Knitted headwear with wind barrier

Claim 2

Headwear having a face hood dimensioned to extend about the face and neck of a wearer, said hood being in the form of a tube open at its lower end, wherein the improvement comprises said tube being formed of inner and outer layers of stretchable porous knitted material having aligned eye openings, a wind barrier comprising a flexible intermediate layer of relatively nonstretchable material disposed between said inner and outer layers and having free lateral portions unsecured to said knitted layers, said intermediate layer having lateral dimensions substantially less than the circumference of said tube and having an eye opening in registry with and larger than the eye openings of the respective inner and outer knitted layers, whereby, said knitted layers are circumferentially stretchable and contractable without restraint from said intermediate layer, and means for retaining said intermediate layer with the eye opening thereof in registry with the eye openings of said inner and outer knitted layers.

Claim 3

The structure of claim 1 in which said intermediate layer is provided with a mouth opening positioned to be aligned with a user''s mouth when said headwear is worn.

Claim 4

The structure of claim 1 in which said inner and outer layers are integrally formed.

Claim 5

The structure of claim 1 in which said intermediate layer has the general outline of a wearer''s face and has a width substantially less than one half the circumference of said tube.

Claim 6

The structure of claim 1 in which said intermediate barrier layer is formed of relatively non-porous flexible resilient plastic material. 6. The structure of claim 1 in which said means comprises stitching for attaching the margins of the eye openings of said inner and outer layers together.

Claim 7

The structure of claim 6 in which said stitching is stretchable to permit expansion of said aligned eye openings in said inner and outer knitted layers so that the lower edges of said openings may be extended beneath a wearer''s chin to expose his mouth, nose, and chin.

Claim 8

Headwear having a face hood dimensioned to extend about the face and neck of a wearer, said hood being in the form of a tube open at its lower end, wherein the improvement comprises said tube being formed of inner and outer layers of stretchable porous knitted material having aligned eye openings, a wind barrier comprising a flexible intermediate layer of relatively non-stretchable material disposed between said inner and outer layers and having free lateral portions unsecured to said knitted layers, said intermediate layer having lateral dimensions substantially less than the circumference of said tube and having an eye opening in registry with and larger than the eye openings of the respective inner and outer knitted layers, whereby, said knitted layers are circumferentially stretchable and contractable without restraint from said intermediate layer, and means for retaining said iNtermediate layer with the eye opening thereof in registry with the eye openings of said inner and outer knitted layers, said means comprising stitching for attaching the margins of the eye openings of said inner and outer layers together, said stitching being stretchable to permit expansion of said aligned eye openings in said inner and outer knitted layers so that the lower edges of said openings may be extended beneath a wearer''s chin to expose his mouth, nose, and chin, said intermediate layer being provided with a pair of slits extending downwardly from opposite sides of the eye opening thereof and terminating at their lower ends at points spaced above the bottom of said intermediate layer to define a flap portion disposed beneath the intermediate layer''s eye opening, said flap portion being foldable downwardly as the knitted material is stretched to expose the lower portion of a wearer''s face.

Claim 9

Headwear having a face hood dimensioned to extend about the face and neck of a wearer, said hood being in the form of a tube open at its lower end, wherein the improvement comprises said tube being formed of inner and outer layers of stretchable porous knitted material having aligned eye openings, a wind barrier comprising a flexible intermediate layer of relatively non-stretchable material disposed between said inner and outer layers and having free lateral portions unsecured to said knitted layers, said intermediate layer having lateral dimensions substantially less than the circumference of said tube and having an eye opening in registry with and larger than the eye openings of the respective inner and outer knitted layers, whereby, said knitted layers are circumferentially stretchable and contractable without restraint from said intermediate layer, and means for retaining said iNtermediate layer with the eye opening thereof in registry with the eye openings of said inner and outer knitted layers, said means comprising stitching for attaching the margins of the eye openings of said inner and outer layers together, said stitching being stretchable to permit expansion of said aligned eye openings in said inner and outer knitted layers so that the lower edges of said openings may be extended beneath a wearer''s chin to expose his mouth, nose, and chin, said intermediate layer being provided with a pair of slits extending downwardly from opposite sides of the eye opening thereof and terminating at their lower ends at points spaced above the bottom of said intermediate layer to define a flap portion disposed beneath the intermediate layer''s eye opening, said flap portion being foldable downwardly as the knitted material is stretched to expose the lower portion of a wearer''s face.

