Ix- PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS, CAPS, AND BONNETS, OR OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH MANU- FACTURE
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Barlow Cooley,. of Nottingham, in the
County of Nottingham, Hat Manufacturer, for the Invention of "Ix-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS, CAPS, AND BONNETS, OR OTHER
COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH MANU-
FACTURE."
Sealed the 5th May 1865, and dated the 10th November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Barlow Cooley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th November 1864.
I, ROBERT BARLOW COOLEY, of Nottingham, in the County of Nottingham,
5 Hat Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS, CAPS, AND BONNETS, OR OTHER
COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object several improvements in the manu-
facture of hats, caps, and bonnets, or other coverings for the head, and my
improvements relate, first, to the covering of hat, cap, and bonnet shapes
with tubular or seamless elastic knitted or looped fabrics so as to obtain very
novel and useful results in the manufacture of such articles. The tubular or
seamless elastic looped fabrics which I prefer to employ for the covers of hat

page_text: cap, or bonnet shapes or bodies, according to this part of my Invention, are
made upon circular knitting machines where an additional thread is introduced
into the fabric, as described in the Specification of a Patent granted to me
dated the 17th day of February 1857, No. 468, the additional thread so intro-
duced according to this part of my improvements being india-rubber (by
preference rendered permanently elastic) in order to impart great elasticity to
the knitted fabric so manufactured. Although I prefer to employ the tubular
elastic knitted fabric made on circular knitting machinery as previously
described, on account of its great elasticity and comparative cheapness, yet I
do not confine myself thereto, as other descriptions of tubular elastic knitted
or looped fabrics made upon "lace," " warp, ," or "knitting machinery," and
having india-rubber threads introduced therein as is well understood, may be
employed for the purpose of. carrying out this part of my Invention. I may
also here remark that it is not an absolute necessity that the tubular elastic
fabrics employed should be made of tubular form upon the machinery by
which they are manufactured, as the selvages of looped fabrics made in
straight frames may be looped up to form tubular elastic fabrics suited to the
purposes of this part of my Invention, which consists in the employment of
tubular elastic knitted or looped fabrics, partly composed of india-rubber, for
the purpose of covering the shapes of hats, caps, bonnets, or other coverings
for the head. Tubular covers, such as above described, may be stretched over
the shapes of hats, caps, or bonnets, and, if desired, the external cover may
be of suitable size to pass into the interior of a hat, cap, or bonnet
shape, and thus not only form a cover but also a lining thereto, without seam
or join at any part of the same, and the color or character of the external
cover and internal lining forming the tubular fabric may be varied to suit the
article to which it is applied, or the cover and lining may be in separate parts,
and the cover may have a plush or other piled surface, or be printed with
designs if desired. The end or ends of the elastic tubular cover by being
drawn to the centre of the crown of a hat, cap, or bonnet thus manufactured
may be closed or secured by a ventilating central ring or otherwise, by which
a neat and perfect finish is obtained to the crown of the article.
The second part of my Invention relates to the covering of hat, cap, or
bonnet shapes, with elastic knitted or looped fabrics having an ornamental or
fancy character imparted thereto either in the manufacture of such fabrics
or by printing, or otherwise ornamenting such fabrics, whether plain or
formed with plush or piled surfaces, and part or parts of such covers may be
made or dyed a different color in order to produce the appearance of, a
mourning band to a hat or cap shape, or body covered thereby. Or the

