US3383722A

US3383722A - Life vest and method of making saem

Info

Publication number: US3383722A
Application number: US504571A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Joseph H Le Blanc
Original assignee: TAPATCO Inc
Current assignee: TAPATCO Inc
Priority date: 1965-10-24
Filing date: 1965-10-24
Publication date: 1968-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 1985-05-21

Description

May 21, 1968 J. H. LE BLA'NC, JR

LIFE VEST AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Oct. 24, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 52 f A 2 f WW 55 44 51 55.

JOSEPH H. LeBLANC Jn MYIW ATTORNEYS May 21, 1968 J. H. LE BLANC, JR 3,383,722

LIFE VEST AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Oct. 24, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 P165 FIG-.6

INVENTOR J 08 E P H H. LeBLANQJr.

ib fim, M I

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 0 AIETRACT 6F THE DESQLfidURE This disclosure relates to a life vest and the method of making a life vest by providing a sheet of buoyant material which is of predetermined size and configuration, and cutting that sheet of buoyant material into desired material portions, which portions comprise life vest components, with none of the buoyant material being wasted. The cutting of the sheet of buoyant material provides a series of finger-like portions adjacent a neck opening and the finger-like portions so provided are more flexible than the remainder of the buoyant material to allow flexibility in the neck area of the life vest. The buoyant material portions are arranged to provide a vest chest portion and a vest neck portion, with the aforementioned fingers extending therefrom about a head opening thereof. The opening may be of keyhole configuration, and may terminate short of the bottom of the vest. The vest is then covered with a suitable covering material which provides a hinged effect at junctures of the various portions of buoyant material.

This invention relates to a life preserver and a method of making a life preserver. More particularly. this invention relates to a unique life preserver of the type that is formed of a slabbed buoyant material and fits around a wearers neck in the form of a vest, the lower portion of which is strapped to a wearers chest.

In previously known life preservers of the type described, there has existed the problem of the slabbed inaterials undesirable exertion of pressures on the back of a wearers head when the wearer is not water-borne.

Another problem existing in known life preservers of the type described has been the economic loss accruing from the useless waste portions of the slabbed material which have resulted from the previously known methods for manufacturing such life prescrvers. These losses have been particularly associated with those portions of the slabbed material removed to form the opening for a wearers head.

In accordance With this invention a novel method of forming a. slabbed buoyant material and of assembling the material so formed to provide a life preserver or vest has been found which overcomes both of the above-noted problems. It is, therefore, a primary object of this inven, tion to provide a novel life preserver of the type described, wherein said preserver does not normally exert pressure against the back of a wearers head, but is free to do so in reaction to water buoyant forces when a wearer is water-borne.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a novel method of manufacturing a life preserver of the type described, wherein there is no wasting of the sla oed material.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a life vest comprising at least two slabs of buoyant n hinged in an opposing edge-to-edge relationship, wherein Patented May 21, 1958 said slabs define at their opposed edges an opening through which a wearers head may be projecetd to locate a first of said slabs behind a wearer's head and a second of jsaid slabs across a wearers chest and wherein the opposing edges further define narrow finger-like portions which are disposed to conform around said opening and are flexibly biased towards the central longitudinal axis of the vest to maintain contact between the vest and the neck of a wearer of the vest.

it is still another object of this invention to provide a life vest comprised of at least three slabs of buoyant material hinged in an opposed cdge-to-edge relationship, wherein said slabs define at their opposing edges 21 substantially keyhole-shaped opening through which a wearers head may be projected to locate a first and second of said slabs across a wearers chest and a third of said slabs behind a wearers head and wherein an edge of each of said first and second slabs defines a narrow finger-like portion with each of said finger-like portion being disposed opposite from one of a pair of finger-like portions defined by an edge of said third slab and with said finger-like portions being isposed about said opening and being flexibly biased towards the central longitudinal axis of the vest to maintain contact between the vest and the neck of a wearer of the vest.

it is an additional object of this invention to provide a life vest of the type just described above, wherein there is further included a flexible cover means encasing the slabs and constituting the hinge connection between the edge-toedge related slabs, and wherein there is still further included a waistband secured to the cover means and being selectively extensible from one longitudinal edge thereof around a wearers torso and being engageable with mating attachment means mounted on opposite longitudinal face portions of said cover means, whereby said life vest is reversible.

it is a further object of this invention to provide a wastefree method of forming three slabs of buoyant material which, without further division thereof can be hinged together in an opposing edge-to-edge relationship to provide a life vest having an opening through which a head of a wearer of the vest may be projected to locate a first of said slabs behind a wearers head and a second and third of said slabs across a wearers chest with the opposing edges of said slabs being further provided with resilient narrow finger-like portions disposed in an edge-toedge relationship conforming around said opening with said ilngenlike portions being flexibly biased towards the central longitudinal axis of the vest to maintain contact veen the vest and a neck of a wearer of the vest.

