US3043300A - Heat-resistant garment - Google Patents

Description

July 10, 1962 J. E. FLAGG 3,043,300

HEAT-RESISTANT GARMENT Filed Feb. 27, 195s INVENTOR JOHN E.Fl AGG ATTORNEY ite States This invention relates to heat-resistant garments in general and particularly to re-fghters clothing. The principal object of the invention resides basically in the provision of a garment having provision for the circulation of water or other uid therein, so that heat is evenly distributed throughout the garment by the uid and is also dissipated to some degree to maintain the garment and the user as cool as possible, even in the presence of llame and high degrees of heat.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a garment as above described utilizing 'a new and improved material comprising a pair of closely spaced impervious walls which are both held apart in closely spaced relation and at the same time are rmly secured together to prevent any variation in the spacing, this material being relatively light in weight and maintaining the spacing of the walls of the material even in the presence of external or internal pressure, so that the circulation of fluid between the walls in the material cannot be obstructed; the provision of a heat-resistant garment as above stated including a water-cooled face-plate; the provision of means providing for an air supply for the user so that the entire suit may be completely enclosed; the provision of a reservoir of cooling duid applied to the garment and carried conveniently as on the back, and including pressure-responsive means for supplying additional water to the suit, in combination with an automatic relief valve for allowing the escape of heated water under conditions of internal pressure within the material of the suit.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of the new and improved material particularly adapted for heat-resistant garments, said material comprising a pair of moisture-impervious walls of rubber, plastic or other suitable material, said walls being held together and spaced apart by a great number of relatively stiff woven filaments which extend from side-to-side or from wall-to-wall of the materials, said laments being interwoven with other filaments forming a relatively thick woven mesh or the like through which water may circulate easily and quickly between the impervious walls and which at the same time is so imbedded in said walls as to space the walls apart throughout the material, and also to tie the walls together so that they cannot bulge under conditions of internal pressure'nor collapse under conditions of external pressure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a garment according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough; and

FIG. 3 is a section on greatly enlarged scale showing the construction of the material of which the garment is made.

Referring first to FIG. 3, wherein the material of which the present garment is made is clearly shown, the same comprises in the first place a great many small crimped filaments 10, 12, etc. These filaments are formed in a zig-zag manner and are interwoven with other lilaments of like material i4 and 16. Each filament l@ and 3 2 alternates in'crests i8 and 2G and in these crests are 't Y 3,@43il Patented July 10, 1962 means a ilexible material is formed which, however, is

relatively thick as compared to ordinary woven material, and it maintains its shape under all ordinary conditions. One example of a satisfactory filament material resides in styrene filaments which may be bent as desired but which retain their bent form. The material as thus far described is manufactured by the United States Rub-ber Company under the trademark Trilolc The present invention uses this material and processes the same by coating the side surfaces thereof as at 24 and 26 with a suitable impervious material such as rubber, plastic or the like, which material does not penetrate the Trilok but provides for completely impervious walls at both sides of the Trilok. The Trilok material forms an integral part of the garment fabn'c, the impervious walls of which serve to seal the iiuid within as clearly indicated at 2S in FIG. 3; and at the same time the Trilok becomes bonded to the walls 24 and 26 and maintains the spacing thereof throughout the entire fabric.

Having thus provided the material, this invention contemplates for-ming the same into a garment which may of course be in any desired or convenient shape or size and may be made to cover any desired part of the body. it is conveniently made in over-all form as shown in PIG. l, and it is preferred t-o cover the entire body including the feet. In this case, the garment is shown separate from the shoes 30 and the interior of the material of FIG. 3 does not communicate with the interior of the material of the shoes, although it is clear that shoes 30 could be made a part of the garment as well as the mitt 32.

In the case illustrated, the suit includes the provision of a hood which is integral therewith and thus as shown the entire garment from the ankles to the top of the head is provided withv a clear circulatory system for fluids which will not distend or collapse.

In the present case, it is preferred to provide a circulatory system also for the observation window generally indicated at 34. As shown in FIG. 2, this is made of a double wall, the same being spaced and connected with the walls of the garment material as by any suitable adhesive, at the edges thereof, so that the fluid also circulates through the mask or face window.

The garment as described may be conveniently provided with a uid reservoir or suppl-y tank 36, and a pipe is provided leading from the supply tank as by a connection 38. The pipe is indicated at 40 and it leads in this case to the top of the head of the hood at 42. Thus water may be supplied to the top of the head where it may descend as will be more fully described hereinafter throughout the entire suit, carrying off the heat applied to any part of the body.

