GB1562191A - Leg guards for sportsmen and the like - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO LEG GUARDS FOR SPORTSMEN AND THE LIKE (71) We, ST. PETER SPORTING GOODS LIMITED, a British Company, of 125 Westfield Road, Horbury, Wakefield, Yorkshire, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to leg guards for sportsmen and the like, which guards are particularly, but not exclusively, for use by cricketers, and which are of the type embodying padding material for the user's protection which is held in a sheath or enclosure defined by layers of flexible sheet material such as canvas or synthetics material, said sheath extending substantially from one side of the guard to the other and being for location in use over the user's shin or thigh.Such guards will be referred to hereinafter as "leg guards of the type aforesaid." In known leg guards of the type aforesaid, canes or other rods are held in individual pockets which are also filled with the padding material such as flock; shoddy; general fibrous waste; felt; felt material; mixtures of these materials or foamed plastics material. The job of filling these pockets is time consuming and difficult as the pockets are long and narrow.

The present invention seeks to provide a guard for sportsmen wherein the aforesaid disadvantage is obviated or mitigated.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a leg guard of the type aforesaid for use by sportsmen wherein the the layers defining the sheath or enclosure are not connected together between the edges thereof to divide the sheath or enclosure into a plurality of individual pockets and at least a major part of the padding material in the sheath or enclosure is defined by a unitary flexible pad. This pad may be in the form of a layer of flexible plastics material and in one arrangement the plastics material is moulded inside the sheath to the shape of the sheath cavity. The padding material may include fibrous material conventionally used as padding for the pockets. With this means it is not necessary to insert canes or other rod members into separate pockets, although canes or such rods may be embodied in the padding material if desired.Where the sheath is of two sheets of heat sealable plastics material, the edges of the sheets may be secured by welding and where it is of canvas, sewn edge seams may be used to connect the sheet edges.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cricket leg guard according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view of the guard of Figure 1, the section being taken on the line II--II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front view of a cricket let guard according to another embodiment of the invention; and Figure 4 is a rear view of the guard shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, in Figure 1 there is shown a leg guard for a cricketer, and this guard has a shin guard portion 10A, a knee guard portion 10B and a thigh guard portion 10C. Each of the portions 10A and 10C is constructed in accordance with the invention, and it will be seen that each of these portions is plain faced in contradistinction with conventional guards which have stitched seams in these panels and extending lengthwise thereof. In Figure 1, the dotted lines on the portions 10A, 10B and 10C indicate lines of stitching, although also shown in dotted lines in this figure are the conventional fixing straps 12 whereby the guard may be secured to the leg.

Referring now to Figure 2, in this sectional view it will be seen that the padding material comprises a thick layer 14 of plastics material such as that sold under the Trade Mark PLASTOZOTE (R.T.M.), the layer being located in a sheath of canvas or like material made up of front and rear sheets 18, 20, said layer having slits 16 in the rear thereof. In the conventional method of constructing crickers' leg guards, the individual canes or rod members and also filling material are inserted into the individual pockets formed in the sheath by stitching through the sheets 18, 20. In the embodiment of the invention, the sheath is formed by the front and rear sheets 18, 20 joined at the edges only and is filled with the padding 14 as shown in Figure 2.Instead of inserting a separate layer of plastics material into the sheath, settable plastics composition in fluent form may be introduced into the sheath and allowed to mould, for example, by foaming, if it is a foamable plastic, to the interior shape of the sheath to provide the internal flexible pad.

Where the sheets 18, 20 are of heat sealable plastics material the edge seams may be formed by a heat sealing technique.

The invention provides the advantage that it is easy to fabricate the guard.

Referring again to Figure 1, - the entire guard may be constructed initially by forming the portion 10A, and by connecting the respective sheath sheet edges by stitching, then by forming the portion 10B by filing the sheath defining this portion with the padding material, and then by stitching therethrough to define transversely extending pockets, and then by connecting the section 10C, after its manufacture in a similar manner to the manufacture of section 10A.

The sheaths may be defined by sheets of canvas or other fabric material or plastics as desired and other padding material such as fibrous material may be used. In addition, there may be canes or rods located in the sheath.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, a cricket leg guard in accordance with this embodiment of the invention is of the traditional shape and includes a plurality of vertical canes 21, each stitched individually within a covering of material.

This covering material may be, at the front for instance, polyurethane coated nylon or cotton cloth, and at the rear a cotton or nylon fabric. Within the material, each cane is backed by padding to absorb the shock of a cricket ball and for greater comfort for the wearer.

Located to one side of the row of canes 21 is a shorter and wider ridge of protective material 23.

Above the row of canes 21 and strip 23, there is provided a row of horizontal ridges 25, each ridge being bounded above and below by a layer of stitching and having located therein a substantial thickness of protective material.

Above this horizontal row there is located a flexible protective layer 27 which extends across the whole of the width of the guard and which includes within the cover material a layer, about half an inch thick of a flexible material such as a fibre glass material, nylon material, fibre board or expanded polyurethane. In use layer 27 covers at least part of the upper leg of the cricketer and is sufficiently flexible to allow considerable freedom of movement of the leg particularly while the batsman or stumper is running.

