US1541858A - Combination garment - Google Patents

Description

June 16, 1925.

J. F. SCOTT COMBINATION GARMENT Filed Sept. 5, 1924 E Z5 Z5 I ,W i

IN V/LV T0 [6 Patented June 16, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,541,858 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. SCOTT, OF COI-IOES, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ARNOLD S. HATCH, 0F ALBANY, NEW YORK.

COMBINATION GARMEN '1.

Application filed September 3, 1924. Serial No. 735,555.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. Soon, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cohoes, county of Albany, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Garments, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an article of wearing apparel and specifically to a combination garment for men, women and children.

The garment is particularly adapted for underwear, such as union suits, but is not necessarily confined to such uses because the invention is obviously applicable to other types of union or combination garments, such as athletic suits, pajamas and overalls.

In the interest of brevity the following description particularly pertains to union or combination garments for underwear, but as stated above, it is obvious that the same construction may be utilized in making the other garments above mentioned.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a garment of the union or combination type in which it is not necessary to provide buttoning or fastening 'means ordinarily required to close the chest or back portions in garments of this type.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment of the union or combinationtype which is, for the most part, constructed of non-elastic fabric, such as nainsook or other non-elastic woven fabric suitable for the particular purpose for which the garment is to be used or of practically non-elastic knitted fabric so that such a garment may be easil donned or taken off, and which will nicely t the body of the wearer without the use of buttons or fastening means.

A still further object of the,invention is to provide a garment of the type described in which the upper back portion and shoul der portions consist of elastic fabric preferably of knitted webbing, the shoulder portions being extended downwardly and around the arm pits, the garment being so constructed that the shoulder portions may be displaced laterally to permit the garment to be readily donned or removedby stepping into or out of it through theneck opening, yet when worn, the chest, shoulder and back portions are positioned to adequately cover and nicely fit the body of the wearer, the entire front portion of the garment being of the'material of which the greater part of the garment is made.

Still further objects of my invention are to provide in garments of the type indicated, inserts having straight seams, at a right angle to the elasticity of the elastic fabric, between the clastic fabric and the more rigid inelastic fabric, and to provide a neat, smooth seam that will not be easily pulled apart.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises the garment described and illustrated in the accompanying specification and drawings and defined in the claims.

The various features of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: v

Fig. 1 is an elevation showing the front of a garment embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the back of said garment.

' Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective partlybrokenaway and partly in section of one side of the garment shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view of the upper portion of the garment '(being broken away) the neck opening being stretched in order to don the garment by stepping into it, or to dofl' the garment; in this figure the stretched neck opening is bounded by' the full lines and the dotted lines show the portions of the garment in place on the body of the wearer when donned.

Fig. 5 is a rear view of a modified structural form of the garment shown in reduced size.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the front chest portion is designated 10, the back portion 11 and 12, shoulder portions 13 and 14, said shoulder portions continuing under the arms at 15 and 16, the side portions 17 and 18 and the leg portions 19 and 20. All of these portions with the exception of the arms and the upper back portion are constructed of woven, non-elastic fabric, such as nainsook, or other suitable woven, nonelastic fabric,

or substantially non-elastic knitted fabric. 105

Extending across the upper portion of the back and bordering the neck 0 ening 0 is an elastic knitted fabric 12. This fabric may extend downwardly a distance of either,

two, four, six or eight inches. The representatien shown in Fig. 2 shows one of the minnnum sizes for the knitted fabric s tuated in the back, and Fig. 5 shows the maximum size where the knitted fabric extends substantially down to or slightly below the arm pits.-

The upper edge of the knitted fabric 12 borders the neck opening at 21, and the inner edges of the shoulder straps 13 and 14 border the neck opening at 23 and 25. The lower portions 15 and 16 of the shoulder straps extend under the arm pits at 27 and 29, thus serving the double function of providing elastic shoulder straps and the important function of absorbing undue perspiration usually found under the armpit.

The various parts of the garment are stitched together on the seams as shown in the drawing, the back insert 12 being substantially rectangular in shape, thus avoid ing the diagonal seams between two kinds of fabrics. In fact, the only seam between the two kinds of fabrics consists of a single horizontal seam at 30, against which the strains are at a minimum.

This feature of having the seams run straight and not on a bias with the ribs or weaving of the elastic material is of importance in that it provides a joint much less liable to pull apart than is the case when a seam is made on a bias to the knitted fabric. Moreover, a much smoother and sightlier seam can be made with a seam at right angles to the ribs of the WOVBII material than when the seam is on a bias therewith.

