Abstract: A pressure relief valve for a tire rim in which a valve body has first and second chambers separated by a restricted passageway of reduced dimensions. The valve body has an inlet connected to the first chamber, and an outlet connected to the second chamber, and can be mounted in a suitable opening in a tire rim with the inlet exposed to pressure within the tire and the outlet exposed to the atmosphere outside the tire. A valve member is normally located in the first chamber and is seated against a seat at the entrance to the restricted passageway by air pressure within the tire acting on it via the inlet, sealing the outlet. Either the valve member or the walls of the passageway, or both, are made of deformable elastomeric material so that when the air pressure rises above a predetermined safety level, the ball is forced through the passageway into the second chamber into a position in which air can flow past the ball and out through the outlet, reducing the internal pressure in the tire.

Abstract: A protective pad for body parts comprising an elongate protective outer plate of a substantially stiff but flexible material having a concave inner surface, and an inner ply of padding extending across the inner surface of the plate. A closed loop of stitching secures the inner ply to the marginal edges of the inner surface of the outer plate to suspend the inner ply taut and spaced inwardly from the central portion of the inner surface of the plate.

Abstract: A writing surface, such as a clipboard, with a means to attach a lightweight package a ballistic material with facilities to handle as a writing surface which will stop the projectiles from small firearms at point blank range of under 1 foot. Said package can be used by a police officer for various writing responsibilities and can be quickly converted to use as a shield to block the use of a gun at close range.

Abstract: A shoulder pad for football players, the shoulder pad comprising a left-side member adapted to fit over the left shoulder and a right side member adapted to fit over the right shoulder. Each side member comprises a chest panel and a back panel, adapted to extend over at least a portion of the wear's chest and back, respectively, the top edges of the chest panel and the back panel difining between them an opening over the top of the wear's shoulder. A flap overlies the opening. Front and back hinge sections ae hingedly attached to the top edges of the chest and back panels, respectively, and to the front and back edges of the flap respectively.

Abstract: A pair of athletic pants comprising a body portion including a waistband and a seat, and two legs depending from the body portion, wherein the seat comprises a plurality of panels shaped and assembled so that when a wearer of the pants assumes a crouched position the pants are adapted to closely conform to the buttocks of the wearer with the panels in a substantially unstressed condition. The seat comprises a center panel extending from the waist band to at least the crotch, and tapering from the waistband to the crotch. Two seat panels adapted to extend over the buttocks of the wearer are joined along their respective inside edges to the center panel. A leg panel extends downwardly from each seat panel and is adapted to cover at least a portion of the wearer's leg. The seat protrudes at the junction of the seat and leg panels to accommodate the buttocks of the wearer in a crouched position.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a bat for striking a ball. The bat has a tapered barrel and a tapered handle and is formed of at least two pieces. Each piece, in its barrel, has a recess formed in it of a length less than the length of the barrel and which is formed along a surface which will be in the interior of the bat. The recesses combine to form a void which is of such a volume that the bat will have a desired weight and which is positioned along the longitudinal axis of the bat so that the bat will have a desired center of gravity. The bat is constructed by weighing the separate pieces, determining the proper location along each piece where material is to be removed to form the recesses and to determine how much material is to be removed, removing the material and then assembling the pieces to form the bat.

Abstract: A shoulder pad for football players and the like. The shoulder pad comprises a left-hand member adapted to fit over the left shoulder and a right-hand member adapted to fit over the right shoulder, each of these members being of generally inverted U-shape as viewed from the side. Each member comprises a chestplate member, a backplate member and an arch member, and the arch members are relatively more rigid than the chestplate members and the backplate members. One chestplate member and one backplate member are fixedly interconnected to each arch member. The arches are laterally spaced to provide an opening for the neck of a wearer with the spacing such that the arches lie adjacent and relatively close to the neck. An additional aspect of this invention includes a method for producing shoulder pads of a range of sizes using arch members of one size.

Abstract: A jersey for football players and the like. The jersey comprises a body section. The body section includes a shoulder portion having a substantially inverted U-shape as viewed from the side such that it is adapted to overlay the shoulders of a wearer or a shoulder pad on the shoulders of the wearer, a chest portion adapted to cover the chest of the wearer, and a back portion adapted to cover the back of the wearer. The shoulder, chest and back portions are of relatively inelastic material. The body section also includes elastic lateral gussets for laterally tensioning the chest and back portions over the chest and back, respectively, of a wearer so that the chest and back portions fit relatively tightly around the chest and back of the wearer thereby to inhibit opposing players from getting a hand hold on the jersey. The jersey also includes arm portions adapted to cover the arms of the wearer. The arm portions are of relatively inelastic material.

Abstract: A spring arch system for a shoulder pad, such as a football shoulder pad. The spring arch system comprises inner and outer arches of generally inverted U-shape as viewed from the side. The outer arch extends substantially over the inner arch from a forward portion of the inner arch to a rearward portion of the inner arch. The spacing between the arches is such that the arches form a generally wedge-shaped configuration at least in the area of the top of the inverted U-shape. Impact on the outer arch causes deformation thereof relative to the inner arch, and thus some of the energy of the impact is absorbed through such relative deformation.

