US3076199A - Distending device for uniform caps and the like - Google Patents

Description

G. DUDLEI, JR 3,076,199

DISTENDING DEVICE FOR UNIFORM CAPS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan.-5, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 TIG- 5 7 INVENTOR: 1 Ge oaqe Dual 10 5915,

BY ATToRr Y,

Feb. 5, 1963 G. DUDLEY, 'JR 3,076,199

DISTENDING DEVICE FOR UNIFORM CAPS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 5, 1959 TIE- E1- s sheet s sheet 2 FIG. 7-

INVENTOR:

Gem ye ,Dudh/ay, (fr,

Feb. 5, 1963 r z a. DUDLEY, JR 9 DISTENDING DEVICE FOR UNIFORM CAPS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 5, 1959 TIE- 15- 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR:

George fludlfiy, Ji,

United States Patent 3,076,199 DISTENDING DEVICE FOR UNIFORM CAPS AND THE LIKE George Dudley, Jr., Reading, Pa., assignor to The Narrow Fabric Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 5, 1959, Ser. No. 784,929 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-195) This invention relates to distending devices of the grommet type which are adapted to be incorporated in uniform caps or the like for the purpose of maintaining the crown edge formation thereof trim and neat in shape and appearance.

One object of my invention is to provide a novel device of the type indicated which can be readily embodied in a uniform cap or the like so as to distend the cap crown edge formation thereof, thereby to eifect the usual shape-maintaining and neat appearance results, and which device has cooperatively associated therewith special means arranged so that the device will additionally accomplish a new, useful and desirable result.

Another object is to provide such a device which functions to prevent the kinking or unsightly distortion of the cap crown edge formation when the latter is accidentally bumped against an object to a certain denting extent or otherwise subjected to a more or less severe distorting force or blow.

A further object is to provide such a device which has certain structural and functional features of advantage over the similar devices of the prior art.

An additional object is to provide such a device in the form of a unit comprising a substantially ring-shaped body member that is longitudinally resilient and when in normally expanded condition is of such size or diameter that it can be contractedly mounted within a uniform cap or the like, in adjacent relation with the crown edge formation thereof, so that said member will exert a certaindistending pressure against the cap crown edge formation and thereby maintain its appearance trim and neat under ordinary circumstances of use; in conjunction with auxiliary means that is cooperatively associated with said ring-shaped body member in such manner as to make the same, as well as the adjacent cap crown edge formation, circumferenti'ally kink-proof, dent-proof or distortion-proof, particularly against any of the more severe, or abnormal type cap edge kinking, denting, or distortion forces exerted under certain accidental or other circumstances. j j

It is also an object to provide such a device in the form of an assembly which includes a substantially ringshaped hollow body member that is formed of a longitudinally resilient tubular material, such for example as ajstraight lengthwise resilient piece of tubular braided material thatis circularly bent and has its free ends alignedly joined in any practical manner, and which body member has floatingly arranged therein, in overlapping and self-adjustable manner, a flat elongated resilient strip-like element that is formed, for example, of plastic material or the like.

With these and other objects in view, which will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the various improvements illustrated. and exemplified in the accompanying drawings, my invention comprises the novel device, unit, assembly, elements, features of construction and arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship, as more particularly indicated and defined by the hereto appended claim.

In the drawings;

FIGURE 1 is atop plan view of one form of distending device of the grommet type in accordan-e with my invention, the device being schematically shown in full lines to illustrate its appearance in expanded form and 3,076,199 Patented Feb. 5., 1963 the dot-and-dash lines indicating its reduction to a certain size when contracted.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevational sectional view, taken substantially as indicated by the arrows 3--3 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an elevational sectional view, taken substan tially as indicated by the arrows 4-4 on FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an elevational sectional view, taken substantially as indicated by the arrows 55 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of one standard or conventional form of plain, or open mesh, lengthwise resilient tubular braided material of the type utilized in producing the device of FIG. 1, the component filaments, of the mesh formation being more or less schematically indicated as they appear when the material is in its expanded condition.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the lengthwise resilient tubular braided material shown in FIG. 6, but with the component filaments of the mesh formation more or less schematically indicated as they appear when the material is in its contracted condition.

FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of the lengthwise resilient tubular braided material shown in FIG. 6, the component filaments thereof being more or less schematically indicated.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of one form of resilient, flat strip-like element of the type utilized in producing the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is an end elevational view of the element shown in FIG.'9.

FIG. 11 is an elevational sectional view, similar to FIG. 5, but showing, more or less schematically, a modified form of joint structure in accordance with my invention, and

FIG. 12 is an elevational sectional view, similar to FIG. 5, but showing, more or less schematically, another modified form of joint structure in accordance with my invention.

FIGURES 13 and 14 show the distending device as applied to a hat body.

It will facilitate an understanding of my invention to first briefly consider some of the more important aspects and phases thereof, so that these may be kept in mind when subsequently reading the detailed description of the practical improvements here involved and exemplified in the drawings.

Accordingly, it is pointed out that, to my knowledge, the prior art grommet type distending devices heretofore provided for use with uniform caps or the like, are all designed to serve only a single purpose, namely, to maintain the crown edge formation of the uniform cap trim and neat in shape and appearance under ordinary circumstances of use. That'is to say, when the cap is in ordinary use in the sense of not being exposed to certain unexpected conditions or developments, such for example, as accidental bumping of the cap crown edge format-ion against an object to such an extent that the cap crown edge formation will be pressed inwardly beyond a certain critical point where such distending devices are incapable of preventing the said edge formation from becoming kinked, dented, or distorted in an unsightly manner. This detrimental feature of the prior art distending devices has posed a problem, particularly when it comes features over the similar prior art devices, as will be apparent from the following detailed description.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 thereof discloses one form of practical and illustrative distending or grommet device in accordance with my invention which is generally identified by the letter D. This device comprises a hollow ring-shaped body member 1, having a resilient striplike element 2 embodied therein so that the free ends thereof are in overlapping relation with each other, as shown at the left side in FlG. l. The element 2 is resiliently expanded so as to contactingly rest against the inner side of the outer circumferential wall portion of the body member 1 in free floating and self adjustable manner.

The body member 1 is preferably formed of a straight piece of tubular braided material 4, of standard or conventional mesh design and construction, in which nylon or other relatively lengthwise stiff but laterally bendable or resilient filaments, or strands 5, are interlaced over and under longitudinally extending cotton or other type filaments 6, all in accordance with well known prior art braiding process and as produced with the well known prior art braiding equipment, to effect a tubular braided structure having a general outside appearance, when expanded, as more or less schematically indicated in FIG. 6 and having the general outside appearance when longitudinally contracted, as more or less schematically indicated in FIG. 7.

To convert such a straight piece of tubular braided material into a ring-shaped distending unit or assembly, as shown in FIG. 1, a straight piece of such tubular braided material of the proper length has first inserted therein the straight laterally resilient element 2, and the member 1 is then circularly bent so as to bring the free ends thereof into axially aligned abutting relationship with each other, with the element 2 arranged therein in endwise overlapping relation. The abutting ends of the member 1 are then joined in any convenient and practical manner, as by overlappingly winding around the outside of such ends a piece of adhesive fastening tape 7, as more particularly shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5.

The strip element 2, which is shown by itself in FIGS. 9 and 10, is preferably, but not necessarily formed of a suitable plastic, cellulose, or other type sheet material having the property of being laterally resilient so that when inserted into the member 1 and circularly bent into overlapping, floating and self-adjustable relation within the tubular body member 1, a shown in FIG, 1, the circular strip element 2 will tend to expand and thereby reinforcingly exert an expansion force, or outward pressure along the entire inner surface of the outer wall portion of the member 1, where the upper and lower edges of the strip 2 contact with said surface, as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

If desired, the joint between the free ends of the circularly bent member 1, may be formed as illustrated by FIG. 11, or FIG. 12. FIG. 11 shows one free end portion 1 of the member 1 in normally expanded condition and the other free end portion l thereof somewhat lengthwise stretched so as to reduce its diameter and thereby facilitate its insertion into the end portion 1 to thereby establish an interconnected frictional joint.

