US3129434A - Reinforcing waist band structure - Google Patents

Description

April 21 1964 J. R. wEEMHoFF REINFORCING WAIST BAND STRUCTURE Filed June 20, 1961 1N VENTOR.

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United States Patent Otice 3,129,434 Patented Apta 2l 1 964 3,129,434 REENFORCING WAiST BAND STRUCTURE Jay Richard Weemhoif, Ridgewood, NJ., assigner to Collins d: Aikman Corporation, New York, NSY., a corporation of New York Filed June 2G, 196i, Ser. No. 118,288 1 Claim. (Ci. 2-236) This invention relates to waist band structures. More particularly, this invention relates to structures adapted to reinforce and support conventional waist band construction and to a method of producing such structures.

Ordinarily, the waist bands of trousers and similar garments are formed by turning over the upper end of the material of the garment inwardly and stitching to the inside thereof a relatively more stiff band of cloth lining material. However, after the garment has received substantial use and wear, there is a great tendency for the waist band thereof to become distorted and to roll over or to flare outwardly at the upper edge thereof. This undesirable tendency of ordinary waist band construction has remained a signicant disadvantage of the garment manufacturing industry notwithstanding numerous attempts to overcome the aforesaid tendency of such waist band construction to are outwardly after some use.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel waist band construction for garments whereby the waist bands thereof remain relatively sti and undistorted throughout the life of the garment.

It is another object of this invention to provide waist band reinforcing means for garments and a method for producing the same, whereby the waist bands of said garments are maintained close to and flat against the body of the wearer.

It is another object of this invention to provide waist band reinforcing means for garments which may be easily produced and applied to said garments with minimum effort and expense.

Other objects and attendant advantages ofthe invention will appear hereinafter and in the drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a view in perspective illustrating one method of producing a waist band reinforcing structure as provided in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a View in perspective illustrating the manner of producing a modification of the reinforcing waist band structure;

FIG. 3 is another view in perspective showing a similar method of producing another modication of the reinforcing waist band structure;

FIG. 4 is a View in perspective showing a similar g method of producing still another modification of the reinforcing waist band structure as provided in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a reinforcing waist band structure FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a modification of the reinforcing waist band structure produced as illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of another modification of the reinforcing waist band structure produced as illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional View of still another modification of the reinforcing waist band structure produced as illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the inside of a waist band construction as provided in accordance with this invention;

FIG. l0 is a cross-sectional View of the waist band construction taken as indicated by the lines and arrows X-X of FIG. 9;

as produced by the method illustrated in FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a modified waist band construction as provided in accordance with this invention;

FIG. l2 is a cross-sectional view of another modification of the waist band construction as provided in accordance with this invention; and

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of still another modification of the waist band construction as provided in accordance with this invention.

The following description is directed to the specilic forms and embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention itself which may be practiced in a Wide variety of forms and arrangements.

Adverting herewith to the specific forms of the invention illustrated in the drawings, a waist band reinforcing element, various modifications of which are shown in FIGS. 5-8, comprises a band or ribbon of thermo-setting material, such as nylon or the like, in which has been formed suitable folds or curves which tend to cause the aforesaid band to assume a shape resulting in a generally concave surface on one side of the band and a generally convex surface on the other side thereof. In FIG. 5 is shown a band iti of thermo-setting material having upper and lower edges 1i and l2, a dual planar convex side including the surfaces 13 and i4 and a corresponding opposed dual planar concave side including the surfaces 15 and f6. As may be'clearly seen in FIG. 5, the band 1i) of thermo-setting material is provided with a crease i7 midway between the ends li and i2 of the band.

in' FiG. 6, a modification of the invention is illustrated in which a band 2i) of thermo-setting material having upper edge 21 and lower edge 22 has been formed with permanent creases 23 and 24 therein spaced equidistantly from the upper and lower edges 21 and 22 respectively; Band 2i? comprises a generally convex multiplanar side including the surfaces 25, 26 and 27 and a generally concave rnultiplanar side including the surfaces 28, 29 and 30;

FiG. 7 illustrates a modification of the waist band reinforcing element as provided in accordance with this invention and comprises a band 31 of thermo-setting material having lateral edges 35 and 36 and a triple set of creases 37, 38 and 39 formed therein and having a generally convex side with surfaces 4i?, 41, 42 and 43 and a generally concave side having surfaces 44, 45, 46 and 47.

in FIG. 8 may be seen still another modication of the reinforcing waist band structure as provided in accordance with this invention in which a band 4S of thermo-setting materialhaving lateral edges Si) and 51 is formed without creases but has a convex surface 52 on one side thereof and a concave surface 53 on the opposite side thereof. Y

FIG. l illustrates one manner of producing the waist band structure Vlti illustrated in FIG. 5 in which the band has been folded so that the surface`15 lies adjacent the surface 16 and the surface 14 lies adjacent a table top 55 beneath which there is positioned a'roller 56. The roller 56 is positioned within a space 58 in the table surface 55 so that it presses against a second roller 59 positioned above the table surface 55. Between the rollers 56 and 59 is passed the band it) of thermo-setting material folded so that the lateral edges il and 12 contact each other and lie in the same plane and so that the crease 17 is formed in the material by the aforesaid rollers. Thereafter, the band 1t? is passed beneath a heating element o?. which supplies heat for heat-setting the folded band, after which, the band is removed from the apparatus and allowed to cool with the consequent formation of a permanent crease i7 therein and a permanent tendency for the edges ii and 12 to come together.