As indicated more particularly in Fig. 3, the knitted fabric 12 is doubled with the folded edges at the top, forming an edge of the neck opening, and the top edge 31 of the relatively inelastic fabric 11 is inserted between the lower edges 32 and 33 of the elastic fabric 12 and stitched in position. This form of seam is particularly firmand smooth and easy to launder.

As will be seen from the above, the union suit or combination garment has an entirely smooth front of fabric which is either nonelastic or of very limited elasticity extending from the top of the neck to the bottom of the leg and around 'the sides with a substantially rectangular insert running cross-wise in the back of the garment, across the shoulder bordering the neckopening whichis of relatively greater elasticity particularly in a lateral direction. In addition, elastic shoulder straps are provided, which extend under the arm purposes described.

As clearl hown in the drawi the garment may donned or taken 0 the body of the wearer by stretching the shoulder portions 13 and 14 outwardly in the direction of the arrows therein shown, thus stretching the upper portion of the elastic pits forf the knitted Web insert 12 so as to extend the neck opening 0 into ahody opening which may be drawn up over the body of the wearer when the garment has been stepped into the usual manner of donning a unlon or combination garment. Conversely, the same stretching of the neck opening of the garment is effected in order to remove it from the body of the wearer.

The elastic insert runs the entire width of the back at the shoulders of the garment and may be made in various lengths from top to bottom, as specified above; that is, starting from the top of the shoulder and extending downwardly and does away with the usual method of, putting inserts in the back or center of the garment above the hips which are difficult to sew in and which have a tendency to unduly stretch out of shape by reason of the fact that the wearer when sitting down gives the garment a great strain or pull. My new invention avoids this objection and gives a continuously smooth fitting garment of the same proportions. The depth of the elastic insert at the top portion of the back is governed in accordance with the kind and elasticity of the cloth used.

One of the chief purposes of the elastic inserts in the back in addition to permitting the garment to be put on by stepping into it, or taken off by passing the garment over the body, is'that this elastic knitted material is absorbent and thus avoids the uncomfortable feeling which. occurs at the back by the use only of a substantially rigid cloth, such as nainsook or other of the hard finished fabric.

It is a well known fact that rigid fabrics such as chiefly used in the manufacture of union suits called nainsook union suits, do not absorb the perspiration caused by contact with the body and as the principal pressure is across the back right over the shoulder by reason of the clothing which is worn "outside, the back of the suit is alwa s moist and uncomfortable, as these rigid fa rics retain the perspiration and do not absorb it like a knitted fabric, such as is used in the garment embodying my invention.

A further and important feature is the elasticity which thegarment affords cross- Wise of the shoulder, the elastic insert in the back, permits great elasticity across the shoulderwhen movin the arms forward as in reaching for somet ing or exercising, an elasticity which is never found in' nainsqok garments made in the ordinary manner.

This additional elasticity avoids the undue strain usually found in other constructions and adds greatly to the durability of the garment.

The arment furthermore is exceedingly economical from the standpoint of manu-- facture and withstands ordinary wear of laundering toa maximum degree.

and neck portions being provided with the? usual border. The. garment may also be provided with thefiy and overlapping seat portions common to union suits. a

As changes of construction could be made within the scope of my invention, it is in tendedthat all matter contained in the above description orrshown in the [accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustratl-ve and not in a limiting sense.

' Having thus described my'invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.- A combination bifurcated garment, the trunk or body portion of which is constructed of substantially non-elastic fabric, the said non-elastic fabric extendingaround the sides, shoulder straps of elastic material continued about the arm holes of the garment to form an elastic border therefor, the

upper edges of the non-elastic material lyr The garment may be finished in'the usual way with the ribbed edges and the 'armi leg.

ing within the space between said arm holes,

and an'insert of elasticmaterial secured on alhorizontal line, to said non-elastic material at the back of the garment and extending upwardly between the elastic borders of said 1 arm holes for a substantial distance and secured thereto and forming a'border for the, neck opening and having its ribsextend ing vertically to provide a relatively great elasticity in a lateral direction to enable the neck opening to be enlarged sufficiently to permit the body of the wearer to pass therethrough and to enable the garment to contract about the neck of the wearer,{-

2. A combination bifurcated arment the trunk 'or body portion and the eg, portions of which are constructed of a non-elastic fabric, said fabric extending around the sides and under the arms, borders of elastic portions of said border portions and having the upper edge of the relatively inelastic material inserted between the lower edges and joined thereto on a straight, substantially horizontal, seam extending between said arm. hole borders, the upper edge of said i'nsert'forming a neck'co ening border.

- lying above the lower edges 0 the arm hole.

JOHN F. sco'r'r.

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