US2722020A - Sportsman's jacket and raincoat - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 1, 1955 R. J. GAZELLE 2,722,020

SPORTSMANS JACKET AND RAINCOAT Filed Jan. 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Foam/0 J. 64251.46

Nov. 1, 1955 R. .1. GAZELLE SPORTSMANS JACKET AND RAINCOAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1954 imam) J. 6425445.

United States Patent SPORTSMANS JACKET AND RAINCOAT Rolland J. Gazelle, Detroit, Mich., assignor of one-half to Walter T. Anderson, Detroit, Mich.

Application January 25, 1954, Serial No. 405,860 9 Claims. (Cl. 9-20) This invention relates to a sportsmans jacket, and raincoat, and more particularly to a jacketor raincoat which will have certain buoyant characteristic if the user falls into the water.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a novel jacket or raincoat construction which has formed therein a series of elongated passageways between the lining and jacket which are open at their lower ends and into which water may flow for entrapping at the upper ends of said passageways a quantity of air.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide a novel jacket construction, together with means for snugly maintaining a lining against the users body, together with a jacket construction having a series of collapsible folds defining said passageways.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide additional upright elongated air passages which tend to stabilize the jacket when the user is partially submerged for maintaining such user in a substantially upright po sition.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide a novel collar with cape formation, which are hollow and contain expansible tubular elements into which a capsule of compressed gas may be released for increasing the buoyancy of the jacket.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide a safety jacket or raincoat which will support the user for several days, if necessary, within the water.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the jacket.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the jacket fully opened, exposing the lining thereof.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

The present construction includes a substantially plain jacket lining 11 and a jacket formation 12, including sleeves 13 and the front fastening buttons 14, together with a formed collar 15, which is hollow for the purposes hereafter described.

The jacket includes an exterior hollow cape formation 16 with a hollow tubular depending portion 17, which extends along the rear of the jacket loosely and is secured thereto at the lower end as at 45, Fig. 4, said tubular portion being open at its lower end as at 55. A suitable belt 18 is employed.

The lining 11 at its opposite marginal edges is secured to the corresponding marginal edges of the jacket as at points 19 and 20.

As viewed in Fig. 3, the jacket lining is adapted to extend around the upper part of the body and downwardly to a point adjacent the hips as indicated at 21, Fig. 3;

whereas the jacket proper extends therebelow as shown or may be of a full length as indicated at 54 in dotted lines, for use as a raincoat.

The lining at its lower edge terminates in a plurality of upturned tabs 22 which are suitably secured, by Vulcanization or by heat and pressure as at 23 to the inner portion of said lining, to thereby support the elastic belt 24 which is furthermore secured to said tabs and to the lini as at the points 25.

Said belt terminates at its opposite ends in the buckles 26, which have cooperating fasteners 27 and 27 adapted for interlocking engagement whereby the belt ends may be secured together for snugly maining the lower periphery of the lining around the users body.

There are provided in spaced relation a pair of depending straps 28 secured to said belt at 29 and having looped free ends 30, which are adapted to extend under the users crotch, and upwardly so that said looped portions 30 are received by the free ends of the belt before the same are buckled together.

By this construction, the lower portion of the lining 11 is snugly maintained against the users body and is held down at all times.

There are provided a plurality of hold-down tabs 31 arranged throughout the length of belt 24 and secured thereto either by stitching or by a pressure welding process at points 32. The depending ends of said tabs are respectively secured to interior portions of the jacket as at points 32. The purpose of these tabs is to effect a distribution of forces when the user of the jacket or raincoat falls into the water to prevent tearing of the lining, inasmuch as a portion of the thrust will be transmitted from the belt to portions of the jacket.

As shown in Fig. 4, as well as Fig. 2, there is provided upon the outer surface of lining 11 a series of reverse folded strips 35, each of which define an elongated air passage 34 running substantially the length of said lining. These passages will be closed at their opposite ends or only at the upper ends and will appreciably increase the buoyancy of the jacket combination, and will also have a tendency to stabilize the jacket or raincoat when used for maintaining the user in a substantially upright position regardless of the movement of the body of water.

The jacket proper has formed as a part thereof a series of full folds 36 as indicated in Fig. 4 wherein the jacket is fully opened. Said passages are closed at their upper ends but are open at their lower ends with the openings thereof coinciding with the lower marginal edge 21 of lining 11 as indicated in Fig. 3.

The purpose of the fold elements 37 is to permit the folds 36 to expand into an increased cross-sectional area when the garment becomes submerged and as the Water begins to fill portions of each of said passageways.

These passageways before emersion will have a certain quantity of air within each of them, which air will become entrapped as the garment becomes submerged and as water enters said passageways.

This entrapped air will thus be moved to the upper closed ends of said passageways where it will be retained against dislodgment and thereby provide an increased buoyancy for the jacket construction.

There is additionally provided as a portion of the jacket, the cape formation 16 which extends around the shoulders, rearwardly thereof, and which is hollow and terminates in the downwardly depending tubular element 17, which is bounded adjacent the jacket proper by the wall 42.

Said wall is normally spaced from the rear of said jacket, but is inter-connected therewith at several points throughout its length as at 45, to thereby maintain the tubular element in an upright position, said element being open at its lower end as at 55, Fig. 2.

The. tubularportion 1.7. of the cape 16 includes the inwardly directed fold elements 43, tothereby define. the.

element 17 to additionally increasethe buoyancyof the garment.

