Improvements in and connected with Head Coverings, Umbrellas and Parasols.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Head Coverings, Umbrellas and
Parasols.
I, SIGISMUND DE ZATHURECZKY, of Ukk, in the County of Zala, Hungary, Farmer,
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 present invention has for object to protect the upper part of the body
against the action of the sun's rays, from rain, snow or the like, in such a manner
as to leave both hands free to do any work and whilst not hindering in any way
the movements of the upper part of the body of the wearer. Field labourers and
all persons working in the open, such as tourists, hunters and sportsmen have to
suffer very much from heat, wind and rain, and are only able to protect them-
selves in a very incomplete manner from the inclemency of the weather, or from
the exhaustive sultriness of the burning rays of the sun by means of a simple
covering for the head, because the air space between the head covering and the
head (upon which latter there is always exerted an unfavourable pressure) is very
limited and prevents a rapid renewal of the air so that the capacity for absorbing
moisture is soon exhausted and further evaporation or perspiration of the skin
of the head is rendered impossible. This is the reason why it has become.
necessary to repeatedly uncover the head, especially in very hot weather, and
which action has, as is generally known, a beneficial effect for a very short time
only but which also has the result very often of causing the person to catch cold.
For example it has often been observed that reapers in very hot weather leave
off their head coverings during their work, and thus expose themselves to the
danger of sunstroke or inflammation of the brain, because they are no longer
able to bear the stifling effect of the sultriness produced by the head covering.
Now as in all southern countries a reaper must work for weeks in a temperature
which may rise to 36° C. in the shade, the workman could do much more work
and could consequently earn much more money if not only his head, but also the
whole of the upper part of his body were shaded in some suitable manner.
sportsman also, when shooting in the open, would be able to use his gun with
greater accuracy under similar circumstances. An engineer working at an instru-
ment must also keep it in the shade, or protect it from rain &c., but at the present
time he requires for this purpose the aid of a special person to hold an umbrella
over him. This has, however, the injurious effect that the horizontality of the
plane of the instrument is destroyed because the umbrella holder often. comes with
his feet too near to the legs of the tripod or stand. In all these particular cases,
and in general, the protective helmet, forming the subject of the present inven-
tion, is designed to enable a person working in the open, a tourist, a pedestrian,
a hunter, or engineer, to protect his head, neck, shoulders, and a part of his back
against the influence of the weather, without having to use his hands for this
purpose, and without interfering with the freedom of movement of the other part
of his body, in doing any work whatever.
A

page_text: The accompanying drawing illustrates a protective helmet of this kind,
Figure 1 being a front elevation, and Figure 2 a rear elevation of the fastening
device; Figures 3 and 3" illustrate a detail in elevation and in section; Figure 4
is a rear elevation, and Figure 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the general
arrangement.
Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
The protective helmet consists (Figure 1) of a belt a which is strapped round
the body of the wearer below the arm-pits, and which is provided in the middle
at the back with a pocket (b) that serves for the reception of the stick (c). To
the left and right of the said pocket there are provided two buttons, and in front
on the breast there are also provided two or four buttons for the purpose of
attaching supporting bands or straps d similar to trouser braces. The object of
the supporting straps is, 1st to secure the belt a from falling down, and secondly
to form a second point of support or attachment for the stick c of the protective
helmet. The bolt a is held together in front by means of an adjustable belt-buckle
so that the belt can be used for different sizes up to a certain limit. The two sup-
porting straps are held together at the back by means of a double cross strap e,
and between the supporting straps the stick c is fixed by means of adjustable
buckles f, which are situated right and left and whose comb-like teeth (Figures 3^3)
are fastened by means of eyes or rings that are firmly connected with the buckle in
suitably punched out plates of the outer cross strap. By this means the points
of the teeth cannot penetrate into the lower cross strap, and thus injury to the outer
garments or to the body of the wearer is obviated.
The stick c forms also the main rib of the protective helmet (Figures 4 and 5).
The said rib is bent from its upper point of attachment in the centre between the
shoulder blades, that is to say, commencing from the back of the neck backwards,
and almost parallel to the curvature of the human head at a certain distance
therefrom. To this middle rib e there is pivotted the base band g which may be
of circular or elliptical form so that the base band can be folded into the plane
of the main rib c. The point or top of the helmet is arranged, vertically on the
axis or pivot of the base band, namely, in the centre above said axis, and the said
helmet top is provided with a screw-threaded extension, and serves to fix the two
secondary ribs that are capable of pivoting about the top of the helmet. These
ribs are arranged above each other and over the main rib e so that when the
point of the helmet has been unscrewed the ribs h can also be turned into the
plane of the main rib c. Eyes or eyelet-like slots serve for the purpose of attaching
the subsecondary ribs to suitably arranged buttons or pins on the base band. For
the purpose of increasing the stability of the protective helmet, two metal strips i
are pivotted to the helmet stick above the shoulder blades and they extend as far
as the middle of the base band and thus act to support the base band in the manner
of struts or brackets. They are likewise fastened by means of eyelet-like slots
provided at their ends to suitable buttons or pins on the base band, and are also
able to be rotated into the plane of the inain rib c. The main rib and the
secondary ribs has also the base band g and the bracket-like strips i form, as
shown in the arrangement illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the skeleton or frame
of the protective helmet over which a waterproof covering is slipped and which is
fastened by means of an inserted rubber band drawn tight or in another manner.
It may also be mentioned that also more than two secondary ribs h may be
employed, and that, after removal of the covering of the helmet, the entire helmet
can be folded into the plane of the main rib c and can be packed in a pocket
which is suitably arranged in front or behind on the supporting straps. The pro-
tective helmet thus constitutes a protecting device above the head against the
inclemency of the weather in such a manner that the head and neck as also
the shoulders and a part of the back are protected, whilst allowing freedom of
vision in all directions so as to enable a hunter, for example, to shoot vertically
upwards. The general arrangement of the protective helmet is also such as to
enable it to yield to all movements of the upper part of the body and consequently

page_text: it does not interfere in any way with the execution of any operation whatever
in the open. Instead of the strips y, h and i and of the waterproof covering,
there may also be employed another covering for the head mounted on the main
rib c in any suitable manner, and instead of the head covering arranged on the
main rib c an ordinary umbrella may be fixed to the belt a and to the supporting
straps d for the same purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
(1) A protective helmet having a waterproof covering characterised by a frame
or skeleton, the secondary ribs g, h, i of which are pivotally attached to the main
ribe for the purpose of enabling the protective helmet to be folded into one plane
when not in use, or for transport, as set forth.
(2) A form of construction of the protective helmet according to Claim 1,
characterised by the attachment of the main rib c to a belt a and a transverse
strap e of supporting straps & similar to trouser braces, as set forth.
(3) A protective helmet constructed, arranged and adapted to operate, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described. and shown.
Dated this 4th day of Noah 1000
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Associate Agent.