US2389410A - Foundation garment - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 20, 1945. A. M. BUTow FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed May 14, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aorne'y.

,lzvenma be Meyeruouf By Nov. 20, 1945. A. M. BUTOW FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed May 14, 1942 ZSheets-Sheet 2 lzvenw 425e Meyer wzow Patented Nov. 20, 1945 FOUNDATION GARMENT Abe Meyer Butow, New York, N. Y., assigner to Artistic Foundations, Inc., New York, N. Y., `a corporation of New York Application May 14, 1942, serial No. 442,980;-

This invention relates to releasable closures` 2 Claims.

used in tight fitting foundation garments,.etc., wherein the closure means, such as that of the "zipper type, is placed under :tension in use, and which causes the zipper to operate with diiculty and even to break.

In my former invention for releasable closure for a garment opening, Patent No. 2,083,047, I have disclosed auxiliary hook and eye fastening means operatively secured to the zipper tape.

The hook and eye fasteners were secured by l stitching. I have found in practice that when the hook and eye fasteners are attached by stitching, that the continued pulls and strains which the fasteners are subjected to causes them to become loose and misaligned. It isa serious drawback when the user has to realign the fasteners When securing the garment edges together. It is essential to have the coacting fastening elements match exactly even after prolonged usage.

To obviate this misalignment, I employ in the present invention garment fastening means comprising non-stretchable zipper tapes made of strong textile material and wherein each hook and` eye fastening member is clamped directly by two rivets to the fabric strips, the two rivets being spaced apart and causing the said fastener elements to be non-yieldably held in linear ali-gnment with said zipper tape. With this fastening arrangement, two spaced-apart rivets posi tively maintainthe predetermined Aposition of each hook and eye element and resulting in easy sliding operation of the zippen In my former garment, the hooks were secured to a strip of folded textilefabric and the folds secured together in a manner as to provide a tape. The tape, which was of four-ply thickness, car ried the hooks. These four plies are undesirable on account of the degree of stiffness. and bulkiness which is imparted to the garment. bulky tape actually injures the user.

In the present invention, the hooks are secured by narrow strips of metal having tubular projections or hollow rivets in spaced relation to each other and which extend through the strip of fabric and through the respective hooks. The ends of the rivets are clinched so as to permanently secure the hooks to the garment. The hooks are solidly mounted on the fabric and are fully exposed. The hooks are attached directly to the single thickness zipper tape and I have thereby eliminated four plies of superposed fabric at the garment opening,

In garment making practice, where the hook This end portion ofeach hook is not secured to the hook carrying tape, the' hook end portion is loose `and readily raisedavvay from the tape intofsuch position as to make kit very ,difficult toy hook .and unhook the fasteners and ytheasso'ciated 4garment sections. In the present disclosure, the hook end portion of each hook is stitched to ythe zipper tape and these stitches retain andprevent the ends of the` hooks `from being raised away from' the tape. Eachhookis thus 'fixed at three points on the Zipper tape and is immovable from its set position. f Y

In my prior garment I utilized hook and eye tapes for reinforcing the slide-'fastener tapes-and for this-purpose I have built up the said hookand eye tapes of a large nurnber'ofA layers of superposed fabric lstripstoprovide sufficient strength. In the present'disclosure -I employ slide fastener tapes which are substantially non-stretchable and there is no necessity" for reinforcing' said" slidefastenertapes.` There isaccordingly'no necessity for connecting thebottomiportion's ofthe slide-fastener tapes tothe eye carrying Vshield strip with reinforcing stitching.

' It is also to be noted that while I haveshown in my prior garment horizontally positioned'reinforcing stitching at thev lowerv end of the opening i I which passed through" both slide-fastener tapes, that I have in the present disclosure'provided a line of reinforcing stitching 29 Iwhich does not pass through both slide-fastener tapes but passies through but one of the slide-fastener'tapes and solely through theVv eye carrying shieldz-strip at the opposite' side ofthe slide-fastener.^ l

This disposition of the reinforcing `stitching makes the entire length of the slide-fastener elements on the eye fastener side independent of the hook carrying shield strip, and permits-the slide-fastener tape on the eyefastener side" to accommodate itself tothe contour ofthe `slidefastener tape on the hook carrying side all along its length and without being hampered by the said eye-bearing shield strip. i

