US2893012A - Expansible shirt collars - Google Patents

Description

July 7, 1959 G. KAHN EXPANSIBLE SHIRT COLLARS Filed Feb. 18, 1957 ATTORNEY United States Patent 6 EXPANSIBLE snrnr COLLARS Leon: G. Kahn, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor, by mesne' assignments,.to Thev Kaynee Company, Greenville, S.C., a corporation of South Carolina Application February 18, 1957, SerialNo. 640,738

1.Clain1. (Cl. 2.-141) My invention relates to expansible shirt collars, and particularly to an expansible fastening for a permanently attached neckband or collar of a shirt; and the nature and objects of the invention will be readily recognized and'understood by those skilled. in the art to which it rel-ates in the light of the following explanation and dc taileddesc'ription of the accompanying drawings illustrat ing what I now believe to .be the preferred embodiments andstructural expressions of the invention and the several features thereof from among various other forms, expressions, combinations, constructions and modifications of which the. invention is capable within the broad spirit and scope thereof as defined by the claim hereto appended.

With-- most shirts made-up from any of the various woven fabric shirting materials, it is found after wear and laundering thereof that a certain percentage of shrinkage takes place, notwithstanding prior treatment of the shirting material by various shrinkage control processes such as pre shrinking, sanforizing and the like. Any such shrinkage. in ashirt, evenif but a small percentage, can cause the shirt neckband or collar to fit improperly and become too snug or tight-fitting about the neck of'the wearer, particularly if the neckband or collar is initially a proper and comfortable fit. Similarly, a proper and comfortably fitting neckband or collar of a shirt can, become too tight and uncomfortable by an increase in the size of the neck of'a wearer from an increase in weight or. other natural causes. Such conditions can, of course, be remedied, particularly with the collar attached types of shirts, by moving the attached button by which the neckband is fastened in position on the neck of the wearer, or by enlarging or resetting the buttonhole which receives such collar fastening button. However, such remedy of the condition amounts to a minor realteration on the shirt which requires time and effort, so that it is frequently put-off or never undertaken with the shirt either being put aside and not worn or being worn with the resulting improper fit of the neckband or collar and discomfort to the wearer.

It is a primary object of my invention to overcome the foregoing problems encountered with shirt neckbands and collars due toshrinkage of the material of which formed or to an increase in the size of the neck of the wearer, by providing for yield or expansion in the neckband or collar of a shirt at the point of fastening thereof into position about the neck of the wearer.

A' further object is to provide an expansible or yieldable mounting of the collar fastening button on the shirt or collar neckband of a shirt which willautomati'cally conform the neckband and collar to the neck of the wearer in the desired proper and comfortable fit therewith at all times and without regard to variations of neckband and collar or neck sizes.

Another object is to provide an expansible mounting for the fastening button or similar fastening member of a shirt and collar neckband which will be of extremely simple' design and construction and readily mounted on 2,893,012 atented July 7, 1959 and incorporated in the shirt during manufacture thereof at relatively small cost.

A further object is to provide such an expansible mounting for the neckband and'collar fastening button of a shirt which in normal, unexpanded position thereof is substantially hidden from view and locates the fastening button in its normal'position with the appearance of the conventional collar fastening button sewn in fixed position directly to the shirt or collar neckband.

A further object is to providesuch an expansible. collar fastening button mounting which is a built-in, permanent part of a shirt and which is not only readily laundered with the shirt but will withstand repeated launderings without harm or impairment of its. functioning.

Another object is toprovide such an expansiblemounting for a neckband or collar fastening button of a shirtin the form of a simple tape memberwhich is longitudinally expansible forattachment at one end thereof in fixed position within the. shirt or collar in positionextending outwardly therethrough with the collar fastening button attached on the free outer end of the expansible tape memher.

And a further. object is to provide such an expansible mountingwhich requires as the only modification of. the conventional forms of shirt and collar neckbands, the provision therein ofa simple buttonhole form or slot.

With the foregoing and various other objects-,features and results in'view which will be readily recognized and apparent from the following detailed description and explanation, my invention consists in certain novel features in design, construction and'functioning, all as will be more fully set forth and specified hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar reference characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several figures thereof:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of the upper portion of a shirt of the collar attached type incorporating theexpans-ible fastening button mounting of my invention, the collar being shown in fastened position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in frontelevation of the collar of the shirt of' Fig. 1 in fastened position and showing in dotted lines the concealed expansible tape member of the invention which carries at its outer free end the collar fastening button.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the collar and neckband of the shirt of Fig. l with a portion of the neckband of the collar broken away to show the fastening button mounting, expansi'ble tape member of' the invention in attached position.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the collar neckband and expansible mounting tape, taken as onthe. line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the expansible button mounting tape member of'the. invention, taken as on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

