US1669085A - Football pants - Google Patents

Description

May 8, 1928.

J. GUYON FOOTBALL PANTS- Filed Junei 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet W E h //////////7 07 Patented May 8, 1928.

UNITED" STATES JOSEPH GUYON, F JACKSON, TENNESSEE.

FOOTBALL PANTS.

Application filed Inn 1,

This invention relates to improvements in football pants.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of improved guard means for football pants, embodying novel detachable and adjustable guard features for best protecting a players body in the lumbar region, hip, thigh, and knee.

A further object of this inventionis the provision of improvements infootball trouser construction utilizing relatively broad rigid guard means shaped in a body protecting and conforming relation.

A further object of this invention is the provision of football pants embodying a novel guard arrangement adapted to sub stant-ially encircle the lumbar region of the player, above and about the loins and waist views,

of the wearer.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel thigh guard construction for football pants. l

A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel hip guard construction for football pants.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel knee guard construction for football pants.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved football pants, showing improved external and internal guard details thereof.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the improved football pants, looking towards the front and showing the improved arrangement of guard and other connecting details.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken through the leg construction ofthe improved football trousers, substantially on the line 3-3 of Figurel, and showing improved guard means associated therein.

Figure i is a fragmentary sectional view of the upper guard construction of the football trousers, looking from the inside towards the rear.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view 1926. Serial No. 113,055.

through the improved football trousers, looking toward a side.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic representation of the relative association of guard members which are associated in the lumbar guard construction of the improved football trousers.

Figure 7 is a somewhatdiagrammatic' representation of relatedthigh andknee guard membersused in the guard construction in the legs of the improved" football trousers.

Figure 8 is an inside view of a novel thigh guard as used with the football pants.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken sub stantially on the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of a novel elastic joint used in the rear of the football trousers for attaching the lumbar guard device to the trunk of the trousers. i p In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of this invention, the letter A may generally designate the improved "football pants, which may comprise the flexible fabt ric trouser portion'B; lumber guard construction C; hip guard members D; thigh guard members E; bers F. c i

The trouser body B as above mentioned is of some flexiblelmaterial, preferably fabric, such as duck, canvas, or the like, and it comprises the hollow leg portions 10 and 11, to which is connected the conventional trunk 12 including the waist band 13. At the front of the trunk 12 is the ordinary flap opening 1 1 secured in closed position by lacing 15 or the like, and above which a belt strap and buckle construction 16 may and knee guard membe provided, if desired The 'trouserbody B may include other conventional features, if desired, but the main novelty of thisinvent-ion consists in the provision of the guard devices and constructions for the improved football pants, and the body B is only novel in so far as form to these features.

Referring to the guard construction 0, the same has been provided for detachable assemblage to the trunk portion of the trousers B, andmore particularly to the waist band 13 thereof, to extend upwardly there it is altered to confrom and to encircle the players body in the lumbar region, to protect the players muscles, bones, arteries, glands, nerves, veins,

and the like in the lumbar region and adjacent thereto.

The guard construction C preferably comprises a flexible fabric enclosing casing, including the inner and outer flexible walls or portions and 21, which along the top of the fabric enclosing casing 23 are stitched together entirely about the guard device C, and reinforced by tape or binding material 24, of any approved character. At their lower edges the wall portions 20 and 21 are stitched together at 26, and the casing 23 has the ends of the walls 26 and 21 secured together by stitching 27 and the reinforcing tape or binding 28 as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. Adjacent these ends of the casing or body construction 23 of the guard device C it is preferred to provide eyelets 30 on one end and eyelets 31 on the other end, which receive any suitable element therebetween, such as a tie or lace thread or cable, to draw the lumbar band about the body of the wearer, in a properly adjusted and enclosing relation. Adjacent the waist band 13 the flexible fabric casing 23 is of smaller diameter, when in position, than at the top thereof, thatis, the walls flare upwardly, so that it is only at the waist or adjacent the loins of the wearer, that the lumbar guard construction C has a snug fit, and thus permitting free movement of the body of the wearer above the waist and within the guard construction C, as is quite obvious.

