IMPROVEMENT IN MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF FINISHING SILK HATS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Denison Mitchell Easton, of Arcola, in the State of New
Jersey, United States of America, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENT IN
MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF FINISHING SILK HATS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Denison Mitchell Easton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th December 1880.
DENISON MITCHELL EASTON, of Arcola, in the State of New Jersey, United
States of America. "IMPROVEMENT IN MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF FINISHING
SILK HATS."
In the manufacture of silk hats it is usual to impart to the nap the desired
glossy appearance by brushing, moistening with water, and ironing.
After the hat has been worn for some time, or is exposed to rain, the gloss is
destroyed and the hat looks rough and objectionable, and its former appearance
can only be restored by being ironed by a hatter.
I have discovered that the gloss can be more easily imparted to silk hats in the
manufacture than heretofore, or be restored in hats that have been worn, by
treating them with highly refined petroleum, as hereafter set forth, such petroleum
acting upon the gum in the silk fibre to soften the same so that such fibre will lie
smooth and straight, and assume the desired gloss; hence, when applied in the
manufacture of hats, the labor will be lessened of straightening and ironing down
the fibre, and when applied to hats that have been worn the gloss and smoothness
will be restored without the necessity of ironing. I therefore prepare and sell the
extra refined petroleum with the proper admixture of other substances, and with
the proper directions, so that any person wearing a silk hat can restore the lustre
of the same from time to time until worn out. Besides restoring the lustre, my
preparation serves to prevent injury to the silk by moisture.
I find that by mixing oil myrbane with highly refined petroleum (of over
150° Fahrenheit, fire test) the silk plush treated by the same receives most quickly
the desired lustre.

page_text: These materials should be mixed in the proportion of about five ounces of oil
myrbane to one gallon of petroleum, and in addition to the foregoing I prefer to
add about two ounces of oil wintergreen to prevent the odour of the petroleum
being noticable when first applied, and to promote the vaporization of the compound,
.but any other essential oil that will effect this object may be employed.
This hat gloss should be kept in a bottle tightly corked, and when used upon a
hat a small pad of fibrous material, such as muslin, should be moistened with the
liquid, and then the nap on the hat rubbed down smoothly therewith, the final
operations being done with the pad when almost dry, or with a separate piece of
muslin, so as to lay out the silk fibres smoothly and polish the same.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Denison Mitchell Easton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th June 1881.
DENISON MITCHELL EASTON, of Arcola, in the State of New Jersey, United
States of America. "IMPROVEMENT IN MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF FINISHING
SILK HATS."
In the manufacture of silk hats it is usual to impart to the nap the desired
glossy appearance by brushing, moistening with water, and ironing. After the hat
has been worn for some time, or is exposed to rain, the gloss is destroyed and the
hat looks rough and objectionable, and its former appearance can only be restored
by being ironed by a hatter.
I have discovered that the gloss can be more easily imparted to silk bats in the
manufacture than heretofore, or be restored in hats that have been worn, by
treating them with highly refined petroleum, as hereafter set forth, such petroleum
acting upon the gum in the silk fiber to soften the same so that such fiber will lie
smooth and straight, and assume the desired gloss; hence when applied in the
manufacture of hats the labor will be lessened of straightening and ironing down
the fiber; and when applied to hats that have been worn, the gloss and smoothness
will be restored without the necessity of ironing.
I therefore prepare and sell the extra refined petroleum with the proper admixture
of other substances, and with the proper directions, so that any person wearing a
silk hat can restore the luster of the same from time to time until worn out.
Besides restoring the luster my preparation serves to prevent injury to the silk by
moisture.
I find that by mixing oil myrbane with highly refined petroleum (of over
150° Fah., fire test) the silk plush treated by the same receives most quickly the
desired luster.
These materials should be mixed in the proportion of about five ounces of oil
myrbane to one gallon of petroleum, and in addition to the foregoing I prefer to
add about two ounces of oil wintergreen to prevent the odor of the petroleum
being noticeable when first applied, and to promote the vaporization of the compound
but any other essential oil that will effect this object may be employed.
This hat gloss should be kept in a bottle tightly corked, and when used upon a
hat a small pad of fibrous material, such as muslin, should be moistened with the
liquid, and then the nap on the hat rubbed down smoothly therewith, the final
operations being done with the pad when almost dry, or with a separate piece of
muslin, so as to lay out the silk fibers smoothly and polish the same.
This liquid and mode of finishing may be employed upon hats of other material,
such as felt, wool, or other hats, and it is to be borne in mind that some of the
products of petroleum, such as benzine, may be employed in place of the petroleum,
but the same is hazardous on account of its volatile and inflammable nature.
I claim as my Invention,-
First. The method herein specified of smoothing and polishing the silk nap upon
hats, consisting in rubbing the nap down with a pad of muslin or similar material
moistened with highly refined petroleum, and glossing the surface with the cloth or
pad, substantially as set forth.

page_text: Second. The preparation herein specified for imparting to the nap of hats a
gloss, consisting of highly refined petroleum and oil of myrbane, substantially as
set forth.
In witness whereof, I. the said Denison Mitchell Easton, have hereunto set
D. M. EASTON. (L.S.)
шу нани ани от 4000 uay vа mају до 2001.
Witnesses,
CHAS. H. SMITH, Arcola, N.J.
J. STAIB, New York, N.Y.