Improvements in or relating to Hat or Bonnet Boxes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Hat or Bonnet Boxes.
I, EDGAR CHARLES HORNER, of 13 Charterhouse Buildings, Aldersgate
Street, in the City of London, Commercial Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to hat or bonnet boxes and has for its object to provide
such boxes with means whereby a hat or bonnet can be held firmly in place
within the box without fear of its shifting or being injured when the box is
carried from place to place.
According to my invention the said means consist of a pair of pivoted frames
which constitute jaws that are capable of opening outwardly against the resistance
of a spring or springs. One edge of one of the frames or jaws is formed with a
series of notches or teeth and the contour of the inner edges of the said frames or
jaws is such that when a hat or bonnet with its pin, is placed over the said frames
in a manner to cause the pin to enter between the jaws the pressure of the saidi
pin on the jaws causes them to open and the pin to engage with the notches, in
which position the pin and therefore the hat or bonnet will be firmly held by the.
spring action of the jaws. To remove the hat or bonnet lateral pressure is
exerted against the unnotched jaws by the pin, whereby the jaws are caused to
open and release the pin from engagement with the notches so that the hat or
bonnet can then be removed.
I may use frames or supports of different sizes and shapes according to the
requirements of each particular case, moreover they may be composed of any
suitable material and if I desire to do so may place more than one of the said
frames or supports within the same box.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
5 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Hat or Bonnet Boxes.
I, EDGAR CHARLES HORNER of 13, Charterhouse Buildings, Aldersgate
Street, in the City of London, Commercial Agent, de hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in, & by the following statement :-
My invention relates to hat, or bonnet, boxes and has for its object to provide
such boxes with improved means whereby a hat, or bonnet, can be held firmly in

page_text: place within the box, without fear of its shifting, or being injured when the box
is carried from place to place.
To this end, I construct a gripping mechanism adapted to be fitted within the
hat, or bonnet box, and to receive, and automatically grip and retain the stem of
a hat, or bonnet pin, the latter having been previously passed through, and
carrying a hat, or bonnet (hereafter in this specn. termed hat). The pressing
of such pin transversely between the jaws of the gripping mechanism (which are
held closed by the resistance of a spring,) causes the said jaws or arms to open,
and admit the pin hetween same; the said jaws then automatically close and secure
the pin by which the hat is carried, while any rocking motion of the hat around
the pin is prevented by the adjacent extending plane surface of the interior of the
hat or bonnet box, upon which the gripping device is fixed.
The hat is released (without removal of the pin therefrom) by exerting a
lateral pressure communicated by means of the said pin, upon one of the jaws, or
arms, thereby causing the latter to open.
I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the examples and
application illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1, is a sectional side elevation of my gripping mechanism, the same being
in the closed position; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of same, and Fig. 3, is a horizontal
section on the line X, Y of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4, is a perspective view of a similar gripping mechanism, also shewing
means whereby the latter may be folded down when not required for use.
Fig. 5, shews in perspective a modified construction of the gripping device and
Fig. 6, is a sectional elevation of a hat, or bonnet box, shewing an application
thereto of several of the gripping devices.
According to my invention I provide a frame, arın, or jaw A hereinafter termed
jaw, rigidly carried by a plate or base B, adapted to be fixed to the interior
surface of one of the sides, the top, or the bottom of a hat, or bounet box C.
One edge of this jaw A is formed with a series of notches, or teeth D, the spaces
between which slope in an upward direction and are somewhat wedge shaped at
their upper extremities; above the teeth D, the jaw A curves laterally away from
the teeth.
At the base of the fixed jaw A, is pivotted a bifurcated retaining jaw E,
between the arms of which the toothed edge of the jaw A enters (see Fig. 3,)
when in the position shewn at Figs. 1 and 2, being normally held in such position
by the action of a suitable spring F. The spring shewn in the drawings consists
of a wire coiled round the projecting pivot G, connecting the arms, while the ends
of the wire are connected one to each jaw A, E.
The jaw E, is at-its upper end curved laterally away in an opposite direction to
the curved end of the jaw A.
To secure a hat within a hat, or bonnet box, fitted according to my invention, the
usual hat pin, such as is now commonly employed to hold hats, or bonnets upon the
wearers head is first passed through the hat, and the latter is inserted into the box
in such manner that the jaws A, and E, become located within the hollow of the
hat crown, and the pin takes transversely between the diverging extremities of the
jaws A and E. The hat pin is then pressed downwards and the pin is caused to
enter between the jaws, the pressure of the said pin causing them to open, and then,
as shewn at Fig. 4, the pin H engages one of the notches and is retained therein
by the lateral pressure of the bifurcated jaw E acting upon both sides of the
jaw A.
By means of the pin the hat is thus firmly held in position, the brim or other
parts of same being in contact with, or near to, say the bottom of the hat, or bonnet
box, and preventing the hat rocking upon the pin as upon a pivot, while the spring
pressure of the jaw E, forces the pin up into the wedge like end of a notch of the
jaw A, and the said pin is thereby held against any motion in the direction of its
length.
In order to remove the hat, lateral pressure is exerted upon those parts of the

