MANUFACTURING WATERPROOF HATS
Year: 1820

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
FRANKS, of Red Cross Street, in the City of London, Hat Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Fourth, in and by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighteenth day of March last, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, did give and grant unto WILLIAM PRITCHARD, of Castle Street, in
the Borough of Southwark and County of Surrey, Hat Manufacturer, and me,
the said Robert Franks, His special licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that the said William Pritchard and Robert Franks, their executors,
administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by themselves or by their deputy
or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as the said William Pritchard
and Robert Franks, their 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 of years therein unexpired, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, their Invention of "MANUFACTURING WATERPROOF HATS;" in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging the said William Pritchard
and Robert Franks, by an instrument in writing under their hands and seals,
or under the hand and seal of one of them, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of their said Invention, and in what manner the same.
is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after

page_text: the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Robert Franks, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by the following
description thereof, that is to say:-
Take what is called a shell, that is, a hat made with beaver or any other
When
materials used in the hat manufactury, but not any nap underside.
dyed and dry, take the following waterproof composition:-One pound of
gum kino, eight ounces of gum elenic, three pounds of gum olibanum, three
pounds of gum copal, one pound of gum ladanum, two pounds of gum juniper,
one pound of gum mastick, and ten pounds of resin shellac, and eight ounces
of common frankincense. Let these ingredients be bruised as small as
possible, and put into a well-glazed earthen vessel; then pour three gallons of
alcohol upon the ingredients, taking care to mix it well; then put the vessel
into a waterbath of the temperature of one hundred and seventy-six of
Fahrenheit, but on no account to exceed that degree of heat towards the close
of the maceration, which will take. about two hours, provided the bath be kept
at one hundred and seventy-six. Put into the vessel one pint, wine measure,
full of liquid ammonia, one ounce of oil of lavender, and one pound of gum
myrrh, and gum opoponax, previously dissolved in three pints of proof spirits
of wine. Let the whole be well agitated, and if the mixture appears free
from lumps, and all the ingredients to be well dissolved, it may be removed
from the waterbath, and will be fit for use. The earthen vessel must have à
closely fitted cover to prevent the loss of alcohol during the operation. With
this stiffen the under side according to the substance required. Let it dry a
little in the air or in a warm room. When the shell is sufficiently dry to
admit of handling, then turn it and put it on a block that will fit it quite tight.
Then stiffen the crown with what is called a hard brim brush, with as much of
the composition as the shell will take without its going through. Then put
your shell in a warm 100m that it may dry. Give the shell to your finisher to
steam and flatten to the size wanted. When cool, if you don't find
your
shell
hard enough, put a little thin glue and cherry gum, which will fill up the
places missed by the waterproof composition, and by that means cause a free
circulation of air. Next take your brim brush and stiffen your brim under
side with as much more of the waterproof composition as you think necessary
to make them firm and hard. Let it remain on till dry. Then take a warm
iron and iron the composition well into the brim, so that not any appears upor
the surface, and there will not be any danger of it coming through. This may

page_text: also be done by putting the different ingredients mentioned in the composition,
or without the spirits of wine, and ironing it well in with a warm iron. When
your shell is cool and dry, put your tip and side of paper in. When that is dry,
you may bore holes through the side of the crown to admit of a more free
circulation of air, taking care to bore the holes from the inside, which will not
at all damage the hat. Next give the shell to your finisher to finish in the
usual way of finishing hats. When finished, if the brim is not sufficiently
hard for the purpose wanted, you can put more of the composition in the brim,
and let it be done in the same manner as before mentioned. Next take your
shell and put some thin paste of flower and water, and when dry put as much
copal varnish as you think will stick the silk or beaver. Let it remain in a
warm room till quite dry; then take your silk, beaver, or anything else, and
put it upon the under side, and take a warm iron to stick it.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Franks, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One AL