Patent Publication Number: US-3879763-A

Title: Protective cuff

Description:
United States Patent [1 1 Smith [451 Apr. 29, 1975 PROTECTIVE CUFF Coralena Smith, 15 Navajo PL, Portola Valley, Calif. 94025 [22] Filed: Feb. 11, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 441,523  
 [76] Inventor:  
 Primary E.\&#39;arniner-Alfred R. Guest Attorney. Agent, or Firm-Townsend and Townsend [57] ABSTRACT A protective cuff is disclosed to prevent the soiling of blouse or shirt sleeves and the like, comprising a frustro-conical shaped resilient plastic shield and tabs for adjustably attaching and releasing such shield about the wrist or leg of the wearer. Such shield may be composed of two overlapping identically shaped pieces of transparent plastic. Alternate pieces of fabric may be interposed therebetween to match or complement the pattern and/or color on the blouse, skirt, or slacks of the wearer.  
 In addition, the prior art does not reveal a cuff protector which not only protects the wrist of the wearer but also the forearm, so that material on a shirt or blouse between the cuff and the elbow is protected.  
 The prior art does not disclose a cuff protector which may be worn interchangeably with various garments.  
 Finally, prior art cuff protectors of necessity had to be provided in varying sizes, to fit the varying dimensions of both the wrist and forearm of a large man and of a slight woman.  
 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PROTECTIVE CUFF Summary of the Prior Art Cuff protectors and attachable cuffs are known. Some cuffs and cuff protectors are designed so that they attach around the wrist of the wearer in registry with the button holes of the shirt or blouse thereof, as in Kilgore US. Pat. No. l,546,588. Another cuff protector is shown in Honigsberg US. Pat. No. 2,180,758, wherein a double cuff is provided on a shirt or blouse, and, then, after the first cuff has become worn or soiled. the same can be ripped away to reveal an underlying unsoiled and undamaged cuff.  
  These prior art embodiments have included, however, serious deficiencies. First, a cuff protector which must be secured by attaching it to buttons of a shirt or blouse will not work to protect the cuff of a blouse or the sleeve of a dress which grips the wrist of the wearer by means of an elastic band. Further, it is not always certain that the buttons on the blouse or shirt of the wearer and button holes on the cuff protector into which they must register will be in such alignment that the cuff will be adequately protected. Moreover, differing button sizes may require correspondingly different size holes on such prior art cuff protectors.  
  Thirdly, a double cuff protection system wherein the first cuff, having been frayed or soiled, is ripped away to reveal a second unsoiled and undamaged cuff is disadvantageous, because the underlying cuff will eventually become soiled and/or frayed, and the entire garment must then be discarded. Similarly, the double cuff protection system is integral with the shirt or blouse to which it is attached and cannot be reused to protect the cuffs of other garments.  
 Summary of the Invention A protective cuff&#34; to prevent the soiling of blouse or shirt sleeves in the like comprising a frustro-conical shaped resilient plastic shield and tabs for adjustably attaching and releasing such shield about the wrist of the wearer. Such shield may be composed of two overlapping identically shaped pieces of transparent plastic. Alternate pieces of fabric may be interposed therebetween to match or complement the pattern and/or color on the blouse or shirt of the wearer.  
 Other Objects and Advantages of this Invention The object of this invention is to disclose a protector which shields the cuff and forearm of the garment of the wearer from soiling and damage, yet is easily attachable thereto and detachable therefrom.  
  An advantage to the present invention is that it may be folded once to conform to the contour of the wrist and forearm of the wearer.  
  The further advantage of the present invention is that it does not depend upon buttons or cuff links as its attachment means, but possesses tabs which adjustably bend around the wrist of the wearer so it may snugly fit wrists of varying sizes. A further advantage of the present invention is that the cuff protector may be so constructed as to interchangeably receive and display portions of fabric, so that the cuff protector may be adjusted to conform with the pattern or color of the blouse or shirt to be protected.  
  An additional advantage of the present invention is that a cuff protector is provided which can be adjusted to accommodate the wrist and forearm of both large men and small women without having to be fabricated in various sizes.  
  Another advantage of the present invention is that it may be used to protect the cuff or pant leg of the wearer and may be used to bind the cuff or pant leg about the ankle of wearer by means of the tabs as aforesaid so that when riding a bike or engaging in any other activity which might cause damage to a cuff or pant leg will be protected.  
 In the Drawings FIG. 1 is a plan view of the cuff protector showing its exterior side with one tab or fastener is provided at the leading edge of the exterior surface of the protector, and another tab or fastener is provided on the interior of the protector along the opposite leading edge;  
  FIG. 2 is a perspective showing the cuff protector wrapped around the hand of the wearer so that its opposed leading edges are juxtaposed and the fastening tabs brought into registry;  
  FIG. 3 is a perspective showing the cuff protector after it has been snugly fitted around the wrist of the wearer and the tabs locked into position;  
  FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an alternate embodiment of the cuff protector wherein it is composed of two identically shaped portion sections of translucent plastic;  
  FIG. 5 is a plan view of the unfolded cuff protector after the two identical segments shown in FIG. 4 have been superimposed to sandwich a piece of fabric, and,  
  FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevation showing the male and female fastening elements.  
