A NEW ARTICLE FOR THE USE OF HATS, SOLDIERS' CAPS, HELMETS, &c.
Year: 1801

page_text: PRITCHARD AND WILLMORE'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME; we, WILLIAM
PRITCHARD, of the Town of Shrewsbury, in the County of Salop, Hatter, and
THOMAS WILLMORE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Japanner,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date on or about the Second day of May; in the forty-first
year of His reign, did give and grant unto us, the said William Pritchard and
Thomas Willmore, his special licence that we, the said William Pritchard and
Thomas Willmore, during the term of years therein expressed, 'should 'and'
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed; our Invention "OP A NEW ARTICLE FOR THE USE
OF HATS, SOLDIERS' CAPS, HELMETS, &c.;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso obliging us, the said William Pritchard and Thomas
Willmore, under our hands and seals; to cause a particular description of the
nature of our said Inventions, and in what manner the same are to be performed,
to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar
month next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference thereunto being had, may more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that, in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
William Pritchard and Thomas Willmore, do hereby declare that our said

page_text: invented articles are to be made in the following manner, that is to
say-
Take a block or pattern made of wood, iron, tin, or any other substance or
material that will stand heat or wet, and of proper form and size, adapted to each
respective article; grease the block, and then paste upon it a course or covering
or two of paper, leather, pelt, canvas, linen, cotton or woollen cloth, felt, or
worsted, wove or knit, but we prefer and commonly use paper; dry it in a
stove of moderate heat, then add another covering of leather, or any other of
the above substances, or such like materials (we commonly prefering leather),
which is pasted, glued, or cemented upon the first covering. Dry it again as
before, then add, by pasting, gluing, or cementing, in like manner, one, two,
or three other coats or coverings of paper, leather, or any other of the above
materials, till it is of a sufficient thickness or substance. These coats or
coverings need not be pasted separately on the block, but may be cut into
proper sizes, and two or three may be first pasted together on a board, and
then pasted upon the others upon the block. Dry it again in a stove of moderate
heat till it be as dry as the materials in their original state; then take it
from the block, and dip it entirely in a composition of oil and umber, boiled
together and mixed with sufficient spirits of turpentine or tar spirits, which the
article thoroughly absorbs, then put it again into the stove to dry; but the said
articles may be made without such dipping or any other substitute in lieu of it.
Then dress it; which is either done by turning it in a lathe or with a rasp,
file, float, or plane, or any edged tool, till the surface is smooth or even; after
which it is blacked with lamp black and spirits of turpentine, or any other
blacking, dried again in a stove, and when japanned over and dried again. After
this process skim it or dress it a second time, then again varnish it either once or
twice, as may be necessary, so as to obtain a level or smooth surface; then rub
it down with pumice stone or sand and water; then varnish it a third time,
drying it between each time of varnishing; then polish it, either in a lathe or by
hand, with fine sand or pumice stone pounded, and finish it with rotten stone
-ready to be fitted up. If it is necessary to be in any other form than round
or circular, it may be then either forced-upon a block made to the form wished,
or by a screw placed within, and then laid in a damp place for a night or day,
and then placed again in the stove, when it will nearly retain the form, and
be rendered easier for wear. The stoves, through the whole process, must be
of moderate heat. When completely finished the article will become hard
and utterly impenetrable to wet. They may be made of any form, shape,
thickness, size, or width, and may be used for the insides of beaver or felt hats
to strengthen both the crowns and brims and render them waterproof, or for any

page_text: other purpose where the crown of any hat requires to be made strong and solid,
such as hunting caps, &c.
In witness whereof, the parties above named have hereunto set their
hands and seals, this Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and one.
WILLIAM PRITCHARD. (L.S.) THO. WILLMORE. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Thirtieth day of May, in
the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Pritchard and Thomas Will-
more came before our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.