US3066307A - Utility garment - Google Patents

Description

L. F. LOEWE UTILITY GARMENT Dec. 4, 1962 Filed Dec. 18, 1961 INVENTOR. LESLIE F. Logwe BY 4/. KM

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,966,3tl7 UTILITY (JARMENT Leslie F. Loewe, University flirty, Mo., assignor to Angelica Uniform (lornpany, St. Louis, Mo., :1 corpo- .ration of Missouri Filed Dec. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 159,976

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-74) This invention relates in general to wearing apparel and, more particularly, to certain new and useful improvements in womens outer garments designed for utility wear.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wonians outer garment adapted primarily for utility purposes, being of the type generally referred to as uniforms, and which is uniquely designed for donning in an equally convenient manner by either an over-thehead or stepping-in procedure.

It is a further object of the pre ent invention to provide a womans outer garment which is closed at the front and provided with a waist-length opening in the rear, having neck-located securing means, and with the opening-defining elements being resistant, through their novel construction, against undesired parting during garment wear.

. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a womans outer utility garment having a single opening permitting ease of over-the-head or stepping-in donning, which is adapted for pressing by a flat ironer, obviating the need for time-consuming, costly handwork as requisite with currently available uniforms so that laundering may be accomplished in an expeditious and economic manner.

It is a still further object of the present invention to providea womans outer utility garment which may be most economically manufactured; which incorporates novel belt means and a cooperating detachable apron; which is devoid of slide fasteners, rows of buttons, and like securing members; and which garment is durable, reliable, and comfortable in usage.

Other objects and details of the invention will be apparent from the following description, when read in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein FIGURE 1 is a side view of a utility garment con structed in accordance with and embodying the present invention, showing the garment in worn position.

FIGURE 2 is a front view.

FIGURE 3 is a back view.

FIGURE 4 is a plan View of the apron.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal tranverse sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal transverse sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now by reference characters to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a womans outer garment or dress of the type designed primarily for utility purposes, such as used in restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and the like, and being made, preferably, of light, washable fabrics. Garment A comprises a front central panel 1, and a pair of symmetrical front side panels 2, 3, all of said panels being of shoulder to-hem length, incorporating Waist and skirt portions. Said front side panels 2, 3 are secured, as by stitching, along straight seams 4, 5, respectively, on their normally inner side margins to the adjacent margin of central panel 1; said seams 4, 5 being attractively obscured by overlying, flat pleats 6, 7, respectively, formed along the marginal portions of said central panel 1. Front panels 1, 2, 3 at their upper ends are cut to cooperatively define the forward portion of a neck opening 8, which may be, optionally, of rounded design. The outer side edge of each side panel 2, 3 is contoured to provide a short sleeve section 9, 10, respectively, and in its skirt portion is flared outwardly, as at 2', 3', respectively.

Front side panels 2, 3 are secured, along side margin of back panels 13, 14, respectively; which latter are of corresponding edge contour, being complementarily flared in their skirt portions and embodying sleeve sections 15, 16, respectively, which cooperate with front sleeve sections 9, 10, respectively, for developing the formation of sleeves 17, 18 for mutual securement of the related panels along shoulder seams 19, 20, respectively, which latter seams extend from the outer ends of sleeves 17, 18 to neck opening 8. Said rear panels 13, 14 at their upper ends are fashioned to complete neck opening 8.

Rear panel 13 is of greater width than panel 14, extending across the centerline of the rear of garment A, and is secured along its rearward or inner lateral margin to the confronting margin of panel 14, as by stitching, along a straight vertical seam 21 progressing from a point, indicated at 22, substantially intermediate the length of garment A, proximate the 'wearers waist, to the garment bottom edge. Above seam 21, the rearward margins of panels 13, 14 are inclined upwardly in the direction generally toward the longitudinal centerline of the garment back, and being unsecured define a line of opening 23 which thus extends from point 22 to neck opening 8.

Attached, as by stitching, along one of its side edges to the rearward lateral margin of rear panel 14, along line of opening 23, from neck opening 8 to the upper end of seam 21 or point 22 is an insert panel 24 which at its bottom margin terminates at or below the lower end of opening 23 and is secured by a transverse line of stitching 25 to the forwardly directed face of rear panel 13. At its upper end, said insert panel 24 is designed to confrom to the curvature of neck opening 8 and along its other or opposite side edge is free, and substantially coincidental with the longitudinal centerline of the garment rear. Thus, rear panel 13, above said transverse line of stitching 25 will overlap, in a generally flap-like manner, insert panel 24 when garment A is in worn position. Provided on the rearwardly directed face of insert panel 24, adjacent its upper end margin, is secured a plurality of spaced, flat closure elements 26, as of the snap-fastener type, for engagement with cooperative elements 27 mounted on the forwardly directed face of rear panel 13.

