US3548416A

US3548416A - Uniform cap

Info

Publication number: US3548416A
Application number: US755286A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bernard Bloom; Benjamin Lev
Original assignee: MIDWAY CAP Co
Current assignee: MIDWAY CAP Co
Priority date: 1968-08-26
Filing date: 1968-08-26
Publication date: 1970-12-22
Anticipated expiration: 1987-12-22

Description

I B. BLOOM ET AL Dec. 22, 1970 UNIFORM CAP Filed Aug. 26, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

"FIG. 5

INVENTORS BERNARD BLOOM BENJAMIN 1.5

7 ATTORNEYS Dec. 22, 1970 BLOOM ETAL 3,548,416

" UNIFORM CAP Filed Aug. 26, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS' l8 a nwmp swam 5mm M/IV 'LEV MZAM,WLZZZ; Xf/CMM ATTORNEYS- United States Patent 3,548,416 UNIFORM CAP Bernard Bloom, Chicago, and Benjamin Lev, Skokie, Ill., assignors to Midway Cap Company, a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 755,286 Int. Cl. A42c /00 US. Cl. 2-180 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A uniform cap having an annular frame comprising a band of thermoplastic sheet material joined at opposed ends by dovetail connections which interlock the ends against peripheral tension on the band. The connections are heat sealed on at least one side of the band to prevent lateral disengagement. A stay assembly for the cover is provided, including a stay upstanding from the frame at the cap front and a generally flat stay holder removably positioned between the frame and the perspiration strip. A pair of slits are cut into the holder forming a rib in which is positioned a depending leg portion of the stay. Alternately, the slits may be cut directly into the plastic band.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Plastic strip material has been used on the frame for a uniform cap. This material has been joined at the rear of the cap to form a band by overlapping the ends and riveting or stitching the overlapped portion of the band to form an annular upright frame. The overlap has presented particular problems in that it forms a bulky ridge which not only is uncomfortable to the wearer, but it detracts from the appearance of the cap. In addition, the amount of overlap of the band ends is critical in determining the size of the cap. Since the overlap does not provide a positive means for establishing the size of the cap, a bad fit often results.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of this invention is to provide a new and improved uniform cap construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved interlocked, sealed butt joint for thermoplastic sheet material.

A further object of this invention is to provide a uniform cap having a thermoplastic band-like frame with a butt joint as set forth in the preceding paragraph connecting opposed ends of the band to form the frame.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a butt joint of the character described which includes dovetail connections along the opposed edges of the thermoplastic sheet material for engagement at a joint to interlock the ends of the band against peripheral tension at the joint, and a heat seal along the joint to prevent disengagement of the interlocked dovetail connections.

Yet a further object of this invention is the provision of a flange molded integral with the thermoplastic frame band about the top thereof and extending outwardly therefrom for receiving a removable cover on the frame.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved stay assembly which comprises a stay upstanding from the frame at the front of the cap and having a depending leg portion, and a generally flat stay holder removably positioned between the frame and a perspiration strip, the holder having slits therein forming a rib for receiving the depending leg portion of the stay.

In an alternate form of the invention, the slits forming the rib for receiving the leg portion of the stay are cut directly into the thermoplastic frame band.

Further features and advantages of the inventon will be apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a uniform cap of the general type to which the invention relates, and embodying the interlocked, sealed butt joint of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial elevation, on an enlarged scale, looking at the rear of the cap shown in FIG. 1 to illustrate the butt joint of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a uniform cap, with the flexible cover removed to better illustrate the supporting stay and receiving means of this invention;