As shown inFig, 5, aswell as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the formedcollar is hollow and provides an air space 46 Within Which is positioned. an elongated sealed balloonlikeelement 47, normally in. a collapsed condition.

There is provided a compressedcarbon-dioxide capsule onother gas capsule 48, upon the. interior of the balloon 47', which can.be manually crushed by the user to release thegas, thereby inflating said balloon.

While the garmentisquite buoyant without the use of the balloon 47, nevertheless the inflation thereof will so.gr.eatly increase thebuoyancy of the jacket or raincoat that the user, mightbe maintained floating upright for several days.

Furthermore, the upper portion of cape 16 is also hollow andcontains.anelongated collapsedballoon or other sealed article 52, which also contains a breakable carbondioxide capsule 5.3. Thus withthe balloon-like element 52inflated, the garment. has amaximum buoyancy.

Having described my invention, reference should now be, hadto the. claims. which follow for determining the scope, thereof.

I- claim:

1. A buoyantsports1nan.s jacket or raincoat comprising. an outerjacketand an inner lining, the lining terminating adjacent the hips of the wearer and the outer jacket extending therebelow, anelastic belt secured to the lower end of said lining. for snugly maintaining said lining against,the, users body, spaced crotch straps depending from rear portions of the belt and adapted to be attached tothe front free endportions of said belt, said outer jacket havinga. series of vertically extending folds defining..air-t ight pouchesclosed at their upper ends and open. at theirlower. ends adjacent thebottom of said li ing, vertical portions of said outer jacket bounding said pouches being secured to outer portions of said lining .for.connecting' the outer jacket to said lining completing. said pouches, theside edges of said pouches having. opposed inwardly. directed return folded portions of substantial .V-shape to provide air chambers of increased area in said pouches, and a hollow cape formation secured to .and:extending across and rearwardly of the shoulders, of saidouter jacket said cape terminating in a downwardly dependingtubular element open at its lower endand loosely. connected adjacent its lower end to said outer jacket. 7

2. The jacket or raincoat of claim 1, the said. edges of said tubular element having opposed inwardly directed return folded portions of substantial V-shape to provide an air chamber of increased areain said tubular element.

3. A buoyant sportsmans jacket or raincoat comprising an outer jacket and an inner lining, the lining terminating adjacent the hips of the wearer and the outer jacket extending therebelow, an elastic belt secured to the lower end of. said lining for snugly maintaining said lining against the users body, spaced crotch straps depending from rear. portions of the belt and adapted to be attached to the front free end portions of said belt, said outer jacket having a series of vertically extending folds defining airtight pouches closed at their upper ends and open at their lower ends adjacent the bottom of said lining, vertical portions of said outer jacket bounding said pouches being secured to outer portions of said lining for connecting the outer jacket to said lining completing said pouches, the side edges of said pouches havingopposed inwardly directed return folded portions of substantial V-shape to provide. air chambers of increased area insaid pouches, a hollow collar on said outer jacket, an elongated collapsed balloon-like element within said collar, and a manually breakable compressed gas capsule positioned within said balloon-like element.

4. The jacket or raincoat of claim 1, an elongated balloon-like element positioned within said cape, and a manually breakable compressed gas capsule secured within said balloon-like element.

5. The jacket or raincoat of claim 1, an elongated'balloon-like element positioned within said cape, a hollow collar on said outer jacket, an elongated collapsed balloonlike element within said collar, and manually breakable compressed gas capsules positioned within said balloonlike elements.

6. A buoyant sportsmans jacket or raincoat comprising an outer jacket and an inner lining, the lining terminating adjacent the hips of the wearer and the outer jacket ex.- tending therebelow, said-outer jacket having a series of vertically extending folds defining air-tight pouches closed at their upper ends and open at their lower ends adjacent the bottom of said lining, vertical portions of said outer jacket bounding said pouches being secured to outer portions of saidlining for connecting the outer jacket to said lining completingsaid pouches, the side edges of said pouches havingopposed inwardly directed return folded portions of substantial V-shape to provide air chambers ofincreasedarea in said pouches, and a hollow cape formationsecured to and extending across and rearwardly of] the shoulders of'said outer jacket, said cape terminating in a downwardly depending tubular element open at its lower end and loosely connected adjacent its lower end to said outer jacket.

7-. The jacket. or raincoat of claim 6, an elongated balloon-like element positioned within said cape, and a manuallybreakable compressed gas capsule secured within said balloon-like element.

8. The jacket or raincoat of claim 6, an elongated balloon-like element positioned within said cape, a hollow collar on said outer jacket, an elongated collapsed balloon likeelement within said collar, andmanually breakable compressed gas capsules positioned within said ballon-like elements.

9. A. buoyant sportsmans jacket or raincoat comprising an outer jacket and an inner lining, the lining terminating adjacent the hips of the wearer and the outer jacket extend ing-therebelow, said outer jacket having a series of vertically extending folds defining air-tight pouches closed at their upper ends and open attheir lower ends adjacent the bottom of said lining, vertical portions of said outer jacket bounding said pouches being secured'to outerportions of said lining for connectingthe outer jacket to said' lining completing said pouches, the side edges of said pouches having. opposed inwardly directed return folded portions of substantial V -shape to provide air chambers of increased area in said pouches, a hollow collar on saidv outer jacket, an elongated collapsed balloon-like element within said collar, and a manually breakable compressed gascapsule positioned within said balloon-like element.

References .Citeddnthe fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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