FIG. 2 illustrates one manner of forming the band 2t) illustrated in FIG. 6. The band 20 is folded twice to form creases 23 and 24 therein and arranged so that the lateral edge 21 lies adjacent the crease 24 and in the same plane therewith. The band 20 is guided along the surface of a table top 55a and between a pair of rollers 56a and 59a whereby the creases 23 and 24 are formed in the band. As may be seen in FIG. 2, roller 56a is positioned within an opening 58a in the table surface 55a and the roller 59a is disposed above the surface of the table 55a. After the creases 23 and 24 have been formed in the band, the band is passed between the table surface 55a and a heating element 62a whereby the thermo-setting material is heat-set, after which it is allowed to cool with the consequent formation of permanent creases 23 and 24 therein and a permanent tendency for the band to assume the folded arrangement shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 illustrates one manner of forming the band 31 illustrated in FIG. 7 in which the band of thermo-setting material has been folded three times to form the three creases 37, 38 and 39 and arranged so that the creases 37 and 39 lie adjacent each other and in the same plane. 'Ihe folded band of thermo-setting material is passed along a table top 55b between a lower roller 56h positioned in an opening Sb beneath a table top 55h and a contact roller 59h positioned above the surface of the table top. After formation of the creases 37, 3% and 39 by the rollers 56h and 5911, the material passes between the surface 55h of the table and a heating element 6222, whereby the band 31 is heat-set to form permanent creases 37, 38 and 39 and to establish the tendency of the band to assume the folded arrangement shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 illustrates one manner of producing the reinforcing band 48 shown in FIG. 8 in which the aforesaid band is applied to an outwardly convex mold 55e and arranged to pass beneath an inwardly concave roller 59C and subsequently beneath a heat-setting element 62C by means of which the curve formed in the band 48 is permanently set thereby producing a band having a convex side and a concave side and one which a tendency is permanently established to assume the aforesaid shape.

FIG. 9 illustrates a typical waist band construction as provided in accordance with this invention in which the outer cloth 70 of a waist band having inwardly turned edges 71 and 72 is stitched to a garment 73 and to the inner cloth or lining 74 of the waistband, said inner cloth having inwardly turned ends 75 and 76. To the inside of the waist band adjacent the inner cloth or lining 74 thereof, is stitched the reinforcing waist band structure so that the generally convex side comprising the surfaces 13 l and 14 face against the inner cloth or lining 74 of the waist band and so that the concave side comprising surfaces 15 and 16 face away from the inner cloth or lining 74 toward the body of the wearer. The dot and dash lines of FIG. 10 show the position which the band 10 naturally tends to assume owing to the heat-setting process to which the aforesaid band has been subjected and illustrates the manner in which the band 10 tends to pull the waist band generally inward toward the body of the wearer.

FIG. l1 illustrates the application of the reinforcing band 20 to the waist band of FIG. 9 and the dot and dash lines thereof indicate the position which the reinforcing structure 20 tends normally to assume, thereby tending to pull the waist band inwardly toward the body of the wearer.

FIG. l2 illustrates the application of the band 31 to the waist band of FIG. 9 and the dot and dash lines thereof indicate the position which the band 31 tends normally to assume, thereby pulling the waist band generally inward toward the body of the wearer.

And finally, FIG. 13 illustrates the application of the band 4S to the waist band of FIG. 9, the dot and dash lines thereof indicating the position which the band 48 tends normally to assume, similarly pulling the Waist band generally inwardly toward the body of the wearer.

In each of the aforedescribed modifications of the invention, the reinforcing waist band structure is stitched to the inward side of the waist band so that the side of the structure which would normally be generally concave faces the body of the wearer.

It will be apparent that it is an important advantage of the waist band construction as provided in accordance with this invention that the waist bands of garments so constructed have a generally normal tendency to turn inwardly toward the body of the wearer and not to become distorted and to flare outwardly of the body of the wearer as is normally the case.

It will be apparent too that it is an important advantage of the reinforcing waist band structure as provided in accordance with the invention, that by means of the heatset thermo-setting reinforcing material, the waist bands of garments are thereby permanently provided with an inwardly turning tendency which endures for the life of the garment.

Aithough this invention has been described with reference to specific forms and embodiments thereof, it will be evident that a great number of variations may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of this invention. For example, parts may be reversed, equivalent elernents may be substituted for those specifically disclosed, and certain features of the invention may be used independently of other features, all without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a waist band construction including an outer fabric and an inner fabric secured to one another, a reinforcing waist band structure comprising an elongated flexible band of thermosetting material secured to the inward side of said inner fabric at opposite lateral edges thereof, said band of thermosetting material having a relaxed permanently set generally concave configuration and said con.- cave surface facing inwardly of said garment, whereby upon being distorted from said concave configuration said band of thermosetting material tends to turn said opposite lateral edges of said inner fabric inwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,494,142 Stein May 13, 1924 1,762,284 Thomas et al June 10, 1930 2,121,836 Steinberger June 28, 1938 2,601,036 Liebowitz June 17, 1952 2,864,093 Sumner et al Dec. 16, 1958

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