US2102323A - Swimming trunks - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet l SWIMMING TRUNKS Dec. 14, 1937.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I ZE/Mentor; mw-zl'bler SWIMMING TRUNKS A. R. KNEIBLER Filed March 19, 193'? Dec. 14, 1937.

Patented Dec. 14, 1937 UNITED ,STATESv PATENT OFFICE Coopers Incorporated, poration of Wisconsin Kenosha, Wis., a cor- Appllcation March 19, 1937, Serial No. 131,759

5 Claims. (Cl. 12S-159) This invention relates to swimming or bathing trunks particularly designed for mens use, although not restricted thereto.

The main objects of the invention are to pro- 5 vide swimming trunks which will be exceptionally comfortable to wear; to provide swimming trunks which will provide the wearer with desirable body support to thereby improve the posture of the wearer and to add attractiveness to the figure; to provide means for eiectively main.- taining the swimming trunks in proper position on the wearer; and in general, it is the object of the invention to provide improved swimming trunks.

Other objects'and advantages will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawings (2 sheets), wherein swimming trunks embodying a selected form of construction is illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation;

Fig. 2 is a central section through the garment illustrating the inside of the rear portion of the garment;

25 Fig. 3 is a section showing the inside of the front portion of the garment;

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections on the lines 4-4 and 5-5 respectively of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the material blank employed in forming an outer garment member', and f Fig. 7 is an exploded view, illustrating the various material sections employed in forming an inner garment member. l 35 Referring now to the drawings, the swimming trunks herein contemplated embodies inner and outer garments, respectively designated 8 and 9 in their entireties.

The outer garment 8 is preferably made of 40 wool or other similar material which is preferred for swimming garments. The outer garment may be made in any desired manner, but in this instance it is preferredl that it be made from a single blank of material such as shown in Fig. 6. The blank of material there illustrated embodies a back part I and a front part II integrally connected by a crotch-forming part I2. The material blank shown in Fig. 6 is folded upon itself so as to align the opposite ends I3 and I4 50 thereof and the adjacent side edges of the overlapped blank portions are then stitched together, thereby to form outer trunks having leg open-v ings substantially as illustrated in Fig. 1. Beltretaining loops such as indicated at` I may be secured to the outer trunks at desirable places to position a. belt I6 which normally is employed for maintaining the garment on the wearer, butk which in this garment is employed mainly for the purpose of providing an attractive finished appearance to the garment. Because of the con- 5 struction of the inner garment about to be described, the belt I6 is not essential and may be omitted if desired, It is, however, preferred that a belt of color contrasting to the color of the outer trunks be employed largely as a matter of 10 attractive appearance. Also, if desired one of the belt loops I5 may be made in the form of a coin pocket as indicated.

The inner garment 9 comprises a waist portion and a lower portion 2I. The waist portion is 15 preferably made of two sections of relatively heavy and strong elastic webbing indicated at 2| and 22 in Fig. 7, the portion 2I constituting the front forming portion and the portion 22 constituting the rear forming portion. The portions 2| and 22 have their ends united so as to form a body-encircling band which is stretchable to conform to the wearers body; It is preferred that the front portion 2I be made 'somewhat wider in its central portion as indicated so as to overlie the abdominal regionsto thereby provide a desired abdominal supporting effect. The elastic elements 2I and 22 are preferably made of knitted material in which rubber or latex strands or threads are incorporated in the knitting process so as to extend lengthwise of the sections whereby the waist-encircling portion is adequately resistant to stretching, so as to provide the said abdominal supporting eiect.

The lower porion 2I of the inner trunks is also preferably formed of knitted material which is elastic transversely of the direction of its Wales, but relatively inelastic lengthwise of its wales. The said lower portion comprises a back forming section 23, front side forming sections 24 and 25 40 and a two-ply central front forming section 26. The inner edges 21, 21 of the respective front side sections 24 and 25 are stitched as indicated at 28 to the respectively adjacent edge portions of the two-ply central front section 26. The outer portion 2l and the low'er`portion 2i cooperate to form complete inner trunks having leg openings.

As indicated in Pigs. 5 and 'L the central front lsection 2l is made somewhat longer than the corresponding portion of the back section so that the seam Il uniting the lower ends of said sectiom Iis disposed somewhat rearwardly of the rcenter portion of the crotch part of the gar- "ment, which is formed by the lower extensions of said central front section and back section. By so positioning the seam Il. the comfort characteristic of the garment is improved.

'111e inner trunks thus formed is placed within the outer trunks and the upper marginal portion of the outer trunks is then turned inwardly and downwardly over the inside of the upper marginal portion of the waist portion of the inner trunks. 'nie inwardly and downwardly turned marginal portion 8l is then secured in place by suitable stitching indicated at u which extends all the way around the garment and serves to permanently unite the inner and outer garments adjacenttheupperedgesofthe waistportions thereof.

The stitching employed at the various seams indicated is preferably of the well-.known type which will permit stretching of the material where required or desired, so as not to interfere with yielding of the garment to conform to the wearers body.

