US3087166A - Hockey helmet - Google Patents

Description

Aril 30, 1963 L. D. HOWARD 3,087,166

HOCKEY HELMET Filed Dec. 6. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Izwmaat Lai'iaefi D. Howafld,

April 30, 1963 D. HOWARD 3,

HOCKEY HELMET Filed Dec. 6. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iaweufom LufizeWfl.Howa: d, by w J United Stat My present invention relates to athletic equipment and especially protective head gear for participants in games such as hockey. More particularly it aims to provide an improved specialized helmet for hockey players, especially ice hockey but useful also for head protection for par ticipants in field hockey, lacrosse and other sports involving the use of sticks and pucks or balls.

The helmet as herein disclosed by way of example is particularly adapted for use by juvenile and little league ice hockey players. Among the objects of the invention is to provide for such helmet the capacity of simple and rapid adjustment to various head sizes, so that a given helmet is quickly fittable to players differing in head size. The resultant universal helmet, with respect to head size variation, further enables a team to be adequately equipped by a lesser number of helmet-s than if a plurality of each of the entire range of sizes had to be kept available. The same applies also to the retail sports goods dealers, in that under the present invention they need not carry such extensive stocks of helmets of dilferent sizes.

In the drawings illustrating by way of example one embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 shows the helmet in side elevation in use position on a wearer;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the helmet of FIG. 1 but with an inner layer of the back panel unstitched and folded forward in order more clearly to show the construction and arrangement of certain adjustable securing means of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a rear View of the helmet in an intermediate position of adjustment, substantially as in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, the helmet as a whole comprises a front panel 5 and aback panel 6, each separately constructed and permanently connected centrally of the upper margins as by astrap 7 of elastic webbing of substantial strength and having the opposite front and back ends securely fixed to the front andback panels 5 and 6 respectively. Thistop connector strap 7 is of a length to extend centrally over the wearers head and possesses longitudinal elasticity affording capacity for the twopanels 5, 6 to be separated one from the other under resilient tensioning of thewebbing strap 7 in the fore and aft direction, for accommodating different head sizes of different wearers and for retaining the helmet in worn position at any adjusted size thereof.

The front panel 5 comprises a generally half circular element including an intermediatefrontal portion 9 for covering the wearers forehead and having integral with itside portions 11, 11 includingdependent areas 11a, 11a adapted to cover the wearers temples. Such front panel is composed of :a plurality of layers or laminations including a tough flexible but form-retainingouter layer 13 of natural or artificial leather, flexible fibreboard or the like, aninner cushioning layer 15 of heavy felt, foamed synthetic or natural rubber or other cushioning material and at least at the central portion an inner coveringlayer 17 of soft flexible material such as suede leather or the like adapted to serve as a sweat band. These several layers are secured together as by strong through stitching as indicated at 19.

Theback panel 6 likewise is of laminar construct-ion. It comprises a convexo-concave outer semi-rigid formretaining and relatively stiffouter layer 8 of fibreboard, natural or artifical leather or the like, a separate atentinternal layer 10 of the similar or preferably somewhat stiifer sheet material secured to the inner face of theouter layer 8 only at spaced points as by a number of rivets 10a of which three are indicated on FIG. 3; see also FIG. 1. Thisback panel 6 is of a size and shape to extend from adjacent the wearers crown downwardly over the basal portion of the skull and the describedinner member 10 reinforces the major central and lower portion of theouter panel member 8. At the inner face of theinternal piece 10 and of the margin portions of theouter member 8 is aheavy cushioning layer 12 of felt, foam material or the like similarly as for the front panel 5. Said outer andinner layers 8 and 12 are secured together as a unit as by the heavy throughstitching 14.

The front andback panels 5 and 6 which together comprise the body of the helmet are further and adjustably interconnected, in addition to the connecting overheadelastic webbing 7, by flexibleside connector strips 20 and 21. These each comprise a length of longitudinally resilient elastic webbing having the front ends fixedly attached as a 22, 23 to the rear edges of the front panel 5 as by insertion between the layers thereof and anchoring by the describedstitching 19. At each of the upper side margins I01 corner areas of theback panel 6 theouter member 8 of the latter has a generallyvertical slot 16, 18 through which the free end-s of theside connector strips 20, 21 are slidably passed into the space between the outer andinner layers 8, 10 of saidpanel 6. Said strip ends thus located within thepanel 6 are each turned back upon and securely stitched to themselves to provide loops 2'4, 25 for the helmet adjusting and securing purposes to be described.

