US2524212A - Swimming trunks - Google Patents

Description

H. SPACK SWIMMING TRUNKS Oct. 3, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 8, 1946 INVENTOR. yA/wr SPA Vg H. SPACK SWIMMING TRUNKS oct. 3, `195o 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 8, 1946 INVENTOR.

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Patented Get. 3, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE My invention relates to new and useful improvements in swimming trunks, and more particularly to swimming trunks that are capable of ination to produce buoyancy, the primary object being to provide a garment of this character which in general appearance is the same as an ordinary pair of swimming trunks and for general use may be utilized the same as an ordinary pair of swimming trunks, but in which provision is made for the introduction of air to certain parts thereof, so that the wearer mayuse the same for swimming or floating without danger of sinking or drowning.

A further objectY of the invention resides in the provision of a pair of swimming trunks designed with pockets Vlocated at strategic points therein for the introduction of air thereto.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of swimming trunks having pockets for the reception of air, portions of which pockets are capable of extension to form wing-like portions and adapted when in dis-use to be inverted and concealed.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of an inflating tube with means formed in the garment for the concealment thereof when said tube is in dis-use.

n still further object resides in the provision of a pair of swimming trunks which are simple and inexpensive to manufacture and one which will prove effective in use.

With these and numerous other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction7 combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more 1 Claim. (Cl. 9-20) particularly pointed out in the specification and l claim. In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application: ig.v 1 is a perspective View showing my improved swimming trunks applied` to use on a wearer under normal conditions. i i i i Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation, with parts broken away and partsin section, showing the pocket at the waistband in open position with the inflating tube removed and Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the garment with the pockets inflated, and

Fig, 6 is a horizontal section, enlarged, taken along the line E--S of Figure 3 through the portion of the garment having the pocket therein, with the wing-like pocket portion inverted and concealed.

I have discovered that a large number of persons are unable to swim and for such reasons do not visit swimming pools and the like and do not obtain the enjoyment of and the exercise obtained from swimming. I have also discovered that many persons would indulge in swimming if some convenient means were provided to assist nonswimmers in their eiorts, and to make the possibility oi drowning nil. I have also discovered that disabled veterans who have lost limbs and arms are `finding it diilicult to enjoy swimming, due to the lack of a facility to aid them while in the water. It is for these reasons that I have invented my new swimming trunks which, under normal conditions, may be worn and used as any ordinary pair of swimming trunks butV which, when inflated, may be utilized to assist in swimming or floating without danger of drowning.

In describing my invention I shall refer to the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which the numeral I represents `the front of a pair of swimming trunks, which front is composed of the two sections 2 and 3 stitched together in the front, as shown at 4, and also stitched together at the crotch section, as shown at 5j The rear portion of the garment comprises the two sections 5 and l secured together centrally and vertically as at 8, the crotch section being stitched, as at 5, to the front section I. A waistV band portion 9 formed on the iront and rear portions of the garment has an inside strip It secured therein, forming a circular pocket through which is extended the belt I I, whichis adjustable in the front as shown at I2. Openings are provided in the strip ID at certain points `,throughout the length thereof, as shown by the numeral I3, whereby the belt Ii may be observed andadjusted or removed when desired. The side edges of the front and rear portions of the garment are stitched together at their upper and lower ends, as shown at I 4 and I5.

On the inner face of the front I of the garment, there is stitched a strip of material IE, which is substantially of inverted U-shape, the stitching to the front portion being designated by the numeral Il. This provides a substantially inverted U-shaped pocket within the garment, the side portions of which are of greater width than the horizontal portion thereof, which horizontal portion extends just below the waist band of the garment. Connected to the pocket so formed, through the waist band portion of the garment, with an airproof connection, is an inflating tube I8, in the free end of which is provided a valve, not shown. This inlating tube is adapted to be ordinarily concealed from View in a pocket formed in the waist band portion by the stitching of a covering strip i@ to the front of the waist band. This covering strip is slotted horizontally for a portion of the length thereof and the edges thereof provided with portions of a separable fastener of the zipper type, as shown at 20. Thus the tube when not in use may be concealed from view but made available quite readily when it isdesired to inflate the garment.

Probably the inverted U-shaped pocket for the reception of air would be suflicient to serve.v all desirable purposes, but I have. designed a further means of aiding in the utilization of this garment for oating and swimming which will add to the buoyancy of the wearer and act as a safeguard to Sinking. To this end I provide the wing-like extensions and 22, which form extensions of 'f the, pocket portion of theI garment. Infact, these extensions are extensions of the front sections 2 and 3" and the depending side portions of the air pockets and have their rear walls united with the material forming the air pocket and their f'ronjt walls connected with edges of the front sections 2. and of the garment. When extended as shown inY Figures 4 and 5, they form pontoon sections having communication with the inverted `U-shaped pocket. These extensions 2l and 22, however., may be disposed to an inverted position, as shown in Figure 6, so as to. be. concealed within the substantially vertical portions of the air pocket, and separable fasteners 23 are provided on portions of these extensions 2l and 22 to secure the latter in the inverted position. When these extensions 2i and 22 are in their retracted positions, they form pockets` for the reception of the hands or other articles and by pressing the snap fasteners together, the p ocketsmay be held closed and loss of articles placed therein will be prevented.

Inoperation, these swimming trunks have, the extensions 2! and 22. thrust inwardly to the inverted or retractedA position under normal conditions and secured by the fasteners 23, so that the garment may be used as any other pair of swimming trunks. Ip, Figure 1 I have shown the application of the garment to use on the body of a wearer under normal conditions. When it isv desired to iniiate the garment, the wearer enters the water up to his waist line or other- Wise. wets the garment thoroughly. The garment is made oi a closely woven material and it is a known fact that such material when wet will` retain the air within a thoroughly Covered area for an appreciable length of time. Having thoroughly saturated the garment with water, the portions 2i and 22 are extended; the inflating tube ES is removed from the waist line pocket its outer end thrust into the mouth of the person wearing the garment, and air is blown into the garment through said tube. The air will circulate through the inverted Ushaped pocket aforesaid, and into the wing-like portions 2| and 22, whereupon the tube is returned to the waist line pocket and concealed from view. When so inflated the garment will take the appearance of that shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. Such a garment when worn will keep the body afloat for an appreciable length of' time and assisting the wearer learning to swim or float on the surface of the water, without danger of drowning. When the wearer notices any leakage of air, he may apply more air to the pocket in the manner aforesaid.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved garment, the method of constructing and applying same lto use will be readily understood, and it will be seen that I have provided a comparatively simple, inexpensiveand efficient means forcarrying outv the various; objects of the invention.

While I, have described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is apparent that Various changes in forni, proportion and in the minor details of' construction may be resorted to', without departing from or sacricing anyof the principles-of the invention.

Having thus deseribed my invention, what I claim is:

A pair of swimming trunks having front and rear sections and having vertically extending side openings, a sheet of material vapplied to the inner face of the front section to' provide an air pocket, extending across the garment and downwardly along sides of the front thereof with its side edges following front edges of the side openl ings,` bagdike extensions for'said air pocket closed at outer ends and having front and rear walls, the rear walls of said bags being united with side edges of said sheet and theirV front walls being securedY to edges ofl theV front section along front edges of the side openings, said extensions being foldable, inwardly and insertable through the downwardly extending side portions of the side openings into the air pocket for forming article receiving pockets having openings between the front and rear sections of the trunks, fasteners for releasably holding the side openings of the article receiving pockets closed and thereby forming, closures for outer ends of the inserted articlereceiving pockets, and means for inflating said air pocket and forcing the bag-like extensions to an extendedY and inflated position.

HARRY SPACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the le 0f. thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,289,843 McCoy Dec. 31, 1918 1,720,629 Dreyfus July 9, 1929 1,731,695 Wright Oct. 15, 1929 2,005,460 Fried June 18, 1935 2,463,641 Podell Mar. 8, 1949

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