Both the inner and outer trunks are preferably made of knitted material and in the outer gar ment it is desired that the wales of the knitted material extend substantially vertically of the garment. l l

The knitted material employed in making the inner trlmks is preferably of a lighter weight cotton material and the sections used in forming the lower portion of the inner trunks are preferably so arranged that the wales thereof extend vertically of the garment. By so arranging the sections, it will be observed that the wales of material in the crotch forming portion of the inner trunks extend vertically or from front to back and substantially parallel with the adjacent inner portions of the edges of the leg openings. Hence, the inner portions of the leg openingv edges are relatively inextensible. The wales of the materia]v in the portions of the inner trunks adjacent the outer edge portions of the leg openings extend transversely of such edge portions, so that said outer edge portions are adapted to be stretched considerably. 'Ihe leg openings in the inner garment especially are preferably made so that when the garment is applied, the leg openings will be enlarged, the enlargement resulting in stretching mainly of the outer leg opening portions.- To reinforce the said outer leg opening portions, elastic straps embodying rubber strands are associated with said outer leg opening portions, said straps being enclosed within edge bindings 3l and secured in place by stitching indicated at 31, which also serves to secure the said edge binding in place.

'Ihe inner trunks portions are preferably so shaped that the leg opening edges of the innerl trunks approximately coincide and line up with the groins of the wearer. When the leg openings are enlarged, the leg elastica Il serve to provide a definite and material stretching action on the crotch portion of the inner trunks between the leg openings, whereby the crotch portion is stretched both lengthwise and transversely so as to provide a smooth, body-conforming tit.

The elastic waist portion of the inner garment is made of such size that when the garment is worn, said waist portion will be stretched. Owing to its normal tendency to contract to its unstretched condition, the waist portion will adequately hold the bathing trunks in proper place on the wearer and also supply the desired abdominal supporting eifect, the latter being somewhat enhanced by the centrally increased width of the iront portion of said waist band. The snug tting leg openings are also advantageous `in that they effectively prevent exposure regardless of the posture of the wearer.

The inner trunks is designed to fit more or less snugly on the person,- whereas the outer trunks, being less taut, smoothes out body contours and thereby produces the desired attractive appearance.

Changes in the described structure may be made without departing 'from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the

same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

1. A swimming garment comprising outer trunks, and relatively independent inner trunks of different material than said outer trunks. said outerl and inner trunks having their waist portions united, said inner trunks having a wide waist portion 'of elastic material constituting anabdominal support and a lower portion of softer material of less elasticity.

2. A swimming garment comprising outer trunks, and relatively independent inner trunks of different material than said outer trunks, said outer and inner trunks having their waist portions united, said inner trunks having a wide waist portion of relatively strong, elastic material constituting an abdominal support, and a lower portion of softer less elastic material, said lower portion having a body supporting crotch part of material which is elastic transversely and relatively inelastic longitudinally of the garment, said crotch part being secured to and thereby supported from said waist band.

3. A swimming garment comprising outer trunks, and relatively independent inner trunks of different material than said outer trunks, said outer and inner trunks having their waist portions said inner trunks having a wide waist portion of relatively strong, elastic material constituting an abdominal support, and a waist portion of softer less elastic material, said lower portion comprising a back part depending from the back of said waist portion and a front part of different material than said cuter trunks, said outer and inner trunks having their waist portions united, said inner trunks having a wide waist portion of relatively strong, elastic material constituting an abdominal support, and a waist portion of softer less elastic material, said lower portion comprising a back part depending from the back of said waist portion and a front part having a centrally disposed two-Ply body supporting'crotch section of material which is elastic transversely of the garment but relatively inelastic longitudinally thereof, said crotch section being secured at its front or upper end to the front of said waist portion and having its lower or rear end secured to the lower end of said back part, the adjacent side edges of said front and back parts being united.

5. A swimming garment comprising outer trunks and relatively independent, inner trunks of different material than said outer trunks, said outer and inner trunks having their waist portions united, said inner trunks being sufficiently smaller than said outer trunks to permit the inner trunks to lie smoothly within and be wholly concealed by the outer trunks, said inner trunks comprising a wide waist portion of relatively strong elastic material constituting an abdominal support, and a lower portion of soft, knitted material of less elasticity than said waist portion, said lower portion comprising a back part depending from the back of said waist portion, and a front part having a centrally disposed crotch section, said crotch section being secured at its front or upper end to the front of said waist 'portion and having its lower or rear end secured to the lower end of said back portion, the adjacent side edges of said front and back parts being united, the wales of the material in said crotch section and adjacent the inner portions of said leg openings formed by said crotch section extending substantially parallel with the inner leg opening edges, whereby the latter are relatively inextensible, the Wales of the material in said front part adjacent the outer leg opening portions extendingtransversely of said outer leg opening portions, whereby 'the latter are resiliently extensible, and elastic elements associated with said leg openings and stretchable with said outer leg opening edge portions so as to tend to stretch said inner leg opening edge portions and the intermediate crotch portion to maintain a smooth, body-conforming and supporting ilt in 20

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