US2955292A

US2955292A - Strapless apron

Info

Publication number: US2955292A
Application number: US576355A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mckend John Edwin Robert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-04-05
Filing date: 1956-04-05
Publication date: 1960-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 1977-10-11

Description

Oct. 11, 1960 J. E. R. MCKEND STRAPLESS APRON Filed April 5. 1956 FIG! INVENTOR John E. R.McKend FIG. 4

United States Patent Ofiice STRAPLESS APRON John Edwin Robert McKend, 36 St. Clarens Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed Apr. 5, 1956, Ser. No. 576,355

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-48) This invention relates to a strapless apron for safe use by workingmen or women.

Prior aprons for use in factories embody a neck strap to hold the apron at the correct height on the body of the wearer. The neck strap gives rise to severe discomfort under working conditions of excessive heat or humidity. Of importance, however, is the great danger inherent in the use of a neck strap in the event the apron becomes caught in machinery. Many industrial accidents arise from this characteristic of prior apron construction. If the neck strap of a prior apron is unused and the apron is held onto the body of the wearer by tie straps at the back only, the apron will not satisfactorily stay in place;

It is the main object of the invention to provide an apron for use by workingmen or women having a substantially rigid panel portion adapted to maintain the apron in place on the wearer without the use of a neck strap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety apron having a substantially rigid panel portion and a body clamping spring member fastenable thereto to support the apron about the body of the wearer but readily removable with safety from said wearer when caught in a machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apron which may be worn at various heights on the body of the wearer and which will be maintained at such height by virtue of its construction without necessitating a neck strap.

With these and other objects in view, the invention generally comprises a sheet of flexible material adapted to cover a portion of the body of the wearer; and a rigid panel portion in said sheet adapted to extend at least partially about the body of the wearer.

Other objects of the invention will be appreciated by a study of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a workers apron according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 omitting some sectional hatching for purposes of clarity;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a spring clamping member of the invention illustrating its assembly with my apron construct-ion shown in chain lines as it would appear when clamped to the body of the wearer; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of the spring clamping member when not tensioned about the body of a wearer.

In the drawings, the flexible apron sheet of generally rectangular shape embodies a rigid panel portion 11 transversely thereof at the upper end 12 having a rigidify- 2355,2925 Patented Oct. 11, 1960 ing reinforcing material 13 such as buckram or other means characterized by vertical stiffness. A rear panel 14 is fastened about the reinforcing 13 and

suitable pockets

15 and 16 and edges 17 are finished in any suitable way such as by sewing.

Various means may be provided for fastening the rigid panel portion 11 about the body of the wearer. In the form of the invention shown in Figure 1, an elastic tape 18 is fastened to portion 11 at 19 and carries a snap hook device 20 at the free end 21 thereof. The device 20 is adapted to connect to ring 22 on strap 23 fastened at 24 to portion 1 1.

It is preferred, however, to pass a spring clamp 24 through the rigid portion 11 between the sheet 10 and rear panel 14 as indicated in Figure 3. Clamp 24 is formed of a springy material in such natural contour as indicated in Figure 4 that upon deflection for clamping action about the waist of the body of the wearer, distortion of the mid-portion 25 thereof effects an inward pressure toward the diaphragm or abdomen of the wearer, while in the deflected or clamping position, the clamp 24 generally takes the form of an ellipse about the body of the wearer following body contour. The mid-portion 25 in departing inwardly from such contour effects a more comfortable and effective clamping action.

In use, the apron of the invention, by reason of the rigid portion 11 thereof is adapted to stay in place upon the body at a selected wearing height. In this respect, the effective lower edge 27 of the rigid portion 11 prevents downward slipping of the apron on the wearer in particular when located at the hip line. However, the general distribution of clamping pressure by reason of the firm and large area of contact of the rigid portion is effective to maintain adjustment at any comfortable height.

What I claim as my invention is:

A workers apron comprising in combination: a generally rectangular sheet; a panel portion having end portions, said panel portion forming a part of said sheet and adapted to be clamped to the body of the wearer to provide a support thereon for said sheet; a buckram-like rigidifying panel conforming in size to said panel portion and mounted thereon and serving as the sole rigidifying means therefor to distribute the clamping pressure of said panel portion over the full area of the body engaged by said rigid portion; an elastic member attached to said panel portion; a ring member having an outside diameter of at elast one and one-half inches and an inside diameter of at least one inch attached to said elastic member; a hook member adapted to engage with said ring member; and an elastic member connecting said hook to an end portion of said panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 277,178 Webb May 8, 1883 699,513 Garms May 6, 1902 796,695 Blake Aug. 8, 1905 2,156,495 Hall May 2, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 209 Great Britain of 1891 404,945 Great Britain Jan. 23, 1934