The rigid guard construction of the lumbar band 0 preferably comprises a .rigid back guard member 35, preferably made of some light weight rigid material, such as papieranach, fiber, or aluminum. The back guard member 35 is preferably rectangular in outline, and in horizontal cross section it is concave-convex. It fits in a special pocket provided and enclosed between the walls 20 and 21 of the casing 23, in the position indicated by the shade lines in Figured of the drawings, and the pocket made to receive this rigid concave-convex back guard member 35 is enclosed by stitching 36 which peripherally connects the walls 20 and 21 entirely about the member 35. The corners of the back guard member 35 are rounded or beveled at 37 to prevent injury to the player, and to permit some relative movement of other guard members to be subsequently mentioned, during the bending of the body of the player. This guard member 35 fits across the back of the wearer, above the base of the spine for a considerable distance to protect the lumbar vertebrae, as well as the back muscles and other vital organs of the body. The member 35 is relatively high and broad, and is rigid, and in this respect differs from the narrow guard members which have heretofore been provided in some trouser constructions.

The rigid guard construction of the lumbar guard band or'device C furthermore includes the side guard plates 39 and 40,

disposed at opposite sides of the band C, and at opposite sides of the back guard 35, these guard members 39 and 10 being rigid, and are preferably the same material as the back guard plate or number 35. The members 39 and 0 are substantially triangular in formation, and in horizontal cross section are substantially concavo-convex, in body conforming relation to the wearer, with the concavity sides facing the body of the wearer when the guard band is in position. Each of the triangular guard plates 39 and &0 has a Vertical side edge 42 substantially parallel with an adjacent side edge 44 of the guard plate 35, and the bottom edges 45 of the guard plates or members 39 and 40 extend in substantially right angled relation with the vertical edges 42. The top edge 46 of each piate 39 and 40 may be called the hypothenuse, and it is preferably slightly convex and slopes downwardly towards the front of the wearer, to substantially a blunt peak a7. The lower edges of the guard plates 39 and 40 towards the front or blunt peak 47 bevel or incline upwardly at 50, to permit the player to bend forwardly without interference from the loin guard plates 53 and 54 which are positioned below the guard plates or members 39 and 40 respectively in a cooperating relation therewith. The guard plates 39 and 40 are of course enclosed in pockets stitched within the flexible duck or fabric casing 23, between the walls 20 and 21, and the stitching is peripherally outlined about each of these rigid side plates 39 and d0, in order to prevent sliding movement of the same in any direction between the walls 20 and 21, the stitching being particularly well shown at 55 in Figure 1 of the drawings. The blunt peak ends 47 of the side plates 39 and 40 term inate for a considerable distance short of the eyelets 30 and 31, to provide relatively wide flexible flap portions at the ends of the casing 23, which may be flexed so that the wearer may draw the same snugly against :lEllS abdomen in a protecting relation there- The guard plates or members 53 and 5a are horizontally elongated to the same width as the upper side plates 39 and 10, and the plates 53 and 5 1- are disposed immediately therebelow, so that the lower horizontal edges 56 thereof are substantially flush with the lower edge 57 of the back plate 35 above described. The upper edge 58 of each of the plates 53 and 54 is horizontal, and the plates or members 53 and 54: are much less in vertical height than the side plates imloo mediately thereabove. It is to be noted that the spaces between the plates 58 and 5a and the next adjacent plates thereabove, at

the front of the wearer, are substantially triangular, to permit the wearer tobend forwardly without a conflicting abutment of the rigid side plates. The plates 39 and 53, as well as the plates 40 and 5am'ay be said to each provide a multiple rigid reinforcing side plate construction, and the side plates 53 and 5 1 are enclosed in pockets in the fabric casing 28, and surrounded by stitching in the manner above described for the other guard plates. At their'outer lower corners 59 the lower side plates 53 and 5e are beveled upwardly.

The guard construction furthermore includesa substantially triangular spine protecting rigid plate 60, which is substantially concavo-convex in body conforming relation, and which is supported in a substantially triangulardepending portion 61 of the casing 28, which extends downwardly at the base of thespine of the wearer, at the inner side of the trunk portion 12. This triangular spine protecting portion has the blunt peak end 63 thereof facingdownwardly, and the upper edge 6% parallel with the lower edge 67 and adjacent to the back plate 35.

