US3184757A

US3184757A - Novelty headwear

Info

Publication number: US3184757A
Application number: US203038A
Authority: US
Inventors: William R Pennington
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-06-18
Filing date: 1962-06-18
Publication date: 1965-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 1982-05-25

Description

May 25, 1965 w. R. PENNINGTON 3,184,757

NOVELTY HEADWEAR Filed June 18. 1962 I 1 48a INVENTOR. b 2 46a WILL/AM R. PENN/NGTON I: a I

United States Patent 3,184,757 NOVELTY HEADWEAR William R. Pennington, Baton Rouge, La. (10104 Goodyear Drive, Dallas, Tex.) Filed June 18, 1962, Ser. No. 203,038 4 Claims. (Cl. 2--199) This invention relates to improvements in novelty headwear, and more particularly to a visor-type headpiece also incorporating an interrupted or partial crown section which combines with the visor section proper in forming an article of headwear which broadly simulates and/or represents the head of a bird, such as an owl, eagle and the like.

To assist in an understanding of the present invention, it is explained that numerous institutions of learning, fraternal organizations, athletic teams, etc. have adopted birds as their mascots or have come to be known in the press and by the public by the names of birds. As

examples, the horned owl is the mascot of the Rice University athletic teams, the eagle has been adopted as the name and insignia of a fraternal organization, and numerous professional athletic teams are also known as the Eagles and similarly as the Cardinals.

While in its broader aspects the invention contemplates novelty headwear configured to simulate the head of a particular bird for use generally at childrens parties, masquerades and other gatherings at which such headwear might :be appropriate, it is a particular object of the present invention to provide an article of inexpensive headwear which simulates the head of a bird, for sale or distribution to members or followers generally of institutions and organizations which have adopted a bird as their mascot or name, and similarly to the followers of athletic teams known by the names of birds such as the Philadelphia Eagles, the St. Louis Cardinals, etc., for wear at their various gatherings and games.

A more particular object of the invention is the pro,-

vision of an article of headwear, which can be worn as a sun visor or eye shade, and which additionally simulates the frontal head portion and beak of a bird.

Further practical objects of the invention are the provision of an article of head-wear characterized as in the foregoing whose design and construction are such as to enable the same to be made up and sold in flat sheet form from inexpensive material such as cardboard, whereby material, shipping and handling costs are mininal; the provision of an article of headwear as aforesaid which may be readily assembled as and when desired; and the provision of a sun visor type of headwear which incorporates a partial crown section constructed and ar ranged so as to convert the visor section proper into a novelty headpiece for wear at times and occasions when a novelty hat or headdress simulating a bird or head thereof would be appropriate.

The above and other objects and advantages of novelty headwear having particular bird simulating and/ or representing properties according to the present invention will appear from the following detailed description and accompanying illustrative drawing, wherein-- FIGS. 1A and 1B together illustrate a flat sheet containing the two color-printed and partially blanked out parts or sections making up a visor-type novelty headpiece according to the invention;

FIG. '2 is a perspective view illustrating said two sections assembled to one another and the resulting headpiece being worn; and

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal-vertical section taken through the front portions of the visor and partial crown sections,

which illustrates the manner in which said sections interlock with one another at said front portions.

Referring to the drawing in detail, such illustrates that an article of headwear of the invention is prepared by blanking same out from a rectangular sheet of suitable stiff or semi-rigid material, such as cardboard, and that said article comprises two main parts or sections, namely, a visor section 12 and an interrupted crown section 30 configured and color-printed to simulate the frontal head portion and beak of a bird, illustratively a horned owl, but which could just as well be an eagle, a cardinal or bluejay or like well known bird.

As best seen in FIG. 1B, the visor section 12 comprises a peak portion 14 and spaced

arms

16a, 16b integral therewith and extending rearwardly therefrom and which are adapted when secured at their free ends to form a head-encircling band for holding the peak portion to the head of the wearer. Securernent of the arm ends may be effected in numerous ways, but as shown the securing means comprises a hook 16h on the end of arm 16a which, when threaded-through an eye 16e formed in the end of the other arm 16b and engaged in a selected one of a plurality of upwardly opening slits 16s provided in the top edge of said other arm relatively forwardly of said eye, secures said arm ends together in a. desired position of adjustment suitable to the head size of the wearer.

