Apparel – Nether garments – Stockings
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-22
2001-04-03
Vanatta, Amy B. (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Nether garments
Stockings
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209141
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to decorative bands for a pair of socks, and more specifically, decorative bands for a pair of socks to identify a sports team, holiday occasion, or organizational logo.
2. Description of Related Art
Ever since the invention of socks, hosiery, and stockings, people have been inventing ideas to keep the top of the socks from sliding down the wearer's leg. Many other types of attachments to socks and hosiery has also been the subject of patentability. The following design patent illustrates a fashionable sock. Des. U.S. Pat. No. 374,764, issued to Deborah M. Penn on Oct. 22, 1996, illustrates a sock dickie. The ornamental design of the sock dickie shows a dickie having a fuzzy upper half.
The following patents describes different types of socks, anklets, and hosiery for various uses from keeping a person's ankle warm to holding up the top of the sock above the wearer's calf. U.S. Pat. No. 743,625, issued to Elizabeth M. Douglas on Nov. 10, 1903, describes an anklet to protect a person's ankle from the cold weather.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,065,936, issued to Harry Hardie on Dec. 29, 1936, describes a band of a sock or stocking for wearing apparel. The band is anchored to the upper portion of the sock and comprises a strip of elastic rubber which presses a roughened surface against the wearer. The rubber strip is sewed in a position in a tubular welt knitted in the upper end of the sock. The band and sock are one unit comprising a body of knitted silk with an upper end with a welt forming a hollow tubular member.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,228,404, issued to Saftlas, et al. on Jan. 14, 1941, describes a supporter for holding up an article of clothing on someone's leg. The invention comprises a stocking which takes the form of a half hose having a welt which is either of the turned type or ribbed top commonly employed in a men's half hose.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,571,543, issued to Walter F. Connor on Dec. 6, 1948, describes a cloth top sock. The foot, ankle, and leg of the sock are constructed of knitted material while the cuff is constructed of woven material. U.S. Pat. No. 2,918,679, issued to Henry G. Bell on Dec. 29, 1959, describes an elastic support for a stocking. The knee-high stocking includes a knitted top or welt, a leg portion, a heel pocket, a foot, and a toe pocket. All the portions are of a unitary structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,122,906, issued to Herman E. Crawford on Mar. 3, 1964, describes a self-supporting hosiery top. The self-supporting hosiery top includes inwardly extending loops of relaxed frictional material around the inner periphery at the top. The material frictionally engages the leg of the wearer to support the top of the hose.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,238,537, issued to Fowler, et al. on Mar. 8, 1966, describes an ankle warmer. The main function of the ankle warmer is to be worn around the ankle of the wearer to provide desired warmth for the lower extremities, and at the same time to be fashionable. The ankle warmer comprises an elongated strip of material, convexly contoured in a direction transverse to its axis. The material strip has two free ends which are attached together around an ankle by a fastening means such as clip hooks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,580, issued to Otis W. Holder on Jul. 12, 1977, describes a boot sock with a stay-up cuff and a method. The stay-cuff includes an outwardly turned welt integrally knit to the top of the leg of the sock. The single-ply edge portion is adapted to extend down over the upper edge of the boot to prevent the sock from being drawn into the boot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,177, issued to Margaret L. Binder on Nov. 26, 1991, describes cuff-like tubular extensions for wearing apparel. The cuff-like elements are formed from a textile which causes them to constrict about the wearer's legs or arms. A plurality of cuff-like elements may be interfitted with each other and worn independently of other apparel. The cuff-like elements can be separate from the wearing apparel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,898, issued to Mitchell G. Malpee on Jul. 7, 1998, describes an athletic footwear for beach terrain. The three portions of the footwear include a permeable elastic portion on the top of the foot, an insulative portion on the bottom of the foot and a toe portion. Top portion includes a Spandex or leather band for extra support to hold up the footwear.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,839, issued to Michael R. Lawlor on Feb. 9, 1999, describes an athletic sock garter and method of using the same. The garter is an elongated strap comprised of an elastic material. An adjustable fastener is connected to the elongated strap about the leg portion of the sock. U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,948, issued to Graham M. Kelly on May 4, 1999, describes a support sport sock. The sock includes a sock body of an elastomeric material which is supported against the calf of a wearer's leg by the elastic material. The sock includes a padded heel and biomechanical support panels.
France Pat. No. 835,354, published December, 1938, and France Pat. No. 982,991 published June, 1951, both illustrate a band for tucking in the end of the wear's pant leg along the top of a boot. France Pat. No. 2,457,645, published December, 1980, illustrates a band incorporated into the top of a sock and an additional separate band to act as a shield around the ankle and boot of the wearer.
There is a need for a band that slides over the top of any sock to identify a sports team, holiday occasion, or organizational logo. The band should be movably attachable or detachable in order for the band to be transferred from one sock to another. The band could be transferred to a new sock if the wearer outgrows the other socks or gets a hole in the existing socks. The sock bands would be used day after day without having to wash them after each use.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is sock bands or covers which include a tubular-shaped elastomeric woven fabric which is slidable onto the top of a sock. The sock bands may include a fastening means to be placed around the inner surface of the sock band. The outer surface of the sock bands may contain indicia such as a logo or name of a team or organization.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a sock band that can bear a logo, name, color, preprinted fabric, and/or design to identify a particular team or organization.
It is another object of the invention to provide a decorative sock band that requires no fastening means in securing the sock band to the top portion of a sock.
It is a further object of the invention to provide sock bands that can transform a regular casual sock into a more decorative and functional look.
Still another object of the invention is to provide sock bands that can be worn many days in a row before being washed.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 197868 (1877-12-01), Langford
patent: D. 374764 (1996-10-01), Penn
patent: D. 410149 (1999-05-01), Sweeney
patent: 615271 (1898-12-01), Hayden et al.
patent: 743625 (1903-11-01), Douglas
patent: 1708144 (1929-04-01), Martin
patent: 1746485 (1930-02-01), Lynk
patent: 2065936 (1936-12-01), Hardie
patent: 2228404 (1941-01-01), Saftlas et al.
patent: 2571543 (1951-10-01), Connor
patent: 2719977 (1955-10-01), Fields
patent: 2918679 (1959-12-01), Bell
patent: 3122906 (1964-03-01), Crawford
patent: 3238537 (1966-03-01), Fowler et al.
patent: 3501774 (1970-03-01), Norman
patent: 4034580 (1977-07-01), Holder
patent: 5067177 (1991-11-01), Binder
patent: 5699557 (1997-12-01), Johnson
patent: 5774898
Litman Richard C.
Vanatta Amy B.
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