually continuously downwardly from the ends of the sections 11' connected with the rear section 10 to the substantially straight forward edge 14 of each of said sections, the sections 11' thus inclining downwardly with respect to the back section 10. Said sections 11' are provided with a binding 20 around the marginal edges thereof, as in the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The two sections 11' are adjustably secured together by the tabs 21 and 22' in the same manner as the sections 11 are secured together by the tabs 21 and 22.

Preferably the top edges 28 are slightly concavely curved, as will be evident from FIG. 4, and the sections 10 and 11 are secured together by rows of stitching in the same manner as are the sections 10 and 11. The purpose of the downwardly inclined top edge 28 is to avoid the engagement of and binding of the breasts of the female person wearing the chest binder shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, as this would not only be undesirable, but would interfere with the desired supporting action of the binder with respect to the ribs.

What I claim is:

1. A rib supporting chest binder comprising an elastic rear section of uniform width and of a length to extend entirely across the back of the wearer and a pair of inextensible sections of variable width each secured at one end to an end of said rear section and extending endwise from said rear section, said inextensible-sections having both the top and bottom edges thereof inclining downwardly from the ends thereof secured to said rear section to the other ends thereof, and means for detachably adjustably connecting the other endsof said inextensible sections to embrace the body of the wearer with saidinextensible sections engaging the front and sides of the chest of the wearer.

2. A chest binder such as claimed in claim 1 in which said inextensible sections each has a top edge that has a concavely curved portion adjacent the end thereof secured to said rear section and a stay extendingacross each of said inextensible sections immediately forwardly of the portion having said concavely curved top edge portion, each of said inextensible sections being of substantially the same width as said rear section from said stay to said other end thereof.

3. A chest binder such as claimed in claim 1 in which said inextensible sections each has a top edge that inclines downwardly continuously from the end thereof secured to said rear section to the other end thereof to provide a substantially uniform taper to each of said inextensible sections from the end thereof secured to said rear section to said other end thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,908,906 6/1933 Loeb 128-78 2,723,664 11/1955 Davis 128-78 3,052,226 9/ 1962 Schrieber 128-7 8 3,054,400 9/1962 Lizio 128-163 3,096,760 7/1963 Nelkin 12878 1,048,553 12/1912 Loewy.

1,433,573 10/ 1922 Stuart.

1,948,076 2/1934 Notes.

1,218,414 3/1917 Klass.

2,465,754 3/ 1949 Rubinger.

2,723,396 11/1955 Stack.

2,970,597 2/1961 Michel.

3,013,561 12/1961 Nelkin.

2,662,522 12/1953 Muller.

OTHER REFERENCES Catalog of DePuy Manufacturing Co., Inc., 1964, p. 86, Models 555 and 556.

Catalog of Zimmer Manufacturing Co., 1963, p. 106.

L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner.

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