Claim 10

The structure of claim 8 in which said flap portion is provided with a mouth opening positioned to be aligned with a wearer''s mouth when said flap is raised to cover the mouth.

Claim 11

The structure of claim 8 in which means are provided to urge the upper corners of said flap portion in an upward direction.

Claim 12

The structure of claim 10 in which said means comprises a pair of elastic bands extending between the upper corners of said flap portion and lateral points disposed above the eye opening of said intermediate layer.

Claim 13

The structure of claim 6 in which said intermediate layer is provided with a tab projecting into the eye opening thereof along the vertical mid line of said intermediate portion, said tab being connected by said stitching to said inner and outer knitted layers.

Claim 14

A cap and hood combination comprising a tube formed of inner and outer layers of stretchable porous knitted material, said tube being open at its lower end and closed at its upper end and being dimensioned to be stretched over the head of a wearer, said inner and outer layers having aligned openings therein, a wind barrier comprising a flexible intermediate layer of relatively non-porous and relatively non-stretchable material disposed between said inner and outer knitted layers and having free lateral portions unsecured to said knitted layers for movement relative thereto, said intermediate layer having lateral dimensions substantially less than the full circumference of said tube and having an opening in registry with the aligned openings of said inner and outer layers, and means for retaining said intermediate layer with the opening thereof in registry with the openings of said inner and outer layers to form in combination a single face opening for the hood.

Claim 15

A cap and hood combination comprising a tube formed of inner and outer layers of stretchable porous knitted material, said tube being open at its lower end and closed at its upper end and being dimensioned to be stretched over the head of a wearer, said inner and outer layers having aligned openings therein, a wind barrier comprising a flexible intermediate layer of relatively non-porous and relatively non-stretchable material disposed between said inner and outer knitted layers and having free lateral portions unsecured to said knitted layers for movement relative thereto, said intermediate layer having lateral dimensions substantially less than the full circumference of said tube and having an opening in registry with the aligned openings of said inner and outer layers, and means for retaining said intermediate layer with the opening thereof in registry with the openings of said inner and outer layers to form in combination a single face opening for the hood.

Claim 16

The structure of claim 13 in which the opening of said intermediate layer is substantially larger than the aligned openings of said inner and outer layers, said means including stitching securing the margins of the openings of said inner and outer layers together, said stitching extending through said opening of said intermediate layer.

Claim 17

The structure of claim 14 in which said intermediate layer is provided with at least one tab portion projecting into the opening of said intermediate layer along the vertical mid line thereof, said stitching extending through said tab to join said intermediate layer to said inner and outer layers only along said vertical mid line.

Claim 18

The structure of claim 15 in which said intermediate layer is provided with a pair of said tabs extending upwardly and downwardly from the lower and upper edges of the opening in said intermediate layer, said stitching extending through both of said tabs.

Claim 19

The structure of claim 13 in which said intermediate layer is formed of flexible plastic material.

Claim 20

The structure of claim 13 in which said intermediate layer has a width substantially less than one half the circumference of said tube.

Claim 21

The structure of claim 13 in which said intermediate layer has vertical dimensions substantially less than the vertical axial diMension of said tube.

Claim 22

The structure of claim 13 in which said inner and outer layers are integrally formed.

Claim 23

A cap-hood combination comprising a tube formed of inner and outer layers of stretchable porous knitted material, said tube being open at its lower end and closed at its upper end and being dimensioned to be stretched over the head of a wearer, said inner and outer layers having aligned openings therethrough, a wind barrier comprising a flexible intermediate layer of relatively non-porous and relatively non-stretchable material disposed between said inner and outer layers, said intermediate layer having lateral dimensions substantially less than the full circumference of said tube and having an opening in registry with the aligned openings of said inner and outer layers, said openings of said intermediate, inner, and outer layers together forming a face opening for said hood, said opening of said intermediate layer being substantially larger than the aligned openings of said inner and outer layers, and stretchable stitching attaching the margins of the aligned openings of said inner and outer layers, said stitching extending through the opening of said intermediate layer.