Among the objects of this invention is to provide in a garment closure an improved arrangement of duplex disengageable fasteners' arranged to" supplement each other and eachto take' part of the strain, one set of fasteners consisting of va slide-fastener having non-stretchable tapes and the other set of fasteners consisting of hooks and eyes, each of the hooks being directly and positively' secured at threepoints to one of the 'tapes of the slide-fastener, and theeyes being positive'- 'ly ysecured to aside 'portion of the body'of the "garment-at theopening.`

oi parts will be shown in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims which form part of this specification,

Reference will now -be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which: f

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a foundationv garment closure embodying .my' invention, the

Vgarment being shown fragmentarily.

Figure 2 is a rearelevational view of the closure looking at the inside of the garment.

by the seam 26. By means of the seam 26 the fabric strip 2'I and the covering shield 28 are connected to the slide-fastener tape I I and to the edge portion 24 of the garment. Eyes 30 are secured by rivets 3I and metal plates 33 to the fabric strip 2l.

As shown uin Figure 6, the slide-fastener elements III` and the hooks 2i are spaced apart from each otherj As shown in Figure '7, the slide-fastener elements I5 are in considerably spacedapart relation' from the eyes 30. 'I'he eye-bearing fabric 2l and the covering shield 28 are made sufiicientlygpliable in crosswise direction to per- Figure 3 is lan enlargedfragmentary sectional view, the section being taken Las on line 3-3 in Figure l, looking only through the right hand side. .f Y Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view; the section being takenI as on line. 4-4 in= -Figure1." l Figure 5 is a fragmentarylan View-:of an Yeye .bearing tape and covering'shield.

. .Figure 6 is a fragmentaryplanview of a slidet fastener tape having hooks secured thereto by Vriveted plates and by stitching. f

Figure I is a fragmentary plan view of a slidefastener tape `having eyes Ysecured.thereto by rivieted plates'.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the closure'portion of the'garmenton an enlarged scale, showing the twoV sets of fastening devices in .assembled relation along a curved surface, as it appears on-the body of the wearer,

l the Asection being taken `as on -line'S-'B in Figure L1'. i v

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the numeral I0 indicates'a'foundation garment One set of fasteners consists of a slide-fas- "tener I2 and the other' set-of fasteners is of the hookand'eye type I3. The slide-fastener I2 has interlocking elements I4 permanently connected having an opening II which. is adaptedfto be rel -leasably closed by a duplex set of fasteners;

to a tape I6, and elements I5 permanently se- "'-l cured toga tape and 4. f I

The tape I6 is connected by Atwo rows of stitching I8 and I9 to :the edge portion 2U of the gar- I'I, as best shown'in Figures 3 Vment body I0. vIn addition,a spaced row of hooks 2|. is secured to the tape I6, Vas shown in Figures 2 and 4. The hooks 2| are connected by-rivets 22, metal plates 33, and stitching 23.-- The strain I8 and II!! to the garment bodyzlll.

On the opposite 'side ofthe opening I I away from rthe tape I6,'-is'the`opposite tape I1 which carries the interlockingslide-fastener elements I 5. The tape Il is secured to the edge portion 24 of the garment IIJ by spaced lines of stitching 25 and 26.-

',Underlapping the slide-fastener tape I'I is a `fabric strip 21 which is covered by a fabric shield .on the hooks 2| is `distributed through the seams I Y 28. 1 The fabric strip-Hand thecovering shield 28 are connected togetheratthe outer edge, or

free edge, by stitching 29 and at the inner end mit the hooks and eyes and the metallic portions of the slide-fastener elements to be drawn while in non-superposed relation against a substantially plane surface when under stress of wearing conditions.

