Abstract: An athletic supporter formed by a method in which a pouch and leg strap subassembly is attached to an endless length waistband by means of a continuous stitch line that is sewn along that waistband. The location of the subassembly's leg strap ends and the pouch piece, relative one to the other, on the endless waistband is established by an endless spacer chain that continuously moves along a work table over which the waist band also continuously moves, that spacer chain having a series of guide fingers against which the leg strap and pouch piece end edges are positioned by the sewing machine operator. The waistband is cut to length after the subassembly is stitched thereto by the continuous length stitch line, and the waistband's ends are then sewn together, to provide the final athletic supporter product with closed loop waistband, and with leg straps and pouch attached.

Abstract: An athletic supporter formed by a method in which a pouch and leg strap subassembly is attached to an endless length waistband by means of a continuous stitch line that is sewn along that waistband. The location of the subassembly's leg strap ends and the pouch piece, relative one to the other, on the endless waistband is established by an endless spacer chain that continuously moves along a work table over which the waist band also continously moves, that spacer chain having a series of guide fingers against which the leg strap and pouch piece end edges are positioned by the sewing machine operator. The waistband is cut to length after the subassembly is stitched thereto by the continuous length stitch line, and the waistband's ends are then sewn together, to provide the final athletic supporter product with closed loop waistband, and with leg straps and pouch attached.

Abstract: A protective hand pad fabricated from a sleeve of elastic fabric, and a preformed pad element. The sleeve is initially cut from an endless tube of the elastic fabric. A thumb hole is cut into the sleeve adjacent one end, and the preformed pad element is inserted into the sleeve so the desired outer surface of the pad element is visible through the thumb hole. The sleeve is then stitched to the opposite ends of the pad element along its end edges, as well as along its side edges, so that the pad element is joined to the sleeve but so that the sleeve remains open at both ends. The sewn together sleeve and pad is then turned inside out so that the desired outer surface of the pad element is exposed as an exterior surface of the protective hand pad. In use, a wearer inserts his hand into the sleeve so that the pad element is oriented above or on top of the back of the wearer's hand, and so that the wearer's thumb extends through the thumb hole in the sleeve.