US2874387A - Visor cap - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 24, 1959 c. BANNISTER ETAL 2,874,387

-v'IsoR CAP Filed May 20. 1957 INVENTORS @WD ORNE g United .StatesPatent 'VISRlCAP \.onstance BannistenandrMariog-Petitta,New York, n. Y. ApplicsaoniMay zo, laensernl Naseem 2 Claims. (CL 2l9f.)`

This invention relates broadly tto: the head covering arts .and in -its morecspeeiiie :aspects it relates to :hats r.or caps fvvhich are :provided .vvitha :visorcor other generally lateral :projection from the -head bander bodwhereof and means preventing .the Vpressure of thewind Yer resis- -tanee of the air from causing :the `cap or that .from :being Iblow-n from the head Vofthewea-rer;fand fthe mature rand objects of .the invention `will 'be readily recognized and understood by those skilled ,in the `,arts to which itrelates in the light of the followingexplanationand detailed ,de .scription of the `accompanying drawings illustrating -what `we at present believe `to be Apreferred embodiments lor mechanical expressions .of our invention from.;among various other forms, arrangements, ,combinations `and `constructions,of I,which .the invention iscapable-withinthe .spiritand scope thereof.

While we have illustrated and shall describeour in vention as applied to the sun or glare visor of a cap it is to be distinctly understood thatit may be .applied t the brim or -any other projection from the body of a hat or head coveringpr to aconventionaheye shade and still fall within the spirit and scope of our invention.

It is Iwell .known -that .many types lof Ycaps having .sun

o`r=glare preventing visors -projectingftherefrom are awkward .and inconvenient to .wearwhen ithe Kwind iis lblowing or the `wearer is Yriding pin `a .vehicle orfthe like so :there is substantial resistance to the movement byl'rthe air. The awkwardness or `inconvenience .caused qby 'wind pressure or :air resistancebeing generated beneath the `visor with :sufficient .intensity to produce upward .movement .on the visor .tocause the capito :be lifted from' the head .of the wearer. When .the...intensity of the -wnd Vor resistance of the air is of a force sufiicient to remove the cap the wearer must either 'holdit :on his head, or if possible to :pull it so tightlyihat -`it causes discomfort or take it off and hold it. 'Every wearer of caps and others will readily appreciate that the cap fails to serve a useful purpose if it is affected by wind and air resistance. As far as we are aware no one prior to now has attacked and solved this problem as we have by providing means incorporated in the visor for automatically releasing wind pressure and air resistance beneath a visor or the like projection from a head covering to thereby prevent such pressures and resistances from blowing the cap from the head of the user. A

The primary function of a visor on a cap is to keep the sun and glare from the eyes of the wearer. Hence in evolving our visor it has been necessary to incorporate the pressure and release means therewith in such a manner that the visor will continue to serve its prime function, i. e., the elimination of sun and glare from the eyes of the wearer. We have been able to provide viso-r mounted pressure and resistance release means without sacrificing the necessary glare and sunlight prevention attributes of the visor.

The provision of pressure and resistance release means on a visor -as devised by us has not detracted from the 2,874,387 Patented Feb. 24, 195.9

-2 appearance ofethe hat, .cap.or the like norhas itwcakencd fthevisor in any manner'whatsoever.

With the .increased :use of visor caps for .wear :by players of-a multitudefof sports 'and tby'millions of others whose work or recreation is ,out of doors .or in rather areas .affected .by wind :pressures and/or .air resistance 'it will be recognized that there has long :been a v:need for some :practical and efficient means vfor preventing pressures and 4resistances from building up 'beneath Ythevisor -ofacapor the .projectionof a `hat-or Yunder-an veye shade or fthe likeewith snflicient -forceeto blow the cap, Vhat or fthe like from the head :of the vfwearer.

By the invention about-to be ldescribed we :have satisfedthis Along felt need :by .devising la visor providing ingenious pressure and release `means `which `'does A-noli ICC detract from `the appearance :of the hat o r cap-,and does not :adversely affect, the glare preventing characteristics ofthe conventional visor.

We have accomplished `this highlyadvantageous result without sacricing -eco-nomy of production or Vthe lasting qualities of a `conventional visor.

With the foregoing fgeneral objects, features and results in View, as well as certain others which will .be apparent from the-following explanation, the invention yconsists in certain novel features in design, construction, mounting and combination of elements, as .will be more fully and particularly .referred to and specified .hereinyafter.

Referring to kthe accompanying drawings; Y

Fig. 1 is a top vplan view Vof .a visor `cap provided with our pressure Vand lresistance Vrelease means.

Fig. .2 is Aa side elevational view v,of the visor ,cap .of .Fig..;1. v 4

Fig. 3 `isa fragmentary view ,of the ends of a `pair of slats or panels :forming v:a part .of our upressure Yand resistancevreleasemeans. 1 Y

Fig. 4 is -a fragmentary view`in ,.persp ective `of a `modied form of slot orpanel and mounting `means ltherefor.

Fig. 5 is Va `view in perspective `ofthe visor cap `of a further modified form.

