US3137081A

US3137081A - Rain covering for legs

Info

Publication number: US3137081A
Application number: US160777A
Authority: US
Inventors: John H Boyd
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-12-20
Filing date: 1961-12-20
Publication date: 1964-06-16
Anticipated expiration: 1981-06-16

Description

June 16, 1964 J. H. BOYD RAIN COVERING FOR LEGS Filed Dec. 20. 1961 John H. Boyd IN VENTOR w mq United States Patent 3,137,081 RAIN COVERING FOR LEGS John H. Boyd, R0. Box 218, Summit, Miss. Filed Dec. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 160,777 2 Claims. (Cl. 362) This invention comprises a novel and useful rain covering for legs and more particularly pertains to a protective leg covering having an improved construction for facilitating the application of the same to the trouser leg for protecting the trouser leg from the Weather.

It is frequently advantageous to provide a protective covering for the trouser legs of persons to prevent the trousers from becoming soaked from rain, snow or the like during inclement weather and bad weather conditions. A protective device for the trouser legs is particularly useful even when the person is wearing a raincoat or the like, since the blowing of wind frequently exposes the trouser legs almost invariably resulting in an undesired soaking of the latter even though the rest of the body is protected by a raincoat and the like.

It is. therfore a primary purpose of this inventionto provide a leg protective device which will overcome the aforementioned difiiculty and will provide adequate protection for the legs and the trouser legs of the wearer against precipitation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protective leg covering in accordance with the preceding ob- 'ject which shall be of a simple inexpensive and lightweight construction enabling it to be folded and stored in a very small space as, for example, in a pocket or the like, and which will fully and effectively cover the trouser legs of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rain covering for legs consisting or a sleeve-like garment which may be individually and removably secured to the leg and the trouser leg of the user when its services are required.

A still further object of the invention is to provide of the protectors to the trouser leg or the removal therefrom.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a protective device of the character above set forth which may be constructed of a relatively inexpensive material so that the same may be readily discarded after one or more periods of use, if desired.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide a device as set forth in the foregoing objects which shall consist of a single sleeve for each trouser leg, each sleeve comprising a single sheet of a pliable water impervious material and of such shape as to conform to the shape of the trouser leg and leg of the user, the sleeve having a relatively short inside edge of a length suflicient to extend from the ankle to the crotch of the userand an outside edge relatively longer extending from the ankle to the hip of the user.

And a final important object of the invention to be specifically enumerated resides in the provision of a protective leg covering in accordance with the above-mentioned objects which shall include an improved fastening means whereby a fastening hook receivable in the trouser pocket of the user may be secured in vertically adjusted position to the upper and outer edge of the protective article in a protected and concealed manner thereon.

These together with other objects and advantages which panying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view illustrating the manner in which a pair of the trouser leg protective coverings of this invention are applied to the trouser legs of the FIGURE 2 is a plan view of one of the trouser leg guards in accordance with this invention shown in its opened position;

FIGURE 3 is a detail view in vertical section through a portion of the protective leg covering of this invention and illustrating in particular the manner in which a fastening means is adjustably connected to the protective covering and is secured in the trouser pocket of the user;

FIGURE 4 is a view in horizontal section illustrating the manner in which the opposite marginal side edges of the unitary sheet forming a protective leg covering is detachably connected together to form a protective sleeve for the trouser leg; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the hook element constitutinga part of the fastener construction for supporting the device in use by the wearer.

The protective leg covering forming the subject matter of this invention is indicated generally by the numeral 10,

it being shown in FIGURE 1 as being secured in proper operative position upon the trouser legs of the user.

Each of these leg protective devices consists of a sleeve which is so proportioned in shape and size as to conform to the contour of the leg and thigh of the user and to refiectively but comfortably enclose the legs and the trouser legsof the user without interference with walking while conferring the maximum of protection to the surface of the trouser legs.

Each of the leg protectors 10 consists of a pliable sheet 12 of any suitable material of a water impervious nature. Inasmuch as numerous materials are available possessing to .various degrees the requisite characteristics of plia bility, light weight, imperviousness to water and varying capacities of strength, further reference thereto for the purposes of this invention is deemed to be unnecessary.

It will be readily understood that a material will be se-I lected which will conform most perfectly to the particular type of use to which this article is to be placed including the use of the article'as a relatively short lived or disposable item as well as other uses in which the article is of a relatively long and indefinite period of use.

The sheet 12 is preferably bounded by straight edges such as a bottom edge 14, a pair of

marginal side edges

16 and 18 together with a pair of

top edges

20 and 22. As will be observed from FIGURE 2, in order to provide the desired form-fitting characteristics of the article, the two

marginal side edges

16 and 18 extend from the opposite ends of the bottom edge 14 in an upward and outwardly divergent manner, while the

top edges

20 and 22 are upwardly inclined from their lower outer ends where they are connected to the marginal side edges to their convergence at a location 24 which is preferably located upon the medial axis or medial portion of the sheet. It will thus be observed that the sheet is symmetrical in configuration about its medial longitudinal axis.

As suggested best in FIGURE 4, the

marginal side edges

16 and 18 are preferably folded inwardly upon themselves to provide a double thickness of material for purposes of greater strength, and a conventional type r of cooperating fastener elements as at 30 and 32 are secured to these side edges for detachable engagement with each other. The arrangement is such that when the two marginal side edges are folded upon each other and snap fasteners are secured together there results a sleeve 10. The sleeve may be either first closed and then Patented June 16, 1964 screwed upwardly upon theleg of the wearer or may be closed by being folded about the leg of the wearer and with fasteners then being secured together.

