IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS AND COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Vero, of Atherstone, in the County of
Warwick, Hat Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS AND COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD."
Sealed the 16th March 1869, and dated the 21st September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Vero at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st September 1868.
1, CHARLES VERO, of Atherstone, in the County of Warwick, Hat
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS AND COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
hat and coverings for the head.
In order to produce a soft felt hat which is waterproof, and has a fine
outer surface and a coarser interior, it may be of different colors, I
produce in the usual way a soft felt hat of the coarser material, but

page_text: thinner than usual, and I cover it with thin sheet gutta percha or
compound, over which again 1 place a similar thin soft felt hat of finer
material; I place all together in a heated mould, and by means of a
hatter's hydraulic bag press, well known to hat manufacturers, I press
the compound hat to the form of the mould, the heat of the mould at
the same time softening the gutta percha or compound and causing it
to stick the parts together. In a similar manner I combine cloth and
felt by means of gutta percha or compound to form a compound hat.
Two or more thicknesses of cloth or other woven or netted fabric may
also be similarly combined to form a hat. The same process is also
applicable in combining cork and woven fabric to form hat bodies.
Also according to my Invention in covering hat bodies of cork or
of gossamer with felt or with woven fabrics, in place of causing the
materials to adhere by passing a heated iron by hand in succession
over every part of the surface, I place the body with the covering into
a heated mould and press them together by means of a hatter's hydraulic
bag press. Shakos, helmets, and army caps may be manufactured
according to my Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Charles Vero in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
VERO, of Atherstone, in the County of Warwick, Hat Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred-and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Charles Vero, Her special licence
that I, the said Charles Vero, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Vero, 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

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS AND COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD,"
upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Vero, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Charles Vero, 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:-
The first part of this Invention has for its object to produce a soft
felt hat which is waterproof, and has a fine outer surface and a coarser
interior; it may be of different colors.
I produce in the usual way a soft felt hat of the coarser material,
but thinner than usual, and I cover it with thin sheet gutta percha, or
it. may be with a thin sheet of a composition which is softened by heat,
but gutta percha is preferred; over the gutta percha again I place a
similar thin soft felt hat of finer material; I place altogether in a
heated mould, and by means of a hatter's hydraulic bag press I press
the compound hat to the form of the mould, the heat of the mould at
the same time softening the gutta percha and causing it to stick the
parts together. The inner hat or body may also be made up of two
or more thicknesses of felt similarly cemented together. In a similar
manner I combine cloth and felt by means of gutta percha or compound
to form a compound hat. Cork and woven fabric may also be similarly
combined together to form hat bodies, that is to say, by placing between
them a thin sheet of gutta percha or other cementing material capable
of being softened by heat, and subsequently applying heat and pressure;
such hat bodies I afterwards cover with felt, as above described. Shakos
or helmets and such like coverings for the head may be manufactured in
a similar manner.
Although in the description above given I have stated the way in
which I prefer to apply heat and pressure to combine together an outer
body of felt with an inner body of coarser felt or other material, I would
state that other modes of applying heat and pressure for combining an

page_text: outer body of felt with an inner body of felt or other material might be
adopted. I have also stated that I prefer to form the inner body of a
coarser felt than the outer covering, but where cost is not of much
object the inner body and outer covering might be of the same degree
of fineness.
What I claim as regards this part of my Invention is, the manu-
facturing of solt felt hats with an outer covering of soft felt placed
over an inner body of felt, or, cloth, or other material with a thin sheet
of gutta percha or cementing material or composition capable of being
softened by heat placed between them, the inner and outer bodies being
caused to adhere together by pressure and heat applied to them.
I also claim the similarly connecting together cork and woven fabric
to form hat bodies, and afterwards covering such hat bodies with felt
as described.
The second part of this Invention has for its object the covering hat
bodies of cork or of gossamer with felt or with woven fabrics. For
this purpose, in place of causing the hat body and covering to adhere
by passing a heated iron by hand in succession over every part of their
surface as heretofore, I place the body with the covering into a heated
mould and press them together by means of a latter's hydraulic bag
press. In manufacturing hats in this manner I prefer after the body has
been set up in the usual manner, to place it after being heated into the
hydraulic press, in place of ironing it up in the usual manner. 'The
body is afterwards covered with what is known in the hat trade as
varnish in the ordinary manner, spirit varnish being preferred, but other
varnish or cementing material may be employed. Over the body so
moulded accurately to form and covered with varnish is placed the
outer covering of felt or cloth, and the two are slightly connected
together around the edge of the brim by running an iron around them;
afterwards they are placed in the mould of the press, which is of the
form corresponding to the form of the hat to be produced; this mould
is previously heated by a jet of steam until it is so hot that the hand
cannot be held upon it; it is then wiped dry; the hat body with the
covering stretched upon it is then placed in the mould, and by means
of the hydraulic bag press, applied as is well understood, the whole is
pressed together, and the heat softening the proofing on the body causes
it to lay hold of the covering, which thus becomes firmly fixed; the
hat is then finished in the ordinary manner, and is again put into the

page_text: press for the purpose of calendering it, or giving it a smooth glossy
surface.
I claim as respects this part of my Invention the covering hat bodies
of cork or of gossamer with felt or with woven fabric by placing the
body and covering together in a heated mould and pressing them
together as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Vero, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
CHARLES VERO. (L.S.)