US2710013A - Rain shield - Google Patents

Description

June 7, 1955 JONES 2,710,013

RAIN SHIELD Filed March 2, 1953 INVENTOR. 06791? 4. J'a/wss.

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United States Patent RAIN SHIELD Edgar L. Jones, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application March 2, 1953, Serial No. 339,540

4 Claims. (Cl. 135-19.5)

This invention relates to a throw-away paperboard rain shield or umbrella adapted particularly for use in emergencies.

It is the object of the invention to provide a throw-away paperboard rain shield sufliciently inexpensive to permit them to be kept on hand in quantities in stores, restaurants and the like, or at outdoor games and exhibitions in order that they may be supplied to customers or spectators in event of their being caught in a sudden rain or shower with no protection. They thus may be given away or sold at a very nominal cost, with or without advertising material printed on them so that after the immediate emergency is over they may be discarded. It is also desired that they be so constructed as to lie flat in stacked relation so that the supply would take up the minimum of space or be conveniently handled in batches or bundles for distribution.

In such throw-away rain shields or umbrellas it is customary that they be made of a water proofed paperboard of suflicient strength to maintain their general shape while permitting of some bending or flexing, said shields also being equally useful as sun shields.

It is the feature of this invention to provide the shield with an economical and efiicient supporting and holding member which when not in use will lie fiat against the shield so as not to interfere with the stacking thereof, but which, in lieu of the usual handle, will permit the shield to be supported on the forearm to be held over ones head while leaving the hand free to hold or grip other articles.

In one form of the invention such holding and supporting member comprises a pair of adjustable straps through which the forearm may be extended with the hand free. Other forms of the invention reside in a forearm supporting or holding strap which is secured to the shield at both ends to form a loop through which the forearm may be extended. Said holding or supporting member or members are preferably formed of the same paperboard material and secured to the underside of the shield.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the rain shield illustrating its mounting upon the forearm of the user.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the underside of the shield showing the supporting or holding straps in position before adjustment to the forearm.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the underside of a shield with a modified form of a supporting or holding member.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged central vertical section through the shield and holding member expanded to shield holding position to shield the user.

Fig. 5 is a central vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

In the drawings there is shown a rain shield comprising a disk which may be made of water proofed paperboard or an inexpensive light flexible material such that it will normally hold its shape. Whereas the shield 10 is herein shown as circular, it may be of any suitable ice shape or configuration in peripheral outline, and while referred to herein as a rain shield it may be similarly used as a sun shield or shade. It is normally flat so that a large number of said shields may be conveniently stored, packaged or carried without interfering bulging handles or the like. The shield is adapted to be held over the head, preferably through being supported upon the forearm of the user as indicated at 11, leaving the hand, as indicated at 12, free to hold any article 13 as desired. With the shield supported upon the forearm the user may raise his forearm above his head and thus support the shield in proper position for the desired protection.

In one form of the invention the shield is shown as having an adjustable forearm holding member comprising a pair of spaced paperboard straps 14 each secured at one end thereof to the underside of the shield, as indicated at 15, by gluing, stapling or the like. They are preferably arranged in parallel spaced relation with each other, each having its free end portions provided with a series of cut out locking tabs 16. To the underside of the shield there is secured a paperboard locking bar 17 glued, stapled or otherwise secured to the shield at spaced intervals to leave free loop portions 18 through and under which the free ends of the straps 14 may be inserted for interlocking the tabs 16 therewith, as shown in Fig. 1.

By means of this arrangement the user of the shield may rest his forearm thereon and loop the straps over the forearm, extending the free ends thereof through the loop portions 18 and cause one of the looping tabs to interlock therewith to adjustably hold the straps sufiiciently tight about the forearm to hold the shade in place thereon. The hand is then free to grasp any article, if desired, and the forearm moved over the head to present the shield in its protecting position.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 3, 4 and S, the shield 10 has secured to the underside thereof a flat paperboard strap 20 glued or stapled at opposite sides thereof as at 21, leaving the intermediate portion of the strap free to separate from the shield to provide a holding strap when the forearm of the user is inserted therebetween. When the shield is not in use, the strap will lie flat thereon as shown in Fig. 5, for convenient storing, packaging and carrying. When it is put into use, the user inserts his hand and forearm through the free intermediate portion of the strap, causing it to bulge outwardly which in turn will form a bulge in the shield, as shown in Fig. 4. The free bulged portion of the strap 20 thus provides a suitable supporting or holding member for mounting the shield on the forearm, leaving the hand free in the manner above described with respect to the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The invention claimed is:

l. A shield of the character described comprising a normally fiat disk, a pair of holding straps each having one end thereof secured to the underside of said disk, and a locking member secured to said shield for receiving and interlocking therewith the free ends of said straps to extend over the forearm of the user.

2. A shield of the character described comprising a normally flat disk, a pair of holding straps arranged substantially midway of said disk in parallel spaced relation, means for securing one end of each of said straps to the underside of said shield, a locking member secured to the underside of said shield in opposed spaced relation to the secured ends of said straps, and means for interlocking the free ends of said straps with said locking member.

3. A shield of the character described comprising a normally flat disk of waterproofed paperboard, a pair of spaced parallel paperboard straps, each having one end thereof permanently secured to the underside of said disk, at paperboard locking bar secured to the underside of said disk in opposed spaced relation to the secured ends of said 3 straps, said bar having freed portions through which the free ends of said straps are adapted to be inserted, and a series of locking tabs on the free ends of said straps adapted to be selectively interengaged with said bar for adjustably securing the free ends of said straps in embracing relation with the forearm of the user.

4. A shield of the character described comprising a normally flat paperboard disk, and a pair of outwardly bulged supporting and holding straps mounted in parallel spaced relation each of said strap having its opposite References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Park Aug. 19, 1924 Berman Aug. 5, 1952

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