Improvements in the Securing of Hairs, Bristles, and the like upon "Foundations."
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Nov., 1887
Complete Left, 1st Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 16th Mar., 1888
Improvements in the Securing of Hairs, Bristles, and the like upon
"Foundations."
I, GEORGE LICHTENFELD of 93 Great Portland Street and 79 Regent Street in
the County of Middlesex, Wigmaker and Hairdresser, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to the method of securing hair and fibres in the "foundation"
or material which holds them together. The invention is particularly applicable to
the manufacture of wigs partings and the like, but will embrace also the similar
treatment of bristles or furs and other materials.
"
In the manufacture of wigs it has hitherto been customary to employ some form of
net each hair being passed through an opening in the net and knotted in place. In
the course of time however I find that the hairs draw through the net or "foundation
until sometimes there is as much hair on the underside of the foundation as there is
above it the knots also, although so very fine are frequently a source of irritation
to a delicate skin and as they wear off the hairs come away from the foundation and
the wig is spoiled. A further disadvantage of the present process is that the founda-
tion being made of such fine material it not strong and a moderate pull will tear it.
In carrying out my invention I get rid of these drawbacks by employing skin
parchment or other material which while being of a strong nature capable of standing
a comparatively severe tensile strain is capable of receiving the hair within its substance
in such manner that the knots do not appear upon the underside or back of the founda-
tion which remains smooth and free from obstruction as before it was operated upon.
In fixing the hairs bristles or the like into this skin or equivalent foundation I
prefer to make with a suitable curved tool a small hole in the skin extending about
half way through and coming out through the same surface as that through which it

page_text: entered. Into the perforation thus made I insert the hair and knot it there and I find
it remains firmly fixed and being protected by the inner face of the skin which has not
been cut the knot remains uninjured by abrasion or rubbing against the skin of tho
wearer.
It will be readily understood that this method may be applied to a variety of
purposes and I take as an illustration a piece of long-haired fur where a damaged
portion can be removed and new hairs inserted. It is not always necessary to knot the
hairs in so long as they are securely fastened but I prefer to knot them where possible.
The foundation may be moulded or shaped and coloured and if desired perforated
between the hairs for purposes of ventilation.
Dated this 1st day of November 1887.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Securing or Hairs, Bristles, and the like upon
" "Foundations."
GEORGE LICHTENFELD of 93 Great Portland Street and 79 Regent Street in the
County of Middlesex, Wigmaker and Hairdresser do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
"
This invention relates to the method of securing hair and fibres in the "foundation
or material which holds them together. The invention is particularly applicable to
the manufacture of wigs, partwigs, and the like, but will embrace also the similar
treatment of bristles or furs and other materials.
"
In the manufacture of wigs it has hitherto been customary to employ some form of
net each hair being passed through an opening in the net and knotted in place. In the
course of time however I find that the hairs draw through the net or "foundation
until sometimes there is as much hair on the underside of the foundation as there is
above it; the knots also although so very fine are frequently a source of irritation to a
delicate skin and as they wear off the hairs come away from the foundation and the
wig is spoiled. A further disadvantage of the present process is that the foundation
being made of such fine material is not strong and a moderate pull will tear it.
In carrying out my invention I get rid of these drawbacks by employing skin
parchment or other material which while being of a strong nature capable of standing
à comparatively severe tensile strain is capable of receiving the hair within its
substance in such manner that the knots do not appear upon the underside or back of
the foundation which remains smooth and free from obstruction as before it was
operated upon.
In fixing the hairs bristles or the like into this skin or equivalent foundation I prefer
to make with a suitable curved tool a small hole in the skin extending about half way
through and coming out through the same surface as that through which it entered.
Into the perforation thus made I insert the hair and knot it there and I find it remains
firmly fixed and being protected by the inner face of the skin which has not been cut
the knot remains uninjured by abrasion or rubbing against the skin of the wearer.
It will be readily understood that this method may be applied to a variety of
purposes and I take as an illustration a piece of long-haired fur where a damaged
portion can be removed and new hairs inserted-It is not always necessary to knot the
hairs in so long as they are securely fastened but I prefer to knot them where
possible.
The foundation may be moulded or shaped and coloured and if desired perforated
between the bairs for purposes of ventilation.
In the accompanying drawings which are upon an enlarged scale Figure 1 is a
section of the "foundation" showing the hair or fibre passing part way through the
"foundation" and Figure 2 is a plan of the "foundation" showing hairs both loosely
and tightly knotted.

page_text: A is the foundation" composed of skin parchment or otherwise as stated above
and a is the small hole made by a suitably curved tool extending about half way
through the "foundation," and coming out again through the same surface by which
it entered.
The hair, fibre, wool, or other material required to be secured is passed through the
hole a and may be formed into a loop 12; the ends of the hair B B' are passed through
the loop B as shown in Figure 1 and are then knotted.
It will be of course understood that one or more hairs or other material may be
inserted in one hole and if desired knotted or secured together.
Instead of looping in the hairs &c. in the manner above described it will in many
instances be sufficient to insert the hair single and knot one end, or two knots one at
each end of the hole may be used; or other suitable means such as will readily
occur to persons versed in this art may be adopted for securing the hairs &c. in the
hole in the foundation.
Perforations such as shown at C may be formed in the "foundation" between the
hairs for the purpose of ventilation:
It is not always necessary to make the hole with one instrument and then insert the
hair with another instrument or with the fingers ;, for example if a sufficiently thick
piece of silk or other flexible material were used as the foundation the hair could be
threaded in a needle and put into place by a single application of the needle which
would then be unthreaded leaving the hair or fibre in the hole.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The method of fixing hairs fibres and the like to foundations such as described
consisting in inserting them through one side or surface of the foundation into the
substance or body thereof without perforating or injuring the other surface.
2. The method of fixing hairs fibres and the like to foundations such as described
consisting in making a hole or perforation in one side or surface of the foundation
extending into the body or substance thereof and out at the side or surface by which
it entered inserting the hair or equivalent in the said perforation and fixing it by
knotting or otherwise without perforating or injuring the back or other side or surface
of the foundation substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. A wig, partwig, or other foundation such as described in or upon which the hairs
fibres or the like are secured by being inserted through a portion only of the substance
of the said foundation without perforating or injuring the side or surface remote from
the hairs substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of January 1888.