US3137007A - Apparel for bowlers with separable sleeves - Google Patents

Description

June 16, 1964 J. c. SPEER APPAREL FOR BOWLERS WITH SEPARABLE SLEEVES Filed Sept. 15, 1962 v m m M JOYCELEN c. SPEER BY E FIG. 4

.5 ATTORNEYS United States Patent y 3,137,007 APPAREL FOR BOWLERS WiTH SEPARABLE SLEEVES Joycelen C. Speer, Groveland, Fla. FiletlSept. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 223,424 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-76) including bending or the free movement of the arms,. legs and waist of the participant.

Certain activities require definite physical action ineluding indoor and outdoor sports, housework, gardening and the like, which entail striding, stretching, bending, extending and swinging the arms, as Well as other motions in various activities including bowling, golf, tennis and the like, without hampering or restraining the wearers freedom and relaxed ease of movement, and which apparel is neat and suitable for streetwear.

Customarily one type of apparel is worn to and fro, and another type of apparel is worn during certain physical performances. Suitable apparel heretofore has not been provided which would simplify the clothing problem and permit an outer garment to be worn to, during and from the place of physical activity. Dilliculties encountered in an effort to provide apparel suitable for use both on the bowling alleys and for streetwear have not been solved because it appeared to involve less attractive clothing, detracting from the appearance and mental and physical comfort of the wearer, or which would hamper,rdistract or annoy in some respects or to some degree physical movement or action of the individual. Also prior apparel did not seem to remain in place but would ride up, tear, pop off buttons or fasteners, due to failure to stretch or yield at specific locations.

It is an object of the invention to provide apparel of attractive appearance, relaxingly comfortable and suitable for specific use such as bowling or other sports as well as for house and street wear, permitting free movement of the limbs, waist stretch both side and lengthwise of the wearer, and which has a firm encircling fit and thus avoid undue displacement such as riding up or twisting during extreme physical action of the wearer.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparel for bowlers or others in the form of a dress, pants or other garments, of neat, attractive appearance and becoming to a wearer engaged in physical activity or dressed for the home or street.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an article of apparel illustrating one application of the present invention;

FIG. 2, a side elevation of a dress for a bowler;

FIG. 3, an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the elastic waistband;

FIG. 4, a front view of a garment in which the lower portion is in the form of culottes; and,

FIG. 5, a front elevation of a garment in which the lower portion is in the form of pants.

Briefly stated the garment of the present invention is of one-piece construction with sleeves of the length to extend to a position substantially half way between the shoulders and the elbows of the wearer and open from the free outer exterior of each sleeve to the seam which joins the sleeve to the main portion of the garment, such opening ending slightly forward of the center portion at the top of the shoulder, the edges of the sleeve adjacent the opening being provided with interlocking fastener means ordinarily referred to as zippers, or other fastener means giving a substantially'continuous positive connection and neat appearance and permitting unhampered movement of the arm including movement from a lowered to an elevated position, the garment also being open lengthwise along the front or elsewhere, across and below the waistline, and the dress also including an elastic insert or segment along the waistline at each side permitting the free use of the arm, including the raising of the same without causing the lower portion of the garment to ride up an appreciable amount, the garment being of attractive V appearance regardless of when used for a specific, purpose as well as for streetwear.

With continued reference to the drawing, the garment of the present invention is of one-piece construction with an upper portion 10 and a lower portion 11 connected by a restricted belt or waistband portion 12.

The garment is open lengthwise through the waist portion and for a substantial distance above and below the same providing edge portions 13 and 14 connected by interlocking fastener means 15, commonly known as zippers, or by other means for providing a substantially continuous solid connection between the edges 13 and 14.

The lower end of the connection may have a reinforced terminus 16 along the lower portion of the thighs of the wearer but the lower portion of the garment is of suflicient fullness to allow ample movement of the legs.

In order that the wearer may have full unhampered use of the arms and for appearance, sleeves 17 are provided of a length to extend approximately halfway between the shoulders and the elbows of the wearer and these sleeves are open from their free outer extremities to the shoulder seams by which the sleeves are attached to the main upper portion of the garment with the openings terminating slightly forward of the shoulders so that when the arms are moved forwardly and upwardly movement will be un- I hampered. The edges 18 and 19 of the sleeves are connected by interlocking type fastener means 20 ordinarily referred to as sliding fasteners or by other type fasteners which provide a substantially continuous connection across the waist line. This type of connection also provides a neat appearance which may be readily opened for freedom of movement of the arms.

In order to prevent the upper and lower portions of the garment from riding up an elastic insert 21 is provided at each side of the garment and this allows the upper portion of the garment to move upwardly as the arm is raised while the waist line remains substantially intact and does not pull or cause riding up of the lower portion of the garment.

If desired the upper portion 10 of the garment may be provided with a back panel 10' for the reception of any desired auxiliary matter, such as name, advertising or other matter.

The invention is intended for use in various types of garments, for example, in FIGS. 1 and 2 the lower portion of the garment is a skirtll, while in FIG. 4 the lower portion is in the form of culottes 11', and in FIG. 5 the lower portion of the garment is in the form of pants 11".

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the present invention is a garment of neat and pleasing appearance, useful not only when employed in a particular physical activity such as bowling for attractive appearance as well as comfort and relaxed ease of movement but as a house or street dress as well, and the design of the upper and lower portions thereof are susceptible of wide variations in style.

3,137,007 Patented June 16,1964

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claim.

What is claimed is:

A one-piece garment of neat attractive appearance and of a construction to be worn by women to provide minimum interference with the free movement of the body of the wearer during bowling and other substantial physical activityas well as for house and street wear, said garment having portions for covering both the upper and lower parts of the body with a continuous waistband therebetween containing an elastic insert restricted to each side to permit stretching of the upper portion of the garment without appreciable disarrangement of the lower portion, said garment having substantially continuous relatively non-elastic front and rear portions and open lengthwise across the waistline and for a substantial distance along said upper and lower portions of the garment, fastening means for said last mentioned portions of the garment sleeves being open from their free outer extremities to their upper connection with the garment, whereby when the sleeves are open they afford free movement of the arms, and readily separable fastening means for the open portions of the sleeves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,812,593 Karberg June 30, 1931 2,117,449 Porter May 17, 1938 2,153,838 Jay Apr. 11, 1939 2,280,479 Cohen Apr. 21, 1942 2,281,984 Martiny May 5, 1942 2,762,054 Smith Sept. 11, 1956

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