US1691472A - Electrically-heated garment - Google Patents

Description

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ELECTRICALLY HEATED GARMENT Nov. 13, 192s. 1,691,472

med June 25, 1925 e sheets-sheet 4 Filed June 2,5, 1925 6 sheets-Sheet 5 W. D. GRAHAM ET AL ELECTHICALLY HEATED GARMENT mmwlwwv Nov. 13, 1928.

Nov. 13, 1928. f 1,691,472

W. D. GRAHAM El AL ELECTRICALLY HEATED GARMENT Filed June 25,. 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Nov. 13, 1928.

UNITED, STATES 1,691,472 PATENT OFFICE.

VWALTER D. GRAHAM, or RIVER EoEEs'r, AND CHARLES M. UHLIG, or CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, SAID UHLIG AssIGNon To SAID GRAHAM.

ELECTRICALLY-HEATED GARMENT.

Application led .Tune 25, 1925. Serial No. 39,421*

The invention has to do with improvements in electrically heated'garments. It has to do especiall with improvements invelectrically heated garments intended for the use of aviators, and other ersons engaged in the driving or control o vehicles generally such as automobiles, trucks, etc., but it kwill presently appearthat the features of the invention are equally well adapted for other classes of service.

One of the objects of the invention 1s to provide a garment of such construction and arrangement that it will not seriously interfere with the required freedom of movement and action of the wearer, but will allow him full freedom of movement, so that his ability to control the vehicle will not be obstructed,

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment of such arrangement that those portions of the body which are chiefly exposed to cold or which are most Subject to numbness therefrom mayk be most advantageously protected and warmed. In this connection, it is an object to provide a complete garment having means for locally heat- Ingy it in those parts which most require such attention.

Still a further object in connection with the above is to make provision for the local heating of the desired portions of the garment by the use of individual heatnfr pads whichare self contained and are locally applied to the desired portions of the garment.

A further object in connection with the foregoing is to establish each ofthese pads as a unit having the electrical conductor or conductors woven thereinto in such a way,

however, that there is established a border portion which is substantially unobstructed y electric wires and'through which may be passed the sewing or stitching to attach the same to the body of the garment.

A further objectl of the invention is to make provision for supplying the electric current. to all of thek pads of the garment from a common source so as to simplify the arrangement, the different pads being preferabl connected in parallel relation, so that the civision or subtraction of one or more pads to the circuit will not interfere with the proper operation of the pads already connected up.

A further object kis to rovide a main garment intended to cover t e major portion of the body, together' with one or more detachable unit garments for other portions ofthe body, such as the hands, feet, and head. These detachable units are in themselves selfcontained garments provided with suitable heating units, and means are provided for instantaneously and easily connecting or disconnecting these garments from the main garment, In this way, the unity of Supply of electric current from a common source is maintained, but the supplemental garments may be removed and disconnected without complication and at the instantaneous desire of the wearer.

Other objects and uses of the invention will appear from a. detailed description of the drawings, which consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure l shows a front elevation of a garment embodying the features lof the present 1nvention, the same being turned inside out so as to better illustrate the pads on the front side of the garment, and the inside lining being removed so as to better illustrate the various pads and electrical connections to them. In Fi l we have also illustrated a pa1r of gaunt ets and a pair of foot pads associated with the garment, one gauntlet and one foot pad beiner connected up to the electric circuit and tile other gauntlet and footpad being disconnected.

