Improvements in and connected with Hat Boxes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Aug., 1899-Accepted, 30th Sept., 1899
0
[Communicated from abroad by THOMAS CANTY, of 77, 7th Street, Minneapolis,
State of Minnesota, U.S.A., Lawyer.]
Improvements in and connected with Hat Boxes.
I, HUGH DONALD FITZPATRICK, of 100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Registered
Patent Agent, 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 relates to receptacles for hats and it is especially designed for
ladies' hats, although applicable for holding hats of any kind.
The objects I have in view are:-
First, to adapt the device for application to a box of rectangular, triangular,
or other polygonal form, and so arrange it, in connection therewith, as to form a
brace or support in one corner of the box that materially stiffens and strengthens
the box.
Second, to provide a hat-support that may be formed of a single piece of wire,
and is, therefore, cheap and easily constructed and which may be readily raised
from the box when it is desired to remove the hat supported thereon, so as to
bring it above the top of the box and in position in which it may be readily
lifted off from the support.
Third, to provide a cover of textile or other material for the part of the bracket
or hat-support upon which the hat rests when in position in the box.
Fourth, to provide means upon the hat-support for fastening or securing the
hat to said hat-support whereby in transporting boxes containing hats, the bats
are retained upon said hat-support no matter how roughly the boxes may be
handled or in what position they may be placed.
To the above mentioned ends the invention consists generally in the con-
structions and combinations hereinafter described and particularly pointed out
in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,
Fig. 1 is a transverse section of a hat-box and hat support constructed in accord-
ance with my invention, the section being taken diagonally through the box on
line 1-1 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the box on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the slideway or grooved strip in which the hat
support is mounted and in which it is free to slide.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a hat support.
Fig. 5 is a horizontal detail section, looking upward; of a corner of a box
with the grooved slideway arranged therein.
Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section of the grooved slideway showing a
modified arrangement of the groove.
Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section of the upright or sliding part of the hat
support showing a modified form adapted to be applied to the modified slideway
shown in Fig. 6.

page_text: Fig. 8 shows a modification of the spring holders or hooks.
In the drawings, 2 represents a box of any suitable construction and formed
of any suitable material, and preferably provided with the ordinary slip cover 3.
This box is preferably of rectangular form and it is, preferably, constructed of
paste-board or other light, thin material, such as is ordinarily employed for the
construction of hat boxes, 4 represents a slideway preferably formed of a piece
of light wood having vertical side walls, the planes of which are at right angles
to each other. The rear surface of the strip may be hollowed out as shown in
Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6, for the purpose of lightening the slideway without decreasing
the strength thereof. The front of the slideway is also provided with the central
vertical groove 5, at each edge of which is the lateral groove 6 having prefer-
ably curved or rounded bottom walls as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The slideway 4
is arranged preferably in one corner of the box, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5,
and it is firmly secured therein by gluing or otherwise attaching it to the inner
surface of the walls of the box. This slideway, in connection with the walls of
the box, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, forms a hollow triangular column at the
corner of the box which has practically the same bracing effect as
a solid
triangular column would have on the same area in cross-section arranged at the
same point. By this means the box is very materially braced and strengthened,
and sidewise or vertical distortion or crushing of the box, is thereby practically
prevented and the box is rendered firm and strong, and is equal in strength to
an ordinary box formed of much heavier and stiffer material, and besides it
furnishes a brace for the hat-support.
The hat-support is preferably formed of a single piece of wire and consists of
a slide 7, preferably made in the form of a rectangular loop adapted to fit in the
groove 5 and have its sides engage the groove 6 and to fit closely into said
grooves. The walls of the slide may be sprung outward or inward, as desired,
to make the slide fit more or less closely into the grooves in the slideway, and
thereby the slide will be held at any desired point in the slideway. It will in
use, ordinarily, be pushed down when supporting a hat until its lower end rests
against the bottom of the box. From the lower end of the slide 7 there is a
forwardly projecting arm 8 preferably curved upward and having the hat sup-
porting ring 9 formed upon or secured to its end. This arm may be of any
suitable form and of any desired or suitable length, and the ring 9 may be of
any suitable size that will adapt it to fit within the crown of the hat that it is
designed to support. This ring is preferably covered by a textile tube 10, as
shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings, or if preferred, it may have a covering
of rubber or other suitable material.
