Patent Application
20170332708
The present invention relates to the field of clothing, in particular for the use of a lineman.
This invention has to do with various improvements to trousers which specifically address concerns of their intended wearer, which is a lineman. That is, a lineman (technician) is one who installs and maintains electrical power, telephone, or telegraph lines. Also, a lineman (American English) or linesman (British English), also occasionally called a lineworker, powerline technician (PLT), or a powerline worker, is a tradesman who constructs and maintains electric power transmission and distribution facilities.
A lineman ordinarily works at height above grade, and with safety harness equipment, which is typically comprised of some sort of legging straps and/or a seat arrangement, a waist and/or chest belt, and may have shoulder harness fittings as well. The harness is a fall protection equipment worn while the lineman is above grade or above the ground. The harness is connected to a safety line in order to protect the lineman from falling or landing in a manner that may cause injury or death. Additionally, harness equipment can be associated with lifting, rappelling or climbing, and other maneuvers. Safety harness equipment may need to be worn for extended periods of time, and may be worn under significant load.
A lineman may also work using pole or tree-climbing gear, which may include spurs and climbing strap. The spurs may have pads, and the pads may also be provided independently for the lineman's inner leg. Spurs are strapped onto the inside of each leg, supporting the lineman's weight at his/her feet and at his/her leg straps. A climbing strap may be connected to the lineman's harness or to a waist belt, encircling the pole or tree, and the other end of the strap may be connected to the lineman's harness or waist belt, to bear some of the lineman's weight and to provide some force to permit the lineman to safely engage his spurs with the pole or tree. Considerable stress and load is placed on the spurs and the lineman's legs by the attaching straps, the harness or the waist belt.
When a harness or a spur is attached to a lineman, it is attached on top of the lineman's clothing, including his/her trousers. If the trousers are seamed or have pockets which are between the gear and the lineman, the seams will chafe and cause irritation and in particular, an extra point-load pressure to the lineman's body and skin. This can cause injury, chaffing, pain and irritation, which in turn can motivate a lineman to either loosen, misuse or not use the safety gear as it was designed in order to avoid the irritation or the pain.
This invention provides for an improved lineman trouser comprising: an upper segment extending down from the waist to about 6 inches above the knee; a middle section attached to the upper segment and extending down to the bottom of the trouser; and a gusseted crotch, wherein the upper segment is constructed with a vertical seam at the front of the trouser above the crotch to the waist, the middle section constructed with a vertical seam on the outside of each leg, the middle section's legs joined to the upper segment with the gusseted crotch without a central seam so that there is no central seam between the trouser's seat and the front side of the trouser.
In another embodiment, the invention provides the trousers with one or more pockets situated at locations on the trouser designed to avoid interference with or coverage by typical lineman gear.
In another embodiment, the trousers are made of fire rated material.
In another embodiment, the trousers are made with integrated housings or pockets into or onto which a knee pad or a climbing pad may be installed or fixed.
Although the invention was initially made with the lineman in mind, other workers and others utilize safety and climbing harnesses which present the same problems, and the invention of this application would be beneficial to those persons as well; thus, the description of the invention uses the lineman as an example user, but the invention is not restricted to purposes serving only a lineman.
The detailed description and examples set forth below are intended as a description of various embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to represent the only embodiments contemplated by the inventor. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a comprehensive understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.
The present invention in its broadest embodiment, teaches an improved lineman trouser. As will be appreciated, a trouser includes a waist 5, an upper portion 10 and a pair of legs extending down from the upper portion, with each leg terminating at a bottom or cuff 60. The legs are joined at a crotch 50. The upper portion 10 is that portion between the waist and the crotch and includes areas often referred to as a front 10a, a rear or seat 10b and a hip 12 on each side extending between the front and the seat.
A “waist” or “waistline” in the present invention refers to a top edge and portion immediately adjacent thereto of a trouser. It is the part that encircles and covers the waist of a user wearing the trouser. It may be below or above an imaginary line encircling the narrowest part of the torso. It may be the measurement around a person's body at his/her waist.