As above forecast, the aforesaid crown section 30 is configured and colored to provide the main bird-simulating features to the visor section. To this end, it is formed in two integral and identical half parts extending symmetrically to the sides of a central line constituting a line of fold designed 32. Said half parts together provide the frontal head portion 34 including the eyes 36a, 36b of the bird being represented and they also provide the

side head portions

38a, 38b, which latter incline rearwardly-sidewardly from the frontal portion. In the case of the bird intended to be represented being a horned owl, the head feathers 49a, 40!) giving the horned owl its name are also included, such extending as the legs of a V from the aforesaid frontal portion 34. Finally, the two half-parts of the crown section provide at their forward ends the beak &2 (FIG. 2) of the bird being represented, the beak taking its shape when the half-parts making up the crown section are folded towards one another along the central fold line 32. Preferably, the beak 42 has length such that its forward end (which is shown to be rearwardly hooked) extends downwardly over the front edge of the visor section 12.

The crown section 30 is secured in fixed relation to the visor section 12 by rear-end locking tabs 44a, 44b formed on the relatively outer and rearward ends of the aforesaid side head portions 38a, 33b and which are adapted to be projected through slits 18a, 18b provided in the

side arm portions

16a, 16b of the visor section, and also by intermediate locking tabs 46a, 46b which are adapted to be projected through slits 20a, 201) provided in the peak portion 14 of the visor section.v

According to a further feature of the invention, the beak 42 is secured at a point located a short distance rearwardly from its overhanging end to the forward edge of the visor section, thus to stabilize the entire beak structure. More particularly, such beak-end securement is effected by providing in the forward edge of the visor section 12 a forwardly opening notch 22 having modified U-configuration defined by bottom and side walls and whose sidewall edges preferably converge as they approach the mouth end thereof, and by further providing the lower edges of the beak-defining portions of the crown section with rearwardly pointing spurs 43a, 48b which are so located along said edges that when the beak portion 42 is assembled to the visor section said spurs will hook over the bottom edge of said notch recess 22 and lock thereto. At this point, it is explained that the aforesaid slits 20a, 20b which receive the intermediate locking tabs manner.

3% 46a, 46b are spaced apart an amount such as to spread the bottom edges of the beak half-portions a substantial distance as compared to-the top edges of said beak halfportions which are connected by their common lineof fold 32. On the other hand, the width of the visor-edge notch 22 is substantially less than the spacing between said slits 20a, 20b and accordingly the lower edge of the 1 beak-forming portions are drawn together as they pass through said notch. The net result of this arrangement is that the forward end portions of the beak formation exert substantial sidewise pressure against the side walls of the notch 22 and thereby frictionally secure said forward end portions of the beak to the visor front edge,

which is over and above the securement afforded by the are pressed out therefrom. In a first operation, the visor section 12 is assembled by bringing the

ends

16h, 16a of its head-encircling arms together so that said arms now form a head-encircling band. Thereupon, the partial crown section is folded on its longitudinal line of fold 32 and assembled to said visor section by first engaging its

spurs

48a, 48b with the bottom edge of .the notch 22 provided in the front-edge central portion of the visor peak 14, then'projecting its locking tabs 46a, 46b through the slits 20a, 20b of the visor sectiomand finally projecting the rear-end locking projections44a, 4422 through the slits 18a, 18b of said visor section, it being understood of course that the aforedescribed order of assembly of locking tabs and/or spurs to the slits or edge notches of I the visor section 12 is not critical.

When assembled, there results an article of headwear as generally illustrated in FIG. 2 characterized by a visor section proper which functions as a sun shade and further simulating the head of a bird such as an owl, although the heads of other birds such as the eagle, cardinal, blue- .jay, etc. may be simulated with equal facility.

