US2602208A

US2602208A - Closure for waterproof garments

Info

Publication number: US2602208A
Application number: US81460A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gossner Louis Ernest Elwin
Original assignee: ELRO Inc
Current assignee: ELRO Inc
Priority date: 1949-03-15
Filing date: 1949-03-15
Publication date: 1952-07-08
Anticipated expiration: 1969-07-08

Description

July 8, 1952 L. E. r-:QGossNER 2,602,208

CLOSURE FOR WATERPROOF GARMENTS Filed March 15, 1949 7a4/MM@ ATTORNEYS `ible opening for the covers.

Patented July 8, 1952 TES CLOSURE 'FOR WATERPROOF GARMENTS Louis Ernest Elwin Gassner, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to Elro, Inc., San Francisco, Calii, a

corporation ofy California Application March 15, 1949, SeralNo. 81,460

Thisinvention ,relates toa closure :for covers, and more particularly to .a water-tight closure forwater-proofcovers, such as garmentaor such as would be adapted to enclose boxes, luggage, and the like.

It is an object of this invention to improve water-proof covers of the above-mentioned types by'providing for such covers .a water-tight elosure adapted to also constitute a readily access- By way of illustration and not ci limitation, Ithe water-tight Aclosure oi Athe invention is 'particularly adapted vto improve the water-tightness characteristic of gar-ments especially intended to b e water-proof in nature, such, for example, as are usedy by members .of the armedforces, Sportsmen, andthe like. In this vein, the invention relates Ymore specifically to the provision of Water-tight closure means for pockets, nya and other useful .openings in `such wearing apparel.

It is a further object of lthe invention to provide a water-tight seal which may-bc readily incorporated into a cover construction; which may be easily operated by the vattendant or wearer to gain access; and which will avoid unnecessary bulkiness of the cover in which it is incorporated.

As distinguished from the well-known and conventional form of water-tight closure operable through the provision of abutting sealing lips, or spaced pairs vof such lips, with a slide fastener therebeneath or between the pairs of lips vand' in alignment therewith, the water-tight closure of the instant invention is yoperable through the provision of a raisable ap Vor panel extending over and latterly past the primary fastener joint rand into sealing engagement with a member or lip fixed in relation to and laterally offset with respect to said fastener, with said sealing engagement being maintained during all positions of flexure of the closure by secondary fastening means constituted by an oppositely extending flap or panel in overlying relation to the sealing flap adapted to be secured to the cover adjacent the fixed side of the sealing iiap.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawing forming part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a sectional View of a portion of a garment embodying the water-tight closure of the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan View of the closure device of Figure l with the cover flap partially turned back; and

1 claim. (oies- 201) YFigure 3 isa sectional View `of, the nature of Figure 1 but showing a modification vof `the closureof the invention.

Referring `to the drawing, and specifically to that embodiment of the closure shownv in Figures l and 2, the numerals il) and Vl2 represent panels `of a garment, for example, withedges in abutting relation as at It between which access is desired tothe inner wearing apparel or .person of the wearer. iassumed that the closure being described is a pocket closure. It is here desired that awatertight closure be provided for the abutting `edges of the `panels `lll and l2. .,g

Adjacent the inner edge of the panelli there is provided a raised shoulder L6, having the characteristicsA hereinafter described for inter locking relationship with complemental parts of lthe underside of Aan overlapping flange, I3 on carried by `panel it there -is provided a lipk'iil which is adapted to be snugly received lna cornplemental recess 22v of panel l2. This provides 1a .Water-tight joint as an offset continuation of the joint or parting line itl between the inner edges of the panels kIl] and l2.

The -`flangepll of vpanel l2 extends ,beyond the aforementioned water-tight joint .constituted by lip :2,0 and recess22 to overlie theV shoulder i6 of panel .llLand at its outer end it is provided -with a `dovmwardly .extending flange .2li having an `inwardly turned lip 2-8 adapted to t snugly within the recess 28 in shoulder |16. The under- -side of the lip 26 is preferably in sealing engagey -ment with panel It, as indicated .at-3i).

