US2179631A - Protective athletic garment - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 14, 1939. B. R. HOLDER PROTECTIVE ATHLETIC GARMENT Filed Oct. 16. 1937 INVENTOR. ,BROOJQS' Z HOLDER. BY

ORNEY Patented Nov. 14-, 1939 rarest Application ()ctober 16,

l ()liaims.

My present invention relates to a protective garment for athietie wear, and more particularly to a light weight washable garment which can be worn under the uniform of a baseball player to protect the player against abrasion or burning of the skin at the hips and thighs as when sliding to a base.

An object of the invention is to provide a practical and effective garment which may be worn beneath the uniform of a baseball player as a protection against an abrasion or burning of the skin when sliding into a Another object of the invention is to provide a light weight garment for athletic wear having a novel padding which will fully protect the body of the wearer and not interfere with his freedom of movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a protective garment for the hips and thighs of a wearer in which the protective padding is closely quilted to prevent a sticking of the pad to the body of the wearer due .to perspiration, and which will also prevent a slipping of the pad with respect to the body of the wearer when a sliding pressure is exerted thereupon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a light weight pants-like undergarment for athletic wear having a securing means which will hold the garment upon the body of the wearer without any overlapping of the waistband.

Another object of my invention is to provide a new and novel form of protective padding for an athletic garment having a point to point body contacting surface which will provide a ventilation between the pad and the body of the wearer and thus prevent sticking due to perspiration.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part pointed out hereinafter and in part evident to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds.

At the present time the only protective means of which I am aware that is provided for baseball players, of which there are several types, comprises a belt-like member having two spaced downwardly extending pads that are adapted to be suspended over the hips of the wearer where they hang freely in the pant legs of the uniform. While these pads provide considerable protection under some conditions, they are open to the objection that in sliding feet first to a base they often roll up and become displaced, and as a result, their protecting function is entirely lost. In one form of such padding, the downwardly extending ends of the pads are provided with a 1937, Serial No. 169,418

(Ci. 22Z) tape-like means which is tied around each leg of the wearer, but even with this expedient these pads are open to the objection that they become displaced in running and stick to the legs of the wearer and at the same time the leg ties seriously 5 interfere with the wearers freedom of movement.

To overcome the above objections, my present invention contemplates a loose fitting light weight garment of washable material constructed along 10 the lines of a pair of conventional shorts or trunks having relatively short and wide leg portions upon the sides of which a padding is secured in an immovable manner. In one embodiment of my invention the pad is securely sewn against the inside surface of the garment over the hip and thigh encompassing area thereof, and in another form the padding is disposed and held in a protective position with respect to the body of the wearer by a novel form of pad receiving pocket which extends from the rear of the garment and over the insides of the legs thereof.

Another expedient which has been resorted to in the construction of protective pads of the character contemplated by my invention has been to provide a plurality of superimposed layers of padding, which are slideable with respect to each other, so as to permit a relative movement between the inside and outside layers, and thus reduce the movement of the inside layer upon the body of the player when a sliding pressure is exerted against the outside layer of the pad. This arrangement has the disadvantage that the individual layers of padding often become rolled up and/or folded and thus their protective action is destroyed. These objections are overcome in accordance with my invention by providing a closely quilted body engaging surface upon the inside surface of the pads, which will prevent sticking and also any substantial movement of the pad over the body of the wearer when pressure is applied thereto, and at the same time the outer surface thereof will not interfere with a relative movement between the pad and the uniform worn thereover.

In the drawing, wherein I have shown by way of illustration and not of limitation, preferred embodiments of my invention:

Figure l is a perspective front View of a garment constructed in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional View of one side of the garment illustrated in Fig. 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line IIIIII of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a garment constructed in accordance with another embodiment of my invention, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line V-V of Figure l.

As illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing, the preferred form of my invention comprises a pants-like garment, designated by the numeral l0, which, except for the details to be hereinafter pointed out, is constructed along the lines of a pair of conventional trunks such as are commonly worn by athletes. The garment I is preferably made of a light weight washable duck, and at the top thereof there is provided a belt enclosing waistband I I through which a tieable web belt l2 is extended. The web belt I2 is of sumcient length to permit a tying of the ends at the front of the garment, as shown. In order to permit the web belt E2 to be drawn tightly about the waist of the wearer without producing any shirring or overlapping of the waistband l I, the garment H has a relatively wide V-shaped fly opening it! which extends upwardly from the crotch of the garment. Arranged along opposite sides of the garment and extending downwardly from the waistband ll over the hip and thigh encompassing area of the garment, there are respectively right and left hand pads I l and I5. These pads may be of any suitable pad forming material, and are preferably provided with closely spaced right angled lines of stitching that produce a quilted eifect upon the inside surface thereof, which will form a spaced point to point body engaging surface. Such a surface contact with the body of the wearer permits a ventilation between the pad and the body of the wearer even when held tightly thereagainst, and at the same time it retards any sliding of the pads relative to the body of the wearer when an ex ternal sliding pressure is exerted thereupon. These pads It and i are similar in outline and construction and they are disposed and firmly secured upon the inside surfaces of the garment ID in a protecting position over the hips and thighs of the wearer where a contact with the earth is most likely to occur in sliding either head first or feet first into a base.