With the above other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claimed subject matter, and the news illustrated in L16 accompanying drawings.

in the drawings:

FEQURE l is a perspective view of the life vest constructed according to the invention and is illustrative of the anner in which it is intended to be worn by a wearer;

URE 2 s an expolded view of the formed slabs of buoyant mat 11 which may be included in a life vest constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2A illustrates a modified construction of the i shown in FIGURE 2, where-in said slabs may be formed of multiple layers joined by a suitable adhesive;

FIGURE 3 illustrates a waste-free method of forming 3 the slabs as shown in FIGURE 2, wherein all of the slabs shown in FIGURE 2 may be formed of a single continuous slab of buoyant material;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of the sections of material by which a cover means may be formed for a life vest in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a life vest constructed taccording to the invention with portions of the cover means being broken-away to illustrate the conformation about the head-opening of the narrow finger-like portions of the hinged opposed edges of the slabs of buoyant material;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectiontal view taken along the line 66 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIGURES 1 and 5-7 there is shown a life vest generally designated constructed according to the invention. The life vest 20 has a generally rectangular shape and includes a plurality of slabs generally designated 21 through 23 formed of a low density material which provides maximum buoyancy. The shape of the slabs 21-23 of the prcferred embodiment of the invention is shown in detail in FIGURES 2 and 2A and their particular construction will be described in detail later. The slabs 21-23 are enclosed by a cover means generally designated 24 which is constructed from a plurality of cover sections 25-23 which are preferably fabricated from a flexible porous cloth or sheet material. The shape of the cover sections 25-29 and their mode of assembly to form the cover means 24 is shown in detail in FIGURES 4 and 5-7 and will be described in detail hereinafter.

Both the slabs 21-23 and the cover means 24 are formed to provide an opening generally designated in the vest 20 through which a head of a wearer may be projected (as seen in FIGURE 1) to locate an upper portion generally designated 31 of the vest 20 including the upper perimeter of the opening 30 behind a wearers head and a lower portion generally designated 32 of the vest 20 across a wearers chest. The opening 30 has a general configuration of a keyhole, the slotted section of which is extended along the central longitudinal axis of the vest 20 in a direction opposite from the upper edge of said vest. In a relaxed state, the unslotted portion of the keyhole-shaped opening 30 is of an oval shape and is of such a size as to accommodate a wearers neck while being smaller than a wearers head. The slotted section of the keyhole-shaped opening 30 is made of a sufiicient length to permit the opening to be temporarily spread to allow passage of a wearers head.

A waistband 33 transversely encompasses and is attached to the cover means 24. The upper edge of the waistband 33 intersects the slotted portion of the keyholeshaped opening 30 at the latters lower terminal end. One end of the waistband 33 extends freely from one (34) of a pair of

longitudinal edges

34, 34 of the cover means 34 forming a strap 35. The strap 35 is selectively extensible around a wearers torso and is provided with a snap-hook 36 which is selectively engageable with a pair of D- rings 37, 37' mounted by the waistband 33 to opposite

longitudinal face portions

38, 39 of the cover means 34 to attach the vest 20 to a wearers torso. Adjustment means (not shown) are provided for varying the location on the snap-hook 36 on the strap 35 to accommodate the particular torso dimension of a wearer.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the slabs 21-23 are formed of unicellular polyvinylchloride foam. The slabs 21-23 may be formed of a single layer or (as seen in FIGURE 2A) may be formed of multiple layers 22a, 22b, 22c joined together by a suitable adhesive, e g. vinyl adhesive.

Each of the slabs 21-23 is formed in the shape shown in FIGURE 2 and said slabs 21-23 are arranged within the cover means 24 in an edge-to-edge relationship as illustrated in FIGURE 5, with the upper slab 21 of the slabs 4 21-23 being located only in the upper portion 31 of the vest 2t} and the

lower slabs

22 and 23 and the slabs 21-23 being located only in the lower portion 32 of the vest 20.

