IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS OR COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Vero, of Atherstone, in the County of
Warwick, Hat Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Vero at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th May 1868.
I, CHARLES VERO, of Atherstone, in the County of Warwick, Hat
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS OR COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
hats or coverings for the head. I make a compound hat by taking a felt
hat in the unfinished state stiffened with proofing material dyed and
blocked to form; I coat the outer surface of the hat again with strong
proofing or cementing composition, and then apply over it a covering or
outer hat of fine felt, I place the two together when thoroughly warmed
in a metal mould, and I expand the compound hat into every part of
the mould by internal pressure applied by preference by means of a

page_text: flexible bag introduced into the hat and then expanded by water forced
into it. In this way I obtain a hat consisting of a stiff felt, it may be
of coarse material covered with a finer felt; this is a new manufacture.
The two felts may be of different colors, and it is advantageous when the
outer felt is of light color that the inner felt should be darker. The
outer felt not being saturated with proofing hats thus made are more
durable than stiff felt hats heretofore manufactured, in which after a
little wear the proofing always shows upon the surface and destroys the
appearance of the hat. In a similar way also I combine a covering of
woollen cloth or other fabric with a felt hat stiffened with proofing.
Military shakos and helmets may be similarly made.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Vero in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th November 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
VERO, of Atherstone, in the County of Warwick, Hat Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Charles Vero, Her special licence that
I, the said Charles Vero, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Charles Vero, 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, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
HATS OR COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Charles Vero, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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

page_text: calendar montis next and mcurately alter one a
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Vero, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:―
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture
of hats or coverings for the head. I make a compound hat by taking a
felt hat in the unfinished state stiffened with proofing material, dyed,
and blocked to form, and I coat the outer surface of the hat again with
strong proofing or cementing composition, and then apply over it a
covering or outer hat of fine felt; I place the two together when
thoroughly warmed in a metal mould, and I expand the compound hat
into every part of the mould by internal pressure applied by preference
by means of a flexible bag introduced into the hat and then expanded
by water forced into it. In this way I obtain a hat consisting of a stiff
felt, it may be of coarse material covered with a finer felt; this is a new
manufacture. The two felts may be of different colors, and it is advan-
tageous when the outer felt is of light color that the inner felt should
be darker. The outer felt not being saturated with proofing hats thus
made are more durable than stiff felt hats heretofore manufactured, in
which after a little wear the proofing always shows upon the surface and
destroys the appearance of the hat. In a similar way also I combine a
covering of woollen cloth or other fabric with a felt hat stiffened with
proofing. Military shakos and helmets may be similarly made.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood
and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe more in detail
the manner in which I prefer to operate.
I take a light body made of wool with a "chivy" or coating of fur on
the under side of the brim, this body I proof in the ordinary way either
with water or spirit proofing, I steam it, dye it to the color desired for
the brim of the hat, and block it; these are all well-known operations.
So far I conduct the manufacture as if I were making an ordinary
single hat; then by preference with the ordinary waterproofing I brush
over the hat one or more times so as thoroughly to coat it with the
proofing, and I allow it to dry; I now take another light body of finer
material, of fine wool or fur, and which has been prepared without
proofing in the usual way to make a soft hat. This hat is blocked to the

page_text: outer size of the first or coarser hat, over which it is then strained. I
now make use of a hatter's hydraulic bag press, such as is now commonly
employed for pressing hats, I take the metal mould of the press, which
mould corresponds in form to the shape which it is desired to give to
the hat, and I heat this mould by placing it over a jet of free steam until
it is so hot that the hand cannot be kept upon it; I then, having wiped
the mould dry, place it in the press and the hat within it, and I press
it in the usual way. The heat of the mould softens the proofing so as to
cause a perfect adhesion without bringing the proofing through to the
surface. The hat is afterwards finished in the usual way.
When I desire to have a covering of woollen cloth or fabric in place of
a covering of fine wool or fur I either form the cloth covering in seg-
ments, sewing them together; or if the fabric is very elastic I cover the
body with two picces of fabric only, one a ring piece covers the brim,
and the other picce covers the crown and sides, being stretched over
and secured by a string applied just above the brim. The adhesion is
obtained by pressure in a heated mould, as before described. It is
obvious that more than two thicknesses may be similarly combined, but
this is not usually required.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the exact details described; but what I claim
is, the manufacture of hats or coverings for the head of double felt, or of
two (or more) thicknesses of felt combined into one, the under being of
proofed felt, and the surface or cover which is united to it of unproofed
felt.
I also claim the combining a hat of proofed felt and a cover (or covers)
of felt, woollen cloth, or other fabric, by pressing them together in a
heated mould.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Vero, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of November, in the year of