Fig. 2 shows a back view corresponding'to Fig. l, the gauntlets and foot pads being removed;

Fig. 3 shows a fragmentary elevation of one of the buttoning connectors such as may be used in connect-ion with the foot pads, gauntlets, or head gear, the covering being removed and the two sections being separated from each other; i

Fig. 4 shows a fragmentary face view of a portion of the inside of the garment, the lining being removed, so as toy illustrate one ofthe heating pad elements;

Fig. 5 shows a fragmentary section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4, looking 1n the direction of 1the arrows, but on greatly exaggerated sca e;

Fig. 6 shows a fragmentary section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of 1the arrows, but on greatly exaggerated sca e;

Fig. 7 shows a body face view of a foot pad embodying the features of the present invention, the inings being removed therefrom, and the connecting wire and terminal being illustrated;

Fig. 8 shows a cross section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction of the arrows, the lining being removed;

Fig. 9 shows a fragmentary section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction of the arrows, but on greatly enlarged scale;

Fig. 10 shows a face view of a gauntlet embodyin the features of the present invention, t e terminal coupling being shown in connection therewith;

Fig. 11 shows a side elevation of a head gear embodying the features of the present invention, the outside lining being removed;

Fig. 12 shows a cross section on the line 12-12 of Fig. 11, looking in the direction of the arrows, but wit-h the garment turned inside out, the weave being illustrated more or less diagrammaticall and Fig. 13 shows a ragmentary section on the line 13-13 of Fig. 11, looking in the direction of the arrows, but on greatly exaggerated scale.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the garment therein illustrated is shown as turned inside out, since the heating elements or pads are preferably attached to the inside surface of the garment proper. This garment is woven of a suitable fabric such as gaberdine, khaki, etc., and is preferably made as a single garment includin the body portion l5, the legs 16 and 17, t e sleeves 18 and 19, and the neck band 20. The garment is preferably slitted down the center of the ront of the body, as shown at 21, and means are provided for fastening the same at this point after the garment is in place on the wearer. Any suitable attaching means such as buttons or snaps may be used for this purpose. If desired, also the open ends of the legs and sleeve may be provided with draw laces or rubber bands or the like for closing them, or they may be slit for a short distance so as to facilitate application to the wearer. In the latter case, the slit portions may be provided with buttons or snaps or other connecting means for closing these parts when in place on the wearer.

We secure to suitable portions of the garment a series of individual heating pads which are provided with electric conductors through which the heating current is passed. These pads are preferably placed against the inside face of the arment so as to bring them as close as possile to the body of the wearer, and also to more effectively heat insulate them against loss of heat outwardly. By placing these pads against the inside face of the garment there becomes available the entire thickness of the garment material itself to insulate against such loss of heat.

In the particular arrangement illustrated, we have shown pads 22 and 23 placed in proper position to warm the knees and upper portions of the legs; pads 24 and 25 in position to warm the breasts and upper front portions of the body; pads 2G and 27 over t e shoulders, and a large pad 28 over the major ortion of the back of the garment. Eac of these pads is preferably made as an independent self-contained unit, for which urpose it comprises a section of fabric having the desired electric heating wires incorporated therewith. These wires are preferably woven directly into the body of the fabric of the ad in accordance with the general princip e covered by Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,436,384 issued November 21, 1922, and No. 1,456,223, issued May 22, 1923. Furthermore, these pads are preferably so woven as to establish perfectly continuous and uninterrupted border fabric portions which are entirel free and clear of wires and through whic the necessary sewing ma be conveniently passed to attach the pa s to the body of the garment pro er.

Referring to igs. 4, 5 and 6, we have illustrated one such pad. the same being designated generally by the numeral 29. It includes the warp and woof threads 30 and 31 which are suitably woven together, together with the heat conductor 32 which is woven back and forth in the body of the fabric. This conductor in its cross connections 33 lies against the face of the fabric to which it may be secured by independent stitches 34, if desired.

Around the marginal portion of the pad is a continuous border 35 into which the wire does not enter, so that said border ortion may be readily connected to the fa ric 15 of the garment by a continuous line of stitching such as 36, either unprotected or protected by a `tape or the like 37 as illustrated in Fig. 4.

