New or Improved Hat Suspender or Holder.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 6th May, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Hat Suspender or Holder.
I SUTER KING HAYWARD of 7 Cressingham Road Lewisham S.E. Engineer
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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide simple and convenient means for
suspending or holding hats out of harm's way beneath the seats in public places,
such as theatres, concert rooms, churches, and the like, whereby the annoyance and
discomfort so frequently experienced of having one's hat knocked about or injured
by peoples feet or dresses will be entirely obviated.
According to my invention, I employ ledges or supports secured beneath the
seats and adapted to engage with opposite sides of the brim of a hat, preferably
without touching the body thereof. The said ledges or supports are also preferably
combined with suitable springs, as hereinafter described, in order to permit them
to accomodate hat brims of varying width.
In the accompanying drawings in which similar letters refer to corresponding
parts in all the figures:-
Fig. 1 shews my invention applied to the underside of a seat.
Fig. 2 shews on a larger scale (about full size) in side elevation, one of the
suspending ledges or supports.
Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 2.
c c are the
Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section of Fig. 3 taken on line 1-2.
In the accompanying drawings a represents a hat, and b a seat.
ledges or supports which suspend or hold the hat by engaging with either side of
the brim thereof (see Fig. 1). The ledges c c are secured to the ends of pins d d
which are free to slide longitudinally in the brackets ee (preferably formed of
thin sheet metal) secured beneath the seat b. ff are light springs which tend to
force the opposed ledges or supports c towards one another; the object of these
springs is to permit the ledges to accomodate hat brims of varying width. In
order to facilitate the insertion of hats between the ledges cc, I prefer to round off
ar bevel the ends thereof, as shewn clearly in the plan Fig. 3. The horizontal
portion of the ledges cc should be of less width than the hat brim, so that when the
vertical portions of the ledges c press against the sides of the brim, the said
horizontal portions will not touch the body of the hat; rubbing of the nap
in inserting or withdrawing the hat will thus be prevented. The ledges c c would
preferably be lined with plush or other suitable or ornamental material.
In practice the ledges cc would be in their normal position be set at such a
distance apart as to accomodate the smallest size of hat ordinarily worn, hats of a
larger size being admitted by the yielding of the springs f
It is obvious that if desired helical springs surrounding the pins d might be
substituted for the blade springs shewn in the drawings, also in lieu of one
continuous ledge or support e on each side of the hat, more than one support of less
length might be employed on each side. I wish it therefore to be understood that
I do not confine or limit myself to the precise details of construction bereinbefore
described and illustrated in the drawings.
In the case of hinged seats, such as theatre stalls, and the like, the ledges or
supports may be curved inwards, or caused to approach one another at one end,
as shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, thus preventing the hat from falling out of
the suspending device when the seat is raised."

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A hat suspender or holder consisting of ledges or supports secured beneath a
seat and adapted to suspend a hat by the brim substantially as described.
2. A hat suspender or holder consisting of ledges or supports adapted to suspend
a hat by the brim, combined with springs which permit the said ledges or supports
to accomodate themselves to hat brims of varying width, substantially as described
and illustrated.
3. The combination with a seat, of a hat holder or suspender secured beneath
the same, substantially as described and illustrated.
4. The general construction arrangement and combination of parts constituting
a hat holder or suspender, substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 20th day of March 1893.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON, Fels. Chartd. Inst. P.A.,
19, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.