IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HELMETS, HATS, CAPS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES, AND IN THE APPARATUS AND ARRANGEMENT THEREOF.'
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Harcourt Brown, of Abbey Mills, Romsey,
in the County of Hants, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HELMETS, HATS, CAPS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES,
AND IN THE APPARATUS AND ARRANGEMENT THEREOF.'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Harcourt Brown
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th June 1869.
I, JOHN HARCOURT BROWN, of Abbey Mills, Romsey, in the County
of Hants, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HELMETS, HATS, CAPS, AND SIMILAR
ARTICLES, AND IN THE APPARATUS AND ARRANGEMENT THEREOF," to be as
follows:-
In carrying my said Invention into effect I use the cuttings, fleshings,
and shavings obtained during the manufacture of leather from the skins
of the calf, sheep, buck, doe, goat, and kid, though I do not confine
myself to the use of these particular cuttings, fleshings, and shavings,

page_text: but use also if desirable those derived from the ox, cow, buffalo, and
similar animals. These cuttings, fleshings, and shavings having been first
thoroughly picked over to free them from dirt and other impurities, and
from any pieces of what is termed the grain side of the skin, are well
washed, in a weak solution of soda or other suitable lixivium, and having
been mixed together in proportions which are regulated as required and
with reference to the desired application or used separately are next
reduced to a filamentous fibrous pulp by suitable machinery (that used
for the production of paper pulp being preferred,) warm or cold water
according to the temperature of the weather being used therewith. When
the pulp has been reduced to about the consistency of that used in the
manufacture of strong writing paper, it is passed through a machine
called a "knotter" or through a sieve or other suitable contrivance to
free it from all knots and unreduced particles. During the latter process
I add to every 100 pounds of the materials above mentioned one and a
half pounds of sulphuric acid diluted in two gallons of water, and
when well incorporated I add five pounds of dry animal size reduced
to a fluid in two gallons of warm water and five pounds of alum dis-
solved in two gallons of water. When these ingredients are well incor-
porated with the pulp the whole mass is then in a fit condition for the
production of the required articles. I further wish it to be understood
that I sometimes add and combine other suitable fibrous materials where
it is desirable that the articles should not be entirely composed of leather,
nor do I confine myself to the exact quantities, as the same may be varied
as found necessary. I now form hollow moulds or cases made of per-
forated metal or other suitable materials of the required size and form,
and supplied with moveable permeable woollen covers, or covers formed
of any other suitable material, which are secured at the base of the hollow
moulds or cases by india-rubber bands, or by other suitable means, the
base being unperforated. These hollow moulds or cases are fitted in the
interior with vacuum tubes connected with a pipe passing from the
interior through the base to the outside and attached to a pipe connected
with a vacuum pump or other suitable mechanism for exhausting the
air within the hollow moulds or cases, which being fitted with the
moveable permeable covers or felts are then submerged in the vats con-
taining the fluid fibrous pulp, and the air within the moulds or eases
being then partially exhausted, the filamentous fibrous pulp which is
kept in motion by an agitator of any desired form, is deposited upon and
over the entire permeable surface, the quantity and thickness of the

page_text: fibrous pulp being regulated by the time the mould or case is submerged.
As a rule I find that from one minute to one minute and a half submer-
sion is sufficient to produce an ordinary helmet, hat, cap, or other similar
article, but the time of 'immersion must be regulated according to the
desired thickness and strength of the article required. When the moulds
or cases are submerged the brim portion must be placed downwards and
be allowed to remain submerged for a longer period than any other
portion in order to increase the substance of the brim which should as a
general rule be three times the thickness of the body of the article. The
metal moulds or cases are now removed from the vats, and the permeable
woollen covers or felts with the fibrous materials adhering thereto are
taken off the metal moulds or cases and placed upon suitable blocks mado
of metal, wood, or other material for the purpose of giving the required
shape and for drying by the ordinary process. These blocks are made in
sections similar to those now employed in the manufacture of hats. The
articles thus made undergo the usual process for giving smoothness to
the surfaces, and are then removed, varnished, enamelled, or otherwise
surfaced and made waterproof, colored as desired, or covered with silk,
beaver, cloth, felt, or any other suitable materials after which they are
ready for usc.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Harcourt Brown in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th December 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HARCOURT BROWN, of Abbey Mills, Romsey, in the County of Hants,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of June, in the year.
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-.
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors.
give and grant unto me, the said John Harcourt Brown, Her special
licence that I, the said John Harcourt Brown, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Harcourt
Brown, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter

page_text: during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HELMETS, HATS, CAPS, AND SUCH
SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Harcourt Brown, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, 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 John Harcourt Brown, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :―
My improvements consist in the employment of the refuse cuttings,
fleshings, and shavings obtained in the process of the manufacture of
leather from the skins of the calf, sheep, buck, doe, goat, and kid, but,
I do not confine myself to the use of these particular cuttings, fleshings,
and shavings, but also use if required for giving strength to the helmets,
hats, caps, and similar articles, the waste cuttings, fleshings, and
shavings obtained from the hides of the bull, cow, ox, buffalo, and such
like animals. These cuttings, fleshings, and shavings are in the first
instance picked over to free them from dirt and other impurities, and
also from any pieces containing what is called the grain of the skin.
Then they are washed in a weak solution of soda;. one pound and a
half of the ordinary soda of commerce to as much soft water as will
saturate one hundredweight of cuttings, fleshings, or shavings. I do not
confine myself to soda as other alkaline materials may be employed, and
the quantities varied according to the age and quality of the cuttings,
fleshings, and shavings, and according to the strength and quality of
the articles to be produced therefrom. The cuttings, fleshings, and
shavings after being cleansed from all impurities are cut into pieces
by suitable machinery in the same way as rags are cut in the manu-
facture of paper. I would here observe that the solution of soda when
the temperature of the atmosphere is below sixty degrees (Fahrenheit)
should be raised by heat to that temperature. I would have it under-
stood that I sometimes employ the cuttings, fleshings, and shavings of

