US2269380A - Overalls - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 6, 1942- A. s. PLIMPTON OVERALLS Filed Sept. 18, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l M d. PM 9 W /m'zr Jan. 6, 1942. A. s. PLIMPTON 2,269,380

OVERALLS Filed Sept. 18; 194,0- 2 SheetsSheet 2 ball portions of snap fasteners In, for the purpose of providing adjustability. Preferred results are obtained by locating these members ID in a position such as that shown in Fig. 3 in which the ball portions of the fasteners are disposed above and rearwardly of the ball portions of the first mentioned set of snap fasteners in offset relation. This serves to reduce bulging of the garment material at points in the leg as the bottom portion circumference is reduced.

It will be observed that by providing the lower circumference of the overall leg of a size such that the material of the garment may be maintained in spaced relation to the angle of a wearer, the requirement, particularly stressed by railroad employees, that circulation of air be provided for in the bottom portions of the garment is taken care of. At the same time, bulkiness in the overall leg is substantially eliminated or greatly reduced. The length of the cut 3 extends upwardly from the bottom edge of the leg a sufficient distance to remove excess material throughout the lower portions of the overall leg where trouble from catching is most likely to occur. At the same time the split or cut facilitates pulling the garment on over the foot, even when heavy types of footwear are being worn, such as boots, overshoes, and the like. The snap fasteners specified for securing the folded portions together are also highly adapted to quick and easy removal of the garment.

In reducing the circumference of the overall leg in the manner now described, there may result a bulging of overall material at one point or another in the upper part of the overall leg. In accordance with a further feature of the invention, such unevennesses in the contour of the overall leg are eliminated. This is effected by pleating a triangularly shaped portion ll of the garment material, at some convenient point as directly above the cut 3, and securing this pleated portion by lines of stitching l2 and I3. This forms a tuck l4 located immediately above the upper ends of the folded edges 1 and 8, as illustrated in Figs. 2-8 inclusive. The length of the tuck I4 may preferably be approximately eight inches. It will be noted that in pleating the material ll upon itself to form the tuck I 4, the upper end of the folded-over edge 8 maybe disposed in overlapping relation with respect to the corresponding end of the folded-over edge 1, and the two ends may be secured in this position by the stitching l3. The line of stitching l2 and the line along which the folded edges overlap then occur in a substantially upright manner, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4, and the line of stitching l3 extends in a substantially horizontal direction. It will also be observed that the tuck M serves to remove a substantially triangularly shaped part of the overall leg, and that securing the overall leg along the folded edges 1 and 8 serves to remove a relatively greater, part of the overall leg. This provides two stages in the reduction of the overall leg to the desired minimum size previously noted. By carrying out the reduction in two stages, in one of which a fixed reduction occurs and in the other of which an adjustable feature is retained, a relatively smooth contour line l5, along the outer side of the overall leg, is obtained and at the same time suitable flexibility for donning and removing the garment is achieved.

It has been found that the reduction of the overall leg circumference effected by the tuck M, which corresponds to the circumference of the overall leg at the point where the cut 3 terminates, must be limited to a definite size suitable for putting on and taking off the garment. Making allowance for variation in sizes, a minimum circumference of eighteen inches has been found to be necessary to meet these requirements. This relation is more clearly illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and '7, of which Fig 5. shows the conventional twenty-four-inch circumference of the overall leg. Fig. 6 shows the reduction effected by the tuck [4 to an eighteen-inch circumference, and Fig. 7 shows the reduction of the bottom of the overall leg to an eleven-inch circumference.

Several advantages are obtained by the overall construction noted. The usual bulkiness common to overall legs is avoided, and excess amounts of overall material are eliminated, with the formation of a smooth contour line along the outer side of the leg, as well as at other points. The adjustable bottom portion is easily secured together and opened, and insures a spaced relation of the overall to provide for circulation of air at all times. The snap fastening provides added safety since it easily opens if the overall becomes caught in projecting parts of machinery. The fashioned overall leg is effective in eliminating accidents, particularly those occurring with railroad employees. The construction described is easily and cheaply effected and adds very little to the cost of the garment, while greatly increasing its desirability. A substantially definite range of dimensions have been worked out which are adapted to provide the results noted, and these dimensions include the minimum circumference at the bottom of the overall leg of eleven inches, and the minimum circumference at the bottom of the tuck of eighteen inches. In addition, best results are obtained by having the adjustable secured folded edges of approximately twelve inches in length and having the tuck approximately eight inches long.

If desired, other means of reducing the circumference of an overall leg, limited to the minimum circumference noted, may be resorted to. For example, in carryingout the first described reduction of the overall leg at the bottom portion thereof, the material may be pleated, or formed with a gusset, and have the edges resulting from such operations held together in some suitable manner, as for example by the snap fasteners described or by other means of fastening, such as a Talon or slide fastener and the like. In this case, no out in the material need be effected. Still other arrangements may be resorted to, such as that in which a triangular piece of the overall material might be removed, the edges thereafter being brought together without the folding operations described above. Similarly, these variations in means of reducing the circumference of the overall leg may be applied to the reduction effected by the tuck l4, and the tuck may be constructed at various other points in the overall leg from those illustrated in the drawings.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be further resorted to, as for example, the two-stage reduction of a garment portion in the manner disclosed may be utilized in connection with other types of garments than overalls, in keeping with the spirit of the invention,

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An improved overall construction including a leg portion having a tuck formed therein, said tuck adapted to take up material from thelegportion and provide mid-sections therein of reduced circumference, said tuck being further formed of a triangularly shaped piece of material folded upon itself and secured by one line of stitching extending longitudinally of the overall leg, and by a secondline of stitching extending circumferentially of the overall leg, said leg portion being folded at its outer lower end along diverging lines adapted to include amounts of material greater than that included by the said tuck, the folded parts of said leg portion terminating at a point adjacent the said tuck, the upper extremities of said folded parts being secured in overlapping relation by the said line of stitching extending circumferentially of the leg portion, and said folded parts of the leg portion at their lower ends being adjustably secured together along a line extending generally longitudinally of the overall leg thereby to reduce the circumference of the lower end of the leg portion to a size less than the reduced circumference of the said mid-section thereof,

2. A garment of the character described, including leg portions having tucks formed in the mid-section thereof for the purpose of removing material from the legs and providing midsections of reduced circumference, each of said tucks being further formed of a triangularly shaped piece of material folded upon itself and secured by one line of stitching extending longitudinally of the overall leg, and by a second line of stitching extending circumferentially of the overall leg, said leg portions further being folded at their bottoms to remove amounts of material greater than that included by the said tuck, for the purpose of reducing in a relatively greater degree the circumference of the bottoms of the leg portions, said folded parts of the leg portions being adjustably fastened together.

, AUSTIN S. PLIMPTON.

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