US3555560A

US3555560A - Suspension system for safety hat

Info

Publication number: US3555560A
Application number: US791671*A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herbert A Raschke
Original assignee: Bullard Co
Current assignee: Bullard Co; E D Bullard Co
Priority date: 1969-01-16
Filing date: 1969-01-16
Publication date: 1971-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 1988-01-19

Abstract

A SUSPENSION SYSTEM FOR A SAFETY HAT HAVING A HEAD BAND THAT IS CONNECTED TO THE HAT AT FOUR POINTS ONLY, BUT HAS PROVISIONS FOR CONNECTING AT SIX POINTS IN THE HAT THE STRIPS THAT TRAVERSE THE CROWN OF THE HEAD OF THE WEARER OF THE HAT AND SPACE THE WEARER''S HEAD FROM THE HAT. THE PARTS OF THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM ARE PROVIDED IN UNITARY ASSEMBLY SO THAT ALL PARTS OF THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM WILL REMAIN TOGETHER, EVEN WHEN THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM IS NOT INSTALLED IN A HAT SHELL.

Description

Jan. 19, 1971 RASCKE 3,555,560

SUSPENSION SYSTEM FOR SAFETY HAT Filed Jan. 16, 1969 HE R55 R T A. RASCHK E INVENTOR.

/oumsend o Eumsend United States Patent,

3,555,560 SUSPENSION SYSTEM FOR SAFETY HAT Herbert A. Raschke, Greenbrae, Calif., assignor to E. D.

- Bullard Company, Sausalito, Calif.

Filed Jan. 16, 1969, Ser. No. 791,671 Int. Cl. A42b 1/10; A63b 71/10 U.S. C]. 2-3 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a head engaging suspension system for retaining a safety helmet in place on the wearers head.

A safety hat suspension system performs two main (functions: it retains the safety hat in place on the head of the wearer as the wearer moves about, and it establishes and maintains a clearance space between the head of the wearer and the shell of the hat, which space is necessary for protecting the wearers head against falling objects that impinge on the hat. The first function is performed by a head 'band that encircles the head of the wearer and is joined to the hat; the second function is performed by crown straps that extend from a region adjacent the rim of the hat to a point over the crown of the wearers head and back to the hat rim at a point diametrically opposite the first mentioned region.

The present invention provides a suspension system wherein the head band is attached to the hat at four points, all of which are closer to the front and rear of the head than to the side of the head, and wherein the crown straps are three in number and are attached to the hat shell at six uniformly spaced apart points. Thus, the advantages of a four-point suspension system, i.e., improved comfort to the wearer, and the advantages of a six-point suspension system, i.e., greater protection against falling objects, are both achieved in the same suspension system and are optimized in the same system. In a suspension system according to the present invention, there are six connector sockets formed in the interior of a rigid hat shell. Such connector sockets are uniformly spaced around the periphery of the shell in diametrically opposed pairs. Spanning each pair of sockets is a crown strap that overlies the top of the wearers head to space the interior surface of the hat shell from the crown of the wearers head. Such structure is conventional, as is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,040,329, which is incorporated hereinto by this reference. The cited patent also discloses a typical technique for securing the head band into the shell, namely by securing the head band to each of the six connectors that are received in the shell rockets. Such mode of securing the head band in the shell does not optimize comfort to the wearer because of the presence at the sides of many heads of a fiat region which does not correspond to the shape of the shell. The presence of head band connectors that connect the head band to the shell at the sides of the head tends either to pull the head band away from the side portion of the head or to cause the head band to partially roll. Either of these consequences results in im- 3,555,560 Patented Jan. 19, 1971 position of non-uniform pressure by the head band on the head, which causes discomfort. The present invention totally eliminates the connection between the head band and the helmet shell at the sides of the head, but retains the transverse crown strap. Elimination of the connection at the side of the head permits the head band to conform to flat regions at the side of the head so that pressure imposed by the head band on the head is uniform throughout the periphery of the head. The connector elements that secure the transverse crown strap in the sockets in the helmet shell are loosely attached to the head band so that when the suspension is removed from the shell, the suspension will remain in unitary assembly.

