AN APPARATUS FOR THE INTERIOR OF BONNETS, TO FIX THEM ON THE HEAD
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Pierre François Giraud, of Paris, in the
Empire of France, for the Invention of "AN APPARATUS FOR THE
INTERIOR OF BONNETS, TO FIX THEM ON THE HEAD."
Sealed the 28th June 1853, and dated the 28th December 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Pierre François
Giraud at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 28th December 1852.
I, PIERRE FRANÇOIS GIRAUD, of Paris, in the Empire of France,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
APPARATUS FOR THE INTERIOR OF BONNETS, TO FIX THEM ON THE HEAD"
to be as follows:-
It has long been a source of great discomfort and inconvenience
to females, that bonnets as usually made will not keep tight, or sit
firm on the head, but have a sort of vacillating motion, which
causes the bonnet to fall or slide backwards, thus continually re-
quiring the hand of the wearer to be employed for re-adjustment
thereof. The object of my Invention is to prevent this incon-
venience, and its use will further preserve the shape or form of that

page_text: part of the bonnet fitting the back of the wearer's head. In the
Drawing (on which the figures are noted & described), first is
seen a circular metal spring placed in the interior or cavity of the
bonnet. This circle is increased or diminished at pleasure by
means of the slide 2. To this circle are adapted two parallel
branches 4, and 5, running to a transverse branch retained by
studs, which permit it to advance or recede; this branch acts upon
the upper part of the head. By means of two sinall branches 12,
13, the transverse branch is held by small hooks which attach them
to the interior part of the bonnet, and by this apparatus the bon-
net will be so arranged on the head of the wearer, as to retain its
position even when acted upon by the wind, &c.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Pierre François Giraud in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 28th June 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
PIERRE FRANCOIS GIRAUD, of Paris, in the Empire of France, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of
December, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Pierre François Giraud,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Pierre François Giraud, 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, my Invention of "AN APPARATUS
FOR THE INTERIOR OF BONNETS, TO FIX THEM ON THE HEAD," upon con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Pierre François Giraud, by

page_text: an instrument in writing under iny hand and seal, should particu-
larly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed and carried into
practical effect, 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 Pierre François Giraud, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement; reference
being also had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings thereunto
annexed, and to the letters of reference marked thereon shewing
the parts herein-after mentioned respectively.
My apparatus for the interior of bonnets to fix them on the head,
is a light framing fixed in the interior of a ladies' bonnet. The loose-
ness or want of fit in bonnets has long been a source of great
uneasiness to females, and no remedy could be had while the support,
stay, or fix to the head of the wearer was dependant on the bonnet
itself; partly because it was difficult to suit the prevailing fashion
in bonnets to the shape of each head, but more so, from the various
forms in which ladies' hair is worn and fastened; thus a vacillating
motion takes place under every movement of the head, causing the
bonnet to slide backwards, or otherwise out of the desired position
on the head; while in a breeze of wind the bonnet often falls entirely
back, leaving the head bare, and if the hair or other ornaments of the
head be not very securely fastened, the hair becomes dishevilled,
and the other ornaments are often lost or trampled under foot. To
avoid these sudden surprises from wind or jolts from carriages, or
on horseback, ladies are usually compelled to put one hand to the
back of the bonnet to hold it in its place, or re-adjust it if it be
displaced, and with little intermission hold it in this ungraceful
position while in the open air. In order to remedy, or rather to
prevent this inconvenience, I have, after much consideration and
pains, invented a metalic apparatus to fit inside the bonnet, such
apparatus being so made as to enable the fitter to adapt it to any

