US1812579A - Athletic guard - Google Patents

Description

W. E. BISCHOFF ATHLETIC GUARD Filed Dec. 2.

June 30, 1931.

/N VEA/Toe imam-,Q E. 5/5 @Hof-F Patented June 30, 1,931

, WALTER E. BiscHoFF, or sfr. LOUIS, MissoURnjassIGNon;rojnmivninesMANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, or sfr. LoUIs, MIssoURLn coroaarrion' orVMIssoUnr ATHLETIC tatiana)5J",l i n l Application mea December a; I1929.serial No. 4111180;

This invention relates to guards ofthe kind that'are used by athletes,for protecting a part or parts of the users lbodyl from injury while the user is engaging in an athletic event, for example, a game ofl football.V It relates particularly torthigh guards and shin guards `ofthe typethat are formed principallyk from fibre board or other relatively hard, non-metallic sheet material, bent Vor shaped so as to conform approximately to the outline of the part of the users vbody which the guard is designed to protect.v

One object of -my invention is to provide a snug fitting, comfortable athletic guard formed principally from fibre board or other relatively hard sheet material bent or shaped to conform approximately to the part which the guard is designed to protect, and provided with a metallic reinforcing means arranged in such a manner that" vin the event it becomes broken or ruptured, it cannot cause injury to the user of the 'guard' or toa person or object that strikes against the guard.

Figure l of the drawings is afront elevational view ofa thigh ,guard'constructed in accordance `with my invention.

' VFigure Zis a rear elevational viewi'of s aid guard, partly broken away so as Vto more clearly illustrate the metallic reinforcing means. Y Y p Figure V3 is a vertical.V longitudinal sectional view, taken on the linef-B of Figure 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Y Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 52,',looking'inl the direction indicated by the arrows.

As illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, my improved guard is composed of two or more pieces A and A of fibre board" or other suitable non-metallic sheet material bent orshaped so as to form a member of substantially oblong shape in general outline which'is curved transversely orlof 4substantially/half round shapein horizontal cross section, so asto conform approximately to Vthe shape of the users thigh. At the peripheral edge of thevguard is a binding B formed preferably from a piece of heavy felt that embraces the edge portions of the :libre members A andA;` and which isA held in position by 'one or more rows of stitches 1l that'also serve as a fasteningmeans or securing means for the members" A and' `Almvhich prevents said membersfrom separating or from moving `relatively to each `otherl` The binding B which effectively'prevents the `edges fof the fibre'meinbersV A and A .from cutting into*` "is thick enoughsothat it will serve asacpad A the: form of my inventionzherein illustrated each f-the metallic -reinforcing devices-@ consists" of a striplofv steel bent so as l:tofzcon v form td the cross sectional shape of the guard and rigidly connected to'one of the fibre members, "for ekamplefthe innermember A by rivets-2 located adjacent the: ends `of 'said strip, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.; "Inconstructing'lthe guard thefreinfor'cing devices C, after 'being bent to `proper" shape,are peri manenuy and rigidly 1 @Onneetea 1 to `the Y.

curve-d `inner.member'A aof the'u'ard and said inner member. is'then arranged in nested` relationshipwith theouter member A of the guard,- thereby causing the metallic reinforcing .devices to be completely` housed and protected by the twofffibre members-A and A4 f betweenV .which said .devicesf are interposed. Thereafter, the binding Bis'app-lied tothe edge prtions of the ihembersfA andA and Y secured in position by meanslfof'v stitches f1.V whichjconnectjthe membersA and' Al tol gether and 'efl'ectivelyprevent said members l from separating or moving relatively to each other inany: direction;V I prefer'tovcut the members A and A inv such a waythat'when said membersvare `combined the grain 'ofrne Y memberwill cross or `bedisposed at an angle tdthe ofl the fo'theg member, u thereby producing a laminated structure in which the sheets of material that constitute the body portion of the structure tend toreinforce and strengthen each other.

An athletic guard of the constructio-n above described will retain its shape, even when it becomes wet, or when it is subjected to a severe shock or blow, due to the fact that it is composed of two curved pieces of fibre board or other suitable hard sheet material that are reinforced and strengthened by shaped strips of steel arranged transversely between said pieces and permanently anchored to at least one of said pieces. Such a guard is comfortable to the user, as it fits snugly to the part which Ait is designed to protect and is provided at its peripheral edge with a pad that encases or embraces the edge portions of the libre members A and A.Y One of the members being formed of relatively hard, non-metallic sheet material, and a metallic reinforcing means arranged wholly on the interior of the guard between adjacent curved nembers and attached to one of said memers. j

lVVAL'IER E. BISCHOFF.

chief advantages of such a guard, however, 4

is that the metallic reinforcing means of same is effectively protected from moisture or dampness by the libre members A and A', and is prevented fromcausing injury to the user or to a person or object which strikes against the guard, in the event said metallic reinforcing means breaks or ruptures when the guard is in use, this being due to the fact that the metallic devices C are housed between two tough members that form the inner and outer surfaces of the guard. Y

While I have herein illustrated my invention embodied in a thigh guard that is intended to be positioned in a pocket formed in the leg portion of a pair of football pants, I wish it to be understood that my invention is applicable to other kinds of athletic guards and that it is immaterial what means is used for maintaining the guard in operative relationship withrthe part of the users body which the guard is designed to protect.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A thigh guard, composed of two members curved in transverse cross section, constructed of fibre board and arranged in nested relationship, shaped strips of. steel arranged transversely of the guard between said members, -means for attaching said strips to the inner member, and a binding arranged to embrace the peripheral edges of said members and secured to same by stitches which also connect the peripheral edge portions of said members together.

2. An athletic guard, composed of a plurality of shaped pieces of fibre board arranged in nested relation with the grain of one piece disposed at an angle to the grain of an adjacent piece, and a metallic reinforcing means arranged wholly on the interior of the guard between said pieces.

3. An athletic guard composed of a plurality of members curved in transverse cross sectlon and arranged in nested relatomsaid

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