IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD, IN IMITATION OF THE VARIOUS KINDS OF STRAW
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD,
IN IMITATION OF THE VARIOUS KINDS OF STRAW."-A communication from
abroad by Louis Simonet, Merchant, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin,
Paris.
Sealed the 8th September 1864, and dated the 26th March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th March
1864.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 58, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS AND OTHER COVERINGS
FOR THE HEAD, IN IMITATION OF THE VARIOUS KINDS OF STRAW," to be as
follows:-
Many attempts have been made to make hats for male and female wear of
plastic materials or fabrics more or less closely in imitation of Tuscan straw,
Panama, Manilla, and other kinds, the object being to produce a cheap
imitation of these articles, which from their high price are beyond the reach of

page_text: most persons. The first attempts in this respect consisted in pressing a shape
made of pasteboard or stiffened cloth on a copper mould engraved with a
rough imitation of Tuscan straw, but which was too imperfect to obtain any
success in commerce.
Collodion has been employed, from its impermeability, in the manufacture
of felt and imitation Tuscan hats; in this process moulds are taken from the
straw by the galvanoplastic process, a foundation being made of a suitable
fabric, which is then coated several times with collodion, and colored in
imitation of the kind of straw required, after which the body of the hat is
pressed in a heated mould by an hydraulic press.
This Invention consists in improvements in the before-mentioned methods
of manufacture. For this purpose I use a mould of copper obtained by the
galvanoplastic process, with this difference, that I first take an impression of
the straw or other hat in gutta percha, partially or entirely melted, previously
fixing it on a form for the purpose of preventing the hat from getting
out of shape on being placed in the galvanoplastic bath, as in the methods
heretofore adopted, For this purpose I turn the straw hat, serving as the
pattern, so that the outer part shall be inside, in order that the relief of the
straw shall be next the gutta percha, which thus forms a hollow mould in the
galvanic bath; the mould taken in this manner will be perfect. I also
substitute a suitable solvent for a greater part of the collodion usually employed;
for this purpose I use gum dragon, which is liquefied in water containing a
small quantity of alcohol, as for example, 99 parts of water and 1 of alcohol.
To this solution I add the coloring substances for staining the hats, with which
I coat the fabric forming the body, and then apply a coating of varnish com-
posed of collodion, with which is incorporated, for affording the necessary
elasticity, a certain quantity of white gumlac and galipot; in this manner I
dispense with the fatty bodies previously employed, which becoming rancid
impart such an odour to the hats as often to render it impossible to wear them.
The bodies of the hats I form of very light open fabrics, or of felt prepared
for the purpose, and I thus obtain lighter hats than those hitherto made, at
same time preserving by their suppleness the appearance of and resemblance
to real straw.
The method of pressing the hats also differs essentially from that hitherto
adopted. The press consists of two parts, the upper one being of cupola form,
and opening when desired. The press being closed, pressure is exerted by
opening a cock, which introduces water into the interior by a pipe, producing
pressure on a sheet of india-rubber of conical form, entering the galvano-
plastic mould, which is itself placed in a casing of sheet iron made so as to

page_text: fit hermetically into the lower part of the press; this mould is .heated in a
constant and uniform manner by the introduction of steam from a receiver
placed under the press, pressure being transmitted by means of an engine of
three horse-power; in this manner pressure is instantaneously and perfectly
obtained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Clark, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD, IN IMITATION
OF THE VARIOUS KINDS OF STRAW," a com" to me from abroad by Louis
Simonet, Merchant, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Clark, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 William Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 (that is to say):-
.
Many attempts have been made to make hats for male and female wear of

page_text: plastic materials or fabrics, more or less closely in imitation of Tuscan straw,
Panama, Manilla, and other kinds, the object being to produce a cheap
imitation of these articles, which from their high price are beyond the reach
of most persons. The first attempts in this respect consisted in pressing a
shape made of pasteboard or stiffened cloth in a copper mould engraved with
a rough imitation of Tuscan straw, but which was too imperfect to obtain any
success in commerce..
Collodion has also been employed, from its impermeability, in the manufacture.
of felt and imitation Tuscan hats; in this process moulds are taken from the
straw by the galvanoplastic process, a foundation being made of a suitable
fabric which is then coated several times with collodion and colored in imitation
of the kind of straw required, after which the body of the hat is pressed in a
heated mould by an hydraulic press.
This Invention consists in improvements in the before-mentioned methods
of manufacture. For this purpose I use a mould of copper obtained by the
galvanoplastic process, with this difference, that I first take an impression of
the straw or other hat in gutta percha, partially or entirely melted, previously
fixing it on a form for the purpose of preventing the hat from getting out of
shape on being placed in the galvanoplastic bath, as in the methods heretofore
adopted. For this purpose I turn the straw hat, serving as the pattern, so that
the outer part shall be inside, in order that the relief of the straw shall be next
the gutta percha, which thus forms a hollow mould in the galvanic bath; the
mould taken in this manner will be perfect. I also substitute a suitable
solvent for the greater part of the collodion usually employed. For this purpose
I use gun dragon, which is liquified in water containing a small quantity of
alcohol, as for example, ninety-nine parts of water and one of alcohol. To
this solution I add the coloring substances for staining the hats, with which I
coat the fabric forming the body, and then apply a layer of varnish composed
of collodion, with which is incorporated, to afford the necessary elasticity, a
certain quantity of white gum lac and galipot; in this manner I dispose with
the fatty bodies heretofore employed, which becoming rancid impart such an
odour to the hats as often to render it impossible to wear them.
The bodies of the hats I form of very light open fabrics, or of felt prepared
for the purpose, and I thus obtain lighter hats than those hitherto made, at
same time preserving by their suppleness and appearance a resemblance to
real straw.
The method of pressing the hats also differs essentially from that hitherto
adopted. The press consists of two parts, the upper one being of cupola form,
and opening when desired. The press being closed, pressure is exerted by

page_text: opening a cock which introduces water into the interior by a pipe producing
pressure on a sheet of india-rubber of conical form entering the galvanoplastic
mould, which is itself placed in a casing of sheet iron, made so as to fit
hermetically into the lower part of the press; this mould is heated in a
constant and uniform manner by the introduction of steam from a receiver
placed under the press, pressure being transmitted by means of an engine of
three horse-power; in this manner pressure is instantaneously and uniformly
produced.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the manufacture of
hats of any form or material in imitation of straw or other woven material, in
the manner berein described as distinguished,-
1st, by producing moulds by the galvanoplastic process.
2ndly, the application of the colored coating before mentioned deprived of
all fatty matters.
3rdly, the method of producing pressure by the aid of water or other fluid
acting on an india-rubber diaphragm, which presses the hat on the mould, all
as before described.
In witness, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)