A “hip” in the present invention refers to an upper, side portion of a trouser. Trousers have two hips, the parts the trouser that cover the hips of a user. It may extend, for example, between the waist and an imaginary line extending laterally from the crotch (i.e. a lateral line parallel to the waist at crotch depth) or stated another way: the area below the waist and above upper end of the legs at either side of the body.
A “knee” in the present invention refers to an area on each leg that is between an imaginary line extending laterally from the crotch and the bottom of each leg. As will be appreciated, the knee is that part of a trouser leg that may cover the knee, when the trousers are worn by a person. The knee may be approximately half-way between the crotch and the bottom.
The present trouser comprises: an upper segment A extending down from the waist to below the crotch depth and for example, about six inches above the knee 35; a middle section C defining the lower legs and attached at a seam 30 to the upper segment and extending down to the bottom of the trouser; and a crotch B. The crotch includes a gusset 50 inserted into the crotch seam. A “gusset” in the present invention refers to a piece of fabric inserted into a seam to add breadth or reduce stress from tight-fitting clothing. A gusset is used herein to add breadth of material at the crotch seam, thereby forming a gusseted crotch.
The pair of trousers for the lineman also includes one or more additional functional features. For example, the upper segment may include continuous pieces of fabric from the seat to the front and from the waist to the seam 30 so as to avoid a longitudinal seam at the hip 12. In one embodiment, for example, upper segment A is a continuous piece of fabric from above the crotch around the hip, across the seat and around the other hip with the only seam being at the front defining a fly seam 20 (herein illustrated with a fly installed therein) at this top portion of the pant, as such there is no seams on the hips 12. In other words, the fabric spans continuously between the front and seat and the upper segment is free of side, longitudinal seams between the front and seat. This upper segment of the pants, being from the top edge (waist) 5 down to a point below the crotch depth and above the knee 35 (approximately six inches above the knee), is selected therefore to avoid interference with climbing harness, town harness, pole harness or other expected lineman gear.
Each middle section or lower leg of the pant, has only an outer seam 40, with no inseam. This part encompasses from six inches above the knee, down to the cuff 60 at the ankle, avoiding interference or a seam on the front and inside of the calf of each leg of the trouser. This accommodates spurs and harness straps and fittings.
The crotch of the trouser or pant is gusseted, with a gusset 50 installed at the seam, such that there is no center inseam or fly seam spanning the crotch. This avoids interference and chafing with the lineman gear, and provides for increased lineman mobility (over conventional jeans or pants) due to the crotch construction.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the trousers' top portion may be gathered, having gathers or pleats, that may pucker or crease in the front 10a of the trouser (away from the hips) and may have an elasticized waist or a drawstring 78 if ‘pull-on’ style, or zipper or button fly.
Cuffs 60 can include a drawstring configuration 80.
In another embodiment of the present invention may also include pockets 70. Pockets in the present invention may be located on the outside of the pants, as patch or cargo pockets, and positioned at locations that will not interfere with lineman's gear. For example, pockets 70 may be located on upper segment A near seam 30, at or below the crotch depth and above the knee 35. This avoids causing a lineman to loosen or remove the gear to access the pockets during operations and avoids increased safety risks. For example if a fall occurs, when a belt overlies a pocket, the belt could crush keys into a lineman's leg causing injury. Removal of interior pockets and appropriate positioning eliminates this from happening.
Optional housings 82 such as pockets may be included and appropriately positioned on knees 35 or other areas for the insertion of pads 84, such as knee pads or climbing pads.
The trousers may be provided with optional wear patches to sustain against operational wear when used in conventional lineman tasks.
The trousers are preferably made of durable material, and may be composed of Fire Rated or safety rated fabric for specific environmental concerns.
This application claims the benefit of the U.S. provisional application No. 62/338,064 filed on May 18, 2016 entitled “Linemen Trousers”, which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62338064 | May 2016 | US |