In either event, the upward divergence and the length of the side edges is such that in the closedposition of the sleeve, the joined marginal side edges will be disposed at the inside of the leg of the user and will be of sufficient length to extend from the ankle to the crotch of the trousers of the wearer. Similarly, the medial axis about which the two side portions of the sheet are folded during the closing and joining of the marginal edges is disposed at the outside of the leg and extends perpendicularly from the ankle to slightly above the hip of the user. As shown in FIGURE 1, the

top edges

20 and 22 thus slope downwardly across the front and the back of the torso to efiect a substantially complete coverage of the leg portion of the trousers of the wearer.

The fastening means by which the article is removably and adjustably secured to the trousers ofthe wearer pref erably consists of an S-shaped hook such as that shown at 40 in FIGURE and which is adjustably secured to the leg protector at the upper end of the medial portion thereof and is secured into the edge of a pocket 42, see FIGURE 3, of the trousers 44 of the user. This fastening hook'is attached to the leg protector 10 in such a manner that its hooked extremity is received within the material of the protector in a concealed manner.

With continuing reference to FIGURE 3 it will be observed that the medial portion of the sheet has a loop 46 secured thereto providing a pull cord by means of which the upper end of the protector may be gripped and pulled up upon the trouser leg of the wearer. A tab 48 is secured in any suitable manner to the inside surface of the sheet belt again at'the medial axis of the same so as to provide a pocket 50 betwen this tab and the inside surface of the sheet. This pocket is provided with a plurality of openings 52 which may cvonveniently be in the form of slots or the like and which are disposed in vertically spaced relation to enable the lower hook portion of the fastener 40 to be inserted adjustably therethrough into the pocket and thus support the upper edge of the sleeve in position upon the user.

With this construction it is obvious that a relatively few standardized sizes of the leg protectors may be utilized to answer the needs for protecting a wide variety'of sizes of trouser legs.

The-foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, itisnot desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of'the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A protective leg covering comprising a unitary sheet of pliable water impervious material, said sheet having marginal side edges provided with cooperating fastening a leg, fastening means adjustably secured to the upper edge of said sheet for attaching the latter to the clothing of the wearer, said sheet having a bottom edge and at its top a pair of top edges which are inclined upwardly from said side edges and converge along a medial axis of said sheet, said marginal side edges being relatively inclined toward each other from their top to their bottom, a tab secured to the sheet at the upper end of said medial axis to form with said sheet an enclosed pocket therebetween, said tab. having a plurality of vertically spaced openings therethrough communicating with the interior of the pocket, said fastening means consisting of a'substantially S-shaped hook having-one end thereof releasably engageable withinithe pocketof a trousers and the other end selectively engageable within one of the plurality of holes.

2. A protective leg covering for trousers comprising 20 asleeve conforming to the shape of and adapted to protectively enclose a trouser leg, said sleeve consisting of a unitary sheet of a pliable, water impervious material having a relatively long medial portion and relatively shorter marginal side edges, fastener elements releasably securing said side edges along the full length thereof to form said sleeve, the joined side edges being positionable at the inside of the trouser leg and of sufficient length to extend from the ankle to the crotch of the trouser leg, said medial portion being positionable at the outside of the trouser leg and being of sufiicient length to extend from the ankle to the hip of the trouser'leg, a tab secured to the interior of said'sleeve at the upper end releasably of said medial portion to form with the latter an enclosed pocket therebetween, said tab having plurality of vertically spaced being concealed within the sleeve pocket.

References Eited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,346,448 Ewing July 13, 1920' 1,470,511 Topfner Oct. 9, 1923 1,537,845 McElwee May 12, 1925 2,416,556 Weeks Feb. 25, 1947 2,483,136 Hamman et al Sept. 27, 1949 2,549,210 Krell Apr. 17, 1951 2,617,413 Bellmap Nov. 11, 1952 2,720,040 Rogers Oct. 11, 1955 3,052,994. Johnston Sept. 11, 1962 3,076,463 Vorsteher Feb. 5, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,078,577 France May 12, 1954 370,341 Great Britain Apr. 7, 1932 468,957 Great Britain July 15, 1937 433,388 Italy Apr. 7, 1948

Claims

1. A PROTECTIVE LEG COVERING COMPRISING A UNITARY SHEET OF PLIABLE WATER IMPERVIOUS MATERIAL, SAID SHEET HAVING MARGINAL SIDE EDGES PROVIDED WITH COOPERATING FASTENING ELEMENTS ALONG THE FULL LENGTH THEREOF FOR RELEASABLY SECURING SAID SIDE EDGES TOGETHER WHEN SAID SHEET ENCIRCLES A LEG, FASTENING MEANS ADJUSTABLY SECURED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID SHEET FOR ATTACHING THE LATTER TO THE CLOTHING OF THE WEARER, SAID SHEET HAVING A BOTTOM EDGE AND AT ITS TOP A PAIR OF TOP EDGES WHICH ARE INCLINED UPWARDLY FROM SAID SIDE EDGES AND CONVERGE ALONG A MEDIAL AXIS OF SAID SHEET, SAID MARGINAL SIDE EDGES BEING RELATIVELY INCLINED TOWARD EACH OTHER FROM THEIR TOP TO THEIR BOTTOM, A TAB SECURED TO THE SHEET AT THE UPPER END OF SAID MEDIAL AXIS TO FORM WITH SAID SHEET AN ENCLOSED POCKET THEREBETWEEN SAID TAB HAVING A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED OPENINGS THERETHROUGH COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE POCKET, SAID FASTENING MEANS CONSISTING OF A SUBSTANTIALLY S-SHAPED HOOK HAVING ONE END THEREOF RELEASABLY ENGAGEABLE WITHIN THE POCKET OF A TROUSERS AND THE OTHER END SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE WITHIN ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF HOLES.