Elastic garment for imposing pressure on underlying body regions

Claim 2

A leg stocking comprising a main body portion including thigh, knee, calf, ankle, instep and foot portions of generally tubular shape and of flexible material which is longitudinally and circumferentially elastic having a front seam circumferentially closed at the top, knee, instep and foot, the remaining portions of said front seam being openings; a plurality of adjustable fastening means extending laterally across said openings and spaced along the length of said main body portion, whereby regions intermediate said spaced fastening means afford longitudinal elasticity to said garment along the margins of said openings; said main body portion at the knee, instep and foot portions being formed to impose a pressure gradient on the body regions to which it is applied by gradiations in the ratio of the circumference of the body region to the circumference of the garment region in registry therewith, whereby said closed tubular length imposes an inward directed radial pressure on the body region which is greater at one end thereof than at the other end, and being tailored to relieve pressure on the portion of the body encased thereby, whereby the pressure relief is accomplished by a smooth transition with said fastening means adjustable to give a gradual change in pressure gradient from the openings in said main body portion to the knee, instep and foot portions; said fastening means including lateral extensions of said material extending from both sides of the openings with said extensions on one side interdigitating with said extensions on the other side; a liner between the margins of said openings and said leg; pressure indicating indices for said extensions; and a second seam to facilitate tailoring that portion of said main body portion requiring a substantial change in contour to conform to the leg.

Claim 3

A garment for supporting an articulated region of animal bodies comprising: a main body portion of flexible, elastic material of generally tubular shape including a closed tubular length encompassing said articulated animal body region, said body portion including said tubular length being formed to impose a pressure gradient on the animal body region to which the garment is applied by gradiations in the ratio of the circumference of the animal body region to the circumference of the garment body region in registry therewith whereby said closed tubular length imposes an inward directed radial pressure on the articulated region which is greater at one end thereof than at the other end, and is gradually reduced along said length intermediate the ends of said length to level less than at the low pressure end of said length by the decrease in the ratio of the circumference of the intermediate portion to the circumference of the animal body region enclosed thereby below the ratio of the low pressure end of said length, said body portion having at least one opening extending along the length thereof extending from said closed tubular length and having margins for said opening generally paralleling the longitudinal axis of said tubular shape; a second closed tubular length adjacent one end of said main body portion and spaced from said first mentioned closed tubular length by said opening extending along the length thereof; said second closed tubular length having a terminal portion extending to said one end of said main body portion in which the ratio of the circumference of the terminal portion to the circumference of the animal body region enclosed thereby is progressively reduced along the longitudinal dimension of said main body portion toward said end whereby inward directed radial pressure on the enclosed body region is progressively reduced toward said end; and a plurality of adjustable fastening means extending laterally across the opening and spaced along the length of said main body portion, whereby regions intermediate said spaced fastening means afford longitudinal elasticity to said garment along said opening margins, said fastening means being capable of adjustably establishing gradiations of radial pressures on the animal body along the length thereof.

Claim 4

A garment for supporting an articulated region of animal bodies comprising: a main body portion of flexible, elastic material of generally tubular shape including a closed tubular length encompassing said articulated animal body region, said body portion including said tubular length being formed to impose a pressure gradient on the animal body region to which the garment is applied by gradiations in the ratio of the circumference of the animal body region to the circumference of the garment body region in registry therewith whereby said closed tubular length imposes an inward directed radial pressure on the articulated region which is greater at one end thereof than at the other end, and is gradually reduced along said length intermediate the ends of said length to level less than at the low pressure end of said length by the decrease in the ratio of the circumference of the intermediate portion to the circumference of the animal body region enclosed thereby below the ratio of the low pressure end of said length, said body portion having at least one opening extending along the length thereof extending from said closed tubular length and having margins for said opening generally paralleling the longitudinal axis of said tubular shape; a second closed tubular length adjacent one end of said main body portion and spaced from said first mentioned closed tubular length by said opening extending along the length thereof; said second closed tubular length having a terminal portion extending to said one end of said main body portion in which the ratio of the circumference of the terminal portion to the circumference of the animal body region enclosed thereby is progressively reduced along the longitudinal dimension of said main body portion toward said end whereby inward directed radial pressure on the enclosed body region is progressively reduced toward said end; and a plurality of adjustable fastening means extending laterally across the opening and spaced along the length of said main body portion, whereby regions intermediate said spaced fastening means afford longitudinal elasticity to said garment along said opening margins, said fastening means being capable of adjustably establishing gradiations of radial pressures on the animal body along the length thereof.

Claim 5

A garment for supporting an articulated region of animal bodies comprising: a main body portion of flexible, elastic material of generally tubular shape including a closed tubular length encompassing said articulated animal body region, said body portion including said tubular length being formed to impose a pressure gradient on the animal body region to which the garment is applied by gradiations in the ratio of the circumference of the animal body region to the circumference of the garment body region in registry therewith whereby said closed tubular length imposes an inward directed radial pressure on the articulated region which is greater at one end thereof than at the other end, said body portion having at least one opening extending along the length thereof from said closer tubular length and having margins for said opening generally paralleling the longitudinal axis of said tubular shape; and a plurality of adjustable fastening means extending laterally across said opening and spaced along the length of said main body portion, whereby regions intermediate said spaced fastening means afford longitudinal elasticity to said garment along said opening margins, said fastening means being adapted for adjustably establishing gradiations of radial pressures on the animal body along the length thereof; said fastening means including a first set of extensions of flexible elastic material having a length extending across said opening from a first side to a second side of said main body portion; and said fastening means including a second set of extensions of flexible, elastic material having a length extending across said opening from a second side to a first side of said main body portion; said extensions of said first set being spaced apart along the margin of said opening a distance at least equal to the width of said extensions of said second set and said extensions of said second set each being aligned with the space between extensions of said first set and being spaced apart along the margin of said opening a distance at least equal to the width of said extensions of said first set whereby said extensions interdigitate and the extensions of each set engage the main body portion between the extensions of the opposed set to balance the forces imposed on the animal boDy region on the opposite sides of the opening and minimize the tendency of the garment to twist, to creep on and to chafe the animal body region.

