US3447541A - Head cover - Google Patents

Description

June 3, 1969- D, L, GOLDEN I 3,447,541

HEAD COVER Filed July 2l, 1966 f 4 a n 9:

x, INVENTOR. DAN/EL L. 601.05m

ATTO/6MM United States Patent O 3,447,541 HEAD COVER Daniel L. Golden, Bal Harbour, Fla. (1701 S. Ocean Drive, Hollywood, Fla. 33020) Filed July 21, 1966, Ser. No. 566,992 Int. Cl. A41g 3/00, 5/00 U.S. Cl. 132-5 9 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to head covers generally and, more particularly, to head covers of the class including, wigs, toupees, hairpieces and the like.

As is perhaps well known, in the head covering art relating to wigs and hairpieces, there are several types of such head covers designated generally as machine made, hand tie and semihand tie, the latter of which may be of the type which is provided with lateral wetting at all but the marginal edge of the foundation piece of the head cover. All such head covers are characterized by a foundation which includes a head cover panel to overlie and nest on the head ot the wearer. Specifically, this invention is of an improved head cover which includes, not only a foundation with a cover ypanel to rest on the head of the wearer and extending hair material in a simulated growth pattern, but also an intermediate layer of pigmented filaments, which may be waste filaments, and which filaments are arranged in randomized array on the cover panel ot the foundation so that each piece of the hair of the simulated growth pattern is connected to the foundation so as to be supported by the layer with the layer surrounding that portion ot each piece of hair where anchored so that the extending portion of the hair material is supported in a manner similar to that of which normal growth hair is supported by the scalp and short underlying growing hairs.

In the head covering art, which is often referred to generically as the wig art, it has been known to arrange hair material on the exterior surface of various types ot foundation pieces, such as skull caps, bases and the like, which are often of net material, but in all events include the characteristic head cover panel. Also, as is well known in the wig art, as that term is used generically, there are numerous limitations; for instance, parting of hair in wetted or machine made head covers, as opposed to hand made head covers; it is not possible or practical to part the hair for the reason that the direction of the hair material as applied to the foundation will preclude this.

This invention provides an intermediate layer between the extending visible hair portion of a head cover and the cover panel of the foundation which layer is composed of pigmented filaments loosely arranged in a randomized pattern and loosely connected in overlying relation to the cover lpanel so as to be of substantially uniform layer thickness over the same. The layer, which may be referred to as the mattress layer, acts as a thickness out of which the simulated growing hair projects and is yieldingly cushioned as by the scalp and short hair growth on a human head.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to pro- Patented June 3, 1969 vide a head cover and a method of making a head cover which comprises a foundation including a iiexible head cover panel and exteriorly carried hair material with the hair material being connected to the cover panel through a layer of pigmented filament in randomized array on the exterior of the cover panel.

It is another object of this invention to provide a head cover comprising a foundation with a head cover panel and a layer ot randomized hackle waste loosely capti vated thereover detining a mattress bed and projecting hair material arranged in a simulated growth pattern to extend out from an anchoring portion on each piece of hair which is connected to the head cover panel through the layer with the extending portion of the hair overlying and being supported by said layer.

It is another object ot this invention to provide a head cover including a flexible foundation and wetting arranged on the foundation with the wetting being connected to the foundation through a mattress layer of randomized pigmented filaments in layer form on the foundation whereby the wetting is secured in the layer at its connection to the foundation with the projecting portions of the hair being supported yieldably by the layers.

It is another object ot this invention t0 provide a method of making a head cover which utilizes hackling, other waste, or synthetic material, arranged in a mattress type layer as a bed in which hair material is anchored and over which the hair material is supported.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof:

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a head cover constructed in accordance with the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a foundation piece for a head cover;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 and illustrating a layer of pigmented filaments on the foundation;

FIG. 4 is a view in cross section of a typical net type foundation for an artificial head cover taken along the plane indicated by the line 4 4 of FIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4 taken along a similar plane in FIG. 3 to that indicated in FIG. 2 by the arrowed line 4-4;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 With hair material arranged to overlie the layer and with the portion of each strand anchored to the hairpiece and with the portion adjacent the foundation being surrounded by the layer;

FIG. 7 is a partial interior View of the hair head cover of FIG. l to illustrate a simulated crown area of the type defined by hair material of the wetting type in a circumposing pattern with the terminal area being adapted for a hand Ventilating operation well known in the art to define a crown;

FIG. 8 is a typical length of wetting material of the type used in making head covers of the instant type;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view ot a human head as it would appear if the 'longer hairs were removed and only short underlying hair growth is seen; and

FIG. l0 is a View similar to FIG. 5 and illustrating a cover panel, an overlying mattresses, and an outer panel to hold the layer captivated on the cover panel.

Before proceeding further with the rdescription, it will be helpful to refer initially to FIGURE 8. ln this figure there is lshown a plurality of substantially parallel aligned strands of hair material 12, each of which is connected together to form a strip of wetting 14 by means ot stitching 16 along one marginal edge of the strip. In

practice, the length of the individual filaments of the hair materials of each strip are preferably substantially uniform; however, various length hair may be utilized on various strips and arranged, for instance, four to ten inches. In the following description the hair material of the wefted type shown in FIGURE 8 will be described as included in the preferred embodiment without limitation tothe utilization of other well known hair material arrangements, such as is common in the hand tied or semihand made head covering. Foundations in the wig art are known by various. names such as skull caps, bases, or simply caps, depending upon the particular use to be made of it, such as in a hairpiece, wig or toupee. Irrespective of the use, all such foundations are characterized by a cover panel which in FIGURE 2 has been designated by the numeral 20. The foundation panels are customarily of net material which is flexible and adapted to conform to the head of a wearer. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 6, a layer 22 of pigmented material, FIGURE 5, in a randomized array is loosely secured on the exterior of the cover panel by means of loosely connected threads 24 which engage the cover panel as at 26 so that the exterior surface of the layer is resiliently responsive to deforming pressures, and make as seen in cross section and referred to hereinafter as, a mattress layer of pigments filaments. The mattress layer is best seen in FIGURE 3 with the loosely arranged holding threads being indicated in darker lines for purposes of illustration, it being understood that the same will be of a corresponding or compatible pigment to that of the randomized filaments of the mattress layer. The thickness of the mattress layer is relatively thin and of a loose thickness of approximately one-sixteenth to live-sixteenths of an inch, preferably. The pigmented ilaments may be of any desired material, synthetic or otherwise, and as will be described in the following paragraph, may be composed of heretofore wasted products from the hair hackling process or the waste products of any of the other production techniques in the wig making art.

The hair material generally designated by the numeral 32. is connected to the combination of the cover panel and layer so that the hair material overlays the exterior surface of the combination in a simulated growth pattern. dt is noted that each of the lengths of the hair material is connected by a portion 34 to the cover panel of the foundation by a suitable anchoring means such as the stitches 36 with the portion 38 adjacent the anchoring means 36 being surrounded by the thickness of the layer with the extending portion 40 overlaying the exterior surface of the layer. The natural resiliency of the hair material when arranged in a simulated hair growth pattern and connected to the aforesaid combination causes it to have a `somewhat cantilevered type of connection with the layer cushioning it and, by reason of the fact that it tends to surround the portion adjacent the connection of the individual hair strands, tends to support it and cause it to project outwardly similarly to the manner in which growing hair is yieldingly encouraged into a certain pattern by the thickness of the flesh over the skull and the short new growth hairs on a human head through which the longer length growing human hair extends. -In FIGURE 9 there is shown for illustrative purposes a human head with the longer hair being removed so that just the brush type layer of short hairs remains; it is this cushion type brush layer which is simulated by the layer of the instant invention.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention in wig form, the hair material is of the wefted type earlier described in FIGURE 8 with a strip. Strips are connected as indicated in FIGURE 6 in rows or terraces, and, as in the case of FIGURE l, the rows or terraces are of the continuous Archimedes spiral form type which terminate in a crown portion, which as seen in FIGURE 7, with the 4 terminal, generally circular area being hand ventilated to simulate a crown as is well known in the art.

IIn the processing of hair in wig making establishments, the process of preparing wefting, as well as other processes, there is waste created. For instance, in making wefting or strips of wefting, it is a necessary operation to hackle the hair, i.e., comb it and arrange it into parallel alignment. This operation is done by drawing it through combs Which in industrial applications comprise a. block with upstanding fingers through which the hair is drawn until the individual filaments are aligned. In hackling, a waste of disarranged hair accumulates in the combs which is periodically removed and discarded. Since this hair is of the same color and texture as that being hackled, it is a waste of mating or corresponding material to that which is ultimately used in la hair cover which uses the wefting of the representative batches. In a preferred ernbodiment of the instant invention the filamentous material of the layer is composed of this waste material which is arranged on the foundation and in operation moves to assembly with the hackled hair of each bat-eh which forms the wefting.

