IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS, CAPS, BONNETS, OR OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS, CAPS, BONNETS, OR
OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD."-A communication from abroad, by
Emilien Kuister and Marie Margaron, of Lyons, in the Empire
of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd November 1864.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 128, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS, CAPS,
BONNETS, OR OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD," a communication to me from
abroad by Emilien Kuister and Maric Margaron, of Lyons, in the Empire of
France, to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the employment of crape, or other materials craped
or figured similar to crape, in the manufacture. of coverings for the head. The
crape is made with one warp, or with several warps acting as foundation and
binding warps, so as to be able to form fabrics plain or figured, and in conjunction
with these warps there is a warp, as used in England, for plain or figured
crape. By the combination of these warps a crape tissue can be obtained

page_text: from silk threads of various degrees of twist, which tissue can be subjected
to all the mechanical modes of craping.
The said tissues are employed in the manufacture of all kinds of coverings
for the head, that is, instead of covering the body of a hat, cap, or bonnet
with plush, felt, or any of the materials at present employed, it is covered
with the crape tissue. The tissues are craped by the usual mechanical
methods, and are made to any fashion, such as the crape aréophane, crape
impératrice, China crape, English crape, smooth crape, all being black or
coloured, and applied by any known method to any kind of foundation or body
of head dress.
These improved coverings for the head are ornamented when required with
craped artificial flowers, and the tissue may be formed as desired with one or
two warps of silk, cotton, wool, hair, linen, thread, or any other textile
material, either singly or combined.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Thomas Hughes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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, CAPS, BONNETS, OR
COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD," a communication to me from abroad by Emilien
Kuister and Marie Margaron, of Lyons, in the Empire of France, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, .or their,

page_text: 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 Edward Thomas Hughes, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say) :—
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents,
consists in various improvements in the manufacture of tissue crape and tulle
crape composed of silk, cotton, wool, goats' hair, and other textile materials,
singly or combined, and plain or figured, which crapes are to be formed of
all shades and colors, and can be applied to head dresses and other articles of
wearing apparel and other similar purposes.
Firstly, the cotton crape is made in taffetas of various strengths, thick-
nesses, or foundations, and figured, or in the English style, but formed with
cotton warp and weft twisted to a much greater torsion than the silk
employed for ordinary crape, the said twists or turus being about ten thousand
to the metre. This crape is made in all the different reductions of warp and
weft with any of the various numbers or sizes of cotton, and when desired
with silk or other insertion, the said crape being manufactured in the ordinary
looms, with one or several warps.
Secondly, the silk crape is formed with one or several foundation warps,
and differs from the ordinary crape, for instead of being produced in taffetas,
it is obtained upon a tissue foundation similar to satin, serge, and other woven
fabrics, with or without a wrong side. This kind of crape is made of prepared
silk formed into threads of one, two, three, or more ends, having from 2,500
to 3,500 twists to the metre, and with the different degrees of torsion; it may
be, varied as desired by mixtures of threads of cotton, wool, goats' hair, flax,
and other textile materials, and figured or ornamented according to fancy.
Thirdly, the English crape is formed in any of the English styles obtained
by means of the different kinds of looms, with a full foundation of one or of
several warps, and faced with milled silk twisted to about 3,600 twists to
the metre.
Fourthly, the tulle crape is made in any of the different looms for weaving
tulle, and in all the sizes of web or mesh employed in the manufacture of
tulle and lace in general, either plain or figured. This tulle crape may be
made of different materials, such as silk, cotton, wool, goats hair, flax, or

page_text: other textile fabrics, singly or combined, and with all the varieties of torsion
employed for the tissue crapes, and figured or ornamented as desired. These
four fabrics are formed with one or several warps, and the English crape and
tulle crape are craped by craping machines, and by all the means employed
at present for tissue crapes in general, such as craped crape, aréophane crape,
impératrice crape, China crape, English crape, and smooth crape. These
four kinds of crape can be made of any color or colors, and form four
entirely new combinations, and may be applied not only to all kinds of
coverings for the head, but to other articles of clothing, and many other
purposes.
Fifthly, with the above-named four kinds of crape, and by means of a
suitable application, a fifth kind of crape, called sparkling crape, is made:
This is effected by sprinkling on the fabrics when being dressed or finished a
sparkling powder of various materials and colours, which adheres to the staff
in drying, and which is applicable to all kinds of fabrics, and thereby pro-
ducing a magical effect, both by daylight and gaslight.
The cotton crape is of immense advantage, inasmuch as crape has not
hitherto been made of cotton, and it produces an admirable snowy effect when
white and sparkling, and it will be found to be a new and unique article,
applicable to the toilet in general.
The English crape is much superior to ordinary taffeta crape; for it does
not fray out, wears longer, crisps or crapes much better, and is consequently
more transparent, which is very important.
This mode of manufacture produces after being craped a mail-like appear-
ance in the fabric hitherto unknown, and by reason of these different
combinations it supersedes very advantageously the ordinary taffeta crape.
As to crape of one or several foundations, all silk or mixed, it produces a
material quite strong enough to replace the plush used for hats, and also
serve instead of cloth.
The tulle crape is unique, and the light and airy effect produced by this
tissue make it an article of the greatest novelty; and this crape may be
manufactured on any of the known web looms, and the other crapes on
ordinary looms.
The cotton crape may be used for dresses, neckerchiefs, linen drapery, hats,
artificial flowers, and others articles to which it can be applied; and the
improved English crape for dresses, bonnets, hats, trimmings, scarfs, artificial
flowers, sashes for the waist, and other purposes; and the tulle crape is
applicable to the same purposes as the improved English crapc.
The extra strong crape in one or several thicknesses is applicable to hats,

page_text: cloth, gloves, coverings for the legs and feet, artificial flowers, and similar
purposes.
The spangled or sparkling crape is for ball dresses, evening dresses, and
purposes of ornament.
In employing the looms for weaving-tulle, and other well-known looms, in
arranging the setting up, and by the means of the reduction of tissues and
craping, all the kinds of crape above mentioned are produced, and they are
much superior to others in effect, and more economical in price.
It should be borne in mind that this Invention consists in the manufacture
of these different kinds of crape in all shades and colors, and their application
to articles in general, either to coverings for the head, for dresses, or other
suitable purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
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