IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD AND IN ADJUNCTS THERETO
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Wheble, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Wheble at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th May 1871.
I, ROBERT WHEBLE, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD AND IN ADJUNCTS
THERETO," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates chiefly to sunshades or what I call "ombras,"
consisting of loose brims to be attached to hats for the purpose of
protecting the face and neck of the wearer from the direct rays of the
sun, and is also partly applicable to the hat itself.
I make the "ombra" of any suitable material, such as straw, Brazilian
and Manilla grass, palm leaf, cloth, linen, or other fabric kept in shape

page_text: 66
or not with elastic wire, catgut, or other stiff but flexible material
sewed or otherwise attached round the brim, so as to admit of the
ombra" being rolled up or folded, if required; or it may be made of
rigid material. In order to attach this "ombra" to a hat I employ a
lining or covering, either on the under or upper surface of the "ombra,"
or in some cases on both surfaces, which lining is left loose round its
inner edge, and is there provided with a running cord (elastic or not) to
draw it up, thus forming, in fact, a species of circular pocket into
which the hat brim is inserted, and then secured by drawing the cord
before referred to, or a pocket may be made only partially round the
brim formed by a band or bands stitched across the front into which
pocket or bands the front of the hat brim is introduced whilst its rear
may be secured by a stud or other fastening. 'A stud, screw, pin, or
other means of attachment may or may not be employed in order to
ensure the hat preserving its proper position as regards the "ombra."
If desired, a piece of elastic cord may be attached to a loose piece of
fabric round the centre opening of the loose brim or "ombra" to cause
it to fit round the hat closely.
"
In order to protect the head and neck of the wearer from the direct
rays of the sun, and to improve the general appearance and style of the
head covering when the "ombra is attached, I propose, according to
another part of my Invention, to adapt round the hat at the part where
the loose brim, sunshade, or "ombra" joins it a hat band of a peculiar
character intended to supersede the white muslin scarfs or bands which
are frequently wound round a hat in hot weather. This improved hat
band is composed of any light and porous, but at the same time, bulky
fibrous material, such, for example, as braid woven or knitted together
loosely to form a reticulated or open fabric similar to what is known as
"Cash's towelling; or it may be composed of plaited wool, silk, or
vegetable fibre, but it must be essentially of an open and elastic
character, so that whilst protecting the head from the action of the sun
it will at the same time afford free ventilation from within, and being
soft in its nature it will not press rigidly as most hat bands do round the
'head of the wearer. This improved band may be applied permanently to
the hat with or without the ordinary band, and may be used without
the "ombra' " if desired; or it may be made to take off easily being
attached by a button or other convenient fastening. These bands being
of a loose texture may be increased in width by being pulled out
"

page_text: laterally, and thereby contracted in circumference so as to fit hats of
different sizes.
The band may also be arranged to cover entirely the skull portion of
the hat, or such portion as may be desired, and also arranged with or
without a fall, so as to protect the neck or neck and sides of the head,
and this without materially confining or impeding the circulation of the
of
air, as with the present linen and other falls. A separate fall can,
course, be applied either with or without the ventilating band.
The "ombra" may be made reversible or not of waterproof materials to
resist rain as well as heat, and may be provided with a linen or other
arrangement, waterproofed or not, to cover all or a portion of the crown
and sides of the hat.
The ombra may be made so as to be brought forward, if required, and
thus give greater protection to the eyes from the glare of the sun and
take the place of a larger brim. The inner hat may be perforated for
ventilation, as desired, being when covered by the proposed arrangement
not exposed to view.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Wheble in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th November 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WHEBLE, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the 34th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Robert Wheble, Her special license that I,
the said Robert Wheble, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Robert Wheble, my executors, administrators,
or 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

page_text: 66
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD
AND IN ADJUNCTS THERETO," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Robert Wheble, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, 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 Robert Wheble, 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 had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
"
My said Invention relates chiefly to hat sunshades, or what I call
ombras," consisting of loose or detachable brims to be attached to
hats for the purpose of protecting the face and neck of the wearer from
the direct rays of the sun, and is also partly applicable to the hat itself.
46
I make the "ombra" of any suitable material, such as straw,
Brazilian and Manilla grass, palm leaf, cloth, linen, or other fabric kept
in shape or not with elastic wire, catgut, or other stiff but flexible
material sewed or otherwise attached round the brim so as to admit of
the "ombra " being rolled up or folded, if required; or it may be made
of rigid material. In order to attach this ""ombra" to a hat I employ
a lining or covering, either on the under or upper surface of the
'ombra," or, in some cases, on both surfaces, which lining is left loose
round its inner edge and is there provided, or not, with a running cord
(elastic or not) to draw it up, thus forming, in fact, a species of circular
pocket, into which the hat brim is inserted and then secured by drawing a
the cord before referred to, or the lining may be applied only partially
round the loose brim or "ombra" for the reception of the front of the
hat brim, its rear being secured by a stud or other fastening. A stud,
screw pin, clip, or other means of attachment may or may not be
employed in order to ensure the hat preserving its proper position as a
regards the "ombra." If desired, a piece of elastic cord may be
attached to a loose piece of fabric round the centre opening of the loose
brim or "ombra" to cause it to fit round the hat closely.

