US1772922A - Protector - Google Patents

Description

C. R. VOLZ Aug. 12, 1930. v

PROTECTOR Filed Deo. 19,1927

/NVE/vre CHA? e VOLZ Patented Aug. 12, 1930 nrre PTEN'D ortica CHARLES R. VOLZ, F WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA PROTECTOR Application filed December 19, 192'?. Serial No. 240,951.

My invention relates to guards for protectinvention has none of these disadvantages. ing portions of the body from bruising or Broadly considered, my invention com-v other injury, and particularly to guards for prises a padded frame supported by the bodyplayers of football and other athletic sports. area surrounding the region it is desired to An object of my invention is to provide a protect. Arched over this frame, and se- 55 'guard or protector which will shield the recured thereto at its opposite edges, is the gion it is desired to guard from the edect of guard or shield proper, shield and frame a blow or pressure. f being in Contact only at the edges where they Another object of my invention is to projoin. A suitable harness holds the protector l0 vide a gua-rd which combines lightness and in place.

comfort to the wearer with full protection. For-the purpose of detailed description I A further object is to provide a guard have shown a thigh vprotector as'embodying which is rigid but which will not be liable to my 'invention in its preferred form. The inflict injury to an opposingplayer. painful affliction known to athletes as char- My invention possesses other objects and ley-horse often results from bruises to the 65 valuable features, some of which will be set belly of the long muscles between the hip forth in the following description of my inand the knee. The protector described is devention which is illustrated in the drawings signed to prevent this type of injury, but it forming part of the specification. It is to is obvious that the same principles of conbe understood that I do not limit myself'to struction may be used in protectors designed 70 the showing made by the said description and for almost any part of the body. drawings, as I may adopt varying forms of As illustrated, a pad 4, which may beof my invention within the scope of the claims. felt, rests against the leg 6 of the wearer.

Referring to the drawings: Over the felt lies a ring-like frame, prefer- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a thigh proably of vulcanized sheet fiber, comprising the 75 tector embodying my invention; and Figs. 2 yokes 7 which conveniently may be inteand 8' are vertical and horizontal sectional gral with side members 8. The whole frame views respectively of the same device, the surrounds the region 9 which is to be protect-- planes of section being on the lines 2-2 of ed and is complementary to the adjacent Fig. l in Fig. 2, and 3 3 of Fig. 1 in Fig. 3. body area 11. The pad 4 may cover the entire 80 More clearly t-o indicate the application of surface as shown, since the felt is so weak in my device, the body of the wearer is shown tensi-on that it will not transmit stresses to the by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3. protected areaormaybe cut away at the center Protective armor has been worn by athto prevent any contact with the protected reletes since the time of the gladiators; and gion. S5

is familiar to us today in the shoulder guards Arched over the frame is the shield 12. I of football players, the shin guards of hockey prefer to make the shield of vulcanized sheet and baseball players, and the chest protectors liber, but other materials may be used if deworn by baseball catchers. lnV general, the sired. lt will be noted that shield and frame function of such armor is to cushion the imare formed without sharp corners which 90 pact of the blow and distribute its force over might cause injury. Vulcanized ber is prea relatively large area. Favorite materials ferred since it combines a desirable limited for such guards are sole-leather and padding. degree of flexibility with a general rigidity. A protector of such material, if it is to ac- The rivets 13 offer a convenient method of complish its purpose, is heavy and uncomsecuring the edges of the shield to the frame, 95 fortable, and will usually cause chafing. and at the same time hold the pad in place Moreover, if the parts to be protected have and attach a harness for retaining the propreviously been injured, even the Idecreased tector in position. shock transmitted thru the guard may be The harness in the present instance compainful or injurious. The protector of my prises a pair of elastic fabric bands 14 adapt- 100 ed to surround the leg of the wearer, and a pair of straps 16 by Which the protector is supported from the belt 17.

The protect-or described Weighs less than 14 ounces including the harness. It altords cornplete protection to the area Within the frame; is fully ventilated, permitting free transpiration and lessening the liability of chaiing; and distributes the shocks over a relatively large area of relatively insensitive tissue adjacent the protected area. Because of the elasticity of the protector as a Whole it is incapable of inflicting injury to an opposing player.

I claim:

l. A protector comprising a rigid unyielding open frame adapted to circumscribe the area of the body to be protected and to bear on the body around said area, and a curved unyielding shield fixed to the frame and overlying the protected area and frame in spaced relation to said frame intermediate its side edges and adapted to receive a blow and distribute it over the portion of the body against Which the open frame bears.

2. A protector comprising a rigid unyield in'g open frame adapted to circumscribe the area of the body to be protected and a curved unyielding shield xed to the frame and overlying the protected area and trame in spaced relation to said frame intermediate its side edges and adapted to receive a blow and distribute it over the portion of the body against which the open frame bears, said frame being continuous and entirely surrounding the area to be protected.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

f CHARLES R. VOLZ.

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