page_text: tubular elastic fabrics forming the covers may be composed of different colored
threads so as to produce very novel and ornamental effects in the hat, cap, or
bonnet shapes covered thereby.
The third part of my improvements consists in employing tubular elastic
covers such as or similar to those previously described in combination with
hat, cap, or bonnet shapes or bodies formed of perforated or openwork
materials, in order to produce light and well ventilated coverings for the head
very suitable for use in hot climates.
The fourth part of my improvements consists in shaping the covers of hats,
caps, bonnets, or other coverings for the head, from elastic knitted looped or
woven fabrics, by stretching the same over or upon suitable blocks or forms
of the shape or configuration of the intended hat, cap, bonnet, or other
covering for the head, whereby a hat, cap, or bonnet cover is produced without
seam or join in any part thereof. The form or shape thus produced may be
retained by size or other cement or stiffening material or by attaching it to a
stiffened or other body or lining. I prefer to affix the lining to the elastic
fabric for the intended cover by cement or otherwise, and then to stretch and
shape the lining into form in combination with the external elastic cover
which may be printed or otherwise ornamented previous to being formed or
shaped. The linings employed in carrying out this part of my Invention
may be fabrics of various descriptions,. or leather embossed, perforated in
design, or otherwise ornamented.
The apparatus which I prefer to employ in carrying out this part of my
Invention consists of a shape or form of the intended hat, cap, bonnet, or
other covering for the head, surrounded by an open frame, between which
and the outer surface of the block or shape the elastic fabric forming the
cover is stretched and retained in position by points, set screws, or other
suitable mechanical contrivances, to retain the cover upon the block or form
until the fabric "sets" and assumes the shape or form of the block over
which it is stretched.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Barlow Cooley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
5 BARLOW COOLEY, of Nottingham, in the County of Nottingham, Hat Manu-..
facturer send greeting

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Robert Barlow Cooley, Her special licence that I, the said
Robert Barlow Cooley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Robert Barlow Cooley, my executors, 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 expressed, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS, CAPS, AND BONNETS, OR
OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH MANU-
FACTURE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Barlow
Cooley, my executors or 'administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 I, the said Robert Barlow Cooley, 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:-
This Invention has for its object several improvements in the manufacture
of hats, caps, and bonnets, or other coverings for the head, and my improve-
ments relate, first, to the covering of hat, cap, and bonnet shapes with tubular
or seamless elastic knitted or looped fabrics, so as to obtain very novel and
useful results in the manufacture of such articles. The tubular or seamless
elastic looped fabrics which I prefer to employ for the covers of hat, cap, or
bonnet shapes or bodies according to this part of my Invention are made
upon circular knitting machines, where an additional thread or threads is or
are introduced into the fabric, as described in the Specification of a Patent
granted to me, dated the 17th day of February 1857, No. 468, one of the
additional threads so introduced according to this part of my improvements
being india-rubber (by preference rendered permanently elastic) in order to
impart great elasticity to the knitted fabrics so manufactured, and for the
manufacture of which improved tubular knitted elastic fabric a Patent has
been applied for by me, dated May 9th, 1865, No. 1275. The india-rubber.

page_text: thread or threads are laid in between the needles of circular knitting machines
in a stretched or partially stretched condition by instruments or apparatus
such as or similar to that described in the Specification of the Patent before
referred to, and such threads may be introduced after every course, or between
alternate courses or otherwise, of the looped work, according to the amount
of elasticity required in the fabric. Although I prefer to employ the tubular
elastic knitted fabric made on circular knitting machinery, as previously
described, on account of its great elasticity and comparative cheapness, yet
I do not confine myself thereto, as other descriptions of tubular elastic knitted
or looped fabrics made upon "lace," "warp," or "knitting machinery," and
having india-rubber threads introduced therein, as is well understood, may be
employed for the purpose of carrying out this part of my Invention. Woven
or other fabrics may, if desired, be combined with tubular elastic fabrics, such
as herein described, by cementing the same thereon with india-rubber or
other cement, such combined fabrics being afterwards made up into hats,
caps, or bonnets, according to my Invention. I may also here remark, that
it is not an absolute necessity that the tubular elastic fabrics employed for
carrying out this part of my Invention should be made of tubular form upon
the machinery by which they are manufactured, as the selvages of looped
fabrics made in straight frames may be looped up to form tubular elastic
fabrics suited to the purposes of this part of my Invention, which consists in
the employment or application of tubular elastic knitted or looped fabrics
partly composed of india-rubber for the purpose of covering the shapes of
hats, caps, bonnets, or other coverings for the head. Tubular covers such as
above described may be stretched over the shapes or bodies of hats, caps, or
bonnets, and if desired the external cover may be of suitable size to pass into
the interior of a hat, cap, or bonnet shape or body, and thus not only form a
cover, but also a lining thereto without seam or joint at any part of the same,.
and the color or character of the external cover and of the internal lining
forming the tubular fabric may be varied to suit the article to which it is
applied, or the cover and lining may be in separate parts, and the cover may
have a plush or other piled surface, or be printed with designs if desired. The
end or ends of the elastic tubular cover, by being drawn to the centre of the
crown of a hat, cap, or bonnet thus manufactured, may be closed or secured
by a ventilating central ring or otherwise, by which a neat and perfect finish.
is obtained to the crown of the article.
The second part of my Invention consists in covering hat, cap, or bonnet
shapes with elastic knitted or looped fabrics having an ornamental or fancy
character imparted thereto either in the manufacture of such fabrics or by

