Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 14th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 21st Sept., 1888
[Communicated from abroad by MARGARET JESSIE STEWART, of South Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America, School Teacher.]
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to waterproof bonnets or hats and comprises improvements
upon the invention described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 10,117 dated
July 19 A.D. 1887.
The above mentioned Specification describes a bonnet or hat made externally of and
trimmed externally with gossamer water-proof fabrics; and the present improvements
relate to articles of such character. It has been found, in practice, that the ordinary
bonnet-frames, even when covered with such fabrics, soften and collapse in rainy
weather;
also that rain will trickle through the ordinary sewed seams in such bonnets,
and that the wires of the frame will speedily wear through the rubber coating of the
gossamer goods and present a very bad appearance. By the present invention all these
difficulties are overcome.
1
In carrying the said invention into practice I first stiffen the frame and render it
strictly water-proof without adding perceptibly to its weight, since lightness and
permanence of form are essential qualifications of a desirable bonnet or hat. To this
end I prefer to subject the frame to several successive coatings of spar varnish, which
is a well known repellant of moisture and has the merit of drying almost instantly
under a moderate heat. This, or some equivalent impervious material, in liquid form,
may be applied with a brush or otherwise to the shaped frame, the result being that
the varnish will stiffen even the lightest lace or buckram frame which being thereafter
unaffected by dampness, will retain its form indefinitely and thus make the bonnet
permanently serviceable. The distinction between such stiffened waterproof frames
and those simply starched or sized is very marked.

page_text: The edges of the frame will commonly be wired to properly support the fabric
which covers it and to prevent these wires from wearing the fabric and showing
through, especially along the front and in the neck portion, I cover the wire with one
or more long bias-cut strips of the gossamer fabric similar to the covering to be used
for the bonnet. These strips enfold the wire, their edges extending from it parallel
and in contact or separated to receive between them the edge of the frame to which
they may be stitched or cemented.
When the outer fabric is applied and folded over these covered wires it is much less
likely to be worn through in use than would be the case were they uncovered; and in
case of wearing through the strips thus exposed would present the same appearance as
the rest of the fabric. Supporting wires other than those at the edges may be covered
by strips of the fabric laid Hat over them and cemented at each edge down upon the
frame.
I make the scams of the bonnet or hat as impervious as other portions by using
rubber cement or equivalent water-proof adhesive to unite the parts. The edges to be
joined, being perfectly dry, are touched along the margins with a line of cement and
pressed firmly together. This serves to exclude the rain at exposed points which an
ordinary sewed seam will not do. The trimmings, strings and the like may be sewed
to the bonnet in the usual way.
Dated this Houd day of Amil 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Waterproof Bonnets or Hats.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Take and Co., Patent Agents.
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :—
This invention relates to waterproof bonnets or hats and comprises improvements
upon the invention described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 10,117 dated
July 19 A.1. 1887.
The above mentioned specification describes a bonnet or hat made externally of, and
trimmed externally with, gossamer water-proof fabrics; and the present improvements
relate to articles of such character.
It has been found, in practice, that the ordinary bonnet-frames, even when covered
with such fabrics, soften and collapse in rainy weather; also that rain will trickle
through the ordinary sowed seams in such honnets, and that the wires of the frame
will speedily wear through the rubber coating of the gossamer goods and present a
very bad appearance. By the present invention however all these difficulties are
overcome.
In carrying the said invention into practice I first stiffen the frame and render it
strictly water-proof without adding perceptibly to its weight since lightness and per-
manence of form are essential qualifications of a desirable bonnet or hat. To this end
I prefer to subject the frame to several successive coatings of spar varnish, which is a
well known repellant of moisture and lms the merit of drying almost instantaneously
under a moderate heat. This, or some equivalent impervious material in liquid form, may
be applied with a brush or otherwise to the shaped frame, the result being that the
varnish will stiffen oven the lightest lace or buckram frame, which being thereafter
unaffected by dampness, will retain its form indefinitely, and thus make the bonnet
permanently serviceable. The distinction between such stiffened water-proof frames
and those simply starched or sized is very marked.
The edges of the frame will commonly be wired to properly support the fabric
which covers it, and to prevent these wires from wearing the fabric and showing
through, especially along the front and in the neck portion, I cover the wire with
one or more long bias-cut strips of the gossamer fabric similar to the covering to be
used for the bonnet. These strips enfold the wire, their edges extending from it
parallel and in contact or separated to receive between them the edge of the frame to
which they may be stitched or cemented.
When the outer fabric is applied and folded over these covered wires it is much less
likely to be worn through in use than would be the case were they uncovered and in
case of wearing through the strips thus exposed would present the same appearance as
the rest of the fabric. Supporting wires other than those at the edges may be
covered by strips of the fabric laid flat over them and cemented at each edge down upon
the frame.

page_text: I make the seams of the bonnet or lat as impervious as other portions by using
rubber cement or an equivalent waterproof adhesive substance to unite the parts. The
edges to be joined being perfectly dry are touched along the margins with a line of
cement and pressed firmly together. This serves to exclude the rain at exposed points
which an ordinary sewed scam will not do. The trimmings, strings, and the like may
be sewed to the bonnet in the usual way.
The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 shows a bat complete.
Figure 2 represents a stiffened bonnet-frame having its wired edges bound with
strips of the gossamer goods.
Figure 3 is an enlarged section of such bound edges, and
Figure 4a section of the cemented seam.
the same.
A is the frame of the bonnet or hat, and B the body of gossamer fabric covering
(shows a suitable form of trimming made of the same material and
secured upon the exterior of the body. D is the marginal wire and E the binding
strip enclosing it, two strips being shown in the section, Figure 3. F is a flat strip
covering one of the other supporting wires which may be stitched to the frame A.
G is one of the cemented scauis uniting the parts of the body B.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
-
First. Laulies' and misses' bonnets or hats, having stiffened waterproof frames, and
made externally of gossamor rubber fabrics, substantially as set forth.
Second. Ladies' and misses' bonnets or bats, made externally of gossamer rubber
fabrics, having their exposed seams closed by cement, in combination with a stiffened
waterproof frame, serving to support and preserve the shape of the body formed thereon,
substantially as set forth.
Third. Ladies and misses' bonnets or hats made externally of gossamor rubber
fabrics applied as a covering over a stiffened water-proof frame, such frame being wired
at its edges and bound with strips of the gossamer fabric similar to the covering,
substantially as set forth.
1 of 1000