AN IMPROVED FAN
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Sonnhammer, of Regent Street, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED FAN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Sonnhammer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the.
19th August 1868.
I, CHARLES SONNHAMMER, of Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FAN,..
to be as follows:-
I propose placing on all or any of the folds of a fan,. and. on. that part of the
fold which forms edge and is presented outward when the fan is closed, and on
the side frames thereof, one, two, or more small loops. or rings-made of wire or
other suitable material. Into these loops or rings I purpose introducing the
stem or stalk of a natural or of an artificial flower, so that the flowers together,
with their leaves may when the fan is open form a sort of edging or border.
along the top of the fan, and when the fan is closed form a bouquet of real or.
artificial flowers, or a combination of both, as may be desired.. In order that.
the fan when closed and forming bouquet may hang downward from the hand.
or wrist of the bearer without danger of the flowers falling out, a. small book.
may extend from the ring or loop nearest the top of the fan. and, be concealed
within the leaves of the flower, or one or the loops may be elastic, or they may
be held by other suitable contrivance. The loops or rings which are to receive
the stems of the flowers should not cover each other when the fan is closed, as,

page_text: it would tend to give it a clumsy appearance, but should in each fold be placed
on a different line. When the fan is closed a ring may be passed up from the
handle to keep it closed, or a small elastic band or other contrivance may
be used.
By this Invention not only is a fan and bouquet provided in one, but if a
combination of artificial and real flowers has been used, the real ones may be
withdrawn when the fan is not required for use, and the lower end of the
fan being placed in a vase under a shade will form a very attractive chimney
ornament.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Sonnhammer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th February 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
SONNHAMMER, of Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Sonnhammer, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Sonn-
hammer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Charles Sonnhammer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVED FAN," upon the condition (amongst others). that I, the said
Charles Sonnhammer, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in. what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Sonnhammer, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-

page_text: My Invention has for its object the production of a lady's fan which shall
not only be useful and ornamental as a fan, but shall also serve as a bouquet,
being formed by a combination of natural and artificial flowers (or of natural
flowers only), the former being used in order to obtain their natural perfume,
and, as are the artificial flowers, removable and renewable at pleasure..
I effect my object in several ways, and shall now proceed to describe those
which I have found to answer best, but. I would here observe that wherever
it is so preferred the artificial flowers need have.no stems but be at once
affixed to the edge of the fan, which may be of any of the kinds in ordinary
use, as the application of my Invention interferes little with any part except the
edge. I place on all or any of the folds of a fan on that part of the föld
which forms edge and is presented outwards when the fan is closed,-and on or
within the side frames.thereof, one, two, or more small loops or rings of any
suitable material, such as elastic caoutchouc. or wire, and into these loops or
ŕings I introduce the stem of a natural or an artificial flower. I prefer placing:
the natural and artificial flowers. alternately on the edge of the fan, but I do
not confine myself to such arrangement, as more of one than another may be
used if desired. When, according to the above-mentioned arrangement, artificial
flowers only are in the edge of the fan it presents when open-an unsightly.
appearance, although on closing the fan a handsome but not close bouquet-is
formed; when the natural flowers are inserted into their places, the open fan
presents a beautiful and continuous border or edging of flowers, and on closing
the sticks a close bouquet is produced. A slide or fastening of any descrip-
tion is used to keep the fan from: opening when it is intended to be suspended
from the arm or otherwise; this will avoid any danger of the flowers being
displaced or dropping out. The looped rings (above mentioned) which-
receive the stems of the flowers should not cover each other when the fan is
closed, but should be placed on a different line; or I place the receiving
loops or pockets outside the edge of the sticks or folds and within or outside
the outer sticks, which form the-sides of the fan when closed, and are usually
ornamented. The fan is then finished in the usual way, taking care to leave
the mouth of the loop or pocket. free on the edge of the fan; or I leave a
pocket or space inside the two leaves of the fan itself before pasting or other-
wise attaching them'; this is done by leaving the space required to form such
pocket unpasted at each of the folds, but I prepare the portion of the paper or
fabric so left for pocket with a solution of any kind that will prevent the sap
which may exude from the stem of the natural flower from staining the paper
or other fabric of which the web of the fan may be composed. The flower to
be held in position, as before stated, by an elastic loop on the edge of the fan.

page_text: As before stated, the artificial flowers may be fixed or fitted on the edge
without stems or loops, or pockets may be left for the reception of their stems,
as may be preferred.
In order to make up the bouquet, the ladies' maid or other person who
operates,, should be provided with a bodkin, which is inserted into the mouth
of the loop or pocket, pressing it open, and, it and the flower stem pass in
together; the bodkin is then withdrawn, and the elastic tightening on the stem
secures the flower in position. The operation is repeated until the whole
of the flowers are in their places. The fan may then be used as a fan, the
mingled odours of the natural flowers rendering the result of fanning more
agreeable than if perfumed artificial flowers only were used. When the fan is
not required it is gently closed, the slide passed up from the bottom towards
the flowers securing the position thereof, and a bouquet is formed, which may
hang downwards from the wrist of the bearer. It is usual to edge fans with
swans' down or other light material, and this I do not always dispense with,
but prefer to dye it a light green, in order that it may form, as it were, a natural
bed for the flowers, When the fan is no longer required for use the natural
flowers are drawn out, the fan closed, and a bouquet is formed by the remaining
(artificial) flowers to be placed in a vase or other holder.
. Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and means by which
I carry it into practical effect, I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise details herein-before given, as various modifi-
cations may be made in the fastenings of the stems of the flowers used to suit
the circumstances of particular cases without at all departing from the Inven-
tion secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent, which I declare
to be, and I claim, the formation or construction of a fan with an edging of
natural and artificial flowers (or of the former only) in suchwise that when
spread open it may be used as a fan, and when closed form bouquet, the whole
essentially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Sonnhammer, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
CHARLES SONNHAMMER. (L.S.)