US3329972A - Infant's wear of a convertible toe construction for stretch garments - Google Patents

Description

y 1, 1967 c. SCHWAB ETAL 3,329,972

INFANT'S WEAR OF A CONVERTIBLE TOE CONSTRUCTION FOR STRETCH GARMENTS Filed March 18, 1965 I Leonard C. .Schwab Lois L. Schwab I N VENTOR5 BY al a W 1? Army:

United States Patent 3 329,972 INFANTS WEAR OF A CONVERTIBLE TOE CON- STRUCTION FOR STRETCH GARMENTS Leonard C. Schwab and Lois L. Schwab, both of 900 Frederick St, Cumberland, Md. 21502 Filed Mar. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 440,842 1 Claim. (Cl. 2239) This invention relates to stretch garment with a covered foot portion called a stretch pajama, stretch leotard, stretch coverall, or any similar name, especially for infants who are not yet able to walk.

Garments of this character have previously been provided with an enclosed foot, permanently attached to the garment, with ,a bootee which is detachable or with a foot that can be turned back to expose the entire foot.

It has been brought to the inventors attention that many medical doctors object to such a foot even when made from a stretch material, because they claim it binds an infants foot restricting both growth and circulation.

It is the object of this invention to provide a permanently attached foot for garments of the type described above on which the toe may be opened to allow the infants foot to move freely and to grow but which at the same time will provide a cover for most of the foot.

Another object of this invention is to allow the garment to be worn either with the toe closed or open and that it may easily be adjusted to either position, yet the warmth of the garment will not be affected.

A further object is to provide a convertible toe construction of the above character which is not too complicated to produce inexpensively.

In accordance with this invention a foot construction for garments of the described character include four parts: the body of the garment of which the leg is an integral part: the sole of the garment which is attached to the body except at the toe: a ribbed toe piece which can be worn either open or closed and an instep cuff which closes the garment when the toe is open. In the closed position the toe piece covers the toe While in the open position it is folded under the sole of the foot. In either position an attractive looking foot is presented.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention are more fully described by the attached drawing and detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof which is to be used with the drawing forming a part hereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a foot construction for garments of the described character which embodies the present invention and is shown in its closed position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the foot construction, but, shown in the open position, which exposes the wearers toes and allows them to move;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the foot construction shown in FIGURE 1;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the foot construction shown in the open condition as illustrated in FIGURE 2;

FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are reduced scale plan views of blanks of fabric employed in the foot construction of FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive;

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the foot construction in the inverted position as used in sewing.

In FIGURES 3, 4 and 10 stitching is illustrated at points where the garment is sewn.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that a foot construction using the present invention and generally identified by the reference number 10, is intended to be a permanent part of a leg of a garment such as a stretch pajama, stretch leotard or stretch coverall especially made for infants who are not yet able to walk and which is formed of a stretchable knitted nylon, nylon and cotton, or nylon and polyester fabric. The leg 15 includes a front part 11 and a back part 12, joined together at their longitudinal edges by attaching a strip of fabric 14 two inches wide (folded over to make a one inch band) to each edge and sewing these strips 14 to the edges with a stretchable stitch made by an overlock machine. Snap fasteners 35 are attached to the bands at specific intervals to close the leg.

The foot construction 10 (FIG. 5) includes a foot top 20 which is an integral part of the front part 11 of leg 15. A closing band 21 (FIG. 6) is attached to the part of this top 20 that goes over the instep. Band 21 is preferably made of a 1ibbed type stretch fabric and is joined, as are all parts of the foot, with an overlock stitch. The toe piece 22 (FIG. 8) which is also made of a ribbed type fabric, is folded over the foot covering band 21 in the closed position. It is folded under the sole 25 (FIG. 7) in the open position. The sole 25 is attached to the bottom of the foot 10 (FIG. 5

The assembly of the foot 10 which is done with the foot inside out is illustrated in FIG. 10, and described in this paragraph. The strips 14 are first stitched to the longitudinal edges of the foot 10. Spur 26 (FIG. 5) is then sewed to edge 27. Band 21 is then attached to the horizontal edge 28 of foot 10. Toe piece 22 is then placed over sole 25 and these two pieces are stitched on to foot 10. Sole 25 is placed on the bottom and toe piece 22 on top of it. These are sewn to foot 10 with band 21 extending on top of the toe piece. The seam around sole 25 attaches together toe piece 22, hand 21 and top 20, at point 29 (FIGS. 7 and 10). The foot is joined so that spur 26 meets edge 27. This completes the sewing of the foot and toe construction.

When the entire garment is completed it is inverted, snap fasteners 35 are attached to the edge of strip 14 which has been turned back. This closes the seam in the side of the leg.

The various parts of the described foot are so constructed that when the foot is in its closed position (FIGS. 1 and 3) the toe piece 22 is slightly stretched so that the opening between it and band 21 is tightly closed. In the open position (FIGS. 2 and 4) toe piece 22 lies flat against the bottom of the sole. Although the fastener 35 which has been illustrated is a snap fastener, it is understood that other forms of conventional fastening such as zippers, etc., may be employed.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that foot construction 10 for stretch pajamas, stretch leotards, or stretch coveralls for infants is adapted to either fully enclose the wearers foot or when desired, may be easily opened to fully expose the infants toes, allowing for full growth and movement, without requiring removal of the garment or separation of the foot.

Although an illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein with reference to the attached drawing it is understood that this invention is not limited to that precise embodiment and that various changes in modification may be effected therein with out departing from the scope or spirit of the invention except as defined in the attached claim.

What is claimed is:

A stretch type garment for pre-walking infants, said garment having ,a pair of legs, each of said legs having a foot enclosing member at the lower end thereof, each foot enclosing member comprising a foot sole covering portion adapted to underlie the sole of the foot of the wearer substantially throughout its area, a foot top covering portion joined to the foot sole covering portion along only the side edges thereof with the forward edge 'jacent side edge portions of the foot sole covering portion, said toe covering portion extending rearwardly and terminating in a rear edge disposed normally in overlapping relation to the front edge of the foot top covering portion for completely enclosing the foot, said toe covering portion being foldable along its line of attachment to the foot sole covering portion into underlying relation -to the front portion of the foot sole covering portion for exposing the toe region of the foot of a wearer while covering the sole and instep region of the foot of the wearer, said toe covering portion being constructed of a resilient fabric material forming the sole means for retaining it in closed position and retaining the foot sole covering portion in underlying engagement with the foot of a wearer when folded into underlying relation thereto,

said foot top covering portion being provided with a front edge portion constructed of resilient fabric material for snugly embracing the foot of a wearer to retain the foot covering member in place when the toe covering portion is in openrcondition with the embracing engagement with the foot being rearwardly of but adjacent the a toe region. a References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS. 2,655,660 10/1953 Racz 2239 X 2,677,160 5/1954 OHayer 2---75 2,705,326 4/1955 Lahnstein et a1. 2-83 3,111,676 11/ 1963 Artzt et al. 280

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

- I. R. BOLER, Assistant Examiner.

Images