Desirably the helmet further comprises an under-chin harness or strap-type connector means such as represented in FIGS. 1 and 2. Such means as shown comprises at each side of the helmet adependent strap element 26 of V-form having the flared upper ends of the legs inserted between the layers of and stitched to the lower margins of the front andback panels 5, 6 respectively. Such depending strap elements, each of which may be of a single strap of leather or other material folded upon itself, are adapted to be adjustably interconnected at their lower ends as by a cross connector strap ofelastic webbing 27. One end ofsuch connector strap 27 is permanently attached as by stitching to the lower end of one of the dependingside straps 26, as at 27a, FIG. l2, and the other end is adapted for releasable and adjustable attachment to the lower end of the other dependingside strap 26 as by snap fastener means 29, 29, FIGS. 1 and 2. For purposes of adjustment saidcross connector piece 27 may have a number of alternatively available fastener elements distributed along it or it may be equipped with a sliding buckle member such as 30, FIG. 1, which itself carries at the inner face a snap fastener element for cooperation with such element at the lower end of the adjacent dependingside strap 26.

Further in accordance with the invention, quickly available and readily manipulable means .is provided in association with the front and back panels and theside straps 20, 21 thereof. Said means as illustrated comprises a singleunitary tie cord 35 together with two pairs of ports or cord passage formations in theouter layer 8 of theback panel 6 at the upper central area thereof. These include an upper laterally spaced and generally horizontally alignedport pair 36, 37 and a lower generally similarly spacedport pair 38, 39 in approximate vertigal line respectively with the individualupper ports 36, 3

The adjustingcord element 35, having at each end a suitable tying length thereof at the outside of the back panel, is passed inwardly through anupper port 36, noting particularly FIG. 2, thence laterally outwardly across 3 to and through theloop 24 of the adjacentside connector strap 20, thence reversely laterally 'back to and out through thelower port 38 vertically below theport 36 through which it entered. Externally of theback panel 6 said adjustingdraw cord 35 extends laterally across to and then inward through the otherlower port 39, then laterally across to and through theloop 25 of the adjacent'other side strap 21 and thence reversely back to and out through the otherupper port 37 to the exterior of theback panel 6 where again a sufficient length of the cord is made available for tying purposes in any relative position of adjustment of the front and back panels.

Assuming that the twopanels 5, 6 of the helmet are in an intermediate relative position of size adjustment, as for example as in FIGS. 1 and 2, and it is desired to adjust the helmet to a smaller head size, it is necessary merely to untie the ends of thecord 35 and grasp the readily available external projecting end portions thereof and draw upon them equally. As evident from examination of FIG. 2, such outward draft upon the two end portions of thecord 35 shortens the inside-panel looped portions thereof, thereby at the same time drawing theloops 24, 25 of the twoside straps 20, 21 laterally and rearwardly toward each other and toward the center of theback panel 6. By reason of the circuitous looping of the cord through the series of ports 36-39 frictional engagement particularly of the external cord portion 35x with the back panel between thelower ports 38, 39 tends to hold the parts in any position of relative adjustment to which they are moved. Such positioning is further insured by tying together the two outer end portions of thecord 35 in the manner as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. Conversely, relative adjustment of the panels for accommodating the helmet to larger head sizes is readily effected by an opposite procedure, again by untying the adjustingcord 35 and manually drawing apart the front andback panels 5, 6 to whatever extent is de sired within the range capacity of the particular helmet.

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiments thereof illustrated and described herein, and I set .forth its scope in my following claims.

I claim:

1. A hockey helmet comprising a front panel conformant to a wearers forehead and including lateral temple cover portions, a convexo-concave back panel in opposition to the front panel and having a lower portion to overlie the base of the wearers skull, said panels each having a plurality of component laminations including outer tough and form-retaining layers, inner cushioning layers and at least as to the front panel an inside covering layer of soft flexible material a longitudinal elastic top connecting web with opposite ends secured centrally to the upper margins of the front and back panels, an adjustable and releasably connecting chin harness including strap members extending from the lower side portions at each of the front and rear panels and including means for interconnecting them adjustably below the wearers chin, and adjustable interconnecting means between the upper rear portion of the front panel and the upper front portion of the back panel, at each side thereof, said means comprising rearwardly extending straps respectively anchored at the front ends to said upper rear front-panel portions, vertical slot formations in said upper front portion of the back panel adapted slidably to receive said straps therethrough, the latter having closed loops at the free ends internally of the back panel, upper and lower pairs of horizontally spaced ports at the central region 'of the back panel, a heavy flexible tie cord having the respective free end portions outside the back panel, said tie cord extending in to and out from the interior of the back panel through vertically adjacent ports of the upper and the lower pair thereof and having portions Within the back panel through the loops of the straps of the adjustable panel interconnecting means whereby draft on the end portions of the cord outside the back panel serves to move the panels toward each other for reducing the helmet headsize, said cord being releasable for re verse separation of the panels for increasing the helmet headsize, and there being a layer of padding material at the inner face of and secured to the back panel so as to cover the adjoined loop ends of said straps and the portion of said tie cord which interconnects them.