page_text: pin H, which project upon either side of the hat, this pressure being in the direction
of the retaining jaw E, whereby the latter is caused to separate from the jaw A
and release the pin from engagement with the notches, so that the hat can be
removed. I generally construct the device, so as to be capable of being removed,
or folded aside within the hat box, when not required for use. Thus at Figs. 1
and 2 the lower part of the jaw A, is provided with a screwed part A', taking into
the base B; at Fig. 4 the lower part A¹ of the jaw A is made with square, or flat
surfaces, and is pivotted to the base B, while a spring A, acts against the part A',
and tends to retain the jaws in either the position shewn, or folded down against
the flat surface C of the box.
In some cases the arms of the retaining jaw E, may be arranged at a distance
apart, as shewn at Fig. 5, and in such case the fixed gripping jaw A may be
duplicated, the respective pairs of jaws being connected by bars J. Such a
construction is then adapted to grip a hat pin H, in two points as shewn.
Any number of gripping devices as described singly or in pairs, may be fitted
within a hat or bonnet box, as required, or desired, the example Fig. 6, shewing a
rectangular box, fitted with one such, upon each of the sides, the top and the
bottom respectively.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that I am aware
that means have been for many years employed for fixing several hats in one hat
box, that such means have included the pinning of hats upon cushions, or gauze
bulbous shaped frames, fixed in such boxes, that springs fixed to boxes have been
employed, intended to expand within and hold the hat crown, that it has been
proposed to provide steel springs fixed in the box, to press upon the exterior of the
crowns, or upon the brims of the hats; I therefore do not broadly lay claim to such
well known proposals for improvements in, or relating to, hat boxes, but what I
claim in such connection is as follows:-
1. In hat or bonnet boxes the application thereto of spring controlled gripping
mechanism, fixed within and projecting from the interior surface thereof, such
mechanism being adapted to automatically grip, and retain the stem of a pin
previously passed through and carrying a hat, or bonnet, the applied pressure of
said pin, opening the gripping device, allowing the pin to enter, and then the
device automatically closing and gripping the said piu, thereby retaining the said
hat, or bonnet, in position substantially as set forth.
2. In hat or bonnet boxes, the application thereto of gripping mechanism fixed
within and projecting from the interior surface thereof, such mechanism being
composed of a pair, or pairs of spring controlled jaws, one of each pair being
rigidly fixed and notched while the jaw co-acting therewith, is pivotted relatively
thereto, having a smooth adjacent edge adapted to retain within a notch of the
opposed jaw the stem of a hat, or bonnet pin, previously passed through and
carrying a hat, or bonnet, the latter being released by pressure of the pin laterally
against the yielding, retaining jaw, substantially as described.
3. In fixing hats, or bonnets in hat or bonnet boxes the employment of
mechanism for automatically gripping the stem of a pin which has been previously
passed through and carries a hat or bonnet, such being composed of a fixed
Dotched jaw (such as A,) in combination with a second bifurcated jaw (such as E,)
between the arms of which the notched jaw takes, the jaws being oppositely curved
apart at their extremities arranged and acting substantially as described.
4. The combination with the gripping mechanism claimed by Claim 3, of the
means for detaching the same from the hat or bonnet box, or folding same thereon
substantially as described.
5. In hat or bonnet boxes, the construction of the mechanism substantially as
described and illustrated with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, of, the accompanying.
drawings.

page_text: 6. In hat or bonnet boxes.the construction of the holding mechanism substantially.
as described and illustrated with reference to. Fig. 5 of the accompanying,
drawings.
This 10th filmb' AUDY: 1807