IES59722B2 - Improvements in half-chaps - Google Patents

Description

IMPROVEMENTS. IN HALF-CHAPS11 This invention relates to half-chaps. Half-chaps are used to protect the calf region of the leg when horse-riding, in substitution 20 for a riding boot. The half-chap consists of a leather panel which can be wrapped around the calf portion of the rider's leg and secured in position to enclose the leg from the region of the knee down to the ankle, in the same manner as the upper portion of a riding boot. The lower end of the half-chap encloses the ankle region and laps over the 25 rider's footwear.

While haIf-chaps are well-known in equine activities and are frequently used as an easy to apply substitute for riding boots, known haIf-chaps suffer from considerable disadvantages, in that they can 30-<*Bec.ofoe displaced during use, resulting in discomfort and inconvenience for the rider.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved half-chap which will overcome at least certain of the disadvantages 35 associated with known existing units. - 2 According to the invention, there is provided a half-chap of pliable protective material for enveloping the calf of a rider's leg, , comprising an elastically extensible material and having means for releasablv engaging together opposed edge regions of the half-chap in $ 5 the leg-enveloping disposition thereof.

Suitably, the half-chap according to the invention has at least one portion comprising elastically extensible material and at least one portion comprising substantially inextensible, pliable 10 material. In a particular arrangement, the haIf-chap may have a plurality of portions comprising elastically extensible material and a plurality of portions comprising substantially inextensible, pliable material. Each said portion comprising elastically extensible material may be disposed between two said portions comprising substantially inextensible, pliable material, one located to each side of said portion of elastically extensible material, and the or each said portion comprising elastically extensible material and the or each said portion comprising substantially inextensible, pliable material may extend substantially parallel to said opposed edge regions between 20 an upper region of the half-chap and a lower region thereof.

In an especially favoured construction of half-chap according to the invention, said at least one portion comprising substantially inextensible, pliable material defines a pliable panel for enveloping 25 at least a major portion of the calf of the rider's leg, said at least one portion comprising elastically extensible material defines an elastic panel for enclosing the remaining portion of the calf of the rider's leg, one edge of said elastic panel is fixedly connected to an edge of the pliable panel and the region of the other edge of the 30 elastic panel is provided with means for releasablv engaging the free edge region of the pliable panel, and the pliable panel is shaped to conform to the profile of the rider's leg when in the leg-enveloping disposition of the haIf-chap.

? In one variant of the construction of the invention, said - 3 elastic panel may comprise a plurality of portions of elastically extensible material and a plurality of portions of substantially inextensible, pliable material. Each said portion of elastically extensible material may be disposed between two said portions of substantially inextensible, pliable material, one located to each side of said portion of elastically extensible material, while each said portion of elastically extensible material and each said portion of substantially inextensible, pliable material may also extend substantially parallel to at least said other edge region of the elastic panel between an upper region of the half-chap and a lower region thereof.

In a favoured embodiment of this panelled construction of half-chap according to the invention, at least said elastic panel is of varying width between said one edge and said other edge region thereof, at least in a non-extended disposition of the panel. Said one edge of said elastic panel fixedly connected to an edge of the pliable panel preferably then defines a seam following a curved path in said non-extended disposition of the panel, said curved path suitably comprising reverse curvature.

In a particular arrangement, said means for releasablv engaging the free edge region of the pliable panel comprises a sliding clasp fastener. Said sliding clasp fastener suitably extends along respective edges of said elastic panel and said pliable panel between upper and lower regions of the haIf-chap. Alternatively a fastening arrangement based on Velcro (TH) may be employed.

In an especially favoured construction, said elastic panel comprises the outside quarter panel of the half-chap, and said elastic panel may be covered on the exterior of the half-chap by an animal skin material. Said animal skin material may be pigskin.

The pliable panel may also comprise a plurality of panel portions, and may be formed from an animal skin material or from a - 4 synthetic material. A suitable animal material is a bovine split.

In all arrangements of the invention, upper and lower regions thereof may be shaped for conformity with the rider's leg in the region of the knee and ankle respectively. The half-chap of the invention may comprise at least in part a synthetic material. In particular, said elastically extensible material may comprise a knitted stretch material.

The invention also extends to a half-chap comprising one of a plurality of half-chaps of different sizes for use by riders of different leg dimensions, as well as to a half-chap substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

The invention will now be described having regard to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a pictorial rear view of a half-chap according to the invention in its closed condition, i.e. its condition of use, and Figure 2 shows the half-chap of Figure 1 in an unrolled or opened-out condition, preparatory to application to a rider's leg.