I have selected a shirt of the collarattached type with a form of the expansible mounting meansof my invention for the fastening button of the collar, to serve as an example of one possible expression and. adaptation of the invention. Such collar attached type shirt of the example is disclosed in Fig.- 1, and is identified generally by the reference character S. This shirt S is of conventional form and construction open. down the front for closure by the usual vertically spaced buttons F received in the usual buttonholes H, as will be readily understood by those familiar with this type of shirt. The shirt S includes the attached collar identified generally by the reference character C. This collar C in this instance includes the inner and outer plies 10 and ll'which are permanently stitchedto the neck portion of the shirt C and which form, in effect, the shirt and collar neckband identified generally by' the reference character N; Be-

tween the inner and outer plies and 11 of the permanently attached collar C of this particular example, there is provided a stiffening ply 12, all in the usual manner familiar in the art for this type of attached shirt collar. As will be understood, the neckband portion N of the collar C has the separated or detached ends 14 and 15 at the front thereof with a buttonhole 16 provided in the end 14 for receiving therethrough and therein the fastening button B which is carried by the end 15 and by means of which the collar is fastened in position on and around the neck of the wearer with the end 14 in position overlapping end 15. The collar C is of the turneddown or folded-over type and includes the downwardly turned outer ply 17 which forms the collar proper.

In accordance with my invention I yieldingly mount and attach the collar fastening button B in position on the end 15 of the inner or neckband portion N of the collar C in position for fastening in the buttonhole 16 when the end 14 of the neckband portion 15 is lapped over the end 14 and the button B carried thereon. In this particular expression of my invention I provide an expansible member in the form of a tape identified generally by the reference character T which is comprised of a length of elastic material 21 attached to a length of non-elastic, fabric material 22. The strip of non-elastic material 22 is of flattened tubular form, as will be clear by reference to Fig. 5, and one end of the elastic strip 21 is extended a short distance into an end of the nonelastic strip 22 and is permanently attached therein and thereto by the stitching 22a. Thus, I have in this example provided an expansible tape member T which, if grasped at its opposite ends, is expansible by the application of oppositely acting, longitudinally applied forces thereto and which upon release of such forces will return and restore to its normal contracted and unexpanded length.

Following the teachings of my invention I provide a buttonhole or slot 25 in and through the outer ply 11 of the neckband portion N of the shirt and collar with this buttonhole or slot disposed vertically relative to the shirt when in position on the wearer, that is, disposed transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the neckband portion N, as will be clear by reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings in particular. This buttonhole or slot 25 has a length that is preferably but slightly greater than the maximum width of the expansible, composite tape member T, that is in this example the width of the non-flexible strip portion 22 of the tape member, in order that such non-expansible portion 22 may freely slidably extend through the buttonhole or slot 25, as will be hereinafter explained.

The composite, expansible tape member T is mounted and assembled in operative position and combination with the collar C and its neckband portion N by permanently attaching the free end of the elastic or expansible portion 21 thereof to the outer side of the stiffening ply 12 of the neckband portion by suitable stitching 21a through such free end and the stilfening ply 12 and also through the inner ply 10 of the neckband portion N (see Figs. 3 and 4). The expansible tape member T in such mounted position is unattached to the outer ply 11 of the collar neckband portion N but lies between such outer ply and the stiffening ply 12 to which it is permanently attached in fixed position. With the expansible tape member T so attached the length thereof is such that in its normal, unexpanded condition the non-expansible strip 22 thereof is extended outwardly through the buttonhole or slot 25 with the outer free end 26 of the non-expansible strip 22 of the tape member T located in exposed position at the outer side of ply 11 and providing a mounting for attachment thereto of the collar fastening button B. As will be clear from Fig. 4 of the drawings, the strip of non-expansible material 22 adjacent its outer free end portion 26 overlies the neckband N between the edge of the latter and the buttonhole 25 when the composite tape member T is in its normally contracted position. In this specific example the composite tape member T has a length of approximately 2%" with a maximum width of approximately while the buttonhole or vertical slot 25 has an internal length of approximately /2". The free end provided by the elastic strip 21 of the expansible tape member T is attached at a location within the neckband portion N of the collar C such that the free, button mounting end 26 of the expansible tape member will project a distance of approximately A" when the tape member is in its normal contracted and unexpanded position. The collar fastening button B is attached in position on the outer side of the projecting free end 26 of the expansible tape member T, as by sewing the same thereon by the threads 26a, so that the button is yieldingly displaceable outwardly on and relative to the end 15 of the neckband portion N by expansion of the tape member T and will be displaced inwardly and restored to its normal position by contraction of the tape member from its expanded position. The button B is positioned by the expansible tape member T in its normal unexpanded position, located at and preferably partially extending over and generally obscuring from view the major portion of the length of the buttonhole or vertical slot 25, so that in this position the button B has the appearance of the conventional fastening button on the collar C of the shirt S. By locating the outer free end 26 of the non-expansible strip 22 of the tape member T between the edge of the neckband N and the buttonhole 26 when the tape member is in normal retracted position, the possibility of the outer free end of the non-expansible strip 22, or the button B, becoming caught in the buttonhole 26 is substantially eliminated. Preferably the collar fastening button B has a diameter such as to assist in obscuring the buttonhole 25 when the button B is in its normal position at and over the buttonhole when the tape member T is unexpanded and in its normal contracted position. For example, in this specific form of the invention the button B has a diameter of approximately fie".

