Improvements in Valises, Boxes, and other Receptacles for Transporting, Storing, and Exhibiting Hats.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1900
Improvements in Valises, Boxes, and other Receptacles for
Transporting, Storing, and Exhibiting Hats.
I, NELLIE FRANCES HURDEL, Gentlewoman, of corner of 73rd Street, and 3rd
Avenue, Bay Ridge, in the Borough of Brooklyn, New York City, United States
of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in hat valises
and cases, and more particularly to that class in which a number of hats may be
easily and quickly packed and supported within the valise in such a manner that
they cannot be crushed or injured.
Another object of this invention is to provide a hat valise which is exceedingly
cheap and simple in its construction and also durable and convenient for travellers,
and one that may be quickly and easily adjusted to receive either men's or
women's hats of different sizes.
With these objects in view, my invention consists in the particular construction
of the various parts, and in the novel manner of combination and arrangement
of said parts, all of which will be described hereinafter and pointed out in the
claims.
In the drawings forming a part of this specification
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the valise closed;
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the valise open with the cylindrical
rod or shaft held in place, having the hat supporting arms mounted thereon;
Figure 3 is also a perspective view showing the valise open with the shaft in
position to have the supporting arms placed thereon or removed;
Figure 4 is a detail view showing the form of supporting arm used in connection
with men's hats;
Figure 5 is also a detail view of the supporting arm showing a hat held therein;
and
Figure 6 is a side view of a hat support, the arms of which are provided with
notches for engagement of a sliding band or ring.
Referring to the drawings, A represents the valise which may be made of any
suitable material, and in any form or shape desired, in which the valise is centrally
It is also provided with a
or otherwise divided and connected by hinges a, a.
handle b, in the centre of the said case, and suitable locking means c.
Supported within the valise, approximate to the hinges, is a hollow cylindrical
rod or shaft B which is perforated and closed at both ends, having one end
This hinge
provided with a hinge d, which is secured to one end of the case.
prevents the said shaft from turning and also allows the same to swing out of its
longitudinal position in the valise, in order that the hat supporting arms C, may
be easily and quickly placed thereon or removed as desired. The free end of the

page_text: shaft is provided with a lug e which engages in a recess in the spring D when
the said shaft is in place.
The hat supporting arms C are turned at the outer ends at an angle to the body
portion and secured to the end is a pad or cushion E and the other end has a
sleeve or collar F adapted to fit closely on the shaft, and a thumb screw f, affords
means for tightening the arm upon the said shaft in any position desired. The
portions of the arms which extend at right angles to the shaft, are of a sufficient
length to permit the portions parallel to the shaft to assume a central location in
the valise. It is to be understood that the arms may be of different lengths. They
may be adjusted to either side of the said casing when it is desired to support a
hat trimmed with tall plumes, etc., in order to prevent the same from being crushed
by the hat supported on the arm above. A woman's hat is used in connection
with this form of hat supporting arm, and in using the same the hat is placed
upon the knob and secured thereto by thrusting an ordinary hat pin through both
the hat and the cushion knob.
The
In Figure 4, I have shown a modified form of the hat supporting arms, which
is to be used in connection with men's hats or similar hats used by women.
manner of adjustment upon the shaft is substantially the same as that previously
described the sleeve F having an arm C secured thereto extending at an angle
to the said shaft, and mounted upon this arm is the support proper, consisting of.
two spring arms secured at one end to the said arms C and extending up at an
angle less than a right angle thereto, then bent in opposite directions, and on
their ends, at an equal distance from the centre is a wire frame h consisting of a
single piece of wire bent in form of a link with its sides sufficiently apart to
receive the brim of a hat, as shown in Figure 5. The link is also bent semi-cir-
cular in order to receive the crown of the hat and the portions of the said link are
bent perpendicular thereto in order to leave the ends open, and to provide a sup-
port for the upper side of the link.
And
A circular band or ring 7 (see Figure 4) is placed around the arms C¹
adapted to slide thereupon to move the frames h together and thus hold the hat.
rigidly.
If desired the device as shown in Figures 4 and 5 may be constructed with its
arms formed with notches g¹ therein, permitting the ring g to engage into any,
of such notches as desired according to the size of the hat. The engagement of
the band or ring with the notches g₁ of the spring arms ensures the locking of the
arms in a fixed position and thereby holds the hat with absolute security, however
roughly the valise may be handled.
In Figure 6 the hat supporting arm C is formed of wires bent of the form shown,
the downwardly directed spring arms being crimped or corrugated for the
purpose of retaining the sliding ring g in any position in which it may be placed
for tightening the clamps upon the hatbrim.
It will thus be seen that I provide an exceedingly cheap and simple form of hat
support, which may be employed in travelling cases, shipping boxes and show
cases, and that will effectively perform all of its intended functions.
My valise may also be employed in closets and wardrobes in lieu of hat boxes,
by suspending the same in any convenient place by means of a strap or hook
attachment to the top back hinge.
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. The elongated valise having the hinged sections and serving to carry hat
holding devices.
2. The cushion carried by the supporting arm and capable of being pierced by
a pin to hold the hat in place.
3. The rod. B adjustably carrying the arm or arms C and adapted to be placed
in a valise or other like receptacle.

page_text: 4. The hat holder with its yielding frames capable of movement toward and
from each other to clamp the hat substantially as shown in Figure 4.
5. Notching the yielding arms of the holder to enable effective engagement of
the ring g, substantially as shown in Figure 6.
1 th th day of December 1899
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.