Claim 24

A cap-hood combination comprising a tube formed of inner and outer layers of stretchable porous knitted material, said tube being open at its lower end and closed at its upper end and being dimensioned to be stretched over the head of a wearer, said inner and outer layers having aligned openings therethrough, a wind barrier comprising a flexible intermediate layer of relatively non-porous and relatively non-stretchable material disposed between said inner and outer layers, said intermediate layer having lateral dimensions substantially less than the full circumference of said tube and having an opening in registry with the aligned openings of said inner and outer layers, said openings of said intermediate, inner, and outer layers together forming a face opening for said hood, said opening of said intermediate layer being substantially larger than the aligned openings of said inner and outer layers, and stretchable stitching attaching the margins of the aligned openings of said inner and outer layers, said stitching extending through the opening of said intermediate layer.

Claim 25

A cap-hood combination comprising a tube formed of inner and outer layers of stretchable porous knitted material, said tube being open at its lower end and closed at its upper end and being dimensioned to be stretched over the head of a wearer, said inner and outer layers having aligned openings therethrough, a wind barrier comprising a flexible intermediate layer of relatively non-porous and relatively non-stretchable material disposed between said inner and outer layers, said intermediate layer having lateral dimensions substantially less than the full circumference of said tube and having an opening in registry with the aligned openings of said inner and outer layers, said openings of said intermediate, inner, and outer layers together forming a face opening for said hood, said opening of said intermediate layer being substantially larger than the aligned openings of said inner and outer layers, and stretchable stitching attaching the margins of the aligned openings of said inner and outer layers, said stitching extending through the opening of said intermediate layer, said intermediate layer being provided with a pair of slits extending downwardly from opposite sides of the opening thereof to define a flap portion foldable downwardly as the face opening of said hood is expanded to expose the lower portion of a wearer''s face.

Claim 26

A cap-hood combination comprising a tube formed of inner and outer layers of stretchable porous knitted material, said tube being open at its lower end and closed at its upper end and being dimensioned to be stretched over the head of a wearer, said inner and outer layers having aligned openings therethrough, a wind barrier comprising a flexible intermediate layer of relatively non-porous and relatively non-stretchable material disposed between said inner and outer layers, said intermediate layer having lateral dimensions substantially less than the full circumference of said tube and having an opening in registry with the aligned openings of said inner and outer layers, said openings of said intermediate, inner, and outer layers together forming a face opening for said hood, said opening of said intermediate layer being substantially larger than the aligned openings of said inner and outer layers, and stretchable stitching attaching the margins of the aligned openings of said inner and outer layers, said stitching extending through the opening of said intermediate layer, said intermediate layer being provided with a pair of slits extending downwardly from opposite sides of the opening thereof to define a flap portion foldable downwardly as the face opening of said hood is expanded to expose the lower portion of a wearer''s face.

Claim 27

The structure of claim 22 in which said flap portion is provided with a mouth opening positioned to be aligned with a wearer''s mouth when said flap is in raised position.

Claim 28

The structure of claim 22 in which means are provided to urge said flap into a normally raised position.

Claim 29

The structure of claim 24 in which said means comprises a pair of elastic bands extending between the upper corners of said flap and spaced lateral points above the opening of said intermediate layer.

Claim 30

The structure of claim 21 in which said intermediate layer is provided with at least one tab projecting into the opening of said intermediate layer along the vertical mid line thereof, said tab portion being connected by said stitching to said inner and outer knitted layers, said intermediate layer having free lateral portions on opposite sides of said tab unsecured to said knitted layers.

Claim 31

The structure of claim 26 in which said intermediate layer is provided with a pair of said tabs projecting downwardly and upwardly from the upper and lower edges of the opening in said intermediate layer and along the vertical mid line of such layer, both of said tab portions being secured by said stitching to said knitted layers.

Claim 32

The structure of claim 21 in which said intermediate layer is formed of flexible plastic material.

Claim 33

The structure of claim 21 in which said intermediate layer has a width substantially less than one half the circumference of said tuBe.

Claim 34

The structure of claim 21 in which said intermediate layer has vertical dimensions substantially less than the vertical axial dimensions of said tube.