US2911653A

US2911653A - Trouser support

Info

Publication number: US2911653A
Application number: US737792A
Authority: US
Inventors: O'donnell Charles
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-05-26
Filing date: 1958-05-26
Publication date: 1959-11-10
Anticipated expiration: 1976-11-10

Description

Nov. 10, 1959 c. ODONNELL TROUSER SUPPORT Filed May 26, 195 8 HTTDRNE'Y INVENTOR. CHFIRLES O'DONNELL United States Patent 2,911,653 Patented Nov. 10, 1959 2,911,653 TROUSER SUPPORT Charles ODonnell, Paterson, NJ. Application May 26, 1958, Serial No. 737,792

(Zlaims. (Cl. 2321) This invention relates generally to wearing apparel. More particularly, the invention has reference to a belt, adapted to be self-expanding to fit the particular wearer.

One important object is to provide a generally improved belt of the type which does not come completely open, that is, a belt which is of the endless type, having an elastic part through a portion of its circumference.

Another object is to provide a belt of the type described wherein the elastic part will, in its normal, contracted condition, be readily adjustable as to length, so as to provide for major adjustments in the overall size of the belt.

Another object is to so design the elastic part that during normal Wearing of the belt, the belt will expand and contract as necessary, during normal breathing, the belt automatically expanding when, for example, one has eaten heavily. In this way, it is proposed to' eliminate the inconvenience that is present in the case of ordinary belts, resulting from the fact that the belt tends to remain of a constant length, and does not automatically compensate for reduction or expansion of the waistline of the wearer, which reduction and expansion is occurring almost continuously.

Still another object is to provide a belt as stated which will be attractive in appearance, and Will not have unsightly loose ends that must be tucked into belt loops of ones trousers, such as is true of a conventional belt.

Another object is to provide a belt that will be so designed that one can completely detach the elastic part, so that the same elastic part can be used with any of a plurality of main, inelasticportions of the belt. In this -way, one may have a plurality of leather main portions of the belt, of different widths, colors, etc., for use with different types of attire. Then, with said portions one can use a single elastic part which can be attached to any one of the various main portions of the belt, that has been selected to be worn.

Another object is to provide a belt so designed that the elastic component thereof Will be connected to the ends of the length of the main portion of the belt, by a clip means that can be purchased on the open market, thus to reduce-the cost of manufacture of the belt.

Another object, in a modified form, is to so design the belt that the clip means will remain permanently assembled, more or less, with the main portion of the belt, although being capable of being adjusted while so assembled or connected, between gripping and releasing positions. In other words, the clip means will remain connected to an associated end of the main portion of the belt. Yet, said clip means can be caused to relax its gripping action, while still remaining connected. In this way, the elastic part can remain assembled with the main portion, and can even be adjusted vertically upon the main portion. Further, the arrangement is one which will permit the clip means to move longitudinally of the main portion to an extent to temporarily increase the overvall circumference of the endless belt, which would be 2 desirable, for. example, when one is putting on or taking off ones trousers.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the [objects and advantages. thereof, reference will be had ,to the following description .and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig.. 1 is a perspective view of a belt according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, front elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, top plan view of the belt.

Fig. 4 is a view like Fig. 2 showing a modification, the dotted lines indicating a raised position of the elastic component of the belt.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the modified form.

Fig. 6 is a still further enlarged, detail sectional View on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1-3 the reference numeral 10 designates what may appropriately be termed a main portion of the belt. This term is used in the sense that the portion extends through the greatest part of the circumference of the belt, and constitutes the longer component. The other component of the belt has been designated 12, and comprises an elastic connecting portion.

The portion .10 in a preferred embodiment would itself be of a non-elastic material, such as leather. It can be of any width or any ornamentation or coloring desired. In the form shown in Figs. 1-3, in fact, the stretchable portion 12 is detachably connected at its opposite ends to the respective ends of the main portion it). Therefore, the stretchable portion can be used with any of a plurality of main portions, so that one can select a main portion according to the particular attire that he is wearing, as for example, formal attire, sports attire, etc.

In any event, the elastic or stretchable portion 12 comprises a length .14 of' a longitudinally stretchable, resilient material, such as a rubberized fabric of the type used, for example, as material for the manufacture of suspenders or braces.

