US3381306A - Multipurpose blanket - Google Patents

Description

y 7, 1968 G. c. INNES 3,381,306

MULTIPURPOSE BLANKET Filed Aug. 51, 1965 i 3 Sheets-Sheet l I wa rr- ,711?

Y INVENTOR.

GEORGE C. INNES ATTY.

G. C. INNES May 7, 1968 MULTIPURPOSE BLANKET INVENTOR. GEORGE C. INNES BY W .ATTY.

Filed Aug. 31, 1965 May 7, 1968 G. c. INNES MULTIPURPOSE BLANKET Filed Aug. 31, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. GEORGE CJNMES 9w F. W

ATTY.

United States Patent 3,381,306 MULTIPURPOSE BLANKET George C. Innes, 1021 Park Ave., Elyria, Ohio 44035 Filed Aug. 31, 1965, Ser. No. 483,971 2 Claims. (Cl. 2--69) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The blanket described and claimed in the present application comprises a rectangular blanket composed of an outer layer of rainproof material and an inner layer of textile. The side edges of the blanket are provided with zipper means adapted to attach the edges of the blanket together, if desired. A head opening, in the form of a slot, is disposed in the center portion of the blanket and the edges of the slot are provided with zippers adapted to draw the edges of the slot snugly about a persons neck, equidistances from the ends of the slot, and/or to completely close the slot, if so desired. The blanket is provided with a pocket of sufiicient capacity to contain the said layers of the blanket when the latter are not in use.

Detailed description This invention relates to a multiple purpose blanket adapted to be manipulated so as to form various garments having specific uses, as, for example, but without limitations, a conventional blanket, car blanket, lap robe, beach blanket, serape, dressing tent, beach bag, sleeping bag, and to 'be combined with a duplicate blanket to form a huddle up bag for two persons.

Prior multipurpose blankets have been quite limited in respect to the various uses to which they were adaptable.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a blanket that may readily be converted from one to another of the various forms mentioned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a blanket so constructed that it can be manufactured with a minimum of labor and materials.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a blanket convertible into various forms, each of which is Well designed to perform its intended function.

A further object of the invention is to provide a multipurpose blanket that is adapted to be combined with a duplicate thereof to form a poncho-like garment for simultaneous wear by two persons.

With the above objects in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists substantially in the construction and arrangement of parts as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blanket embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the other side of the blanket shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are perspective views illustrating the manner in which the blanket shown in FIG. 1 may be worn as a serape, a dressing tent, at poncho, a sleeping bag, a poncho for dual occupancy, and a beach bag respectively;

FIGS. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 are diagrammatic views illustrating progressively the steps by which the blanket shown in FIG. 2 is folded, rolled, put into a pocket of the blanket, and the pocket closed by a zipper.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail and ice particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 it will be seen that the invention, as there illustrated, is embodied in a rectangular shaped blanket, referred to generally as 10. Preferably the blanket comprises two fiexible layers 11 and 12 (see FIG. 3) layer 11 being composed of textile such as, for example, but not to be so limited, a wool textile having a nap or other textile having a velvety surface. Layer 12 is composed of a water repellent material and may be woven or in sheet form. Layers 11 and 12 extend the length and Width of the blanket and have their entire edge portions permanently joined to each other as by stitches 13 (see FIG. 3) or by other means which may be found satisfactory.

Blanket 10 has end edges 14, 15 and side edges 16, 17. Side edges 16 and 17 are provided with separable fastener means 18, 18a and 19, 19a respectively. The fastener means used to illustrate the present invention is commonly known as a zipper and is preferably of the double tab type and composed of metal. By reference to FIG. 1 it will be seen that fastener strips 18, 18a and 19, 19a combined extend substantially the length of the side edges 16, 17 respectively with their tabs or slide members 22, 23 at end edge 15 and their male ends 24, 25 at end edge 14 respectively.

An elongated opening 26 disposed approximately in the center of the blanket is large enough to permit a person using the blanket to pass his head upwardly through the opening (see FIG. 4) and let the blanket come to rest on his shoulders. The edges of opening 26 are provided with zipper fasteners 27, 28 with their sliding elements adapted to close, or partially close, the opening as desired, by these elements being slid from the ends of opening 26, toward the middle thereof. This is an important feature of the invention in that the edges of the opening may be brought to fit about a person's neck centrally of the opening. This means of closing opening 26 is also desirable in the event the blanket is to hang on an ordinary coat hanger as the opening may be made small enough to prevent the hanger from being pulled through the opening and also the blanket will hang straight down from the hanger.

Another important feature of the invention is the provision of a pocket 29 which is large relative to the size of the blanket, namely, large enough to encase the layers 11 and 12. The pocket lining 30 is normally disposed between the layers of the blanket and has opening 31 through layer 12. Opening 31 is provided with zipper means 32. Lining 30 is attached to layer 12 only at its opening and may be turned inside out (see FIGS. 10- 16). The lining is provided with a strap-like handle 9 whose usefulness will be manifest as the description continues. It is to be noted that the pocket is useful as such in all the adaptations of the blanket illustrated in FIGS. 1-9.

