US2301047A

US2301047A - Stiffening fabric

Info

Publication number: US2301047A
Application number: US374835A
Authority: US
Inventors: James A Hendley
Original assignee: Russell Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Russell Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1941-01-17
Filing date: 1941-01-17
Publication date: 1942-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 1959-11-03

Description

Nov. 3, 1942. J. A. HENDLEYv STIFFENING-FABRIC Filed Jan. 17. 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Nov. 3, 1942 STIFFEN IN G FABRIC James A. Hendley, Middletown, Conn., assignor` to The Russell Manufacturing Company, Middletown, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application January 17, 194,1, Serial No. 374,835

1 Claim.

The present invention relates toimprovements in stiffening-fabrics, that is to say, fabrics designed and adapted for being' sewn or otherwise secured to garments to stiiien a localized area thereof. The stiliening-fabrics of the present invention are especially well suited for being sewn Within the waistbands of mens trousers to guard against such waistbands rolling over in a downward direction. The fabrics of the present invention are also suitable for use as an anti-roll edging in ladies dresses, girdles, and in a large variety ol' other situations where an anti-roll effect may be desired.

The present invention alsov relates to a special mode of combining such a stiffening-fabric with a garment.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior stiiTening-fabric which is economical to produce and effective in use.

A further object of the present `invention is to provide a superior stiffening-fabri'c which may be conveniently secured in place to a garment, such for instance as the waistband of mens trousers, in such manner as to have the ends of its stiiiening elements extending close to the edge of the garment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a superior stifiening-fabric having `a series of laterally-extending pockets respectively receiving a stifening element and wherein the said stiffening elements may be retained in place in the said pockets by the simple expedient of sewing or otherwise securing the fabric to a gar-- ment.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a superior stiiening-fabric in which the object just above referred to may be accomplished without occasioning undue bulkiness.

Another object is to provide a superior garment and stiffening-fabric assembly.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art,

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a broken face View of a stieningfabric of the present invention and looking toward that face of the fabric having the pocketopenings therein and showing some of the pockets partially in section;

Fig. 2 is a broken longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 but on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3' of Fig. 1 but on` a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a similar view but taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a broken perspective view of a fragment of the previously-shown stifieningefabric:

Fig. 6 is a detached perspective View ci one of the plate-like stifening elements;

Fig. 7 is a broken View looking toward the inner face` of a waistband and also showing the retaining margin of the stiffeningdabric sewn thereto vprior to the ioldingecver' of the said fabric;

Fig, 8 is a fragmental face viewof the waistband of a garment and` showing the sti-ieningfabric oi the present invention partially folded over and secured thereto;

Fig. 9 is a broken inner face View ofthe waistband of a garment showing the stiifening-iabric oi the present invention fully secured thereto;

and

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line IB--IIJ of Fig. 9 but on a largerscale.

The particular stiiiening-fabric herein chosen for purposes of illustrating the present invention is in the form of a relatively-long-and-narrow tape and is woven, knitted, or otherwise fabricated,` in any one of a Variety `ci manners well known in the art, to provide a uplurality of laterally-extending spaced-apart pockets I5, each of which has a closed end I6 and an open end I'I.

As will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 in particular, the material in the spaces I8 between the Various pockets I5 is in the instance shown subf stantially equal in thickness to the combined thicknesses of the respective opposite walls I9 and 20 of each of the pockets I5. While the number of piles employed in a fabric produced by weaving in accordance with the present invention may vary widely, it is convenient that the material in the spaces I8 have twice as many plies as either of the walls I9 or 20 of the fabric. Thus, the said walls I9 and 2i) may each be one ply in thickness and these plies may be interwoven in the spaces I8 to provide at this point a two-ply thickness,

The closed ends It of the pockets I5 terminate short of the adjacent marginal edge of the fabric to provide what may be aptly termed a stitching-margin 2l which, as shown, has a thickness corresponding to the thicknesses of the material in the spaces I 8. The open ends I1 of the pockets I5 also terminate short of the marginal edge of the fabric which is adjacent thereto to provide what aptly may be termed a retaining-margin 22 which preferably and as shown corresponds in thickness to the thicknesses of the respective walls I9 and 2D of the pockets |5 and is, therefore, thinner and more eXible than the material in the spaces IS and also thinner than the stitchingmargin 2| before referred to.

Inserted into each or selected ones of pockets I 5 is a plate-like stiffening element 23 which may be conveniently formed of rust-pr0ofed steel or any other suitable material which will add transverse stiffness to the fabric. Preferably and as shown, the stiffening elements 23 are sized so that their respective ends adjacent the open ends I'| of the pockets I5 will not protrude beyond the said open ends.

By Way of illustrating one use of the present invention, reference may be had to Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive, in which the stiffening-fabric above described is shown as attached to the inner face of the waistband 24 of trousers or the like.

In attaching the stiffening-fabric to the waistband 24, the parts are preferably first arranged in the relationship shown particularly well in Fig. 7, in such manner that the face of the fabric upon which the pockets I5 open is facing in the same direction as the inner face of the waistband 24, and the main portion of the stiifening-fabric extends above the upper edge 24a of the said waistband. With the parts in the position just described, the relatively-thin retaining-margin 22 is secured to the waistband 24 in any suitable manner, such for instance as by one or more rows of stitches 25. After the stitching such as 25 has been accomplished and after the desired number of pockets I5 have had stiffening elements 23 installed therein, the stiffening-fabric is folded downwardly, as indicated in the righthand portion of Fig. 8, and one or more rows of stitches 26 are then passed through the relatively-thick stitching-margin 2| of the fabric, as is especially Well indicated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10.

It will be noted and as is especially well shown in Fig. 10 that when the stiening-fabric is folded over in the manner described and has its stitching-margin 2| secured in place, that the retaining-margin 22 extends over the open ends I1 of the pockets I5 and conceals such open ends, and the adjacentI ends of the stiifening elements 23, as well as serving to retain the said stiffening elements in place in the said pockets.

By weaving, knitting, or otherwise fabricating the stiffening-fabric described, in such manner that its retaining-margin 22 is relatively thin as compared to adjoining sections or areas of the fabric, not only is the folding-over of the fabric rendered simple and convenient along a natural folding line, but the bull: of the folded-over portion of the fabric is kept at such a minimum as not to be either unsightly or uncomfortable.

By providing the retaining-margin 22 or its equivalent which is foldable over the open ends I'l of the pockets I5, the necessity for separately stitching or otherwise closing the said open ends is obviated.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth Without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claim are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

The combination with a garment; of a stiffening fabric having a series of transversely-extending laterally-spaced-apart pockets for the reception of stiffening elements; the said pockets having closed ends terminating short of the adjacent edge of the fabric to provide an attaching-margin along said edge of the fabric; the said pockets also having opposite open ends terminating short of the edge of the fabric adjacent said open ends to provide a retaining-margin, and the width of the opening of each said open end being substantially the same as the width of its pocket When the fabric is in completely relaxed condition; stiifening elements in said pockets; said stiening-fabric having said retaining-margin secured to said garment with the remainder of the stiffening-fabric folded upon itself along said retaining-margin to cause said retaining-margin to overlie said open ends of said pockets and positively hold said stiffening-elements in said pockets; and said attaching-margin also being secured to said garment.

JAMES A. HENDLEY.