The upper slab 21 is generally rectangular in shape and is provided with an upper edge 40, the length of which is slightly shorter than the desired width of the vest 20 and with two

side edges

41 and 42, the lengths of which are slightly shorter than the desired length of the upper portion 31 of the vest 20. The lower edge 43 of the upper slab 21 is irregularly shaped and is provided with a recess 44 which is of a size slightly smaller than the back of an average wcarers neck. The lower edge 42 of the upper slab 21 is further provided with a pair of resilient narrow finger-like portions 45 located on opposite sides of the recess 44 which are flexibly biased towards the central transverse axis of the upper slab 21 and adjacent which are provided relieved areas 51 corresponding to the further finger-like portions 51 to be described hereinafter.

The

lower slabs

22 and 23 are substantially identical and are generally rectangular in shape. Each of the

lower slabs

22 and 23 is provided with a lower edge 46, the length of the upper edge of the upper slab 21 and with an outer side edge 47, the length of which is slightly shorter than the desired length of the lower portion 32 of the vest 20. Each of the

lower slabs

22 and 23 is provided with an irregularly shaped upper edge 48 and an inner side edge 49 which intersect at a corner 50 that is shaped to define a section of the lower part of the unslotted portion of the opening 3% The upper edge 48 of each of the

lower slabs

22 and 23 is further provided with a resilient narrow finger-like portion 51 which is flexibly biased away from the central longitudinal axis of its slab. A portion of the corner 50 defines one of the edges of the narrow finger-like portion 51. A pair of relieved areas are provided adjacent the finger-like portions 51 corresponding to the finger-like portions 45.

According to the invention, a waste-free method is provided (as seen in FIGURE 3) whereby the slabs 21-23 may be formed from a continuous slab 52 of buoyant material having a width substantially equal to the desired length of the vest 20. This method, comprises the steps of providing a rectangular-shaped single slab 53 by separating said single slab 53 from the continuous slab 52 along a continuous severance line 54 across the width of said continuous slab 52 and dividing said single slab 53 into only the three slabs 21-23 by simultaneously separating the upper slab 21 from the single slab 53 along an irregular continuous severance line 55 across the width of said single slab 53, while defining the irregularly-shaped lower edge 43 of the upper slab 21 with its recess 44 and its pair of narrow finger-like portions 45 and the irregular upper edge 48 with its corner 56 and narrow finger-like portion 51 of each or" the

lower slabs

22 and 23, and by bisecting the remainder of the single slab 53 along a continuous severance line 56 defining the outer side edge 47 of each of the

lower slabs

22 and 23.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, slabs 21-23, as formed by the above-described method may, then, without any further division thereof, be arranged in an opposing edge-to-edge relationship (as shown in FIGURES 1 and 5-7). The upper slab 21 is located only in the upper portion 31 of the vest 20 and the

lower slabs

22 and 23 are located only in the lower portion 32 of the vest 24). The lower edge 43 of the upper slab 21 opposes the upper edges 48 of the

lower slabs

22 and 23. The inner edges 48 of the

lower slabs

22 and 23 oppose one another and are disposed on opposite sides of the central longitudinal axis of the vest 20. The corners of the

lower slabs

22 and 23 face one another and the recess 44 of the lower edge 32 of the upper slab 21. The cover means 24 is made of a sufficiently large dimension that the slabs 21-23, as so arranged, are free within said cover means 24 to pivot about planes located between their opposing edges. The cover means 24 thus constitutes a hinge connection between the edgc-to-edge related slabs 21-23. The narrow finger-like portions 51 of the

lower slabs

22 and 23 are disposed opposite from one narrow finger-like portion of the pair of narrow fin gerlike portions 45 of the upper slab 21 with all of these narrow finger-like portions being disposed within the cover means 24- and conformed around the unslotted portion of the opening 30.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the cover means 24 is constructed from five cover sections 25-29 of the flexible porous cloth or sheet material that tends to dry quickly when removed from water. As noted above, the dimensions of the cover sections 25-22 should be such that, when assembled, they will form a cover means 24 of sufiicient dimension to permit the slabs 21-23 arranged therein in the above-described edge-to-edge relationship freedom to pivot about their opposing edges.