Claim 6

A garment for supporting an articulated region of animal bodies comprising: a main body portion of flexible, elastic material of generally tubular shape including a closed tubular length encompassing said articulated animal body region, said body portion including said tubular length being formed to impose a pressure gradient on the animal body region to which the garment is applied by gradiations in the ratio of the circumference of the animal body region to the circumference of the garment body region in registry therewith whereby said closed tubular length imposes an inward directed radial pressure on the articulated region which is greater at one end thereof than at the other end, said body portion having at least one opening extending along the length thereof from said closer tubular length and having margins for said opening generally paralleling the longitudinal axis of said tubular shape; and a plurality of adjustable fastening means extending laterally across said opening and spaced along the length of said main body portion, whereby regions intermediate said spaced fastening means afford longitudinal elasticity to said garment along said opening margins, said fastening means being adapted for adjustably establishing gradiations of radial pressures on the animal body along the length thereof; said fastening means including a first set of extensions of flexible elastic material having a length extending across said opening from a first side to a second side of said main body portion; and said fastening means including a second set of extensions of flexible, elastic material having a length extending across said opening from a second side to a first side of said main body portion; said extensions of said first set being spaced apart along the margin of said opening a distance at least equal to the width of said extensions of said second set and said extensions of said second set each being aligned with the space between extensions of said first set and being spaced apart along the margin of said opening a distance at least equal to the width of said extensions of said first set whereby said extensions interdigitate and the extensions of each set engage the main body portion between the extensions of the opposed set to balance the forces imposed on the animal boDy region on the opposite sides of the opening and minimize the tendency of the garment to twist, to creep on and to chafe the animal body region.

Claim 7

A garment for imposing pressure upon regions of animal bodies comprising: a main body portion of flexible material of generally tubular shape for encompassing said animal body region, said material being elastic in the longitudinal and transverse dimensions of said tubular main body portion, said tubular main body portion having circumferences along its length which have a ratio to the circumference of the animal body region with which they are adapted to register whereby said tubular body imposes an inward directed radial pressure on the animal body region, said body portion having at least one opening extending longitudinally of the tubular shape and having margins for said opening; a plurality of fastening means extending across said opening generally perpendicularly to said margins and spaced along the length of said main body portion, whereby regions of said flexible, elastic material intermediate said spaced fastening means afford longitudinal elasticity to said garment along said opening margins; said fastening means including a first set of extensions of flexible elastic material having a length extending across said opening from a first side to a second side of said main body portion; and said fastening means including a second set of extensions of flexible, elastic material having a length extending across said opening from said second side to said first side of said main body portion; said extensions of said first set being spaced apart along the margin of said opening a distance at least equal to the width of said extensions of said second set and said extensions of said second set each being aligned with the space between extensions of said first set and being spaced apart along the margin of said opening a distance at least equal to the width of said extensions of said first set whereby said extensions interdigitate and the extensions of each set engage the main body portion between the extensions of the opposed set to balance the forces imposed on the animal body region on the opposite sides of the opening and minimize the tendency of the garment to twist, to creep on, and to chafe the animal body region.

Claim 8

A garment for imposing pressure upon regions of animal bodies comprising: a main body portion of flexible material of generally tubular shape for encompassing said animal body region, said material being elastic in the longitudinal and transverse dimensions of said tubular main body portion, said tubular main body portion having circumferences along its length which have a ratio to the circumference of the animal body region with which they are adapted to register whereby said tubular body imposes an inward directed radial pressure on the animal body region, said body portion having at least one opening extending longitudinally of the tubular shape and having margins for said opening; a plurality of fastening means extending across said opening generally perpendicularly to said margins and spaced along the length of said main body portion, whereby regions of said flexible, elastic material intermediate said spaced fastening means afford longitudinal elasticity to said garment along said opening margins; said fastening means including a first set of extensions of flexible elastic material having a length extending across said opening from a first side to a second side of said main body portion; and said fastening means including a second set of extensions of flexible, elastic material having a length extending across said opening from said second side to said first side of said main body portion; said extensions of said first set being spaced apart along the margin of said opening a distance at least equal to the width of said extensions of said second set and said extensions of said second set each being aligned with the space between extensions of said first set and being spaced apart along the margin of said opening a distance at least equal to the width of said extensions of said first set whereby said extensions interdigitate and the extensions of each set engage the main body portion between the extensions of the opposed set to balance the forces imposed on the animal body region on the opposite sides of the opening and minimize the tendency of the garment to twist, to creep on, and to chafe the animal body region.

Claim 9

A garment according to claim 4 including individual first securing means on the face most proximate said animal body of each of said extensions of said first and second set; and individual second securing means individually secured on the face of said main body portion remote from said animal body, said second securing means being adapted to securingly engage with respective individual first securing means on extensions on the opposite side of said opening, said second securing means each being located on separate spaced areas of said main body portion on the first and second sides of said opening which are in an alignment with the space between adjacent extensions from said opening margins which is generally perpendicular to said opening margins.

Claim 10

A garment according to claim 5 wherein said first and second securing means are complementary area contact fasteners of the ''''Velcro'''' type.