US3121885A - Restraining crib sheet - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 25, 1964 v. GERRY 3,121,885

RESTRAINING 'CRIB SHEET Filed Aug. 14, 1961 FiQ].

Vjrgjm'a C. C12 any, BY v ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,121,885 Patented Feb. 25, 1964 3,121,885 RESTRAENENG CRIB SHEET Virginia C. Cherry, 21b Ruskin Road, Eggertsville 26, NH.

Filed Aug. 14, 1961, Ser. No. 131,314 1 Qlairn. (Cl. -436) This invention relates generally to the bed covering art, and more specifically to a new and useful restraining sheet particularly adapted for use in cribs to maintain the desired covering over an infant despite movement of its arms and legs. The sheet of my invention also is usable elsewhere, as with older persons who are ill and require such a covering.

In a bed covering of this type, the main problem is to provide a construction which will accommodate the trunk and limbs of the person intended to be covered in a manner permitting freedom of movement thereof, so that the person is as comfortable as possible, while at the same time retaining the covering in place despite movements of a type which would displace conventional coverings.

I am aware that numerous restraining coverings have been proposed, including a construction utilizing cover portions stitched together on the bias to provide the necessary room below the cover. However, it has been my experience that such a bias construction gives too much after a period of use, and no longer serves the intended purpose.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a practical and attractive restraining sheet which is quickly fitted to the mattress and held in place thereon, and which provides an enclosing covering freely accommodating the limbs and trunk of a person placed therein while retaining the covering in place at all times.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a restraining sheet in a construction which is relatively inexpensive while being extremely durable and dependable.

In one aspect thereof, a restraining sheet constructed in accordance with my invention is characterized by the provision of an anchor part having means for securing the same in generally fixed relation to an associated mattress, and a cover part having a body portion substantially coextensive in area with the anchor part, a neck opening through the cover body portion, and opposite side and end wall portions connecting the cover body portion to the anchor part, the wall portions providing means for spacing the entire body portion above the associated mattress, thereby to accommodate the limbs and trunk of a person under the cover body portion.

In another aspect thereof, a restraining sheet constructed in accordance with my invention is characterized by the provision, with a cover part as aforesaid, of an anchor part also having a body portion adapted to substantially completely overlay an associated mattress, opposite side and end Wall portions formed to extend downwardly from the anchor body portion along the opposite sides and ends of an associated mattress, and terminal edge portions formed to extend inwardly from the anchor wall portions beneath an associated mattress, the anchor wall and terminal edge portions being connected to adjacent ones thereof thereby to snugly embrace an associated mattress and anchor the sheet thereto.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages and characterizing features will become clearly apparent from the ensuing detailed description of an illustrative, presently preferred embodiment of my invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals denote like parts throughout the various views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an infants crib, with one side removed, made up with a restraining sheet of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of a mattress having a restraining sheet of my invention applied thereto; and

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, taken about on line IIIIII of FIG. 2 and with the mattress removed.

Referring now in detail to the illustrative embodiment depicted in the accompanying drawing, there is shown a restraining sheet of my invention comprising an anchor part, generally designated 1, and a cover part, generally designated 2. While by no means limited thereto, restraining sheets of my invention are particularly useful in conjunction with infants, and to this end anchor part 1 is adapted to be fitted to the usual crib mattress 3 in a typi cal crib having opposite end walls 4 and side railings 5, one railing having been removed from FIG. 1 to more clearly illustrate my invention.

In the illustrated embodiment, anchor part 1 has a body portion 6 coextensive with the top surface of mattress 3 and adapted to substantially completely overlay the same. Opposite end wall portions 7 and side wall portions 8 extend downwardly from body portion 6, along the opposite ends and sides respectively of mattress 3, and terminate in terminal edge portions 9 which extend inwardly beneath mattress 3. The body and opposite side and end wall portions of anchor part 1 are conveniently fabricated of a single piece of bed sheeting, with the side and end wall portions 3, 7 being of generally rectangular configuration, and stitched together at their ends with flat seams 11. The terminal edge portions 9 are stitched together by seams 12, and the various wall and edge portions extend at right angles to adjacent ones thereof, and to body portion 6, in the case of wall portions 7, 8, thereby to snugly embrace the mattress 3 which is enclosed thereby.

