Abstract:
A garment for covering the upper portion of a body has sleeves connected to the trunk portion with gussets provided across at least the armpit areas to provide extraordinary expansion and collapse of the armpit areas of the sleeve and thus provide the capability of extraordinary rotation of the sleeves to a position higher than the shoulder portion of the garment. A method for connecting the sleeves to the trunk portion of the garment to allow for such sleeve rotation is also shown

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to the art of garment construction and more particularly to the art of connecting sleeves to garments increasing relative sleeve movement for covering upper portions of the body.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     In the past, it has long been known to have garments covering at least the torso of the body of a wearer, where the garment also has sleeves extending from the main portion of the garment in order to cover the arms of the wearer. Such sleeves have been movable relative to the main portion of the garment covering the torso. Herein in this description, the term garment is used and should be understood to include both flexible and rigid, and all degrees of rigidity in between, unless specifically described herein otherwise. Further, the term “garment” should be understood to include all forms of garments that cover the torso of the body, including shirts, coats, jackets, tee-shirts, jump-suits, wet suits, body armor and the like.  
         [0005]     In most instances, the sleeves are connected to the main portion of the garment by a seam but, when the wearer raises his arm or rotates it above the horizontal level of his shoulder, the seam connecting the sleeve to the main portion of the garment tends to move the side of the garment below the seam in an outward direction. Often, this outward direction takes a path generally rotating about the upper end of the seam, or generally about the upper part of the wearer&#39;s shoulder. In the case of a coat, for example, to raise one&#39;s arm above the shoulder level, the coat&#39;s side underneath the sleeve seam will generally flare outward from the body. In the case of a shirt normally tucked within trousers, for example, to raise one&#39;s arm above the shoulder level, the shirt beneath the sleeve&#39;s connecting seam will lift the shirt out from its tuck. In some cases, such a shirt lifting movement will result in unsightly bagginess of the shirt beneath the arm. In other cases, such a shirt lifting will result in a complete blousing of the shirt.  
         [0006]     In the past, such problems have been addressed by increasing the amount of cloth or other material of which the garment in make. Such increased material is often formed or positioned underneath the armpit of the wearer. This solution solves much of the problem, but requires often too much material beneath the armpit, thus resulting in the “bagginess” problem sought to be solved. In the case of more rigid material, such as, for example, in body armor or armored garments, such an upward movement may result in lifting the body or torso portion of the garment, thus dangerously exposing the wearer&#39;s midrift to the hostile assault of projectiles sought to be repulsed by the garment.  
         [0007]     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvement for a sleeved garment, which improvement allows the sleeve of the garment to be rotated about and above the shoulder of the wearer without resulting in unwanted movement of the main or trunk portion of the garment. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such stability of the main portion of the garment by means of simplified manufacture. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method of manufacturing sleeved garments covering the upper or trunk portion of the wearer&#39;s body which has a reduced amount of material in the sleeve while allowing or providing for increased movement the sleeve and of a wearer&#39;s arm. It is still further an object of the present invention to provide a sleeve connection or seam structure between the sleeve and the main or trunk portion of the garment, that has a closer fit between the wearer&#39;s arm and the sleeve.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0008]     In brief, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a garment for covering the upper part of a wearer has sleeves that are connected to the main or trunk portion of the garment by a set of gussets about the armpit of the wearer which expand and contract when the sleeve is rotated about or relative to the shoulder of the garment. In one aspect of the invention, the seam fastening the sleeve to the trunk portion of the garment is shortened where gussets are incorporated in the sleeve portion beneath the armpit to present a closer fit between the arm and the sleeve.  
         [0009]     These and other novel aspects of the present invention, together with other aspects thereof, can be better understood by the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which are designed to be read in conjunction and together with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of a shirt in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a detail expansion or blow-up of a portion of the front elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a pattern of one aspect of the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  showing three parts of the pattern for the sleeve portion of the preferred embodiment; and,  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a front elevation view of prior art showing a shirt with sleeves. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]     A shirt  10  is shown, reference being had initially to  FIG. 1  of the accompanying drawings wherein reference numerals refer to like numerals used in herein. The shirt  10  comprises a short-sleeved tee-shirt having a neck  12  connected by seam  14  to the main or trunk portion  16  by seam  14 . The main or trunk portion  16  of the shirt  10  is characterized by a right shoulder portion  20  and a left shoulder portion  18  formed symmetrically on opposing sides of the neck  12 . The trunk portion  16  of the shirt  10  is formed to cover generally the torso or, at least, the upper torso of a wearer (not shown). The trunk portion  16  has a trunk or bottom hem  24  around the lower edge of the shirt  10 .  
         [0015]     The shirt  10  has a right sleeve  26  connected generally to the trunk portion  16  by seam  28 , and has an hem  30  defining the outer extremity of the right sleeve  26 . A right sleeve gusset  34  is connected to the right sleeve  26  by seam  36 , the detail of which may be more clearly seen in  FIG. 2 , reference now being had to both  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the accompanying drawings. A second right sleeve gusset  38  also forms part of right sleeve  26 . The second right sleeve gusset  38  is connected to the first right sleeve gusset by seam  40 , and to the trunk portion  16  by seam  42 . The gussets  34 ,  38  are positioned to cover generally the right armpit from the chest side to the backside of a wearer, not shown. The first right sleeve gusset  34  is connected to the shirt trunk portion  16  by seam  44 . The seams  28 ,  42  and  44  comprise the connection of the right sleeve  26  to the trunk or main portion  16  of the shirt  10 .  
         [0016]     The shirt  10  also has a left sleeve  46  fastened generally to the trunk portion  16  by seam  48 , and also has an hem  50  defining the outer extremity of the left sleeve  46 . A left sleeve gusset  56  is connected to the left sleeve  46  by seam  58 . A second left sleeve gusset  60  also forms part of left sleeve  26 . The second left sleeve gusset  60  is connected to the first left sleeve gusset by seam  62 , and to the trunk portion  16  by seam  64 . The gussets  56 ,  60  are positioned to cover generally the left armpit from the chest side to the backside of a wearer, not shown. The first left sleeve gusset  56  is connected to the shirt trunk portion  16  by a seam  66 . The seams  48 ,  64  and  66  comprise the connection of the left sleeve  46  to the trunk or main portion  16  of the shirt  10 .  
         [0017]     The left sleeve  46 , and its connections with the trunk portion  16  of the shirt  10 , are, and form, a sleeve  46  in all respects symmetrical to the right sleeve  26  and its connections with the trunk or main portion  16 , but on the opposite side of the shirt  10 . The details of the right sleeve  26  and its connections to the trunk portion  16  will be described in greater detail, reference now being to  FIG. 2  of the drawing, but it should be understood that the same specifications apply complementally to the left sleeve  46  and its connections to the trunk portion  16 .  
         [0018]     In particular, when the shirt  10  is laid on a generally flat surface in the position as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the right sleeve  26  will have a substantial portion lying above a horizontal line  68  which is substantially parallel to the bottom hem  24 . The connection of the right sleeve  26  to the trunk portion  16  can be seen, reference being had to  FIG. 2 , as having a distance  74  from the lower point  72  of the connection to the upper point defined by the horizontal line  68 . The point halfway between the upper point  68  and the lower point  72  is point  70 . This result is accomplished substantially by the positioning of the first and second right sleeve gussets  34 ,  38 . More specifically, the first right sleeve gusset  34  is fastened to the trunk portion  16  by the seam  44  which has its upper point  76  above the halfway point  70  of the combined connections  28 ,  42 ,  44 . The seam  42  has an upper point  78  in its connection with the trunk portion. The upper point  78  of the second right sleeve gusset  38 , is lower than the halfway point  70  of the distance  74 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  shows the three part pattern of the right sleeve  26 . The first right sleeve gusset  34  has edge  36 ′. The right sleeve  26  similarly has an edge  36 ″. When the first right sleeve gusset  34  is fastened along its edge  36 ′ to the right sleeve  34  along its edge  36 ″, the seam  36  is formed.  
         [0020]     The first right sleeve gusset  34  also has an edge  40 ′. The second right sleeve gusset  38  has an edge  4 ″ which is designed to fit complementally with edge  40 ′. When the edges  40 ′ and  40 ″ are fastened together, they form seam  40  of the right sleeve  26 .  
         [0021]     In operation, the sleeves  26 ,  46  are connected to the trunk portion  16  of the shirt  10  having seam means extending generally across the armpit of a body of a wearer. The seam means comprises a first sleeve gusset  34 ,  56  and a second sleeve gusset  38 ,  60  which extend generally across the armpit of the wearer. The gussets  34 ,  38 ,  56 ,  60  are fabricated of flexible material, such as cloth, and can be expanded or stretched to full spread condition. Similarly, the flexible material of the gussets  34 ,  38 ,  56 ,  60  can be collapsed or contracted into a bunched condition, under the armpit of the wearer, as when the arm of the wearer is hanging downwardly close to the wearer&#39;s body or torso or trunk. When the gussets  34 ,  38 ,  56 ,  60  are spread out, that is when the arm of the wearer is raised upwardly, as shown in  FIG. 1  for example, the gussets  34 ,  38 ,  56 ,  60  allow the upper portion of the sleeves  26 ,  46  to extend or rotate to a position above a horizontal line  68  extending across the front of the shirt  10  and generally parallel to the bottom hem  24 .  
         [0022]     The operation of the sleeves  26 ,  46  is to be contrasted to a shirt construction not having such an expansible seam means as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . For example, reference being had to  FIG. 4  of the drawings, shirt  100 , having a neck  102  connected by seam  104  to main or trunk portion  106 , has a left shoulder  108  and a right shoulder  110  and a bottom hem  114 . The shirt  100  also has a right sleeve  116  with a right sleeve hem  118 , connected to the trunk portion  106  by seam  120 . Similarly, the shirt  100  also has a complemental left sleeve  124  with a hem  126 , connected to the trunk portion  106  by seam  128 . However, the seam means along or part of the seams  120 ,  128  limits or in other ways restricts upward movement of the sleeve, and often the arm within.  
         [0023]     When the shirt  100  is laid on a flat surface and flattened as shown in  FIG. 4 , it can be seen that a horizontal line  132  generally parallel to the hem  114  can be defined by the two upper most points of the seams  120  and  128 , namely right sleeve seam upper point  136  and left sleeve seam upper point  138 . Each of the sleeves  116 ,  124  can be rotated about its corresponding seam&#39;s upper point  136 ,  138 . However, two unintended results occur in each instance. For example, if an arm in the right sleeve  116  is lifted or rotated laterally upward about the shoulder or, as seen in the resulting movement of the shirt  100 , if the right sleeve is rotated about the upper point  136  of the right sleeve seam  120  in the direction of arrow  140  of  FIG. 4 , the lower most point  142  of the seam  120  will be forced to travel in the direction of arrow  144 , which is generally upward. This movement  144  has the often undesirable effect of lifting the whole right side  148  of the trunk portion  106  upward in the direction of arrow  150 , resulting in the blousing of at least the right side  148  of the shirt  100 . At the very least, such a movement  140 ,  144 ,  150  results in blousing enough of the right side  148  of the shirt  100  to create a “baggy” overlap of the shirt about the waist to create what, in the view of many, an unsightly scene.  
         [0024]     While in this description of a preferred embodiment, a shirt has been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that any sleeved garment covering the upper portion of the torso of a wearer&#39;s body can be formed using the present invention to achieve the benefits hereof. Thus, any sleeved garment covering the torso or, at least, the upper portion of a torso, such as, for examples, jackets, coats, dress shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters and the like and the use of the term “shirt” herein should be understood to encompass such garments. Further, there is no restriction in using the present invention to garments that are flexible. Although the preferred embodiment described herein is a shirt having a flexible fabric, the term “shirt” should also be understood to include sleeved garments that are not flexible, such as garments incorporating modern armor, such as, for example, bullet-proof material like Kelvar and the like. Any such garment having an expansible and collapsible seam means extending generally over the armpit of the wearer should be included within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0025]     The foregoing detailed description of my invention and of a preferred embodiments to products, compositions and processes, is illustrative of specific embodiments only. It is to be understood, however, that additional embodiments may be perceived by those skilled in the art. The embodiments described herein, together with those additional embodiments, are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.