US3139093A

US3139093A - Artificial hairpiece

Info

Publication number: US3139093A
Application number: US308598A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frishman Daniel
Original assignee: Reid Meredith Inc
Current assignee: Reid Meredith Inc
Priority date: 1963-09-12
Filing date: 1963-09-12
Publication date: 1964-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 1981-06-30
Also published as: BE653042A; SE325093B; LU46938A1; NO122887B; GB1084861A

Description

June 30, 1964 D. FRISHMAN 3,139,093

ARTIFICIAL HAIRPIECE Filed Sept. 12, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 F I G. 2

mvsrvron Daniel Frishmon ATTORNEYS June 30, 1964 o. FRISHMAN ARTIFICIAL HAIRPIECE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 12, 1963 uywsuron Donlel Frlshmon FIG .5.

w. 'j' ATTO RNEYS June 30, 1964 D. FRISHMAN 3,139,093

ARTIFICIAL HAIRPIECE Filed Sept. 12, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Daniel Frishmcm FI W ATTORNEYS June 30, 1964 0. FRISHMAN 3,139,093

ARTIFICIAL HAIRPIECE.

Filed Sept. 12, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 D a o FIG 8 INVENTOR.

Daniel Frishman ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,139,093 ARTIFICIAL HAIRPIECE Daniel Frishman, Andover, Mass, assignor to Reid- Meredith, lnc., Lawrence, Mas a corporation of Utah Filed Sept. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 308,598 8 Claims. (Cl. 132-53) The present invention relates to a long haired pile fabric, process and apparatus for manufacturing the same, and articles made therefrom, and is a continuation-in-part application of my pending application, Serial No. 234,587, filed October 30, 1962 (now abandoned), and relates in one embodiment to wigs to be donned by females as a hairdress as distinguished from a hat or other external ornamental or covering device worn by the human being.

An object of the present invention is to provide an article of manufacture of the above type which may be economically constructed and which will have all of the appearances and hair characteristics of the more expensive handmade articles and those made of natural hair.

A wig constructed in accordance with the present invention may be made of either natural hair strands or synthetic monofilaments, such as for example Dynel. The wig, constructed in accordance with the present invention, is shaped to conform to the contour of the human head and to be retained thereon without creeping, sliding or in any other manner being accidentally displaced thereon or dislodged therefrom.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wig, the hair of which is manageable and stylable so that the wearer thereof may readily change hair styles, the previous hair style of which may be removed by simply combing the wig in the case of Dynel strands.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a relatively simple and economical process whereby a hairpiece may be knit, formed, and styled requiring a minimum of human attention per unit of manufacture. The process entails dolfing the hair or synthetic monofilament into a circular knitting machine at the time of knitting the base cap or fabric of the wig to thereby lock or restrain the filaments against sliding or accidental loss from their interlocked relationship with the cap structure of the wig during use of the wig by the wearer.

A sliver is prepared from a tow which consists of several thousand filament ends which have been previously dyed and the cut ends have been blended or introduced without blending to a converter which issues forth the sliver. The sliver is then fed to the carding mechanism of a Wildman Jacquard or similar type machine, which card mechanism has been modified to accommodate the greater than five inch length of Dynel ends of the sliver and to present the Dynel ends to the needles of the knitting machine whereby they are dotfed from the card roll onto the needles in advance of the introduction of the knit yarn ends to the knitting needles. The filament ends are fed to the needles in such a manner that at the time of knitting they are not wound or twisted with one another. In order to carry out these steps of the method, mechanical modification was required to the carding mechanism of the Wildman Jacquard machine.

The method further is an advance over the prior art in that the tubular fabric knit is then opened and cut into lengths having a relatively smooth back and a long hairy face.

The thus knit fabric is then shaped or formed to accommodate its being received over and retained upon the head of a human being. The wig after forming may then be styled.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a photograph of a styled wig constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a photographic view similar to FIGURE 1 of a modified form of hair style of the same basic wig of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a photograph of a wig constructed in accordance with the present invention with the cap portion thereof inverted.

FIGURE 4 is a photographic view similar to FIGURE 3 of a modified form of cap portion.

FIGURE 5 is a photograph of a wig constructed in accordance with the present invention during the taping step of the wig forming process.

FIGURE 6 is a magnified photograph of the knit structure and method of locking the hair-like filaments to the basic wig cap structure.

FIGURE 7 is a magnified photograph taken from the reverse side of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a Wildman Jacquard circular knitting machine modified in accordance with the present invention for knitting wigs.

