Article of wearing apparel with an erasable writing surface

An article of wearing apparel, such as a shirt, has a writing surface provided on a prominent portion thereof when worn by a user. A written message or other image may be applied to the writing surface by a suitable writing medium. The materials for the writing surface and the writing medium are selected such that written matter may easily be applied to, and removed from the writing surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention pertains to the garment art and, more particularly, 
to an article of wearing apparel having a writing surface provided 
thereon, and writing means for applying an erasable or otherwise removable 
image to said writing surface. 
There are many situations in which lettering or numbering on a garment 
serve an identification purpose. One common example is in spotswear 
wherein the name of a team, as well as a player number, may be affixed to 
a player's shirt or jersey. The lettering for such garments is usually 
permanent, as may be produced by a silkscreen process or by sewing or 
cementing cloth letters onto the garment. There are many situations, 
however, wherein it is desirable to change the designation of a given 
player, or his representative team. To this end, it is known to provide 
garments, such as shirts, having fasteners which are adapted to receive 
different panels, whereby a player's designation may be changed by 
replacing the panel on his shirt. The fabrication of a garment with 
fasteners, along with corresponding panels, is, however, relatively 
expensive and the resultant assembly is clumsy in use. 
There are many other instances in which it would be desirable to provide an 
article of wearing apparel which is capable of bearing erasable messages. 
For example, a message may be provided on the clothing of a road 
construction worker, warning passing motorists of road hazards or 
conditions. Examples of such warning messages include "SLOW", "STOP 
AHEAD", or "BLASTING AREA". 
Garment writing surfaces might bear messages providing information to the 
public. For example, in restaurants, the writing surface worn by 
restaurant employees could list special menu items. 
A garment with a writing surface might also bear advertisement information. 
That is, a user desiring to promote a certain product could place an ad 
for the product directly on his garment, the message then being brought to 
the attention of the public by the mere wearing of the article by the 
user. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide an article of 
wearing apparel having a writing surface provided on a prominent portion 
thereof when worn by a user, and a writing medium which, along with the 
writing surface, allows a user to both write on, and remove writing from 
the writing surface. 
Briefly, according to the invention, a garment comprises an article of 
wearing apparel having a writing surface provided on a prominent portion 
thereof when worn by a user. A writing medium provides a means for writing 
on the writing surface. The writing surface and the writing medium are 
comprised of materials which allow a user to both write on and remove 
writing from the writing surface. 
In preferred constructions of the invention, various writing surfaces are 
employed such as nylon, polyurethane treated nylon, vinyl, 
microporous-semipermeable materials and leather. Various writing media for 
use with the writing surfaces are disclosed and include ink marking pens, 
chalk, enamel, grease pens, adhesive caulking compounds and liquid latex.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
FIG. 1 illustrates a T-shirt, indicated generally at 10, having a neck 
opening 12, sleeve sections 14, 16 and a trunk portion 18. The front 
surface of the T-shirt 10 is indicated generally at 20. 
Provided on the upper portion of the T-shirt front surface 20 is permanent 
lettering 30, here displaying the message "TODAYS SPECIAL". The fixed 
lettering 30 may be provided by conventional means such as silkscreening 
or cutout fabric letters which are sewn or cemented to front surface 20. 
Positioned directly beneath the fixed lettering 30 is a writing surface 40. 
The writing surface, formed of an appropriate material as described below, 
allows a user to write his own message on the T-shirt 10. While in this, 
the preferred embodiment of the invention the writing surface 40 is shown 
on the front surface 20 of a T-shirt, it should be understood that the 
invention is equally applicable to any other prominent surface of the 
T-shirt 10 or any other article of wearing apparel, wherein the writing 
surface is provided on a prominent portion thereof when worn by a user. 
In one particular construction of the invention, the writing surface 40 was 
comprised of a sheet of any of the materials described below, formed as a 
9-inch wide by 7-inch high rectangle. This sheet may be affixed to the 
front surface 20 of T-shirt 10 by conventional means, such as sewing or a 
fabric cement or glue. 
Shown written on the writing surface 40 is the message "CLAM CHOWDER" 
indicated generally at 50, which completes the message initiated by the 
permanent lettering 30. As will be understood more fully with respect to 
the discussion hereinbelow, the writing medium for the message 50, as well 
as the material which forms the writing surface 40, allows a user to 
easily write on, and remove the message 50 from the writing surface 40. 
FIG. 2 illustrates the T-shirt 10 being placed on a level surface, with the 
front surface 20 face-up. A hand 60 of a user is shown with a damp cloth 
70, in the action of erasing the message 50 from the writing surface 40. 
There are many applications in which the material selected for the writing 
surface 40, along with the medium selected for use in forming the message 
50 may be easily erased by a user simply by the expedient of wiping off 
the lettering with a cloth, such as cloth 70. Once the old message 50 has 
been erased, a new message may be written on the writing surface 40 as, 
for example, by use of the ink marking pen 72. 
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a T-shirt 10, wherein the T-shirt is placed 
on a level surface for purposes of applying a message. As with the shirt 
of FIG. 1, T-shirt 10 includes permanent lettering 30 and, positioned 
directly therebeneath, a writing surface 40. A user's hand 80 is shown 
grasping a tube 90 of an adhesive caulking compound, and squeezing the 
caulking therein out onto the writing surface 40, thereby forming the 
letter "W" at 100. 
FIG. 4 is a partial view of the writing surface 40 shown in FIG. 3, wherein 
the letter "W," which has been given an opportunity to set, is shown being 
removed from the writing surface 40 by the expedient of the user's hand 80 
simply peeling the letter off of the writing surface 40. Once this is 
accomplished, the user may then write a new message on the writing surface 
40. 
Numerous materials have been found which are suitable for use as the 
erasable writing surface 40 as described herein. 
For example, the writing surface may be comprised of nylon, in which case 
an adhesive caulk may be used as the writing medium. As used herein, the 
terms "caulk", "adhesive caulking compound" or "caulking compound" refer 
to any one of several available caulking compounds generally sold as 
elastomeric sealants, and which, for example, may be comprised of 100% 
silicone rubber, acrylic latex or acrylic caulk. It has been found that at 
room temperature the setting time for a caulk to dry from its flowable 
phase to a semihard phase, thereby producing a stable image on a garment, 
is approximately 15-30 minutes. This drying time may be shortened upon 
application of heat such as a stream of warm air. 
Where the writing surface is formed of nylon, another material that has 
been found to work as a writing medium is liquid latex. Liquid latex is 
commonly sold as a cosmetic, particularly for use in theatrical 
productions. The liquid latex may be dispensed by brush, squeeze bottle 
having a controlled nozzle, or other suitable dispensing means. 
An alternative material for the writing surface may be "treated" or 
polyurethane treated nylon. Here, ink marking pens which use a water 
soluble ink may be used as the writing medium. Alternatively, chalk, 
liquid enamel paint or an adhesive caulk may be used as the writing medium 
on treated nylon. 
Vinyl is an alternative material for the writing surface. Here, either a 
grease pen, chalk, or an erasable ink may be used as the writing medium. 
Further, a microporous, semipermeable material, as sold, for example, under 
the trade name Gortex, may serve as the writing surface. Here, 
conventional marking pencils, marking pens with water soluble ink, 
caulking compounds, or liquid latex may be used as the writing medium. 
Also, leather may serve as the writing surface, in which case caulking 
compounds or liquid latex provide excellent writing media. 
It will be noted that where the writing medium comprises caulking 
compounds, liquid latex or enamel, the writing may be removed as 
illustrated in FIG. 4 by peeling off each character. For all other 
disclosed writing media, the damp cloth type erasing, as shown in FIG. 2, 
may be employed, with a common eraser being suitable for erasing pencil 
and erasable inks. 
Further, where the writing medium is comprised of a caulking compound, it 
has been found that colored marking pens may be used on the caulk to alter 
the color thereof. 
In summary, a garment having an article of wearing apparel with an erasable 
writing surface has been described. Suitable writing medium, along with 
the proper selection of the material used in the writing surface allows a 
user to easily write on, and remove writing from the writing surface. 
While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, 
it should be apparent that many modifications and variations thereto are 
possible, all of which fall within the true spirit and scope of the 
invention.