US3187346A

US3187346A - Adjustable garment closure

Info

Publication number: US3187346A
Application number: US123049A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jacobson Harry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-07-10
Filing date: 1961-07-10
Publication date: 1965-06-08
Anticipated expiration: 1982-06-08

Description

June 8, 1965 H. JACOBSON 3,187,346

ADJUSTABLE 4 GARMENT CLOSURE Filed July 10. 1961 .2 Sheets-Sheet l N VEN TOR.

Harry acobson" BY l TTORNEY June 8, 1965 H. JACOBSON ADJUSTABLE GARMENT CLOSURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 10. 1961 Fig. 15

jNVENTOR acabsan ATTORNEY United States Patent r 3,187,346 ADJUSTABLE GARMENT CLOSURE Harry Jacobson, 420 Rich Ave, Mount Vernon, NX. Filed July 10, 1961, Ser. No. 123,049

I 11 Claims. (Cl. 2-234) This invention relates to size-adjustable garment closures and especially to that type having overlapping flaps securable together by means of separable fasteninggelements, such closures being found at the fly of trousers or the like and the sides of skirts or other garments having a band such as a waistband encompassing a part of the body. 1

In what follows, for purposes of brevity and clarity, the invention has been describedand illustrated as applied to the fly of mens trousers or the like including shorts and slacks. Attempts have been made heretofore, by means other than elastic belts or bands, to make it possible to adjust the effective size of the waistbands of such garments as by contraction. tempted, for example, by moving one flap of the fly relatively to the other, thereby varying the amount of the overlap of the flaps. Such adjustment necessitates the omission of'fastening 'means along the major part of the length of the flaps, or the use of multiple sets of fastening elements for securing the fly flaps together in the normal and in the adjusted positions thereof, or the use of unduly lengthened button holes or other unsatisfactory devices. While interlocking slide operated fasteners have been used at the fly and the adjustment accomplished while the fastener remains closed, such prior adjustment has not only beenlimited to theeffective width of the fastener tapes between the lines of stitching securing them to the respective fiy flaps,

but the fastener could not be made to lie flat against the body.

The present invention therefore contemplates the provision of simple, inexpensive but effective means for attaining the size-adjustment of the circumferential periphery of the closure band through a wide range of expansion and contraction in connection with any well known type of fastener means for the overlapping flaps of the closure while maintaining the proper fit of the closure band and flaps and adjacent garment parts to the body, free of wrinkles, bulges, uncontrolled creases or unsightly distortion.

The invention further contemplates the provision of suitable folds, turns or bends and stitching either in the covered closure flap'itself or in the tape for the slide operated fastener elements on such flap, where such tape is employed in the fastening means for the flaps, or in 'both the covered flap and the tape, to compel planar bodily movement only of the fastening means either from a normal to a contracted position or to an expanded position, thereby providing automatically a 180 forwardly directed traveling .U turn, bend or fold in the marginal portion of the covered flap, doubling the movable portion of the fabric of the flap on to the relatively fixed portion of the covered flap and attaining a range of ad' justment approximately twice the width of the turned movable marginal portion whileboth flaps of the closure remain locked together. i

The invention further contemplates the provision of an adjustable closurejstructure wherein the fastening means such as the fastenerslider or fly buttons are at the front part of the covered flap and face the front in operation though attached at the rear, and thereby are as readily accessible for opening purposes as are conventional closures of the fly type, and wherein the fastening means on the waistband of the covered flap for holdingthe end of the Waistband of the covering flap This has been.at-'

3,182,346 Patented June 8, 19:65

elements of the closurein the proper forwardly facing position, but which predisposes the movable portion of the covered flap to fold or turn forwardlyautomatically on the movement of the covering flap toward the maximum folded or extreme contracted position of the closure, whereby a pull on the movable marginal portion of the covered flap exerted thereon by movement of the covering flap, folds the waistband, and a push on said marginal portion on movement of the covering flap in the opposite direction, unfolds the waistband.

The invention further contemplates the arrangement of the fastening elements on the peripheral part of the covered flap as closely as possible to the free edge of said flapor even to overhang said edge so that little or no flap material projects beyond such elements, whereby substantially facilitated. 1

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description which follows and from thedrawings, in which FIG.'1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of part of the fly of a pair of trousers to which the invention has been applied, the flaps being close to the extreme unfolded position thereof, the covering flap being turned part way down to expose the covered flap, and the maximum or extreme folded position of the closure being shown by the dash-dot line position of the covering flap and of the locking slide thereon.

