US5428843A — Adjustable cap, method and system for sizing caps

Claim 1

Independent Claim 287 words

A cap which is self-adjusting within a predetermined range of hat sizes, said cap comprising: (a) a crown having a dome and a continuous lower rim formed of a flexible substantially inelastic material and with a front portion and a rear portion together having a fully expanded size corresponding to a maximum size at least as large as a largest hat size within said range of hat sizes; (b) an elastic strip having a rear portion, which elastic strip is attached to said front portion of said rim so that said rear portion results in an unstretched hat size together with said front portion of said rim, which unstretched hat size is at least as small as a minimum hat size within said predetermined range of hat sizes and said elastic strip having a partially stretched condition resulting in a stretched size together with said front rim portion, which stretched size corresponds to said maximum size of said lower rim which is at least as large as said largest hat size within said range of hat sizes; and (c) a plurality of uniformly spaced stitches connecting said rear portion of elastic strip in said partially stretched condition along said rear portion of said lower rim, which partially stretched condition of said elastic strip corresponds to said maximum size of said lower rim which is at least as large as said maximum hat size within said range of hat sizes so that said rear portion of said lower rim collapses uniformly with said partially stretched and uniformly stitched rear portion of said elastic strip as said elastic strip returns to its unstretched size at least as small as said minimum hat size within said range of hat sizes.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 287 words

A cap which is self-adjusting within a predetermined range of hat sizes, said cap comprising: (a) a crown having a dome and a continuous lower rim formed of a flexible substantially inelastic material and with a front portion and a rear portion together having a fully expanded size corresponding to a maximum size at least as large as a largest hat size within said range of hat sizes; (b) an elastic strip having a rear portion, which elastic strip is attached to said front portion of said rim so that said rear portion results in an unstretched hat size together with said front portion of said rim, which unstretched hat size is at least as small as a minimum hat size within said predetermined range of hat sizes and said elastic strip having a partially stretched condition resulting in a stretched size together with said front rim portion, which stretched size corresponds to said maximum size of said lower rim which is at least as large as said largest hat size within said range of hat sizes; and (c) a plurality of uniformly spaced stitches connecting said rear portion of elastic strip in said partially stretched condition along said rear portion of said lower rim, which partially stretched condition of said elastic strip corresponds to said maximum size of said lower rim which is at least as large as said maximum hat size within said range of hat sizes so that said rear portion of said lower rim collapses uniformly with said partially stretched and uniformly stitched rear portion of said elastic strip as said elastic strip returns to its unstretched size at least as small as said minimum hat size within said range of hat sizes.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 32 words

A cap as in claim 1 wherein said rear portion of said rim comprises more than 180° and said front portion of said rim comprises less than 180° of the total rim.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 196 words

A cap which is self-adjusting within a predetermined range of hat sizes, said cap comprising: (a) a crown having a dome and a lower rim formed of a flexible substantially inelastic material having a fully expanded size corresponding to a maximum hat size within said range of hat sizes; (b) an elastic strip formed in a continuous band having an unstretched condition resulting in a size corresponding to a minimum hat size within said predetermined range of hat sizes and having a partially stretched condition resulting in a size corresponding to said maximum hat size within said range of hat sizes; (c) a first plurality of uniformly spaced stitches connecting said elastic band at a front portion of said lower rim in its unstretched condition; and (d) a second plurality of uniformly spaced stitches connecting said elastic band along a rear portion of said lower rim in its partially stretched condition corresponding to said maximum hat size within said range of hat sizes so that said rear portion of said lower rim collapses uniformly with said elastic as said elastic returns to its unstretched condition corresponding to said smallest hat size within said range of adjustability.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 196 words

A cap which is self-adjusting within a predetermined range of hat sizes, said cap comprising: (a) a crown having a dome and a lower rim formed of a flexible substantially inelastic material having a fully expanded size corresponding to a maximum hat size within said range of hat sizes; (b) an elastic strip formed in a continuous band having an unstretched condition resulting in a size corresponding to a minimum hat size within said predetermined range of hat sizes and having a partially stretched condition resulting in a size corresponding to said maximum hat size within said range of hat sizes; (c) a first plurality of uniformly spaced stitches connecting said elastic band at a front portion of said lower rim in its unstretched condition; and (d) a second plurality of uniformly spaced stitches connecting said elastic band along a rear portion of said lower rim in its partially stretched condition corresponding to said maximum hat size within said range of hat sizes so that said rear portion of said lower rim collapses uniformly with said elastic as said elastic returns to its unstretched condition corresponding to said smallest hat size within said range of adjustability.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 49 words

A cap which is self-adjusting within a predetermined range of hat sizes as in claim 3 further comprising a visor attached to said front portion of said lower rim corresponding to said first plurality of uniformly spaced stitches at which said elastic band is attached in its unstretched condition.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 45 words

A self-adjusting cap as in claim 4 wherein said adjustable range of circumferential dimensions between said minimum hat size and said maximum hat size within said range of adjustability spans greater than about 3/4 of an inch and less than about 2 inches of circumference.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 48 words

A self-adjusting cap as in claim 3 wherein said crown having a dome and a lower rim comprises a plurality of continuous panels of flexible inelastic material sewn together along seams such that said dome and lower rim are substantially continuously interconnected so that no open area exists.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 69 words