From the foregoing description of the construction C it is apparent that the fabric walls of the flexible casing portion 23 thereof enclose the back plate 35, side plates 89 and 58, side plates 40 and5 l, and spine proteoting plate 60, in an enclosing relation, all of said guard plates preferably being concavo convex in transverse section, and being relatively broad to cover a considerable surface across the body ofthe wearer, in contradistinction'to narrow rigid strips which have sometimes been provided; all ofthe rigid protecting plates being enclosed and separated by means of stitching.

Referringto the manner ofdetachably assembling the improved lumbar protecting device G upon the waist band 18 of the trousers B, it is preferred to provide aligning eyelets at spaced intervals about the waist band 13, and the guard device C, to receive detachable connecting laces 65. As is shown in the drawings, these laces are detachably placed at the front of the wearer, toward each side, and at each extreme side. At the back of the trousers A, a detachable elastic connection is provided between the back plate 35 of the reinforcing construction C and the waist band 13 of the trousers B, as is illustrated in Figure 10 of the drawings. It-preferablyconsists of an elastic band -68 stitched at 69 to the flexible trunk portionlQ. of the trousers, at the waist band 13 thereof, and extending upwardly and being provided with eyelets, for alignment with similarly provided eyelets '70 which extend through the reinforchas been given, it is apparent that a novel lumbar region guard device G has been provided, which embodies a novel body guarding construction, which may be placed in a detachable relation upon the conventional fabric trouser portions '13 of football trousers, in a novel and eflicient relation, from which the same may be detached if not desired to be used, as during washing of the fabrictrouser portion B. The fact that the parts B and G are detachable is very important, for numerous reasons which will be apparent to those skilled. in the art to which this invention relates.

Referring now to the hip guard constructions D, one of each of the same is provided at each side of the trousers B, within the up per leg portions thereof, in a manner for de tachable and adjustable support from the waist guard construction C, independent of the flexible trouser portion B. These hip guards D preferably each comprise the rigid polygonal shaped guard plate or member 70, which in cross section is concavoconvex, and which is sufficiently long to extend from adjacent the top, of the hip downwardly past the top of the femur or thigh bone, as a protection therefor, and for the adjacent muscles and other vital parts. At the lower front corners the guard plates 70 are beveled at 72, so as not to interfere with the body of the wearer in any respect. The outline of the. guard plates 70 is substantially square with the exception of the cut-away or'bevel corners 72, as can be seen from Figure 6 of the drawings.

The guard plates 70 are enclosed in fabric casings 745, which entirely enclose the said guard plates therein.

The guard devicesqD are supported by means which is well illustrated in Figure 5 I of the drawings, to permit the vertical orlongitudinal adjustment of the same towards or away from the lumbar guard construction C, or to permit the same to be laterally adjusted to various degrees aboutthe body to prop erly position the same. To this end, it is preferred to provide a plurality of eyelets7-l along the/lower edge of the guard deviceC, preferably only through the casing portion 23, but they may. also beextended through the side plates 53 and 54 to perforate the 'peak 87.

same. Similarly positioned eyelets 75 are also arranged along the upper edge or margin portion of each guard device D, thru only the casings which encloses the guard plates 70, but suitable perforations may-also be provided in the plates to accommodate the eyelets 75, l desired. A. flexible lace or cable member 76 is provided for threading through the eyelets 74 and 75, and is readily apparent that the lacings 76 and may be so positioned as to vertically align the eyelets 74 and in any desired relation, to secure a lateral adjustment of the guard device D, or towards or away from the guard construction C, as is perfectly obvious, and thus the guard constructions C and I) may best be adjusted to suit the convenience and body of the wearer. it is an important feature that the hip guard devices D are detachable and adjustable, and this permits the cleaning thereof, or the cleaning of the trouser portions B, and subsequent readjustment of the construction devices I), to compensate for shrinkage of the different parts, or to fit different persons who might wear the same trousers on different occasions.

