US2750595A

US2750595A - Undergarment

Info

Publication number: US2750595A
Application number: US451823A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hollinger Max
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-08-24
Filing date: 1954-08-24
Publication date: 1956-06-19
Anticipated expiration: 1973-06-19

Description

June 19, 1956 M. HOLLINGER UNDERGARMENT Filed Aug. 24, 1954 INVENTOR. MAX HOLL/N6ER ATTORNEY United States Patent UNDERGARMENT Max Hollinger, Port Chester, N. Y.

Application August 24, 1954, Serial No. 451,823

3 Claims. (Cl. 2--113) The present invention relates generally to undergarments, and is particularly directed to undershirts of the type known as T-shirts.

Many men, for example, those in the priesthood, ministry, judiciary or academic world, are required, on formal occasions, to wear heavy outer garments, robes or vestments which cover all of the body and fit closely around the neck with only a starched white collar showing thereabove. The exposed collar is either fixedly attached to a fabric shirt or, if removable or detachable from the shirt, is held in place by collar buttons securing the collar to the shirt. Since the shirt is completely covered by the outer garment, robe or vestment, the shirt performs no function other than to secure the collar in position. In hot weather, the layer-on-layer of garments becomes oppressive, and it therefore becomes desirable to eliminate all unnecessary garments.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide undershirts, preferably of the type known as T-shirts, which are adapted to have conventional detachable collars secured to the neckbands thereof, thereby to make it possible for the wearer to dispense with the usual shirt worn beneath the outer garment, robe or vestment.

Although undershirts embodying this invention have obvious advantages when worn beneath covering outer garments, robes or vestments, it is also apparent that such undershirts may be worn without a covering garment when the undershirt is otherwise obscured from view, for example, by Catholic priests hearing confessions, so that the moisture absorbent knitted fabric of the undershirt provides the sole covering for the torso to afford a high degree of comfort.

Another object of the invention is to provide an undershirt of the described character wherein the neck-band of the undershirt is adapted to withstand the added strains imposed thereon by the attachment of a collar thereto and will withstand repeated launderings without stretching out of shape.

In accordance with the invention, the above, and other objects and advantages appearing in the following detailed description, are achieved by providing an undershirt, preferably of the type known as a T-shirt and having a knitted body, with a neck-band which is preferably reinforced with nylon and has at least one button-hole therein to receive a collar button for securing a detachable collar to the neck-band of the undershirt.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, illustrative embodiments thereof are hereinafter described in detail and shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an undershirt embodying this invention with a detachable collar secured to the neckband of the undershirt;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the undershirt of Fig. 1, but with the collar removed;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, but on an enlarged scale; and

2,750,595 Patented June 19, 1956 "ice Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the upper portion of another undershirt embodying this invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and intially to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 thereof, an undershirt embodying this invention is there generally identified by the reference numeral 10. The undershirt 10 includes a body portion 11 and sleeves 12 which are preferably formed of a knitted fabric so as to conform closely and comfortably to the contours of the wearers body and the body portion 11 is open at the bottom so that it may be pulled over the wearers head in being donned or removed. Preferably, the knitted fabric of the body portion 11 and sleeves 12 includes cotton as a substantial portion of the fibers thereof to provide a desirably high rate of moisture absorption.

In accordance with the present invention, the neck opening 13 has a neck-band 14 extending there-around and secured to the edge of the body portion 11 defining the opening 13, with the neck-band 14 having at least one buttonhole 15 extending therethrough at a central location in the back portion of the neck-band.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the neck opening 13 is round or defines a crew neck, and a second button hole 16 is centrally located in the front portion of the neck-band 14. Preferably, the neck-band 14 is formed of a knitted fabric which is reinforced With nylon filaments or yarns so that it will be capable of withstanding the added strains imposed thereon by attachment of a collar to the neck-band and repeated laundering without stretching out of shape.

As seen in Fig. 3, the neck-band 14 is folded over the edge of body portion 11 around the opening 13 and is secured to the body portion by two parallel rows of stitching 17, while the

button holes

15 and 16 extend through both layers of the neck-band and are surrounded by stitching securing together the two layers of the neck-band around the button-holes.

A detachable collar 18, for example, a clerical collar, as shown in Fig. 1, can be secured to the undershirt 10 by

conventional collar buttons

19 and 20 which respectively extend through the button-

holes

15 and 16 of neck-band 14 and then engage in the usual button-holes at the opposite ends and at the center of the collar 18. While a clerical collar having its ends secured together at the back of the neck-band 14 has been illustrated in Fig. 1, it is to be understood that any other detachable collar can be secured to the undershirt 10 by collar buttons extending through one or both of the button-

holes

15 and 16. If desired, a false shirt front or dickey (not shown) may be attached to the collar 18 so that the undershirt 10 can be worn under a sack coat or the like which would otherwise expose a portion of the front of the undershirt.

In Fig. 4, another embodiment of the invention is illustrated and generally identified by the reference numeral 10a. The undershirt 10a is distinguished from that described in connection with Figs. 1, 2 and 3 only in that the neck-band 14a extends around a V-shaped neck open ing 13a and has a button-hole 15a only in the rear portion of the neck-band for securing a detachable collar (not shown) to the latter. The form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 is useful when it is not necessary to anchor the collar at the front, as when, a false shirt front is attached to the collar or the wearer will not be exposed to public view, for example, in the case of a priest hearing confessions.

Although only two diiferent neck-band shapes have been illustrated in the drawings, it is apparent that other variations in the shape of the neck-opening are possible.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided an undershirt to which a detachable collar may be secured so that priests, ministers, jurists and the like, who are required to wear heavy robes or vestments, with only their collars exposed above such robes or vestments can dispense with the usual shirts worn between their undershirts and outer robes or vestments for the sole purpose of securing their collars in place, and thereby achieve a higher degree of comfort in hot or humid Weather. Further, in the case of lay persons, the undershirts embodying this invention can be advantageously worn in connection with a detachable collar and false shirt front for dress or evening Wear, and this use of the undershirts embodying the invention will be of particular advantage to actors and other performers who are required to work under heat emitting lights.

While illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments and that various changes and modifications can be effected therein without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An undershirt of a knitted fabric and comprising a body portion having sleeves extending therefrom and a neck opening, and a neck-band extending around said opening and secured to the edge of said body portion defining said opening, said neck-band having at least one button hole extending therethrough each to receive a collar button for securing a detachable collar to the undershirt, said neck-band forming an elongated strip of nylon reinforced fabric folded on itself along a longitudinal medial line and embracing the edge of said body portion around said neck-opening and stitching extending parallel to said edge securing said strip to said body portion and around each button hole to join the layers of said band together around the related button hole, so as to be able to withstand the strains resulting from the securing of a detachable button thereto and repeated laundering without departing from its original shape.

2. An undershirt according to claim 1; wherein said neck-opening is round, and said neck-band has button holes therein at central locations in the front and rear portions of the neck-band.

3. An undershirt according to claim 1; wherein said neck opening is V-shaped at the front, and said neck-band has a single button hole at a central location in the rear portion of said neck-band.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 487,000 Auer Nov. 29, 1892 870,967 Ienne Nov. 12, 1907 2,686,318 Mason Aug. 17, 1954