Apparel – Body garments – Coats
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-03
2001-08-21
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Body garments
Coats
C002S108000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275994
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to a garment for a firefighter, a rescue worker, a forestry worker, or another worker having to carry a rope. As improved by this invention, the garment has elastic means adapted snugly to hold a rope but readily to release the rope when the rope is pulled.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Commonly, firefighters, rescue workers, and other workers, such as construction workers and forestry workers, are equipped with bulky, heavy ropes, which they must carry in their hands or on their shoulders while walking, climbing, or working. Such ropes tend to imbalance the firefighters or other workers who have to carry such ropes. A need has been recognized, which was addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,167 and to which this invention is addressed, for a better way for such workers to carry bulky, heavy ropes without becoming imbalanced, while freeing their hands.
The inventors named herein are aware that another party made a recent attempt to address the need by fastening two strips of an essentially inelastic fabric to an inner surface of a back portion of an outer body of a coat for a firefighter, the outer body having been made from a similarly inelastic fabric, by fastening the strips so as to define an upper series of sleeves and a lower series of sleeves, and by instructing a user to insert loops of the rope through sleeves of the upper series and through sleeves of the lower series. The inventors named herein believe, however, that the recent attempt was unsuccessful because the rope could not be readily removed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides an improved garment, such as a coat, vest, or jacket, for a firefighter, a rescue worker, a forestry worker, or another worker having to carry a rope. The garment has an expanse of fabric, such as an expanse of fabric on an inner surface of a back portion of an outer body of a coat for a firefighter, and an elastic band, which is fastened to the expanse of fabric by a series of spaced fastenings defining a series of sleeves. Preferably, the fastenings are non-metallic fastenings, such as rows of stitches. Alternatively, the fastenings are metallic fastenings, such as rivets.
Each sleeve is defined by an associated portion of the expanse of fabric and by an associated portion of the elastic band, each sleeve being adapted elastically to stretch at the associated portion of the elastic band so as snugly to hold two lengths of a rope until the rope is pulled from said sleeve and so as readily to release the lengths held by said sleeve when the rope is pulled from said sleeve. Preferably, the rope does not cross itself in any of the loops or between the loops.
Preferably, the garment is equipped with a rope arranged in a zig-zag pattern defining a series of loops, each loop having two lengths of the rope and a bight joining the lengths of the rope in said loop. The loops are tucked through the sleeves in a common direction, each loop being tucked through an associated one of the sleeves, so that the lengths of so that bights joining the lengths of the rope in the loops are disposed beyond the sleeves, and so that the lengths of the rope in the loops are held snugly by the sleeves until the rope is pulled in the opposite direction so as to cause the sleeves to release the rope.
In a preferred embodiment, two elastic bands spaced from each other, each elastic band being fastened by a series of spaced fastenings defining a series of such sleeves. Moreover, the garment is equipped with a rope arranged in a zig-zag pattern defining a series of loops, each loop having two lengths of the rope and a bight joining the lengths of the rope in said loop. Furthermore, the loops are tucked through the sleeves in a common direction, each loop being tucked through an associated one of the sleeves at one said band and through an associated one of the sleeves at the other band, so that the bights joining the lengths of the rope in the loops are disposed beyond the associated one of the sleeves at the latter band, and so that the lengths of the rope in the loops are held snugly by the sleeves at each elastic band until the rope is pulled in an opposite direction so as to cause the sleeves to release the rope.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4613068 (1986-09-01), Bianchi
patent: 4836427 (1989-06-01), McManus
patent: 5127565 (1992-07-01), Grant
patent: 5199621 (1993-04-01), McLennan
patent: 5370288 (1994-12-01), Field
patent: 5970517 (1999-10-01), Jordan
patent: 6134713 (2000-10-01), De Rosa et al.
Grilliot Mary I.
Grilliot William L.
Lewis Patricia
Calvert John J.
Morning Pride Manufacturing, L.L.C.
Patel Tejash
Rockey Milnamow & Katz Ltd.
LandOfFree
Rope-carrying garment does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Rope-carrying garment, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Rope-carrying garment will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2517509