FIG. 4 is a section taken generally along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a section taken generally along the line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 3 Ii)l1lustrating a modified form of a supporting stay assem- FIG. 7 is a section taken generally along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is an elevation view looking to the left in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The features of this invention are illustrated as embodied in a conventional uniform cap, generally designated 10 in FIG. 1. The cap includes an endless frame, generally designated 12, which optionally may be covered with a flexible cover 14. In the embodiment illustrated, the endless frame 12 includes a thin rigid band 16 which, for esthetic purposes, is covered with a decorative outer covering 18 made of cloth, fiber or like materials. The rigid frame band 16 is made of thermoplastic sheet mate! ria Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, one feature of this invention is the provision of a method and means of forming an interlocked, sealed butt joint, generally designated 20, for connecting the opposed ends of the thermoplastic frame band 16. In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the opposed ends of the frame band 16 are formed with mating dovetail connections 22 which, when engaged, interlock the ends of the band 16 against peripheral tension in the direction of arrow A (FIG. 2). It has been found that such dovetail connections provide as much or more strength when using thermoplastic material as if the ends of the bands were overlapped and stapled or stitched. It should be noted that although the dovetail connections are the preferred interlocking means any appropriate complementary interengaging surfaces cut into the opposed ends of the thermoplastic frame band 16 can be used. Referring to FIG. 2, after the dovetail connections of the opposed ends of the frame band 16 are interlocked as shown, the joint formed thereby is then heat sealed, as indicated at 24, on at least one side of the frame band and preferably completely covering the dovetail connections to prevent relative lateral movement of the interlocked ends of the band and thereby prevent disengagement of the connections.

Referring to FIGS. 3-5, another feature of the invention is shown to comprise a rigid stay 26 which has a depending leg portion 28 positioned under a rib 30 former by a pair of slits 32 cut into the thermoplastic frame band 16. The slits 32 are cut into the frame band at the front of the cap so that the stay 26 upstands from the frame of the cap at the front thereof to hold the front of the flexible cover 14 in an erected position.

Referring particularly to FIG. 6, a stay assembly is provided for utilization with caps not already provided with slits 32 in the frame band 16. The assembly includes a stay 26' having a depending leg portion 28', and a stay holder 34 in the form of a substantially fiat plate fabricated of thermoplastic or like rigid material with slits 36 cut in the plate 34 to form a rib 38 for holding the depending leg portion 28' of the stay 26'. Most conventional uniform caps include a perspiration strip 40 about the interior of the frame and secured to the frame band 16 adjacent the lower edge of the perspiration strip, as by stitching. The stay assembly (comprising the stay 26' and the stay holder 34) is assembled to the cap simply by inserting the holder 34 between the perspiration strip 40 and the frame band 16. The flat stay holder is held by the frame band and the perspiration strip to maintain the stay 26' in an upright position at the front of the cap. This embodiment is particularly useful when the decorative outer covering 18 for the frame band 16 is not used and it would be undesirable to cut slits directly into the frame band.

Another feature of the invention is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and includes a flange 42 molded integrally with the thermoplastic frame band 16 and extending outwardly therefrom for receiving an elastic, removable cover on the frame.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. A uniform cap, comprising: a continuous frame extending about the cap and including an annular band of thermoplastic material having a top edge, a bottom edge, inner and outer faces and opposite ends, an interlocked heat sealed butt joint fusing and thereby connecting said opposite ends, the butt joint extending generally through the faces and substantially between the top and bottom edges and including complementary interengaging surfaces at opposed ends for engagement to interlock said ends against peripheral tension on the band at said joint with the joint being smooth and cross-sectional thickness of the band in the area of the joint being the same as the the cross-sectional thickness of the remainder of the band, and a seal along said joint formed only of the material of the adjacent portion of the band, to prevent lateral disengagement of the interlocked ends of the band.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 222,233 12/ 1 879 Bracher 2181 405,417 6/1889 Keator 2181X 2,576,690 11/1951 Maniglia 2-185 2,974,566 3/1961 Hurley 1 6-306X 3,420,731 1/1969 Kuhn 156-306 1,631,210 6/1927 Johnson 2209.3X 2,144,831 1/1939 Burns. 2,445,230 7/ 1948 Mattsson et al. 2-195 2,672,616 3/1954 Lev 2-195 FOREIGN PATENTS 319,416 9/ 1929 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner G. H. K-RIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 161107