Abstract: A shoulder pad truss arch system for a shoulder pad. The shoulder pad has a generally inverted U-shape arch member adapted to fit over a shoulder of a wearer, and the arch member has chestplate and backplate portions interconnected by a curved shoulder portion. The shoulder pad truss arch system comprises a first truss extending from the chestplate portion of the arch member to the shoulder portion of the arch member, a second truss extending from the backplate portion of the arch member to the shoulder portion of the arch member, and a truss bridge. One end of the truss bridge is attached to the first truss, and the other end of the truss bridge is attached to the second truss so as to suspend the truss system and thus the shoulder pad on the shoulder of the wearer such that impact on the shoulder portion of the arch member causes the chestplate and backplate portions to be pulled toward one another.

Abstract: A shock attenuation structure having a breadth greater than its thickness and a breadthwise cross section comprising a series of layers arranged side-by-side. The series of layers comprises a first plurality of layers of shock-absorbing material having a relatively high resistance to compression and a second plurality of layers of shock-absorbing material having a lower resistance to compression, the layers of the second plurality alternating with the layers of the first plurality across the breadth of the structure and providing lateral support to the layers of the first plurality. The structure is adapted to be mounted with its breadth generally perpendicular to the direction of impact force for broadside loading of the structure during an impact, the layers in the area of impact being adapted to deform for attenuating the shock resulting from the impact.

Abstract: A shock attenuation system useful in protective headgear is disclosed wherein shock is attenuated by the axial compression and lateral deflection of elastomeric columns. Cushioning material occupies the spaces between the columns.

Abstract: A shock attenuation system comprising a plurality of shock attenuating columns of a substantially resilient elastomeric material. The columns are so dimensioned and configured that, when subjected to an axial impact force of predetermined magnitude, they resiliently deform for attenuating the shock resulting from the impact force. The columns then spring back substantially to their undeformed shape.

Abstract: A shock attenuation system for headgear having an outer protective shell, the system comprising a liner adapted to be secured to the internal surface of the shell, the liner comprising a series of tubes of elastomeric material extending with their axes generally parallel to the internal surface of the shell, and generally parallel to one another. Each tube is open at an end thereof and is elastically deformable under loads applied against the side of the tube, whereby, with the headgear worn by a wearer and upon application of an impact load to the headgear, the tubes in the area of impact deform elastically under the applied load and attenuate the shock upon the wearer from the applied load.

Abstract: An improvement in a shoulder pad of the type comprising a pair of arches which overlie the inner shoulders of the wearer, and a pair of flaps which extend in front-to-back direction over the shoulders for protecting the outer parts of the shoulders. The improvement comprises a flap hinge for hinging each flap to a respective arch. The hinge includes a pair of snubber straps secured at one of their ends to a respective flap at the front and back of the flap. The straps extend from the flap under the arch to the inner edge of the arch, up around the inner edge of the arch and then over the arch back to the flap for securement at their other ends to the flap.

Abstract: A suspension system for protective headgear comprising a plurality of straps of a relatively inextensible material extending up in the headgear toward but stopping short of the crown of the headgear secured to the headgear at spaced intervals around the inner surface of the headgear. Each strap is formed with transversely extending pockets and has elastically deformable tubes in the pockets enabling extension of the strap within a limited range of extension upon tensioning of the strap, whereby with the headgear worn by a wearer and upon application of an impact load on the top of the headgear, the headgear moves down toward but stops short of engagement with the wearer's head and the tubes in the straps deform to attenuate the shock upon the wearer from the applied load.

Abstract: A suspension system for protective headgear comprising a head band adapted to extend around a wearer's head, and a plurality of tension members secured at their outer ends to the headgear adjacent the skirt thereof and at their inner ends to the head band for holding the head band spaced from the inner surface of the headgear.

Abstract: A shoulder pad for football players comprising a left-hand member which fits over the left shoulder and a right-hand member which fits over the right shoulder. Each of the members is of generally inverted U-shape as viewed from the side and comprises a chestplate, a backplate and an arch at the top of the shoulder adjacent the neck of the wearer. The chestplate, backplate and arch each comprises a separate, discrete piece of relatively rigid material, the arch being mounted for upward swinging movement with respect to the chestplate and backplate whereby freedom is provided for raising the arms above a horizontal position by permitting upward movement of the arm at the shoulder without substantial interference from the arch.

Abstract: A shoulder pad for football players comprising a left-hand member which fits over the left shoulder and a right-hand member which fits over the right shoulder. Each of the members is a relatively rigid member of generally inverted U-shape as viewed from the side and has a chestplate portion, a backplate portion and an arch integrally connecting the plate portions. Each member has padding on the inside thereof with the padding at the top of the arch overlying the shoulder. A pair of caps of relatively rigid material fit over the outer part of the shoulders and have shoulder padding on the inside thereof separate from the arch padding. The shoulder padding is hinged to the arch padding for enabling the shoulder padding to swing upwardly relative to the arch padding.