FIG. 12 shows the free end portion 1 of the m mber 1, in endwise abutting relation with the free end portion 1 of the member 1 and both said end portions contactingly arranged against the outer surface of a colla or sleeve element 8. The circular element, collar or sleeve element 8 is formed of a plastic material having substantially the same qualities and characteristics of the nylon or other filaments of which the braided tubular member 1 is formed, so that by the application of heat and pressure, the ends of the portions 1 and 1 which are contactingly arranged against the outer surface of the collar 8, can be united to form an integral joint in the usual manner followed when applying heat and pressure to such plastic materials so as to effect their integration or heat fused connection.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the grommet type distending device D is shown in full lines substantially as it appears when in its normally and freely expanded condition and the dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 1 indicate the diameter, or size, of the device D when it is contracted for insertion and seating or mounting in the cap crown edge formation 9 of a standard or conventional uniform cap C, as indicated in FIGS. 13 and 14. The said cap crown edge formation 9, as usual, has a somewhat semi-circular crosssectional configuration and forms a circular seat for the device D, as clearly shown. If desired, the device D, after being contractedly seated in the cap crown edge formation 9, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, may be fastened in place in the usual manner of the prior art practice. For example, it may be attached internally at the front of the cap to the vertical wall or reinforcing portion of the latter by any suitable means (not shown) heretofore devised for attaching Similar prior art grornmet type devices to uniform caps.

When the device D is contractedly seated, or mounted, as shown and indicated, the device D will exert a distending force outwardly against the inner surface of the cap crown edge formation 9, so as to constantly maintain the latter trim and neat in shape and appearance. The distending pressure exerted by the device -D is mainly due to the longitudinally resilient construction of the body member 1. However, if the cap crown edge formation 9 is accidentally, suddenly, or quickly bumped against an object, or otherwise dented, or distorted, to an extent which will, for example, inwardly curve the cap crown edge, as indicated by the dot-and-dash line B in FIG.

' 13, the circular laterally resilient strip-like element 2 of the device D will function somewhat like a circular fiat spring band, or hoop, when indented in like manner and will function to yield inwardly and then immediately push back the dented portion of the member '1 as well i as the adjacent den-ted cap edge portion, in outward direction, and thereby restore the cap crown edge formation 9 to its original circular trim shape and appearance. In this manner the cap crown edge formation 9 will be constantly kept dent-proof, kink-proof, or distortion-proof by the device D, when said edge formation is pressed inwardly beyond the critical point where the member 1, by itself, cannot function to effectively counteract or overcome the indicated type cap edge kinking, denting, or distorting pressures.

It is to be understood that the longitudinally resilient tubular braid formation of the member 1, as illustrated in crossed line manner throughout the various figures of the drawings, is to be considered as schematically indicative of the various conventional types of the prior art tubular braided materials that are longitudinally resilient and suitable for use in constructing the device D as herein explained. 7

Of course, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art, that the various novel and unique improvements specifically shown and described can be changed and modified in various ways, without departing from the inventive subject matter herein disclosed, the scope of which is more particularly indicated and defined by the hereto appended claim.

I claim:

A distending device for uniform caps and the like comprising; a main distending ring that is formed of a lengthwise easily extendible and compressible resilient tubular braided material in such manner that the wall formation of the ring is circularly continuous and effects a completely hollow ring interior; and an auxiliary ring that is entirely contained within said main ring interior and formed of a flat strip of laterally resilient plastic material of such length that the free ends thereof are positionable in adjacently overlapping relation with each other, thereby to afford self-adjusting circular expansionof the auxiliary ring against the internal surface of the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Taylor July 28, 1908 Grunig et al July 6, 1915 Nixon Jan. 10, 1928 6 De Boer Aug. 15, 1950 SerVaas Apr. 20, 1954 Carvell Oct. 9, 1956 Nailler et a1. May 10, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS Austrailia July 18, 1946 France June 3, 1953

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