FIG. 2'isa fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the closure flaps of FIG. 1 showing the auxiliary stiffening hinge bead, welt or fold to predispose the movable marginal portion of the covered movable flap to turn toward andto remain in the normal position of the closure.

FIG. 3 is a similar viewof the same but showing the closure contracted tothe normal or intermediate position thereof determined by the auxiliary hinge fold.

FIG. 4 is a similar view of the same showing the closure in a considerably contracted position wherein the flaps are greatly overlapped and the turned part of the movable marginal portion is enlarged.

FIG. 5 is a similar view of a modified form of the covered flap in which is formed a stiffened front adjusting fold or turned movable marginal portion carrying a slide operated fastener element at the edge thereof, the closure being expanded substantially to the limit permitted by the adjusting fold.

FIG. 6 i a similar view of another modified form of the covered flap in which the fastener tape is stitched to the front surface of the flap and the fastener elements initially face the side of the garment, the tape being folded or bent and again stitched to lie against the rear surface to form the adjusting fold.

FIG. 7 is a similar view of the same in a partly contracted position in which the ,Width of adjusting fold or movable turned marginal portion is enlarged.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of a-modified form of the waistband at the closure and of the arrangement of the track and slider fastener for such waist-band, to attain, a greater than normal range of adjustment, the track-concealing means being shown spread apart at one end preparatory to mounting the slider on the track.

FIG. 9 is a similar view of a still furthermodified form of the waistband in which a longer tab projects from the 3 p waistband of the covering flap and the track for the fastener is spaced further from the closure and is of greater length than that of FIG. 8 to obtain a still greater range of adjustment.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view similar to FIGS. 2-4, of the closure, but wherein the fastener tape for the covered flap i secured to the rear face of the flap and the fastener elements face the middle, the closure being shown close to the fully expanded position thereof, and the fastener tape and marginal portion not being turned.

FIG. 11 is a similar view of the same with the closure moved to the normal position thereof,'showing the marginal portion turned forwardly.

FIG. 12 is a similar view of another modified form of the covered fiap in which the stiffened hinge adjusting fold in the marginal portion is applied to a slide operated fastener having its tape stitched to the front face of the covered flap with the fastener elements facing the middle, the closure being shown fully expanded.

FIG. 13 is a similar view of the same, the closure being shown substantially contracted and the adjusting fold enlarged on the further turning of the movable marginal portion.

FIG. 14 is an elevational view, similar to FIG. 1, of a closure in which buttons and button holes constitute the fastening means for the waistband and flaps, and replace the slide operator fastener and the track fastener, the movable adjusting fold being preformed by turning the marginal portion of the covered flap.

FIG. 15 is a horizontal sectional view of the closure taken through one of the lower buttons 71 in the row of covered flap buttons and showing the fly buttoned up and contracted.

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary elevational view of the end part of the waistband of the covered flap, showing the spreadable means for normally concealing the fastening track thereon, the concealing means being partly broken away to expose the track.

FIG. 17 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken on the line 1717 of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 i a perspective view of one of the track-concealing members before it is stitched to its companion member or to the waistband, showing the blank for the member as well as the cuts and fold-lines therein in dash-dot lines.

That part of the garment on one side of the closure and which is normally largely concealed and overlapped by a visible part, including the waistband, if any, has hereinbefore been and hereinafter will be termed the covered flap, while the visible part constituting the other side of the closure will be termed the covering flap. In all forms of the invention, it is the covered flap with or without the fastener tape thereon, which has the adjusting turn or fold therein, or which are stiffened or predisposed to fold. It is the covered fiapwhich embodies the main features of the invention and permits expansion and contraction of the closure band. The covering flap is of any of the usual types. While in what follows, the inventionis described as applied in most cases to slide operated fasteners as the fastening means for the closure flaps, any conventional type of fastening means suchas buttons and button holes, snap fasteners, hooks and eyes or the like may be used instead at the places where slide operated fasteners have been described and shown, provided such other fasteners are arranged in the proper positions for accessibility and to produce the desired adjusting turns or folds which constitute the means for varying the size of the waistband. It will be understood that in the various figures, the thicknesses of the fabric and the spacing therebetween have been exaggerated for clarity of illustration.

