AN IMPROVED FORM OR CONSTRUCTION OF HATS OR COVERING FOR THE HEAD
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Birchall Eveleigh, of Salford, in the County
of Lancaster, Hat Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
FORM OR CONSTRUCTION OF HATS OR COVERING FOR THE HEAD."
Sealed the 29th July 1859, and dated the 1st February 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Birchall Eveleigh
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st February 1859.
I, SAMUEL BIRCHALL EVELEIGH, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Hat Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED FORM OR CONSTRUCTION OF HATS OR COVERING FOR THE HEAD," to
be as follows:-
This improved form or construction of hats is designed principally for the
use or wear of police officers, and consists in the combination of the peculiar
form of the military "chaco" with the ordinary "brimmed" hat of the civilian
as at present worn.
The peculiar shape of the body. or "head-room" of the hat is that of the
"chaco," that is, retiring in a slanting direction from the forehead to the
crown, which prevents in a great degree the hat from being knocked off
readily. The front of the hat is furnished with the form or "peak" of the
"chaco," which tends considerably to protect the face of the wearer, and the
side "brim" of the hat is of the form as now worn in other ordinary hats, the
whole being made of black felt (or other suitable material), and furnished
(as usual) with strong leather crown and side strips, or may be plain if
preferred.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Birchall Eveleigh in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st August 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
BIRCHALL EVELEIGH, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Hat Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Samuel Birchall Eveleigh, Her special license that I, the said
Samuel Birchall Eveleigh, .my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Samuel Birchall Eveleigh, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 FORM OR CONSTRUCTION OF HATS OR
COVERING FOR THE HEAD," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the
said Samuel Birchall Eveleigh, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 Samuel Birchall Eveleigh, do hereby
declare the nature, of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawing (that is to say):-
This improved form or construction of hats is designed principally for the
use or wear of police officers, and consists in the combination of the peculiar
form of the military "chaco" with the ordinary "brimmed" hat of the civilian
as at present worn.
The peculiar shape of the body or "head-room" of the hat is that of the
"chaco," that is, retiring in a slanting direction either from the forehead to
the crown, or from the back of the head to the crown, the latter being
preferred, which prevents in a great degree the hat from being knocked off
readily. The front of the hat is furnished with the form or peak of the
chacó," which tends considerably to protect the face of the wearer, and the
66

page_text: side and back "brim" of the hat is of the form as now worn in other ordinary
hats, the whole being made of black felt (or other suitable material,) and
furnished (as usual) with strong leather crown and side strips, or may be plain
if preferred.
In order that the Invention may be clearly understood, I have attached
hereunto a Drawing illustrative of the improved form or construction of the
hat, in which Fig. 1 shews the improved combination of the military "chaco"
and peak with the "brim" of the description now in use.
In the present
Drawing the curved side a receding to the crown is at the back of the hat,
but the hat may also be constructed with the front or forehead line receding.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I
claim combining a portion of the military "chaco" with a portion of the
civilian hat as at present used, and thereby effecting an improvement in the
form and construction of hat to be used or worn principally by police officers
as hercin-before described, set forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawing
attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Birchall Eveleigh, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
S. B. EVELEIGH. (L.S.)