US1862046A - Reducing garment and method of making the same - Google Patents

Description

June 7, 1932. TA. BENNETTI 1, 6 ,0

REDUCING GARMENT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 6, 1925 Patented June 7, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS A. BENNETT, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE B. I. GOODRICH COMPANY,

. OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK REDUCING GARMENT AND METHOD OF MAKING- THE SAME Application filed January 6, 1925. Serial, No. 821.

This invention relates to reducing garments in the form of girdles of elastic construction obtained by the use of sheet material formed either of sheet rubber or of stretchable fabric combined with sheet rubber, and it has for a primary object to provide means for Incorporating into a garment of this character the reenforcing structures, such as marginal fabric bindings and stays, which shall result in a smooth-surfaced garment of substantially uniform material thickness. A further object is to provide in a garment of this char acter an adjustment panel which shall protect the wearer from contact with fastening and lacing devices.

Of the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a reducing garment embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in section on line 22 of Fig.1, showing the incorporation of the back stays in the garment; Fig. 3 is a similar section, on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the arrangement of the body-portion of the garment and the adjustment panel; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the adjustment panel; and Fig. 5 is a section, on a large scale, on line 55 of Fig. 4.

In the drawing is the main or body portion of the garment, preferably of such size as to nearly embrace the body of the wearer, and 11 is a narrow adjustment panel, preferably at the front of the garment as shown. the two being connected to form the complete garment by suitable fastening and adjustment devices.

The body-portion 10 of the garment is made of elastic, vulcanized, rubber sheet material 12 and is reenforced at the back by vertically-disposed stiff, flexible stays 14, and at a front margin 15 by stays 16, the other front margin 17 of the garment requiring no stays by reason of its association with the panel 11. Four stays, in spaced groups of two each, are illustrated at the back of the garment. It is to be understood, however,'that there may be a greater or less number of stays and that stays at intermediate regions of the garment may be employed. The rubber sheet 12 of the body-portion 10 is also reenforced by rub- 50 berized-fabric strips which are vulcanized with and form an integral part of the body portions of the garment, as hereinafter described. As shown, rubberized-fabric strips 18 embrace the stays 14; at the back of the garment and strips 19 similarly embrace the stays 16 at the front margin 15, a rubberizedfabric strip 20 also being disposed along the front margin 17 of the garment. Suitable means are provided at the front margins of the body-portion of. the garment to connect it with cooperating means on the adjustment panel11. Tlius, a row of eyelets 21 to receive a lacing 22 is provided between the stays 16 and extends the length of the front margin 15, and hooks 23 are attached along the front margin 17 V The adjustment panel 11 consists of a rub-- berized fabric fastening strip 24 and a rubber sheet under-flap member 25, the two being joined, preferably by vulcanization, along a median zone 26 so as to leave bothedges of the fastening strip and of the under-flap free. As shown, the fastening strip 24 is formed of two strips of rubberized fabric 27 between which, and adjacent to one of the free edges thereof, are disposed two, spaced stays 28 of suit-ably stiflr, flexible material. A row of eyelets 29 is positioned between the stays 28 and extends the length of the fastening strip. The other free edge of the fastening strip 24 has attached thereto eyes 30 suitably spaced and constructed to engage the hooks 23, above described. The under-flap member 25 is coextensive-in length with the fastening strip 24 and extends on either side beyond the zone of joinder 26 sufliciently to provide two flaps underlying the front margins 16 and 17, respectively of the body portion 10, in all proper positions of adjustment. Crumpling of the under-flaps is prevented by two stays 31, in each flap, disposed transversely of the under-flap member 25, said stays being covered with strips of rubber- ;lzed-fabric 32 and vulcanized to the underi The rubber sheet. of the body portion 10 and of the under-flap 25 may have alarge number of small perforations 33, for the purpose of permitting a direct escape of perspiration. This perforated construction renders 1 the garment more comfortable and sanitary and at the same time more readily stretchable and more completely conformable to the figurc of the wearer than an imperforate garment. The present invention is not, however, limited to a erforated garment.

