US1172552A - Thigh-guard. - Google Patents

Description

e L. PIERCE.

THIGH GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.20,19I5.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

; run STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. PIERCE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO A. G. SPALIDING & BROS, I OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY .THIGH-GUARD.

Application filed January 20, 1915.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. PIERCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thigh- Guards, of which the following is a specification.

I This invention relates to guards intendedprimarily for use by athletes in activecompetition for protecting the thlgh, shin or other portion of the body.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide in a single unitary structure a guard which shall include a strong and yet light frame to receive the direct shock of blows, cushioning means to absorb the shock, ln'acing means for the frame and means for protecting the frame against the deleterlous effects of perspiration.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less broad than those stated above, together with the advantages inherent, will be in part obvious and in part specifically referred to in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts, and applications of principles constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated will appear from the claims;

In the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as part of this specification, and in which I have shown a merely preferred form of embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is an elevation showing one of my guards in place upon the person; Fig.2 is an elevation looking at the other side of the guard from that shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 4 indicates the outside member of the guard which is preferably of fiber board or the like material, cut to size, and while in a softened or plastic condition bent to substantially the half roundshape shown. that is to say, transversely concaved to fit the member for whose protection it is designed. To brace the outside member or frame 4 I employ a band of steel 5 or the like preferably resilient metal bent to the form illustrated, and the frame 4 may be given its Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

Serial No. 3,204.

mediate the ends thereof. I deem it of considerable importance that the steel band or brace 5 is located upon the concave surface of the frame 4 rather than upon the outer face thereof, for the reason that if the brace were uponthe outer face a blow upon the outer surface of .the frame might tear the frame loose from the brace, while with the brace on the inside there is no possibility of such a thing occurring. The steel brace 5 and the entire inner surface of the frame 4 are covered over with a piece of waterproofed material indicated by the numeral 7. The purpose of this covering is to prevent perspiration from reaching. the fiber board frame and thereby softening the same; and incidentally the waterproofed for the outside in order to hide the brace.

By locating the brace upon the inside of the frame I accomplish not only the structural advantage before referred to whereby the separation of the frame and brace by a blow upon the frame is avoided, but also make it possible to cover both the frame and the brace with one covering.

In order to absorb the shock of a blow delivered upon the frame I prefer to secure on the interior marginal edge portions of the frame a cushion of felt or other suitable material indicated by the numeral 8, which cushion is in the form of a strip substantially following the edges of the frame, leaving the remainder of the inner surface of the frame uncovered, and projecting beyond the edge of the frame. The purpose of this projection is to prevent the edge of the frame 4 from being pressed angularly against the leg or other member to which the guardis applied. I may also provide apertures 9 at the ends of the frame extending through the outer frame 4 and through the cushion member 8, so that the guard may be secured in place, as by means of laces 10 fastened to the outer garments of from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. A guard for the purpose described, comprising an outside member or frame of fiber board or the like material, and of substantially half'round shape, a cushion secured to the inner marginal edge portions of the frame, projecting appreciably beyond the edge, and a metal brace secured transversely of the frame and bent to correspond t0 the curve of the frame.

2. A guard for the purpose described. comprising an outside member of fiber board 01' the like material and of substantially half round shape, 'a metallic brace bent to conform to the inner curve of the frame and secured transversely thereof on the inside of the frame, and a waterproof covering overlying the inner surface of the frame and the brace.

3. A guard for the purpose described, comprising an outside member or frame of fiber board or the like material and of substantially half round shape, a metallic brace secured to the inner surface of the frame transversely thereof, a covering of waterproof material overlying the inner surface of the frame and the brace, and a cushion secured to the inner marginal edge portions of the frame and projecting appreciably beyond the edge.

i. A guard for the purpose described, comprising an outside member or frame of fiber board or the like material and of substantially half round shape, a metallic brace secured to the inner surface of the frame transversely thereof, a covering of waterproof material overlying the inner surface of the frame and the brace, and a cushion secured to the inner marginal edge portions of the frame and projecting appreciably beyond the edge, apertures being provided in the frame to accommodate lacings for holding the guard in place.

A guard for the purpose described, comprising a comparatively rigid outside member or frame of fiber board or the like material and of substantially half round shape, a metallic brace bent to conform to the inner curve of the frame and secured transversely thereof on the inside of the fame, and a strip of cushioning material secured to the inner marginal edge portions of the frame and projecting appreciably be yond the edge, leaving the inner surface of the frame uncovered except at such marginal edge portions.

0. A guard for the purpose described, comprising a comparatively rigid outside member or frame of fiber board or the like material and of substantially half round shape, and a metallic brace secured to the inner surface of the frame transversely thereof.

7. A guard for the purpose described, comprising a comparatively rigid outside member or frame of fiber board or the like material and of substantially half round shape, and a strip of cushioning material secured to the inner marginal edge portions of the frame and projecting appreciably beyond the edge, leaving the inner surface of the frame uncovered except at such margin-a1 edge portions.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses;

GEORGE L. PIERCE.

Witnesses:

FREDERIC E. HOWARD, HOWARD M. PIERCE.

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