US3153869A

US3153869A - Identification band

Info

Publication number: US3153869A
Application number: US156229A
Authority: US
Inventors: Max E Twentier
Original assignee: Avery Products Corp
Current assignee: Avery Products Corp
Priority date: 1961-12-01
Filing date: 1961-12-01
Publication date: 1964-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 1981-10-27

Description

M. E. TWENTIER 3,153,869

IDENTIFICATION BAND Oct. 27, 1964 Filed Dec. 1, 1961 INVENTOR. ///1x 5. 7/l E/vr/Ee ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,153,869 IDENTTEZCATION BAND Max E. Twentier, Glendale, Aria, assignor, by means assignments, to Avery Products Corporation, San Marino, Calif, a corporation of California Filed Dec. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 156,229 4 Claims. (Q1. 40-21) The present invention relates to a flexible band or bracelet for use in hospitals and institutions to identify an individual.

Bands employed for marking or identification are usually secured about the wrist of the wearer and must not only be relatively strong to resist accidental breakage but must resist elongation to avoid removal and to maintain the band in comfortable relation to the surface of the limb to which it is applied.

It has been found, when in use under certain conditions, that attempts may be made to remove the band without destruction for further unauthorized use. It is therefore essential to provide a band so constructed and arranged as to prevent removal without destroying the band.

in accordance with the present invention a band comprised of a strip of flexible material the ends of which are secured by an adhesive in such manner that the band ends cannot be separated without rendering the band inoperative for further use.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective identification band, the ends of which may be readily secured by an adhesive.

Another object of the invention is to provide a strip of flexible material which may be secured about the wri" and the ends secured by an adhesive and in providing means for rendering the ends inseparable without destroying the usefulness of the band.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrist band comprised of an inner strip of non-stretchable plastic for contact with the surface enclosed and an outer strip of flexible material receptive to marking and flexible means for securing overlapping ends of the band against separation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following dcscription together with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a view showing the present band applied to the wrist;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the band showing a crosspiece to provide a pair of tabs;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a portion of band taken on line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the ends of band ready to be brought into overlapping contact;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the band ends in overlapping contact and secured by a tab;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the ends of the band in overlapping contact and secured by both tabs, and

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the band taken on line 77 in FIG. 6.

As shown, the present invention includes a flexible strip or" material to provide a band it) which may be of a selected length. One end 11 of the band has an adhesive surface 12 initially provided with a cover piece 13. Spaced from end 11 and secured to the under surface of the band is a transverse strip 14' to provide what may be termed lateral members or

tabs

14 and 15. Tab 14 is provided with an adhesive surface 16 and a cover piece 17. The free end of tab 14 is formed with a plurality of spaced apart slits to provide What may be termed a feathered edge 18, the purpose and function of which will be explained. The opposite tab 15 is also provided with an the the

3,153,8d Fates-lied Get. 27, 1964 adhesive surface 19 and a cover piece 20 and the tab is also formed with a feathered edge 21 and with slits 22 in opposite edges thereof.

The tab 1 extends from hand it? a distance equal to the width of the band it? whereas tab 15 extends from the band a greater distance than the width of the band, the purpose of which will be described. As stated, the adhesive surfaces are initially provided with cover pieces so that the bands may be packed for storage and readily handled when put to use. it has been found that the cover pieces must be held by the adhesive to such degree as to remain in place during handling but readily removable. it has been found that for this purpose satisfactory results are attained by using an impregnated flexible material such, for example, as a sheet material known as Texoprint.

A band ill with the tabs at one end is of a selected length to encircle wrists of different sizes. It has been found, for example, that a band to be used for an adult may initially be 9 /8 inches in length and /8 of an inch in width. When fitted to a Wrist the excess portion of the band is severed.

Although a single strip of a flexible material may be used as a band, it has been found that better results are attained by providing a laminated band consisting of an inner strip 23 (see FIG. 3) of an non stretchable plastic material as, for example, polyester film and an outer strip 24 of a flexible plastic impregnated paper receptive to a marking medium as, for example, writing inks, typewriter and addressograph impressions. The inner strip being of smooth surface makes comfortable contact with the wrist and being non-stretchable prevents forced enlargement for removal from the wrist. The outer strip serves to receive an identification or other marking as required.