In the use of the expansible, fastening button mounting of the invention in the form as shown in the example shirt S and its attached collar C, the neckband portion N of the shirt and collar will have one of the standard shirt sizes as used in the industry. Such shirt size will be measured from the center of the button B to the outer end of the buttonhole 16 when the button is in its normal position for the specified size of shirt and with the expansible tape member T in its normal contracted and unexpanded position as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 3. Preferably the expansible button mounting tape for each neckband size will have a length or range of expansibility for the elastic portion 21 of a composite tape member T such that the button B mounted on such fastening button B will function exactly in the same manner as the conventional fastening button attached in a fixed location on the neckband. However, if, through shrinkage of the neckband N or increase in the size of the neck of the wearer, the neckband then becomes too tightly fitting, such condition is automatically inherently taken care of and remedied by an expansible mounting of my invention, in that the expansible tape member T will expand or yield under the forces applied longitudinally thereof by the decrease in neckband size relative to the neck of the user and will thereby reset itself to its new size increase by displacement outwardly the requisite distance from its normal or starting position at the buttonhole or vertical slot 25. In Fig. 3 of the drawings the fully expanded position of the tape member T and the maximum position of outward displacement thereby of the collar fastening button B are indicated in broken lines, while in Fig. 2 the collar C is shown with the button B in an automatically reset position displaced yieldingly outwardly from the buttonhole 25 under circumstances of decreased neckband size or increased neck size.

Due to the simplicity of the structure, consisting as it does of merely the flat, expansible and non-expansible strips 21 and 22 making up the expansible tape member T in its composite form, a shirt in which such fastening button mounting is incorporated will in no wise have its normal conventional appearance changed and the laundering, including washing and ironing thereof, will not be affected in any way. Similarly, the expansible button mounting structure, because of its simple construction and attachment in and to a neckband, will not be structurally or functionally harmed or impaired by normal laundering thereof. Preferably, as in the present example, the non-expansible strip 21 of the composite expansible tape member T, is formed of the same shining material as the shirt S. While in its preferred form as here disclosed, the expansible tape member T is formed of the non-expansible fabric strip 22 and the elastic, expansible strip 21, it is to be understood that if desired or found expedient, the tape member T may be comprised solely of a length of strip of elastic tape, such as the tape 21, with the collar fastening button B stitched or otherwise permanently fastened to the outer exposed end thereof.

It will also be evident that various other changes, modifications, variations, substitutions, eliminations and additions may be resorted to without departing from the broad spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not desire or intend to limit my invention in all respects to the exact and specific form thereof as disclosed herein, except as may be required by intended specific limitations thereto appearing in the claim hereto appended.

What I claim is:

In a shirt and collar neckband having separate ends at the front thereof for overlapping to fasten said neckband, in combination, said neckband including an inner ply and an outer ply; one of said separate ends of said neckband having a buttonhole therein; the other and opposite 'sepa rate end of said neckband having a buttonhole through said outer ply thereof only disposed transversely thereacross; an expansible tape member comprised of a flat, band-like strip of elastic material attached at one end thereof between said inner and outer plies of said neckband at a location spaced a distance inwardly therealong from said transversely disposed buttonhole and providing an outer free end, and a flat, band-like strip of nonexpansible material attached at its inner end to the outer free end of said strip of elastic material between said inner and outer plies of said neckband and providing an outer free end with said non-expansible strip of material extending freely slidably and outwardly through said transversely disposed buttonhole with said outer free end thereof being freely movable independently and longitudinally of said neckband by expansion and contraction longitudinally of said expansible tape member; a fastening button secured to and movable with said outer free end of said non-expansible strip of material by expansion and contraction longitudinally of said strip of elastic material; said fastening button on said outer free end of said expansible tape member being adapted to be received in said buttonhole of said other and opposite separate end of said neckband for yieldingly fastening said neckband; and said strip of non-expansible material adjacent its outer end overlying said neckband between the edge of said neckband and said buttonhole in the normally contracted position of said tape member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,814,760 Miller July 14, 1931 2,298,381 Horwitz Oct. 13, 1942 2,583,992 Bouteloup Jan. 29, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 24,597 Australia Sept. 25, 1935 730,731 Great Britain May 25, 1955

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