AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PLATTING OF STRAW, AND IN MANUFACTURING BONNETS AND OTHER ARTICLES THEREFROM;
Year: 1822

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, URIAH
LANE the younger, of Lambs Conduit Street, in the United Parishes of Saint
Andrew's, Holborn, and Saint George the Martyr, in the County of Middlesex,
Straw Hat Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at Westminster,
the Eighteenth day of October 1822, in the third year of His reign, give and
grant unto me, the said Uriah Lane, my exors, admors, and assigns, His
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Uriah Lane, my exors, adñors, and assigns, during the term of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PLATTING OF STRAW, AND IN MANUFACTURING
BONNETS AND OTHER ARTICLES THEREFROM;" in which said Letters Patent there
is contained a proviso, that if I, the said Uriah Lane, shall not particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner.
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties
and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine,
and become void, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had) will
more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with said proviso, I, the said Uriah
Lane, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say):-
My improvement consists in a new method of platting split straw, so as to
produce an article capable of being wrought into bonnets, &c. of a different
description to any hitherto made for that purpose, the face of the plait when
finished presenting to view the external or shining surface of the straw only,
and the back of the plait the interior or dull surface. The mode by which
this plait is produced will be fully understood by the following explanation of
its process: Take a quantity of single split straws and fasten them together
at that end commonly called the white or clear end of the straw. Suppose
thirteen of these single straws are to be interwoven (but a greater number
may be employed), when they are arranged side by side with the bright
surfaces downwards, and fastened as above mentioned, let them be parted,
placing seven on one hand and six on the other, as shewn in the Drawing at
Fig. 1. When this is done, hold the fan of straws thus arranged in the left
hand, the back or dull side of the straws being next you, and taking hold of
the outside or first straw by the finger and thumb of the right hand draw it
towards you in the direction of the red line; shewn at Fig. 2; now shift the
position of your thumb and finger, and place your thumb on the bright side
of the straw thus brought down, by which means you will be enabled to twist
the splint of straw, and turn it round behind the other splints of the fan with
the bright side from you. Having proceeded thus far, this splint is to be
interwoven with the others, by passing it under the second and third splint,
over the fourth and fifth, and under the sixth and seventh, as shewn by the
red line at Fig. 3, observing that the bright side of the straw is to be kept
constantly turned from you. There will now be seven straws on the left side,
and you must proceed by taking the outside splint between the finger and
thumb of the left hand and drawing it towards you, as before described. By
changing the position of the finger and thumb you will now be enabled to
twist the straw and turn its bright side from you,. when it is to be platted
under the second and third, over the fourth and fifth, and under the sixth and
seventh, as shewn by the blew line at Fig. 4; seven splits will now be found
in the right-hand side, when the outer one is to be twisted and plaitted in
between the other splints, in the same manner as described before, and so on,
continuing to twist and plait in the outer splint from that side on which sevon
splints have arranged themselves. This process, if performed accurately and

page_text: agreeable to these instructions, will cause the back or inside of every splint to
appear upwards, and the outside or bright surface of the straw downwards,
which being turned produces a regular shining and beautiful surface of plaitted
straw of a kind never before produced. When any one of the splints of straw
has become so short as to require replenishing, a new splint must be set in,
and the end of the exhausted one set out. This is done by the following
the right hand, as in Fig. 5, the
means: Suppose the seven splints to be to
inner splint on the left hand being the one to be set out, then lay the new
under the sixth splint on the right, and it will lie
splint intended to be set in
over the sixth on the left. This done, proceed to plait four straws in the way
before described, beginning with the outside splint on the right, then take the
outside splint on the left, then on the right, and then on the left. This
secures the new straw, and the old one thus set out must be pulled down and
held under the thumb of the left hand, in order to prevent its interfering with
those in use. If more convenient, the fifth splint may be set out by placing
the fresh straw under the fifth on the right, it will then lie over the fifth to
the left. Two straws are then to be plaitted in, and the splint set out drawn
back. The straws thus set in and set out will in appearance and effect be the
same as the others, and their junctions will not be visible on the front side.
The plait being thus made, the ends of the straws may be clipped off, and
after being bleached and stretched is then in a proper state for making into
bonnets, &c. Instead of sewing this plait together, as is the usual mode with
the ordinary straw plait, it is to be knitted together, after the manner of the
Leghorn plait, and in consequence of the straws being turned at the edges in
the mode before described, it is considerable stronger than it would be if
turned in the ordinary way; and it is presumed that a bonnet made in this
manner will wear longer than two made from other kinds of split straws plait
which is sewn together. This description of plait may be made with a greater
or less number of straws, and may be varied in appearance by turning the
straws under and over a greater or less number of straws.
I therefore claim as my Invention every variation of split straw plait which
can be produced with single straws upon the principle of having one side
made entirely of the outside or bright side of the straw.
In witness whereof, I, the said Uriah Lane, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-two.
URIAH (L.s.) LANE.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighteenth day of December,
in the year of our Lord 1822, the aforesaid Uriah Lane came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Eighteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-two.