In that form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-4, the covered flap 29 is topped by the usual waistband 21 carrying the track 22 of an adjustable fastener of the Statharn type such as is disclosed in Patent No. 1,887,825, the

waistband also carrying track-concealing

members

23 and 24 later to be described in detail, and being stitched to the remainder of the covered flap as by the stitching 90 shown in FIGS. 16 and 17. The covered flap also carries the fastener member 25 comprising the tape 25 terminating in an edge 26a (FIG. 1), and the interlocking elements 27 overhanging the substantially 180 fold or U-bend 28. Said bend is best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the expanded position of the closure and is formed by folding, bending or turning the movable marginal portion of the flap forwardly about the innerline of stitching 32 which secures the tape to the flap and serves as the hinge line for the fold. The movable portion 30 constitutes an integral extension of the relatively fixed portion of the covered flap adjacent thereto.

As in all forms of the invention, the hinge line is so constructed in the covered flap as to either preform a forwardly turned marginal portion as 30 of more than one thickness of flap material, or to predispose the marginal portion to form such fold, or by means such as stiffening said portion, to induce such fold on contraction of the waistband.

In the form shown in FIGS. 1-4 now being described, structure of a simple and inexpensive character is employed in the covered flap, omitting infolded edges, fastener-covering flaps, and lining or other refinements used in expensive tailoring, though it will be obvious that such refinements may be used if so desired. As shown, the fastener tape 26 is arranged on the rear face of the covered flap with the elements 27 initially facing the side of the garment and the usual slider thereof (not shown) facing the rear, the edge 26a of the tape being substantially coincident with the peripheral edge of the marginal portion 3% The first and second upright lines of

stitching

31 and 32 are made through the tape and covered flap, the stitching 32 being made as close to the elements 27 as is practical. The marginal portion 30 of the covered flap together with the fastener thereon, as a unit, are then turned about the hinge line of stitching 32 as above indicated, to the position shown in FIG, 2-in which the fastener elements outwardly overhang the edge 28, the fastener slider faces the front and is easily accessible and the fold at the edge 28 constitutes a preformed adjusting fold or bend. Such bend is adapted to move when the fastener is closed and the movable marginal portion 30 is adapted to increase in width when the covering flap is moved toward the left as viewed in FIGS. 1-4, toward or into the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The portion 30 decreases in width to the limit permitted by the stitching32 and the travelling bend at 28 moves relatively to the fixed portion toward the right across the movable portion when the covering flap is moved toward the right, the bend moving into the extreme position shown in FIG, 2.

To make certain that the fastener and the slider thereon retain their forwardly facing positions throughout the range of adjustment of the flaps, the edge 28 may be heav1ly creased as by pressing the flap fabric at the fold thereby stiffening the edge and preventing the fastener from turning in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 24 into an undesired reversed position facing the rear. It will be understood that during adjustment of the closure from the position of FIG. 2 to those of FIGS. 3 and 4, the fastener 25 of the covered fiap remains interlocked with the mating fastener 33 of the covering flap 34 and that the forwardly folded marginal portion 30, including its fastener, moves bodily together with the covering flap and the fastener thereon as a unit without relative rotational or transverse movement, the stitching 35 for the fastener 33 being made as close as possible to the interlocking elements of the fastener. The width of the movable marginal portion is increased during contractual adjustment, since the bend at 28 is forced to move toward the same side of the garment as the covering moves and into the body portion of the garment. The total contraction of the waistband from the position of FIG. 2 to that of FIG. 4 is twice the increase in width of the portion 3t), the amount of contraction being unrestricted by the

stitching

31, 32 or 35. Y s

The intermediate or normal position of the 1 closure is shown in FIG. 3, wherein the width of the portion 39 is increased from the stitching 31 to the final folded edge 36. To predispose the closure to move into said normal position from any other adjusted position, the auxiliary.

folded hinging edge, bead or welt 36 of two thicknesses of the garment material is formed by the upright line of stitching 37 in the desired transverse parallel spaced relation to the fastener 25. The hinge bead at 36 stiifens the fold at the edge of the flap'and somewhat resists movement out of the normal position, acting in a manner similar to that of the heavy crease at the fold-28.

Means are provided for securing the end 38 of the waistband 39 at the top of the covering flap to the waistband of the covered flap in any adjusted position. As has been indicated, a track and slider fastener of the Statham type is preferred forthis purpose and is shown in FIG. 1. Since at least part ofthe track 22 on the covered flap would be exposed in all adjusted positions except the maximum contracted position, concealing

members

23, 24 are provided for normally hiding the track so that the waistband presents a substantially conventional appearance in all adjusted positions and the track is protected against damage and clogging by foreign matter. The peripheral edge 40 of the covering flap is only slightly and unnoticeably inclined (see the dash-dot lines of FIG. 1) in the fully expanded and contracted positions, owing to the movement of the locked fastener substantially parallel to itself in a plane, so that the edge 40 has only a slight angular movement within said plane about a relatively distant point at the bottom of the fly.

In the modification shown in FIG. 5, the fastener tape 26 is again stitched by the line of stitching 31 as in FIGS. 14 to the rear face of the covered flap in reversed position and facing the side of the garment. Thereafter, instead of merely turning the marginal portion of the covered flap forwardly, it is so turned not only forwardly to form the fold or bend 28, but also rearwardly to form the additional bendsdd and 44 providing three thicknesses of garment material and two thicknesses of fastener tape. The preformed fold may stop at such five thicknesses and the stitching 45 then made to secure them together in a stiffened folded marginal bandwith the fastener elements outwardly overhanging the folded edge 44 and the line of stitching as close as practicable to the fastener elements. As shown, however, to attain maximum stiffness, two more folds or pleats 46 and 47 are made in the garment material to form two additional thicknesses, making seven in all, the stitching 4-5 passing through six thicknesses. Pressing the folds aids in producingstiifness and in resisting possible reversal of the fastener during adjustment and also reduces the need for the auxiliary hinge f-old as 36 ofFIGS. 14. 7 i As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the fastener tape 26 is sewn by the stitching 48 on to the front face of the covered flap While facing the side of the garment and in reverse position, meaning that the slider of the fastener faces the rear. Thereafter, the fastener tape is folded forwardly at 49 and the marginal portion of the covered flap is folded rearwardly at 50 to permit the line of stitching 51 to be made through one thickness of garment material and one thickness of tape material, thereby to form a hinge line at the stitching 51 about which the covered flap is folded rearwardly to form the fold 52. For contraction, the width of the movable marginal portion beyond the stitching'Sl is increased as shown in FIG. 7. I

Where the track 22 and'slider53 ('FIGS. 1, 8 and 9) are used as the fastening means for the waistband, the range of adjustment depends on the positions of the parts of such means on the bands for the respective flaps. Re-

various circumstances. It will be undeistood that the track 22 is relatively stiff and inflexible and cannot be bent "conveniently or as readily or as much as the waist band fabric, and thereby limits the range of adjustment to.

twice thedistance between the relatively stiff inner end of the track, as shown by the dash-dot fold lines. 54 of FIGS. 8 and 9, and'the hinge line for the fold of said flap, whichline is 'usually determined by a line of stitching passing through the fastener tape and the garment 'material. If said distance is increased, the range of adjustment is correspondingly increased and a longer track is employed. However, as said distance is increased, the width of the covering flap would ordinarily also have to be increased excessively if the position of the slide 53 at the end of the waistbandwe're retained as in FIG. 1.

. to carry the slider 53. 'In FIG. 8, the tab 55 is relatively short because the fold line 54 is relatively near the fastener elements 27. In FIG. 9, the tab 56 is relatively long 1 as is the track 22, because the distance between the fold 'ferring to FIGS. 8 and 9, two positions of said means are there shown, varying the adjusting range as required under line 54 at the inner end of the track and the elements 27 is also relatively large.

In FIGS. 10 and 11, the fastener tape 26 is sewn, as by the stitching 60, 61 on to the rear face of the covered flap with the elements thereon overhanging the free marginal edge of the flap, facing the middle and facing the front so that the fastener need not be reversed. Because of the limitation to only one thickness of garment material and one thickness of tape material at the hinge line 61, the bead 36 similar to that ofFIGS. 14, is utilized to predispose the flap to fold toward and at the normal point of adjustment. In the normal position of the closure, the fastenertape is foldedforwardly at 61, while the bead 36 stiifens the marginal portion and predisposes said portion to fold forwardly thereby maintaining the fastener in,the proper forwardly facing position. Movement of the adjustable fold into and out of the main body portion of the garment, accompanies movement of the covering flap in the same direction to contract or expand the closure as hereinbefore described.