When the band is to be applied to the wrist of a patient, the excess portion having been removed, the cover piece 13 is stripped 0d from end ll of the band. The band is then wrapped about the wrist and the under side of end 24 of the band is pressed into contact with adhesive surface 12 on the end 11 of the band. The end 24' of the band is thus positioned between

tabs

14 and 15. The cover pieces of

tabs

14 and 15 may then be removed. The tab 15 is then folded over into contact with the outer surface of end 24' of the band and since, as stated, the tab is of greater length than the width of the band the feathered edge 21 of the tab will overlap tab 14 as shown in FIG. 5. The tab 14 is then pressed into contact with tab 15 causing the feathered edge 21 of tab 14 to fold over as shown in FIG. 7.

As stated above, an identification band of the type to which the present invention relates must be so constructed as to prevent removal from the Wrist without destroying the band for further use. This is, as shown, accomplished by the

tabs

14 and 15. When tab 15 is folded over and scored by its adhesive surface to the overlapping ends 11 and 2d of the band, the feathered edge 21 makes contact with the adhesive surface of tab 14 and provides a tenacious union between the parts. The tab 14, when folded over to bring the adhesive surface thereof into contact with tab 15, provides an additional bond by crimping the feathered edge 21 between the tabs.

The feathered edges, as will be evident, prevent the lifting of the tabs from the adhesive holding surfaces since attempts to lift a tab will result in tearing the tab owing to the feathered or multiple slitting of the tab edge. The

rirnped feathered tab edge increases the difiiculty of separating the tabs, as found in practice, making it impossible to remove a hand without mutilation to such degree as not to be usable as a Wrist band for the purpose originally intended.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the present invention provides an identification band that not only 9 may be worn with comfort but which may be conveniently and readily applied in such manner as not to be removable for similar use.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described herein, it is to be understood that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A laminated identification band comprising a plastic inner strip for contact with the surface to which the band is applied and an outer strip equal in Width to the inner strip and receptive to a marking medium, an adhesive surface at one end of said outer strip for contact with an end surface of said inner strip, a pair of oppositely disposed lateral tabs integral with said band, one of said tabs having a length greater than the width of a strip and having an adhesive surface for contact with said outer strip when the end surfaces of said strips are in contacting relation, the other of said tabs having a length equal to the width of a strip and having an adhesive surface for contact with the tab in contact With said outer strip, whereby an end portion of said greater length tab is in contact with the adhesive surface of said lesser length tab.

2. A laminated identificationband comprising a plastic inner strip for contact with the surface to which the band is applied and an outer strip equal in width to the inner strip and receptive to a marking medium, an adhesive surface at one end of said outer strip for contact with an end surface of said inner strip, a pair of oppositely disposed lateral tabs integal with said band, one of said tabs having a length greater than the width of a strip and having an adhesive surface for contact with said outer strip when the end surfaces of said strips are in contacting relation, the other of said tabs having a'length equal to the width of a strip and having an adhesive surface for contact with the tab in contact with said outer strip,

whereby an end portion of said greater length tab is in contact with the adhesive surface of said lesser length tab, each of said tabs having a feathered edge.

3. An identification band comprising a strip of flexible material, an adhesive surface at on end of said strip for contact with an opposite surface of said strip at the other end thereof, a pair of oppositely disposed lateral tabs integral with said band, one of said tabs having a length greater than the width of said strip and having an adhesive surface for contactwith said strip when the end surfaces are in contacting relation, the other of said tabs having a length equal to the width of said strip and having an adhesive surface for contact with the tab in contact with said strip whereby an end portion of said greater length tab is in contact with the adhesive surface of said lesser length tab.

4. An identification band comprising a strip of flexible material, an adhesive surface at one end of said strip for contact with an opposite surface of said strip at the other end thereof, a pair of oppositely disposed lateral tabs integral with said band, one of said tabs having a length greater than the Width of said strip and having an adhesive surface for contact with said strip when the end surfaces are in contacting relation, the other of said tabs having a length equal to the width of said strip and having an adhesive surface for contact with the tab in contact with said strip whereby an end portion of said greater 'length tab is in contact with the adhesive surface of said lesser length tab, each of said tabs having ,a feathered edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS