US1358852A - Raincoat - Google Patents

Description

F. W. HOWARD.

RAINCOAT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.26, 1916.

1,358,852, Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

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BAINCOAT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.26. 1916.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

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PATENTYOFFICE.

BAINCOAT.

Application filed December 26, 1916. Serial No. 139,900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. HOWARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Raincoats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to water proof cloaks or raincoats of a simple type, capable of being manufactured and sold for a nominal charge, with the idea that these rain coats can be manufactured and placed on sale at many points throughout each city, where they would then be available for persons who have been unexpectedly caught in the rain. In order to accomplish this gen-- eral purpose it is necessary to construct the raincoat of an inexpensive material. The material I employ is water proof paper which is inexpensive but also more or less frangible and weak as compared with cloth. The general object of my invention is to produce a raincoat which is very simple and lnexpensive; and further to produce a raincoat which has a construction, particularly adapted to the frangible nature of the material, that is to say the construction of the raincoat is such as to eliminate unnecessary seams and avoid the necessity for sleeves. To this end the raincoat is of simple form, so far as possible devoid of seams, and preferably of sleeveless form.

In its construction the raincoat comprises a cape anda skirt so formed that arm holes are produced between the skirt and the cape through which ones arms are to be passed in putting on the raincoat. One of my obj ects is to provide such a coat with improved means for supporting the forward portion of the skirt from the shoulders; also to insure that the cape will operate effectively to cover the arms. For this purpose I may employ connecting means extending upwardly from the skirt, and I provide for reinforcing such connecting means where necessary to insure that they will stand the strains, to which they may be subjected.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a front elevation and partial section partly broken away, and showing a raincoat embodying my invention;

vFig. 2 is'a plan of a one-piece blank, also Specification of Letters Patent.

' the Patented Nov. '16, 1920.

of m invention from which the raincoat may e formed; 1

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken about on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 to illustrate the rela- -\t1on of the skirt and cape and the details of the connection between them;

Fig. at is a front elevation and partial section of a raincoat embodying my invention and illustrated as though constructed from a built-up blank; 7

Fig. 5 is a plan partially broken away showing 'a built-up blank adapted to form the raincoat illustrated in Fig. 4; and

F 1g. 6 is a detail horizontal section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2 to illustrate details of a reinforcement I may use.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the raincoat comprises a skirt 1 and a cape 3, said cape having a neck opening 4 located between shoulders 5. The space between the shoulders 5 and the upper side edges 6 of the skirt form the arm holes as at 6 through which the arms are to be passed in putting on the raincoat. In other words, the upper edge 6 of the skirt is located near the lower edge of the cape, and the edge 6 at each side cooperates with the cape to form an armhole. The upper middle portion of the skirt at the rear connects with the lower middle portion of a rear apron 8 forming the rear part of the cape 3, and the forward portion of the skirt 1 is in the form of two flaps which extend around to the front side of the raincoat. In order to support the flaps 19 and 20 which form the forward portion of the skirt, I provide connecting means which is preferably in the form of flaps 7 which extend up from the upper edge of the skirt, the upper ends of these flaps 7 being attached at an elevated point to the inner side of the forward apron 8 of the cape 3. These connecting means 7 perform a double function because they not only transmit the weight of the forward part of the skirt to the shoulders 5, but they also operate beneficially because the weight of the skirt tends to hold down the forward apron on the breast. My object in attaching. the flaps 7 at an elevated point on the apron 8 is to provide a space behind the apron and in front of the flaps 7. which will receive the arms of the person wearing the coat and enable the cape to effectively cover the arms. The extensions or flaps 7 are subjected to considerable strain, particularly when the coat is worn in windy weather, and in-order to revent their being torn, particularly at their vertical edges 9, I prefer to provide these vertical edges 9 with a reinforcing cord 10, and I produce a hem 11 in these edges which envelo s the cord.

