Abstract: A nursing shield for mothers who wish to nurse an infant discreetly or camouflage the act of nursing in a public setting. In a preferred embodiment, the nursing shield comprises a stiff yet flexible padded and covered panel which attaches to the back side of either the left or right forearm of a nursing mother and stands outward therefrom during use. Left hand and right hand finger-loops are provided to enable a nursing mother to flex the nursing shield with either hand for the purpose of increasing privacy. The inner side of the forearm attached to the nursing shield is free to directly contact the infant, and the mother's remaining arm and hand are free to prepare for nursing, make changes or adjustments during nursing, and generally comfort the infant. The nursing shield is washable and it may be folded for alternate use as a clutch bag, or laid flat on a supporting surface for use as a diaper changing pad.

Abstract: A hospital gown with means for fully closing an openable seam, while affording selective access to portions of a patient's body through the seam. The closing or fastening elements are either continuous along the seam or are relatively closely spaced so that no significant gaps remain when all of the closing elements are secured together. Several normally closed and openable seams may be provided in alternative embodiments to afford access to different portions of the patient's body.

Abstract: A protective suit having a crotch, in combination with a longitudinally adjustable support belt removably connectable to the crotch of the protective suit in such a way that when the suit is being worn the belt extends essentially vertically between the protective suit and the wearer and envelops the body of the wearer.

Abstract: An antiviral surgical or examination glove is obtained by blocking adsorption sites for the antiinfective agent which may exist in the lubricating agent, e.g., cross-linked corn starch, or in the material of the glove itself. The glove of the invention comprises an elastomeric hand-shaped body having interior and exterior surfaces and an inner coating disposed on the interior surface of the elastomeric body. The inner coating comprises (a) an antiinfective agent selected from the group consisting of chlorhexidine and pharmaceutically acceptable salts of chlorhexidine and (b) a lubricating agent which does not significantly adsorb the antiinfective agent. The inner coating is effective to deliver an antivirally effective amount of the antiinfective agent within ten minutes of exposure to a liquid.

Abstract: A firefighter's garment as dislosed herein may be a coat or trousers or a vest. The garment has an outer layer, an intermediate layer, and an inner layer. A spacer element or elements are positoned between two of the layers of the garment. The spacer element or elements in the firefighter's garment establish and maintain an air space or air spaces between the layers of the garment, even when localized pressure or weight is applied to portions of the garment. Thus, the firefighter's garment has excellent heat insulation qualities without being heavy and/or bulky. Thus, a firefighter wearing the garment is continually protected and is subject to minimum stress and is about to work more effectively than a firefighter wearing a firefighter's conventional garment.

Abstract: A regulating mechanism for needle thread between a standard thread tensioning device in the head of the upper arm of a sewing machine and the eye of the reciprocable needle employs a lever-shaped takeup member which is oscillated in the head in synchronism with the movements of the needle, and a wire spring which is mounted directly on the takeup member. The spring has a U-shaped thread engaging portion which surrounds and cooperates with a hook-shaped arm of the takeup member to define a passage for needle thread. The spring tensions the thread during certain stages of each stitch forming step.

Abstract: The sock is produced as a knitted mesh article and at least in the sock leg has concave holding elements formed as thread bows and which are directed in the direction towards the foot. The height-to-length ratio of the thread bows directed downwardly is selected such that the loops when wearing on the leg and in the case of leg movements serve to produce a movement of the entire mesh article, e.g. sock, in the direction away from the foot. The holding elements are formed as the meshes of a loop plush, in which the loops serving as the holding elements are constituted by the thread bows. This is achieved in simple manner in that at least part of the meshes are formed from a plush thread and a basic thread, whereof the mesh head is directed towards the edge of the sock while the holding elements in the form of loops are directed towards the foot. Thus, the sock can be manufactured as a loop plush.

Abstract: Firefighter's trousers which can be donned by a firefighter wearing boots or the like. The trousers have a pair of leg portions. Each of the leg portions has sections which are separated before the trousers are donned. Then after the trousers are donned the sections are attached together around the boots and legs of the firefighter.

Abstract: A presser of a sewing machine including a body movable downward for pressing an elastic band to be sewed, a roller rotatably disposed in one end of the body, a member having one end pivotally supported on a middle portion of the body and having a tapered surface formed in the bottom of the other end, a spring and a bolt engaged through the middle portion of the member for biasing the tapered surface downward against the roller, the elastic band being resiliently grasped between the tapered surface and the roller so that the elastic band can be stretched.

