US3119120A - Jockey type shorts - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 28, 1964 Fig. I.

M. H. FAUST JOCKEY TYPE SHORTS Filed April 11, 1962 LACE SEPARATOR LACE LACE

Fig.2.

INVENTOR.

MARTIN H. FAUST plzw his ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,119,120 J OCKEY TYPE SHORTS Martin H. Faust, Reading, Pa., assignor to Penn-Dale Knitting Mills, Inc., Sinking Spring, Pa. Filed Apr. 11, 1962, Ser. No. 186,682 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-224) This invention relates to mens and boys undergarments and, more particularly, to jockey type shorts.

In the past, mens jockey shorts have not fitted the body form perfectly, nor provided adequate support and comfort at the privates, and often time difficulty has been experienced in gaining access to urinate, particularly by left handed persons.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel pair of jockey type of mens and boys shorts, as well as a novel method of making such shorts so as to overcome the above mentioned disadvantages and thus provide a perfect fit, adequate and comfortable support, as Well as extremely easy access by all types of males.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a jockey type of mens and boys shorts in which the fiy portion extends horizontally, instead of in the conventional vertical direction, thereby providing much easier access by both left and right handed persons, as well as simplifying the construction and minimizing the cost of production of the garment.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel method of knitting and making jockey type shorts for men and boys involving knitting a single blank to a predetermined shape on a full fashion knitting machine, then severing the blank into two parts, that is, front and rear panels, and sewing them together along the sides and in a novel way at the crotch, and attaching a binding having an elastic band enclosed in such binding, so as to provide a novel and inexpensive pair of shorts which can be produced at relatively low costs and in a minimum amount of time.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from a study of the following description taken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 shows the shape of a single blank as knitted on a full fashion knitting machine, prior to severing of the blank in accordance with the method embodying the present invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 show rear and front panels, respectively, of a pair of shorts, made by severing the blank shown in FIG. 1 along the zone indicated as separator 8;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a completed pair of jockey type shorts made from the panels shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and illustrating the manner in which the panels are seamed together and how the elastic containing binding is seamed to the leg portions and fly portion; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of FIG. 4.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawing, numeral 1 generally denotes a blank of material knitted on a full fashion knitting machine, of conventional type, along a novel pattern, as shown in FIG. 1, so as to facilitate as well as reduce cost of manufacture of the completed garment. The method involves starting of the knitting to form the welt portion 3, which involves knitting a plurality of loops, but covering only a portion in the center of the knitting head, rather than the full width. After knitting a given number of courses the blank is turned back or doubled and sewn at the edge so as to form welt 3 as shown more clearly in FIGS. 1 and 5. The knitting is continued along portion 2 with the same width as welt 3, then shaping starts to take place at portion 4 by adding knitted loops, two needles at the time, on each side of the needle head and repeating for a predetermined number of courses, that is, until the desired 3,119,120 Patented Jan. 28, 1964 garment width is obtained at course 5, depending on the size of the finished garment desired, such as small, medium or large.

From course 5, continuing on to the separator portion 8, conventional knitting of cotton or stretchable plastic yarns may take place to form the back of the garment as illustrated in FIG. 2. If desired, however, lace knitting may be accomplished in the two lower spaced portions 7 to provide a decorative appearance, as well as better ventilation, whereas the intermediate portion 6 may be of conventional knitting. It should be noted that the pattern of lace knitting, as compared to conventional knitting, may be varied from that shown, as desired. In many cases, the entire back of the garment, as shown in FIG. 2, and the entire front of the garment, as shown in FIG. 3, may be constructed entirely of non-run or other yarn, particularly a stretchable type yarn and with the same stitch size and pattern.

As the knitting is continued beyond the second lace portion 7, shown in FIG. 1, a separator zone is knitted by continuing the knitting of 6, 8, 10 or more plain courses which are made solely for the purpose of cutting to separate the knitted blank into two parts, namely, the rear panel, shown in the lower half, and the front panel shown in the top half of FIG. 1. As the separator portion 8 is completed, knitting is continued to provide another lace portion 7 followed by plain knitting at panel portion 9, which in turn may be followed by an additional lace portion 7 until course 10 is reached, whereupon the knitting is narrowed abruptly to the center portion only of the head of the full fashion machine, so as to continue the plain knitting along tab portion 11 of reduced width, after which the blank is completed. It will be noted that the width of tab portion 11 is the same as the width of welt 3. Of course, alternatively, the entire back panel portion 112 may be knitted entirely of the same yarn and same stitches to form a conventionally knitted rear panel, as distinguished from a laced panel, if a plain garment is preferred.

