Hat construction

June 14, 1966

Β· B. BEEBE

HAT CONSTRUCTION

Filed Jan. 31, 1964

3,255,463

<img file="US3255463A_D0001.tif" />

United States Patent Office

3,255,463

Patented June 14, 1966

3,255,463

HAT CONSTRUCTION

Bonnie B. Beebe, 3540 N. Strang Ave., Rosemead, Calif.

Filed Jan. 31,1964, Ser. No. 341,642

Claims. (CI. 2—190)

This invention relates to a hat band for wearing apparel and also to a hat construction so as to be especially adapted for feminine attire.

Feminine head dress has in the past been a rather expensive item to manufacture, sometimes caused by the inherent complexity of the construction which necessitated numerous hand operations and attachment of fastening devices. Hats, which had decorative outer coverings draped over a felted crown or frame, generally required a sewing operation or carefully placed staples affixed in inconspicuous positions about the crown. Placement of the fastening means was somewhat delicate in order that the decorative covering would drape naturally about the crown without having a restricted appearance.

Many women desire hats which match or blend with their wearing apparel necessitating a special hat to be prepared by a milliner or exhaustive shopping for an ensemble to their liking as to color, pattern, and style. To these discriminating members of the distaff, the choice of head covering exactly appropriate for their dress or suit has been in the past a very expensive item to produce and difficult to procure. The feminine members of wedding parties may be placed in this category as discriminating individuals who wish their head dress to match their wearing apparel.

In an effort to reduce the cost and eliminate unnecessary assembly operations, I have devised a hat band and a hat construction which has features attractive to both the discriminating buyer and the cost conscious individual.

In accordance with the feature of my invention, I use a hat band which may be placed within any type of hat and is entirely retained within the hat crown by frictional engagement. Another attractive feature of this invention is a hat construction which requires little if any permanent fastening means to retain the decorative covering to the hat frame. Another important feature of my invention is a hat construction having components which may be assembled within a minimum of time without extensive prior instruction.

In terms of structure, the broadest aspects of my invention as applied to a hat band or liner includes a flexible resilient element having a spring-like quality which in its normal shape tends to assume a rectilinear position and when placed within a hat crown or frame, is retained therein by frictional engagement alone.

A hat constructed according to the present invention would include a supporting frame, a decorative covering draped around the frame, and a. hat band or liner. The decorative covering conceals at least a part of the frame and is draped about the frame such that it.conceals the frame edges by being tucked within the frame interior. The hat band or liner as described above resiliently urges decorative covering into engagement with the frame thus serving to retain the covering to the frame and conceal all raw edges and giving a finished appearance to the hat interior.

As used herein the term “hat” is not restricted to feminine wearing apparel, but extends to all head dress used by men and children.

It should also be understood that the term “cloth” as used in the specification is not restricted to the traditional interpretation of a woven, knitted, or pressed fabric of fibrous material, but is intended to cover all natural and synthetic products woven or formed in a continuous sheet and having a cloth-like appearance.

Other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings of which:

FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 are perspective views of individual steps illustrating a hat constructed according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a hat constructed according to the present invention, the section taken along lines 5—5 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of another embodiment of a hat band constructed according to the present invention;

FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of the hat band illustrated in FIG. 6 with the section taken along lines 6A—6A;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a hat liner constructed according to the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is yet another embodiment of a hat liner constructed according to the present invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, there is illustrated in progressive steps the construction of a particular variety of feminine head dress 10 which comprises a frame 12, a decorative covering 14, and a hat liner 16. The particular style illustrated is generally known in millinery circles as a “pill box” hat. The present invention is not limited to this style of hat, but extends to all styles of hats used with or without supporting frames and with or without decorative coverings.

The frame 12 is formed in the shape of a bowl having a generally flat top 12A and sloping sides 12B to form a head receiving structure. This frame may be fabricated from buckram which is a coarse stiffened cloth used for the construction of standard frames. Frames of this sort are generally sized with the most common size of 22, meaning a 22 inch circumference around the sides 12B, which fits most feminine heads.

A generally rectangular elongated decorative covering 14 having a size of approximately 8 inches by 36 inches is laid across the top 12B of frame 12 and stretched to remove all wrinkles. A plurality of straight pins 18 are inserted through covering 14 and frame 12 in strategic positions in order to stretch and retain the covering 14 in place. This covering is a matter of choice, and is generally chosen to match the decor of the wearing apparel and may be by way of example cloth, wool, silk, cotton, net, jersey, mouton, or other fabric which lends character to the desired type of head dress.

Referring to FIG. 2, the trailing portion 14A of covering 14 is draped around the sides 12B of the frame such that the covering is folded as it is wrapped and draped progressively about the sides of the frame. The particular arrangement is a matter of choice and may be stretched, folded, twisted in a manner best suited for the variety of hat being fabricated. It is well to note that the edges 14B extend beyond the limits of frame 12 thereby completely concealing the supporting frame. These edges are illustrated in this particular hat construction to extend completely around the periphery of the hat. Edges 14B are tucked within the interior of frame

3,255,463 gently folding and draping these edges to a point where all excess portions of covering 14 form a smooth edge giving it a finished appearance.

Referring to FIG. 3, hat 10 is illustrated in the step with all edges 14B tucked within frame 12 and the trail- 5 ing edge is atatched by pin 18 to the frame.

Referring to FIG. 4, a length of hat band or liner 16 engages edges 14B of covering 14 constantly urging the covering into engagement to the frame 12. This action is best illustrated in FIG. 5. The hat band has a quality ₁₀somewhat similar to that of a flat spring such that it may be retained within the interior of hat 10 by its own frictional engagement with the interior thereof.

Referring to FIG. 5, the hat band or liner 16 is one embodiment constructed in accordance with my in ven- 15 tion. This liner 16 comprises a length of decorative ribbon 20 having finished edges 20A and 20B and has a length which matches the interior circumference of frame 12 having its terminal portions 21, 22 abutting each other as shown in FIG. 4. The preferred type of ribbon 20 20 is gros-grain which is a type of ribbon fabricated from rayon and cotton.

Referring again to FIG. 5, a length of clothing stay 24 is disposed in spaced relation with edge 20B of the ribbon 20 such that it may not be viewed when disposed 25 in the assembled position as illustrated in FIG. 5. Clothing stay 24 is permanently attached to the ribbon 20 and for convenience sake may be sewn with thread having the color the same as that of ribbon 20. This means of attaching stay 24 to ribbon 20 allows the ribbon to be 30 shaped and formed to the configuration of the frame 12 without having a stretched or wrinkled appearance. Clothing stay 24 is commercially available and generally referred to as “feather boning” and generally consists of two cloth tapes 26 and 28 having a plurality of spring 35 wires disposed linearly along the length of ribbon 20. The tapes 26, 28 are each sewn on each side of the plurality of wires 30 for retaining purposes.

Thus the hat liner when placed in the interior of frame 12 is retained therein without additional fastening devices 40 since clothing stay 24 attempts to resume its normal rectilinear position. The particular construction illustrated in FIG. 5 as hat band 16 is directed toward commercially available products and is illustrated rather than a limitation to my invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 6A, another hat band 32 ⁴⁵constructed according to the present invention includes a decorative ribbon 34 having a resilient means such as a strip of plastic 36 attached along its entire length. A suitable plastic such as polyvinyl chloride, semi-rigid polyethylene, polypropylene or other material such as hard 30 rubber and the like may be used successfully. The strip 36 is fixedly attached to ribbon 34 by heating process if indeed the strip is a thermoplastic material and forcing ribbon 34 into engagement therewith. Other materials may be glued or fastened by any suitable means. The 35 surface 36A has a roughened appearance such that the strip 36 would tend to grasp the edges 14B when assembled within a hat frame. FIG. 6 shows the opposite ends of the strip of plastic abutting with each other, as when band 32 is in place in the hat. 60

Another embodiment of the hat liner is illustrated in FIG. 7 wherein the liner 38 comprises a length of decorative ribbon 40 and a resilient means in the form of at flat spring 42 extending in spaced relation and close proximity to one edge 40A of ribbon 40. A means for retaining 65 flat spring 42 to ribbon 40 takes the form of a cloth tape 44 extending across and completely concealing the flat spring 42. Tape 44 is sewn on opposite sides at points B and C to retain spring 42 therein.

Another embodiment of the hat liner is illustrated in 70 FIG. 8 wherein the liner 46 comprises a length of ribbon 48 having one edge folded over upon itself and sewn at point D over its entire length. A spring wire 50 having a length the same as ribbon 48 is disposed within the loop 49 formed along the length of the ribbon. 75

In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 6-8, all liners would normally have a length equal to the circumference of the interior of the frame 12 such that the ribbon ends abut each other as illustrated in FIG. 4 and that the extremities of resilient means touch each other.

While the hat liner has been illustrated in conjunction with a covering on a supporting hat frame, it should be noted that the hat liner may be used on a hat frame not using a covering or in those cases where the hat covering does not extend within the interior of the frame as illustrated in FIG. 8. In this case the covering 64 is folded under itself and is frictionally retained therein by the engagement of the frame 66.

While the present invention has been applied to a particular hat style, namely the “pill box” hat, other styles, such as the turban, bubble, and the like, may also be made by using the gist of my invention.