page_text: printing or otherwise ornamenting such fabrics, whether plain or formed with
plush or pile surfaces, and part or parts.of such covers may be made or be
dyed a different color in order to produce the appearance of a mourning band
to a hat or cap shape or body covered thereby. Or the tubular elastic fabrics
forming. the covers may be composed of different colored threads, so as to
produce very novel and ornamental effects in the hat, cap, or bonnet shapes
covered thereby. .
The third part of my improvements consists in employing tubular elastic
covers such as or similar to those previously described in combination with
hat, cap, or bonnet shapes or bodies formed of perforated or openwork
materials. (such as gauze-woven fabrics) in order to produce light and well-
ventilated coverings for the head very suitable for use in hot climates. The
nature of the perforated materials employed to form the shapes or bodies of
hats, caps, or. bonnets according to this part of my Invention may be greatly
varied to suit the particular article for which it is employed.
The fourth part of my improvements consist in shaping the covers of hats,
caps, bonnets, or other coverings for the head from elastic knitted, looped, or
woven fabrics by stretching the same over or upon suitable blocks or forms of
the shape or configuration of the intended hat, cap, bonnet, or other covering
for the head, whereby a hat, cap, or bonnet cover is produced without seam or
join in any part thereof. The form or shape thus produced may be retained
by size or other cement or stiffening material, or by attaching it to a stiffened
or other body or lining. I prefer to affix the lining to the elastic fabric for
the intended cover by cement or otherwise and then to stretch and shape the
lining into form in combination with the external elastic cover, which may be
printed or otherwise ornamented previous to being formed or shaped. The
linings employed in carrying out this part of my Invention may be fabrics of
various descriptions, or leather embossed or perforated in design or otherwise
ornamented.
The apparatus which I prefer to employ in carrying out this part of my
Invention consists of a shape or form of the intended hat, cap, bonnet, or
other covering for the head surrounded by an open frame (or covering die)
between which and the outer surface of the block or shape the elastic fabric
forming the cover is stretched and retained in position by points, set screws,
or other suitable mechanical contrivances, to retain the cover upon the block
or form until the fabric "sets" and assumes the shape or form of the block
over which it is stretched, after which the edges of the fabric may be secured
and the article ornamented or finished according to the taste of the wearer.
I would remark that it has before been proposed to cover the bodies of

page_text: hats with plain and plush pile tubular knitted fabrics, and a Patent was
granted to myself for this purpose, dated August 8th, 1855, No. 1796, I
therefore make no claim broadly to the covering of hat bodies with tubular
fabrics such as therein described, which differ greatly from those employed in
carrying out my present improvements.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Barlow Cooley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 5th day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
0 Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings, W.C.
R. B. COOLEY. (L.S.)