When the slide-fastener elements i4 and i 5 are in operative engagement they function freely due to the non-superposed and spaced-apart relation between the slide-fastener and the hooks and eyes. As shown in Figures 1 and 8, the strain-will be substantially equally divided between the slidefastener I2 and the hook and eye fasteners I3. The Vslide-fastenertapes are made of strong: textile fabric and are non-stretchable in direction lengthwise of the linear opening i i. The tapes I B and I1 are independent of reinforcement by the strips 2l and '28. The tapes I 6 and I i and the plies 211 and 28 provide a junction at. the opening which is of minimum thickness 4and only va small fraction of the thickness of the closure disclosed in myI said prior patent, whereby both flexibility and strengthare obtained." 1

When the slide-fastener elements I4 and I5Linterlock, the hooks and eyes are rst engaged-and .the slide 35 is'then moved upwardly as'indicate'cl in thesposition shown in vFigure l. i

It will be noted from Figures 2 and 3 thattlic lower portion of the eye-bearing fabric strip 21 and the covering shield 28 carrying the duplexlset of fasteners are wider than the upper -portion thereof so as to underlapall ofthe fasteningV elelments and therebyprevent any injury to the person using garments having the duplex set of fasteners.' Also, the structure disclosed results in -a neat fitting construction and one which will be comfortable notwithstanding any peculiar posture of the wearer. When removing the foundation garment from the person, the slide 35 is slid down to the position shown in Figure 2. This down'- ward sliding disengages the slide fastener'elements I4 and I5. The hooks and eyes are then disengaged in the usual manner and theY garment may then be pulled downwardly over the hips and off the person.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, I have provided a line of reinforcing stitching 32 which is positioned at the lower end of the elongated opening I I and obliquely to the opening.' The line of stitching v32 does not pass through both tapes I6 and I'I of the slide-fastener I 2, but passes solely through the slide-fastener tape I6 and through the'eyecarrying strip 21 and covering shield 28.v

It is to be noted that an advantage of having the eyes non-yieldably positioned onr the 'eyebearing fabric is that the' user will positively find the eye in a denitely fixed position at all times. This makesffor greater ease and quickness of-f'astening and unfastening. vThis' is entirely different from the eyesshown in my former patent. which were yieldably attached merely :by stitching and were movable in all directions after the garment had been worn but a short time.

`- -It isalso to be noted that the advantage de- 'rived from securing the hooks directly to one of the slide fastener tapes is to cause the hooks .to be carried `by a strip of singleply'thickness and to render the garment at the opening relatively thin Iand flexible, permitting ease of body movements of the wearer.

In the usual practice, the opening H extends from the upper edge downwardly past the waist line. In the type of foundation garment shown nFigures 1' and 2 wherein a frail fabric such as net or lace 36 is employed'along the upper portion of the garment, the' upper edge of theslide-fastener extends upwardly from the lower edge of the opening and terminates substantially at the lower level of the frail fabric.

The eye-bearing strip 21 and the 'covering shield 28 Aare made of relatively flexible layers of fabric and form-a thin one-piece'iiap 31. The fiap is a one-piece strip of fabric, that is, continuous in lengthwise direction. The threads of the fabric strip 21. are positioned crosswise of the linear opening li.` The flap 31 is non-stretchable in 'a direction-crosswise of the linear opening, and substantially equally divides the strain with the slide-fastener I2. This arrangement is particularly desirable in foundation garments having panels that are elastic around the waistline to permit the garment to snugly embrace the wearers body in different positions and wherein the closure means is placed under tension in use. This arrangement of duplex closure means also serves to materially lessen the strain on the slidefastener and causes it to easily slide and operate freely.

In order to further clarify the workings of this improved closure means, reference is made to Figures 3 and 4, wherein the edge 40 of themetallic portions of the slide-fastener elements I4 Will, in assembled relation, be spaced away from the eyes 30 and substantially follow a dot-and-dash line 4|, spaced from the eyes 30, as shown in Figure 3.

It is to be noted that While the zipper tape will overlie a portion of the hook elements, the fact that this woven fabric tape is very thin, it will not affect the thickness of the closure. The difculty that I have found in my prior garment closure was that the metallic portions of the slidefastener were in full superposed relation with the metallic hooks and eyes.

AThis expedient of placing the metallic portions of the slide-fastener elements and the metallic hooks and eyes in spaced-apart relation so that they could lie against a substantially plane surface formed by the eye-bearing fabric strip 21,

has made it possible to 4materially reduce the thickness of the connecting portions of the garment at the opening, so that, instead of pressing or pinching into the flesh of the wearer, the garment closure described herewith eliminates this defect.

It is also to be noted that the spaced relation of the eyes 30 from the slide-fastener elements I5 is also clearly brought out by the numeral 42, identifying a lead line terminating in an arrow in Figure 7.

