US2994437A - Folding pocket hat holder - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 1, 1961 E. s. NYlTRAl 2,994,437

FOLDING POCKET HAT HOLDER Filed July 22, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 /I 30 l 25 INVENTOR dim-[5.

l ,3! 0 2 K y fi g ATTORNEYS E. S. NYlTRAl FOLDING POCKET HAT HOLDER Aug. 1, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 22, 1959 INVENTOR 2,994,437 FOLDING POCKET HAT HOLDER Ernest S. Nyitrai, 127 Lockwood Ave., Stamford, Conn. Filed July 22, 1959, Ser. No. 828,769 2 Claims. (Cl. 211-30) This invention relates to supports, and particularly to a portable hat holder which is collapsible into a small, compact, pocket-size unit that may be conveniently carried about by a user when not in use, as by being inserted in a pocket.

There are many activities, particularly public and semipublic assemblies such as meetings in churches, auditoriums, theaters and the like, wherein a person requires the free use of his hands in order to properly participate. Such activities are normally held in places to which a well groomed man is likely to have worn his hat. Unless there is a substantial hat-checking or hat storing facility provided, and in the activities here involved there normally is not, a man normally must resort to holding his hat on his lap, or placing it alongside of him on the seat, pew or bench. The deficiency of this latter technique is well known, as the many soiled and squashed hats which are knocked to the floor or sat upon will attest.

It is extremely desirable, and it is an object of this invention, that an inexpensive collapsible hat support be provided which is a small and compact unit when collapsed so as to be capable of being carried in a pocket of the users clothes, such as the breast pocket of a suit coat, and wherein when extended into operative condition it is capable of functioning as a hat holder which may be propped up against an adjacent seat, pew or bench and eifectively support a hat oif of the floor during activities wherein the user needs the use of his hands.

The object of the invention is accomplished in one form by providing a hat support which is made of inexpensive, light-weight materials and which is collapsible into a small, compact, pocket-size unit.

The above and other objects and further details of that which I believe to be novel and my invention will be clear from the following description and claims taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing one embodiment of the invention in operative condition for supporting a hat;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of said embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view thereof and showing a hat supported thereby;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view thereof when collapsed;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view thereof when collapsed;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view thereof when collapsed;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of another embodiment of the invention in operative condition;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view thereof when collapsed;

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view thereof when collapsed;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view thereof when collapsed;

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the invention in operative condition;

FIG. 12 is a rear elevational view thereof;

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view thereof when collapsed;

FIG. 14 is a rear elevational view of a portion of another embodiment of the invention in operative condition;

FIG. 15 is a front elevational view of a modified base portion;

FIG. 16 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Patented Aug. 1, 1961 FIG. 17 is a front elevational view of another modified base portion in collapsed condition;

FIG. 18 is a front elevational view thereof in extended condition, and

FIG. 19 is a front elevational view of still another modified base portion in collapsed condition.

In the drawings there are illustrated a number of different physical embodiments of the invention. All of the illustrated embodiments are predicated on the same inventive concept of providing an inexpensive, light weight holder for a hat, which is collapsible into a small, compact, pocket-size unit when not in operative condition for supporting a hat. All of the illustrated embodiments when in operative condition are capable of effectively supporting a hat above the floor by gripping it and by being propped up against a nearby object. In the latter connection, all of the illustrated embodiments include a floor-contacting base portion for facilitating propping of the support, and all of the illustrated base portions except one (that illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16) are collapsible. All of the illustrated embodiments of the invention may be made almost entirely of an inexpensive light weight material, such as any of the available suitable plastic materials or metals, for example, aluminum alloys.

All of the illustrated embodiments of the invention comprise an inexpensive, light-weight, portable hat holder which is collapsible into a small, compact, pocket-size unit. All of the illustrated embodiments comprise three essential portions: (1) a floor-contacting base portion for supporting the remainder of the hat holder; (2) a hat-gripping and supporting portion which is spaced from the base portion, and (3) a selectively contractable and extendable intermediate portion which connects the base portion and the hat-gripping and supporting portion.

In FIGS. 1-6, there is illustrated one embodiment of the invention. The hat holder is general-1y designated by reference numeral 10 and comprises a base portion 12, a hat-gripping and supporting portion 14-, and an intermediate portion 16.