From the above, it will be appreciated thatan article of headwear as described and illustrated achievesthe objectives of the invention as set forth in the foregoing in simple yet effective, practical and thoroughly dependable However, as many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions Without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all mata ter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In an article of headwear, the combination of: an

' integral visor section including a frontal peak portion and rearwardly extending side arms adapted to' be secured together adjacent their free rearward ends thereby with said peakportion to form a head-encircling band; and a partial crown section extending across the frontal peak portion and between the forward end portions of the side arms of said visor section, said crown section having increasingly greater width in front-to-rear direction and greater overall width in its rear portion than the normal spacing'between said side arms and being foldedalong a front-to-re'ar line, whereby, when assembled to said visor section with its bottom edge in engagement therewith, said crown section extends upwardly-rearwardly from the peak portion of said visor section, and cooperative means on the bottom edges of the forward and rearward portions of the crown section and on the frontal peak portion and the side arms, respectively, of the visor section'for securing the crown section to the visor section at points of the latter which are so located that the rearwardend portions of said crown section are spread apart a substantially greater distance than are itsforward endportions, said forward end portions terminating in ends which extend forwardly and downwardly over'the forward edge of the visor peak portion; said sections being configured, marked and colored in simulation of the head of a particular bird.

2. An article of headwear according to claim'l, wherein means are provided for securing said forwardly and downwardly extending ends to said forward edge of the visor peak portion, said means comprising a notch in said edge defined by a bottom and spaced side-wall edges, and spur-like formations on the lower edges of said forward end portions adjacent their forwardly and downwardly extending ends, said formations hooking over the bottom edge of the notch adjacent the corners between the bottom and side-wall edges which define'said notch.

3. An article of headwear according to claim 1,'wherein said forward ends of the crown-section are shaped substantially as a downwardly'turned hook thereby to simu' late the curved beak of a bird. Q

4., An article of headwear according to claim 1,.wherein said crown-section-to-visor section securing means ineludes rearward locking tabs on the bottom edge of the crown sectionwhichproject throughtransversely spaced slits in said frontal portion of the side arms and forward locking tabs similarly on bottom edge of the crown section which project through transversely spaced'slits in the peak portion which are less widely. spaced than said first-named 'slits and wherein said forward end portions of the crownsection are secured to the forward edge of the visor-section peak portion in such a way as to, cause said forward end-portions to converge towards one another.

References Cited by the Examiner JORDANFRANKLIN, Primary Examiner,

THOMAS HICKEY, Examiner;

Claims

1. IN AN ARTICLE OF HEADWEAR, THE COMBINATION OF: AN INTEGRAL VISOR SECTION INCLUDING A FRONTAL PEAK PORTION AND REARWARDLY EXTENDING SIDE ARMS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TOGETHER ADJACENT THEIR FREE REARWARD ENDS THEREBY WITH SAID PEAK PORTION TO FORM A HEAD-ENCIRCLING BAND; AND A PARTIAL CROWN SECTION EXTENDING ACROSS THE FRONTAL PEAK PORTION AND BETWEEN THE FORWARD END PORTIONS OF THE SIDE ARMS OF SAID VISOR SECTION, SAID CROWN SECTION HAVING INCREASINGLY GREATER WIDTH IN FRONT-TO-REAR DIRECTION AND GREATER OVERALL WIDTH IN ITS REAR PORTION THAN THE NORMAL SPACING BETWEEN SAID SIDE ARMS AND BEING FOLDED ALONG A FRONT-TO-REAR LINE, WHEREBY, WHEN ASSEMBLED TO SAID VISOR SECTION WITH ITS BOTTOM EDGE IN ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, SAID CROWN SECTION EXTENDS UPWARDLY-REARWARDLY FROM THE PEAK PORTION OF SAID VISOR SECTION, AND COOPERATIVE MEANS ON THE BOTTOM EDGES OF THE FORWARD AND REARWARD PORTIONS OF THE CROWN SECTION AND ON THE FRONTAL PEAK PORTION AND THE SIDE ARMS, RESPECTIVELY, OF THE VISOR SECTION FOR SECURING THE CROWN SECTION TO THE VISOR SECTION AT POINTS OF THE LATTER WHICH ARE SO LOCATED THAT THE REARWARD END PORTIONS OF SAID CROWN SECTION ARE SPREAD APART A SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER DISTANCE THAN ARE ITS FORWARD END PORTIONS, SAID FORWARD END PORTIONS TERMINATING IN ENDS WHICH EXTEND FORWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY OVER THE FORWARD EDGE OF THE VISOR PEAK PORTION; SAID SECTIONS BEING CONFIGURED, MARKED AND COLORED IN SIMULATION OF THE HEAD OF A PARTICULAR BIRD.