Referring to the thigh guard construction E, one of each of the same is detachably and adjustably positioned in each leg 10 and 11 of the trouser portion proper B. Each of these constructions E preferably comprises a verticaly elongated and relatively broad guard plate 80, which is rigid, and of any approved light weight material, such as above mentioned for the other guard plates. intransverse section the rigid guard plate 80 is concavo-convex and preferably struck from a radius and properly arcuated on compound curves to snugly fit in conforming relation to the contour of the thigh portion of the leg of the wearer, providing a concavity which receives the forward and thigh portions of the legs, although the thigh guard construction E may be laterally adjusted to any position desired, to protect the various muscles and the bones of the upper leg. Upper and lower edges of the guard plate 80 conform to the contour illustrated in Figure 7 of the drawings, that is, the lower edge 82 thereof is convex, and the upper edges thereof slope at and 84; in a converging relation from the vertical side edges 85vand S6, to a blunt These guard plates 80 are suitably enclosed in flexible canvas or other fabric casings 87, to entirely enclose the same therein.

As to the means of attaching the thighguard construction E for vertical and lateral adjustment within the legs 10 and 11 of the trouser body B, the legs 10 and 11 are each preferably provided with an elongated reinforced strip 89 stitched at 90 on the legs,

extending vertically for the major length of the leg, and transverse or horizontal ser es of eyelets are extended through these strips 89 and legs which support the same. These transverse or horizontal series of eyelets each comprise an inside eyelet 90, an outlet eyelet 91, and an intermediate eyelet 92, in the same horizontal line transversely across the trouser leg. All of the outside eyelets 91 are in vertical alignment; all the intermediate eyelets 92' are in vertical alignment, and all the inside eyelets 90 are in vertical alignment. T he guard device E for each leg is similarly provided with eyelets, each guard device including transverse or horizontal series of eyelets in the same number as the horizontal series of eyelets provided in the trouser leg which supports the construction E, these series of eyelets for the guard member E each including an inner eyelet 94, an outer eyelet 95, and an intermediate eyelet 96; all of the outer eyelets 95 vertically aligning; all of the intermediate eyelets 96 vertically aligning; and all of the inner eyelets 9th vertically aligning. It is readily apparent that the vertical inner eyelets 94- of the guard construction E, may be aligned with the vertical eyelets 90, ill, or 92 of the trouser leg 10 or 11, in order to properly position the construction E in the desired position, and then through several of the aligning eyelets of the construction E and the trouser leg, detachable connecting legs or clamps 98 and 91) may be threaded, in order to support the guard construction E in a proper position on the leg of the wearer, for protection of his thigh and adjacent body parts. By reason of the transverse arrangement of the eyelets of the leg and thigh guard construc- 'tion E, it is apparent that the guard construction E may be adjusted in the leg of the garment for a considerable lateral ad j ustment equivalent to the total distance between the outer and inner eyelets of the leg and guard construction E. Also, the guard construction E may be vertically adjusted in the leg upwardly or downwardly, to selectively align any of the eyelets of the leg and guard construction E to properly position the guard E according-to the height of the wearer.

An important feature of the guard construction E, which may also be used in connection with any other of the guard plates of the invention, is the provision of shock absorbing straps 100 and 101, which are horizontally positioned at the upper and lower ends of the thigh guard E. Each of these shock absorbing straps 100 and 101 has portions 103 thereof stitched at the convex sides of the guard device E, diagonally extended over the surface thereof, as illustrated in Figure l of the drawings; these straps for their shock absorbing feature each extending across and into the pocket formed by the con cavity of the guard device E, being stitched at lOlintermediate their ends to the vertical medial line of the guard device T, to provide the taut shock strap portions 106 and 107,

best illustrated in Figures 3 and 9, of the drawings, in spaced relation with the facing cavity surfaces of the guard device E, and which are preferably non-elastic, although flexible, so that incident to impact against the ground or otherobstruction, the same will provide a buffing effect for the leg of the operator, to prevent injury thereto.