As shown in service position in Figure 8, the two sets of fastening devices, when in-use, lie in non-superposed relation against a substantially plane surface; that is, both lie against the substantially at eye-bearing fabric strip 21 and occupy a minimum of space in a direction crosswise of the length of the garment.

It is to be noted that the Woven zipper tapes in use in' the art are very thin in comparison with the' interlocking zipper elements at thev lengthtapes. It is obvious that, While one of the zipper Y tapes overlies a portion of the hooks vand eyes, that. due to the thinness ofthe zipper tape, this overlying of the'tapeits'elf does not `affect the thickness of the closure to rany, appreciableextent. It is thefour times thickerv metallic elements of the zipper which it is'very` necessary to prevent from overlying the hooks and eyes.

In accordancek with the patent-statutes, I have described `and illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention, but it will Ybeunderstood that various changes and modificationscan be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims. j

Iclaim: f' ,`v 1. In a foundation garment havinga brassire portion made of frail fabric and having a linear opening extending from Athe* uppermost edge of said brassire portion vto'jan 'intermediate portion of lsaid garment and being defined by continuous fabric tapes secured to the side edges of said opening, said tapes carrying complemental slidefastener elements extending upwardly and terminating substantially at the lower level of said frail fabric, a continuous strip of eye-bearing fabric secured to said garment along one side edge of said opening and underneath one of said tapes, each of said eyes being secured directly to said strip and lying fully exposed on said strip when the fasteners are detached, hooks secured directly to one of said slide-fastener tapes, said eyes being positioned in spaced-apart relation from the slide fastener elements secured to the side edge of the garment to which said strip is secured, said spacing being sufficient to permit the metallic portion of the complemental slide-fastener elements to enter between said eyes and slide fastener elements and lie in non-superposed relation with said eyes, said hooks lying fully exposed on said tape when said fasteners are detached, said hooks and eyes extending along the entire length of said opening, the lower portion of the strip carrying said eyes being wider than the upper portion of said strip and being designed to overlap and shield the wearer from -contact with said fastener elements When said openingis closed, said hooks and eyes at the upper portion of said garment being spaced closer together than at said lower portion and being independently adapted to absorb the stress in the upper portion of said garment, a row of reinforcing stitching at the lower end of said opening, said garment being elastic crosswise of said closure and causingr said slidefastener elements and said hooks and eyes to be under tension in use, said eye-bearing strip being non-stretchable in a direction crosswise of said linear opening and substantially equally dividing the strain with said slide-fastener, said slidefastener comprising thin woven tapes and interlocking elements made of metal considerably thicker thanvsaid tapes, said spaced-apart relation of said eyes causing said hooks and eyes and said metallic fastener elements to lie in nony superposed relation against a substantially plane surface, thereby causing said garment at said opening to be of minimum thickness and flexible.

2. In a foundation garment having a linear opening extending from the uppermost edge to an intermediate portion of said garment and being defined by continuous fabric tapes secured to the side edges of said opening, said tapes carrying complemental slide-fastenerV elements extending upwardly and terminating at anupper'level, a continuous strip of eye-bearing fabric secured to said garment along one side edge of said opening, each of said eyes being secured directly to said strip and lying fullyexposed on saidfrstrip Ywhen the fasteners are detachedahooks secured directly to one of said slideffastener tapes,- said eyes beingv positioned in spaced-apart relation from the slide fastener :elements `secured to the side edge 0f Vthe garment to Which saidfstrip is secured, said spacing being -suflicientto permit the metallic portion of the complemental slide- -per portion of Said garment being spaced closer together than at said lower portionand being independently adapted to absorb the stress in the upper portion of said garment, a row of reinforcing stitching atthe lower endl of said opening, said garment being elastic crosswisetof said closure and causing said slide-fastener and said hooks and eyes to be under tension in use, said eyebearing strip being nonfstretchable in a direction crosswise of said linear opening and substantially equally Vdividing the strain with said slide-fastener, said slide-fastener comprising thin woven .tapes and interlocking elements made of metal considerably thicker than said tapes, said spacedapart relation of said metallic eyes from said metallic slide fastener elements causing said metallic hooks and metallic eyes and said'metallic fastener elements to lie 'in non-superposed relation against a substantially plane surface assumed by said eye-bearing fabric when in use, thereby causingsaid garment atsaid opening to be of minimum thickness and flexible.

ABE MEYER 'BUTOW.

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