Upon referring to Figure 2 of the drawing, it will be noted that the pads I l and i5 extend downwardly inside the garment [0 throughout its entire vertical length. As shown, the pads It and i5 are secured to the garment by a stitching [6 which extends diagonally between the corners thereof. If desired, the pads l4 and I5 may also be secured to the garment ID by the additional stitchings which form the quilting effect upon the surface of the pads.

As illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing, the pads i l and 55 extend from spaced points at the rear of the garment l0 forwardly around the inside of each side and terminate just short of the front of the legs of the garment. With this arrangement it will be seen that the pads Hi and [5 will be positioned at the most vulnerable spots about the hips and thighs of the wearer, and at the same time they will move outwardly free of the legs of the wearer when in a normal base running posture.

In Figure 4 of the drawing, the garment, designated by the numeral l8, has a waistband H] which is similar in all practical respects to the waistband II and through which a web belt 20 is extended. In this embodiment the garment I8 serves to support right and left hand protective pads 2| and 22 respectively, in a manner which will permit their convenient removal for the purpose of washing the garment. As here shown, the garment I8 is provided with relatively wide pockets 23 and 24, into which the protective pads 2| and 22 are respectively inserted, that extend from spaced points at the rear thereof around to a point at the front of the leg portions. The pads 2| and 22 may be formed of any relatively stiff felting or they may be of quilted or other construction which will render them relatively still edgewise in order that they will hold their shape when placed in the pockets 23 and 24. In order to provide against a sagging of the pockets 23 and 24, I extend their outer edges up to a point corresponding with the center of the waistline so that when the web belt 20 is tightened upon the body of a wearer, the outer edge of the pockets will be drawn tightly in against the waistband and thus effectively hold the pads 2i and 22 against displacement.

As shownin Figure 5 of the drawing, the pockets 23 and 24 extend from spaced points at the rear of the garment to points just short of the front center of the legs of the garment, so that, as has been previously described, the pockets with the pads 2| and 22 will flap rearwardly and outwardly from the legs of a .wearer when in forward motion as in a normal running between bases, and as a result, they will not bind upon the legs of the wearer or in any way interfere with the wearers leg movements.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a combined practical and effective protective pad and supporting garment for athletic wear, which is loose fitting, and therefore comfortable to wear and one which will stand frequent laundering without losing its shape.

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose my invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated specific arrangements, I desire to have it understood that this invention is not limited to the specific means disclosed, but may be embodied in other ways that will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is new and it is desired to claim it so that all such changes as come within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus describe-d my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A protective garment for athletic Wear, comprising a padded pants-like garment having a belt enclosing Waistband at the top and having a closed crotch and a wide V-shaped fly opening extending upwardly at the front thereof, and a belt forming member extending through said belt enclosing Waistband adapted to be secured in said fly opening without a shirring or an overlapping at the waistband of the garment.

2. In a protective washable garment for baseball players, the combination of a pants-like garment of light material having a belt forming portion at the waistline thereof and relatively wide downwardly extending short leg portions, a pocket extending around the rear and outside of said leg portions throughout substantially their entire length, and a removable pad in each of said pockets as a protection for the hips and thighs of a wearer, the top opening of said pockets being disposed outside of and along the line of said waistband and adapted to be drawn into contact with said waistband to close the pocket and secure said pad against displacement when the garment is secured about the waist of a wearer.

3. In a protective washable garment for baseball players, the combination of a pants-like garmerit of light material having a belt forming por tion at the waistline thereof and relatively wide downwardly extending short leg portions, a pocket extending around the rear and outside of said leg portions throughout substantially their entire length, the tops of said pockets being disposed along the center of said waistband and adapted to be drawn into contact with said waistband to close the pockets when the garment is secured about the waist of a wearer, and a protective pad having non-sagging characteristics disposed in and completely filling each of said pockets,

4. A protective garment for athletic wear, comprising a padded pants-like garment having a waistband at the top and a closed crotch with a V-shaped fly opening extending upwardly at the front thereof, and a belt forming member cooperating with the waistband at the top of said garment having ends adapted to be connected together in said fly opening to secure the garment upon the body of a wearer without a shirring or overlapping at the waistband of the garment.

BROOKS R. HOLDER.

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