US1935296A - Shoulder strap for high back overalls - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 14, 1933.

L. W. JOYCE Filed NOV. 12, 1931 SHOULDER STRAP FOR HIGH BACK OVERALLS an wanker Lyndon wzfo yce gathers the material together in a number of Patented Nov. 14, 1933 s'rRAr roar HIGH OVERALLS s'rIoULDER BACK * Lyndon W. Joyce, Greensboro, N. C.-, assignor to Joyce-Venning Manufacturing Co. Inc.,.. Greensboro, N. C.,.a corporation of Delaware Application November 12, 1931-. Serial No. 574,613

4 Claims. (01. 2 -227) This invention relates to overalls andparticularly those of the high back? type. It is customary to form the back of these overalls of two lengths of material united longitudinally in the middle of the back, the shoulder straps being integral with the lengths and cut on the bias so that they cross, forming a double thickness of material atthe base of the straps for purpose of reinforcement. are made quite wide at the base in the interest of strength and taper "gradually. to the ends. ,Since the shoulder straps are cut on the bias,

comparatively few of the Warp threads are continuous from end to end'of the strap and be-f cause of impairment inthe strength of the warp which would ensue, it has not heretofore been found practical to depart from the customary practice of having the strap taper from end toend. i

The tapering shape of the shoulder strap is however, decidedly disadvantageous in the use of the overall. Garments of this type are usually purchased several sizes too large, to compensate for the subsequent shrinkagein the wash. It is thereof necessary when wearing the garment While new, to adjust the shoulder straps as shortv as possible. The metallic adjusting slide is made of a width to fit the shoulder strap at the end, where it is narrowest, and when it ispushed up on to the wider-part of the strap, .it necessarily longitudinal Wrinkles or folds, and the puckering becomes worse the further the slide is pushed up, until finally the mass of material chokes the slide and it jams.

This puckering not only gives an",unsightly appearance to the overall but necessitatesthe use of undue force in effecting the adjustment, both of which defects would be obviated if the strap could be made of uniform width, not

greater than the width of the space within the slide. a V Furthermore, the use ofelastic webbing as inserts or portions of the shoulder strap has been found exceedingly beneficial in the shoulder straps of overalls generally, but their use in the tapered straps of high back overalls has not heretofore been found practicable on account of the factthat elastic webbing cannot be cut tapered, in View. of the freeing of many of the rubber strands.

The present inventio-nhas for its general object the provision of a shoulder strap which changes from a taper adjacent the basev portion to a uniform width at least throughout a distance strap.

The shoulder straps ing portions, enetof which may be'elastic connect- ,edby an insert constructedaccording to the dis high back overall garment embodying the p'rinci- Figure 3 isa similar view in which the insert two lengthsof material z and Shaving the warp equal to the rangelof' adjustment ofthe' slide,

without irr'npairingthe strength of the shoulder Another object of'the invention' is the provisionof an insert between the. tapered and uniformly wide portions of the shoulder strap,'the strength of which has not been weakened by bias cutting. V

Still another object of the invention'is to make the insert of elastic Webbing. 1

.Other .objectsof the inventionrelate to the shoulder strap itself which. may bemade altogether of inelastic material or havinginelastic portions-connected by an elastic. insert or hav-.

closure of the present invention.

.Other object'softhe invention will appears the following description of preferred and pracv tica1;embodiments thereof proceeds. A

'In the drawing, throughout the several figures 'of which the same characters of referencehave beeniused to designate identicalparts:

. Figure l is a rear view in elevation showing a plesof the present invention; t I

Figure 2 illustratesthe details of construction of the shoulder, strap vin which theinsert is constituted by a single-folded member;v

comprises separatepieces arranged divergently. Referring nowin 'detail'to theseve'ral figures the numeral .1 represents a pair of overallsf'of high back type, constructed as is customary of running in the direction of .the'double headed arrow and .joinedby a" longitudinal seam Lin the middleofth'eback, The shoulderstraps arefcut integral with the lengths 2 and "3 and extend diagonally, that is,bias-wise of the material so as 'to cross formingthe substantially diamondshaped region 5 in which the material is of double thickness forpurpose of reinforcement. The diamond-shaped region is preferably stitched peripherally as indicated at 6, uniting the two thicknesses of material. r

In high back overalls asheretofore constructed, the shoulder straps are integral and tapered from end to end, being widest at the point where they emanate from the-diamond-shaped region of double thickness and narrowest 'at the extreme free end, the width of the narrowest portion being that of the space within the adjusting slide 7.