In any event, the length 14 at one end is folded upon itself to provide an adjusting loop 16, and freely slidable on the intermediate portion of the length 14 is an adjusting buckle 18, having a tongue 20 connected to one end of the length .14 at 22. The buckle itself is conventional, and is. of the same type as is used on suspenders for adjusting the length thereof. In other words, buckle 18 may be operated between locking and unlocking positions and when unlocked is freely movable alongthe length of the elastic material. This adjusts the size of the loop and in turn causes adjustment of the over-all length of the elastic component, to increase or decrease the distance between the ends of the main portion 10 when the elastic component is in its normal, unstretched condition.

The elastic component is connected at its ends to the main portion 30 through the provision of clips 24. One clip 24 is connected by its tongue 26 to one end of the length 14. The tongue 26 of the other clip is engaged with the outer end of the loop 16.

The clips are conventional per se, and are of the type used to connect suspenders to the waists of trousers. Thus, each clip 24 includes gripping jaws 28 pivotally connected at 30 and operable between gripping and releasing positions by means of an operating tongue or handle 32. When the handle 32 is in its position shown in Fig. 2, the jaws are caused to embrace and grip the adjacent end of the main portion 10. When the handle 32 is swung outwardly, the grip is released and the clips can be detached completely from the main portion 10.

Referring now to Figs. 4-6, this form is substantially identical to the first form of the invention, with the exception that the elastic component is intended to remain connected to the opposite ends of the main portion, even when the grip of the jaw 28 is relaxed. The purpose of this is to cause the overall circumference or size of the belt to be temporarily increased, to an extent that will make the belt quite loose upon the wearer so that it can, while remaining in its endless condition and while still extending through the loops of apair of trousers, he slipped on and oif with the trousers.

To this end, in the modified form there is a main portion the ends of which are spaced apart. Extending between and connected to the respective ends of main portion 10 is the stretchable component 12*. This is formed of an elastic material similar to that previously described, and as in the first form there is an arrangement permitting adjustment in the overall length of the stretchable component, by the use of an adjusting or take-up loop and buckle such as is shown at 18.

In this form of the invention, the clips 24 are identical in every respect to the clips of the first form, except that one jaw 26* of each clip is formed with vertically spaced, horizontally extending slits 34. The material of the jaw 26 between slits 34 is pressed outwardly as at 36 providing a tubular portion open at its opposite ends receiving an elongated connecting strip 38, one end of which is attached by stitching 40 to the material of the main portion. The strip 38 can be of leather or the like, and after extension through the slits 34, is again connected to the main portion through the provision of a wide part 42 of the strip in engagement with a button 44 carried by the main portion, said wide part having a buttonhole 46.

In other words, when the jaws of the clips are in their gripping positions, they operate exactly like the jaws of the clips 24. When, however, the handles of the clips 1Z4 are swung outwardly to cause the jaws to release their grip, the clips do not become completely detached from the ends of the main portion. Instead, the strips 38 flex, as indicated at 38' in Fig. 4, so that the clips may pull outwardly to a slight degree from the ends of the main portion 10*, whereby to temporarily increase the distance across which the elastic component 12* extends. In other words, the elastic component remains connected to the main portion so that the belt still is of endless characteristic. However, the overall circumference of the belt is temporarily increased, causing the belt to become loose upon the body of the wearer to facilitate its being slipped on or off with a pair of trousers.

Of course, to completely detach the elastic component, one detaches the portion 42 from the button 44, and said portion 42 can be forced through the slits 34. Slits 34 are preferably of a length sutficient to permit the portions 42 to move therethrough without appreciable difiiculty.

In both forms of the invention, the belt has the desirable characteristic wherein it can be adjusted in size, and

wherein it is devoid of buckles which must be opened,

or closed each time the belt is put on or taken off. The belt is resiliently expandable and contractable during alternate expansion and contraction of the waistline, as for example during normal breathing. This eliminates discomfort which is often found when one wears a belt that does not automatically extend, this being true, of course, of almost all conventional belts.

Further, the invention has a desirable characteristic in that it is capable of manufacture at a comparatively low cost, and is even designed to permit interchanging of a plurality of portions 10 or 10*, so that one seemingly has a large number of completely difierent belts, al-

though in actuality one is still using the same

elastic component

12 or 12 with all of the interchangeable main portions.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In wearing apparel, a belt comprising a main portion having spaced ends, a length of elastic material extending between said ends, and means on said length releasably gripping said ends of the main portion, said length of elastic material being stretchable in a longitudinal direction, the last-named means comprising clips engageable with said ends of the main portion, each clip having a pair of jaws adapted to embrace the associated end of the main portion, said main portion including connecting means at its opposite ends connected to one jaw of the clips, for holding the clips connected to the main portion in both the gripping and releasing positions of the jaws, said connecting means comprising transverse strips on the ends of the main portion, said one jaw of the clips having spaced slits through which the strips extend.

2. In wearing apparel, a belt comprising a main portion having spaced ends, a length of elastic material extending between said ends, and means on said length releasably gripping said ends of the main portion, said length of elastic material being stretchable in a longitudinal direction, the last-named means comprising clips engageable with said ends of the main portion, each clip having a pair of jaws adapted to embrace the associated end of the main portion, said main portion including connecting means at its opposite ends connected to one jaw of the clips, for holding the clips connected to the main portion in both the gripping and releasing positions of the jaws, said connecting means comprising transverse strips on the ends of the main portion, said one jaw of the clips having spaced slits through which the strips extend, said strips being deformable in the direction of the length of the main portion so as to permit the clips to move away from said end of the main portion while remaining connected thereto, thus to temporarily in crease the overall size of the belt when the clip jaws are in released position.

3. In wearing apparel, a belt comprising a main portion having spaced ends, a length of elastic material extending between said ends, and means on said length releasably gripping said ends of the main portion, said length of elastic material being stretchable in a longitudinal direction, the last-named means comprising clips engageable with said ends of the main portion, each clip having a pair of jaws adapted to embrace the associated end of the main portion, said main portion including connecting means at its opposite ends connected to one jaw of the clips, for holding the clips connected to the main portion in both the gripping and releasing positions of the jaws, said connecting means comprising transverse strips on the ends of the main portion, said one jaw of the clips having spaced slits through which the strips extend, said strips being deformable in the direction of the length of the main portion so as to permit the clips to move away from said end of the main portion while remaining connected thereto, thus to temporarily increase the overall size of the belt when the clip jaws are in released position, the strips being permanently connected at one end to the main portion, and having detachable connections at their other ends to the main portion.

4. In Wearing apparel, a belt comprising a main portion having spaced ends, a length of elastic material extending between said ends, and means on said length releasably gripping said ends of the main portion, said length of elastic material being stretchable in a longitudinal direction, the last-named means comprising clips engageable with said ends of the main portion, each clip having a pair of jaws adapted to embrace the associated end of the main portion, said main portion including connecting means at its opposite ends connected to one jaw of the clips, for holding the clips connected to the main portion in both the gripping and releasing positions of the jaws, said connecting means comprising transverse strips on the ends of the main portion, said one jaw of the clips having spaced slits through which the strips extend, said strips being deformable in the direction of the length of the main portion so as to permit the clips to move away from said end of the main portion while remaining connected thereto, thus to temporarily increase the overall size of the belt when the clip jaws are in released position, the strips being permanently connected at one end to the main portion, and having detachable connections at their other ends to the main portion, said other ends of the strips being enlarged.

5. In wearing apparel, a belt comprising a main portion having spaced ends, a-length of elastic material extending between said ends, and means on said length Ieleasably gripping said ends of the main portion, said length of elastic material being stretchable in a longitudinal direction, the last-named means comprising clips engageable with said ends of the main portion, each Clip having a pair of jaws adapted to embrace the associated end of the main portion, said main portion including connecting means at. its opposite ends connected to one jaw of the clips, for holding the clips connected to the main portion in both the gripping and releasing positions of the jaws, said connecting means comprising transverse strips on the ends of the main portion, said one jaw of the clips having spaced slits through which the strips extend, said strips being deformable in the direction of the length of the main portion so as to permit the clips to move away from said end of the main portion while remaining connected thereto, thus to temporarily increase the overall size of the belt when the clip jaws are in i released position, the strips being permanently connected at one end to the main portion, and having detachable connections at their other ends to the main portion, said other ends of the strips being enlarged, and having buttonholes, said detachable connections comprising buttons carried by the main portion and extendable through said buttonholes.

References Cited in the file of this patent