The cricket leg guard is provided with the usual straps and buckles 29 and, attached to the rear side thereof are a horizontal bolster 211 and a vertical bolster 213 of soft flexible material such as foam rubber, and which provide greater comfort and protection for the wearer.

It will be appreciated that the materials of the cricket leg guard may be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A leg guard of the type aforesaid for use by sportsmen wherein a layer defining the sheath or enclosure are not connected together between the edges thereof to divide the sheath or enclosure into a plurality of individual pockets and at least a major part of the padding material in the sheath or enclosure is defined by a unitary flexible pad.

2. A leg guard according to Claim 1, wherein the said pad is in the form of a layer of flexible plastics material.

3. A leg guard according to Claim 2, wherein the layer of flexible plastics material is a block having slits or grooves in the rear thereof to facilitate flexing of the layer to the shape of the part of the body to be protected.

4. A leg guard according to Claim 2, wherein the plastics material is moulded inside the sheath or enclosure to the shape of the sheath or - enclosure cavity.

5.A leg guard according to any preceding claim wherein the guard is a cricketer's leg guard and there are several of said sheaths, each of which has a layer of padding material therein.

6. A guard of the type aforesaid for use by sportsmen substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 or Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. of plastics material such as that sold under the Trade Mark PLASTOZOTE (R.T.M.), the layer being located in a sheath of canvas or like material made up of front and rear sheets 18, 20, said layer having slits 16 in the rear thereof. In the conventional method of constructing crickers' leg guards, the individual canes or rod members and also filling material are inserted into the individual pockets formed in the sheath by stitching through the sheets 18, 20. In the embodiment of the invention, the sheath is formed by the front and rear sheets 18, 20 joined at the edges only and is filled with the padding 14 as shown in Figure 2.Instead of inserting a separate layer of plastics material into the sheath, settable plastics composition in fluent form may be introduced into the sheath and allowed to mould, for example, by foaming, if it is a foamable plastic, to the interior shape of the sheath to provide the internal flexible pad. Where the sheets 18, 20 are of heat sealable plastics material the edge seams may be formed by a heat sealing technique. The invention provides the advantage that it is easy to fabricate the guard. Referring again to Figure 1, - the entire guard may be constructed initially by forming the portion 10A, and by connecting the respective sheath sheet edges by stitching, then by forming the portion 10B by filing the sheath defining this portion with the padding material, and then by stitching therethrough to define transversely extending pockets, and then by connecting the section 10C, after its manufacture in a similar manner to the manufacture of section 10A. The sheaths may be defined by sheets of canvas or other fabric material or plastics as desired and other padding material such as fibrous material may be used. In addition, there may be canes or rods located in the sheath. Referring to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, a cricket leg guard in accordance with this embodiment of the invention is of the traditional shape and includes a plurality of vertical canes 21, each stitched individually within a covering of material. This covering material may be, at the front for instance, polyurethane coated nylon or cotton cloth, and at the rear a cotton or nylon fabric. Within the material, each cane is backed by padding to absorb the shock of a cricket ball and for greater comfort for the wearer. Located to one side of the row of canes 21 is a shorter and wider ridge of protective material 23. Above the row of canes 21 and strip 23, there is provided a row of horizontal ridges 25, each ridge being bounded above and below by a layer of stitching and having located therein a substantial thickness of protective material. Above this horizontal row there is located a flexible protective layer 27 which extends across the whole of the width of the guard and which includes within the cover material a layer, about half an inch thick of a flexible material such as a fibre glass material, nylon material, fibre board or expanded polyurethane. In use layer 27 covers at least part of the upper leg of the cricketer and is sufficiently flexible to allow considerable freedom of movement of the leg particularly while the batsman or stumper is running. The cricket leg guard is provided with the usual straps and buckles 29 and, attached to the rear side thereof are a horizontal bolster 211 and a vertical bolster 213 of soft flexible material such as foam rubber, and which provide greater comfort and protection for the wearer. It will be appreciated that the materials of the cricket leg guard may be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A leg guard of the type aforesaid for use by sportsmen wherein a layer defining the sheath or enclosure are not connected together between the edges thereof to divide the sheath or enclosure into a plurality of individual pockets and at least a major part of the padding material in the sheath or enclosure is defined by a unitary flexible pad.

2. A leg guard according to Claim 1, wherein the said pad is in the form of a layer of flexible plastics material.

3. A leg guard according to Claim 2, wherein the layer of flexible plastics material is a block having slits or grooves in the rear thereof to facilitate flexing of the layer to the shape of the part of the body to be protected.

4. A leg guard according to Claim 2, wherein the plastics material is moulded inside the sheath or enclosure to the shape of the sheath or - enclosure cavity.

5.A leg guard according to any preceding claim wherein the guard is a cricketer's leg guard and there are several of said sheaths, each of which has a layer of padding material therein.

6. A guard of the type aforesaid for use by sportsmen substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 or Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.