  Looking to FIG. 1, the parts in construction of the present invention can be understood. The cuff protector herein described and claimed is generally composed of a single piece of plain or decorated piece of plastic or oil cloth. It will be noted that, again referring to FIG. 1, the folded cuff protector is generally frustro-conical in shape. The flat portion, at the bottom of the unfolded frustrum, designated by the numeral 17, encompasses the forearm of the wearer when the frustrum is formed and forms a narrow aperture in said frustrum which flts snugly about the wrist of the wearer. The rounded portion 20, when folded into a frustrum, forms an aperture about the forearm of the wearer which permits movement of the elbow of the wearer when flat portion 17 is snugly folded about the wrist thereof. Looking to the unfolded frustrum, it will be seen that between rounded portion 20 and flat portion 17 are located leading edges 22 and 25, which are essentially flat. The aperture formed on the narrow portion of the frustrum is substantially normal to an axis of generation of said frustrum. The cuff protector shown in FIG. 1 is cut so that leading edges 22 and 25 lead away from flat portion 17 at an angle in the range of between approximately and degrees. Looking again to FIG. 1, it will be seen that leading edge 25 on the exterior surface of the cuff protector, tab or fastening member 30 isprovided. Similarly, along leading edge 22 and on the interior surface of the cuff protector is tab or fastener No. 35. These tabs or fasteners are preferably Velcro tape fasteners, but snaps and the like may be used. Preferably Velcro tape fasteners should be used, as they provide for adjustability about the wrist of the wearer and for easy attachment and detachment,  
  Referring to FIG. 2, it will be observed that the cuff protector has been enfolded about the wrist and forearm of the wearer so that leading edge 25 confronts leading edge 22. Similarly, it will be seen that tab or fastener member 35, preferably Velcro tape fastener, confronts tab fastener member 30, a complementary piece of Velcro strip. It will be seen that when the tabs or fastener members are brought together so that leading edges 22 and 25 are parallel, the cuff protector assumes a conical shape which conforms to the wrist and forearm of the wearer.  
  It will further be observed that when the frustrum is formed, the rounded portion of the unfolded frustrum is together so that it forms an aperture which inclines with respect to an axis of generation of said frustrum.  
  Thus, it will be seen that a secretary, typesetter, artist, printer, or any person engaged in manual work who wishes to protect the cuff and sleeve portion of his garment from --wear, tear and soiling, can use the present invention. Moreover, with the use of Velcro tape, the same cuff protector can be adjusted to fit the wrist and forearm of a large man, yet alternately accommodate the slight wrist and forearm of a small woman.  
  Referring to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the cuff protector of FIG. 1 may be formed of two identically shaped pieces of their plastic flexible material 40 and 45. Sections 40 and 45, for convenience, would be joined together at opposite leading edges by rivet 47. Sections 40 and 45 would have a fastener or tab, preferably a press seal fastener common to plastic food bags about their respective peripheries. The male portion of such tab or fasteners denominated by the numeral 49 and the female by 51 (See FIG. 6). It will be seen that a segment of fabric or material designed to match the skirt, coat, dress or blouse of the wearer may be purchased. Such segment may be cut to substantially conform tothe shape of the unfolded cuff protector. This piece of fabric will then be sandwiched between sections 40 and 51 and the sections then superimposed and members 49 and 51 pressed together to form a cuff protector which displays, on its external side, fabric of the shirt, dress, blouse or coat of the wearer. Such a cuff protector, after the sections have sandwiched the material, is shown in FIG. 5.  
 I claim:  
  l. A cuff guard comprising: a first flexible piece of material having first and second opposite side edges for confrontation one to another when said piece of material is folded to a frustrum;  
 a second piece of flexible material substantially congruent to said first flexible piece of material;  
 a male attachment member provided about the periphery of said first flexible piece;  
 a female attachment member provided about said second flexible piece, so that material bearing pattern, design, or color may be sandwiched between said first flexible piece and said second flexible piece; 5  
 a first leading edge extending between said two side edges for forming a first aperture in said frustrum immediately about the wrist and cuff of a wearer, said first aperture being substantially normal to an axis of generation of said frustrum;  
 a second trail edge extending between said two side edges for forming a second aperture in said frustrum proximate the forearm of a wearer, said second aperture being inclined with respect to an axis of generation of said frustrum whereby said aperture opens to permit movement of the elbow of said wearer when said cuff guard is worn about the forearm of said wearer.  
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said first and second attachment means are Velcro tape fasteners.  
  3. The invention of claim 1, including means for holding said first and second flexible pieces of material in proximity to one another when said male and female attachment members are disengaged.  
  4. A cuff protector comprising a single flexible piece of material having a substantially curved upper portion and substantially flat lower portion and having opposing side edges which diverge at angles greater than degrees from said flat portion, attachment means mounted on said respective side edges, said attachment means being spatially adjustable with respect to each other, so that when said substantially flat portion is drawn about the wrist or ankle of a wearer, said first flexible piece of material forms a frustrum, the narrow est diameter of which may be adjusted to accommodate the wrist of the wearer and the widest diameter is large enough to permit movement of the elbow of said wearer when said substantially rounded portion is drawn about the forearm of such wearer.