A tapered shoulder strap has the disadvantages mentioned in an enumeration of the objects of 10 the invention inasmuch as when the slide is pushed upwardly over the wider portions of the shoulder strap the material is gathered or puckered together giving the strap an unsightly ap pearance and making it increasingly difficult to effect the adjustment as the slide is moved upwardly. It would accordingly be quite advantageous as the strap could be made of uniform width at least throughout that portion included in the range of movement of the slide. However, on account of the fact that'the strap is cut on the bias and consequently, a comparatively small number or none at all of the warp threads extend from end to end of the strap, it has been found impractical to cut into the tapered sides of the strap for the purpose of making it uniform in width in view of the impairment in strength which would ensue from such cutting.

In the present invention, this desirable object has been attained by intercalating a fabric insert 8 between portions of the shoulder strap. This insert may be either elastic or inelastic. The particular virtue of this insert lies in the fact that it not only acts as a reducer between the base portion 9 and the free portion 10 of the shoulder strap, which it unites, but it does this without involving any bias cutting of warp threads and therefore, does not impair the strength of the shoulder strap. On the other hand, in the specific form in which the invention is carried out it strengthens the shoulder strap.

'Figures 2 and 3 illustrate two forms of construction of thisinsert. In Figure 2 it comprises a piece 11 0f material of a width equal to the Width of the free end portion 10 of the shoulder strap which is of uniform width throughout. The piece 11 is folded divergently so that its base portion indicated at 12 in broken lines in Figure 2 is of the width of the edge of the integral portion 9 of the shoulder strap. The insert is suitably united as by stitching, shown in Figure l to the adjacent edges of the free and integral portions of the shoulder strap, fitting the width dimensions of the respective portions and at the same time involving no diagonal cutting of the warp threads of thepiece 11.

Instead of the piece 11 being made by folding, it may be formed of two strips 13 and '14 overlying one another so as substantially to coincide at one end and diverging so as to fit'the width dimension of the integral portion 9 at their other ends. These strips are united to the respective adjacent ends of the shoulder strap portions by stitching in an obvious manner.

In a shoulder strap thus constructed, it is obvious that the free portion 10 may be made of uniform width throughout the range of moveing the objection as to puckering which lies against the continuously tapered shoulder straps as ordinarily manufactured, and at the same time, the reduction from tapered to uniform width has been effected Without any impairment in the strength of the strap.

It is obvious that the invention resides primarily in the provision of shoulder straps for high back overalls which are of uniform width throughout at least that portion of their length traversed by the adjusting slide, and that the invention particularly relates to the provision of means for reducing an initially tapered shoulder strap to one of uniform width throughout that portion traversed by the adjusting slide, so as to avoid impairment in the strength of the shoulder strap resulting from cutting in on the bias fabric, as well as preventing puckering of the material and jamming of the slide in the act of adjusting the length of the shoulder straps, The invention concerns itself only secondarily in the details of construction as shown and described, which are to be regarded as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. High back overall including shoulder straps cut bias wise, each of said shoulder straps including a tapered portion integral with the back of the overall and a portion of uniform width on which the adjusting slide travels, an insert com prising an elastic fabric web of a uniform width equal to the said portion of uniform width, having portions arranged divergently so as to coincide at its ends with the width dimensionsof the respective strap portions to which it is'attached.

2. High hack overall including shoulder straps out bias-wise, each of said shoulder straps in cluding a tapered portion integral with the hack of the overall, and a portion of uniform width on whichthe adjusting slide travels, an insert comprising a length of elastic fabric web'of a width equal to the width of the said portion of uniform width folded divergently so asto coincide at its ends withthe width dimensions of the respective strap portions to which it is'attached. E

and an insert comprising elastic fabric Web of a width equal to the width of the said portion of uniform width, arranged divergently so as to coincide at its ends with the width dimensions of the respective strap portions to which it is attached.

4. Shoulder strap .for high back overall as. I

claimed in claim 3, the fabric web comprising a single strip of uniform width folded divergently.

v LYNDON W. JOYCE.

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