Contributing to the comfort afforded by the hat suspension of the present invention is an improved joint between two portions of the headband at a point of adjustability of the headband. As is conventional, the portion of the headband at one side of the joint is formed with a plurality of holes spaced at different points along the periphery of the headband, and the portion of the headband on the opposite side of the joint has a pin or peg adapted to engage one of the holes to maintain a suitable adjustment of band size at the joint. The improved joint includes on the side at which the peg is disposed one or more loops or keepers through which the portion of the band defining the row of holes is fitted. The loop or keeper is mounted on the side of the headband opposite from the side that contacts the wearers head so at to avoid excessive pressure on the wearers head. The keeper is suificiently close to the peg to maintain the peg in a selected hole, thereby to maintain a desired position of adjustment of the headband. The space between the keeper and the peg is sufficient, however, to permit disengagement of the band from the peg when adjustment is desired.

The foregoing, together with other objects, features and advantages of the invention, will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a head suspension system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a connector element for connecting the suspension into a rigid hat shell;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the connector element of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of the headband at the lateral region thereof showing an expedient for retaining the transversely extending crown strap to the suspension system.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 12 indicates a crown strap that extends transversely over the wearers head, and reference numerals l4 and 16 indicate crown straps that extend over the top of the wearers head along lines that are symmetrical of the longitudinal center line of the wearers head. The ends of

crown straps

12, 14 and 16 are uniformly spaced around the interior of a rigid hat shell S in which the suspension is mounted. For so connecting the ends of the crown straps, connector elements 18 are connected to respective ends of each of the crown straps. Hat shell S is provided with a connector socket 19 associated with each connector element 18. Socket 19 is equivalent to the element identified by reference numeral 3 in the above cited Pat. No. 3,040,329.

Each connector element 18 defines a slot 20 through which is inserted a portion of the crown strap, such portion being folded back and stitched as at 22 to form a loop to retain the connector on the crown strap. The connector includes integral therewith a dovetail shaped block 24 that engages complementary connector sockets formed in the interior of the shell. Thus, when the connecting elements are engaged in the connector sockets 19 in the shell, contact between the top of the wearers head and the interior of the shell is prevented by the passage of

crown straps

12, 14 and 16 over the crown of the head of the wearer.

A head encircling band 26 is provided for snugly engaging the head of the wearer. The headband 26 serves to retain the shell onto the head of the wearer because the headband is secured to some of the connector elements 18 which are in turn engaged with the connector sockets of the hat. For engaging the headband 26 to the connector elements, the headband has integral therewith and extending upwardly therefrom two rear mounting tabs 28 and two front mounting tabs 29. Each rear tab 28 has one or more horizontally extending slots 30 therein, one of which slots is engaged in alignment with a slot 29 in connector element 18 by means of a locking button 32. The locking button extends through slot 30 in tab 28 and through slot in connector element 18. As can be seen most clearly in FIG. 7, button 32 includes in unitary assembly a base flange 34, a rectangular shear member 36, and a bulbous enlargement 38 that retains the button in place in engagement with the slots. Front tabs 29 each have a button 32' integral therewith and extending therefrom that is shaped generally as is button 32 and performs a function similar to that performed by button 32. In fabricating a device according to the present invention, connector element 18 and

tabs

28 and 29 on headband 26 are formed of material having suflicient resilience that button 32 can be inserted into and removed from slots and 20. The connection between headband 26 and connector elements 18 by means of buttons 32 and 32' is sufiiciently strong since the only force that such connection resists is that arising from vibration or the like as the wearer of the hat moves about; the

crown straps

12, 14 and 16 resist force arising from an impact of a falling object upon the hat shell.

Buttons 32 are held captive with respect to headband 26 by a so-called pigtail 40. On fabricating a suspension system according to the present invention, headband 2'6, pigtail 40 and button 32 are molded simultaneously with thermo plastic material so as to achieve economy of manufacture and continuity of structure.

As can be seen most clearly of from FIG. 1, headband 26 has only four

mounting tabs

28, 29, such tabs being associated with the ends of

crown straps

14 and 16. Headband 26 lacks the equivalent of mounting tabs 28 at the lateral portions thereof, that is, the portions that contact the relatively flat region along the side of the head of the wearer of the hat. Pigtail 40, associated with the lateral section indicated at in FIG. 1, is of sufficient length and flexibility to permit the side portion of the headband 26 to move into conformity with the wearers head. The four connections between headband 26 and

tabs

28, 29 are adequate to secure the rigid hat shell to the headband 26. Pigtails 40 serve to retain crown strap 12 and its associated connector elements 18 with the remainder of the suspension system when the suspension system is not in place in a rigid hat shell.

The vertical dimension of headband 26 at the lateral region thereof is relatively thin to enhance flexibility of that region. Flexibility is desirable because of the existence of plural horizontal slots 30 and rear tabs 28. The plural slots afford a vertical adjustment of the rear portion of the headbound, and the flexibility in the lateral portions of the headband permit the headband to retain conformity to the head irrespective of the vertical location of tabs 28 with respect to the connector elements 18 to which they are connected.

Headband 26 is formed from two sections, a rear section 26R and a from section 26F. The position of the two sections is adjustable to accommodate different head sizes. Rear section 26R terminates in a forwardly extending tab 42 and front section 26F has a pair of loops or keepers 44 for slidably receiving tab 42. Integral with and projecting from the outer surface of front section 26F is a peg 46 that is formed to engage in one of a series of holes 48 formed in tab 42 of section 26R. Because keepers 44 are on the outer surface of section 26F and because tab 42 extends through such keepers, the surface confronting the head of the wearer is smooth and, for that reason, comfortable.

An absorbent brow pad 50 is secured on the section 26F and in accordance with the teachings of US. Pat. No. 2,981,955 is turned up at the bottom edge and secured as at 52 to the outer surface of the forward section of the headband. This contributes to the substantially uninterrupted smoothness of the head contacting surface of headband 26.

It is believed that the operation of the present inven tion and the advantages inherent therein are obvious from the foregoing detailed description. However, it should be noted that existing hat shells that have six sockets can receive the headband made according to the present invention without modification of the shell and without impairment of the safety afforded to the wearer. There is no impairment of safety because six points of connection of the crown straps are not affected. Additionally, as is pointed out above, the suspension system of the present invention affords improved comfort over the system in which headband 26 includes a pair of tabs at the sides of the headband.

Thus, it will be seen that the present invention provides a head suspension system that simultaneously achieves the dual desiderata of affording comfort by permitting the side portions of the headband to move into conforznity with the wearers head and maintaining safety by providing three crown straps, the ends of which connect to six points in the rigid hat shell.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be obvious that other adaptations and modifications can be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a safety hat of the type including a rigid shell having first, second, and third pairs of connector sockets mounted interiorly thereof, individual sockets of the pairs being disposed diametrically opposite one another, the sockets of said first pair being disposed at the respective lateral extremities of the shell and the individual sockets of said second and third pairs being disposed symmetrically of the longitudinal center line of the shell; the improvement comprising first, second, and third crown straps having connector elements engageable in said sockets attached to opposite ends thereof to connect the straps in said hat so as to overlie the headof the wearer and space the shell from the crown of the head; a headband for encircling the wearers head to retain the hat on the wearers head; and means for fastening said headband to the connectors that are associated with said second and third sockets only, the portion of said headband adjacent said first pair of sockets being free to move relative thereto to permit movement of said headband into conformity with the lateral portions of the wearers head.

2. The invention of claim 1 including means for holding captive the connector elements of said first crown strap to said head band at the lateral regions of said head band, said captive holding means being flexible so as to fix an insignificant force on said head band.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said head band has means for effecting adjustment thereof to accommodate different sized heads, said adjusting means including a forward section and a rear section constituting said head band, said sections having portions that overlap,

the overlapping portion of one of said sections having a keeper defining a slot on the exterior face of the section, said slot being sized to receive therein the other overlapping portion of said other overlapping portion having a series of holes therein; and said first overlapping portion having a peg projecting outwardly therefrom on the exterior surface therefor engaging with one of the holes to establish an immovable connection between said segments.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein the lateral regions of said head band are narrower than the remaining portion thereof to establish flexibility at such narrow portions so as to permit vertical movement of said rear section with respect to said front: section without significantly distorting the head band.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,371,712 3/1945 Scholletal. 2-3 3,183,522 5/1965 Groot 2- 5 3,221,340 12/1965 Joffe 2 3 3,241,154 3/1966 A1150 2-3 10 3,383,705 5/1968 Raschke 2 3 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner