US1602454A - Football-player's pad - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 12,1926. 1,602,454

J. T. RIDDELL I FOOTBALL PLAYER'S PAD Filed August 11, 1924 portion of the players body. In t Patented Oct. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES J '1. RIDDELL, OI EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

FOOTBALL-PLAYERS- ran.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a which Fig. 1 is a front view of a football layers uniform equipped with pads embo ying part of this specification, and 111 the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a section through a pad;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial view taken on line i-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a section through another form of pad.

The form of construction illustrated the drawings comprises a footballplayers uniform which may, in general, be of any usual or desired construction, the one illustrated being the ordinary union suit. Suitable pockets or rece tacles 5 are formed in or on this uniform or the reception of the pads for the protection of the player,

said pockets being formed at the-knees,

thighs, hips and sides, shoulder and neck portions thereof as indicated.

Arranged in each of said pockets is a pad' for the protection of the corresgonding of pad illustrated in" Fig. 4, each of these pads com. -rises a soft flexible central core 6 formed .0 sponge rubber having inflatable cavities therein, said cavities being filled 5', with gas under pressure. The core 6 is covered with a sealing casing 7 also of soft flexible rubber as shown. The core 6 '7 is ,enclosed in a'soft flexible inflatable rubber bag 8 and secured in said bag by means of radiating rubber positioning fingers or arms 9 securedto the edges of the core and to the inner walls of the bag as indicated. Each bagis also provided with a suitable inflating nipplelO of any usual or desired '55- construction whereby the bag may. be inair under pressure, thereby fille form ing the space in the bag aroundthe core 6-7 with air under pressure. One of the said pads or bags is inserted 1n each pocket 5 in the uniform 4 and suitably inflated, thus serving to protect thecorresponding portion ofthe "body of the player. By this construction, a light wei ht comparatively flexible protection i provi ed for the player affording a maxim m of protection and freedom of movement. In case one of the bags 8 should become punctured or otherwise deflated, the core 67 will in and by itself afford a considerable measure of protection. When the bag isproperly inflated this central core gives roper form and stability thereto and also a ords protec tion against unusually severe blows or shocks which might be sufficient to indent the sides of the inflated bag into contact with each other. The effect of the enclosed air or gas under pressure in the bag 8 is to distribute the shock or force of received blows or jars substantially uniformly over'the entire bearing surface of the pad and thus prevent injury to the player.

In the form of ad illustrated in Fig. 3 the outer bag 8 is dlspensedwith entirely and simply the sealing casing or ba 7 filled with the sponge rubber filling bo y employed. The pad thus formed is inflated by inserting a needle therein in the usual manner for inflating rubber balls and the like, a sealing composition bein employed for sealing the uncture forme by the inflating needle. ransverse openings or passages '11 are formedthrough the pad for ventilating purposes. This orm of pad is a very simple construction, capable of economical manufacture and, it is thought, will be generally found to be the preferable form of construction. It is also to be noted that in case of puncture of the outer sealingcasin or pad the confined air or other gas wi esca e but slowly and even after the esca e of the confined gas a very efficient pad wi 1 be provided due to the effect of the cavities in the sponge rubber filling.

, The construction illustrated in vFig. 5 is the same as that illustrated in Fig. 4 except that the central core for the-pad has been omitted. This form of construction constitutes'a very simple one but, of course, in

case of uncture, the-v pad is almost completely estroyed. I

-While Ihave illustrated and described the preferred form of-construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without depart ing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore-do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as 'come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with a football players uniform having pockets therein, of a flexible inflatable rubber bag insertable in said pockets; and a soft pad-like filling for said bag, said filling being formed of sponge rubber having minute cavities therein filled with gas under pressure, substantially as described.

2. A football players pad comprising a flexible inflatable bag, and a soft pad-like filling for said bag, said bag and filling being filled with gas under pressure, and there being transverse ventilating openings extending through said bag and filling, substantially as described.

'3. A football players pad comprising an inflatable rubber casing filled with sponge rubber having minute cavities therein, said casing and said cavities being filled with gas under pressure and said casing being, permanently sealed to prevent escape of said gas, there being transverse ventilating openings extending through said casing and filling, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN T. RIDDELL.

Images