In the form shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the fastener tape 26 is sewn by the stitching 63 on to the front face of the covered flap, also facing the middle and the front.

Thereafter, the fastener tape and the adjacent marginal 7 portion of the flap are bent forwardly, first to the right and then to the left to form the folds 64, 65 and the fold determining stitching 66 made through the resulting two thicknesses of garment material and two thicknesses of tape material to form the stiffened marginal portion on the flap. The additional adjustment folds 67, 68 (FIG. 13) are automatically formed on contracting movement of the covering flap. I

It will now be seen that only two lines of stitching through the fastener tape and the covered flap material are required to determine the forwardly bent marginal portion, that the movable marginal portion of the covered flap is doubled on itself to perform the contraction the movable front portion and the fixed or rear portion of the covered flap, the amount of overlap of the two thicknesses of flap material which form the adjusting fold, t-hatrthe range of adjustment is twice the greatest adjusted width of the movable portion of the covered flap, and that where a relatively stiff track and slider fastener is used at the waistband, the range of adjustment is increased by the use of a tab on the waistband and the proper spacing of the trackfrom the edge of its flap. It will also beseen that by means of folds, bends or turns and the proper location of the stitching, the fas tener elements always face the front and the slider thereon is readily accessible, that a marginal band of the covered' flap is stiffened to any desired extent thereby to 7 aid in determining one edge of the. adjustment fold, and that the fastener may be attached either to tht front or rear face of the covered flap to face either the side of the garment or the middle.

Flap fastening means other than slide operated fasteners, and waistband fastening means other than a track and slider, maybe used to carry out the invention. Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, a fly closure is there shown employing buttons and button holes atv the flaps and waistband. On the covered flap 70, the line of buttons 71 is stitched on to the rear face of the flap so as initially to face the rear. The marginal portion 72 of the flap is then bent forwardly to bring the buttons to the front and to initiate the travelling adjusting fold 73 bestseen in FIG. 15. The button holes 74 of the covering flap are of the usual type and receive the buttons 71 thereby maintaining the movable marginal portion facing forwardly when the flap is closed, ready for expansion to the extent permitted bythe stitching 77 holding down the buttons, and for a substantial amount of contraction. On

such expansion or contraction, the adjusting fold 73- moves in the same direction as the covering flap moves, as will now be readily understood. 'On contraction to the dash-dot line position of FIG. 14, the marginal portion of the covered flap increases in width, the buttons 71 moving to the dash-dot line positions shown. The fastening means for the waistband is indicated as a button hole 75 in the covering flap cooperating with a row of transversely spaced apart buttons 76 on the waistband of the covered flap and is removably securable to any one of the buttons 76. Obviously, other known'adjustable fastening means may be utilized for the waistband and need no further description nor illustration.

In those cases where the fastening means comprises the track and slider shown, means are provided, as has been already indicated, for normally concealing the track without adversely affecting its accessibility. As shown particularly in FIGS. 1 and 16-18, the adjacent

inner edge portions

80, 81 of the concealing

members

23 and 24 are located along the middle part of the waistband 21 and are there free of each other and of the waistband except at the ends thereof, and are adapted to be spread apart to expose the track 22 for the mounting of the slider 53 on the track. By reason of the construction and assembly of the members, they are easily manipulated by spreading or folding as shown in FIG. 8, but move back to the normal track-concealing positions thereof when released. Each of the, members being like the other, only one need be described in detail. Each member as 23 is made of a rectangular blank 82' of fabric shown by the dash-dot lines of FIG. 18. A cut 83 extending half way across from one side edge to the longitudinal center line of the blank, is made a short distance from and parallel to each end edge. The material between the cuts 33 is folded on to the other half of the blank to form the

edge fold

80 or 81, while the end tabs 85 beyond the cuts remain unfolded and in the original positions thereof. The end portions 86 of the blank together with the tabs 85 are then folded inwardly as shown by the arrows of FIG. 18 to provide finished end edges.

The other member 24 is cut and folded the same way and arranged with the edge fold thereof adjacent the edge fold 80 of the other member 23, but with the tabs of each member lying across the end portion 86 of the other member. The members are then stitched together longitudinally only beyond the folds 8t), 81 and in line with said folds and acrossv the tabs, the stitching passing through the end portions also, thereby assembling the members. The outer edge portions.87 of the members are then turned inwardly and stitched to the waistband as at 88, FIGS. 16 and 17 and the end portions are also turned in and stitched down as at 89 to complete the assembly. The usual stitching 90 secures the waistband 21 to the remainder of the covered'flap 20..