As shown in Figure 1, a haIf-chap 1 according to the invention has a pliable but substantially non-extensible panel 2 extending around substantially three-quarters of the periphery of the calf of the leg in the operating disposition or configuration of use of the half-chap of the invention. The half-chap is closed around the wearer's leg by means of a panel 3 of an elastically extensible material, which wraps around the wearer's leg in the rear three-quarter region, defining the outside quarter panel of the half-chap 1. Thus this extensible panel 3 covers over the rear of the calf of the leg on the outside of the wearer's leg. The extensible panel 3 is fixedly attached, such as by sewing, to the pliable panel 2 along a seam line 4. The opposite edge of the extensible panel is releasably engaged with the free edge of the - 5 pliable panel 2 by means of a sliding clasp fastener 5, which runs substantially vertically from the top of the haIf-chap to the lower or foot region. Alternative fastening arrangements may also be used, such as Velcro (TM).

In order to accommodate the instep region of the foot and ankle, a further substantially triangular elastic portion 6 is also provided at the front of the ha If'chap, but this does not form a novel feature of the invention.

The half-chap of Figure 1 is shown in an unrolled or off-the-leg disposition in Figure 2. The disposition shown does not however necessarily represent a fully-flat open configuration, as the half-chap takes up a complex shape on assembly, due to the shapes of the various panels and the presence of elasticity. The various features identified in the assembled configuration of Figure 1 are similarly indicated by the same reference numerals in Figure 2. Particular aspects of the invention especially apparent however from Figure 2 are the shaping of the pliable material panel 2 along its seam edge 4, so that when the half-chap is placed in position about the rider's leg, the assembled unit takes up a shape substantially confirming to the profile of the rider's leg in the lower leg or calf region. Thus in the relaxed or non~extended condition of the extensible panel 3, the width of this panel differs at the top end 7 of the half-chap from its width at the bottom end 8. This shaping of the pliable panel is thus achieved inter alia by the curving path of the seam 4, located between the generally parallel outer or free edges 9 and 11 of the elastic panel and the pliable panel respectively. By profiling the panels forming the half-chap in this manner, a secure and effective grip of the half-chap around the wearer's leg is achieved.

The upper edge regions of the pliable panel in particular and also to some extent the elastic panel are also profiled, as can be seen in the top edge and bottom edge regions 7 and 8 respectively, in Figure i 2, so that these engage in a comfortable and secure manner around the wearer's leg in the knee region and over the instep and footwear respectively in the ankle region. < The elastically extensible material suitably comprises a i 5 synthetic material such as a knitted stretch material. It is preferably covered on the exterior of the half-chap by an animal skin material, suitably pigskin. The pliable material panel also suitably comprises an animal skin material, in this instance a bovine split being especially favoured, although synthetic material may also be employed.

The half-chap of the invention is especially suited to being supplied in pairs, each pair being one of a plurality of sets of half-chaps of different sizes for use by riders of different leg 15 dimensions.

There is thus provided according to the invention an improved half-chap of advantageous construction especially suited to secure and comfortable placement on a rider's leg, to substitute in economical and 20 convenient manner for a riding boot in circumstances where the use of expensive riding boots may not be justified.

Within the scope of the invention, there is also possible a diversity of modifications. The essence of the invention is the 25 provision of a pliable protective material for enveloping the calf of a rider's leg, comprising an elastically extensible material and having means for releasablv engaging together opposed edge regions of the half-chap in the leg-enveloping disposition thereof. This feature of the invention may be achieved by the panelled construction already 30 described, in which at least one portion of the half-chap comprises elasticallv extensible material and at least one other portion comprises substantially inextensible, pliable material.

An alternative construction is also possible in which a plurality of portions of elastically extensible material alternate I - 7 circumferentially around the half-chap with a plurality of portions of substantially inextensible, pliable material. Each portion comprising elastically extensible material is then disposed between two of the portions comprising substantially inextensible, pliable material, at least in the assembled or leg-enveloping disposition of the half-chap, with one pliable portion located to each side of each elastic portion. These various portions suitably extend axially along the half-chap, in its assembled configuration, in other words substantially parallel to the opposed edge regions of the half-chap, between its upper region and its lower region.

Thus the half-chap of the invention may be embodied in a diversity of manners and constructions, within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (5)

1. A haIf-chap of pliable protective material for enveloping the calf of a rider's leg, comprising an elastically extensible material and having means for releasably engaging together opposed edge regions of the half-chap in the leg-enveloping disposition thereof.

2. A half-chap according to Claim 1, having at least one portion comprising substantially inextensible, pliable material defining a pliable panel for enveloping at least a major portion of the calf of the rider's leg, at least one portion comprising elastically extensible material defining an elastic panel for enclosing the remaining portion of the calf of the rider's leg, one edge of said elastic panel being fixedly connected to an edge of the pliable panel and the region of the other edge of the elastic panel being provided with means for releasably engaging the free edge region of the pliable panel, and the pliable panel being shaped to conform to the profile of the rider's leg in the leg-enveloping disposition of the half-chap.

3. A half-chap according to Claim 2, wherein at least said elastic panel is of varying width between said one edge and said other edge region thereof, at least in a non-extended disposition of the panel.

4. A half-chap according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein said elastic panel comprises the outside quarter panel of the half-chap.

5. A half-chap substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.