The shape of the cover sections 25-29 is clearly shown in FIGURE 4. The

sections

25 and 27 are of essentially identical dimensions and are generally rectangular in shape. Both the

cover sections

25 and 27 are severed along a severance line 57 which is substantially equal in length to the slotted section of the opening 3%. The severance line 57 extends upwardly from the lower edge of each of the

cover sections

25 and 27 along their longitudinal central axes and intersects the center of the lower perimeter of an oval-shaped aperture 58, the perimeter of said aperture 58 being slightly greater than the dimension of the unslotted portion of the opening 36. The

sections

25 and 27 are joined together along their outer side edges 59 and 60 and along their upper edges 61 by stitching or other suitable means (as shown in FIGURES 1 and 5-7) forming an upper edge 62 of the vest 2t) and the major parts of the opposite

longitudinal face portions

38 and 39 and the longitudinal edges 34 and 34' of the,cover means 24. The edges of the

cover sections

25 and 27 which border upon the aperture 58 and the severance line 57 are joined together by the cover section 29 which is joined along its longitudinal edges by stitching or other suitable means (as shown in FIGURES 1 and 5-7) to those edge portions of the

cover sections

25 and 27 which border on the aperture 58 and the severance line 57.

The cover section 29 is generally rectangularly-shaped, save for its opposite transverse edges '63 and 64 which are relieved for a purpose that will be described below, and is arranged with the major portion of its face forming the surface of the keyhole-shaped opening 30, but with small longitudinal edge portions thereof being folded over to form the longitudinal face port-ions of the cover means 25 which surround the keyhole-shaped opening 30.

The

cover sections

26 and 28 are rectangularly-shaped and are of substantially identical dimensions. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 5-7, these

cover sections

26 and 28 are joined together by stitching or other suitable means along their side edges '65 and 66 and their lower edges 67. The cover section's 26 and 28 are attached to the

cover sections

25, 27 and 29 by mating their open upper edges 68 with the

open edges

63, 64 and 69 of the

cover sections

25, 27 and 28 and joining these mated edges together by stitching or other suitable means. The connection of the cover sections 25-29 is further reinforced by the waistband 33 which transversely encompasses and is joined to the cover means by stitching or other suitable means as shown in FIGURES 5-7. As is particularly shown in FIGURE 6, the relieved edges 63 and 64 of the cover section 29 permit stitching of the waistband 33 to continue uninterrupted across the

face portions

38 and 39 of the cover means 24, allowing previously stitched lipportions 29a to lie flat as stitching of the waistband 33 is made. As previously described, the upper edge of the waistband 33 intersects the slotted portion of the keyhole-shaped opening at the latters lower terminal end. As best shown in FIGURE 6, the

cover sections

26 and 28 form the parts of the

longitudinal edges

34 and 34 and the face portions 38 and '39 of the cover means 24 which are located below the waistband 33.

The invention is extremely simple to use. When it is desired to use the device, a wearer will exert opposite forces primarily along the transverse axis of the keyholeshaped opening 30 temporarily spreading the opening along its slotted portion. With the opening *30 thus temporarily spread, a wearer places his head therethrough. Once a wearers head is through the opening, the transverse force is removed and, since the vest 20 is formed of resilient material, the opening 30 will return to its relaxed state, retaining the vest about the wearers head. As seen in FIGURE 1, this locates the upper portion 31 of the vest behind a wearers head and the lower portion 32 of the vest 20 across the wearers chest. The vest 20 is further secured to the wearers body by the light engagement of the upper perimeter of the opening *30 with the back of the wearers neck which is provided through the action of the resilient finger portions 45 which are flexibly biased towards the central longitudinal axis of the vest 20. The vest 20 is additionally secured to the wearers body by drawing the strap 35 tightly around the wearers tors-o and engaging the snap-hook 36 with whichever of the D-rings 37, 37 that is farthest away from the wearers chest. The freedom of the

lower slabs

22 and 23 within the cover means 24 to pivot about their edges 49 permits the wearer to obtain a snug fit of the vest 20 to his chest. Since the strap 35 extends from the center of the longitudinal edge 34 of the cover means 24 and since the mating D-rings 37, 37' for the snap-hook 36 are available on either of the longitudinal face portions 38, 3? of the vest 20, it is apparent that the wearer may insert his head throungh either side of the keyhole-shaped opening 30 and that the vest 20 is, thus. reversible.