`From the foregoing it will be understood that there is provided a primary watertight closure at the intert of the lip 20 with the recess 22, of the panels l0 and l2, respectively, and a secondary seal at the point of intert of the lip 26 with the recess 28. In the absence of flexure of the garment in normal usage it will be appreciated that the interlocking characteristics of the primary and secondary closures would suffice to exclude water. However, since it is anticipated that the average garment and its various components will be flexed repeatedly during normal usage and wear, it is desirable that suitable retainer means be provided to insure the inter- In this particularV instance it may be locked relationship of the parts hereinabove described. This may take the simplified form of a flexible strip 32, cemented or otherwise secured to the panel I as at 34, in the proximity of the secondary closure mentioned above, which strip extends therefrom over both primary and secondary closures and has its opposite edge secured to the panel I2 by means of a conventional slide fastener closure 36 carried in part by strip 32 and in part by a strip 38v which is cemented or otherwise, secured to the panel I2. This auxiliary retainer serves to compress the primary and secondary closures and to keep the interlocking parts thereof in proper relationship.

The ends of shoulder I6 and the overlying ange I8 are rounded off at their ends, as indicated at 40 in Figure 2. In order to provide for access to the flange I8, it will be noted that in conjunction with the longitudinally extending slide fastener closure 36 there is also provided a transversely extending slide fastener closure 42 carried in part by the main or cover strip 32 and in part by a strip 44 secured to the base material of the closure contiguous with panels I0 and I2. A second transversely extending slide fastener closure may be provided at the opposite end of slide fastener closure 36, or such second slide fastener may be dispensed with by extending the slide fastener 36 beyond the rounded end of ange I8, in which case the cover strip 32 may be freely turned back as `shown in Figure 2 to obtain access to the flange I8.

From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that the operation of the device is extremelyV simple. Initial separation occurs by manipulation of the

slide fastener closures

36 and 42 to free the cover panel 32 which may then be swung back as indicatedin Figure 2. Access is thus provided for disengagement of the lip 26 of ange I8 from the recess 28 which may be accomplished by inserting the fingers partially under the fiange 24. Flange I8 is then peeled back for separation of the lip 20 from the recess 22.

A modied form of the closure of the invention is shown in Figure 3, and in this embodiment elements of the closure corresponding to like elements of the closure of Figure 1 have been designated by the same reference numbers. In general the form of the closure of Figure 3 is basically the same as that of Figure l, and further discussion of the former is needed only insofar as there is a variance with the latter.

It will be noted that the combined height of the shoulder I6 and ange I8 of Figure 3 is relatively greater than it is for the same elements in Figure 1, and that there is a resultant sharper change in direction of the cover panel 32, as indicated at 46. This, combined with the tautness of cover panel 32, as indicated at 48, makes for the application of a highly efficient holding force by the cover panel 32 to the flange I8, thus serving to very effectively maintain the flange I8 in sealing relation to the shoulder I6. It will be further noted that I have provided the upper surface of the shoulder I6 with a seepage arrester element 58, preferably of chamois or leather, bonded or otherwise secured to the shoulder I6, and that the underside of the flange I8 is provided with a recess 52 complementary to element 50. The seepage arrester is provided as an additional safeguard of a washer type to ensure against even minor moisture seepage into the location of the lip 20 and recess 22.

Additionally, the closure of Figure 3 varies from that of Figure 1 in the provision of a conventional slide fastener 54 between the lip 20 and joint I4. The fastener 54 serves to prevent disturbance to the sealing joint constituted by the lip 20, recess 22 and panel edge joint I4, which disturbance might ensue from undue or exaggerated flexure of the closure. When the flange I8 is peeled back the fastener 54 may be opened to provide access through the joint I4 to the pocket, or the like, for which the described structure serves as a closure.

What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

In a sealing closure for the abutting edges of two pieces of fabric, an upstanding flattened shoulder disposed longitudinally of the rst of said edges, outwardly extending lips longitudinally disposed along the upper extremities of said shoulder, the inner of said longitudinal lips forming a fluid-tight seal with a longitudinally extending recess disposed adjacent the upper extremity of the second of said edges, a laterally extending iiange made integral with the upper extremity of said second edge and extending over said upstanding shoulder on said rst edge, a downwardly and inwardly curved lateral strip on said flange fitting over the outer of the lips of said shoulder in fluid-tight engagement therewith, and a cover strip affixed on the first of said edges close to the edge of said shoulder extending over said shoulder and flange in tight bearing relation therewith and removably afxed inwardly of said second edge.

L. E. ELWIN GO-SSNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,887,741 'Irottet Nov. 15, 1932 1,959,318 Sundback May 15, 1934 2,141,900 Brown Dec. 27, 1938 2,306,488 Morner Dec. 29, 1942 2,519,290 Saltz Aug. 15, 1950 OTHER REFERENCES Allerton, abstract of application Serial Number 581,016, published August 16, 1949 in Class 24- 207, 625 O. G. 837.