It will be understood that the illustration and description of the pad 29 is merely illustrative of the general arrangement of the different pads, and that each pad incorporates more or less the general principles explained, The different pads are naturally made of suitable shapes and sizes to best serve their functions at their selected locations, and it is deemed unnecessary, therefore, to describe the different pads in great detail. It will be noted, however, that the pads 22 and 23 for the knees and upper portions of the legs are somewhat tapered in width, that the pads 26 and 27 for the shoulders are preferably cupped, that the pads 24 and 25 are preferably of relatively small size for the breasts, and that the pad 28 is preferably of large size for the back. A11 of the foregoing pads are supplied with electric current in any convenient manner preferably by connections which will place them in parallel with each other. For this purpose, we preferably make use of electric cables having two conductors, since such cable is readily attached tothe garment and establishes both sides of the circuit. le have, therefore, illustrated y-a cable 38 through which the currentfor the entire garment is supplied. The same preferably goes to the leg 39 at which a branch Cable 40 is carried up along the back and around beneath the arm pit to the front side. of the garment where it is connected to the breast pad by a connection 41. lt is then car# ried on over to the sleeve 19 and preferably reaches down the full length of said sleeve to the cuff thereof. At suitable points such as 42 and 43 the terminals of the shoulder pad 27 are connected to this cable.

At the cuff of the sleeve 19 the wires of the cable are connected to the two buttons of a connector 44l similar to the connector 44 on the sleeve 18, the construction of which will be explained presently'.

At the point 39 there is a cable 45 havling its wires connected to the supply .fable 38, said cable preferably being carried across the back and up at the other side and beneath the arm pit of the 4sleeve 18. Said cable then being carried down over said sleeve 18 to the connector 44 already referred to. The tw'o wires of this cable are con` nected to the terminals of said connector.

This cable 45 supplies current to the pad 24 by suitable connections at the point 46, and also su plies current to the shoulder pad 26' by tlie connections 47 and 48.

The back pad 28 is supplied by a cable 49 which reaches from the cable 45 at the 'unction point 50 upward along one side of the back, as shown in Fig. 2. The different circuitsof the back ad 28 are connected to the wires of the ca le 49 at the ydifferent points 51 and 52, as shown in Fig. 2. This cable 49 is preferably carried on up over the shoulder and around the collar 20 to a terminal connector 53, as indicated in 1'.

Reaching from the cable 45 at the ]unc tion point 'downwardly is a branch cable 54 which reaches down at onel side of the leg 17 to an angle thereof where its w1rcs connect to another terminal plug similar to that already referred td'. The wires of the pad 23 are connected to this cable 54 at the points 55 and 56. Another cable 57 has its wires connected to the wires of the ca ble 45 at the point 58, said cable 57 reaching down and around the leg 16 to the lower end thereof where its wires connect to the terminals of another terminal pluvr 44. The pad 22 is connected to the wires of the cable 57 at the points 59 and 60.

From the foregoing it will be evident that upon supplying current to the cable 38 curhas not been illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 notwithstanding the fact that both of said figures show the garment turned inside out. The application of this lining layer is an expedient which will be well understood in the art and is not believed to require further discussion for this reason. It may be stated,

however, that when applied it should not interfere with proper connection of supplemental heating elements to the various terminal plugs referred to.

Referring particularly to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, f

we have therein illustrated a heating pad for the foot. in the form'of a slipper or sandal intended to be slipped onto the foot before the shoe or boot is drawn into place. yThis sandal preferably includes the sole portion 62 together with an upper 63 which, however, conveniently covers only the toe portion of the foot. A heating wire 64 is woven back and forth through both the sole and upper portions. In so doing it is preferred that this wire be woven back and forth in the fabric of the sandal, so that one terminal is adjacent to the heel thereof, as shown at 65. The wire then weaves back and forth through the sole tothe toe 66 where it passes up into the fabric of the upper and weaves back and forth through the same to the point 67. At this point said wire is preferably carried `down to the sole, and along the same to a point close to the other terminal portion of the wire. yThe cable 68 is connected to this heating element and to a pad 69 having suitable terminals for connection to the terminal plug of the ankle portion of the garment.

