US2478239A - Safety garment - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 9, 1949.

Filed June 3, 1946 R. M. CHINN SAFETY GARMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 9, i949. R M. HINN 2,478,239

SAFETY GARMENT Filed June 3, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 www ug. 9, 1949 R. M. cHlNN 2,478,239

SAFETY GARMENT Y Filed June 5, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ly/Q Patented Aug. 9, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a childs garment and it has for one object to provide a garment of such nature that it can be worn by a child comfortably and safely during sleeping and also While awake.

Another object is to provide a garment of the type indicated with means for permitting limited movement on the part of the wearer while the garment is secured to a bed or equivalent article of furniture.

Another object is to provide a childs safety garment so arranged that a sleeping child wearing it cannot injure himself and so arranged that a child wearing it may lie, sit or stand and may turn to a limited degree.

Another object is to provide a garment of the type indicated so arranged that all of the movements above mentioned may be carried out without possibility of the childs getting out of the garment or choking or otherwise injuring himself.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

This invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the front of one form of the garment;

Figure 2 is a plan View of the rear of the garment shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view showing the front of a modied form of the garment;

Figure 4 is a plan view showing the rear of the garment of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective View illustrating the garment in use by a child in bed.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specication and drawings.

The garment is in the form or" a dress or nightshirt and, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is integral. ln this form it includes a bodice portion l having arms 2, 2. The bodice is preferably open in the back, as at 3, and may be closed by buttons s in buttonholes 5 or by any other suitable closing devices. A slide fastener, tapes, hooks and eyes are all within the contemplation of the invention. An open neck 6 is provided for the neck of the child. A skirt portion l is formed integrally with the bodice portion and is preferably, although not necessarily, closed at the bottom, as at The skirt is enlarged or extended laterally, as at 9, 9, and it may preferably be approximately as wide as the mattress of a childs crib. In any event, the skirt portion is substantially wider than the bodice portion and provides a substantial quan- 55 tity of added material. The skirt at its maximum width is preferably approximately three times the width of the bodice portion and the point of juncture between the flaring side portions 9 9 and the parallel side portions at the maximum width of the garment is at a point substantially midway of the length of the skirt as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Tapes lil are iixed to the bottom of the garment adjacent its corners and an additional central tape l I may be applied if desired. Added tapes l2, l2 are fastened to the garment substantially above the bottom.

The feet oi the child wearing the garment will ordinarily extend approximately to a line drawn across the garment between the tapes I2. The feet of the child may extend a little above or below such line. Thus the garment comprises what might be called a nightshirt in the form preferably of a closed bag and attaching means which are so arranged that the garment may be fastened to the crib or bed across the bottom and along a substantial area upwardly of the sides. But that portion of the garment in which the wearer will normally be enclosed is substantially free for movement.

In the modified form of Figures 3, 4 and 5 the garment is formed in two main pieces, thus a bodice I 3 is provided with sleeves I4 and an opening in the back, as at i5, which may be closed by buttons l5 in buttonholes I1 or by any desired attaching means. Buttons is are provided adjacent the bottom of the bodice for attachment to the waistband I9 of a skirt portion 2%. The waistband is provided with buttcnholes Ita. 0bviously, any form of attaching means might be used instead of the buttons le and i8.

The skirt portion 2B is preferably in the form of a closed, buttoned bag and is outwardly flared substantially as at 2|, so that its width is much greater than that of the bodice. It may be provided wth a placket 2Ia., if desired, which may be closed by any suitable closure.

In the corners of the bottom skirt portion 20 ties or tapes 22, 22 are positioned and intermediate tapes 23 may be mounted along the bottom between the tapes 22, if desired. Tapes 24, 24 are positioned upwardly along the sides of the skirt portion 20 and what has been said above of the location and purpose of the tapes I2, I2 of Figures 1 and 2 applies equally to the tapes 24 of Figures 3, 4 and 5.

The garment of Figures 3 and 4 is shown in use in Figure 5. Obviously, the garment of Figures 1 and 2 would be used in the same manner. The

two forms of the garment are the same except that, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the garment is unitary and as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the garment is made in two separable parts or halves.

