Improvement in the Method of Sewing Sweat-bands in Hats.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1894-Accepted, 10th Mar., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in the Method of Sewing Sweat-bands in Hats.
I, SYDNEY PITT, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, (a com-
munication to me from abroad by James Stewart, Junior, of the City of Yonkers,
in the County of Westchester, State of New York, United States of America,)
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
If sweat-bands were sewed into hats, without being previously prepared with an
attaching strip, by a machine having a flat bed-plate, the brim and side of the
crown would have to be flattened out, i.e., when laid upon the bed-plate they would
lie flat in the same plane, and the indication of the angle where the brim and side
of the crown unite would be practically obliterated. Owing to the flexible nature
of the felt and the difficulty of cutting the brim with perfect accuracy, the use of a
gauge or guide against which the edge of the brim may bear is unsatisfactory and
impracticable. For these reasons, even if the sweat were secured by a straight
line of stitching, imperfect, uneven work would necessarily result, because the
operator would be practically guided by his judgment only. Should an attempt
be made to sew the sweat in by a machine having a zig-zag or forward and back
stitch, the difficulty of turning out perfect work would be largely increased,
because the operator would become confused by the lateral or forward and back
movement of the needle, and no longer have even the regular reciprocation of the
needle in the same plane to guide him. A like difficulty arises when attempt is
made to secure the sweat in place by the stitching of two needles reciprocating in
different vertical planes, the stitches showing parallel, in imitation of hand work, as
is well understood.
Heretofore, in view of these difficulties, where the sweat has been sewed in by a
machine, it has been necessary to stitch the sweat to an attaching strip with a
machine having the desired style of stitching and then sew the attaching strip
to the side of the crown by hand or by a machine; or to provide a special holding
clamp or device, arranged within the hat opening. I overcome all these difficulties
and am enabled to stitch the sweats directly to the hats by the following method of
operation:
Taking the hat with its brim in proper position, i.e., at right angles to the side
of the crown, I make a readily observable mark upon the inside of the angle.
This may very conveniently be done by running a chalk crayon around the inside
edge or angle of the brim. When the brim and side of the crown are then
flattened out there is a well defined line to guide the operator. On the presser-
foot or presser-bar of the sewing machine is formed or mounted a guide or
indicator that may be adjustable, and which the operator keeps in line with the
line upon the hat, and the needle or needles being properly related to this
indicating guide, the stitching will be perfectly done, however irregular may be the
motion of the needle or needles.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sewing machine, and a section of a hat and
sweat-band in position on the bed-plate of the machine ;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of a section of a hat and sweat-band, showing the presser-
foot in place thereon ;
Fig. 3, a detail view showing the presser-foot, needle, guide and bed-plate, and a
section of a hat and sweat-band;

page_text: Fig. 4, a detail view indicating the style of stitching done by a two-needle
machine, in imitation of hand-stitching;
Fig. 5 shows a section of a soft hat with the brim in normal position;
Fig. 6, a detail view of a section of a hat having the sweat stitched according to
my invention, and showing the sweat and the securing stitches; and
Fig. 7, a view of the opposite side of the same, showing the stitches interlocked
on the outside of the hat.
A represents the side of the hat crown, and B, the brim. As seen in Fig. 5, the
inner angle or edge of the brim is marked by a well-defined line b, that may be
produced by passing a chalk crayon around the opening of the hat. When the
brim and side are flattened out as in the other figures, this well-defined line remains.
C is the sweat-band, and X is the zig-zag stitching made by the machine shown.
An indicating guide D is formed on the end of the presser-foot. In sewing a
sweat into a hat, the line b, in the hat, is kept in proper alignment with the
guide D. The presser-foot E, is provided with the usual guide e, for the edge of
the sweat. A hole e', may be made in the upper side of this guide, to receive a
finishing cord that lies along. the lower or outer edge of the sweat as is well
understood, (Fig. 3).
It is desirable that the edge of the sweat should encroach slightly upon the brim,
so as to give it a little flare to form a comfortable seat for the head of the wearer.
When the line on the hat, the indicator or guide on the presser-foot, and the sweat
are properly related, the sweat will be properly secured by the transverse zig-zag
stitches. The indicator or guide D, is arranged in proper parallelism or alignment
with a central line that may be drawn between the opposite series of punctures of
the needle, and across which the stitches would transversely lie. These stitches,
as shown, alternately enter the sweat, (the needle and thread passing through the
sweat and hat body), and the brim beyond the sweat, (the needle and thread passing
through the brim). This is the manner of stitching that I prefer though of
course, with my invention, the needle might pass through the sweat each time,
alternately very near and further from the edge of the sweat. The thread that
passes with the needle through the hat is interlocked on the outside of the hat and
the interlocked thread or stitches should by preference lie in the angle of the brim
and side of the crown, or on the side of the crown so as to be concealed by the hat
band, as shown in Fig. 7.
In Fig. 4, a different style of stitching a¹, is shown. It is produced by a double-
needle machine. The defined line b, on the hat, is indicated in a proper relation to
this stitching. The hat being fed to the machine with this line in proper relation
to the guide D, and the sweat being properly fed through its guide e, the stitching
of the sweat will be accurately done, the result being, generally, that above
described.
My improved method of operation, therefore, consists in marking upon the
angle or inner edge of the hat brim, while the brim is in the normal position, a
defined line to guide the operator, then flattening the side of the crown and brim,
and feeding the hat and sweat to the machine with the defined line in proper
relation thereto, while the sweat is stitched to the hat by stitches lying transversely
to the line of feed.
By my invention I am enabled to sew in sweats by a machine in a better,
more uniform and ornamental manner than can be done by hand, and the stitches
may be made in imitation of hand work. No preparation of the sweat with a strip
that is subsequently to be sewed to the hat is required, and in addition to the
advantages mentioned my invention results in a very marked economy in the
manufacture of completed hats.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is―

page_text: lying transversely to the line of feed of the hat to the machine, which method
consists in the following steps: (1) producing a defined line upon the inner edge
of the brim, i.e., upon the angle or edge formed by the junction of the brim and
side of the crown, while the brim is in the normal position: (2) flattening the
side of the crown and brim and feeding the hat to the machine with said line in
proper relation to a guide on the machine: (3) simultaneously feeding the
sweat-band to the machine in proper relation to the hat brim; and (4) stitching
the sweat to the brim while they are passing through the machine by stitches
lying transversely to the line of feed, all these operations being substantially as set
forth.
2. The herein described method of stitching sweat-bands in hats by stitching
lying transversely to the line of feed of the hat to the machine, which method
consists in the following steps: (1) producing a defined line upon the inner edge of
the brim, i.e., upon the angle or edge formed by the junction of the brim and side
of the crown, while the brim is in the normal position: (2) flattening the side of
the crown and brim and feeding the hat to the machine: (3) simultaneously
feeding the sweat-band to the machine in proper relation to the hat brim; and
(4) stitching the sweat to the brim while they are passing through the machine by
stitches lying transversely to the line of feed, all these operations being substan-
tially as set forth.
3. The method of stitching sweat-hands in hats by stitching lying transversely to
the line of feed of the hat to the machine, herein shown and described.
Dated this 1st day of February 1894.
SYDNEY PITT.