While in the above described embodiment, the foundation is illustrated and described as being composed of a single cover panel, a different type of @foundation may be employed. With reference to FIGURE l0, it is seen that an outer panel 20' may be provided to overlie the layer of Waste material and be supported thereover with the marginal edges of the panels being in congruent relation and secured together to define a pocket 21 therebetween in which the pigmented waste material is arranged and captivated. Preferably, the outside panel is also of net material and this has the increased benefit that the stitching of FIGURE 5 is not necessarily required since the terminal ends of the hair will in time pass through the openings of the net and tend to hold the waste material in the predetermined and arranged positions of distribution in the layer. The type of foundation illustrated in FIGURE l0 is the preferred embodiment for hair pieces and toupees.

An important advantage of the instant inclusion of the intermediate layer is a waste material utilization which conforms in all material respects to the appearance of the hair which actually provides the exterior of the head cover.

Further, the hair, by reason of its cantilever type of connection and the yielding cushiony support provided by the layer adjacent the connection of the hair material, assumes a more natural lay or appearance and permits of less bulk but resutls in an appearance of more lfullness and requires less exterior hair material for a natural appearance. Further, this resemblance to growing human hair and decreased bulk with increased fullness permits of hair arranging by a hair stylist to create fantasy and highly styled coiffures of al'l types and styles. While in the preferred embodiment the mattress layer is of the hackled waste of each batch; other Itype of material of a synthetic or of actual growth type may be utilized. In making head covers in accordance With this invention it will Ibe apparen-t that -other types of binders may be utilized to hold the various panels and layers to- Igether, such as the various adhesives which are known. This present invention provides a lightness and naturally supported exterior hair growth pattern which permits of breathing by reason -of the light supporting cushion layer.

What is claimed is:

1. A head cover comprising:

a :liexible foundation including a cover panel to rest on the head of a wearer and adapted to conform to the configuration thereof;

a layer of pigmented filaments in randomized arr-ay on the cover panel of the foundation;

means compatibly pigmented to that of the color of said filaments to loosely hold the layer on the cover panel;

hair material arranged on the cover in a simulated growth pattern and extending exteriorly from the cover panel, and

anchoring means to securely hold a portion of each piece of extending hair to cover the panel;

with each piece of hair extending outwardly of the layer and with the portion adjacent the anchoring means being surrounded by the layer and with the extending portion of each piece of hair overlaying said layer and resiliently supported thereby when the head cover is on the head of a wearer.

2. A head cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means to loosely hold comprise loose stitches.

3. A head cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means to loosely hold comprise an outer panel and means to join said panels with the panels defining a pocket t captivate the layer.

4. A head cover as set forth in claim 3 wherein the outer panel is of net material and the terminal ends of some of the hair of the layer extends through some of the openings of the net to hold the 'layer in a predetermined arranged position in the pocket.

5. A head cover as set forth in claim 1, wherein the hair material is in strips of wetting, each strip comprising a plurality of hairs of similar length in substantial parallel alignment and stitched together -to extend outwardly of a stitch line.

6. A head cover as set forth in claim 5 wherein said stitch line is adjacent the longitudina'l marginal edge of the strips of wefting.

7. A head cover as set forth in claim '5 wherein said strips are applied to said cover in a spiral form.

8. A method of making a head cover comprising the steps 0f: distributing pigmented filaments in a randomized array on the exterior of a head covering panel, loosely Vsecuring the randomized pigmented material to form a bed of substantially uniform thickness over the exterior of the cover panel and securing hair material in the bed to the cover panel with the distal ends of the hair material overlaying `the bed.

9. A method of making a head cover as set forth in claim 8 wherein the hair material is of wefted material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,789,567 4/ 1957 Jacoby 132-53 3,165,107 1/1965 lMartin et al. 132-53 3,273,570 9/ 1966 Allison 132-53 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

I AMES W. MITCHELL, Assistant Examiner.

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