As shown in Figure 5 a mattress or cushion 25 is supported in a crib of any desired construction. Ordinarily the crib would be provided with upwardly extending members 26 along its sides and these furnish a convenient means for attachment of the garment. The garment may be worn as the sole covering of the child or it may be worn merely as a nightdress and blankets or other coverings may be applied over it. The child shown is wearing the garment and the ties22, 22 have been secured to members 2@ of the crib or bed. The central tie 23 has also been secured. If there were no other ties, the child could have too great a degree of movement and could turn over and over in the bed and thus could finallyk tighten the garment about his feet and probably about his throat. The ties 24, 2:3 are also secured to crib members 2.6 and thus hold a substantial portion of the garment against turning or any displacement. A good deal of slack or play remains, however. Because of the tapered construction o the skirt portion 29 a child may turn over to itslback or face without discomfort as a result of the slack provided but repeated turning is not possible.

With the garment in place on'a child, as shown in Figure 5, it isclear that the child can sit up in bed without putting any tension on the garment. There are no ties substantially above the Zonel which will normally be occupied by the childs feet. There is sufficient slack so that a child may stand in a crib While wearing the garment. I-Ie may not, however, get out of the crib and he may not have suiiicient movement to put dangerous pressure upon his throat or chest. The two-piece garment has a possible advantage over the one-piece garment of convenience. Obviously, one part may be changed while the other is not changed; In respect, however, to the comfort and safety of the child and to the control which thegarment exerts over the childs movement, the two garments operate in the same manner. Even if the child is in a bed which has no upwardly extending side members, such as the parts 2S, the garment can be secured to some part offthe bed-and fastened toor under the mattress, and when soarranged it will prevent the child from getting or falling out of the bed. Its useiulness istherefore not limited to any particular type of crib or bed. Where there is nothing to which any of the tie members may be tied directly, they may be pinned or otherwise fastened to a mattress or any part of the crib or bed. Most cribs for young children are provided with side members and'theseform a convenient point for attachingthe tapes, but the invention may be 4 used in any other manner where side crib or bed parts are not available.

Although I have shown an operative form of my invention, it will be recognized that many changes in the form, shape and arrangement of parts can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and my showing is therefore to be taken as, in a sense, diagrammatic.

I Claim:

1. In:- cgrnbsiniation inaEl childs garment, a bodice portion, sleeves secured thereto and a skirt portion joined to said bodice portion, said skirt portion being flared outwardly symmetrically from Y said bodice portion to a width approximately three times as wide as said bodice portion, said skirt portion being formed at its maximum width withqgenerally parallel sides and enclosed at its bottom, to provide corner-like portions at its lower end, and ties secured adjacent the corners of the lower end of said skirt portion and additional .ties .secured tov theVv skirt substantially upwardly from saidcorners4 and at its major width, said :upper ties being ,positioned generally in line .with theaone. normally occupied by the extended feet of a wearer, and an opening in the backof said garmentand fasteners for closing said opening.

2. In combinationin abhilds garment, a bodice portion, sleevessecllredthereto andra skirt portion joined to said bodice portion, said skirt portion beingY flared`A outwardly symmetrically from said/.bodicel portionto a point substantially mid way of-thelengthlof saidpskirt portion, and to a width substantially three timesthat of said bodice portion, said skirt portion being formed at its maximumwidth with generally parallel sides and enclosedat-,itsbottom to provide cornerlike portions at its lovize rend,V and-ties secured adjacent the corners 0f,.thalower` endof saidskirt portion andadditiqnalgties secured to the `skirt substantially upwardly from said corners and at its major width, said upper. tiesbeing positioned generally in line with the.zonen0 rmally occupied by the extended yfeet oiga wearer, and an opening in the back of said? garment-and'fasteners for closing said opening.

RONALD M. CHINN.

REFERENCES CITED The followinglreferenlces are of record in the iilev of this patent:

UNITED STATES. BATENTS Number Name Date 1,079,798 Painter Nov. 25, 1913 1,370,009 Ehrenberg Mar. 1, 1921 1,725,031 Wardr Aug. 20, 1929 2,014,478 Luetteke- Y Y Sept. 17, 1935 2,140,797 Hammerman Dec. 20, 1938 2,328,938Y Wilson- Sept. 7, 1943

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