Improvements in Hats, Helmets, and the like Head Coverings.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 18th Nov.,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hats, Helmets, and the like Head Coverings.
I, CHARLES JOSIAII Ross, trading as J. & G. Ross, of 227, High Street, Exeter,
in the City and County of the City of Exeter, Outfitter, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide hats, helmets and the like head
coverings with head bands which can be adjusted by the wearer so as to fit the
head perfectly and which can be also adjusted to fit heads of different sizes.
For this purpose the head band is made in sections one or all of which is or
are made moveable and provided with means for adjusting it or them in position
and with means for securing it or them in the adjusted position. By this means
the head band can be expanded or contracted in size as desired.
.
To the outer side of the sections of the head band, or to the interior of the
helmot or like head covering, strips of corrugated felt or like material may be
fixed to provide additional rigidity and necessary ventilation.
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my invention as applied to a
helmet in connection with which it will now be fully described, but I would here
state that the description is equally applicable to hats and the like head coverings.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 2 a transverse section of a helmet
fitted with an adjustable head band in accordance with my invention, and Figs. 3
and 4 are enlarged detached views of details of the adjusting mechanism. The
same letters of reference where they occur are used to denote the same or corre-
sponding parts in all the figures.
The forin of head band best suited for a helmet is one that shall fit closely to
the head and distribute the weight it has to carry evenly over every portion of
the human cranium. To meet these requirements the band must be shaped to
the head, and the form evolved is that at present adopted for the "college cap."
To this end the sections of the head band are made as shown in Figure 1 so
as to embrace the forehead and temples and sides of the head, they are carved
along the front line a to a point at the forehead and are cut deeper and curved
downwards along the rear line b so as to fit tightly on the rounded part at the
back of the head.
It is essential for a helmet that there should be an air space between the band
and the helmet to allow of a current of air to pass freely over the head, at the
same time it is of the highest importance that a helmet should fit so snugly and
comfortably (not pressing in one particular part, or, as in the case of the present
helmets, merely a tight band round the head) that the wearer should be enabled
to take any exercise or place his head in any position or place without being
aware that he has a helmet on. To effect this it is necessary that there should be
a certain degree of adjustment and in this invention the head band is divided.
In the form which I prefer to adopt and which is shown in the drawings, the head
band is divided transversely into two approximately equal parts A and B, the
front section A being fixed to the interior of the helmet while the rear section B
is moveable thereover, its overlapping ends being located between the ends of
the section A and the inside of the helmet as is clearly shown by Figure 2.

page_text: In
The movement of the section B is effected by the following arrangement.
corresponding positions on each side of the helmet D, I fix a metal eyelet or
tubular boss & through which I pass a shaft c having on its exterior end a milled
head, or other suitable means for rotating it, and a pinion wheel e fast near its
interior end. The interior extremity of this shaft is journalled in a plate a¹
fixed to the front section A of the head band. (Sec Figure 4.)
The rear section B of the head band is provided with a longitudinal slot b
through which passes the shaft c and is also provided with a toothed rack plate b
which is firmly secured to the said rear section B and with which gears the pinion
wheel c on the shaft c, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
It will now be understood that, as the shafts c, one on each side, are journalled
to the fixed front section A of the head band, when the pinions are rotated
together towards the front of the helmet, the rear section will be drawn towards
the front and the size of the bead band will be thus contracted, and that when
rotated in the opposite direction, the size of the head band will be expanded.
The securing of the moveable section B in the adjusted position is effected by
the following means. Secured to the rear moveable section 13 is a plate bª made
and shaped to partly encircle the rear section B and carrying a female threaded
socket A metal eyelet or tubular boss is secured in a corresponding position
in the back of the helmet D and through the central aperture therein is passed a
screw threaded rode secured to the thumb piece E. If desired the male thread
may be carried by the moveable section B of the head band and the female screw
by the helmet body D, but the action will be the same in either case.
To contract the head band it will be necessary to first slack back or partially
unscrew the rode from the socket 3, and then to effect the adjustment by
rotating the milled heads e at the sides of the helmet, and when this is effected
to tightly screw up the rod e into the socket ; and to expand the head band the
side adjustment is first effected and the rode then screwed tightly in the socket b³.
It will be obvious that several modifications of the details may be made without
departing from the nature or scope of the invention. For example, the rear
section of the head baud may be fixed while the other is moveable, or the
overlapping ends of the front section may be located between the interior of the
helmet and the ends of the rear section. Or again, both sections may be made
moveable in which case they may be moved by separate pinions or by one pinion
gearing with a rack plate ou each section arranged so as to be one above and the
other below the pinion and to lie practically in the plane of the pinion. In a further
modification more than two sections may be used each operated by rack and
pinion arrangements as herein described to expand or contract the head band
longitudinally and transversely if found desirable.
As a further modification the sections of the head band may each be separately
carried by a screwed rod passing through an internally threaded eyelet in the
helmet body, or provided with suitable adjusting nuts on said rod so that each
section of the head band can be separately adjusted.
There are other modifications which may be made in the apparatus without
departing from the nature of the invention, which will be woll understood by
persons skilled in the art, but I have found that the form hereinbefore described
and shown in the drawings occupies but little space and is effective for its
purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
-
1. A hat, helmet or the like head covering having a head band made in sections
secured to the body of the hat, helmet, or the like so as to be adjustable to vary
the size of the head band substantially as described.
2. A hat, helmet or the like head covering having a head band made in two
sections, a front and a rear, the front section being curved to a point at the

page_text: forehead and the rear section curved downwards at the rear to fit tightly on the
rounded part of the back of the head, one of said sections being fixed to the
body of the hat, helmet or the like while the other is adjustable by means
operated from outside the body of the hat, helmet or the like covering substan-
tially as described and shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
3. A hat, helmet or the like head covering having a head band made in sections
curved to fit tightly to the head, said sections being adjustably connected together
by toothed racks secured to one section with which gear pinions the shanks of
which rotate in journals in the other section which said shanks pass through eye-
lets or the like in the side of the hat, helmet or like covering body and are
operated from the exterior thereof with an additional adjustable support at the
front or rear also operated from outside the hat, helmet or like covering body
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings and for
the purposes stated.
4. In a hat, helmet or the like head covering having a head band made in
sections, means such as herein described for varying the size of the head band
and for supporting the body of the hat, helmet or like head covering on the head
band, comprising toothed racks on the head band sections, pinions gearing with
said racks and passing through eyelets in the hat, helmet or like covering body,
and additional adjustment supports on the said body engaging screwed attach-
ments on the head band sections, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of November 1898
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent: for the Applicant.