Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 19th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1887
1 CHARLES VERO of Atherstone in the County of Warwick Felt Hat Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of felt hats.
I make the upper part and crown of the hat and the brim of the hat of different
materials and in the operations of felting or hardening I combine these into one
fabric. Usually I make the crown and upper part entirely of fur whilst the brim
I make of wool. Wool may however in some cases be mixed with the fur of which
the crown and upper part is formed, and on the other hand the wool forming the
brim may in some cases be plaited with fur, or a proportion of fur may be mixed
with the wool of which the brim is made; but in all cases the material which I employ
for the crown and upper part is different from that for the brim, and the two are
thoroughly combined into one fabric in the operation of felting or hardening.
The way in which I prefer to operate is as follows ;-
I first blow the fur to form the crown and upper part of the hat on to a perforated
cone from the interior of which air is exhausted as is usual in the manufacture of hats
entirely of fur, but I accumulate the fur on to a smaller surface than would be
necessary if the hat were to be entirely of this material. I then proceed as usual to
wrap cloths around the fur upon the cone and to place a metal cover over it. Whilst
the fur is so held I saturate it and the cloths wrapped around it with water; the fur
can then be removed without injury. When several fur crowns have been thus pro-
duced they are formed into a bundle and manipulated in the usual way to give
sufficient consistence to the material to enable it to hold together when dry. The
crowns are then dried and placed on one side. For the brim of the hat I accumulate
a bat of wool coming from a carding engine on to a double cone in the manner usual
in making woollen hats except that no care is requisite to cover the ends of the
double cone.
When sufficient wool has been accumulated it is cut off from the cones
in the usual way and so two brims are formed and they are trimmed into shape. The

page_text: ::
fur crown is now brought to the brim and is placed in position so as to overlap it ;
ihe materials being if desired thinned to some extent where they overlap at the band
to prevent too great a thickness at this part. An inlayer or separating fabric is now
put inside the hat body and this is then worked in a machine known as a "flat
hardener which commences the felting in the centre portion of the body without
pressing upon the tip or upon the folded or double edges. Under this treatment the
fur crown immediately unites with the woollen brim. After a short time the inlayer
or separating fabric is removed from the interior, the hat body is crossed or refolded,
the inlayer is again inserted and the operation is repeated so a complete union
between the fur crown and the woollen brim is effected all around the hat body.
The operations of completing the hat are then as usual.
A like result may be obtained by blowing a brim of a mixture of wool and fur on
to the cone and at a separate operation blowing fur onto the cone to form the upper
part and crown of the hat, this upper portion of the cone having previously been kept
bare by any suitable covering.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, CHARLES VERO of Atherstone in the County of Warwick, England, Felt Hat
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 has for its object improvements in the manufacture of felt hats.
I make the upper part and crown of the hat and the brim of the hat of different
materials and in the operations of felting or hardening I combine these into one
fabric.
Usually I make the crown and upper part entirely of fur whilst the brim I make
of wool. Wool may however in some cases be mixed with the fur of which the crown
and upper part is formed and on the other hand the wool forming the brim may in
some cases be plaited with fur or a proportion of fur may be mixed with the wool of
which the brim is made, but in all cases the material which I employ for the crown
and upper part is different from that for the brim and the two are thoroughly
combined into one fabric in the operation of felting or hardening.
The way in which I prefer to operate is as follows:-
I first blow the fur to form the crown and upper part of the hat on to a perforated
cone from the interior of which air is exhausted as is usual in the manufacture of hats
entirely of fur but I accumulate the fur on to a smaller surface than would be
necessary if the hat were to be entirely of this material. I then proceed as usual to
wrap cloths around the fur upon the cone and to place a metal cover over it. Whilst
the fur is so held I saturate it and the cloths wrapped around it with water the fur
can then be removed without injury. When several fur crowns have been thus pro-
duced they are formed into a bundle and manipulated in the usual way to give
sufficient consistence to the material to enable it to hold together when dry. The
crowns are then dried and placed on one side. For the brim of the hat I accumulate
a batt of wool or of wool and fur coming from a carding engine on to a double cone
in the manner usual in making woollen hats except that no care is requisite to cover
the ends of the double cone.
When sufficient wool or wool and fur has been accumu-
lated it is cut off from the cones in the usual way and so two brims are formed and
they are trimmed into shape.
The fur crown is now brought to the brim and is placed in position so as to overlap
it the materials being if desired thinned to some extent where they overlap at the
band to prevent too great a thickness at this part.
::
An inlayer or separating fabric is now put inside the hat body and this is then
worked in a machine known as a "Hat hardener which commences the felting in the
centre portion of the body without pressing upon the tip or the folded or doubled
edges.
Under this treatment the fur crown immediately unites with the woolen or mixed
brim. After a short time the inlayer or separating fabric is removed from the interior

page_text: the lat body is crosed or refolded the inlayer is again inserted and the operation is
repeated-so a complete union between the fur crown and the woollen brim is effected
all round the hat body.
The operations of completing the hat are then as usual.
A like result may be obtained by blowing a brim of a mixture of wool and fur on
to the cone and at a separate operation blowing fur on to the cone to form the upper
part and crown of the hat, this upper portion of the cone having previously been kept
bare by any suitable covering.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The process in the manufacture of felt hats consisting in preparing a crown or
upper part by blowing fur, on to a cone wetting and consolidating and drying the
same, also in preparing a brim by accumulating a sliver of wool or wool and fur upon
a cone, then fitting these parts together and combining them by a felting operation
substantially as described.
2. The process in the manufacture of felt hats consisting in combining in the
operation of felting or hardening two separate parts the one constituting the brim and
the other the crown or upper part of the hat substantially as described.
3. A felt hat having a crown or upper part of fur or fine material and a brim of
wool or coarser material the two combined and forming one continuous felted fabric
substantially as described.