The intermediate portion 16 comprises a plurality of elongated telescoping members. In FIGS. 1-6, the telescoping members are four in number, however, the precise number may be Varied, if desired. The three lower telescoping members are designated by reference numeral 18, and the upper telescoping member by reference numeral 20. The members 18 are hollow, and generally rectangular in cross section, whereas. the upper member 20 may be solid. The upper ends 22 of each of the members 18 are bent inwardly at 22, and the lower ends 24- of the two upper members 1 8 are bent outwardly so as to effect telescoping. The lower end of member 20 has a radially outwardly extending flange 26 formed thereon which cooperates with the upper end 22 of the uppermost member 18 to effect telescoping. The fit of the members 18 and 2(1 is such that there is frictional engagement between the members which may be selectively manually overcome, but the members are frictionally held in whatever condition of contracting or extending that the portion 16 is selectively adjusted to. Therefore, the intermediate portion 16 comprises a longitudinally contractable and extendable, connecting portion between the base portion 12 and the hat-gripping and supporting portion 14.

The base portion 12 comprises a pair of flexible, channel-shaped feet 28 that are individually pivotally connected to the lower end 30 of the lowermost member 18 at one of their respective ends by a pair of adjustable tension screws 32. As can best be'observed by comparison of FIGS. 2 and 5, the base portion 12 is selectively manually adjustable by pivoting the feet 28 between an operative condition shown in FIG. 2 wherein it is extended and providm a horizontally extending, floor-contacting means for supporting the entire hat-holder, and a collapsed carrying or storing condition illustrated in FIG. 5 wherein the feet 28 closely embrace the lower member 18 and are generally parallel thereto. The ends of the feet 28 which are pivotally connected to the lowermost member 18 have frictional contact with the said section 18 which may be selectively adjusted by screws 32, and are structurally related thereto so as to be selectively manually adjusted to either the FIG. 2 or FIG. 5 condition and to remain in such condition thereafter.

The hat-gripping and supporting portion 14 comprises a small spring clip 34 which is operatively mounted on the upper end 36 of the member 20. The spring clip 34 may be made of a springy metal and is pivotally mounted on said upper end as by being mounted on a hinge pin 38 that is supported in hinge ears 46 that are secured to said upper end. Spring clip 34 has a torsion spring 42 associated therewith so as to normally bias the bent end 44 of the spring clip into firm contact with the upper end 36 of the member 20. The specific type and mounting of the spring clip 34 is not critical, however, it is extremely important that it be mounted in a proper manner so as to have its bent end 44 biased against the member 2%), and that it be a small member which does not extend or project to any appreciable extent. The latter attribute is desirable to facilitate the ability of the hat holder to form a small, compact, pocket-size unit when it is collapsed. In this regard, as can best be seen in FIG. 2, each of the members 18 includes an upper, cut-out notch 46 which functions to accommodate the spring clip 34- when the hat holder is collapsed, as can best be seen in FIG. 5.

In use, the hat holder is selectively manually adjusted to either its operative FIG. 2 condition or its collapsed FIG. 5 condition. When in its FIG. 5 condition it forms a small, compact unit which may conveniently be carried by a person by being slipped into the breast pocket of a suit coat. In practice, the major length of the hat holder when collapsed as shown in FIG. 5 should not exceed approximately seven inches, the width should be approximately one and one-half inch, and the thickness approximately one-half inch. Therefore, the collapsed hat holder is small and compact and may be carried about in a persons pocket when not in use. At the time when a person reaches a building and it is desired to temporarily support his hat, the collapsed hat holder is withdrawn from the persons pocket, the intermediate portion 16 is extended to its FIG. 2 operative condition, and the base portion 12 is extended by pivoting the feet 28 to its FIG. 2 condition. In practice, the major length of the hat holder may conveniently be approximately twenty-two inches when it is in operative condition. As can best be seen in FIG. 3, a hat H may then be supported by the hat holder by forcing the spring clip end 44 away from the member 20 and slipping the hat brim HB therebetween. In performing this manipulation,,the end 48 of the spring clip 34 may be conveniently used as a finger grip to overcome the bias of the torsion spring 42. When the hat is gripped and supported as illustrated in FIG. 3, the hat holder may be propped against an adjacent object, such as the church pew P illustrated in FIG. 1. The most suitable propping angle to be utilized may be determined by the user, and in the case of a church setting wherein kneeling benches are provided, the base portion 12 may be propped, against the kneeling bench B to facilitate propping. With his hat supported in the foregoing manner by the hat holder 10, a person is free to participate in the activities of the assemblage for his hands are fully free. After the activities terminate, the hat H is removed from the hat holder, the latter is collapsed by contracting the intermediate portion 16 and folding the pivotally mounted feet 28 into their-FIG. 5 condition, and the collapsed hat holder is inserted in the pocket of the user, who is then free to place his hat upon his head and leave the building.