It will now be seen that an effective adjustable closure has been provided adapted for use in the fiy of trousers, shorts and the like, skirts and the like and other garments and parts thereof, that the closure is adapted for a wide range of expansion and contraction and does not detract from the good apearance and proper fit of the garment to which it is applied, that it operates by folding the marginal portion of the covered flap of the closure on itself to form a folded peripheral part of two thicknesses of flap material and that the various objects of the invention have been adequately attained.

While certain specific forms of the invention have herein been shown and described, various obvious changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an adjustable garment closure, a covered flap having a relatively fixed portion and a relatively movable marginal portion, a covering flap adapted variably to overlap the relatively fixed portion of the covered flap and to move as a unit with the movable portion, a travelling U-bend joining said portions, the movable portion being adapted to enlarge and contract in width on transverse movement of the covering fiap and the movable portion bodily relatively to the fixed portion of the covered flap, a tape carrying slide operated fastener elements for the movable portion, stitching closely adjacent the elements and securing the tape to the side edge part of the movable portion, cooperating slide fastener elements on the covering flap, and a stitched stiffening bead in the covered flap substantially parallel to said stitching and arranged at said bend in the normal position of the flaps, whereby the movable portion is predisposed to move into and remain in the normal position.

2. In a garment closure,

a pair of separable garment-forming flaps adapted to be. overlapped, one of the flaps being a rear covered flap having a relatively fixed coverable portion and a relatively movable marginal portion, both of said portions being variable in width by the transfer of part of one portion into and out of the other, the other flap being a front covering flap, the movable portion of the covered flap being normally arranged in front of the fixed portion and behind the covering flap in the normal positions of the flaps,

a travelling U-bend at the junction of said portions,

a row of fastening means on each of the flaps cooperating with the row on the other flap for separably securing the movable portion of the covered flap to the covering flap, each row comprising a line of slide operated elements carried by a tape, stitching close to the line of elements on the covered flap securing the tape therefor substantially at the edge of the covered flap,

cooperating means on the upper end portions of the respectiveflaps for securing the upper end edge of the covering flap to any one of a selected series of points on the upper edge of the covered flap at said relatively fixed portion and thereby determining the width of the moveable portion, and

a bead of a number of thicknesses of covered flap material arranged adjacent and substantially parallel to said bend'in the normal secured positions of the flaps.

3. In a garment closure having an upper peripheral portion,

a covered flap of the entire height of the closure,

a covering flap of the same height,

said flaps being separable along the marginal edges of the flaps and at the upper ends of the flaps, said endv being at the extreme uppermost edge of said peripheral portion of the closure,

a first row of fastening elements on, adjacent and substantially parallel to the marginal edge of the covered flap,

the covering flap having a second cooperating row of fastening elements separable from the first row, the

interengaged and the covering flap ismoved manually with both of said rows and themovable portion as a united Whole unit in non-rotary translation only into adjusting positions to further cover and to uncover that part of the coveredflap constituting'the fixed portion thereof,

a 180 forwardly turned travelling bend at the junction of the fixed and movable portions of the covered fiap and independent of the securing means and arranged'at all times beyond and out of engagement with the securing means and on that side of the securing means remote from the first row of fastening elements, whereby the bend is movable into the fixed portion to an extent unlimited by the securing means to adjust the effective circumferential length of the upper peripheral portion of the closure when the fastening elements are interengaged.

4. In a garment closure,

a covered flap of the entire height of the closure and constituting one flap of a trouser fly,

a covering flap of the same height constituting the other fiap of the fly,

a waistband at the upper peripheral portion of the fly,

said flaps being separable along the marginal edges of the flaps and at the waistband,

a row of fastening elements on, adjacent and substantially parallel to the marginal edge of the covered p: Q v

the covering flap having a cooperating row of fastening elements, the marginal portion of the covered flap being movable relatively to the remaining relatively fixed adjacent portion of the covered flap when the fastening elements are interengaged, and

