US3750683A

US3750683A - Crowned annular hairpiece with central loops

Info

Publication number: US3750683A
Application number: US00253838A
Authority: US
Inventors: E Desell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-05-16
Filing date: 1972-05-16
Publication date: 1973-08-07
Anticipated expiration: 1990-08-07

Abstract

A crowned annular-shaped hairpiece having an inner diameter dimensioned to fit around and expose the area in which hair growth radiates from the center of the crown of the human scalp, an outer diameter of skull cap dimension, and a covering of hair or other stranded material, arranged to radiate away from the center of the annulus, the innermost strands of the hair being fixed in upright loops extended toward the center of the annulus and doubled back to radiate away from it is described; a method of simulating a growth of hair rising from the natural scalp is also disclosed.

Description

. Desell [4 1 Aug. 7, 1973 CROWNED ANNULAR HAIRPIECE WITH CENTRAL LOOPS [76] Inventor: Elva Lee Desell, 919 Jamieson Rd.,

Lutherville, Md. 21093 [22] Filed: May 16, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 253,838

7 Related Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 129,394, March 30,

. 1971, abandoned.

s21 U.S. C1. -132/55 [51] Int. Cl. A4lg 5/00 [58] Field of Search 132/55, 53, 54

[$6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 57,328 8/1866 lverson 132/53 $41,125 6/1895 Simonson 132/54 3,435,832 4/1969 lto l32/54 Primary Examiner-Russell R. Kinsey Assistant Examiner-Gregory E. McNeil! Attorney-John F. McClellan, Sr.

[57] ABSTRACT A crowned annular-shaped hairpiece having an inner diameter dimensioned to fit around and expose the area-in which hair growth radiates from the center of the crown of the human scalp, an outer diameter of skull cap dimension, and a covering of hair or other stranded material, arranged to radiate away fromthe center of the annulus, the innermost strands of the hair being fixed in upright loops extended toward the center of the annulus and doubled back to radiate away from, it is described; a method of simulating a growth of hair rising from the natural scalp is also disclosed.

.5 Claims, 9. Drawing Figures CROWNED ANNULAR IIAIRPIECE WITII CENTRAL LOOPS This application is a continuation-in-part of my prior filed U.S. application Ser. No. l29,394, filed Mar. 30, l97l, entitled HALO WIGLET and simultaneously abandoned on the filing of the present application.

This invention relates generally to hairpieces and specifically to means and method of providing partial coverage of the scalp in contrast with employment of a full wig. In the prior art, partial wigs have been disclosed, including circular hairpieces having a hole in the center in somewhat the manner of the structure of the hairpiece of this invention. Exemplary of these are the structures disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,307,563, 541,125 and 57,328. However, the prior disclosed devices have found no favor in todays market for reasons which are compensated by judicious inventive changes in the presently disclosed hairpiece means and method. For example, according to one object, the present invention reveals the wearers scalp at thecrown and, however bald the crown of the wearer may be, produces the illusion of a perfect growth of hair rising up from and radiating from the natural crown.

According to another object of the invention, the wearers hair may be easily and freely led up through and commingled with the hair of the crown without disarranging or tangling with it to give a secure, attractive, natural looking blend of the two.

A further object of the invention is to provide anovel, versatile partial hairpiece which can be used in a wide variety of stylings, including but not limitedto flat, stacked, rolled, cascaded, and barretted styles.

Still further objects are to provide an invention as described which is adapted for use by women and girls of widely differing age groups and in various shades as desired, which is lightweight and cool but full enough to supplement or even to substitute fully for natural growth, which is easy to care for, and which gives a natural, professionally cared-for aspect to the wearers coiffure.

In representative embodiment, the structure of the invention includes a crowned (crown fitting) annulus for flexible sheet material such as fabric with a plurality of strands of material, such as natural or artifical hair, affixed around the inner periphery of the annulus, and a plurality of said strands of material covering the outer surface of the annulus and radially extending to a concentric circular fringe beyond the outer diameter of the annulus. The strands affixed at the inner periphery radially extending toward the center of the annulus and in upstanding loops returning and radially extending away from the center; the method of this invention includes a means of creating the illusion of a natural crown on the users scalp regardless of whether the user has hair at the crown, by causing hair to appear to rise and radiate from the scalp of the human head in the crown area.

The above advantages and objects of this invention will become more readily appreciated on examination of the following description, including the drawings, in

which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the top of an embodiment of the invention as worn;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bottom of the FIG. I embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a section in elevation of the FIG. 1 embodiment of the invention, as worn;

FIG. 4 indicates the side aspect of the inventionin use on the crown of a wearers head;

FIG. 5 indicates the invention in useon thecrow-nof. a wearer's head as seen from the back, lookingslightly down;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4, illustrating another arrangement;

FIG. 7 is a back view of the invention inv use-at a;

invention from the top,. in place on the head. of a.

wearer, a portion of the natural hair showing-at N. FIG.

2 is a bottom plan of the FIG. 1 embodiment. FIG. 3is.

a section of the FIG. 1 embodiment taken at 3-3, FIG. 1.

From FIGS. 1 3 it can be seen that this embodiment comprises a ring-shaped coif 12 of fabric or-other'thin,

pliable, preferably ventila'tive material, bearing,hair'-l4.

sewn, cemented, or otherwise suitably attached, to it.

The inner diameter of the coif is that approximatelyof the area of radiating hair growth on the human scalp at the crown, normallyabout l-to-2 inches. The outerdi ametcr is preferably about three times the. inner diameter to give the natural fit of a small skull-cap, providing: for best blending convenience and-appearance.

The first row 16 of hair is affixed near the-innerpe. riphery and extends outwardwardtoward the center'of' the opening in the ring. It then loops back. in upright;

loops and joins the other rows of hair, forming-,acrisply defined symmetrical exterior. periphery of the piece.

' somewhat beyond the outer edges of the coif 12; As.

best shown in FIG. 3 the hairs of the first row are: pref-- erably stitched or otherwise again attached atthepoint' where they loop back over the inner periphery of the coif 12, as indicated by stitch 18.

This feature keeps the loops uniform and insures that the edge of the base material willbe concealed at all placed, regardless of how the hair is dressed. Additionally, this feature tends to prevent tangling by twisting at the inner periphery, and more importantly, makes blending with the natural hair much easier in all hair. styles.

For example, in FIG. 1 the wearer has a. reasonable amount of natural hair N growing around the center of radiation or crown C, at which point the scalp is revealed. If this natural hair rises from the scalp-and then passes down again under the coif, as shown, the natural:

loops will intersperse with the loops of the first row I6, pleasingly blending the two together in a manner not otherwise attainable.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate another variation in style. Instead of having the invention 10 sit like a cap on topof the hair as in FIG. 1, it is shown here with the natural hair N which is circumadjacent the natural crown pulled up through the central aperture of the invention or entwined with tresses of the piece 10. The same effect can be achieved with piece 10 alone, if the wearer has bountiful hair which can be drawn up through the central opening and arranged as shown.

FIG. 7 shows another arrangement which is particularly effective. The piece 10 is secured at the wearers nape around a loose pony-tail arrangement of natural hair N. Crisp, well supported and directed hair or hairlike material is particularly well adapted for securance around natural hair in this manner. For this reason the individual hairs are best affixed in the radial direction.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate one preferred embodiment 100 of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a section showing the invention 100 resting on a scalp which is nearly bald at the crown, N and N representing two natural hairs, N growing from the crown area and N growing to the side.

The first row 116 is looped in the manner described in reference to FIG. 3, except that the innermost extensions of the loops go to the center of the opening in the piece, stopping just short of contacting loops from the opposite side. The small area left free of hair exposes the wearer's scalp, producing a natural looking crown with the appearance of hair rising up from the area around the natural bare spot (which is normally one sixteenth inch to one eighth inch in diameter) and radiating away in the most convincing manner. The underlying hair of the loops gives the appearance of lower layers of hair and helps prevent the scalp from showing elsewhere in the crown area. Other advantages are derived from this construction also. Since there is no base in the area, ventilation is excellent and even more importantly, natural hair such as N and N even though very sparse, can easily and gently be led up through the piece. The wearer finds plenty of finger room to reach through the center, by pushing the loops aside, and grasp the natural hair and interleave it between the loops of hair of the invention.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A hairpiece comprising: a skullcap-like crowned ring-shaped coif of flexible sheet material, a first plurality of strands of hairlike material affixed around the inner periphery of the ring shaped coif and extending to the center thereof and doubling back in upstanding loop configuration to said ring-shaped coif; and a sec- 10 0nd plurality of strands of hairlike material affixed to and covering the outer surface-of the ring-shaped coif,

the second plurality of strands of hairlike material radially extending outwardly beyond the outer diameter of the ring shaped coif.

2. A hairpiece as recited in claim 1, wherein means are provided fastening the doubled-back portion of said doubled-back strands to the ring-shaped coif, thereby fixing the upstanding loop configuration in simulation of the hair pattern at the crown of a normal head of human hair.

3. A hairpiece as recited in claim 2, wherein the radial extent of the plurality of strands beyond the outer diameter of the ring-shaped coif forms a circularly symmetrical outer fringe substantially concentric with the ring-shaped coif.

4. The method of giving the appearance of a quantity of hair growing at the crown of a human head, comprising the steps of:

a. positioning a strand-bearing ring-shaped coif over the head with the center of over the center of the crown of the head;

b. positioning the strands of the ring-shaped coif in respective loops radially extending inwardly to the center of the ring-shaped coif but leaving a space between the loops at the center revealing a natural crownlike exposed portion of the scalp of the human head.

5. The method of claim 4 and the additional step of drawing strands of hair naturally growing in said human head crown area upward through the center of the ringshaped coif between said loops.

# IF i 1

Claims

1. A hairpiece comprising: a skullcap-like crowned ring-shaped coif of flexible sheet material, a first plurality of strands of hairlike material affixed around the inner periphery of the ring shaped coif and extending to the center thereof and doubling back in upstanding loop configuration to said ring-shaped coif; and a second plurality of strands of hairlike material affixed to and covering the outer surface of the ring-shaped coif, the second plurality of strands of hairlike material radially extending outwardly beyond the outer diameter of the ring shaped coif.

4. The method of giving the appearance of a quantity of hair growing at the crown of a human head, comprising the steps of: a. positioning a strand-bearing ring-shaped coif over the head with the center of over the center of the crown of the head; b. positioning the strands of the ring-shaped coif in respective loops radially extending inwardly to the center of the ring-shaped coif but leaving a space between the loops at the center revealing a natural crownlike exposed portion of the scalp of the human head.

5. The method of claim 4 and the additional step of drawing strands of hair naturally growing in said human heAd crown area upward through the center of the ring-shaped coif between said loops.