Fully ventilated storm suit

This invention comprises a storm suit of four components to be used in combination: (a) a one piece cape and hood with a front opening with the upper section of the front opening being secured around the face by means of a drawstring and with temporary fasteners to attach the cape and hood to the sleeves and body of the garment, (b) a sleeve arrangement comprised of waterproof material for that part of the arms not protected by the cape and hood and an arrangement of non waterproof material that is cut away over the armpits and extends over the shoulders and with a means for fastening and detaching the component around the neck and upper arms so that the sleeve arrangement can be removed or left hanging, (c) a body covering held up by suspenders for that part of the body not protected by the cape and hood extending downwards and flaring outwards from the top below the chest to the bottom at the upper leg to be used with other means of protection for the lower body such as rain chaps or rain pants, (d) a closure system comprised of temporary fasteners for attaching together the free edges of the cape and hood and the body covering which provides for variations in ventilation and protection.

This invention relates to storm suits and especially to storm suits to be 
worn over waterproof coverings for the trousers or legs such as rain chaps 
or rain pants. 
It has been well documented that the body loses heat much faster when it is 
wet than when it is dry. In addition to the discomfort that is caused from 
the loss of heat there is the danger of hypothermia occuring which can 
lead to death in extreme cases. Hypothermia occurs most frequently between 
thirty and fifty degrees Farenheit. The conditions of cold rain or wet 
snow and sleet occur in this temperature range and are the conditions when 
rain garments would be used and would need to be the most effective. 
Heretofore rain clothing allowed the wearer to get wet and lose heat from 
either condensed perspiration during exertion which is due to the lack of 
ventilation or from seams that are not fully waterproof due to 
construction or wear on the garment. Any seam is a potential source of 
leakage so, ideally a garment is desired that allows the air to cool the 
upper torso, arms and armpits and the lower torso and crotch. These areas 
are generally the greatest source of perspiration. Since conditions of 
exertion and rainfall vary, a garment is also needed that allows for 
different degrees of protection and ventilation. The garment should be so 
designed that adjustments can be quickly and easily made without having to 
stop to put on or put away any component. 
It thus is a general object of this invention to provide a storm suit of 
simple design to protect the wearer from rain and provide full ventilation 
and adjustability so that the garment does not cause condensation and 
subsequent wetness and loss of heat during exertion. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a storm suit that has no 
seams accessible to the entrance of rain. This will provide a garment that 
may be easily folded into a compact bundle for carrying and can be simply 
and cheaply manufactured. 
A further object is to provide a storm suit which affords different degrees 
of protection and ventilation for respective regions of the body but which 
remains accessible to that region when not immediately in use. 
Another object is to provide closures for the different components which 
allow varying degrees of ventilation and still provide a fully waterproof 
covering. 
A further object is to provide a storm suit with separate components which 
can provide different degrees of adjustability but can be secured in case 
of wind or for use with a backpack. 
With these objects in view the present invention relates to a three piece 
garment comprised of a seamless cape and hood with a drawstring to secure 
it around the face and temporary fasteners to secure it to the arms and 
body of the garment; a sleeve arrangement that provides a waterproof 
covering for that part of the arms not protected by the cape and a non 
waterproof cloth arrangement that goes over the shoulders, is cut away 
over the armpits and attached to the neck so that the sleeves can be 
removed and left hanging and accessible when the arms get overheated and a 
body covering that is held by suspenders which allows full ventilation of 
the upper chest and armpits but is long enough to sit upon and still 
provide freedom of movement and ventilation to the crotch and lower torso; 
and a closure system comprised of temporary fasteners for attaching 
together the free edges of the cape and hood and the body covering.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular FIG. 1, it will be seen 
that the garment of the present invention comprises a cape and hood 
arrangement 1 which is secured around the face by a drawstring 2 and 
secured to the sleeves and body of the garment by temporary fasteners 3. 
The cape is attached to itself for closure and ventilation by two layers 
of temporary fasteners 7 (see FIG. 5 for detail). It should be noted that 
the hood part of cape 1 can be lowered and secured around the neck by 
means of the drawstring 2 when full protection for the head is not needed. 
The pyramidal shape of the cape and hood allows for the flow of air around 
the neck and shoulders. The cape 1 overlaps the body of the garment 8a 
which provides protection from rain but ventilation for the upper chest 
and armpits. The body component 8a is hung from the shoulders by means of 
straps 8b and is attached to itself for closure and ventilation by means 
of closure system 7 (see FIG. 5 for detail). The cape 1 also overlaps the 
sleeve arrangement of the garment 4,5,6,9 to provide protection from rain 
for the lower arm by means of a sleeve made of waterproof cloth 4 and 
ventilation for the upper arms and armpits by means of a sleeve 
arrangement made of non waterproof cloth 5. The upper sleeve 5 is attached 
to the arm to prevent slippage by a strap with a snap or other suitable 
attachment 9. The entire sleeve arrangement 4,5,9 is held around the neck 
by means of a collarpiece with a snap attachement 6. It should be noted 
that this allows the arms to be slipped out of the sleeves in case of 
overheating without directly removing the component or exposing it to the 
rain. The cape is cut full enough to overlap the sleeves and body 
sufficiently to allow the arms to be folded across the chest and still 
provide rain protection when wearing the sleeves is not desired. Snaps 3 
are provided on the body and sleeve components to secure the cape in case 
of wind. It should be further noted that the body component can be rolled 
up on itself and still be left hanging on the wearer in case of 
overheating or when the wearer wishes to only wear the cape but not have 
to remove the body component. Further if the wearer is carrying a backpack 
the pack straps can be protected by being worn under the cape and by 
tucking the cape around the back and shoulders of the wearer next to the 
pack. This provides greater ventilation for the upper back but can provide 
an entrance for rain in heavy storm weather in which case it would be 
advisable to wear the cape under the straps of the backpack. It should be 
noted that this adjustability of separate components makes it possible to 
modify the garment to fit the demands of different usages. Heretofore this 
has not been possible with one piece garments. 
