US2149121A - Combined cap and ear muffs - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 28, 1939. l. KRONENBERGER COMBINED CAP AND EAR MUFFS Filed Aug. 29, 1938 I FJ II Je Z1 wrzznbz 1 291e 7 17 Patented Feb. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 29,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to caps, and more particularly, to a novel and improved construction of cap having earmuffs associated therewith.

An object of the invention is to provide a cap of the character described having earmufis detachably secured thereto, and being capable of adjustment, so that when in one position they will be useful to protect the ears of the wearer, and when in another position will be merely ornamental for enhancing the attractive appearance of the cap.

Another object of the invention is to provide in association with a cap detachable earmuifs F adapted for disposition against the upper portion of the cap when said earmuifs are not in use, and be capable of movement into position over the ears of the wearer when their use is desired, said earmuifs being so connected as to bear firmly against the wearers ears when in operative position.

A still further object of the invention is to detachably secure to a cap or the like earmufi's, the securing means comprising a snap fastener, the female portion of which may be permanently secured to the body of thecap and the male portion of which may be secured to the earmuff, and means for substantially entirely concealing the said female fastener when the earmuff is removed from the cap.

A still further object of the invention is to provide for a cap or the like detachable earmuifs, the means holding said earmuffs to the cap being capable of permitting said earmufis to be moved to a plurality of positions relative to the cap, and means for substantially concealing from view the earmuffs attaching means when said earmuifs are removed from said cap.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described, which may be produced along lines convenient for lowcost manufacture, which may be readily assembled and disassembled and which will, at the same time, be highly efficient for carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing, a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when con- 1938, Serial No. 227,288

sidered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawing in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a cap having earmuffs associated therewith, and constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the side of the cap to which the earmufi is detachablysecured, with the earmufi removed;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a fragmentary portion of the cap through the earmufi attaching means, said view also showing in section the earmuif ready to be attachedto the cap;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the inner side of the earmuff with parts thereof being shown in section;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a fragmentary portion of the inside of the cap with the lining removed.

Referring to the drawing more specifically by characters of reference, the numeral l0 designates a cap comprising a plurality of segments H sewn together in the usual manner to produce the cap It, said cap being provided with the visor l2 and the inner band of stiffening material I3, as well as a suitable lining l4. As the construction so far described forms no part of the present invention, it is not thought necessary to describe the same in more detail.

Detachably secured to the sides of said cap H] are the earmuffs generally designated by the reference character l5, there being two of such earmuffs I5, one detachably secured to each side of the cap for protecting the ears of the wearer. The means for detachably securing said earmuifs to the cap will now be described.

Disposed between the inner band l3 and the outer covering of the cap is a strip of material l6, which may be of the same material as the outer covering of the cap, said strip being of a size so as to extend a substantial distance on either side beyond the side seam which secures two of the segments l I together, the lower end of said strip l6 being secured by the row of stitching H to the band I3 to the outer covering II and the inner lining M, as shown in Fig. 3. The strip I 6 will act as a reinforcing strip and has rigidly secured thereto as well as to the inner band l3 a plate of metal or the like l8 in any suitable and well-known manner, such, for example, as by means of the rivets l9, said rivets extending through the plate l8, the band I3 and the reinforcing strip 16. Secured to the plate I8 is the female member IQ of the snap fastener.

when in fully assembled position, said fastener l9 will be disposed so that access thereto may be had through the opening 20 provided in the lower portion of the seam 2| connecting the two side segments H of the cap as shown more clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The earmufl, which is generally designated by the reference character l5, may be formed of an outer cover 22 of lambskin or other suitable material and lining 23, the edges of which are secured to each other and to the inner edge of an elastic band 24 by means of the stitching 25. Disposed within the earmuff I is a frame of wire 26, said wire being adapted to maintain the earmuif in extended position and desired shape, said wire frame being provided with an inwardly extending portion 21, upon which is pivotally secured the band 28 of suitable material, such as sheet metal or the like, to which band is permanently secured the male member 29 of a snap fastener.

The free ends of the wire frame 26 are held in abutting relation to each other by means of the metal tie or strip 30, said strip 30 being also effective for limiting the movement of the member 28 in a clockwise direction as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

By reason of the above arrangement, it will be noted that when the earmuff is secured to the cap by engagement of the cooperating fastener elements I9 and 29, the earmuff will be disposed not in an exact vertical relationship with respect to the cap, but will extend downwardly and inwardly so as to bear firmly against the ears to efiiciently protect the same, and likewise when the earmuif is in its inoperative position against the side of the cap it will extend upwardly and inwardly and thus lie snugly against the body of the cap, thereby presenting a neater and more attractive appearance than if it extended straight upwardly.

The cooperating fastening elements 19 and 29 are constructed so as to be detachably engageablev with each other, as well as to permit rotation relative to each other when in assembled position. With this arrangement it will be apparent that the earmuff may be entirely removed from the cap, in which case the opening 20 in the seam 2| may be moved to a position where it will substantially entirely conceal the fastening element l9, said gap or opening 20 being made so as to permit the side edges thereof to be brought into abutting relation to each other for concealing said fastening element l9 when the earmuff is removed and to permit a separation of said side edges when it is desired to attach the earmuff to the cap. When in assembled position on the cap the earmuffs l5 may be moved to the full line position shown in Fig. l or the operative position as shown in dotted lines in said figure.

From the above it will be apparent that I have provided a cap having means associated therewith for detachably securing thereto suitable earmufis, said earmuffs being connected in such a manner as to permit their adjustment to their operative or inoperative positions and when in either of said positions will lie snugly against the body of the cap so as not to detract from the attractive appearance thereof.

It will also be noted that when said earmuffs are removed from said cap, the means permitting attachment of the earmuifs to the cap will be substantially concealed from view, thus again not marrring or detracting from the usual appearance of the cap.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a cap of the character described, a pair of earmufis, and means for detachably and adjustably securing saidearmuifs to said cap, said means including a plate member fixedly secured to the inside of the cap, fastening means secured to said plate member and extending through an open seam provided in said cap, a cooperating fastening means provided on said earmuffs for engagement with said firstmentioned fastening means, said fastening means, when in operative assembly, being capable of rotating movement relative to each other, and said open seam being capable of concealing from view the fastening means secured to said plate member when the earmuff is removed therefrom.

2. In combination with a cap of the character described, a pair of earmuffs, each earmuff having means for independent and detachable engagement with said cap, said means including the male portion of a snap fastener secured to a supporting member, over which the body of the earmufi is disposed, the female portion of the snap fastener being fixedly secured to a portion of the cap and disposed inwardly of the outer covering of said cap, and extending through an open seam provided therefor in the side of the cap, said open seam permitting access to the fastening element in the cap when it is desired to secure the earmufi thereto, and being capable of concealing from view the said fastening element when the earmufi is removed from the cap, said fastening element on the earmuff being arranged at an angle to the body thereto, whereby when the earmuff is attached to the cap it will, when in ear protecting position, bear firmly against the face of the wearer, and when in its other position will lie snugly against the head portion of the cap.

3. In a device of the character described, including a cap, and detachable earmuffs secured thereto, said earmuffs each being provided with one element of a snap fastener, the other element of which is contained within the cap, open portions of each of the side seams of said cap above said second-mentioned element, the lips of said seam being separable so that the second mentioned element may project therethrough for engagement with said first-mentioned element, said lips being formed so that they are normally juxtaposed to a closed position, concealing said second-mentioned element when said earmufis are each removed from said cap, presenting an unblemished appearance to the surface of said cap IKE KRONENBERGER.

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