Body Armor and Body Armor Manufacturing Methods

Abstract

Body armor plates are provided that can include two opposing and angled wither bends. Methods for manufacturing a body armor plate are provided; the methods can include: providing a substantially unbent plate defining a trapezoid portion sharing one edge with a rectangular portion, the rectangular portion having another edge opposing the one edge; marking the plate with an isosceles triangle, a baseline of the isosceles triangle extending along the one edge shared by the trapezoid portion and the rectangular portion, and the sidelines of the isosceles triangle forming the isosceles triangle vertex at a midpoint of the other edge opposing one edge; and aligning the plate within a press along each of the marked sidelines; and bending the plate along each of the sidelines of the triangle.

1 . A body armor plate that includes two opposing and angled wither bends. 
     
     
         2 . The body armor plate of  claim 1  further comprising square portions about each of the wither portions. 
     
     
         3 . The body armor plate of  claim 1  wherein in at least one view of the edges of the plate align to form a trapezoid portion sharing an edge with a rectangle portion. 
     
     
         4 . The body armor plate of  claim 3  wherein the trapezoid portion is associated with the chest or upper portion of the plate. 
     
     
         5 . The body armor plate of  claim 3  wherein the rectangle portion is associated with the wither or lower portion of the plate. 
     
     
         6 . The body armor plate of  claim 1  wherein the plate is from about ¼ inch to about 5 mm thick. 
     
     
         7 . The body armor plate of  claim 1  wherein the plate is from about 10-11 inches wide and from about 10-14 inches in height. 
     
     
         8 . A method for manufacturing a body armor plate, the method comprising:
 providing a substantially unbent plate defining a trapezoid portion sharing one edge with a rectangular portion, the rectangular portion having another edge opposing the one edge;   marking the plate with an isosceles triangle, a baseline of the isosceles triangle extending along the one edge shared by the trapezoid portion and the rectangular portion, and the sidelines of the isosceles triangle forming the isosceles triangle vertex at a midpoint of the other edge opposing one edge;   aligning the plate within a press along each of the marked sidelines; and   bending the plate along each of the sidelines of the triangle.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising providing a die press having a 4¾ inch radius. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the die press is about 6 inches wide and defines two marks at 2 inches and 4 inches about the width of the die cast. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the die press can be about 8½ inches long having complimentary markings at both ends. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein plate markings are aligned between one of the two markings and the plate pressed, then the plate is manipulated to align another set of plate markings between another of the two markings and the plate pressed. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the plate is aligned along one set of markings to create one of the wither bends. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the plate is realigned along the other set of markings to create the other of the wither bends.