The Process The process and apparatus of the present invention as directed to the production of a wig or artificial hairpiece is shown in FIGURES 1 through 4 which comprises generally a knit cover A having hair-like filaments B looped therewith, which filaments may be either of natural hair or synthetic monofilaments stylable into a wig to be worn over the hair on the human head. The knit cover A is formed to be geometrically complemental to the upper portions of the human head.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, and for the moment to FIGURES 1 through 8, one form of practicing the process of producing an artificial hairpiece in accordance with the present invention is shown.

Preparatory to commencing the process illustrated, a sliver 30 is prepared by initially taking a tow consisting of filaments of 24 to 40 denier Dynel, dyeing the same to the desired shade or color for the filament ends of the artificial hairpiece to be constructed. For best results the coarser deniers in this range are preferred. The dyed tow is then passed through a Pacific Converter in which the dyed tow is cut into ends, for example and preferably. in excess of five inches in length, and for example in the wigs shown in FIGURES l and 2, nine inch ends are employed.

These cut ends are then blended to form the sliver 30. The sliver is then wound upon a reel or drum 31 or coiled in a container. The sliver, best seen in FIGURE 8, is then introduced to the card mechanism 34 through its feed rolls. The filaments of the sliver are introduced to the card cylinder through a lickerin in conventional carding practice. The filaments traveling on the card cylinder are removed therefrom by a belt doffer 37 having pinlike projections thereon for engaging and removing from the card cylinder the filaments from the sliver for doffing these filaments onto the knitting needles of a Wildman Jacquard or similar circular knitting machine 40.

As the needle cylinder of the Wildman Jacquard machine rotates counterclockwise, the needles having the filaments thereon are advanced to a knit point which is the conventional knitting feed for one or more ends of yarn which will form the cover or cap structure of the artificial hairpiece. The yarns may be of any suitable material such as two ends of nylon, Acrilan or even, because of its stretch characteristics, Lycra or other spandex or elastic yarn.

Also at this point torque yarns may be employed to provide the ultimate desired stretch characteristics for the cover of the hairpiece, that is, characteristics in excess of the normally inherent contractile characteristics of any knit fabric due to the knit structure. At the knit point the filaments from the sliver are introduced into the cover fabric as it is being knit and the fabric 42 is shown in FIGURE 8 descending from the needle cylinder to the take-up mechanism of the Wildman Jacquard or similar machine.

The filaments are secured or looped to the knit cover structure on the inside of the tube 42 and the outside thereof shown in the drawing is a relatively smooth knit structure. A back coating may be applied to facilitate locking of the filaments in the knit structure of the fabric.

The inside of the tube 42 has a long hairy face of long Dynel 40 denier filaments. The tube is then opened to form a fabric having a smooth knit surface on one side and a long hairy face on the other side. At this point the thus formed fabric may be made into wigs.

In the preferred embodiment of making a wig, a length of knit tubular fabric 42 containing the looped filaments in the knit structure is then removed from the Wildman Jacquard machine 40, the tubular fabric is slit to open the same and a section of the fabric, may be placed over a forming station where a die member imparts to the fabric a crown shape or cavity generally complemental to the outside contour of the upper portions of the human head. The thus formed section is then re-inverted with the cavity directed upwardly, at which time the portion of the fabric surrounding a head form or mold is than taped with elastic or resilient tapes applied, for instance, by adhesive to at least assist in confining the wig to the head form and ultimately to the head of the wearer.

Prior to the taping when the cap or cover structure is in the inverted position, a template is applied over the smooth side of the fabric on the head form to mark the outlines for the application of tapes and elastic bands. The wig is then taped and the excess fabric removed therefrom, as shown in FIGURE 5.

The tapes may be further secured to the cover structure as by sewing at the corners and tacking or by sewing at other portions of the tape. The wig is then re-inverted and placed upon a head form, with the filament side outwardly and the wig is brushed prior to styling to remove any excess filaments and to orient the filaments for styling.

The wig is then washed in water to remove the water soluble chemicals on the various filaments and yarns which facilitate their knitting. The thus washed wig is then subjected to a chemical bath to render the hair filaments more susceptible to handling and styling.