page_text: shape or size of bonnet or head; while its weight, although made of
flat metal, is so trifling, that its addition to the bonnet will be
scarcely as regards weight be perceptible, and although so light,
flexible, and adaptable, and adaptable it will be found sufficiently
strong to perform its duty the heaviest gale of wind. By the use
of my Invention, the shape of the entire bonnet will be guaranteed,
and more particularly that part fitting the wearer's head, which is
so apt to receive slight blows in passing, or by being hurriedly
laid down, and so put slightly out of shape. My apparatus will
guard against this; for if the bonnet be depressed by a blow, full,
or otherwise in one spot, the elasticity of the metal by springing
back will cause the depression or indentation to disappear.
I now proceed to describe the apparatus itself, which consists
of, firstly, a circular metal spring A, A, which when in its place
in the bonnet forms the support of the head piece or back
thereof; and to permit the same spring to be used on all sizes
of bonnets, a series of holes b, are pierced in the lower part of
the circle, and two pins c, c¹, are placed on the outer periphery
thereof at about equal distances, say at each side of the spring.
On one end of the spring is fastened a loop or slide d, and on
the other a similar pin to those marked c, and which I have
marked c². The use of the two small pins c, and c¹, is to catch up or
slightly perforate the bonnet lining, so as to form a sort of attach-
ment or support thereby. The use of the holes, pin c³, and a loop or
slide d, is that they serve as means to extend or contract the circle
at pleasure; as, for example, having extended the spring to the size
required, the pin c³, is dropped into one of the holes b, which will
be found opposite to it or nearly so; I now fix two branches or
arms e, e¹, one on each side the circle A, a little below the centre
of the circle. I fix these arms by screw pins, so that the arins may
be permitted to move where such pins are placed as on a swivel.
These branches or arms project horizontally from the circle, or
nearly so, and are parallel to each other, admitting the head of the
wearer of the bonnet between them. The ends of the arms e, e', I
attach also by screw pins, a steel elastic half or three quarter of a

page_text: I
circle plate or spring f, which goes over the front part of the head
and is adjustable to its form. At the ends of this plate or spring f,
I pierce two holes 1, 2, which serve to attach such ends (by sewing)
to the interior of the bonnet, thus securing fixity of position on the
back of the head when the bonnet is on the head of the wearer.
also fix at each side of the spring f, about equi-distant from its
connection with the branches or arms e, e¹, and its top, two short
arms or branches g, g', which are also to be attached by sewing the
holes at their ends 3, 4, to the inside of the bonnet. It may be as
well to observe that in consequence of all the fixings or attachments
being made to work swivel wise, the entire apparatus is capable of
considerable modulation of form, to suit various shaped heads,
before it is fixed to the bonnet lining, and that the accompanying
Drawing is drawn to the usual size of the apparatus as used. The
whole is usually composed of flat steel, similar in breadth and
thickness to watch springs, but it need not be so finely tempered
for the purposes of my Invention; but the apparatus may be com-
posed of wire, cane, or any suitable material, altho' I prefer the use
of steel as aforesaid, as it answers the purpose of fixing the bonnet
on the head more securely than any other, and is less weighty or
clumsy than coarser materials.
Having now described the whole of my Invention of an Apparatus
for the Interior of Bonnets to Fix them on the Head, in compliance
with the proviso before mentioned, and the manner in which the
same is to be carried into practical effect, I desire it to be under-
stood that, although I have described a combination of parts, that
I lay no claim to the parts taken separately, or to the material or
materials of which such part is or may be composed, except as in
combination for the purposes of my Invention; and I would also
observe, that where sizes, proportions, or positions are given, I have
endeavoured to give nearly as possible those most correct; but I do
not confine myself to them as set down or mentioned, as it is evident
that under various circumstances, such proportions, sizes, or positions
may be varied to suit or apply to such circumstances as the dif-
ferent sizes, forms, or capacities of the interior of bonnets or hats
may require.

page_text: But I claim as of my Invention the combination of parts herein
described and shewn by the annexed Drawing, forming in such
combination an apparatus for the interior of bonnets to fix them on
the wearer's head.
In witness whereof, I, the said Pierre François Giraud, have
heretofore affixed my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day
of June, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
PIERRE FRANCOIS GIRAUD. (L.S.)
JOHN GEDGE, Agent,
4, Wellington Street, Strand,
London.

page_text: 2 Slide with Rings to enlarge or contrad the Circle according to the size of the Head.
3 ·Pin or Stud penetrating into the stuff of the Bennet to hold the Ring.
4&5 Two parallel Branches between which the Head is placed.
6&7
8&9
Screw which enable the Bonnet to be placed forward or badaward.
pierced ends to fie the Bonnets at the back of the Heads
10&11 The internal space of the Apparatus in which is placed the Head.
of the
12&13 Two small Branches which are fixed to the Bonnet on the sides at the top of the
Heud and which are connected with the Curved Line..
left with Provisional specification is not colored.
C.E.Chafft