US876237A - Chest-protector. - Google Patents

Description

No. 876,237. PATENTED JAN. 7, i908.' e. H. RIDLON.

CHEST PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16.1907.

"ms NORRIS PETERS cm, wnsmucnm, B7 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. RIDLON, OF REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM READ & SONS, OF

CHE SCH-PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

Application filed April 16 1907. Serial No. 368.543.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. Brown, a citizen of the United States, residing in Re- Vere, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Chest-Protectors, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to improve chest protectors worn in athletic games such as base-ball. Hereto'fore the chest protectors have been usually of shield shape and so made that the lines of inflation extend entirely across the protector from one to its opposite edge, and all the lines of inflation have been filled with air from one edge of the protector through a single stem or valve, and in case the protector should be punctured at any point or a break occurs in any line of inflation the protector collapses immediately; so also where a single stem or valve is used for inflating the protector, should the valve fail the protector is rendered useless.

In accordance with my invention, I have united the inner and outer walls of the protector between its edges and, as shown, I have united said walls substantially in the median line of the protector, thus dividing the protector into two halves or sections, each of which has its own lines of inflation, each section having its own inflating stem or valve; and in case of a puncture in one section, the other section is left operative, and should it happen that one half of the protector be punctured, as for instance the left hand half covering the heart, the person using the protector may remove the same, turn the inner side out, and bring the inflated part at the left side to cover and protect the heart, the chief source of danger to a base-ball player when struck by a very swift ball.

Figure 1 in side elevation represents a chest protector embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a section partially broken out in the line at, Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a partial section in the line 11;.

The chest protector is composed of an outer side or layer A and an inner side or layer B preferably of shield shape, shown in Fig. 1, said layers being united at their marginal edges, as usual, but in my novel chest protector the outer and inner layers are united from the bottom to the top of the chest proteeter along a line centrally thereof, as at C, thus forming in effect a central partition which extends from the top to the bottom edge of the protector and divides it into two halves or sections D and E. Each half or section is subdivided to form transverselyeXtending air chambers in usual manner, this being done by inserting betwcenthe layers A, B sheets or partitions of india rubber as G, each sheet or partition having an opening 9 which affords communication between the adjacent compartments. The transverse compartments in the section 1) are designated e 7%, e and the transverse sections in compartment E are dcsignated'a, I), c. The compartments in one half or section of the chest protector are entirely separate from those in the other half or section, this separation being effected by the partition at O. The air compartments a b e etc. in one half are inflated by means of a suitable valve M, and those compartments (I I), c in the other half E of the chest protector are inflated by a suitable valve ll. Since the air chambers in the two halves of the form are entirely separate and independent from the other, it will be obvious that if for any reason any of the air chambers in one side of the chest protector become punctured or deflated, such deflation will not affect the air chambers on the other side of the chest protector.

Now in case of accident say to the section E, which may be supposed to cover the left side of the chest and overlying the heart so that the section collapses, the player may remove the protector, turn the same over, bringing the section D to cover the left side of his chest and protect the heart.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A chest protector comprising two layers or sheets A, B, Which are united centrally I other series, and means for inflating sepa- 10 of the chest protector from the top to the botrately the air chambers of either series. toin thereof thereby to form tWo separate In testimony whereof, I have signed my and independent air chambers, one on each name to this specification, in the presence of side of said partition. j two subscribing Witnesses.

2. A chest protector having tWo series of GEORGE I-I. RIDLON. air chambers, the air chambers of each series being connected, and those of one series being entirely independent from those of the Witnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, ELIZABETH R. MORRISON.

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