means at the junction of the movable and fixed portions of the covered flap for'facilitating the transfer of part of 'one of said portions into and out of the other to vary the width of said portions, said means comprising a 180 forwardly turned bend in between the rear face of the covering flap and the front face of the fixed portion, said bend moving when the fastening elements of the rows are interengaged to change the widths of said fixed and movable portions on the manual planar adjusting move- ,ment bodily and as' a collective fixed together unit, of the covering flap, the fastening elements and the movable portion in a direction substan tially parallel to the plane of the fixed portion, thereby to overlap the movable portion including the upper end thereof at the waistband, and to adjust the effective circumferential length of the waistband when the fastening elements are interengaged, and t a stitched stiffening bead in and forming part of and being substantially parallel to the edge of the covered fla V j s aid bead being movable out of the normal positions of the flaps in the direction of movement of the covering fiap to become part of the movable portion, and remaining fixed on movement of the covering flap in the opposite direction to become part of the fixed portion.

5. In a garment closure, a rear covered garment-forming flap extending through- 10.. outithe entire length of the closure, a front garmentforming covering flap, first fastening means on and other than the covered flap, second fastening means on and other than the covering flap separably engageable with'the first fastening means, both of said fastening means terminating below the upper parts of said flaps for separably securing the marginal portions of said flaps together, each of the flaps having a corner at the upper part of the marginal portion thereof, 'said corners being free of said fastening means, the outer part of the margin portion of the covered flap throughout the entire length of the closure including said corners, being movable, into and out of, and beingnormally arranged in front of and substantially parallel to the relatively fixed covered remainder of said covered flap and behind the covering flap, the movable portion being joined to the fixed portion by a U-bend in substantially all adjusted positions of said flaps and being variable in width to an extent unlimited by the fastening means to eifect adjustment of the closure on transverse lanar movement in either direction of the covering flap when said fastening means is operative,

and third fastening means for detachably securing the corner of the covering flap above the first and second fastening means to various points of the covered flap, the U-bend being independentv and free of the first and second fastening means and being arranged beyond all parts of the first fastening means in the direction of the distal part of the third fastening means, the U-bend being thereby limited in the movement thereof into the fixed portion by the third fastening means only.

6. An adjustable fly closure for the front body portion and the waist portion of a pair of trousers having such portions, said closure comprising a covered fly flap extending into said waist portion and constituting an integral continuation variable in width of the body portion on one side of the fly closure,

a covering flap adapted to overlap the covered flap extending into the waist portion and constituting an integral continuation of the body portion on the other side of the fly closure,

a U-bend at the junction of and integral with the covered flap and the body portion, the bend extending into the waist portion and arranging the marginal part of the covered flap in front of the adjacent part of the body portion and the adjacent waist portion whereby the front surface of said marginal part is a continuation of the rear surface of the adjacent body portion, and means for transmitting movement to the bend to move the bend at said junction into the body portion' from the covered flap and into the covered flap from the body portion thereby to vary the amount of overlap of the flaps when the peripheral edge of the coven'ng flap is moved manually respectively toward and away from the bend,

said means further including first fastening means on the covered flap independent and free of the bend and of the waist portion throughout the entire length and width thereof, the fastening means including a row 7. An adjustable fly closure for the front body portion and the waist portion of a pair of trousers having such portions, said closure comprising, j

a covered fly flap extending into said waist portion and 1 l constituting an integral continuation variable in width of the body portion on one side of the fly closure,

a U-bend at the junction of and integral with the covered flap andithe body portion, the bend extending into the waist portion and arrangingthe marginal part of the covered flap in front of theadjacent part of the body portion and the adjacent waist portion whereby the front surface of said marginal part is a continuation of therear surface of the adjacent body portion,

and means for transmitting movement to the bend to move the bend at said junction into the body portion from the covered flap and into the covered flap from the body portion thereby to vary the amount of overlap of the flaps when the. peripheral edge of the covering flap is moved manually respectively toward and away from the bend,

said means including cooperating fastening elements arranged in rows respectively on and adjacent the peripheral edges of the covered and covering ilaps,

the fastening elements on the covered flap comprising a row of buttons at the marginal portion of the covered flap between the peripheral edge of said marginal portion and the bend,

and stitching securing each button in front of said portion permanently to face the rear surface of the covering flap,

and the fastening elements on the covering flap comprising button holes arranged to receive the respective buttons.

