US2776436A - Ear muffs - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 8, 1957v E. BERG 2,776,436

EAR MUFFS Original Filed Sept. 14, 1951 J 36 45 E @nF-a /9 United States Patent() EAR MUFFS Elaine Berg, Chicago, Ill.

1 Claim. (CL2-.209)

The present invention relates to improvements in ear mnffs, and in particular to that type of ear muff in which the two muis are pivotally supported at the ends of a pair of telescoping steel spring bands. v

The present application is a `division of my prior ap- Iplication on ear muffs, tiled September 14, 1951, Ser. No.

246,627, U. S. Patent Number 2,651,046, issued September 8, 1953.

lOne of the disadvantages of such an ear mui assembly is that the steel band which supports the muffs is very cold and consequently uncomfortable for contact with the head or skin in cold weather, when the muifs are most likely to be worn. The steel hands are particularly uncomfortable on bald heads, not only because of their being so cold, but because they are sharp and stiff and narrow; and they are also uncomfortable when the band is worn behind the neck, as many people wear it.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improved ear muff structure in which the head or neck are protected from the steel band which is used to support the ear muffs of a certain construction.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved ear muft construction which is collapsible into a minimum amount ofspace.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved ear muti construction of the class described, which assists in holding the hair in place, and which may be made in a two tone construction so that it is reversible, to give a different effect when garments of different color are worn. i

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved protected ear mut construction which is simple, capable of economical manufacture, durable, attractive, and adapted to be used for a long period of time without necessity for repair or replacement of any of its parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the single sheet of drawings accompanying this specification,

, Fig. l is a view in perspective, showing a pair of ear muffs embodying the present invention, being worn by a user;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the ear muif assembly of Fig. l, with the head band protector shown in dotted lines in its collapsed or foldedposition;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view, showing how the ear mui assembly looks when it is completely collapsed;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the plane of the line 4--4 of Fig. 2,-look ing in the direction of the arrows;

' Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a modification;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view showing the protector of Fig. assembled with the steel bands;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the Patented Jan. 8, 1957 ICC plane of the line 8-8 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The ear muifs to which the present invention relates are of the type in which each ear muff 10 and 11 is covered by inner and outer layers of fabric 12 and 13 stitched together at the point 14 about an oval reinforcing ring 15.

The reinforcing ring pivotally supports a metal tab 16 on a pintle 1'7, this tab being pivoted to one of the steel `bands at 18. The two steel bands 19 and`20 are identically secured to the ear muffs, are curved at a smaller curvature than the head, and are secured to each other by steel sliders 21 so that they telescope upon each other or may be collapsed to a minimum length, that is, the length of one steel strap.

Such` ear mutt assemblies are well known in the prior art and are worn with the steel band over the head or -behind the neck, and are very uncomfortable because of the contact with the metal, which is cold, hard, stiff, and has sharp edges.

The spring band protector 22 embodied in the invention is shown in one form in Fig. 1; and it consists of a rectangular fabric member provided with regularly spaced pairs of slots 23, through which the steel bands 19 and 20 extend.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1-4 the protector is preferably made of two layers of felt fabric of different color secured together completely around their edges by a single line of stitching 24 and the folded binding tape 24a.

The slots 23 preferably pass through only one of the pieces of fabric 25; and the band is completely covered on the other side by the piece of fabric 26. The length of the protector 22 is suiiicient to extend from ear mutt to ear mutf when the steel bands 19 and 20 are fully extended; but the protector has its lowermost slots 23 located so that the protector has its end portions 27 overlapping the steel band pivots 18, as well as the metal tab 16 and its pintle 17.

This extension 27, which projects beyond the endmost slots 23, permits some adjustment in length of the steel band without having any folds in the protector. The protector may, however, be folded up like an accordion, as shown in Fig. 3; and in some cases may be worn in the manner shown in Fig. 3, if the user is in too much of a hurry to extend it.

Referring to Fig. 5, this is a modification in which a strip of felt, indicated at 42, is threaded through the slots 36, 37 of another wider strip of soft fabric 38. The two ends of these strips are secured together by a wire clip 39 at each end of the assembly.

In this case the steel bands may be threaded through the same slots above the band 42, keeping the steel entirely out of contact with the head. The two strips 38 and 42 may be of dilferent colored fabric; and the assembly involves no sewing of any kind.

The straps of fabric between the slits 36, 37 are indicated at 43; and these straps are recessed on their inner faces by the steel bands and bowed outwardly to receive the steel bands. The steel bands are thus located substantially in the plane of the outer surface of the strip 3S.

It will thus be observed that I have invented a plurality of simple forms of protectors for the steel springs of a commonly used form of ear mulfs. These protectors can be folded up, as shown in Fig. 3; and they can also be worn folded above one ear in the event the wearer chooses to do so. The cold steel springs are kept out of contact with the head or with the neck; and one of the major disadvantages of this type of ear muff has thus been eliminated.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without `departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is: l

An ear muft assembly comprising a pair of covered, sliding, spring steel bands, adapted to be collapsed or extended and adapted to support a pair of ear rnns on the wearer when the bands are placed about the head of the wearer, a first felt strip having inner and outer surfaces and having a greater width than said steel bands and having a sufcient length to cover the inside of the steel bands when fully extended, said felt strip having a plurality of pairs of slits extending transversely to the strip but terminating short of the lateral edges of the strip, the said pairs of slits being at regularly spaced in tervals, the slits of each pair being spaced from cach other by a strap of felt between each pair, said strap being integral with said strip, a second strip of felt having inner and outer surfaces and being of substantially the same length and narrow enough to be located inside said slits, the second strip being threaded through the slits of the first strip so that the second strip is located on one side of the rst strip except the integral straps which extend over the second strip, said strips being secured together at both ends thereof, the steel bands being threaded through the same slits as said second strip and positioned on the outer surface of both strips with the integral straps on the outside of the steel bands so as to protect the head of the wearer from the steel bands throughout the length of the steel bands, the felt strips being collapsible as a -unit into bellows-like folds on said steel bands at either end of the steel bands.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 139,831 Stone Jan. 10, 1873 486,725 Mellor Nov. 22, 1892 1,631,694 Rick lune 7, 1927 2,651,046 Berg Sept. 8, 1953

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