US2012879A - Undergarment - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 27, 1935. A. R. KNEIBLER v 2,012,879 UNDERGARMENT Filed Feb. 6, 1955 Patented Aug. 27, 1935 PATENT OFFICE- UNDERGARMENT Arthur R. Kneibler, Kenosha, Wis., assigner to Coopers, Inc., Kenoshafwis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application February s, 193s, serial No. 5,170

1 Claim.

This invention relates to undergarments, and

more particularly to the type of undergarment known in the trade as Shorts.

The main objects of the invention are to pro- I vide a garment of the type referred to, which will t smoothly and snugly, while being exceptionally comfortable to wear; to provide such a garment with a built in jock strap or supporter construction forming a component part of thel garment; and to provide a structure which may be manufactured economically so as to be adapted to be sold at low cost.

`In general, it is the object ofthe invention to provide an improved garment of the type referred to, and other objects and advantages of the invention will beunderstood by reference to rthe following specication and accompanyiug drawing, wherein there is illustrated an undergarment embodying a selected form of the in- Vention.

In the drawingf Fig. 1 is afront elevation of the garment as it appears in flat folded condition;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line' 2-2 of Fig. l, showing the garment in distended condition as worn;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 but showing the garment in the condition in which it appears when distended as worn;

Fig. 4 is a detail section on -the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a development of the-component parts of the garment.

Referring now to the drawing, the improved garment herein contemplated embodies a waistband I of suitable elastic material, which is sufficiently soft and stretchable to be adjustable to the waist line without objectionable pressure on the waist line.

The body of the garment is formed by means of a central back piece II, a central front piece I2, and side insert pieces I3 and I4.

The central front piece I2 is preferably of twoply construction embodying plies I2n and I2b and said'portion is formed with an integrally connected crotch extension I which embodies continuations of both plies I2a and I2".

The central back section I I has a substantially straight top edge I6 and its width is gradually increased downwardly so that its side edges Il, flare outwardlyn as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The lowermost portion of the back section II is provided with arcuate-shaped edge portions I8., I8 and a substantially'straight bottom edge Il.

The arcuate edge portions I8, I8 constitute leg opening edges, as will presently appear.

The central front portion I2 is formed with a substantially straight top edge 20 and it is relatively narrow in width, as compared with the width of the back portion II. The width of the central front portion also is gradually increased downwardly so that its side edges 2|, 2| flare outwardly and downwardly. The crotch extension I5 is provided with arcuate side edges 22, 22 which result in a narrowing of the crotch extension relative to the width of the lower end portion of the central front section. 'Ihe free end 23 of the crotch extension is also preferably substantially straight across its width.

The side pieces I3 and I4 approach a rectangular formation having substantially straighttop edges 24, substantially straight, nearly parallel side edges 25 and 26 and bottom edges 2l of curved formation. The latter curved edges cooperate with the curved edges I8 of 4the back portion to form outer portions of leg openings designated 28. The curved edges 22 of the crotch portion I5 form inner edge portions of the leg openings 28.

As clearly indicated in the drawing, the substantially straight top edges IB, 20, 24, 24 of the re' spective sections are united to 'the lower edge of the waistband I0 by means of suitable stitching indicated at 29, the latter being preferably of a type which is stretchable with the elastic waistband. It will also be understood that the sections II, I2, I3 and I4, made of knitted material, are also stretchable transversely of the direction of the ribs of the knitted fabric, although not nia-v and the edges 2| of the front piece are designated 30 and thel seams uniting the Arearward edges 26, 26 of the side pieces and the edges of the back piece arel designated 3|. The free end 23 of the l crotch extension I5 is united to the lower edge I9 of the rear section by a suitable line of stitchthat the seam 32 is disposed well towards the back of the garment, i. e., nearer the plane of the back of the garment than that of the front of the garment. This is considered an advantage,

in that in such location, the seam offers the least interference with the comfort of the wearer.

The leg openings 28, 28 formed by the curved edges I 8, 2,2 and 21 of the respective parts are in this instance trimmed or finished by being hemmed. Within the hemmed outer leg opening portions formed at the lower edges of the back and side sections, there are .disposed strips of elastic indicated at 33, 33, said strips being anchored in place in any suitable manner, but preferably by means of an expansible line of stitching designated 34 which engages only the upper marginal portion of the elastic strip. Such line cf stitching 34 is preferably continued around the entire leg opening to form the bottom edge. The inner margins of the leg openings are adapted to substantially coincide with the groins of the wearer and the outer margins extend upwardly substantially in line therewith.

In the central front piece I2, the ribs or direction of knitting extend up and down, and in the crotch extension, they extend lengthwise and substantially parallel with the leg forming edges 22, 22. Since knitted fabric is not materially extensible in the direction -of its wales, it will be apparent that the leg openings 28 are not materially extensible in their inner edge portions formed by said crotch extension. However, in the side portions I3 and I4 and in the back portion I I, the ribs of the fabric extend up and down and thus substantially transversely of the leg opening forming edges I8 and 2 1, so that said outer edge portions of the leg opening are extensible as permitted by the stretchability of the knitted fabric, The inserted elastic elements 33, 33 serve to yieldingly maintain the leg openings in their contracted condition so that said leg openings mayl be proportioned to fit the wearer snugly by making such openings somewhat small- .er than the corresponding portion of the average perscns thigh. Hence, a snug and smooth fit may readily be obtained by the described construction. The stretching of the outer marginal portions of the leg openings when the garment is worn, causes the inner marginal portions thereof to be drawn taut so as to avoid gathering or bunching thereof, and said inner portions are also thereby maintained in the groins of the wearer.

'Ihe two-ply construction of the central front piece I2 and crotch extension I5 and the longitudinal inextensibility thereof constitute said portions a jock strap formation built in the garment. 'I'he elastic elements 33 exert a steady and substantial pull outwardly in a more or less horizontal i..e., forward and rearward and outward direction.- This pull at the front of the garment is generally applied at the points where the seams -30 meet the leg-openings, so that the supporting part of the garment is maintained in tight-fitting condition and is prevented from wrinkling in an undesirable manner. The tension applied by these elastic inserts also serves to maintain the back of the garment in snug-fitting position, and prevents the garment from bunehing in the crotch.

The described arrangement has the further advantage that the seams 30, 30 and 3|, 3I are so located as to be in positions where they are least conspicuous and least apt to press on and chafe the body of the wearer. Further advantages of the described structure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and changes in the structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the .scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claim, the same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

A pair of mens shorts made of knitted material provided with an elastic waist band adapted to support the garment from the waist of the wearer, said garment having a knitted crotch piece the wales of which extend from front to back thereof so that said crotch piece is freely extensible transversely of the 'crotch but relatively inextensible longitudinally of the crotch, the longitudinally extending side edges of said crotch piece defining inner portions of the margin of the leg openings, the said side edges being of predetermined, substantially invariable length and coinciding with the groins of the wearer, the outer portions ofthe margins of said leg openings extending upwardly substantially in line with the groins but transversely of the wales of the fabric, so that the fabric forming said outer portions of the margins of said leg openings is freely extensible, elastic elements in said outer portions only tending to resiliently limit theVv size of said leg openings to substantially less than the leg size requirements, said outer portions and elasticy elements Ybeing expanded when the garment is worn so as to maintain said inner portions taut and in the groins of the wearer, the portions of the garment connecting the waist bandwith the crotchl piece being relatively inextensible thereby to rmly support said crotch piece from the waist band, and the transverse resiliency of said crotch piece permitting the same to snugly fit the anatomy in'resiliently conforming relation thereto.

. ARTHUR R. KNEIBLER.

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