In the accompanying drawings, we .have used the numeral 1 to :designate the .crown or :body Aof ,a ca p or the like head covering. This crown while illustrated ,as being made of light, exible `fabric material may, of course, be made .ofany appropriate material and may if desired be of helmettype, .that -is it may behard, and rigid. The cap `may include the usual head .band 3 which may be of any suitable and desirable type. 'We have used the numeral 5 to designate v,generally .the Yvisor which ,is attached tothe lfrontportion of the body of `the cap to project forwardly therefrom to protect the eyes of the wearer from sun and glare.

The visor 5 is preferably formed of relatively rigid material which is light in weight such as plastic, light Weight metal as aluminum or any other material having thenecessary characteristics and capable of performing the functions for which the visor has been designed. The visor may constitute a solid body which is formed to provide the pressure and resistance release means as will be explained and is of visor or elongated shape the outer perimeter of which is arcuate while the inner perimeter extends into the body of the visor, is arcuate and conforms generally to the curvature of the outer perimeter. The outer perimeter of the visor comprises what we shall term an outer rim providing oppositely disposed sections 7 and a forward section 9. The inner perimeter of the visor comprises what we shall term an inner rim 11, the outer and inner rims being joined at their rear ends as at 13.

The visor is formed by stamping, extrusion or in any other suitable manner to provide a plurality of transversely extended slats or panels 15 which extend between the sections 7 of the outer rim. While we have disclosed' the slats 15 as being an integral part of the visor and integral with the outer rim sections it is to be recognized that they may comprise separate elements which are fixed to and extend between the outer rim sections. Each slat 15 is provided with a supporting portion17 at its rear end which extends between the sections 7 of the rim and is integrally formed therewith or may be connected thereto in any suitable manner. Extending forwardly and downwardly from said supporting portion 17 of each slat or panel is a vane 19 providing a reaction surface as will be hereinafter explained in detail. As will be apparent from consideration of the drawings each vane 19 extends below the visor and is of course angularly related to the plane thereof and is not in abutment with or connected to the rim sections 7. Thus a series of transverse slots are formed in the visor, each such slot extending between each vane and the next forwardly adjacent supporting section 17.

Adjacent the rear end of the visor where the inner rim 11 extends between sections 7 of the outer rim we may provide reduced length slats 21 which extend between rirn 11 and the adjacent section 7, each of such slats also being formed with the supporting section 23 and the downwardly and forwardly depending vane 25.

The visor is adapted to be fixed to a cap body 1 in the following manner. At its inner edge the inner rim 11 is formed with an upstanding flange 27 having a series of spaced holes 29 therealong. The visor may be fixed to the cap by stitching passing through the holes 29 in the flange and a band 31 may be provided to cover the fiange and to more securely fix the visor to the cap. The band may be sewed to the cap and this stitching may also pass through the apertures in the ange.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings we have illustrated a further method by which the visor of this invention may be attached to a cap and in this instance the visor is removably attached to the cap. The visor is formed as in the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings with the flange 27 having the apertures 29 therethrough. To this ange we sew or otherwise attach a band 33 provided with any suitable number of snap fastener elements 35 adapted to be removably fastened to complementary fastener elements which are fixed to the cap 1. Thus each visor includes the band 33 axed to the ange so that a visor may at will be attached to and detached from a cap.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings we have illustrated a further forrn of our invention. In this form of invention we have provided a plurality of slats 37 which extend between the rim sections and are pivotally mounted therein. Each slat 37 is provided with a pivot pin 39 projecting from each transverse edge thereof and the rim sections are provided with holes 41 in which the pins 39 are journalled with sucient friction to prevent the slats from flapping therein. Thus when wind pressures on air resistance builds up the wearer need only pivot the flaps 37 downwardly to provide-the slots in the visor to form release vents for the pressures and resistances beneath the visor.

It will now be readily apparent that the vanes of the slots form reaction surfaces against which wind pressure and air resistance will act as the air flows upwardly through the slots or vents in the visor to thereby release pressure and resistance and in acting on these vanes will generate a downward reaction on the vanes, the visor and hence the cap to thereby aid in preventing its blowing from the head of the wearer. Hence, the vanes function in a dual capacity, both as a release means for pressure and resistance and as a reaction means for holding the head covering on the head of the wearer.

We claim:

l1. A cap visor comprising a rim providing oppositely disposed sections, a plurality of slats extending across said visor and between said rim sections and each slat includingra supporting section xed to and extending between said rim sections, a vane fixed to and extending downwardly and forwardly from the forward edge of each supporting section providing a slot through the visor above each vane, said vanes providing reaction surfaces to direct air through the slots relieving pressure beneath the visor and providing a downward force on the visor.

2. A cap visor comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced slats extending transversely across the visor providing a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse slots through the visor, a rigid vane fixed to each slat and extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom under a slot and said vanes forming reaction surfaces to direct air through the slots to generate a downward force on the visor.

References Cited in the file of thisv patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 351,466 Robbins oct. 26, 1886 592,298 Lattimore Oct. 26, 1897 1,009,281 Cleary Nov. 21, 1911 1,062,668 Swanson May 27, 1913 1,175,167 Moscherrosch Mar. 14, 1916 1,486,102 Merton Mar. 4, 1924 1,522,989 Werner Jan. 13, 1925 1,774,074 Wittcoff Aug. 26, 1930 2,114,658 Noffsinger Apr. 19, 1938 2,416,062 Mercer Feb. 18, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 508,388 Great Britain .lune 30, 1939

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