When the blanket is to be used as a cover, beach blanket or a lap robe, head opening 26 is closed. When it is to be used as a scrape (see FIG. 4) edges 16 and 17 are free of each other. When it is used as a dressing tent (see FIG. 5) the person so using it passes his head through opening 26 and then starts slide member 23 at male end 25 and slides member 23 upwardly until the complete length of edge 16 is fastened to itself. Similarly edge 17 is fastened to itself, slide member 22 starting at male end 24. The double tab type of zipper makes it convenient for the person who is to occupy the tent to operate the zippers. When it is used as a poncho (see FIG. 6) the edges 16 and 17 are attached to themselves as explained in reference to FIG. 5 except a face opening is left, as shown in FIG. 5, and the blanket is worn as illustrated. When it is used as a sleeping bag the full length of side edge 16 may be attached to itself leaving the other side edge free until a person lies between the folds of the blanket after which side edge 17 is completely attached to itself in the manner explained heretofore. For sleeping bag purposes a suitable length of blanket may be employed. The beach bag shown in FIG. 9 is formed by closing opening 26 and attaching each side edge to itself in the manner explained above. When it is used as a huddle garment as shown in FIG. 8 duplicate blankets are required with confronting edges of the two blankets attached to each other and their opposite edges attached to themselves their entire length as shown. It is noted that in this latter use of the blankets the pockets 30 of the blankets will be in front of one of the two persons occupying the blankets and at the back of the other person.

It is thought that the manner of converting the blanket from one form to another for the multiple uses mentioned will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing.

The construction of blanket 10 and its size relative to the capacity of its pocket 29 is such as to permit the blanket layers to be folded and rolled into compact form preparatory to putting them into the pocket as will be now explained.

As shown in FIG. 10 the blanket is laid fiat with layer 12 up and pocket lining 30 turned inside out. Next the blanket is folded under lengthwise until its ends are even as shown in FIG. 11. The side edges of the folded blanket are next folded under at parallel fold lines adjacent the ends of pocket slot 31 as shown in FIG. 11 (pocket opening 31 is shown in FIG. 2). The folded blanket is now turned over (see FIG. 13), and beginning at the end nearest the pocket (see FIG. 14) the blanket is rolled up to within a short distance from the pocket opening and the roll fomied is then put into the pocket. In similar manner the other end (see FIG. 15) of the blanket is rolled up and the roll formed put into the pocket after which the pocket is closed by its zipper 32 thereby providing a neat compact carrying case for the blanket layers as illustrated in FIG. 16. It is to be noted that the blanket layers are substantially free of wrinkles in the pocket.

The invention contemplates making pocket 29 large enough to hold articles in addition to the blanket layers and also the addition of suitable reinforcement layers of material if found desirable as well as additional stitching to that shown.

It will now be seen that the present invention provides a unitary multipurpose blanket that is inexpensive and is adapted for a greater variety of uses than prior blankets.

The detailed description of the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated and described herein is not to be construed as limiting the invention thereto. The

invention includes all features of patentable novelty residing in the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings.

I claim:

1. A blanket of the character described comprising:

(a) a substantially rectangular shaped body of unitary construction,

(b) including at least two layers of flexible material, each of which extends substantially the length and width of the blanket,

(0) one of said layers being exposed and composed of water repellent material,

(d) the edge portions of said layers being permanently joined together,

(e) a portion of each side edge of the blanket being provided with zipper elements adapted to fasten a length of each side edge together when the blanket is so folded as to bring said zipper elements of said edge portions into contact, said zipper elements extending from the end portions of the blanket to substantially the middle of said edge,

(f) said blanket being provided with an opening substantially in the center portion of said blanket body adapted to permit a persons head to project through said opening and the blanket to come to rest on the shoulders of said person,

(g) the edges of the head opening being provided with a pair of zipper fasteners adapted to progressively close the head slot equal distances from its ends toward its middle, whereby the blanket may be made to fit about a persons neck, and

(h) a pocket having a lining disposed between the layers of the blanket, said lining being adapted to be turned inside out.

2. A blanket according to claim 1 wherein the pocket has a capacity to receive and enclose said blanket layers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 596,842 1/1898 Borwell. 1,403,661 1/1922 Weimann 269 1,901,223 3/1933 Bush 269 XR 1,930,942 10/ 1933 Pringle. 1,952,465 3/1934 Rycroft 269.5 3,013,274 12/1961 Dike 269 3,079,611 3/1963 Boryszewski 269 XR 3,176,315 4/1965 Freund 269 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

H. HAMPTON HUNTER, Examiner.

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