IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GOSSAMER HAT BODIES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Hall, of the Firm of Robert and Samuel Hall,
of London Wall, in the City of London, Hat Manufacturers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GOSSAMER HAT
BODIES."
Sealed the 7th June 1867, and dated the 20th December 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Hall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
December 1866.
I, SAMUEL HALL, of the Firm of Robert and Samuel Hall, of London Wall,
in the City of London, Hat Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GOSSAMER
HAT BODIES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
gossamer hat bodies."
In connecting the stiff brim with the stiff body or crown of a gossamer hat a
band is used of elastic flexible plait or weaving of Brazilian grass or palm leaf,
such as have heretofore been used in the manufacture of hat bodies, or it may
be of other material capable of being made into a similar flexible and elastic
plait or weaving. This band connects the stiff brim with the stiff body
or crown, and its use renders the hat easier to the wearer, whilst at the same
time it enables the hat to adapt itself to the head of the wearer more readily and

page_text: satisfactorily than when the stiff brim and the stiff body or crown of a hat come
directly together without any such elastic and flexible connecting band being
introduced. The elastic and flexible band is pulled and shaped by stretching
over a block, and is, when necessary, caused to take the desired set or form by
moisture_and_ironing. It is preferred that the edges of the flexible elastic
band should be introduced between the substances composing the body and
brim of the hat, and the whole fixed by a solution of shellac, but this may be
varied. The hat body thus constructed may then be covered in the usual
manner and with the ordinary materials, such as plush, merino, or others, as
heretofore.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Hall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
June 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL. COME, I, SAMUEL
HALL, of the firm of Robert and Samuel Hall, of London Wall, in the City
of London, Hat Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Samuel Hall, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel Hall, my
exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel
Hall, 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 MANU-
FACTURE OF GOSSAMER HAT BODIES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Samuel Hall, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should parti-
cularly 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 Hall, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
<< gossamer hat bodies."
In connecting the stiff brim with the stiff body or crown of a gossamer hat
à band is used of elastic flexible plait or weaving of Brazilian grass or palm
leaf, such as have heretofore been used in the manufacture of hat bodies, or it
may be of other material capable of being made into a similar flexible and
elastic plait or weaving; this band connects the stiff brim with the stiff body or
crown, and its use renders the hat easier to the wearer, whilst at the same time
it enables the hat to adapt itself to the head of the wearer more readily and
satisfactorily than when the stiff brim and the stiff body or crown of a hat
come directly together without any such elastic and flexible connecting band
being introduced. The elastic and flexible band is pulled and shaped by
stretching over a block, and is when necessary caused to take the desired set
or form by moisture and ironing. It is preferred that the edges of the flexiblo
clastic band should be introduced between the substances composing the body
and brim of the hat, and the whole fixed by a solution of shellac, but this may
be varied. The hat body thus constructed may then be covered in the usual
manner and with the ordinary materials, such as plush, merino, or others, as
heretofore.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
A is a band or circle of palm leaf, or it may be of other material capable of
producing a like flexible and elastic band; it is plaited in the usual way of
making an ordinary Brazilian straw hat, and pulled to the required size and
shape by stretching over a block and by the use of an iron and water, as if it
were a piece of felt. B is an ordinary crown of a gossamer body, to which
the upper edge of the plaited or woven band is attached. The shape of the
crown may be varied. The method I prefer is that the edges of this band
should be inserted between the substances of the crown and brim, and be
fastened to them with shellac dissolved in spirits of wine by means of a cool
iron in the usual way. C is an ordinary gossamer brim with the inner edge
cut away large enough to admit the Brazilian plait or like flexible and elastic
band being introduced and attached in the manner before stated in respect to
the crown.
D is a thickness of calico stiffened with shellac in the ordinary
way, which is ironed on to the brim in the usual manner and united to it as far

page_text: as the part E, where the gossamer ends and the Brazilian plait commences.
Care must be taken not to stick it to the Brazilian plait though it is to be
continued quite close into the band at F. The use of this is to afford a
smooth surface, on which the covering material may be attached. If required
-a-piece-of-waterproof-cloth-or.any_like material_can_be_ attached in the usual
way to the parts C and B, so as to render the band water and grease
proof.
The widths I prefer the Brazilian plait to be is about 7ths of an inch in the
crown, an inch of which is inserted between the substances of calico, and
ths of an inch in the brim, ths of an inch of which is also inserted between
the substances; but it will be evident that these dimensions may be varied.
The hat body thus made can be covered in the usual manner with any of
the ordinary materials, such as plush, merino, or others, as heretofore.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Hall, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.