A compressed air tank 44 may also `be provided, this having a hose 46 leading to the face mask at 48. Mask 48 may be provided with a sealing rim S0 so that the air supply is connected only to the face portion of the user and therefore makes the most efficient use of the air supply. An exhaust relief valve for used air is conveniently provided at 52, this valve being of a well known type operating under internal pressure to :allow the used air to escape to a point within the garment but compartmented from the face mask.

3 Relief valves of conventional manufacture may be conveniently provided adjacent the ankles as at S4 so that when the pressure between the walls `of the material exceeds va certain degree, these valves will `open and allow the hot water to escape from the material. This reduces the pressure within the material and another valve 56 of conventional and well known design may be utilized to open to a compressed gas container 5S which will then exert pressure on a diaphragm 60 impressing pressure on the water in Ithe supply tank 36 so as to force fluid through hose v40 to the point 42, so that fluid escaping through valves 54 is thus replaced.

The entire suit may be coated with a reective layer to aid in keeping the user of the garment cool and also the window at 34 may be provided with a reflective material through which the user can see.

It will be seen that this invention provides a new and `improved heat-resistant and substantially ilame-proof garment which keeps the user cool through circulation of water or other uid, and this is made possible by reason of the fact that the material of which the garment is made provides for a free lluid circulation since it is clear that water will not circulate if material is used that could block the circulation.

It is also clear that the sui-t would not be operable if the material were such as could be distended so as to form bulges, particularly inasmuch as the invention is based largely upon a continuous water circulation covering substantially the entire body. The present invention provides against the collection of the cooling fluid at localized areas and ensures that the uid will be distributed evenly throughout the entire garment even including that part at the' top of the head.

The above description clearly shows that the garment is not only heat-resistant but is also practically flameproof, due to the duid circulation and hence the objects of the invention are seen to have been carried out in a practical, ecient manner.

Having thus described my invention and the advanr tages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A heat-resisting substantially flame-proof garment ofy body covering material comprising a pair of spaced moisture-impervious Walls, multiple closely spaced substantially rigid means extending throughout the material providing for free liquid circulationV within the material, liquid in the material between the walls, and a relief valve to allow heated liquid to escape from between the walls at -a ypredetermined internal pressure.

2. A double-walled garment for protection of the wearer yagainst temperature extremes, including a doublewalled face mask, the walls of both garment and face mask being spaced and adapted to contain `a coolant liquid, the spaces being in communication for circulation of the liquid throughout, and a liquid inlet and outlet for the spaces between the walls.

3. The garment of claim 2 including an air supply for the face portion `only of the garment in the region of the mask.

4. The garment of claim 2 including an air supply for the face portion of the garment in the region of the mask,

and a continuous seal therefor providing for entrance of the air from the air supply to the interior of the garment at the face portion only.

5. A garment for protection of the wearer against extremes of temperatures comprising a body enclosing member or" double-walled impervious material, a liquid evenly distributed throughout the member, a liquid supply inlet at one portion of the garment and an outlet at a point remote from the inlet, said inlet and outlet providing for a circulation of the liquid and a liquid supply for the inlet, said supply being mounted on the garment.

6. The garment of claim. 5 wherein said outlet comprises a pressure-responsive relief valve to release liquid from the member at a predetermined pressure.

7. The garment of claim 5 wherein said outlet comprises a pressure-responsive relief valve to release liquid from the member at a predetermined pressure and the liquid supply includes a -second pressure-responsive valve and a device controlled thereby to force additional liquid into the member upon release of iluid by said first relief valve.

8. A protective garment comprising a body enclosing member including a hood of double-walled impervious llexible material, means to space the Walls throughout the garment, fluid in the space -between the walls, a iluid inlet at the top of the hood, a iluid outlet adjacent a low point of the garment, and a fluid supply for said inlet.

9. A double-walled material, both walls of which are impervious, and means spacing the walls evenly and securing the walls together, said 4means including a plurality of filaments of substantial rigidity extending back and forth across the yspace between Ithe walls and being partially embedded therein, and additional laments interwoven with the crimped filaments at the apices of the crimps, said additional filaments also being partially embedded in the walls and extending generally parallel thereto and underlying the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,005,569 De Meir Oct. 10, 1911 1,760,512 McBride et al. May 27, 1930 2,072,152 Blake et al` Mar. 2, 1937 2,228,115 Holste Jan. 7, 1941 2,255,751 Bancel ..V Sept. 16, 1941 2,335,474 Beall NOV. 30, 1943 2,404,020 Akerman July 16, 1946 2,539,284 Thomas Ian. 23, 1951 2,607,104 Foster Aug. 19, 1952 2,657,396 Klein et al. Nov. 3, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 547,223 Great Britain Aug. 19, 1942 528,407` Great Britain Oct. 29, 1940 421,212 France Dec. 15, 1910

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