While it is advantageous for the upper portion 31 of the vest 20 to conform snugly around the head of a Waterborne wearer, such snug conformation is not necessary and is, in fact, uncomfortable to a wearer who is not water-borne. This unnecessary discomfort to a wearer is overcome by the invention, wherein the upper slab is free within the cover means 24 to pivot transversely about a transverse plane located between its lower edge 43 and the upper edges 48 of the

lower slabs

22 and 23. The invention, as shown in FIGURE 1, appears as it would be Worn by a wearer who is not water-borne. However, it should be readily understood that, when a wearer enters the water, the upper portion 31 of the vest will be pivoted by water's buoyant forces about the above-described transverse plane between the opposing lower 43 and upper 48 edges of the slabs 21-23 into snug conformation with the back of the wearers head to furnish excellent support for the same and to maintain the wearers head above the surface of the water.

It is to be understood that while in the preferred embodiment of the invention described hereinabove the cover means 2-4- constitutes the hinging means between the opposing edges of the slabs 21-23 these slabe may be so hinged together by various other appropriate hinging means.

It is to be further understood that, while the low density material providing maximum buoyancy referred to herein is preferably composed of unicellular polyviny-lchloride foam, other materials, e.g. unicellular polyethylene or polystyrene foams or even other satisfactory foams may be employed.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention is well-adapted to carry out the ends and objects hereinbefore set forth. While the preferred part structures and arrangements are disclosed herein, it is understood that variations in such structures and part arrangements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as outlined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A life vest comprising at least two slabs of buoyant material hinged together in an opposing edge-to-edge relationship, said slabs defining at their opposing edges an opening through which a wearers head may be projected '3 to locate a first of said slabs behind a wearers head and a second of said slabs across a wearers chest, and said opposing edges being disposed generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vest and further defining narrow, flexible finger-like portions which are disposed opposite from one another adjacent said opening for maintaining the eges of said opening in close proximity to the wearers neck.

2. The life vest as defined in claim 1, wherein said slabs are comprised of a resilient material, wherein each of said finger-like portions have adjacent thereto and opposite said opening a relieved area, said finger portions being flexibly biased towards the central longitudinal axis of said vest and movable into said relieved area upon the application of pressure thereto from within said opening.

3. The life vest as defined in claim 1, wherein said slabs are comprised of polyvinychloride foam.

4. The life vest as defined in claim 1, wherein said slabs are formed of multiple layers with said layers being joined together by an adhesive.

5. The life vest as defined in claim 1, wherein there is further included means for releasably securing said vest about a wearers torso.

6. The life vest as defined in claim 1, wherein there is further included a flexible cover means encasing said slabs and constituting the hinge connection between the edge-to-edge related slabs.

'i. The life vest as defined in claim 6, wherein there is further included a waistband secured to said cover means and being selectively extensible from one longitudinal edge thereof around a wearers torso and being engageable with mating attachment means mounted on the opposite longitudinal faces of said cover means.

8. A life vest comprising at least three slabs of buoyant material hinged together in an opposing edge-to-edge relatiortship, said slabs defining at their opposing edges a substantially lteyhole-shaped opening through which a Wearers head may be projected to locate a first and second of said slabs across a wearers chest and a third of said slabs behind a wearers head, and an edge of each of said first and second slabs lying generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vest and defining a narrow, flexible finger-like portion with each said finger-like portion being disposed opposite from one of a pair of flexible fingerrlike portions defined by an edge of said third slab all of said finger-like portions partially encompassing an enlarged neck portion of said opening for ilexure toward and away from the center of said enlarged neck portion.

9. The life vest as defined in claim 8, wherein said slabs are comprised of a resilient material, said finger-like portions being flexibly biased towards the central longitudinal axis of said vest and said slabs further defining along the edges thereof relieved portions adjacent said fingers to allow movement of said fingers away from the center of said enlarged opening portion.

10. The life vest as defined in claim 8, wherein said buoyant material is comprised of unicellular polyvinyl chloride foam.

11. The life vest as defined in claim 8, wherein there is further included a flexible cover means encasing said slabs and constituting the hinge connections between the edgeto-edge related slabs.