When preferred, the slideway may be formed with the exterior grooves 6, the
central groove 5 being omitted as shown in Fig. 6, and the inner surface of the
sides of the slide 7 may be adapted to engage said grooves as illustrated by
Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings.
In some instances it is desired to transport hats in the hat-boxes, and for this
purpose I provide means by which the hats may be so fastened upon the hat-
supports as to be incapable of being shaken or thrown therefrom, and thereby
injury to the hats in transportation is prevented without any special packing
being necessary. I have shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings the means
that I prefer to employ for this purpose. This means consists, preferably, of
the spring-holders 11 preferably formed of spring wire, or other suitable material,
and having the loops 12 adapted to be sprung over and engaged with the ring
of the hat-support, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings. These holders
are adjustable to any desired position upon the ring of the hat-support and two
or more of such holders may be employed. They are preferably provided at
their lower ends with the spring pins 13 formed by providing the loops or coils 14
in said holders and forming sharpened points to the wires so as to adapt them to
engage the inner surfaces of the walls of the crown of the hat, as indicated by
dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The spring holders 11 are preferably

page_text: formed from a single piece of wire, and in order that the spring pins 13 may be
braced to prevent lateral or swaying movement of a heavy hat when suspended in
the box, I prefer to twist the ends of the wire composing the spring holder
together at a point just above where the wire is looped to form the spring pins.
This form of spring holder is adapted particularly for use in supporting a heavy
winter hat, while the form shown in Fig. 8 is designed particularly for a light hat,
being adapted to sway and accommodate itself to the different positions of the
hat in transportation.
After the hat is placed upon the support the pins are caused to engage the
inner walls of the crown of the hat, and thereby the hat is firmly and securely
fastened in position upon the support so that it will be thereafter impossible to
shake or throw it therefrom. When the hat box is used merely for the purpose of
keeping the hat, the fasteners may be removed, or they may be swung inward so
that the ends of the pins do not come in contact with the hat either in placing it
on or removing it from the hat-support.
Various modifications of the fastener and of the form of the hat-support and
the slide-way by which it is held, will suggest themselves to persons familiar
with my invention, hence I do not limit myself to the details of construction
herein shown and described.
It will be obvious that the hat-support herein shown and described, and the
fasteners for said supports, may be employed in connection with a box of
triangular, or other polygonal or circular form, and with a slideway of any pre-
ferred or suitable construction.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A polygonal hat-box having a vertical slide-way secured to its inner surface
near the corner and forming a triangular bracing column for the walls of the
box, and an adjustable hat-holder supported in said slide-way.
2. A polygonal hat-box, having its walls formed of thin material and provided
with a rigid slide-way secured to its inner surface near the corner and forming
with the corner portions of the box a triangular bracing column.
3. A polygonal hat-box having its walls formed of thin material and provided
with a vertical slide-way secured to its inner surface near a corner thereof, and
said slide-way having a grooved inner surface to receive a hat support.
4. A hat-box having a vertical grooved slide-way secured to its inner surface
and a hat support having a vertical rectangular slide capable of expansion and
contraction and adapted to fit and be moved upon said slide-way.
5. A hat-support adapted to fit within the crown of a hat, and removable and
adjustable hat fasteners provided upon said hat support to engage the inner
surface of the crown of a hat and hold the same in position.
6. A hat support adapted to fit within the crown of a hat, and hat fasteners
provided with spring pins to engage the inner surface of the crown and hold the
hat in position upon said holder.
Dated this 21st day of August 1899.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow.