Improvements connected with the Ventilation of Hats, Helmets, and other Head Coverings.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 14th June, 1899-Accepted, 30th Sept., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with the Ventilation of Hats, Helmets, and
other Head Coverings.
I, HERBERT WILFRED PERRY, Assistant Engineer, South Indian Railway,
Trichinopoly, British India, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
In all existing hats, the only method of external ventilation, (i.e. through
openings outside or above the brim,) is by means of two or three small holes in
the crown on each side of the head, & by another opening at the summit of the
These holes, besides being very conspicuous and ugly, do not afford
anything like sufficient ventilation to keep the head cool and comfortable.
crown.
The only exception is to be found in the single pattern of sola or pith hat,
shown in elevation in Figure I and known as the (Indian) planters double-
storeyed hat. In this hat the crown is formed by an enlarged cap, which is
quite distinct from the brim and is attached to it by means of a number of hori-
zontal spokes or filling pieces made of pith, as shown in the section given in
Figure II. The crown, being much larger than the brim, leaves an opening for
the ingress and egress of the air which extends all round the head, except in the
places where it is blocked by the spokes or thick pieces of pith. Although this
hat is thus externally ventilated, it has the disadvantage of an enlarged and dis-
connected appearance in the crown, and the method of attachment of the crown
to the brim by means of horizontal spokes or filling pieces is such that it cannot
readily be, and has not hitherto been, applied to any but pith hats.
This disadvantage and this limitation are both overcome in the form of hat
invented by me. For in my hat, which is shown in section in Figure III, the
crown is made of a cap or piece which is quite distinct from and overlaps the
brim, as in the planters double storeyed pith hat, but the method of its attach-
ment to the brim is novel and such that the ugly disconnected appearance of the
double-storeyed hat is avoided. The attachment is also such that it can be easily
applied to hats made of felt or straw or other material in which the adoption of
this method of external ventilation is also novel.
The novel attachment consists of a band of thin aluminium or other metal
or stiff material, which is carried round the hat at the base of the crown,
and which, being sewn or pressed or otherwise attached to the material of the
crown along its upper edge, and to the material of the brim along its lower edge,
serves to securely connect the crown to the brim. At the same time the exposed
or externally visible portion of this metal band, which occupies the place usually
covered by the external hat band, is fully and neatly perforated all round as
shown in elevation in Figure IV. The perforations may be designed to follow
any ornamental scroll or device to suit the tastes of different customers, and
extending right round the head, admit of the free ingress and egress of the air
as shown by the directions of the arrows in Figure III.
I do not restrict the band to any particular size or material, nor the perforations
to any particular form or size; and I do not restrict the use of the attachment

page_text: for external ventilation to any particular kind of hat but claim to use it in hats
of any shape or material.
Dated this Fifteenth day of September 1898.
HERBERT WILFRED PERRY,
Assistant Engineer.
Improvements connected with the Ventilation of Hats, Helmets, and
other Head Coverings.
I, HERBERT WILFRED PERRY, Assistant Engineer, South Indian Railway,
Trichinopoly, British India, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
In all existing hats, the only method of external ventilation (i.e. through
openings outside of or above brim) is by means of two or three small holes in
the crown on each side of the head and by another opening at the summit of the
crown. These holes, besides being very conspicuous and ugly, do not afford
anything like sufficient ventilation to keep the head cool and comfortable.
The only exception is to be found in the single pattern of sola or pith hat
shown in elevation in Figure 1 of the drawings left with the Provisional Specifica-
tion and known as the (Indian) planters' double storied hat. In this hat the
crown is formed by an enlarged cap, which is quite distinct from the brim and
it attached thereto by means of a number of horizontal spokes or filling pieces
made of pith as will be seen on reference to Figure 2 in which such form of
hat is given in section. The crown, being much larger than the brim, leaves
an opening for the ingress and egress of the air, which extends all round the
head except in the places where it is blocked by the spokes or thick pieces of pith.
Although this hat is thus externally ventilated, it has the disadvantage of an
enlarged and disconnected appearance in the crown, and the method of attachment
of the crown to the brim by means of horizontal spokes or filling pieces is such
that it cannot readily be and has not hitherto been applied to any but pith
hats.
This disadvantage and limitation is overcome in the form of hat invented by
me and now to be described. In this hat, which is shown in section in Figure 3,
the crown is made of a cap or piece which is quite distinct from and overlaps the
brim as in the planter's double storied pith hat, but the method of its attachment
to the brim is different and novel and such that the ugly disconnected appearance
of the double storied hat is avoided. The attachment is also such that it can be
easily applied to hats made of felt or straw or other material in which the adoption
of this method of external ventilation is also novel.
The means of attachment consists of a band of thin aluminium or other metal
or stiff material which is carried round the hat at the base of the crown, and
which, being sewn or pressed or otherwise attached to the material of the crown
along its upper edge, and to the material of the brim along its lower edge, serves
to securely connect the crown to the brim.
The exposed or externally visible portion of this band, which occupies the place
usually covered by the ordinary hat hand, is fully and neatly perforated all round
as shown in elevation in Figure 4. The perforations may be designed to follow
any ornamental scroll or device to suit the tastes of different customers, and these
perforations, extending right round the head, admit of the free ingress and egress
of the air all round the head as shown by the directon of the arrows in Figure 3.

page_text: In order to prevent the sunlight from falling directly on the head through the
perforations in the band, a screen may be placed within the hat behind the per-
forated band in such a position that it will not prevent the free ingress or egress
of the air through the perforations. Such screen may if desired be formed by
the upward extension of the inner portion of the hat brim as shewn in Figure 3.
The width and size of the band, the material of which it is composed, the
size and form of the perforations and the size and shape of the screen are not
essential parts of this invention, nor is the use of the improvement restricted to
hats of any particular form or material.
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. In any hat, the use of a perforated band running round the base of the
crown so as to allow of the free ingress and egress of air from outside or above
the brim all round the hat.
2. In any hat, the use of the perforated band above claimed in combination
with a screen to protect the head from the direct rays of the sun.
3. The arrangement and combination of the crown, band and brim, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
4. The arrangement and combination of the crown, band, brim and screen,
substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
Dated this 21st day of May 1899.
HERBERT WILFRED PERRY,