Knit cap with multiple layer construction and process of making same

A continuous tubular piece is made in a continuous knit fashion. A limited area, located an equal distance from the two ends of the piece, is knit with a tighter stitch to provide a gathered area. Two similar tighter stitched, gathered areas are provided between the central gathered area and each of the ends of the piece. These two additional gathered areas on both sides of the central area are relatively spaced closer together than their spacing from the central area and the ends of the tubular piece. The tubular piece is folded back on itself using the central gathered area as a fold line, the two opposite ends being brought together. The two additional gathered areas, which were on opposite sides of the central area, are now together, one overlapping the other. A second fold is now made in the piece. The piece is folded back on itself a second time using a point midway between the two additional gathered areas as the fold line. This second fold line is a closed, smooth surface. In contrast, the opposite end of the now folded piece exposes various layers of the folded piece and that end is closed with a standard four-way closure to provide the crown for the finished cap. The gathered portion adjacent the open end of the cap provides a fold line for forming the cuff of a conventional hockey cap or openings are provided between that fold line and the closed crown of the cap to form a crusader hood with the gathered portion providing a tightly fitting area under the chin of the wearer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to knit caps and, more particularly, to a multiple 
layer cap made from a continuous knit tube. 
Various knit cap constructions, and methods of making the knit caps, have 
been proposed in the past. U.S. Pat. Nos. 991,777, 2,998,611, and 
3,531,952 are examples of knit caps made from a continuous knit tubular 
member. 
Among the objects of this invention are to provide a knit cap construction 
which can be easily manufactured, provides improved thermal 
characteristics, exhibits a smooth, relatively non-bulky appearance even 
though having a multiple layer construction, and all in a basic cap 
construction which lends itself to the manufacture of more than one type 
of knit head covering. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
For the achievement of these and other objects, this invention proposes a 
knit cap of multiple layer construction fashioned from a continuously knit 
basic tubular piece. The continuous tubular piece is knit with a 
conventional stitch but that basic stitch is interrupted periodically over 
the length of the piece to provide spaced areas characterized by having a 
tighter stitch to thereby provide a gathered knit area. One of the 
gathered areas is located equal distance between the opposite ends of the 
piece. One or more similar gathered areas are provided between the central 
gathered area and both ends of the piece. 
The tubular piece so knit has a first fold back on itself utilizing the 
central area as the fold line. This brings the opposite ends of the piece 
together and also brings one of the additional gathered areas which was on 
one side of the central area into alignment with and overlapping the 
similar gathered area which had been on the opposite side of the central 
area. 
On at least one side of the central area, two such additional gathered 
areas can be provided and these are located on the exterior of the folded 
piece after the first fold. A second fold is now made at a point midway 
between those two gathered areas, bringing the ends of the first folded 
piece together and positioning the two gathered areas in the outer layer 
together such that they are overlapping and spaced inwardly from one end 
of the piece. The overall piece has now been folded on itself twice. The 
end of the twice-folded piece adjacent the now overlapping additional 
gathered areas is relatively smooth since a continuous fold exists along 
that edge, the opposite end of the piece has the exposed layers of the 
original piece and also includes the central gathered area. That opposite 
end is closed with a conventional four-way closure and since the original 
gathered area is located in the closure, the bulk of the closure is 
thereby reduced. 
The closed end of the tubular member provides a crown for a cap. The basic 
structure so provided can be used to form a conventional hockey cap by 
merely turning a cuff utilizing the gathered area adjacent the open end as 
the fold line. Alternatively, the final folded piece can be used to form a 
crusader hood by cutting the conventional crusader hood openings in the 
panels between the gathered area and the closed end and then utilizing the 
gathered area to provide tight engagement under the chin of the wearer of 
the crusader hood.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With particular reference to the drawings, a continuously knit tubular 
piece 1 is illustrated in FIG. 1. This piece is knit with a conventional 
rib knit stitch in a continuous fashion. At intervals along the tubular 
member, the number of stitches is varied so that a tighter stitched, 
gathered area is provided. These areas are 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7. One of the 
areas, 4, is located equal distance between the open ends 8 and 9 of the 
tubular piece. The pairs of areas 2, 3 and 4, 6 are located preferably 
equal distance between the central area and each of the open ends of the 
tubular piece. The gathered areas of the pairs, i.e., 2, 3 and 6, 7 are 
spaced relative to each other closer together than the pairs are spaced 
from their respective open end and the central area. The manner of 
knitting a continuous tube and providing the gathered areas in the 
appropriate locations utilizes generally conventional knitting techniques 
and will not be described in this application. 
To form a basic cap structure, a first fold is made in the tubular piece as 
illustrated in FIG. 2. The central area provides the fold line and open 
ends 8 and 9 are brought together in registry. Similarly, due to 
indentical spacing between the pairs of gathered areas and with respect to 
the central area, the gathered areas which had been on opposite sides of 
the central area are now brought into overlapping relationship one pair 
registering with the other. 
A second fold is now made in the already folded tubular piece. In this fold 
a point midway between the pairs of gathered areas 2, 3 and 6, 7 is used 
as the fold line. This brings all of the gathered areas 2, 3, 6 and 7 into 
registry and, moreover, places the original central gathered area at one 
end of the double-folded piece spaced furthest from those gathered areas. 
The end of the twice-folded piece adjacent the gathered areas is generally 
smooth having one of the exterior folds over all of the interior layers. 
The opposite end exposes those of the layers which are open and it is that 
opposite end which is closed to provide the crown of the finished cap. 
The closure is made with a conventional four-way closure 11 which is 
illustrated in FIG. 3. At this point, it will be noted that the basic cap 
now consists of four layers of fabric for optimum thermal characteristics. 
Moreover, because of the manner of folding the original central area, 
which had provided the initial fold line and which exhibits less bulkiness 
than the non-gathered areas, is located in the crown thereby minimizing 
the bulkiness of the closure area. 
Structurally, the folded cap has a pair of outer layers 16, 17 and a pair 
of inner layers 18, 19, inner and outer being used in the context of the 
folded piece. In the finished cap outer layer 16 provides the inner panel 
of the cap and outer layer 17 provides the outer panel of the cap. 
The basic folded structure illustrated in FIG. 3, having a closed crown 
portion and an open end provides a versatile, basic construction which can 
be used to provide, for example, two conventional types of caps. 
A conventional hockey cap can be provided by folding a cuff utilizing the 
aligned gathered areas as the fold line, see dotted line showing in FIG. 
4. Similarly, a crusader cap can be provided by cutting the customary 
crusader cap openings 12, 13, and 14 in the panels between the gathered 
areas and the closed crown and utilizing the overlapping gathered areas to 
provide a tight fit around the wearer's neck (see FIG. 5). In providing 
the crusader hood attention need only be given to providing slightly more 
panel length between the gathered areas 2, 3 and 6, 7, the central area 
and the open ends 8 and 9. 
In the basic structure, the gathered areas are spaced along the length of 
the continuous piece and extend around the circumference of the cap. These 
gathered areas locate the various lines along which the piece is folded to 
provide the finished cap. Moreover, the gathered areas in the finished cap 
are located such that they reduce the bulkiness of the cap and tend to 
assist the cap in achieving its final shape. 
Although this invention has been illustrated and described in connection 
with particular embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled 
in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein 
without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of 
the appended claims.