It will thus be seen that garment A is open to the back from the neck to substantially the waist, with the skirt portion being closed throughout its extent, which opening allows the wearer to comfortably don garment A either by stepping thereinto, or by pulling same overthe-head. After the garment has been put on, the wearer need merely engage fastener elements 26, 27, which are disposed at a most accessible point for convenient manipulation to effect securement of garment A in wear. Line of opening 23 between line of stitching 25 and the now-engaged neck fasteners 26, 27 will remain unsecured during wear, but complete modesty will be accorded the wearer, as the inclination of the side margins of said line of opening 23 conduce to the waist or upper portions of rear panels 13, 15 remaining in close-lying relationship to the wearers back, being resistant to parting, and, additionally, insert panel 24 serves as an interior cover to the said line of opening 23.

Secured upon the inner surfaces of side panels 2 and 13, and 3 and 14, for extension transversely thereof, across side seams 11, 12, preferably upwardly of line of seams. 11, 12, respectively, to the outer or forward lateral aeeasev stitching 25, are inner, tunnel-defining fabric strips 28, 28', respectively, for receiving narrow, elongated tie tapes 29, 29, respectively. Said tapes 29, 29 are suitably fixed at their forward ends to the proximate portion of garment A and at their rearward ends pass freely through symmetrically located slits 30, 30, respectively, provided in panels 13, 14, respectively, adjacent to, but spaced from, the rearward margin of said panels. The projecting portions of said tie tapes 29, 29' are thus presented for convenient manipulation for tying soas to gather garment A in the general waist portion.

Provided for use with garment A is an apron 31 having a main panel 32 and a body-encircling band 33 which latter adjacent its ends is provided with slits 34, 34' adapted for threading therethrough of tapes 29, 29, respectively (FIGURE 1). Upon tying of the free, projecting ends of tapes 29, 29, apron 31 will be thereby maintained securely in Wearing position. Thus, by the unique cooperation of tapes 29, 29' and the construction of apron band 33, there is obviated the need for independent tie strings for the apron or for any type of button-like or related fastener-means for engaging apron upon garment A. Tapes 29, 29 thus serve the double function of supporting apron 31, as well as for gathering of garment A so as to accentuate the flare of the skirt portion and to thus enhance the overall attractive appearance of the garment. Apron 31 is, desirably, fabricated of like material as garment A for appealing blending therewith, and may be provided with edge trim, as at 35, for matching relationship with cuff members 36 and a collar 37 integrally applied on garment A and of pleasing contrasting color to the body of said garment.

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that garment A is devoid of the customary full length line of opening, or the equally conventional multiplicity of openings such as, to the back and on the side, but does incorporate a single opening from the neck to the waist which will allow the ease of putting on and taking ofli of garment A as that encountered with other opening constructions heretofore utilized. As indicated, garment A is devoid of bulky,'hard, and extensive fastener-elements, having the minimum thereof, and which are of such flat nature as to cause no interference with the pressingof garment A by a fiat ironer. Thus, garment A may be entirely cleaned and pressed without the exercise of hand Work which has heretofore been requisite in the cleaning of like garments and which has, understandably, added measurably to the cost of maintaining such garments.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the formation, construction, arrangement, and combination of'the several parts of the utility garment may be made and substituted for these herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A utility dress comprising a front portion having lateral edges, a first rear panel, a second rearpanel, the upper margins of said front portion and said first and second rear panels being secured along shoulder seams and mutually defining a neck opening, said first and second rear panels having front and rear side edges and being secured along their front side edges to opposite lateral edges of said front portion, said first rear panel being of greater width than said second rear panel for extension across the longitudinal center line of the rear of the dress, the rear side edges of said first and second rear panels being mutually secured in their lower portions along a substantially vertical seam laterally of the longitudinal center lineof the rear of the dress and being free in their upper portions for defining a line of opening extending to said neck opening, the axis of said line of opening forming an obtuse angle with the axis of said substantially vertical seam, an insert panel extending from the neck opening to the lower end of said line of opening and being secured along one side margin to the rear side margin of said second rear panel for underlying a portion of said first rear panel, s'aidinsert panel being secured along its lower margin to said first rear panel.

along a transverse seam at the lower end of said line of opening, and means for detachably securing .said first rear panel and said insert panel in their upper portions adjacent the neck opening. 0

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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