US3023421A - Garment - Google Patents

Description

March 6, 1962 w. F- FARAH GARMENT Filed Nov. 27, 1959 INVENT OR WZZZMI/ZZJara/ZZ 6 4 i ATTORNEY$ United States Patent Office 3,023,421 Patented Mar. 6, 1962 3,023,421 GNT William F. Farah, Farah Bldg, El Paso, Tex. Filed Nov. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 855,565 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-252) This invention relates to garments, and in particular to pocket fasteners of the snap type. As a general proposition the need for such fasteners has long been recog nized and many expedients have been proposed, from button holes to zippers which have proved sufficient, to a degree, for the main purpose, but which fall short of the ideal attainments of the present invention. For instance, buttons are unsightly and unreliable both in manipulation and durability besides constituting a troublesome and possibly hazardous projection, especially on the back pockets of trousers. For eflicient operation, snap fasteners require finger pressure on opposite sides of the mating elements and therefore their use 011 clothing has had limited application and has not been found to be feasible heretofore on pockets.

It is therefore among the objects of the present invention to provide a snap fastener arrangement for clothing, and with particular emphasis on its efficacious use on trouser pockets, which is simple yet effective, low in cost, durable, unobtrusive, and altogether pleasing in appearance.

These and other objects are attained by the present invention, which, briefly stated, comprises in its preferred form a looped fabric strap of generally rectangular configuration, enclosing one element of a snap fastener coacting in coverin relation with the complementary part of the fastener, which latter is secured to the marginal portion of the pocket.

For a more particular description of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view of the upper portion of a pair of trousers adjacent the belt line;

FIGURE 2 is a section taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a section taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, there is shown, in FIGURE 1, a portion 1 of the outer fabric of a trouser garment having belt loops 2, a side pocket opening indicated generally by the numeral 3, and a back pocket with outer fabric 4 and a folded top reinforcement 5 lapped around both sides of the outer fabric 4. Reinforcing fold 5 also encloses the top extremity of the outer portion 6 of the pocket liner, the whole assembly being secured by appropriate stitching, in the conventional manner. Received in a suitable through opening in this reinforced marginal portion of the pocket is the male member of a snap fastener having a shank 7, opposed outer flanges 8 and 9, and an outwardly extending, worldng head -19, all of which may partake of conventional construction.

The female complement of the snap fastener is carried by a looped, fabric strap indicated generally by the numeral 11. As best seen in FIGURE 2, strap 11 is folded upon itself to provide an outer wall 12 and an inner wall 13 with closed bottom 14, and the upper ends of the respective walls are secured as by stitching within a pocket formed by the outer fabric 1 of the garment and the inner wall .15 of the pocket liner. In the usual manner, a strip of fabric 1 is also included on rear wall 15 for reinforcement and for appearance. With this arrangement it will be apparent that the looped strap 11 may be raised or lowered in what amounts to hinged relation about the pocket opening.

The loop of strap 11 is utilized to anchor the female element of the fastener in a state of concealment. To this end the female member comprises a rectangular anchoring head or plate 16 lying entirely within the loop near the bottom 14 thereof.

The female element proper comprises a segmented, spring snap ring 17, which may be of conventional construction, lying exteriorly of the inner wall 13 of the strap loop and fixed to the anchoring head 16 as by rivets 18 passing through the said inner wall 13 of the strap loop.

The manner of manipulation of the device will, of course, be obvious. However, it is desired to point out that the location of one fastener par-t on the outer wall of the pocket coacting with a complementary portion carried on an auxiliary flap of limited width enables the user to secure purchase on both extremities of the fastener with the fingers for the snapping of the parts into joined relation. A further advantage is that both components are carried by portions of the garment which have sturdy construction and thus provide firm and longlasting anchorage, 'In addition to the firm anchorage afforded by the loop the strap arrangement is attended by the all-important result of concealing the metal parts of the fastener, which not only obviates the objectionable features of protruding mechanical parts, but results in an overall pleasing appearance. Such twofold benefits also flow from the rectangular shape of the anchor plate 16 within the loop which not only enhances lever action on the snap features but also lessens the chance of wear and dislocation of the assembly as well as retaining the shape, and thus the appearance, of the loop strap.

A further decided improvement from the standpoint of durability and reliability resides in the construction of the female member in components inside and outside of the strap loop, connected by rivets, rather than the usual method of mounting by means of a central shank in a through opening.

The strap loop 11 lends itself to large scale production since it may be cut to length from long sections of material.

While a preferred embodiment has been shown and described, the invention is not to be considered as limited thereby since various modifications may readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and I therefore do not desire to be limited except insofar as may be properly inferred from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. -In a garment having a slash pocket, a fastening arrangement comprising an open-bight looped strap having its flat dimension generally in the plane of the face of the garment, having its free ends secured upon one side of the pocket opening and having its closed end extending across the opening, and a snap fastener, having the first of its components Wholly carried on the unexposed portion of the strap loop, facing the garment, and the other component located on the portion of the garment overlaid by the loop in extended position, there- 5 by to be in operative registry with said first component of the snap fastener.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the head of the fastener component carried by the loop, is of generally rectangular shape and located close to the bight 10 of the loop, to give shape to the fold formed between the two faces of the loop.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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