GB2269086A

GB2269086A - Preservation suit

Info

Publication number: GB2269086A
Application number: GB9304087A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Laurence Ernest Henderson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-07-27
Filing date: 1993-03-01
Publication date: 1994-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 2013-03-01
Also published as: GB9215920D0; GB2269086B; GB9304087D0

Abstract

A suit (1), particularly for preserving forensic evidence on a person (e.g. an arrestee), comprises an integral article of clothing including a body portion (3) with no sleeves and two leg portions (5, 7) with integral shoe cover parts (9). The suit may also incorporate an integral hood (11). The suit is accessed via an opening extending up the back and through the hood (when included), the opening being closed by a sliding clasp fastener (15). The absence of sleeves means that the person's arms must be contained within the suit, and the truncated leg portions cause the person to be effectively hobbled. The suit may be of tough transparent plastics or it may be of strengthened paper. The lower surfaces of the shoe cover parts (9) may be reinforced. <IMAGE>

Description

PRESERVATION SUIT This invention relates to a preservation suit which is particularly, but not exclusively, suitable for use in protecting and preserving forensic evidence carried by persons involved, particularly arrested, in connection with a criminal activity.

Forensic trace evidence such as fibres, firearm discharge residue, explosive material residue and other types of trace evidence which may be present on a person or clothing worn by that person at the time of arrest can be of paramount importance in the successful conclusion of a criminal investigation. The preservation of such evidence is often difficult because such trace evidence can fall from clothing, head, hair or shoes in a very short space of time and can thus be lost to the investigation. In many cases, such evidence could have proved a suspect to be either innocent or guilty of an offence. It is therefore of the utmost importance that such evidence is preserved, not only in respect of it's accidental loss, but also of the possibility of the suspect being able to take steps to remove any such traces which might be known to him.

The present invention therefore seeks to provide a preservation suit in which a suspect or other person can be dressed very quickly and which will retain any trace evidence which might otherwise be lost.

According to the invention, a preservation suit comprises an integral article of clothing including a body portion with no sleeves and two leg portions with integral shoe cover parts.

Preferably the leg portions are truncated. The suit may suitably be constructed of a transparent material.

The body portion may have a rear opening closed by a single sliding clasp fastener which extends from the crutch to the upper extremity of the suit. The suit may be formed with an integral hood extending from the upper extremity of the body portion and in this event, the rear opening in the body portion may extend from the upper extremity thereof, up the back of the hood to terminate at the front thereof, thus dividing the hood into two symmetrical parts.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of one form of preservation suit in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic front view of the preservation suit shown in figure 1, and Figure 3 is a front view, similar to figure 2, but showing a preservation suit without a hood.

Referring firstly to figures 1 and 2, a preservation suit 1 comprises an integral article of clothing including a body portion 3 and two leg portions 5 and 7 with integral shoe cover parts 9. A the upper end of the body portion 3 is located the hood 11 which is also integral with the body portion.

Access to the suit 1 is by means of an opening located in the rear thereof which is closed by a sliding clasp fastener 15 which extends from the crutch 17 of the body portion 3 up to the top of the body portion and then up and around the hood 11 to the front thereof, the hood 11 being effectively separated into two symmetrical portions.

In order to ensure that the sliding clasp fastener 15 cannot be opened by any pressure on the suit from ttye interior, the sliding clasp 19 has a draw member 21 to which is

attached a velcrolpatch 23. This velcro patch 23,operates with a complementary patch 24 provided on the upper front part of the hood 11 so that, once the sliding clasp fastener 15 is fully closed, the sliding clasp 19 can be maintained at the otherwise open end of the fastener 15 and prevent its unauthorised opening.

It willbe observed that the suit is not provided with arms, the arms being omitted so that the person encased in the suit will have his arms inside the suit at all times. This will avoid him being able to use his arms in any effective way.

It will also be obvserved that the leg portions 7 are truncated to a significant extent as compared to the body portion 3 of the suit so that the wearer of the suit is effectively hobbled and while he is still able to walk slowly, any attempt to escape by running is frustrated.

The suit is suitably manufactured from a tough transparent plastics material, for example, a "see through" 250-500 gauge anti-static polythene. It will be appreciated that various reinforcements may be added to the material if required. Any other suitable material of a "see through" nature can also be used. Suitably the suit is made of a number of individual pieces having seams such as those indicated at 27, all the seams being located on the exterior of the suit so as to avoid the interior of the suit having any internal projections which might interfere with the collection of forensic trace evidence therefrom.

An alternative version of the suit is shown in figure 3. In this version of the suit, the body and leg portions 3,5 and 7 are the same but in this case the hood 11 is omitted.

Here the sliding clasp fastener 15 extends only to the upper extremity of the body portion 3, the attachments, namely the velcro patches 23 and 24 being located on the rear of the body portion 3 to one side of the sliding clasp fastener 15 as shown.

In order to increase the durability of the preservation suit, the shoe cover portions 9 are suitably provided with reinforced lower surfaces on which the person encased in the suit can walk and which take the place of a shoe sole.

In the use of the suit 1 at the time of arrest of a suspect, the person can be quickly inserted into the suit 1, by force if necessary, by virtue of the large opening provided in the rear of the suit 1. The suit can be quickly closed from the rear by operation of the sliding clasp fastener 15 leaving the arrested person to some extent restrained both by the fact that no movement of his arms can be made outside of the suit and in that he is effectively hobbled. The transparency of the suit enables the arresting police to view any actions the arrestee might make within the suit and thus any attempt, for example, to locate concealed weapons, can be quickly frustrated. While in the suit, all the forensic trace evidence will be preserved since the only opening provided therein is either at the neck of the hoodless suit or the face portion of the hood in the hooded suit.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made to the above described examples without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, to provide a cheaper version of the preservation suit, where transparency and/or restraining properties are not needed, the suit would be fabricated from strengthened paper. The sliding clasp fastener could be replaced by any suitable quick release fastener.

It willbe appreciated that the above described embodiments provide a preservation suit which will naturally assist in the preservation of forensic trace evidence.

Claims

1. A preservation suit comprises an integral article of clothing including a body portion with no sleeves and two leg portions with integral shoe cover parts.

2. A suit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leg portions are truncated.

3. A suit as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the suit is constructed from transparent material.

4. A suit as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the body portion has a rear opening closed by a single sliding clasp fastener which extends from the crutch to the upper extremity of the suit.

5. A suit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the suit is formed with an integral hood extending from the upper extremity of the body portion.

6. A suit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rear opening in the body portion extends from the upper extremity thereof, up the back of the hood to terminate at the front thereof, thus dividing the hood into two symmetrical parts.

6. A suit as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein fastening means are provided at the upper end of the sliding clasp fastener for holding the sliding clasp at that end of the fastener.

7. A suit as vclaimed in claim 6, wherein the draw element of the sliding clasp has a patch

of velorolattached thereto tor cooperation with a complimentary pad located on the suit adjacent the upper end of the fastener.

8. A preservation suit substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A. preservation suit comprises an integral article of clothing including a body portion with no sleeves and two leg portions with integral shoe cover parts.

2. A suit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leg portions are truncated.

7. A suit as claimed in claim 6, wherein the draw element of the sliding clasp has a patch of velcro attached thereto for cooperation with a complimentary pad located on the suit adjacent the upper end of the fastener.

8. A preservation suit comprises an integral article of clothing including a body portion with no sleeves or arm openings and two leg portions with integral shoe cover parts.

9. A preservation suit substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.