As stated previously, when the blank 1 has been completed, separator 8 is cut so as to provide a separate rear panel In, as shown in FIG. 2, and a separate front panel 1b, as shown in FIG. 3. Then the front panel 1b is superimposed on the rear panel 1a with the top edges in coincidence and the two panels are seamed together at both sides thereof at 14. Then the welt 3 is folded up until it reaches portion 4, sufficiently so as to overlap the tab 11 as shown more clearly in FIG. 5. Now welt 3 and tab 11 are seamed together along the sides thereof to form a horizontally extending fly opening 18- therebetween (see FIG. 5). Leg binding 19 is sewed onto the leg-forming, side edges of the garment portion 4, together with a thin strip of elastic band 19, enclosed therein so as to become invisible as shown more clearly in FIG. 5, so that upon completion of the sewing of the binding with the elastic band insert to form leg openings 17, the garment is practically completed. A waist band of elastic material is sewn at the top of the garment as shown in FIG. 4 which completes the garment. Such elastic band containing binding 16- is continued across tab portion 11 at the front of the garment to providet a yieldable closure for space 18 which serves as a fly. It will be particularly noted that the fly extends horizontally rather than vertically as in conventional garments. This provides very easy access, whether a person is left handed or right handed, and in view of the elasticity of portion 11, the wearer can urinate without any difficulty or discomfort whatsoever.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an eflicient jockey type of shorts for men or boys, which may be easily and quickly manufactured by the mere knitting of a single blank on a full fashion knitting machine, and

thereafter severing the blank in two, and folding and seaming two panels together in a unique manner so as to provide a horizontally extending fiy, instead of a vertical one, as well as an elastic leg binding and fly binding, to provide a garment which provides a natural and snug fit and which is seamless and comfortable, particularly for the privates, and which considerably reduces manufacturing costs.

Alternatively, rear panel In, shown in FIG. 2, and front panel 1b, shown in FIG. 3, may be knit separately instead of in a single blank that must be severed by cutting separator 8. This enables knitting the separate panels on the same or different machines in large numbers before seaming of the panels together.

Furthermore, welt 3 may be omitted if desired, as shown in FIG. 2 and a binding may be sewed on to the bottom end of portion 2 to take its place.

While I have illustrated and described a single specific embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this is by Way of illustration only, and that various changes and modifications may be made within the contemplation of my invention and within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

Jockey type shorts for men and boys comprising a knitted front panel having a rectangular portion and a central depending rectangular tab portion, a rear panel having a corresponding rectangular portion and a depending crotch portion of progressively smaller Width terminating in a rectangular end portion having the same width as said tab portion, the sides of said rear and front panels being seamed together, said crotch portion being folded over so that its end portion overlies and overlaps said tab portion, only the sides of said end and tab portions being seamed together so as to form therebetween a horizontally extending fly opening having two free edges, a binding, having an elastic band sealed therein, sewn along the sides of said crotch portion and the bottom edge of said front panel to define leg-receiving openings, said binding also sewn along one of the free edges of said horizontally extending fly opening, and a waist band seamed to the top edges of said rectangular portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 21,999 Kneibler Jan. 6, 1942 2,000,073 Goas May 7, 1935 2,235,499 Hiller Mar. 18, 1941 2,282,218 Flesh May 5, 1942 2,285,012 Burkey June 2, 1942 2,623,210 Chatfield Dec. 30, 1952 2,684,482 Rutledge July 27, 1954 2,747,391 Burkey May 29, 1956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,119,120 January 28, 1964' Martin H. Faust It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

In the heading to the sheet of drawings, line 2, and in the heading to the printed specification, line 2, title of invention, for "'JOCKEY TYPE SHORTS", each occurrence, read SUPPORT TYPE SHORTS column 1, vlines 9, 16, 22, 29, and 50,- and column 2, line 70, for "jockey", each occurrence, v read support column 1, line 10, for "jockey" read support type column 3, line 25, for "Jockey" read Support Signed and sealed this 14th day of July 1964. (SEAL) Attest: ESTON G. JOHNSON EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

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