With the artificial hairpiece still mounted on a head form, the filaments are put up in curlers following conventional hair dressing practice. The head form and wig with curlers are then placed in a setting oven for imparting at least a partial thermal set in the filaments while in the curled condition so that upon removal of the curlers the filaments will possess the liveliness and body essential to the correct styling of the hairlike filaments of the exterior surface of the wig. Such a thermally formed and set wig is shown photographically in two hair styles are shown in FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings of wigs constructed in accordance with the foregoing process.

To further assure, by means other than the knitting operation, that the filaments be retained in the cover or cap structure, a synthetic bonding material or adhesive may be applied to the non-filament or smooth side of the fabric.

As an alternative a section of the knit tubular fabric just large enough to make a single wig may be cut and placed over a forming block and pinned in place after which a template is applied over the fabric and chalk lines drawn to define the tape lines over which is applied the tapes which are stapled in place. The tapes are coated with an adhesive to secure them in place. Any suitable adhesive, including those requiring solvent activation, may be used. After taping the excess fabric beyond the terminal edge of the wig line is cut away. The staples are removed, the wig washed and dried, put up in curlers, heat sets, curlers removed, wig combed out, thinned and styled.

The Article Referring to FIGURES 1 through 7 inclusive, and for the moment specifically to FIGURES 6 and 7, the knit structure of the cover A is shown in a magnified photograph which reveals the base cover structure to be knit from two ends of nylon 42 Groups or tufts of hair-like filaments 42 are shown interlaced between the bight of a needle loop 42 and the base curved portions of sinker loops 42. The photograph of FIGURE 7 is of the inner side of the identical fabric of FIGURE 6.

The structure of FIGURES 6 and 7, while showing interlacing as one form of securing or looping the filaments 42 with the cap or cover structure A of the wig, is but one form of securing these-filaments to the knit cover structure. They may be interknit or interlaced in groups or tufts. However, the important factor in this structure is that they are looped against being readily pulled out or removed from the cap structure. The density of the knit structure of the cover both course-wise and Wale-wise has been regulated to provide an open area to permit the pores of the head of the wearer to breathe in a natural manner and to reduce the overheating of the head which would come about from the use, of a tight knit structure.

The human head, particularly the upper portion thereof, over which a wig will be worn, is anatomically divided into frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes. These lobe areas of the human head are not identical for all human beings, some of these areas being more accentuated than others among human beings. It has been found, however, that generally speaking the human skull has a pronounced inwardly directed area from the outermost portion of the temporal lobes and for the wig to stay on the head of the wearer the wig must be forced to not only pass over the temporal areas when placing it on the head of the wearer, but it must also contract to embrace the lesser width areas of the head of the wearer below the temporal area. While this property of expansion and contraction of the cover to accommodate the temporal area has been emphasized, it is equally important that the wig conform to the geometric irregularities in the other areas above identified.

To further accomplish this end, as shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, the knit cover A is taped by non-resilient tapes C which extend at least along or in the vicinity of the terminal edges of the knit cover. Auxiliary tape areas C may be employed to further assist the knit cover in conforming to irregularities in the head structure as well as to retain the wig tightly about its edges to the head of the wearer so that the natural hair on the head of the wearer will not extend below the wig line, or line defined by the knit cover which extends wholly or partially over the portions of the skull above defined.

As best seen in FIGURE 3 the larger tape at the frontal area of the wig may be either a resilient or non-resilient tape as will be the edge tapes C. A resilient tape may be placed across the rear or left-hand end of the wig, as seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, but combinations of both resilient and non-resilient tapes may be employed. When the knit cover is knit of a stretch yarn such as a nylon torque yarn or Lycra, the tapes may be eliminated, but in the embodiment shown where both ends are regular nylon 42 the tapes are employed.

In order to assure that the tapes have been applied in the proper areas the tapes are applied while the inverted cover A is placed upon a head form D, as shown in FIG- URE 5.

The hair-like filaments B employed with the cover A may be natural or synthetic and may be dyed different colors and blends of colors may be employed to further enhance styling characteristics.

A knit cover, because of its structure, possesses certain inherent properties of expansion and contraction. These properties are preferably further enhanced and assisted for retaining the wig on the head of the wearer by the use of the resilient tapes. FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 show the knit cap in final shaped form having closeness of the knit lines at the leftand right-hand ends of each of the covers of FIGURES 3 and 4 as compared to the more widely spaced intermediate areas, thus providing inherent expansive and contractile characteristics. This is very much emphasized when the wig is in its relaxed condition as it is in FIGURES 3 and 4.

