US1865240A - Hat - Google Patents

Description

June 28, 1932. J. DESMOND HAT Filed May 3, 1928 IN V EN TOR. games LZ DE EMUNU flfi A TTORNE Y.

Patented June 28, 1932 JAMES J". DESMONID, OF SOUTH NOBJVIALK, CONNECTICUT HAT Application filed May 3,

The present invention relates to improvements in hats, especially stifl straw hats of the type having a flexible head conforming portion between the crown and the brim,

5 whereby the hat will readily conform to and comfortably fit the head of the wearer, with out the necessity for the retailer conforming the same.

An object of the invention is to provide a hat in which the flexible portion is formed of a novel type of very wide straw braid of such width that a single winding in the brim and another winding in the crown constitute the flexible area, this braid defining the flexible area, but being of an appearance corresponding in general appearance to the braid mak ing up the remainder of the hat, so that a harmonious substantively uniform appearance is presented. One objection to straw hat-s having flexible head conforming portions has been the tendency of the braid to gape open along the exposed or finished edges. This objection is obviated in the present hat, as there are no exposed edges in the flexible portion, the single winding of braid in the brim having its edge extended into the stifi portion. In one embodiment it is proposed to provide an additional concealing winding of braid having double right edges,

" and overlying the edge of the flexible wind- With the above and other objects in view, embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, and these embodiments will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a straw hat, according to the present embodiment of the invention, a portion of the band being broken away;

2 is a diagrammative sectional view of a portion of the crown and the brim; according to one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a modified embodiment;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the upper side of a piece of straw braid as employed in the 1928. semi No. 274,850.

flexible area of the hat according to the pres ent embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the under side;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a piece of straw braid as used in the stifl crown and brim portions of the present embodiment;

Fig. 7 is a similar view of a type of straw braid employed in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to conceal the edge of the flexible braid in the brim;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale, showing the ends of the flexible area braid out for splicing;

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the same spliced.

Referring to the drawing, the straw hat, according to the present embodiment of the invention, comprises .a crown 10, and a double thickness brim consisting of an upper layer 11 and a lower layer 12, separately formed and secured together at the rim in the usual manner. The crown is formed of any of the usual types of straw braid 13, as shown, for instance in Fig. 7, to a point in spaced relation to the brim, the same being sewed with machine stitching 14 preferably of the usual invisible single thread type. At this point the flexible area is started and for this purpose I employ a novel form of very wide strawbraid 15 of such width that one winding is provided in the crown, and one wind- .ing in the brim,these two windings alone constituting the flexible area. These windings are not continuous spiral windings such as usually employed in the manufacture of 'straw hats, but are each a complete band or hoople, stitched at the edge to the adjacent winding, the ends of the length of braid making up the winding being overlapped and spliced, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. For this purpose the braid is notched diagonally as at 18 and 19, these notches following the diagonal weave, so that when spliced they are practically concealed in the weave. The spliced ends are preferably secured by hand stitching, concealed at the exposed side. The novel braid 15 will preferably have seven or more ends depending on the gauge of the straw employed. The weave of this braid 15 is such that it closely resembles in appearance a number of windings of the braid 13, and harmonizes with the rest of the hat. The brim is completed to the edge with the spirally wound overlapped braid 13. The under layer of the brim is made up of two windings of braid 15, one in the crown and one in the brim, and the braid 13 extending to the edge. The splicing points of the windings 15 of the under layer being preferably at the opposite side of the hat from the splicing points of the upper layer. s

In order to more clearly define the flexible area, and prevent any possibility of gaping of the edge of the braid 14 .an overlying winding of braid 16, (Fig. 6) having both edges finished, to correspond to the finished or right exposed edge of the braid 13, isstitched on top of the edge of the braid 15. This winding of braid 16 is also a band or hoople, spliced in a similar manner to the splicing of the braid 15.

At the under or unfinished side the braid 15 has long ends 17, and in order to secure'these in the finished hat, a series of rows of machine stitching 20 of the well known invisible type is preferably stitched in this braid before it is assembled in the hat.

The hat is finished by sizing and pressing, the sizing being either eliminated or reduced in the braid 15 or the same may be treated, as with monopole oil, to render it impervious to the sizing.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 8 the overlying winding of braid 16 is omitted, the edge of the braid 15 being preferably sized and pressed with the braid 13, so as to prevent gaping.

The flexible area made up of the single winding of braid in the brim and the single winding of braid in the crown, is such that it compensates for variations in head-shapes and absorbs such change of shape within itself, without any tendency to distort or strain the stiif brim portion. It will be understood that if desired the flexible area may be made up of the single winding of the novel wide braid in the brim and one or more windings of ordinary braid in the crown.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of my invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a straw hat, a crown, a brim comprising a relatively stiff brim section of relatively narrow spirally wound overlapped straw braid, exposed at'the upper side, and a flexible brim section intermediate said relatively stiff brim section and the crown and also exposed at the upper side,'said flexible brim section comprising straw braid braided to a width corresponding to a plurality of the windings of said spirally wound braid,

the hat.

2. In a straw hat, a crown, a brim comprising a relatively stifl' brim section of relatively narrow spirally wound overlapped straw braid, exposed at the upper side, and a flexible brim section intermediate said relatively stiff brim section and the crown and also exposed at the upper side, said flexible brim section comprising straw braid braided to .a width corresponding to a plurality of the windings v of said spirally wound braid, transversely joined at one point in the upper surface to provide a continuous hoople, and presenting throughout the remainder of the upper surface, both circumferentially and transverse- 1y of the spiral windings, a continuously unbroken braided structure, and whereby said section is yieldable both transversely and circumferentially, the straw in said flexible section being disposed with its selvage edges running circumferentially of the hat, and a flexible section in the crown secured to said flexible brim section, exposed at the outer side, and comprising straw braid braided to a width corresponding to said braid of the flexible brim section.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, this 14th day of April, 1928.

JAMES J. DESMOND.

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