US1358509A - Electrically-heated garment - Google Patents

Description

B. BIRKENFELD.

ELECTRICALLY HEATED GARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18. I918.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

nmnloz attain; 6,

B. BIRKENFELD.

ELECTRICALLY HEATED GARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I3, I918.

WWI moo:

, or m Yonx, x. Y.

mc'rmcmv-nnnm Gm.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

Application am June 1a, 1910. and I0. 240,052.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN Bmxmrrnno, a citizen of the United States residing at New York, in the county of N ew York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Heated Garments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an electrically heated garment, and while susceptible of a variety of uses, is more especially designed to be applied as an outer garment or protecting covering whereby to impart to the wearer sufficient warmth to withstand cold and inclemency of the weather.

It is a recognized fact that in the art of flying considerable discomfiture and suffering is oftentimes encountered by the airman, especially those of the flying machine corps of the army and navy service, in v1e w of the necessity of the airman remaining in the air for prolonged periods of time and where the atmospheric conditions are such as to at times benumb the limbs or other portions of the body because of extreme cold. I his circumstance is exceedingly dangerous not only to the aviator himself, but important events and lives of many oftentimes depend upon the aviator maintaining complete and energetic control of all of his faculties at all times, and while the present invention, as above suggested is applicable to wide usage in various arts, it is one of the primary objects of the invention to provide a garment which may be readily slipped over the clothing or uniform of the aviator, whereby at all times, he will be thoroughly protected and subjected to warmth, and whereby the degree of warmth may be regulated to a nicety according to conditions encountered.

More particularly the invention includes a garment comprislng a body part, leg sections, arm sections and a hood section, the said sections preferably being detachable one from the other if desired, and the leg and arm sections conveniently having parts to overlie portions or all of the feet and hands of the operator, and all of such parts or sections having associated therewith suit able electric heating means, as interwoven wires, with suitable switching mechanism whereby the electric current is caused to heatone or more of said sections at will, as desired.

Novel details in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of the invention will be appreciated from the description to follow, which, for a clear understanding of the invention is to be considered in connection with the accompan ing drawings, wherein is disclosed for t e purpose of illustration, a convenient and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, though in this connection it is to be borne in mind that obvlous changes may be made in minor details, wiring, electrical connections etc. and still be within the spirit and contemplation of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is" a front elevation of the arment made in keeping with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view illustrating more particularly the interior make-up of the garment;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detail views;

Vvith more particular reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throu hout the several views 1 is a body portion 0 the garment, 2 arm sections which may have hand covering parts 3, 4 leg sections connected at 5 and conveniently having foot covering parts 6, and 7 a hood section adapted to overlie the head of the operator, the hood being preferably cut away at the front to expose the face.

he sections of the garment thus described are preferably detachably connected, and a novel means of connection takes the form of a series of sockets and plugs, certain of which may be energized electrically and constitute means of electric connection between the sections of the garment.

While it is obvious that the material which goes to make up the garment may vary to suit the desires of the designer or operator, as for instance cotton, linen, silk, woolen, leather, rubber or fiber, or a mixture or combination of any of these mate rials, in the preferred embodiment of the invention the outer portion or layer of the garment should be of non-conducting or waterproofing material or have a water proof coating.

The outer layer of material is generally indicated in Fig. 3 by the reference numeral 8, whereas an inner layer of material 9 has associated therewith suitable heating means, preferably taking the form of a series of heating coils of insulated wire woven directly into the fabric according to efficient and advantageous methods of weav-- of the respective sections, and to this endv the body portion 1 of the garment may be provided with electric socket portions 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16. The arm sections 2 have suitable electric plugs 11 and 12 re-. spectively to engage the sockets 11 and 12, and connected with the plugs 11 and 12 are the terminals of the conducting wires 12 interwoven in the arm sections. The hood section is provided with the heating coils 7 the terminals of which are connected to the plugs l3 and 13 which latter are adapted to electrically connect with the sockets l3 and 14. The leg sections are provided with the heating coils 4 terminals of which connect with the sockets 15 and 16 adapted to electrically connect with the sockets 15 and 16.

A belt 17 of suitable material is adapted to be applied to the body part 1 at the point of juncture of the latter with the leg sections 14l, and said belt conveniently carries means of connection with the source of electric current, which may be a battery or generator for instance or through the medium of means of dry cells and the like connected directly to the belt, and carried thereby.

The belt conveniently carries the main switch diagrammatically illustrated at 18,

the same adapted to connect the socketsv 1516 as desired, which latter constitute the terminals for the heating wiringl of the body portion of the garment.

From the description thus far it will be appreciated that when the respective plugs .and sockets are in engagement and the switch operated so as to close the circuit, the current will continuously pass through the wire interwoven in all of the sections of the garment. It is desirable however, to provide means whereby one or more of the sections maybe cut out electrically as desired, and to this end suitable switches may be interposed at any convenient point as upon the belt 18 proper, or as illustrated diagrammatically a separate switch may be provided at each of the points of electrical connection between the sections, one of such switches being diagrammatically illustrated at 19, the same being constructed and arranged in a manner obvious to those skilled in the art whereby to cause the current to pass from the wiring 1* and through cause said current to be cut off from the arm sections, and continue between the sockets 11, 12 and thence through the other sections of the garment. In this connection it is not necessary to illustrate a switch at each point of connection between the sections of the garment though it is to be borne in mind that such switches are preferably employed.

The binding posts, plugs and sockets, switches and other details may be of any approved type and vary to suit the desires of the operator.

There is an advantage in forming various portions of the garment in ections, considering the use to which the invention is likely to be put, namely in the aviation service of the army, since it is desired at times to quickly obtain access to a part of the body, without waiting to remove the entire garment,-and without question it may be desired at times to have the arms and legs free from any covering in the operation of the machine, when extreme cold temperature-is not to be encountered. For instance, ifit is only desired to maintain the body portion and chest in a heated condition, the limb sections as well as the hood may be removed when the body portion 1 will constitute in eiiect an outer sweater, the sweater imparting the desired increased warmth through the medium of the electrical connections. By disengaging the plug and socket connections between the sections the sections are detached and the electric connections simultaneously broken. When on the other hand the plugs and sockets are connected the electric connections are automatically established.

What I claim is:

1. An electrically heated garment comprising a body section and a limb section having associated therewith a series of heating coils, means whereby electric current may pass through the heating coils of the body section and limb section simultaneously, and means for cutting out the current from one or both of said sections as desired without removing the sections.

2. In an electrically heated garment, the combination of a body section, arm sections and leg sections, the armsections having directly connected hand covering parts, and the leg sections having directly connected foot covering parts, and means for passing electric current through all of said sections and parts.

3. In an electrically heated garment, the combination of a body section, arm sections and leg sections, the arm sections having hand covering parts, and the leg sections having foot covering parts, means for passing electric current thr g all of said sections and parts, and associated means for cutting out the current from one or more of said sections as desired without displacing the sections.

4:. In an electrically heated garment, the combination of a body section, limb sections and a hood section, electric wiring interwoven in the material comprising the sections constituting a heating means, and means for passing the current-through different sections of said wiring to heat one or more of said sections independently or together while maintaining the various sections in normal relative positions.

5. In an electrically heated garment, the combination of a body section, limb sections and a hood section, all of said sections being detachably connected one to the other, electric wiring interwoven in the material comprising the sections constituting a heating means, and means for passing the current through said wires to heat one or more of said sections independently or together.

6. In an electrically heated garment, the combination of a bodysection, limb sections, a hood section, all of said sections being connected directly together whereby to constitute continuations one of the other, electric wiring interwoven in the material comprising the sections constituting a heating means, means for passing the current through said wires to heat one or more of said sections independently ortogether without disengaging any of said sections.

7 In an electricgarment, the combination of a body part and limb parts, a belt adaptedto be applied to the body part, electric connections for the belt adapted to receive current from any suitable source, an electric wiring for the respective sections of the garment, and a switch operatively associated with the belt for connecting the wiring of the sections with the source of current.

8. In an electric garment, the combination of a body part and limb parts, a belt adapted to be applied to thebody part, electric connections for the belt adapted to receive cur rent from any suitable source, electric wiring for the respective sections of the garment, a switch operatively associated with the belt for connecting the wiring of the sections with the source of current, and auxiliary switches for independently cut ting out the electric current from said sections at will.

9. In an electrically heated garment, the combination of a body .part and limb sections, electric wiring carried by the body part and limb sections, the limb sections being removable, and means for'connecting the body and limb sections together whereby to electrically connect the wires and whereby the respective sections constitute in effect continuations of the body part proper.

10. In an electric heating garment, the combination of a body part, limb parts and a hoodpart, each of'said parts having insulated heating wires interwoventherewith, means for detachably connecting said parts together to form a continuous garment, and means for simultaneously electrically connecting said wires of the respective parts when connected.

11. In an electric heating garment, the combination of a body part, leg parts, arm partsand a hood part, all of said parts having insulated heating coils, means for detachably connecting said parts together, and for electrically connecting the wiring of said parts, and independently operable switching devices for cutting out the electric current in certain of the parts at will.

12. In an electric heating garment, the

combination of a body part,.and one or more sections detachably connected therewith, said body part and sections having insulated heating wire interwoven therewith, and means for detachably connecting said body part and sections to form a continuous garment, said means constituting the electric connection between the wires of the respective parts.

13. In an electric heating garmentfthe combination of a body part, and one or more detachable limb sections, said body part and sections having insulated heating wire interwoven therewith, the body part and said sections having interengaging plugs and sockets constituting connecting means for the section and also constituting means for connecting the wiring of said sections.

14. In an electric heating garment, the combination of a body part, and one or more detachable limb sections, said body part and sections having insulated heating wire interwoven therewith, the body part and said sections having interengaging ,plugs and sockets constituting connecting means for the body part and sections and also constituting means for connecting the wiring of said sections, and an independently operable switch at the point of connection of the respective sections, substantially as and for

Images