Referring to the knee guard construction F, one of the same is provided for each leg 10 and ll, and as is illustrated in Figure 7 of the drawings, the same preferably includes an oval-shaped rigid guard plate or member 105, which is oval-shaped in contour, with the major thereof horizontally arranged, and in section alongthe majoraxis the plate 105 is concavo-conveg; in order to conform to the contour of the leg and the knee of the wearer. As is illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings, this plate 105 1s enclosed by a fabric casing 10'? of,

flexible material, and has padding 105 therein. 7

The knee guard F preferably detachably and adjustably is supported by the lower ends of the thigh guard construction E, in

an independent manner with respect to any connection with the trouser body B or the legs thereof. To this end, it is'preferred,

to provide a plurality of eyelets along the lower margin of the guard construction E, preferably three eyelets 110, and likewise at the upper margin of the guard construction F three eyelets 111 are provided, which eyelets 110 and 111 may be arranged in any vertically aligned relation, for receiving a connecting lacing 112. In this manner the knee guard F may be connected to the thigh guard E, to permit its adjustment towards or away from the thigh guard E, alongthe length of the leg, or for lateral adjustment with respect to the thigh guard E, within the leg, in order to best protect the desired part of the knee of the wearer.

From the foregoing description of this invention it is ap arent that a novel guard construction for iootball' trousers has been rovided, the guard parts of which are etachable from the conventional fabric trouser or body portion of the pants, so that the fabric may be washed by detaching the guard construction features. The guard eatures are adjustable with respect tothe protect the muscles of the wearer. *Inci dent to the broad rigid construction of the body conformingplates of the guard constructionsbf this invention, however, the muscles of the body of the wearer will be effectively protected. Thus, in' connection 'medius, and minimus, tensor fascize femoris,

pyri formis, as well as the sciatic nerve and ligaments, and bones of the hip joints. The thigh muscles are-efiiciently protect-ed'bythe thigh constructions, and the knee bones and muscles are protected against injury.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown andde- V scribed, without departing from the spirit of the same or the scope ofthe claims.

I claim: 7 r

1. As an article of manufacture a guard construction for use about a footballplayers body in the lumbar region comprising a flexible supporting casing, a relatively broad back guard plate in the supporting casing, and horizontally elongated upper and lower rigid guard plates in the supporting casing at each of the sides thereof and at each side of the back guard plate.

2. Asan article of manufacture a guard construction for use about afootball players body in the lumbar region comprising a flexible supporting casing, a relatively broad back plate in the supporting casing, horizontally elongated upper and lower rigid guard plates in the supporting casing at each of the sides thereof and at each side of the back plate, and a substantially triangular shaped spine protecting rigid guard plate in the casing below the back plate.

3. As an article of manufacture a guard construction for use about the body of football players comprising a supporting band of flexible material, a substantially polyg onal shaped relatively broad and high back plate of rigid formation horizontally concavo-convex connected to the flexible supporting fportion, and elongated side guard rigid formationhorizontally conplates 0 cave-convex, and supported by the body of the guard construction at each side of the back plate.

4. As an article of manufacture a verti longitudinally adjustable relation, within the legs of span of football trousers, and shock absorbing straps carried in taut relation from one side of the plate to the other across the concave face thereof in outstanding relation with said concavo-convex face.

5. In football pants the combination of a flexible trouser body including a trunk having a waist band and leg portions, a lumbar region guard construction detachably supported by the waist band of the trunk of the trouser portion in upstanding relation thereform, and including a plurality of substantially concavo-convex rigid guard plates therein, hip guard devices each including concavdconvex rigid guard plates, means for detachably connecting the hip guards below and directly to the lumbar region guard device within the trunks of the trouser portions elongated rigid thigh guards having a transverse concavo-convex shape, means for adjustably positioning them directly on the legs of the trouser body for longitudinal and lateral adjustment with respect thereto, knee guard pads of substan tially oval-shape formation having padded portions therein, and means for connecting the same directly to the lower ends of the thigh guards for longitudinal adjustment towards and away therefrom.

6. In football pants the combination of a flexible trouser portion, and a lumbar region guard construction connected withthe trouser portion comprising a broad concavoconvex substantially rigid guard plate sufficient to extend substantially. across the entire back of the wearer, and substantially rigid horizontally elongated concavo-convex side guard members, extending along the sides of the wearer and partially to the front of the wearer.

7. In combination with flexible football trousers including a waist portion, and a relatively broad and high rigid concavoconvex guard plate secured with the Waist portion for individually extending substantially across the entire back of the wearer, and a downwardly tapered rigid guard plate secured to the waist portion below the first mentioned plate for protecting the base of the spine of the wearer.

JOSEPH GUYON.

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