The pattern from which the cape 1 is to be cut is best shown in FIG. 2. It 
should be noted that by preparing the cape 1 from one piece of cloth that 
all seams except edge seams are eliminated. The edge seam 11 would be a 
standard turned under seam and does not form part of the present invention 
and therefore does not appear in detail in the drawing. It should be noted 
that the loosely formed shape of the hood around the neck and shoulders 
provides for better hearing than the normal tailored hood in addition to 
providing better ventilation for the neck and shoulders. The hood is 
attached around the face by means of a drawstring 2. The two edges of the 
cape 1 are attached to each other respectively by means of a closure 
system 7a and 7b (7b is not facing you in the view) (see FIG. 5 for 
detail). They should be parallel and arranged centrally on the body at an 
angle perpendicular to the ground plane. The cape 1 is attached to the 
body component 8a (see FIG. 1) and the sleeve 4 by means of snaps or some 
other suitable temporary fasteners 3. 
The pattern from which the sleeve component (4,5,6,9 in FIG. 1) is to be 
cut is best described in FIG. 3. The lower sleeve 4 is to be made of 
waterproof material and is attached to itself by means of a seam 10 and 
finished at the bottom by means of a seam 11. The seams 10 and 11 would be 
standard seams and their construction does not form part of the present 
invention and therefore does not appear in detail in the drawing. The 
placement of seam 10 is pertinent to the invention however, for it is to 
be on the inside of the arm parallel to the body so as to afford the 
greatest protection from direct exposure to rain. The upper sleeve 
attachment 5 is to be made of non waterproof cloth so as to avoid 
condensation due to body contact. It is cut away from the underarms for 
ventilation but is attached to the upper arm to prevent slippage by means 
of a strap 9a with a snap or other suitable form of temporary fastener 9a. 
The upper sleeve 5 is to be attached around the neck by means of a collar 
made of non waterproof cloth 6a and attached to itself by means of a snap 
or other suitable attachment 6b. It should be noted that the collar 
arrangement 6a, 6b allows the component to be easily and readily put on or 
removed without removing or altering any other component of the garment. 
The sleeve 4 is attached to the cape by means of snaps or other suitable 
attachment 3 (see FIG. 2 for accompanying placement). 
The pattern from which the body component 8a is to be cut is best shown in 
FIG. 4. It is to be finished by means of seam 11 which is to be of 
standard construction and does not form part of the present invention and 
so is not shown in detail in the drawing. The body piece 8a is to be hung 
over the shoulders by means of straps 8b. 
The straps are to be crossed and reinforced 12 but the configuration of the 
straps should not be confused with their overall purpose which is to allow 
the upper chest full ventilation and allow the component to be accessible 
even when rolled up under the cape. The body 8a is to be attached to the 
cape by means of snaps or other suitable temporary fasteners 3 (see FIG. 2 
for accompanying attachment placement). The two edges of the body 8a are 
attached to each other respectively by means of a closure system 7a and 7b 
(not facing in the view) (see FIG. 5 for detail) and should be parallel 
and arranged centrally on the body at an angle perpendicular to the ground 
plane. 
The means of attaching the respective edges 7a and 7b of the cape 1 in FIG. 
2 and the respective edges 7a and 7b of the body 8a in FIG. 4 is best 
shown and understood in FIG. 5. 7a consists of a piece of hook and eye 
cloth (trade name Velcro) on the inside of the component 1 or 8a and a 
snap or other suitable attachment on the outside of the component 1 or 8a 
which is to be rolled over to be attached to the corresponding attachment 
7b on the outside of the component 1 or 8a and corresponding hook and eye 
cloth 7b on the outside of the garment. The configuration of the 
attachment system should not be confused with it's overall purpose which 
is to provide different levels of ventilation and protection depending on 
how they are employed. 
The cape 1, sleeve 4 and body 8a should be formed of coated nylon, plastic, 
rubberized fabric or any other waterproof fabric. The upper sleeve 5, the 
neck piece 6, the strap 9 and the straps 8a should be formed of any 
lightweight breathable cloth that will not greatly absorb moisture or 
provide too much elasticity. 
It should be understood that each of the element components of the garment 
described above or two or more elements together may also find a useful 
application in conjunction with other types of waterproof garments 
differing from the types described above.