In FIGS. 7l0 there is illustrated another embodiment of the invention which is generally similar to the first embodiment described, wherein corresponding parts of these embodiments are indicated by like reference numerals with a prime added. The principal difference between these embodiments is that in the FIGS. 7-10 embodiment, the members which comprise the intermediate portion 16' have a generally circular cross section and the feet 28' comprise solid circular rods that are pivotally secured to the lower end 30 of the lowermost member 18. The pivotal connection between the feet 28 and lowermost member 18 may be efiected by forming oppositely extending, apertured tabs 50 at the lower end 30' and a pair of flexible apertured ears 52 on each of the feet 28, and hingedly securing these parts so as to be frictionally related, as by utilizing adjustable tension screws 54. The operation of this FIGS. 7-10 embodiment is generally the same as that of the FIGS. 1-6 embodiment.

In FIGS. l1-13 there is illustrated another embodiment of the invention, wherein the hat holder 60 comprises a base portion 62, and intermediate portion 64, and a hat gripping and supporting portion 66, all of which generally correspond in function to their corresponding portions in the first embodiments described. However, there are structural differences in the base portions and intermediate portions.

The intermediate portion 64 comprises a plurality of members, four in number as illustrated, which are designated by reference numerals 68, 70, 72 and 74. These members are pivotally connected to each other by appropriate hinges '76, 78 and 80 so as to enable the intermediate portion to be folded up into a small compact unit, as illustrated in FIG. 13. It should be particularly observed that the upper member '74 carries a hat gripping and supporting portion 66 which may be identical in construction to its counterpart in the first two embodiments described. The member 72 has an elongated recess 82 formed therein on its rear side into which the member 74 may be folded and nested when the intermediate portion 64 is contracted. The lowermost member 68 is reduced over most of its longitudinal extend other than for its upper tapered portion 84. The lower end 86 of the member 63 has a pair of oppositely extending apertured tabs 88 formed thereon to which the feet 90 are pivotally connected, as by having a pair of apertured ears 92 which are formed on each of the feet individually connected to the tabs 88 by adjustable tension screws 94. The free ends of the feet Q0 are inclined at 96, and the feet and member 68 are configured and dimensioned in such a manner that the feet nest up against the tapered portion 84 of the'member 68 when the hat holder is collapsed. The general operation and function ing of the FIGS. 11-16 embodiment is the same as the other embodiment described.

In FIG. 14 there is illustrated a portion of another embodiment of the invention, which essentially comprises the FIGS. 11-13 embodiment modified in a manner so as to render the uppermost member of the intermediate portion telescopically related to its adjacent member. In FIG. 14, corresponding parts to those of the FIGS. 1l-l3 embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals with a prime added. The uppermost member of the intermediate portion shown in FIG. 14 is designated by reference numeral and its adjacent member by reference numeral 102. The member 100 has a pair of opposite side guide portions 104 which are received in a guideway 1% formed in the rear side of member 102 to render these parts telescopic.

In FIGS. 15-19 there are illustrated a number of modifications of base portions which may be used with one or more of the various hat holder embodiments described. In FIGS. 15 and 16 there is illustrated a base portion 110 which is not collapsible, and which comprises a solid formation which may be integral with the lowermost member of the intermediate portion of whichever embodiment it is utilized with. The base portion 110 comprises a pair of oppositely extending fin-like feet 112 having rounded edges throughout so as to be smooth. The base portion 110 may be conveniently made to be approximately three and three-quarter inches wide and three-sixteenths of an inch thick. Although the base portion 110 is not collapsible, it is small enough to be inserted in a pocket of a users clothes when a hat holder into which it is incorporated is collapsed.