A self-adjusting cap as in claim 3 further comprising a sweat band sized corresponding to the largest hat size within the range of adjustability, which sweat band is stitched substantially continuously around the lower rim portion inside said crown overlapping said elastic band with said elastic band stretched to said largest size so that said sweat band collapses and expands with said elastic when tension is released or reapplied.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 34 words

A self-adjusting cap as in claim 3 wherein said elastic band comprises a strip of elastic having a thickness of about 1/32 of an inch and a width of about 1/2 of an inch.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 44 words

A self-adjusting cap as in claim 3 wherein said adjustable range of circumferential dimension between said minimum hat size and said maximum hat size within said adjustable range spans greater than about 3/4 of an inch and less than about 3 inches of circumference.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 40 words

A self-adjusting cap as in claim 3 wherein said range of adjustable hat sizes between said minimum hat size and said maximum hat size spans greater than about 3/4 of an inch and less than about 11/2 inches of circumference.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 42 words

A self-adjusting cap as in claim 3 wherein said range of adjustable hat sizes between said maximum hat size and said minimum hat size spans about 11/8 inches of circumference covering a range of about three standard 1/8 inch diameter hat sizes.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 37 words

A self-adjusting cap as in claim 3 wherein said elastic strip is attached to said lower rim with sewn stitches evenly spaced circumferentially therearound when said elastic and lower rim are stretched to the maximum hat size.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 36 words

A self-adjusting cap as in claim 12 wherein said evenly spaced stitching circumferentially around said lower rim comprise stitches having a spacing determined by a stitching rate of between about 8 and 10 stitches per inch.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 13 words

A self-adjusting cap as in claim 13 wherein said stitches comprise lock stitches.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 163 words

A method of forming a self-adjusting cap comprising the steps of: (a) cutting panels for forming a cap crown, including a substantially continuous lower rim portion having a size corresponding to a maximum hat size within a range of desired adjustability, which rim is continuous with a dome portion; (b) sewing said panels together along panel seams; (c) cutting a strip of elastic at a first predetermined length in an unstretched condition; (d) attaching said elastic strip at least at each side of a front portion of said rim so that a rear portion of said elastic strip remains unstitched; (e) stretching said rear portion of said elastic strip to correspond to a maximum hat size around a rear portion of said rim; and (f) stitching said stretched rear portion of said elastic strip to said rear portion of said lower rim, while said rear portion of said elastic strip is in a stretched condition, with evenly spaced stitches in a circumferential direction.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 163 words

A method of forming a self-adjusting cap comprising the steps of: (a) cutting panels for forming a cap crown, including a substantially continuous lower rim portion having a size corresponding to a maximum hat size within a range of desired adjustability, which rim is continuous with a dome portion; (b) sewing said panels together along panel seams; (c) cutting a strip of elastic at a first predetermined length in an unstretched condition; (d) attaching said elastic strip at least at each side of a front portion of said rim so that a rear portion of said elastic strip remains unstitched; (e) stretching said rear portion of said elastic strip to correspond to a maximum hat size around a rear portion of said rim; and (f) stitching said stretched rear portion of said elastic strip to said rear portion of said lower rim, while said rear portion of said elastic strip is in a stretched condition, with evenly spaced stitches in a circumferential direction.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 73 words

A method of forming a self-adjusting cap as in claim 15, wherein said stretched portion of said elastic strip and said rear portion of said lower rim to which said stretched portion of said elastic is stitched comprises more than 180° of the circumference of said lower rim and said portion of said lower rim at which said elastic strip is attached in an unstretched condition comprises less than 180° of the circumference.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 39 words

A method of forming a self-adjusting cap as in claim 16, wherein the step of attaching the elastic strip comprises stitching the elastic strip with evenly spaced stitches at a rate of about 8 to 10 stitches per inch.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 162 words

A method of forming a self-adjusting cap as in claim 15 further comprising the steps of: (a) cutting said elastic strip in a predetermined length corresponding to a circumference of a circle corresponding to a minimum hat size within a range of adjustability, plus a short distance for an overlap; (b) sewing overlapped ends of said strip together to form a continuous elastic band having a diameter corresponding to said minimum hat size within said range of adjustability; (c) sewing a front portion of said elastic around said front portion of said lower rim without stretching said elastic; (d) stretching the remainder of said elastic band to conform to said rear rim portion; and (e) stitching said stretched remainder of said elastic band to said rear rim portion while said remainder of said elastic band is maintained in a stretched condition with said evenly spaced stitches in a circumferential direction at least partially around said lower rim along said rear rim portion.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 69 words

A method of forming a self-adjusting cap as in claim 18, wherein said stretched portion of said elastic band and rear portion of said lower rim to which said stretched portion is stitched comprises more than 180° of the circumference of said lower rim and said front portion of said rim at which said elastic band is attached in an unstretched condition comprises less than 180° of the circumference.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 50 words

A method of forming a self-adjusting cap as in claim 18, wherein said step of stitching said stretched elastic to said expanded rim comprises the step of continuously forming uniformly spaced lock stitches at a rate of 8 to 10 stitches per inch around the rear portion of the rim.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 51 words

A method of forming a self-adjusting cap as in claim 18, wherein said step of forming said band of elastic strip comprises forming a band having a diameter corresponding to a hat size three hat sizes smaller than the maximum diameter of the rim formed with said cut and sewn panels.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1998-07-03	1999-01-02	1999-07-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2002-07-03	2003-01-02	2003-07-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2006-07-03	2007-01-02	2007-07-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Adjustable cap, method and system for sizing caps

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