12. The life vest as defined in claim 11, wherein there is further included a waistband secured to said cover means and being selectively extensible from one longitudinal edge thereof around a wearers torso and being engageable with mating attachment means mounted on the opposite longitudinal faces of said cover means, whereby said life vest is reversible.

i3. A method of fabricating a life vest comprising the steps of providing a single slab of uniform thickness, aperture-free buoyant material which is of substantially the desired outline dimensions of said life vest, simultaneously dividing said slab into only three waste free parts and providing an edge of a first of said three parts with a pair of narrow flexible tinge "Ie portions during the dividing or said slab and presiding an edge of each of a second and third of said three parts with a narrow finger-like portion during the dividing of said slab, which three parts, without any further division thereof, can be arranged with said finger-like portions in an opposing edge-to-edge relationship to provide an opening closely proximate said finger-like, portions through which a head of a wearer of said vest may be projected to locate said second and third parts across a wearers chest and said first part behind a wearers head, and h ing said three parts without any further division th reof in said edge-to-edge relationship.

14. A method of fabricating a life vest comprising the steps or" providing a single slab of buoyant material slightly smaller than the desired dimension of the vest, forming a cover means for said slab which is of the desired dimension of the vest and is provided with an opening through which a head of a wearer of said vest may be projected to locate an upper portion of said vest behind a wearers head and a lower portion of said vest across a Wearers chest, simultaneously dividing said single slab into only three parts providing, during the dividing of said slab, an edge of a first of said three parts with a pair of narrow finger-like portions of greater flexibility than the remainder of said first portion, and providing, during the division of said slab, an edge of each of a econd and third of said three parts with a narrow fingerlilte portion of reater flexibility than the remainder of the second and t1 1 arts, and enclosing said three parts Without any further division thereof within said cover means in an edge-to-edge relationship conforming around said opening locating a first of said three parts only in said upper portion and a second and third of said three parts only in said lower portion, with said narrow finger-like portions of said second and third parts disposed opposite from one narrow finger-like portion of said pair of narrow finger-like portions of said first part to cause all of said finger-like portions to at least partially encompass the opening.

15. A method of fabricating a life vest comprising the steps of: providing a rectangular-shaped single slab of buoyant material of substantially the desired dimension of said vest; dividing said single slab into only three parts by separating a first of said three parts from said single slab along an irregular continuous severance line across the width of said single slab, said line defining in said first of said three parts a lower edge having a recess sufiicient to accommodate the back of the neck of a wearer of said vest and a pair of narrow finger-like portions located on opposite sides of said recess, said line further defining in the remainder of said single slab an upper edge having a pair of narrow finger-like portions, and by bisecting said remainder along its length; rotating each portion of the bisected remainder 180 about its length; and, without any further division of said three parts of buoyant material, hinging together said three parts in an edge-toedge relationship with said lower edge of said first part opposing said upper edge of said remainder and said pairs of narrow finger-like portions being disposed opposite from one another.

16. The method as defined in claim 15 wherein said providing of said single slab is performed by separating said single slab from a continuous slab of buoyant material having a width substantially equal to the desired length of said vest along a severance line across the Width of said continuous slab.

17. A waste-free method of forming three slabs of buoyant material which, without further division thereof, can be hinged together in an opposing edge-to-edge relationship to provide a life vest having an opening through which a head of a wearer of the vest may be projected to locate a first of said slabs behind a wearers head and a second and third of said slabs across a wearers chest, comprising the steps of providing a rectangular-shaped single slab of buoyant material which is of substantially the desired dimension of the life vest and dividing said single slab into only three parts by separating a first of said three parts from said single slab along an irregular continuous severance line across the width of said single slab, said line defining in said first of said three parts a lower edge having a recess sufiicient to accommodate the back of the neck of a wearer of said vest and a pair of narrow finger-like projections disposed on said sides of said recess, said line defining in the remainder of said single slab an upper edge having a pair of narrow fingerlike projections, and by bisecting said remainder along its length.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein said providing of said single slab is performed by separating said single slab from a continuous slab of buoyant material having a width substantially equal to the desired length of said vest along a severance line across the width of said continuous slab.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 509,770 11/1893 Scott 8332 X 1,179,272 4/1916 Boddy 9338 1,295,667 2/1919 Zirnan 9333 2,629,118 2/1953 Frieden et al. 9-333 3,121,240 2/1964 MacKenzie 9345 X 3,167,794 2/1965 Brown 9338 3,181,183 5/1965 Allen 9333 3,247,531 4/1966 Baker 9345 X MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

T. W. BUCKMAN, Assistant Examiner.