page_text: In order to protect the head and neck of the wearer from the direct
rays of the sun, and to improve the general appearance and style of the
head covering when the "ombra" is attached, I propose, according to
another part of my Invention, to adapt round the hat at the part where
5 the loose brim, sunshade, or "ombra" joins it, a hat band of a peculiar
character intended to supersede the white muslin scarfs or bands which
are frequently wound round a hat in hot weather. This improved hat
band is composed of any light and porous but at the same time bulky
fibrous material, such for example, as braid, woven, or knitted together
O loosely to form a reticulated or open fabric similar to what is known
as "Cash's towelling," or it may be composed of plaited wool, silk, or
vegetable fibre, but it must be essentially of an open and elastic
character, so that whilst protecting the head from the action of the sun,
it will at the same time afford free ventilation from within, and being
soft in its nature it will not press rigidly, as most hat bands do,
round the head of the wearer. This improved band may be applied
permanently to the hat with or without the ordinary band and may be
used without the "ombra," if desired, or it may be made to take off
easily being attached by a button or other convenient fastening. These
bands being of a loose texture may be increased in width by being pulled
out laterally, and thereby contracted in circumference so as to fit hats
of different sizes.
The band may also be arranged to cover entirely the skull portion of
the hat or such portion as may be desired, and also arranged with or
without a fall, so as to protect the head or neck and sides of the head,
and this without materially confining or impeding the circulation of the
air as with the present linen and other falls. A separate fall can, of
course, be applied either with or without the ventilating band.
The ombra may be made reversible or not of waterproof materials to
resist rain as well as heat, and may be provided with a linen or other
arrangement, waterproofed or not, to cover all or a portion of the crown
and sides of the hat.
The ombra may also, if desired, be made so as to be brought forward
and thus give greater protection to the eyes from the glare of the sun
and take the place of a larger brim. The inner hat may be perforated
for ventilation as desired, being when covered by the proposed arrange-
ment not exposed to view.

page_text: In some cases I make the hat in one with the ombra brim, so as to
form a large collapsible sunshade hat.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts.
in all the Figures.
Figure 2 of my Drawings represents an under side plan view of my
improved "ombra" or detachable wide brim shewing the improved
means for attaching it to a hat; Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of
the same as applied to an ordinary tourist's hat; and Figure 3 is a
corresponding plan of the same, looking upon the under side of the
"ombra," so as to shew my improved mode of attachment to the hat
more clearly; Figure 4 represents a detached view of my peculiar band
for a hat, and Figures 5 and 6 represent two different modes of applying
or adjusting the said band to or on a hat.
In Figures 2 and 3 a represents an ordinary hat and b, the "ombra "
or loose detachable brim (shewn detached in Figure 1) to the upper or
under side or on both sides of which, but by preference on the under
side, as shewn in my Drawings, I attach a loose lining c, which is
stitched to the "ombra " near its outer edge or circumference, but is
left free or loose towards the centre or round the edge of the aperture
through which the crown of the hat is to be inserted, and thereby forms
a species of circular pocket for the reception of the brim ₫ of the hat,
as shewn clearly in Figure 3, where a piece of the loose lining is repre-
sented as torn away to shew how the hat brim d is enclosed between
the loose lining c and the body of the "ombra." In order to facilitate
the insertion of the hat brim into the said circular pocket and to
prevent it escaping when so inserted, I provide the inner edge of the
loose lining c with a draw cord run therein, or I make a slit e in the
lining c at the front or back, or both front and back portions, and attach
hooks and eyes, buttons, or other convenient fastenings thereto, as shewn
clearly in Figures 1 and 3.
Although I have shewn the loose lining c as extending all round the
"ombra and forming a continuous circular pocket, it is obvious that
the said lining may be applied to the front and back portions only of
the "ombra," so as to form two pockets for the front and back only
of the hat brim d; or, in lieu of forming an absolute pocket for the

page_text: reception of the hat brim d, the said lining may be stitched to the
"ombra" near the front and back, so as to extend transversely across it,
the front and back of the hat brim being passed' in between the trans-
verse piece of lining and the body of the "ombra."
My improved hat band or "puggree" for protecting the head or head
and neck of the wearer from the direct action of the sun, and which is
represented at Figures 4, 5, and 6, is composed of any light and porous
open or reticulate fabric which is at the same time of a bulky nature.
I may mention, as an example of the fabric I propose to employ,
that known as "Cash's towelling," or I may use loosely plaited wool;
but in all cases the fabric employed should be of such a loose and
opon texture as to be capable of being extended or pulled out laterally,
so as to increase its width and thus render it capable of being applied
in various fashions to a hat with or without the adjunct of the "ombra."
For example, in Figure 4 the band is shewn detached, and in the form
of a thick roll, its two ends being supposed to be united by any well-
known or convenient mode of fastening. In this condition it may be
placed on a hat so as to lie upon the brim and against the lower circum-
ference of the crown a, as shewn in Figure 5, the united ends being
left either as in Figure 4, or opened out (if the band be long enough,)
and allowed to fall over and protect the nape of the neck of the wearer
(see Figure 5); or the band, in lieu of being applied as a thick roll
round the hat may be opened out or extended laterally so as to make it
wide enough to cover the whole of the greater portion of the crown, as
shewn in Figure 6, the upper edge of the band being drawn in so as to
close over the crown by a string, if desired.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
66
First. The application and use to and with a loose hat brim or
ombra" of a lining forming a pocket or pockets, or the equivalent for
the same, formed on either or both sides of the brim for the reception
of a hat brim, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before
described and illustrated by my Drawings.

page_text: Second. The construction of bands intended to be worn round hats or
other like coverings for the head of specially light, porous, and at the
same time bulky fabrics, as and for the purpose herein-before described.
Third. The application to hats and other like coverings for the head
of the herein-described peculiar hat bands, whether the same be per-
manently attached to and form a part of the hat itself, or whether it be
fitted loosely thereon, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Wheble, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of
November One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.