Abstract: A thread cutting device includes a movable knife positioned below a throat plate and movable from a first position to a thread cutting position via a second position for separating the upper fabric thread and the upper needle thread from each other within the range where the movable knife may engage the upper fabric thread and the upper needle thread but may not engage or cut the lower thread. The movable knife includes an engaging portion for engagement with the upper needle thread on the side toward the second position and a cutting edge on the opposite side. The movable knife also includes a thread separating portion for separation of the upper fabric thread and the upper needle thread between the needle hole and the bobbin holder from each other toward the cutting edge and the engaging portion, respectively, when the movable knife moves from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: Device made of a plate and a frame provided with locking pieces, suitable to simplify hand-folding of shirts and garments in general.The device solves the problem of folding shirts and garments in general.The manual device is composed of a plate (1) and a frame (2) provided with locking pieces (such as bars (3). They are hinged together along one of the shortest sides of the device. The locking pieces are secured to two or more sides of the frame (2). Plate (1) and frame (2) have a similar shape. The latter surrounds plate (1) externally when the device is being used.The shirt (4) (or another garment) is kept stationary on plate (1) by the frame (2) and the locking pieces.The shirt (4) is then turned upside-down, folded from the back and turned upside-down again.In the end, the device is opened and the shirt (4) is slipped off, which is perfectly folded.

Abstract: An archer's tab comprises a one piece blank having a first string facing panel which is connected by a pair of bands at opposite sides of the first panel to second and third finger panels. The finger panels are rotated through 360.degree. to superimpose and connect them to the first panel at connection areas on the panels which are spaced away from a finger tip and string engaging portion of the tab. A thong connected to a hole extending in the connection area of the tab is used to engage around the wrist to help hold the tab to the hand and preclude excessive opening motion of the fingers when the bow string is released.

Abstract: The versatile child's garment may be used for an infant as a changing blanket and bunting, the garment including a self-storing pacifier and a plurality of outer pockets which can accommodate items necessary to an infant when travelling. As the infant grows into a toddler, the garment becomes a sleeveless beach robe or sleeved bath robe, providing an increased useful life for the garment.

Abstract: An auxiliary shielding device has a visor and an apparatus for mounting the visor to a shield of a safety helmet. The visor is approximately one-half the longitudinal height of the shield and is tinted to provide eye protection from the sun. The apparatus for mounting includes a pair of shield mounts fixed to distal ends of the shield and a pair of visor mounts fixed to distal ends of the visor. Each shield mount has a track formed therein, and each visor mount has a mechanism which links the visor mount with a corresponding shield mount, rendering the visor longitudinally slidable and anchorable across the shield.

Abstract: A straight wool-combing machine (10) has, instead of the conventional pair of detaching rollers, a pair of jaws (30, 32) for gripping the combed end of a tuft and for separating it, by a withdrawal movement, from the rest of the fibre sliver (M). The pair of jaws (30, 32) has a suction fan (31) for transporting the combed fibres pneumatically to a collecting store.

Abstract: An annular knitting machine comprises a thread exchange device, at least knot unit, means forming a thread processing point, a thread storage device located between the knot unit and the thread processing point, and a control device provided with a microprocessor and a knot data storage for the thread exchange device, the thread exchange device having a sensor which supplies pulses dependent upon a movement of a machine part, the control device also having a microprocessor and a knot data storage and formed so that a length of a thread which is guided through the thread storage device between each knot unit and the thread processing point associated with the latter is maintained at a constant value fixed in the storage of the control device, the sensor supplying movement dependent pulses and being formed as a displacement sensor which is independent of a needle pitch of a needle plate and provides a fixed pulse number per a displacement length unit.

Abstract: A relatively wide elastic waistband is provided to encircle the waist of the wearer and has elastic stretchability primarily in the longitudinal direction. A pair of tubular legs is provided with upper ends connected to the waistband. The upper end portions of the tubular legs are adapted to surround the opposed hips of the wearer and the lower end portions are adapted to encircle the upper thighs of the wearer and define lower leg openings surrounding the lower thighs of the wearer. A crotch panel extends throughout the medial portion and crotch of the wearer with opposite ends being connected to the medial front and rear portions of the waistband. The crotch panel is preferably formed of two panel members with the front panel member having an open mesh stitch construction while the rear panel has the usual closed stitch plain knit construction.

Abstract: Lightweight foldable headgear with sun visor and detachable collapsible binoculars for shielding light and improving the wearer's ability to view events or other sights.

Abstract: A lightweight, low cost sun and sports visor that is comfortably fit and reliably attached to a wearer's head. According to a first embodiment, the visor includes a headband, having a series of alternating ridges and valleys that establishes spaces through which air may flow to ventilate the forehead. A pair of side straps are slidably adjustable relative to a respective pair of opposing side bands to releasably attach the visor to the wearer's head. According to a second embodiment, the visor includes a peripherally extending, folded-over headband having an air space or channel running therethrough so that the headband can be compressed into the channel and thereby conform to the shape of and cushion the wearer's forehead to assure a comfortable fit. The channel runs continuously through the headband and each of a pair of opposing side bands so as to receive therein the tops of the ears of the wearer to anchor the visor and prevent sunburn to the ears.

Abstract: A pair of suspenders and a belt for use in securing firefighter's pants are manufactured of an inelastic material to prevent the firefighter's pants from sagging. In conventional suspenders, the elastic nature of previous designs tended to lose their strength over the course of time and cause a potentially hazardous and uncomfortable situation in which the firefighter's pants no longer hang at the desired place.