US2218947A - Safety cap for ball players - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 22, 1940. v. BRUNZELL SAFETY CAP FOR BALL PLAYERS Filed Jan. 19, 1939 IN VENTOR. VICTOR BRUNZELL.

i llr ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 22, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to headgear, and more particularly to head protecting devices for individuals who engage in sports, such as the game of baseball.

Baseball players and others engaged in similar sporting endeavors are frequently victims of serious and even fatal injuries caused, when pitched or batted balls come into violent contact with the head of the player, especially in the region of the temples. The caps that are now commonly worn by players offer no protection against such injuries.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cap, having means for protecting the wearer against injury caused by being hit by a rapidly moving ball, especially in the region of the temples.

To these ends the invention consists of a ball player's cap or similar headgear having, as a unit, a band portion and a peak for protecting the I head against injury.

A further object lies in the provision of a cap or similar headgear having, as a unit, a band portion and a peak, the peak being shaped concavo convexly in front, and planarly at the sides, whereby the sides are made substantially rigid and inflexible.

It is another aim to provide a headgear of this character having, as a unit a band of substantially hard material and a peak, being shaped concavely-convexly in front and having lateral, wing-like extensions at the sides, to protect the temples of the wearer.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a headgear having a band of hard material and a resilient band secured thereto, for ab sorbing and distributing the force of impact of a moving ball about the head of the player generally.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a cap for ball players having the protective and safety features hereinafter to be more fully described, and which, when compared with caps now commonly used for this purpose, will be found to be almost identical in appearance and weight.

With the above objectives in view, as well as others which will become apparent as the desoription progresses, the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the invention, in use.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of thereof.

the frame Figure 3 is a sectional view, taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of a cap, consiin'ucted in accordance with the present inven-- t on.

Figure 5 is a sectional view along line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a detail view taken on line Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a detail view taken on line 8-8 of Figure 2; and

Figure 9 is a detail view taken on line 9-8 of Figure 2. 1

Referringin greater detail to the drawing, the numeral l0 indicates generally the frame of a cap, which consists of a substantially oval shaped band I i of essentially hard material, such as hard fibre or the like, having formed integrally 20 therewith a peak II. The peak is formed concavo-convexly in front, and is provided with planarly shaped side portions l8, bent at a sharp angle, as at i3, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. 25

Referring now more specifically to Figure 1 of the drawing, the headgear ll consists of a skull covering l5 made of textile fabric or other suitable material, and said skull covering is provided with the usual openings IQ for purposes of venti- 30 lation, as is well known in the art.

Continuous around the band II is a member l8 of resilient material, such as foam rubber, sponge rubber and the like, and there is also provided the usual sweat band [9, completely 35 encircling the resilient member Hi.

In order to give positive protection to the regions of the temples, the peak I2 is provided with sharp bends, as at l3 between the side members l3 and the front member l2. Thus, when the cap 40 is worn, that part thereof, which is intended to cover the region of the temples, is angularly offset and protrudes away from the temples, as can be seen in Figure l of the drawing. The construction of the peak, which provides for a concavo-convexly shaped front member and planarly shaped side members, causes the peak and the said side members to be completely rigid and mflexible.

The cap is assembled substantially in the following manner:

A piece of textile or other fabric is cut to conform to the shape of the human skull. In addition thereto, suflicient material is provided if desired, to permit the outer face of the front through the cap,

portion I2 01' the peak to be covered therewith, as at IT, as well as'the inner race-oi! the peak (not shown). Material also is provided to cover the outside of the band II, as at 2|, and the material is then bent inwardly to be cemented, glued or otherwise secured to the inner face of the said band ll. Thereupon the resilient member I 8 is secured in a similar manner to the inner face of the material, and the sweat band I 9 is secured to the resilient member. Obviously, these steps may be taken inan order other than that, which is here described, in order to produce the same results.

It will be seen that there is thus provided an extremely useful cap for baseball playerswhich, due to the presence of a head encircling protective band, affords protection against injuries caused by the impact of a misdirected ball. Since the regions of the temples have been found to be the most vulnerable places in accidents of this kind, special protection for them has been provided in the presence, as a unit, 01' a head encircling band and a peak, shaped concavoconvexly in front, and planarly at the sides, rendering that part of the band intended to cover the temples, completely rigid and inflexible. There is also provided a shock absorbing resilient member, to absorb the force of the impact.

' While the present invention has been illustrated and described as a cap for baseball players, its use is not thereby intended to be restricted, since obviously it may be used with the same highly desirable results in any other athletic endeavor, where the danger exists, that misdirected missiles may cause injury to the-head of a participant, and it may even be used for ordinary street wear. Nor does applicant desire this disclosure to restrict him to the exact construction herein indicated, it being obvious that minor changes may be made within the scope of the appended claim, without departure from the spirit of this invention. For instance, the band may be made of wider cross-section than illustrated, to protect a wider area of the head.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by letters Patent, is:

A cap comprising a substantially rigid endless truncated conical band having a downwardly offset peak at the front and lateral angularly downturned wing-like extensions at the ends 01 said peak integral therewith and with said band, a resilient band interjacent said rigid band, a covering having its lower edges secured between said bands, and a sweat band secured to the inner surface 01' said resilient band.

' VICTOR BRUNZELL.

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