The stylable filaments 42 may be of natural hair, nylon or other synthetic filaments although most satisfactory results are obtained with the modacrylic yarn known as Dynel or Verel.

The backing yarn 42 can be of a variety of materials. I have used cotton, acrylic, modacrylic, nylon and stretch nylon backing yarns. At the present for a wig, a filament nylon yarn is being used because this gives excellent strength with the least amount of fuzziness so that an open ventilated structure can be obtained. With certain yarns which can be easily heatset, as for example, the modacrylic yarns, one can obtain good locking of the back and di mensional stability by treating the fabric with infra-red or hot air so that the backing yarn reaches a temperature of about 290 F. Nylon, too, can be heat set but this requires temperatures of closer to 400 F. The acrylic backing yarns can be utilized for moldeed objects. While they are in a strict sense of the word not heat-settable they can be deformed and set in a new configuration with heat.

In connection with back coating materials, since this is a knitted fabric, it is desirable to apply a natural or synthetic latex or resin to the back of the fabric for dimensional stability.

Although I have disclosed herein the best forms of the invention known to me at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications and changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A stylable artificial hairpiece for use with the headof a human being having frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes, all of which are to be at least partially covered comprising (a) a knit cover having inner and outer sides formed to conform at its inner side to portions at least of said frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes of the human head, and

(b) stylable filaments in excess of five inches in length secured to said knit cover by interlacing tufts of filaments in the knit structure thereof.

2. An artificial hairpiece as claimed in claim 1 wherein said filaments are (c) secured to said knit cover by interlacing and bonding of thefilaments to the knit cover.

3. A stylable artificial hairpiece for use with the head of a human being having frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes, all of which are to be at least partially covered comprising (a) a knit cover having inner and outer sides formed to conform at its inner side to portions at least of said frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes of the human head, and

(b) stylable filaments in excess of five inches in length interknit and bonded in the knit structure of said knit cover with both ends of the stylable filaments extending from the outer side of said knit cover.

6 4. A stylable artificial hairpiece for use with the head of a human being having frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes, all of which are to be at least partially covered comprising (a) a knit cover having inner and outer sides formed to conform at its inner side to portions at least of said frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes of the human head, and (b) stylable filaments in excess of five inches in length interknit in the knit structure of said knit cover with both ends of the stylable filaments extending from the outer side of said knit cover. 5. An artificial hairpiece as claimed in claim 4 wherein said stylable filaments are 24 to 40 denier modacrylic 6. An artificial hairpiece as claimed in claim 4 further comprising (0) conforming tapes secured to the inner side of the knit cover proximate the edges thereof for causing the edges of the hairpiece to conform to the head of the wearer after being passed over the temporal lobes of the head.

7. An artificial hairpiece as claimed in claim 6 wherein said conforming tapes (d) have properties of expansion and contraction to facilitate conformation of the knit cover to the head of the wearer.

8. A stylable artificial hairpiece for use with the head of a human being having frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes, all of which are to be at least partially covered comprising (a) a knit fabric having inner and outer sides formed to conform at its inner side to portions at least of said frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes,

(b) a plurality of noncrimped filaments having an average length of at least five inches and a denier of greater than 24 looped simultaneously with the formation of the loops of said fabric at bights intermediate the ends of said filaments with both ends of each of said filaments projecting from said outer side, and

(c) a bonding means coated on said inner side and interlocking said filaments at said bights to said loops, and with the openings formed by the knit stitches of said fabric free of occlusion by said bonding means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Feb. 28, Great Britain May 17,

Claims

3. A STYLABLE ARTIFICIAL HAIRPIECE FOR USE WITH THE HEAD OF A HUMAN BEING HAVING FRONTAL, PARIETAL, OCCIPITAL AND TEMPORAL LOBES, ALL OF WHICH ARE TO BE AT LEAST PARTIALLY COVERED COMPRISING (A) A KNIT COVER HAVING INNER AND OUTER SIDES FORMED TO CONFORM AT ITS INNER SIDE TO PORTIONS AT LEAST OF SAID FRONTAL, PARIETAL, OCCIPITAL AND TEMPORAL LOBES OF THE HUMAN HEAD, AND (B) STYLABLE FILAMENTS IN EXCESS OF FIVE INCHES IN LENGTH INTERKNIT AND BONDED IN THE KNIT STRUCTURE OF SAID KNIT COVER WITH BOTH ENDS OF THE STYLABLE FILAMENTS EXTENDING FROM THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID KNIT COVER.