Improvements in Double Branch Wire Brim Springs for Hats.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th May, 1892-Accepted, 18th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Double Branch Wire Brim Springs for Hats.
I, THOMAS EDDISON, of 18, Whitehall Road, Leeds in the County of York,
Wire Brim Spring Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in double branch wire springs for hats
and consists in a metallic bridging piece for holding and staying what is known as
the branch wire of such hat springs to the main wire thereof and comprises for
each branch wire a piece of sheet metal, such piece of metal having either bifurcated
or trifurcated ends, these forked parts are so wrapped around the respective wires
forming the spring proper and the additional or branch wires for supporting the
curls of hat brims as not only to hold the said wires apart but also to prevent
their approaching each other or in other words, "collapsing."
As a modification of the bridging pieces above mentioned I form sometimes of a
single piece of flat metal with plain or single ends which I so bend around the
aforesaid wires comprising the double branch wire springs as to effect the same
purpose above referred to.
Dated this 13th day of August 1891.
THOMAS EDWIN CRAVEN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Double Branch Wire Brim Springs for Hats.
I, THOMAS EDDISON, of 18, Whitehall Road, Leeds, in the County of York,
Wire Brim-spring Manufacturer, 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 wire brim-springs for hats and especially to that class
of such brim-springs having additional side wires for supporting the inner edges of
the curls and described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 16138 of 1890,
which additional wires are usually termed "branch wires."
Hitherto difficulty has been experienced in keeping these branch wires at the
proper distance from the main wire. The object of my invention is to overcome
this difficulty and to this end it consists in the novel application of metallic
bridging-pieces for holding and staying the branch wires to the main wire.
In carrying out my invention I employ pieces of sheet-metal having their ends
trifurcated or bifurcated to form arms which are wrapped around the main wire
and the branch wires.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a brim wire having a branch wire
and illustrating the application of a bridging-piece thereto in accordance with my
invention:
Figure 2 is a view of a bridging-piece having trifurcated ends; and,
Figure 3 is a similar view of a bridging-piece having bifurcated ends:
Figure 4 illustrates the method of applying the bridging-piece shewn in
Figure 3.
a indicates the main wire and b the branch wire. c is my bridging-piece. The
bridging-piece shewn in Figure 1 is constructed with trifurcated ends, as shewn in

page_text: Figure 2, and is held upon the wires by bending the outside prongs d, d over the
wires in one direction and the central prongs e, e over the wires in the opposite
direction.
In applying the bridging-piece having bifurcated ends, the two arms d,d are
bent over the wires in one direction and the two prongs e, e bent over in the opposite
direction, as shewn in Figure 4.
As a modification of my invention I sometimes form the bridging-pieces of flat
pieces of metal with plain or single ends which I bend around the aforesaid wires
in order to hold the same in their proper relative positions.
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 combination with a hat wire having branch wires of the kind referred to,
of bridging-pieces for holding and staying the said branch wires in their proper
positions relatively with the main wires, substantially as described.
2. The application to brim wires having branches as described, of bridging-
pieces constructed substantially in the manner described by reference to Figures 2
and 3 of the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 16th day of May 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.