US1518509A - Nonsinkable coat - Google Patents

Description

H. R. HART NONSINKABLE COAT Filed May 1922 INVEN OR ATTORNEYS body.

HENRY RIDGEV'AY EAR/l, QF IiiONTC/LAIR, HE)? NONSINKABLE COAT.

Application filed May .39,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY RrDenwAY Harri, a citizen of the United States, residing in Montclair, in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in' Nonsinlrable Coats, ,f which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to a coat which is warm and comfortable and yet is of such construction as to be nonsinkable and actually afford suflicient buoyancy to sustain the body of the wearer in case he is accidentally thrown into the water. Such a coat has especial usefulness for aviators. The principal object of the invention is to provide a coat which shall present an eX- ternal appearance of conventional and sightly form and be thoroughly comfortable in conformation and yet have incorporated directly therein material which will afford suflicient buoyancy to keep the wearer afloat. Another object of the invention is to provide buoyant material in such a coat which shall be of such character and so distributed as to place the center of buoyancy of the wearer above the center of gravity so as to maintain him in upright position, or substantially so, when afloat. A. third object of the invention is to provide in such a non-sinkable coat means which shall hold the same in desired relation to the body of the wearer, when afloat, and prevent its disarrangement with respect thereto so that the center of buoyancy will always be maintained in substantially its predetermined relation to the In accordance with the last named object of the invention a strap arrangement is provided which will prevent the coat from riding up on the body and yet will be of unobjectionable form and appearance and partially concealed when the coat is in ordinary use.

The objects enumerated above will appear more clearly with reference to the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a View in elevation of the improved coat, one of the flaps being turned back to show the relation of the retaining strap to the crotch of the wearer.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical transverse section through the coat illustrated in Figure 1 and showing the manner in which the buoyant material is incorporated.

The coat a is made of any suitable warm and water-proof material such as waterproofed gabardine. An inner lining a, of similar material is provided. Incorporated directly between the outer cloth a. and the inner lining a is a stuffing Z) of quilted ilanasill: or kapok, which adds warmth to the coat and is of pliable buoyant material. This kapok possesses properties which lends itself admirably to the use described in that it is readily tailored and conforms in a desirable way to the lines of the body and insures the provisions of a thoroughly comfortable and well fitting garmentn In accordance with the invention the buoyant material is so disposed with respect to the coat and is of such bulk at different sections thereof as to place the center of buoyancy, indicated at X in Figure 1 well above the center of gravity of the wearer, thereby maintaining the body in substantially upright position when afloat. To this end, it will be observed from Figure 2 that the kapok 7) is not extended to a point far below the waist of the wearer and that it is placed in substantially greater bulk above the waist, in the region of the chest. than it is lower down. In this way, the desired disposition of the center of buoyancy is secured.

It will be understood that a non-sinkable coat to be effective must be held against riding up on the body or disarrangement with respect thereto when the body is afloat. Accordingly, the improved coat is provided with a retaining strap which prevents such disarrangement in a very satisfactory manner and is itself of unobjectionable form and appearance. A belt 0 encircles the waist and is held in predetermined relation thereto by means of loops d. This belt, while of pleasing appearance in a garment of this kind performs an important mechanical function in the improved coat. From Figure 2 it appears clearly that a retaining strap 6 is buttoned as at f on to the coat in the center of the back and passes downward over the belt 0. It is passed through the crotch of the wearer and up under the front of the coat as shown in Figure 1 and buttoned on to one of the retaining buttons a of the coat itself. In ordinary use, it will be evident that this strap e might be removed entirely from the coat or, if not removed, appears only to a very slight degree at the back of the coat and does not show at all in front. hen the wearer is afloat the strap 0 prevents the coatfrom riding up on the body and holds it against disarrangement so that the center of buoyancy is not disturbed. Some of the pressure imposed on the strap at this time is transmitted directly by it to the encircling belt 0 which, being rather tight on the body transmits some of these strains to the body over a great length.

From the description given it will be evident that the improved coat not only serves ordinarily as a warm and comfortable garment for general sport wear and for aviation but, being non-sinkable, alfords an additional factor of safety against drowning in case the wearer gets overboard. The

features particularly described herein are such as have been found in practice to satisfy the requirements of the art.

What I claim is:

A non-sinkable coat of the character described, comprising buoyant material incorporated with the upper part of the coat so that the center of buoyancy of the wearer is above his center of gravity, and a strap buttoned to the back of the coat, extending downwardly, between the legs of the wearer, and upwardly, underneath the lower front portion of the coat and buttoned at its end to the coat, whereby the strap is substantially invisible from the front and a belt en- I! circling the waist exteriorly of the coat.

This specification signed this 26th day of May A. D. 1922.

HENRY RIDGEWAY HART.

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