IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE " LEATHERS OR INNER BANDS OF HATS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Whitfield Thompson of Prestwich in the County
of Lancaster for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE
"
LEATHERS OR INNER BANDS OF HATS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Whitfield Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd October 1883.
JOHN WHITFIELD THOMPSON of Prestwich in the County of Lancaster
IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE "LEATHERS OR INNER BANDS OF
HATS
My Invention relates to the leather or inner band used in hats to prevent the
head coming into contact with the felt or other material of which the hat may be
composed and the object of my invention is to improve the appearance and fit of
the leather and also to reduce the cost of securing the spring top cord to the
leather and hat.
In performing my Invention I take a piece of spring wire and cover or "braid "
it with silk thread or other suitable material by winding or twisting, and thus
form a top cord.
The leather or inner band of the hat is formed in the usual manner, and I lay
the top cord along the top of the leather, and stitch or lash the top cord and leather
to the hat at one operation, taking care that the ends of the wire are secured
together so as to form a spring top cord.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Whitfield Thompson in the Patent Office on the 1st April
1884.
JOHN WHITFIELD THOMPSON, of Prestwich, in the County of Lancaster
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE LEATHERS' OR INNER BANDS
HATS
"
OF
My invention relates to the leather or inner band used in hats to prevent the
head coming into contact with the felt or other material of which the hat may be
composed and the object of my Invention is to improve the appearance and fit of
the leather and also to reduce the cost of securing the spring top cord to the
leather and hat.
In performing my Invention I take a piece of spring wire and cover or "braid "
it with silk thread or other suitable material by winding or twisting and thus
form a top cord. The leather or inner band of the hat is formed in the usual
manner and I lay the top cord along the top of the leather and stitch or lash the
top cord and leather to the bat at one operation, taking care that the ends of the
wire are secured together, so as to form a spring top cord.
In some cases it is desirable to sew or secure the spring top cord to the leather
before placing it on the hat: or the spring top cord may be first sewn or secured
to the hat and the leather attached afterward to the cord. When the spring top
cord and the leather are to be secured to each other and to the hat simultaneously,
I prefer to form the spring top cord by covering or braiding the wire with silk or
other material by winding or twisting in such a manner that an edge or flange of
the silk or other material shall project (somewhat similar to the edge of a button-
hole stitch) to which edge the leather is attached.
The leather and the spring top cord may be secured to each other and to the hat
by any of the well known methods employed by hat manufacturers.
By the use of my Invention, the appearance and fit of the leathers are greatly
improved and the leather and top cord can be secured to the hat at a low cost and
more efficiently than by any of the old and well known methods.
Having stated the nature of my Invention and described the manner of performing
the same
I declare that I claim
The combination with the leather or inner band of a hat, of a spring wire
braided or covered with silk or other thread, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof I the said John Whitfield Thompson have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twentieth day of March in the Year of Our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
JNU, WHITFIELD THOMPSON (LS.)