A coat, suc as that shown in Fig. 1, may be readily formed from a one-plece blank 12, such as that shown in Fig. 2. This blank comprises a cape portion 13 havln a cen trally disposed gap 14 intended to orm the neck opening 4, and from this ap 14 d1- verging edges 15 extend outwar l WhlCll edges are intended to form the meeting edges 16 of the cape. The cape portion 13 has side edges 17 which may be curved if desired as shown, and which extend up to meet the diverging edges 15. These edges 17 form the lower edge of the forward apron 8 of the cape in the finished raincoat.

Below the upper piece or cape portion 13,.

w ich, in the present instance, is formed integral with the cape portion. This lower portlon 18 has the flap 19 extending toward the right, and the similar flap 20 extending toward the left. In forming the raincoat these flaps extend around to the front, and in order to facilitate the shaping of the raincoat to the body I provide substantially vertical plaits between creases 18 which will come at the sides of the raincoat when completed, and facilitate its opening up to receive ones body.

In forming this blank from a sheet of frangible material such as water proof paper I simply cut the material so as to form gaps 19 and 20 at each side, and adjacent to these gaps the up er edge of each of the flaps 19 and 20 is ormed with the extension or flap 7 referred to above.

Forming a raincoat from a one-piece blank expedites the formation of the complete coat. It is advisable to have the cape and skirt formed in one piece, in this way, where it is possible to secure a sufiiciently large piece of water proof paper, and also where it is not necessary for the forward apron of the cape to be of very great length. In this connection attention is called to the fact that the peculiar shape of the blank necessarily imposes a limit upon the length of the ca e at the front. This is evident from an inspection of Fig. 2, from which it will appear that the upper portion of the flap 7 limits the length of the cape, that is to say, the outer edge of the cape portion 13 cannot extend beyond the inner u per corner of each of the flaps 7. For this reason,

if I wish to have a long cape at the front,

I prefer to produce the raincoat out of a blank which is built up of pieces instead of being made of one piece. A raincoat formed from such a blank is illustrated in Fig. 4. The built-up blank comprises a substantially rectangular skirt portion or skirt piece 22, the upper middle portion of which, adjacent the upper edge 23, is attached to the lower m1 dle portion of the cape piece 24. This produces an overlapping circular segment at the back of the raincoat. I prefer that the edge 23 be attached only part of its length, for example, I attach it between the points 27 and 28. From the points 27 and 28, creases 29 are formed, extending vertically downward on the skirt portion 22. And farther out beyond these creases 29 similar creases 30 are provided, producing plaits between them. These creases 29 and 30 have substantially the same function as the creases 18 shown in Fig. 2, but I am enabled to make these plaits wider in this case, because the points 27 and 28 can be located nearer the central vertical axis of the blank. Furthermore, it is evident that the points 27 and 28, as located in Fig. 5 are within the curved edge 26, and this operates to virtually increase the projection of the edge 26 at the back of the corresponding gaps 27 a and 28, adjacent these points which'are to form the armholes. In other words, the use of this builtup blank enables me to make the cape relativ'el longer and more effective as a covering or the arms.

It is evidentthat in this built-up blank, the blank presents flaps 31 which extend in opposite dlrections from the middle of the blank like the flaps 19 and 20. The upper edges 22 of these fla s 31 are provided with connecting flaps 32 ormed of the same material, but made of separate pieces and secured along their lower edges 33 to the upper edges of the flaps 31. Obviously, if desired, the piece 24 may be made so large that its edge 26 will extend beyond and over the flaps 32 when the blank is being formed. It is understood of course that in forming the blank no connection is made between the flaps 32 and the cape piece 24. This attachment is made only after the blank 110 is formed up into the raincoat. When this has been done, the upper edges of the flaps 32 are attached at an elevated point (see Fig. 4), to the inner side of the forward apron 35 of the cape 36.

The vertical edges 37 of the flaps 32 are preferably provided with cords 38 similar to the cords 10 described in connection with the one-piece blank.

In the one-piece blank I prefer to prothe raincoat will be divided substantially vertically down the front and will have enough material to form an overla of the forward edges 41, see Fig. 4; and in order to secure these overlapping edges together, I prefer to provide buttons 42 riveted to the garment and carrying cords or ties 43, the ends of which may be passed several times around a fastener or button 44 attached to the opposite edge of the coat.

In the blank of the form shown in Fig. 5 it is evident that the diverging edges 45 of the blank of the capeortion may be made as long as desired. hen this line 45 is made long the cape can be made to hang with a considerable dip along its front line as will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 4, and it can also be made sufliciently long in the vicinity of the gaps 27 and 28 to insure that it will effectively cover the arm-holes at the back. Furthermore, on account of the greater length ofthe cape at the front it is evident that the garment as shown in Fig. 4 will give greater freedom of movement to the arms under the cape, and will enable one to carry bundles in the arms and under the cape.

In the finished raincoat of the form illustrated in Fig. 4 it is evident that the cape 36 will form shoulders 36" and will have a neck opening 36 similar to the correspondilpg parts of the raincoat illustrated in It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described herein is only one of the many embodiments this invention may take, and I do not wish to be limited in the practice of my invention, to the particular embodiment set forth.

What I claim is:

1. A raincoat consisting of a cape having shoulders, and a neck opening between said shoulders, said cape comprising a rear apron and a forward apron, and a skirt connected to the lower middle portion of the rear apron at the upper rear portion of said skirt, said skirt having a flap on each side extending around to the front side of the raincoat, said flaps, each having an upper edge at each side below each shoulder whereby an arm hole is formed at each side of the raincoat between each of said edges and its corresponding shoulder, and connecting means extending upwardly from the upper and forward portion of each of said flaps at the front of said raincoat and connected to the inner side of the forward apron at an elevated oint so as to form spaces covered by said fbrward apron and lying in front, of said connecting means, to receive the arms.

2. A raincoat consisting of a cape having shoulders and a neck opening between said shoulders, and having a forward apron, and a skirt having an upper edge at each side near the lower edge of said cape, and cooperating with said cape to form an armhole at each side of the raincoat between each of said edges and its corresponding shoulder, said skirt having extensions at the front projecting upwardly and attached to the inner side of said apron at an elevated point so as to form spaces behind said forward apron and in front of said extensions to receive the arms.

3. A blank for forming a raincoat consisting of an upper portion to form a cape, having a central gap to form a neck opening, and having diverging edges extending outwardly from said ap to form meetin edges for the for-ward si e of the cape, sai upper portion also having side edges extending up to meet said divergin edges, and a lower portion of substantia ly rectangular fdrm' having a flap extending toward one side and another flap extending toward the other side, said flaps each having an upwardly extending connecting flap to be attached to the said upper portion.

4. A blank for forming a raincoat, consisting of anupper piece to form a cape, having a central gap to form a neck opening, and having diverging ed es extending outwardly from said ga to orm meeting edges for the forward si e of the cape, said upper piece also having side ed es extending up to meet said diverging e gas, and a separate lower piece of substantially rectangular form attached near its upper edge to the middle lower portion of the said upper piece, and havin a fla extending toward each side, each of said flaps having a separate piece attached thereto and extendlng upwardly from its upper edge to be attached to the said upper piece.

5. A blank for forming a raincoat consisting of an upper portion to form a cape, having a central gap to form a neck opening, and having diverging edges extending outwardly from said gap to form meeting edges for the forward side of the cape, said upper portion also having side edges extending up to meet said diverging edges, and a lower portion of substantially rectangular form,-having a flap extending toward each side, said flaps each having an upwardly extending connecting flap to be attached to the said upper portion, a cord extending along the edge of said blank, and a hem formed on thededge of of said blank enveloping said cor 6. A raincoat formed of frangible material consisting of a cape having shoulders, and a neck opening between said shoulders, and having a forward apron, and a skirt having an upper edge below each shoulder and near the lower edge of said apron whereby an arm hole is formed at each side of the raincoat between each of said edges and its corresponding shoulder, said. skirt having extensions of the frangible material at the front projecting. upwardly and attached to the inner side of said apron at an elevated point so as to form s aces behind said forward apron to receive t e arms, said extensions edges, and having cords extending upwardly having substantially vertical along the said edges, and hems formed at the said edges envelo ing said cords.

Signed at New ork in the county of New 10 Yorkand State of New York this 20th day of December A. D. 1916.

FRANK W. HOWARD.

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