An Improved Cane-fabric, specially applicable for the Manufacture of Hats, but applicable also for other uses.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd June, 1897-Accepted, 2nd June, 1898
An Improved Cane-fabric, specially applicable for the Manufacture of
Hats, but applicable also for other uses.
A communication from LÉON GOLLY-FLOSSE, of Epernay, Marne, in the Republic
of France, Manufacturer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered 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 ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The present invention has for its object a product consisting of a fabric of cane
bark and its applications chiefly for head gear; and such fabric is not to be con-
founded with ordinary braided cane as applied to chair bottoms, &c. The
cane bark is woven like threads or wool on hand-or power looms that is to
say there are two perpendicular series of threads one those of the weft-and the
other those of the warp.
The fabric is shown in Fig. 1, a are weft threads and 6 warp threads.
This cane fabric, produced on looms of suitable shape and dimensions, possesses
qualities which render it applicable to a great number of industrial objects; it
is strong, supple, light, elastic and preserves all shapes that are given to it. It
can be used in many industries, and especially by hatters. My correspondent
uses the cane fabric in head gear of all kinds in order to make the articles strong
and elastic, and also to provide for their ventilation. I will fully describe the
application in the manufacture of head gear and simply mention other examples
of the use of cane fabric.
Fig. 2 is a military cap in which cane fabric is employed. To give it this
shape the fabric is wetted and applied to a wooden or metallic form and pressed
against it by any suitable means. When covered with cloth etc. this cap will
present the appearance shown in Fig. 3.
A is the hat
Fig. 4 is a helmet the inside of which is also made of cane fabric.
Fig. 5 shows the cane fabric used for ventilation of head gear.
body B the inner strip of leather and C the outer ribbon.
Between A and B there is a band of cane fabric marked D.
woven or perforated or so formed as to leave perforations or apertures between
the threads."
This band is
The leather or inner lining as well as the bottom part of the hat body and the
ribbon C being provided with ventilating holes, the circulation of air takes place
through the cane fabric, which also increases the rigidity of the hat, its supple-
ness being at the same time preserved.
Instead of a circular band of cane fabric it is sufficient in some cases simply to
attach pieces of said fabric over holes in the leather or other band. In order
to enable ventilation to be regulated as desired these holes may be covered by any
movable covering so as to admit air or to prevent it from passing as desired.

page_text: This arrangement is shown in Figure 6, E being the holes in the leather and F
the movable cover.
Figure 7 shows a cap with a band made only of cane fabric without leather or
ribbon.
A convenient method of forming the cane fabric is as follows:
Cane is split into thin strips of the length required for the band of fabric to
be woven, and these strips-to form the warp-are then fixed at one end, on the
roller on which the fabric is wound as it is being woven, while their other ends
pass freely over a roller or beam and are kept taut cither by a weight or a spring.
The loom itself resembles an ordinary loom and is illustrated in Fig. 8 in
which A is a wooden roller to which are secured the ends of the cane strips by
means of a tenon key or clip B, entering a groove in the roller. The other ends of
the strips are passed into the reed arranged in the batten D as in ordinary
weaving looms, and through the eyes E and E, and finally over a movable beam F,
secured, by pins G, to the framing H. These ends are freely suspended over
the beam and each of them is kept taut by a weight J. The beam F is gradu-
ally advanced towards the roller A as the fabric is produced and rolled up on the
latter. The winding up of the fabric on the roller A may be effected by hand
by means of a lever and ratchet wheel, not shown in the drawings.
The working of the machine is the same as that of ordinary weaving looms,
except that the weft thread is.simply secured to a rod which is passed transversely
through K, instead of to an ordinary shuttle, which could not be used owing to
the stiffness of the cane warps.
The eyes E E are suspended on a pulley L and are operated by pedals M M.
The cane fabric may also be used for caning chairs with or without cloth cover-
ing also in the manufacture of furniture, and generally for boxes, trunks, bags,
partitions for works with cement or plaster, filtering water, ceilings, stucco, tents,
blinds for windows, and other like purposes but the application of the improved
fabric in the hatter's industry is considered to be of particular importance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
1. A cane fabric woven on hand or power looms substantially as described.
2. The application of the cane fabric, produced on hand or power looms, in the
construction ventilation and strengthening of head gear by inserting it between
the body and the leather or inner lining or by using it as a band for caps this
fabric being capable of being covered by a movable partition for the purpose of
regulating the ventilation substantially as described.
3. The use of the cane fabric, produced on hand or power looms, in the construc-
tion of furniture, boxes, trunks, bags, partitions, filters, ceilings, stucco work,
tents, blinds and the like substantially as described.
T
1007
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.