In FIGS. 17 and 18 there is illustrated a base portion 114 which is particularly well suited for use with the FIGS. l-6 embodiment of hat holder, wherein a pair of flexible channel-shaped feet 116 are hingedly mounted at their upper ends, as by adjustable tension screws 118, to the lowermost member 120 of the intermediate portion of a hat holder. In FIG. 17 the base portion 114 is shown in collapsed condition with the feet frictionally held on the member 120, and in FIG. 18 the base portion 114 is shown in extended position with the feet 116 frictionally held in position wherein their free ends 122 are spread apart and located for contacting a floor surface and supporting the hat holder.

In FIG. 19 there is illustrated a base portion 124 which is particularly well suited for use with the FIGS. 7-10 embodiment of bat holder, wherein a pair of feet 126 in the form of bent rods are pivotally connected near their upper ends to a hinge bracket 128 that, in turn, is rigidly fixed to the lowermost member 130 of the intermediate portion of a hat holder. The configuration and pivotal mounting of the feet 126 is such that the feet may be pivoted between positions wherein they embrace the member 130, and the base portion 124 is thereby collapsed, and wherein they are spread apart and are located for contacting a floor surface to support the hat holder, as shown in dotted lines.

As will be evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of my invention are not limited to the particular details of construction of the examples illustrated, and I contemplate that various and other modifications and applications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, my intention that the appended claims shall cover such modifications and applications as do not depart from the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A hat holder which is collapsible to pocket size for carrying by a person in a pocket of his clothing and extensible to operative condition at the point of use wherein it is adapted to be supported in a vertically inclined position with its lower end arranged to contact a supporting surface and its upper end arranged to contact a wall against which the hat holder is propped comprising: a collapsible base portion adapted to rest on a supporting surface and support the remainder of the hat holder; a hat gripping and supporting portion comprising a resilient clip arranged to grip a hat brim and suspend a hat therefrom adapted to be spaced from said base portion and disposed above the supporting surface in engagement with a wall whereby said portions constitute a means for supporting the hat holder in a vertically inclined position; and a selectively extensible and contractible intermediate portion connecting said first two portions, said intermediate portion functioning when extended to space said h-at gripping and supporting portion from said base portion and when contracted to collapse said hat holder to pocket size; said intermediate portion comprising a plurality of elongated telescoping members, said hat gripping and supporting portion being carried by the central one of said elongated telescoping members, and the other elongated telescoping members having cut-out portions for accommodating said hat gripping and supporting portion when all of said elongated telescoping members are telescoped and said intermediate portion is contracted.

2. A hat holder which is collapsible to pocket size for carrying by a person in a pocket of his clothing and extensible to operative condition at the point of use wherein it is adapted to be supported in a vertically inclined position with its lower end arranged to contact a supporting surface and its upper end arranged to contact a wall against which the hat holder is propped comprising: a collapsible base portion adapted to rest on a supporting surface and support the remainder of the hat holder; a hat gripping and supporting portion comprising a resilient clip arranged to grip a hat brim and suspend a hat therefrom adapted to be spaced from said base portion and disposed above the supporting surface in engagement with a wall whereby said portions constitute a means for supporting the hat holder in a vertically inclined position; and a selectively extensible and contractible intermediate portion connecting said first two portions, said intermediate portion functioning when extended to space said hat gripping and supporting portion from said base portion and when contracted to collapse said hat holder to pocket size; and said collapsible base portion comprises a plurality of elongated feet that are pivotally secured at one of their ends to said intermediate portion, and said feet are channel-shaped in cross section and dimensionally related to said intermediate portion so as to receive and accommodate parts of said intermediate portion in nesting relationsbip when said base portion is collapsed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 406,196 Clayton July 2, 1889 621,911 Farwell Mar. 28, 1899 1,176,563 Johnson Mar. 21, 1916 1,416,896 Simmons May 23, 1922 1,746,486 Martin Feb. 11, 1930 1,746,487 Martin Feb. 11, 1930 1,751,198 Franck Mar. 18, 1930 2,283,324 Faber May 19, 1942 2,378,984 Couture June 26, 1945 2,439,049 Lesko Apr. 6, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 424,437 Great Britain Feb. 21, 1935

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