With such a construction, the mattress is flexed to fit into the anchor part 1 which then snugly embraces the mattress on all sides. This provides a secure anchor for the sheet and body portion 6 provides a full bottom sheet as well as a top cover for the mattress and any mattress pad positioned therebeneath.

The cover part 2 comprises a body portion 15, substantially coextensive with the anchor body portion 6, so as to completely overlay the same. Cover part 2 also has generally rectangular opposite end walls 16 and side walls 17 extending at right angles to adjacent ones thereof and to the body portion 15, and stitched together at their abutting ends by seams 14. Cover wall portions 16 and 17 are joined to anchor part 1 by a seam 18 extending completely around the periphery of anchor part 2, adjacent the juncture of its body portion 6 and wall portions '7 and 8, the junctures between anchor part 1 and cover part 2 being covered by a tape 19.

In this way, the cover end wall portions 16 and side wall portions 17 enable the spacing of the entire cover body portion 15 a substantial distance above the anchor body portion 6, such as on the order of four inches for an infant, thereby to freely accommodate movements of an infants trunk and limbs beneath body portion 15.

The cover body portion 15 is provided with a neck opening 21, which is hemmed or finished in any desired manner, as shown at 22, and a slit 23 extends from the neck opening 21 to provide a means for inserting the body of an infant benea h the cover body portion 15 and within the enclosure defined by cover part 2 and anchor body portion 6. The slit 23 is adapted to be closed by a zipper 24, the pull tab of which is adapted to be covered by a flap 25 which can be buttoned in place, as shown, to inhibit release of the zipper.

Accordingly, it is seen that a restraining sheet of my invention fully accomplishes its intended objects. The anchorpart 1 is quickly slipped over and around the associated mattress 3, and snugly embraces the same to securely anchor the sheet in place while providing a protective a covering for the mattress and a full bottom sheet for the infant. The infant is easily inserted in and removed from cover part 2 by opening slit 23, and once the infants trunk and limbs are placed beneath the cover body portion 15 the slit is closed by zipper 24.

Ample room is provided for movement of the limbs, because the entire cover body portion 15 is movable to an elevated position above the anchor body part 6, as shown in the drawing. This is accomplished by the boxlike construction of cover part 2, with its right angularly related side and end wall portions 16, 17 which unfold to accommodate such movement without stretching of scams or reliance upon bias seaming. Therefore, cover part 2 will retain its shape despite hard and continuous use, and with anchor body portion 6 completely encloses the limbs and trunk of the infant. It will be appreciated that, while the drawing shows cover body portion 15 fully elevated throughout, thereby to illustrate the room provided by the sheet of my invention, in practice the body portion 15 will naturally collapse about the body of the person covered thereby with the wall portions 16, 17 folding to accommodate such covering movement.

While the anchor part I normally will sutfice to hold the sheet in place, ties 26 preferably are provided at the corners, for tying to the legs 27 of the crib.

It will be appreciated that I use the term sheet broadly, to include any desired covering material, and that I do not intend to be limited to the use of conventional bed sheeting material. It also will be appreciated that the sheet of my invention is adapted for use with persons of any size, and with patients who are violent as well as those who merely require a construction holding the cover in place.

While I have disclosed and described in detail only one embodiment of my invention, that has been done by way of illustration only and without thought of limitation. I am aware that variations therein and modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art, and I intend to include the same within the scope of the appended claim.

Having fully disclosed and completely described my invention, and its mode of operation, what I claim as new A restraining sheet comprising, an anchor part having a body portion adapted to extend across a mattress and means for securing said body portion in position relative to an associated mattress, and a cover part having a body portion substantially coextensive in area with said anchor part body portion, means providing a neck opening through said cover part body portion, said cover part also having generally rectangular opposite side and end wall portions extending along and substantially coextensive with the opposite sides and ends of said cover part body portion, said cover part Wall portions connecting said cover part to said anchor part and extending between said body portions to provide means for spacing said cover part body portion above said anchor part body portion, each of said wall portions being formed to extend at generally a right angle to adjacent wall portions and to said body portions.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,859,820 Eaker May 24, 1932 2,325,097 Behringer July 27, 1943 2,401,026 Steigerwald May 28, 1946

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