2. A hockey helmet according to claim 1 wherein the under-chin harness comprises single V-turned opposite side straps secured to the lower margins of the front and back panels at the respective-helmet sides and the means for variably interconnecting them as appropriate for the given helmet wearer comprises an under-chin cross piece secured to one side strap and having snap fastener means cooperable with like means on the other side strap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 863,315 Pierce Aug. 13, 1907 2,391,335 OBrien Dec. 18, 1945 2,607,036 McCoy Aug. 19, 1952 2,768,380 Golomb Oct. 30, 1956 I 2,769,176 Grancsay et al. Nov. 6, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 235,796 Switzerland May 1, 1945

Claims (1)

1. A HOCKEY HELMET COMPRISING A FRONT PANEL CONFORMANT TO A WEARER''S FOREHEAD AND INCLUDING LATERAL TEMPLE COVER PORTIONS, A CONVEXO-CONCAVE BACK PANEL IN OPPOSITION TO THE FRONT PANEL AND HAVING A LOWER PORTION TO OVERLIE THE BASE OF THE WEARER''S SKULL, SAID PANELS EACH HAVING A PLURALITY OF COMPONENT LAMINATIONS INCLUDING OUTER TOUGH AND FORM-RETAINING LAYERS, INNER CUSHIONING LAYERS AND AT LEAST AS TO THE FRONT PANEL AN INSIDE COVERING LAYER OF SOFT FLEXIBLE MATERIAL A LONGITUDINAL ELASTIC TOP CONNECTING WEB WITH OPPOSITE ENDS SECURED CENTRALLY TO THE UPPER MARGINS OF THE FROMT AND BACK PANELS, AN ADJUSTABLE AND RELEASABLY CONNECTING CHIN HARNESS INCLUDING STRAP MEMBERS EXTENDING FROM THE LOWER SIDE PORTIONS AT EACH OF THE FRONT AND REAR PANELS AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING THEM ADJUSTABLY BELOW THE WEARER''S CHIN, AND ADJUSTABLE INTERCONNECTING MEANS BETWEEN THE UPPER REAR PORTION OF THE FRONT PANEL AND THE UPPER FRONT PORTION OF THE BACK PANEL, AT EACH SIDE THEREOF, SAID MEANS COMPRISING REARWARDLY EXTENDING STRAPS RESPECTIVELY ANCHORED AT THE FRONT ENDS TO SAID UPPER REAR FRONT-PANEL PORTIONS, VERTICAL SLOT FORMATIONS IN SAID UPPER FRONT PORTION OF THE BACK PANEL ADAPTED SLIDABLY TO RECEIVE SAID STRAPS THERETHROUGH, THE LATTER HAVING CLOSED LOOPS AT THE FREE ENDS INTERNALLY OF THE BACK PANEL, UPPER AND LOWER PAIRS OF HORIZONTALLY SPACED PORTS AT THE CENTRAL REGION OF THE BACK PANEL, A HEAVY FLEXIBLE TIE CORD HAVING THE RESPECTIVE FREE END PORTIONS OUTSIDE THE BACK PANEL, SAID TIE CORD EXTENDING IN TO AND OUT FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE BACK PANEL THROUGH VERTICALLY ADJACENT PORTS OF THE UPPER AND THE LOWER PAIR THEREOF AND HAVING PORTIONS WITHIN THE BACK PANEL THROUGH THE LOOPS OF THE STRAPS OF THE ADJUSTABLE PANEL INTERCONNECTING MEANS WHEREBY DRAFT ON THE END PORTIONS OF THE CORD OUTSIDE THE BACK PANEL SERVES TO MOVE THE PANELS TOWARD EACH OTHER FOR REDUCING THE HELMET HEADSIZE, SAID CORD BEING RELEASABLE FOR REVERSE SEPARATION OF THE PANELS FOR INCREASING THE HELMET HEADSIZE, AND THERE BEING A LAYER OF PADDING MATERIAL AT THE INNER FACE OF AND SECURED TO THE BACK PANEL SO AS TO COVER THE ADJOINED LOOP ENDS OF SAID STRAPS AND THE PORTION OF SAID TIE CORD WHICH INTERCONNECTS THEM.

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