In making the a ove-described garment, I preferably follow the procedure hereinbelow set forth, which I believe to be novel wlth me and which I claim herein as a part of my invention. In making the body-portion 10 of the garment, I take a sheet 12, of curable rubber, or of alternate layers of stretchable fabric and curable rubber and cut it to the shape and size desired for the garment, allowance being made for the adjustment panel 11. On a rubber surface of this sheet, I apply the strips of fabric coated with curable rubber in any suitable way, preferably by frictioning, the strips 18 extending lon itudinally of the back where the stays are to be placed and the strips 19 and 20 along the front margins 15 and 17 of the garment. The stays 14 are then superimposed on the strips 18 at the back and the stays 16 on the strip 19 at the margin 15. The stays are then covered with strips of similarly rubberized fabric. Alternatively, the stays may be first disposed between the rubberized fabric and then placed in proper position upon the rubber of the sheet 12.

The body-portion of the garment, with the fabric strips .18, 19 and 20, and stays 14 and 16 in place, is then vulcanized in a flat condition under pressure. This may be accomplished in a number of ways. I find it to be satisfactory to effect the vulcanization in a steam-platen press, the garment being preferably placed between felt-sheeting, or other yielding blankets, to distribute the pressure of the press with substantial uniformity over the garment. A desideratum in the vulcanization, however carried out, is to cause a. sufficient flow of the rubber to produce a garment which shall be of substantially uniform thickness throughout, thus overcoming local -weaknesses due to abrupt changes of cross section, the fabric and stays being embedded within the rubber to form smooth surfaces both exteriorly and interiorly of the garment. After vulcanization, the eyelets 21 and the hooks 23 are attached to the fabric-reenforced margins 15 and 17, respectively, and the rubber sheet is perforated, if desired.

The adjustment panel 11 is made in a manner similar to that above described in connection with the body portion 10. For example, the fastening strip 24 is formed by laying up rubberized-strips 27 with spaced stays 28 in proper position therebetween. The under-flap member 25 is cut to size and the transverse stays 31 placed thereon in proper position preferably between rubberized-fabric strips 32. The assembled fastening strip 24 is now superimposed upon the under-flap member 25, non-adhesive pa er being placed between said strip and mem er along both edges in such manner as to prevent adhesion of the two during vulcanization except at a median zone of adhesion 26 extending longitudinally of the panel. The assembled adjustment panel is then vulcanized in the same manner as the body-portion, the stays and fabric overlying them being embedded in the rubber to form a smooth, allrubber surfaced under-flap, and the fastening strip 24 being firmly and integrally coalesced thereto by the vulcanization process. After vulcanization, the non-adhesive paper is removed and eyelets 29 and eyes 30 are secured to the respective free edges of the fastening strip.

A reducing garment made as above described has many distinctive advantages which, so far as I am aware, are possessed by none of the garments of this character heretofore proposed. It is a superior garment both in appearance and in wearing qualities because all surfaces are smooth. There are no projections to wear or to cause wear. The garment is of substantially uniform thickness, eliminating lines of weakness due to abrupt changes in cross-section. There is in this garment no exposed fabric or fibrous material to absorb moisture, the surfaces being entirely of rubber, except for the metal eyelets, hook, and eyes, and the garment can consequently be Washed with soap and water, dried with a cloth and be ready immediately for wear. Stitching through the rubber for the attachment of stays and fastening devices, commonly employed in the manufacture of rubber reducing garments, is entirely eliminated. This avoids a source of weakness, since the sheet rubber of stitched garments frequently tears along the lines of stitching. The stays are, furthermore, firmly and completely encased in the rubber and hence are rustproof, where steel stays are employed, and do not have the tendency to work through the garment as do the stays loosely secured to a rubber garment by enclosing in a fabric sheath which is sewed to the rubber. Particularly do the smooth, all-rubber surfaces, the substantially uniform thickness of the body embracing portion and the complete protection of the wearer from the fastening and adjusting devices, give to the garment herein described distinctive advantages of unusual merit.

It is obvious that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of this invention, and I therefore do not wholly limit the claims in this application to the specific construction or to the exact procedure herein described.

I claim:

1. In the art of reinforcing elastic reducing garments, the method which comprises superimposing upon a curable rubber sheet of requisite size and shape reinforcin structures includin strips of rubbe fabric and stiff, flexi le stays, the staysbeing covered by fabric strips, and press-curing the 5 construction thus assembled to give thereto a substantially uniform thickness throughout. 2. In the art of reenforcing elastic reducing garments, the method which comprises superimposing upon a curable rubber sheet of 10 requisite size and shape stifi, flexible stays encased between rubberized fabric, and presscuring the construction thus assembled to give thereto substantially smooth, all-rubber interior and exterior surfaces. a 15 In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 31st g g of December 1924. OMAS A. BENNETT.

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