8. The fly closure of claim 6,

the row of fasteningelements being slide-operated elements, and

a tape for the row of elements,

the second fastening means comprising a second row of slide-operated elements and a tape carrying the second row,

the stitching for the. tape of the, covered flap being arranged between the bend and the first mentioned row.

9. The fly closure of claim 6,

and means biasing said junction to form and to maintain the shape of said U-bend, the biasing means comprising a stitched fold near and parallel to the row of fastening elements of the covered flap.

10. In an adjustable garment closure,

a covered flap having a relatively fixed portion constituting a continuation ofthe main portion of the garment, the flap having a relatively movable portion constituting a further continuation of the main portion ofthe garment extending from the fixed portion,

a covering fiap adapted variably to overlap the relatively fixed portion of the covered flap and to move as a unit with the relatively movable portion,

a travelling 180 bend at the junction of and connected to said portions,

the-movable portion when moved, moving said bend thereby to enlarge and contract the movable portion in width on transverse planar movement as a unit of the covering flap together with the movable portion bodily relatively to the fixed portion,

a tape carrying slide-operated fastener elements on the I movable portion,

stitching closely adjacent the elements and securing the tape to the side edge part of the movable portion,

cooperating slide fastener elements on the covering flap, and a stitched stiffening head on the covered flap substantially parallel to said stitching and arranged at said bend in the normal positions of the flaps,

whereby the movable portion is predisposed to move into and remain inth'e normal position thereof.

11'. In a garment,

a body portion open at the top antd split at a closure thereof extending downwardly from the-top,

said body portion terminating at the closure in a pair of separable marginal portions adapted to overlap,

a 180 forwardly directed bend in the garment beginning at the top of the body portion and extending downwardly along the rear one of said marginal portions to form a covered flap adjacent to and on at leastthe front side of the bend,

and means for transmitting. to said bend movement transversely into and out of the body portion to vary the amount of overlap of said marginal portions comprising a first longitudinally arranged row of fastening elements on the covered flap,

stitching securing the elements to the covered flap, the stitching entering the covered flap at points sufficiently close to the elements to restrict substantial movement of the elements relatively to said points and to permit unlimited movement of the marginal part of the covered flap, the fastening elements and the bend in a direction away from the split of the closure, and

a second longitudinally arranged row of fastening elements on the other marginal body portions removably engaging the respective elements of the first row whereby transverse movement of the last mentioned marginal portion when the rows are interengaged imparts planar transverse movement to said rows and moves the bend along the body portion, said bend being movable a distance substantially greater than the maximum distance between the stitching on the covered flap and the elements on said flap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,616,190 2/27 Kosofsky 2--228 2,563,190 8/51 Rosenberg 2234 2,585,175 2/52 Rosenberg 2234 3,120,004 2/64 McGehee 2234 FOREIGN PATENTS 301,613 12/28 Great Britain. 248,785 2/48 Switzerland.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS J. HICKEY, Examiner.

Claims

1. IN AN ADJUSTABLE GARMENT CLOSURE, A COVERED FLAP HAVING A RELATIVELY FIXED PORTION AND A RELATIVELY MOVABLE MARGINAL PORTION, A COVERING FLAP ADAPTED VARIABLY TO OVERLAP THE RELATIVELY FIXED PORTION OF THE COVERED FLAP AND TO MOVE AS A UNIT WITH THE MOVABLE PORTION, A TRAVELLING 180* U-BEND JOINING SAID PORTIONS, THE MOVABLE PORTION BEING ADAPTED TO ENLARGE AND CONTRACT IN WIDTH ON TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF THE COVERING FLAP AND THE MOVABLE PORTION BODILY RELATIVELY TO THE FIXED PORTION OF THE COVERED FLAP, A TAPER CARRYING SLIDE OPERATED FASTENER ELEMENTS FOR THE MOVABLE PORTION, STITCHING CLOSELY ADJACENT THE ELEMENTS AND SECURING THE TAPE TO THE SIDE EDGE PART OF THE MOVABLE PORTION, COOPERATING SLIDE FASTENER ELEMENTS ON THE COVERING FLAP, AND A STITCHED STIFFENING HEAD IN THE COVERED FLAP SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID STITCHING AND ARRANGED AT SAID BEND IN THE NORMAL POSITION OF THE FLAPS, WHEREBY THE MOVABLE PORTION IS PREDISPOSED TO MOVE INTO AND REMAIN IN THE NORMAL POSITION.