IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Vero, of Atherstone, in the County of
Warwick, Hat Manufacturer, and James Everitt, of Atherstone afore-
said, Hat Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF HATS."
Sealed the 17th September 1858, and dated the 23rd June 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Vero and James
Everitt at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 23rd June 1858.
We, CHARLES VERO, of Atherstone, in the County of Warwick, Hat Manu-
facturer, and JAMES EVERITT, of Atherstone aforesaid, Hat Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF HATS," to be as follows:-
Our improvements consist, firstly, in applying brims of felt or gossamer to
hats, the bodies of which are made of straw, chip, palm leaf, grass, or other
similar material.
The felt or gossamer of which the brim is made may extend into the
interior of the hat for a short distance, so as to protect and strengthen those
portions of the hat with which the head comes in contact.
Our Invention consists, secondly, in making hats having bodies of straw,
chip, palm leaf, grass, or other similar material, the tips or tops of the said
hats as well as the brim being made of felt or gossamer, and the whole
covered with a silk covering of the ordinary kind. Previous to the application
of the silk covering, we cover the body of the hat with a flexible proofing,
which effectually secures the silk to the body, and preserves the elasticity of
the hat.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Vero and James Everitt in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th December 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
VERO, of Atherstone, in the County of Warwick, Hat Manufacturer, and
JAMES EVERITT, of Atherstone aforesaid, Hat Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Charles Vero and James Everitt, Her special licence that we, the said
Charles Vero and James Everitt, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Charles Vero and James Everett, our execu-
tors, 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 ex-
pressed, 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,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Charles Vero and James
Everitt, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
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 calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Charles Vero and Jamės Everitt, 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:-
Our improvements consist, firstly, in applying brims of felt and also of
gossamer covered with flock to hats, the bodies of which are made of straw,
chip, palm leaf, grass, or other such like material, that is to say, any vegetable
material plaited after the manner of straw.
In carrying this part of our Invention into effect, we proceed as follows:-
We make the brim of felt, in the ordinary manner, and either stiffen it or
leave it unstiffened, as may be desired. When we stiffen it, we use the well-
known stiffening materials called spirit, or common proofing or glue, which
said materials are well known and commonly used in the manufacture of bats.

page_text: The brim is afterwards dyed, steamed, and finished to the required shape by
the processes well known and commonly practised in the manufacture of bats.
We prefer to make the material, of which the brim is made, to extend a short
distance into the intérior of the hat, for the purpose of strengthening and pro-
tecting those portions of the hat which come into contact with the head. A
distance of about an inch and half is sufficient, although, if desired, the felt
or gossamer covered with flock may extend to a greater or less distance in the
interior of the hat. We attach the brim to the crown or body of the hat by
means of a solution of shellac. or india-rubber, or other suitable adhesive
material. We prefer, however, a solution of shellac for securing the brim to
the crown.
We afterwards still further secure the connection of the brim to
the crown by stitching. When we apply a brim of gossamer covered with
flock, we proceed in the manner described with reference to brims of felt, and
finally attach the flock to the gossamer by means of adhesive matter, as is
commonly practised in the manufacture of hats covered with flock.
}
Our Invention consists, secondly, in making hats having bodies of straw,
chip, palm leaf, grass, or other similar material, the tips or tops of the said
hats as well as the brims being made of felt or gossamer, and the whole
covered with a covering of silk or woven fabric. Previous to the application
of the silk or woven covering, we cover the body of the hat. with a flexible
proofing, which effectually secures the silk or covering to the body, and
preserves the elasticity of the hat.
In carrying this part of our Invention into effect, we proceed as follows:-
The chip or straw crown or body of the hat is steamed into the required
shape, and afterwards ironed up, which said processes of steaming and ironing
are well understood in the hat manufacture. We then apply to the exterior
of the crown a flexible waterproofing solution, which may either be a solution
of india-rubber or gutta percha, or a solution containing both india-rubber and
gutta percha. We prefer to use the waterproofing solution when it has the
consistence of molasses; the consistence of the solution may be reduced when
requisite by the addition of oil of turpentine or naphtha. We apply one, two, or
more coatings of the waterproofing solution, according to the thickness of the
solution, and the degree of flexibility it is wished to give to the hat. Each
coating must be allowed to dry or harden before the application of the next.
After the application of the flexible waterproofing, we varnish first with spirit
varnish, and afterwards with oil varnish. By spirit varnish and oil varnish,
we mean the varnishes known in the hat trade as spirit varnish and oil
varnish respectively. The covering of silk or woven fabric is then applied by
the ordinary method of applying silk or woven coverings to hats. Instead of

page_text: making the tips or tops of the straw or chip hats of felt or gossamer, we some-
times make the said tips or tops of the same material as the other part of the
crown or body, that is to say, of straw or chip. In this case we prefer to
strengthen the tip or top by attaching in the interior of the crown a tip or top
and robin made of paper or fabric, the attachment being made by the adhesive
material called compo, or by any other suitable adhesive material. By robin,
we mean a turned down portion of the top of the hat, the said turned down
portion extends a short distance down the cylindrical part of the hat, and
strengthens the angle where the hat body and its flat top join, as is well
understood in the manufacture of hats.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not
limit ourselves to the precise details herein described, as the same may be
varied without departing from the nature of our Invention; but we claim as
our Invention,-
Firstly, the improvement in the manufacture of hats herein first described,
that is to say, the application of brims of felt or of gossamer covered with
flock to hat bodies made of straw, chip, palm leaf, grass, or other plaited
vegetable material.
Secondly, the improvement in the manufacture of hats herein described
under. the second head of our Invention, that is to say, the application of
a flexible waterproofing material to the bodies of hats made of straw,
chip, palm leaf, grass, or other plaited vegetable material, the said bodies
being afterwards covered with a covering of silk or woven fabric, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Vero and James Everitt, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventeenth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
WILLIAM WILSON.
CHARLES VERO. (L.S.)
JAMES EVERITT. (L.S.)