As a matter of convenience, in weaving, the sandal is conveniently woven in a manner similar to the method used in weaving bags. For this purpose, the Weave commences at the toe 66. the wire itself being woven into the fabric. At the commencement of thi-s operation, the end portions of the wire are left sufficiently long to take lUU care of the upper and sole respectively. As

the weave progresses back and forth the upper and the sole are thus woven together and with the wire preferably woven into both sections, this operation continuing until the rear end of the upper is reached. At that point the warp threads and wire of'the upper are dropped and the weaving continues using only the threads and wire for the sole. After the sole. has been completed the terminal portions of the Wire can be sewed onto the surface ofthe pad so as to bring them close together, as indicated in Fig. 7.

Referring next to Fig. 1Q, We have therein illustrated a gauntlet of convenient shape having applied to its back surface a heating pad 70. This heating pad is preferably formed to closely correspond to the back of the hand and the backs of the individual fingers. The Wire 71 is woven up and down so as to make a number of passes over the back of the hand, and is also carried around the edges of the respective fingers and thumb, as clearly indicated in Fig. l0. The end portions of the wire are conveniently sewed to surfaces of the heating ad in such a manner as to bring them close y together. A cable 72 is connected to said end portions and to aterminal plug 73.

In Figs. 11, 12 and 13, We have illustrated a side elevation of a head gear which isprovided with suitable heating Wires, together with cross sections at the points indicated in Fig. 11. These figures are more or less diagrammatic and they illustrate a heating pad, the surfaces of which may be protected and finished by suitable layers of cloth. For example, the outside surface may be provided by a layer of Woolen cloth or fur, Whereas the inside surface may be protected by a layer of silk or satin. The heating Wire 74 is Woven into this heating unit in convenient fashion, so as to supply a suitable amount of heating effect to the diderent parts of the head, and it is deemed unnecessary to explain the same in detail.

The terminal connections for the different supplemental units such as sandals, gauntlets, etc., may be connected to the one garment, but will depend largely upon the Wishes ofthe designer and manufacturer, and. in Fig. 3, We have illustrated a very convenient form of arrangement. As shown in this figure, there are the companion pads 75 and 76, The pad 75 is provided with the upstanding buttons 77 and 78 to Which the terminal Wires 79 and 80 of the cable are connected, land the pad 76 is provided With the cap buttons 81 and 82 to which the wires 83 and 8l of the supplemental garment are connected. By snapping the pad 76 down onto the pad 75 the two wires 83 and 84 are simultaneously connected to the Wires 79 and 80 respectively so as to establish the complete connections,

If desired, the bottom and top faces of the pad 75 and 76 may be protected by suitable coverings such as layers of cloth or the like, but We did not illustrate the same since they will be Well understood and appreciated in the art Reference particularly to Fig. 1 will instantly show the very convenient manner in which the different supplemental units can be connected to the main garment, In this figure one gauntlet and one sandal are connected to their respective garment terminals, and the other gauntlet and sandal are shown close to the main garment, but unconnected.

While We have herein shown and described, only certain embodiments of the features of our present invention, still we do not intend to limit ourselves to the same, except as We may do so in the claim.

W'e claim: i

As a new article of manufacture a garment for the purpose specified comprising a Woven garment adapted to cover the body, legs and arms of the wearer, and a series of separate individual, self-contained, heating pads, permanently secured to the inside face of said garment at points for the individual protection and heating of selected portions of the body of the wearer, each of said pads having a border portion which is substantially free of heating Wires and adapted to receive the attaching threads whereby said pad is attached to the garment, each pad beinU suitably shaped and conforming to the body of the wearer at the point to be heated, each individual pad being provided with suitable electrical conductors for heating current, and a series o'f conductors on the garment serving for the supply of current to various pads, substantially as described.

WALTER D. GRAHAM. CHARLES M. UHLIG

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