page_text: the sheep, buck, doe, goat, and kid separately, or in equal proportions of
each or equal proportions of any two of them. The latter proportions.
I prefer where softness and flexibility are required. Where great
resistance is required as in helmets. for the army I employ one-fourth
part of the cuttings of the hides of the bull, cow, ox, buffalo, or other
such like animals, with three parts of the cuttings, fleshings, or shavings
of the sheep, buck, doe, or goat, or kid, or any one of them, or in com-
bination with each other in such proportions as the nature of the
articles to be produced may require, and which a skilled workman will
readily comprehend. I also prefer in some cases where very light and
flexible articles are required to employ vegetable pulp in combination
with the cuttings, fleshings, and shavings before described in the
proportion of twenty per cent. to any of the combinations herein-before
described. In cases where strong articles are desired I prefer to
incorporate with the before-named combination of pulps from two
pounds and a half to five pounds of fine fish glue or other strong animal
size reduced to a fluid state, but other similar materials may be
employed. When the cuttings, fleshings, or shavings are reduced to a
proper size, and well washed free from dirt, they are placed into an
engine with a sufficient quantity of water, either warm or cold as the
temperature may require, and in the desired proportions, where they
are again washed and beaten into what is known to paper makers as
"half stuff." From this condition they are then reduced in another
machine of a finer construction, well known to the manufacturers of
paper, until the filaments are as fine as the pulp of which the strongest
The fish glue or other similar material with one pound
and a half of sulphuric acid diluted with two gallons of water, and five
pounds of alum dissolved in two gallons of water may now be added and
well mixed. If a colour be required any of the usual colouring or dying
materials may be now employed to produce the shade required. The
pulp is now ready to be let down into a chest provided to receive it and
from thence to be passed through a knotter or other suitable machine
to free it from knots or any unbeaten particles, from this it runs into
the vat which is provided with what is called and known in the paper
trade as an agitator so as to keep the fibres in suspension while the
articles to be produced are being made.
paper, is made.

page_text: prefer to be made of finely perforated zinc, but other suitable materials
may be employed. They may be made of any given size or shape or
form as shewn in the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1. In the interior
of the case or mould are a series of one quarter of an inch tubes
with very fine perforations from an inch and a half to two inches
apart. These holes are placed in the opposite direction to the outer
perforation of the mould. These tubes are so constructed as to traverse
the interior of the mould or case and concentrate into a centre tube
which passes through the centre of the base or bottom of the mould or
case as shewn in Fig. 2 of the Drawings; it is then continued along
the bottom or under side of the mould .or case so as to unite with the
tube connected with the vacuum pumps. It will be observed that the
under part of the mould or case is made of unperforated zinc or metal
except that portion of the surface upon which the pulp is to be taken,
and which is shewn on the Drawing, Fig. 14. I now provide
permeable covers of fine woollen fabric or any other suitable material.
These are made so as to fit tightly on the moulds or cases and are secured
at the base of the mould or case upon the unperforated portion by means
of a practicable india-rubber band, or other suitable contrivance, so as to
keep the fluid pulp from passing through the permeable cover, or
between it and the mould or case as shewn on Drawing, Fig. 3. When
the mould or case with the permeable cover is attached to the tube of
the vacuum pumps it is submerged in the vat of pulp herein-before
described, and a stop-cock, tap, or other contrivance which is affixed to
the pipe in connexion with the vacuum pumps is turned on and the
air being exhausted within the mould or case a film or covering of the
pulp is then deposited on the permeable cover of the mould or case, the
thickness of which is regulated by the time the mould or case remains in
the pulp and so long as a partial vacuum is produced. I find that from
one minute to one minute and a half is sufficient to produce an ordinary
helmet, hat, cap, or similar article. It must be particularly observed
that the moulds for helmets, hats, caps, or similar articles having brims
must be submerged with the brims downwards, so that the thickness of
the brims may be thicker than the bodies of the articles so made.
When the moulds or cases are removed from the vat and detached from
the vacuum pump tube the mould or case is removed and the permeable
cover with the pulp upon it is placed upon a block of the size and
form required, and which is composed of metal (unperforated), wood, or
other suitable materials and dried thereon in a drying room or in warn

page_text: bright weather in the air, but by preference in a heated room of onc
hundred degrees. When partially dry the surface is pressed smooth,
taken from the mould or case, and the permeable cover is removed. The
articles thus made may be varnished, enamelled, or otherwise surfaced
with silk, cloth, flock, felting, or any other suitable material and finished
in the ordinary manner, after which they are ready for use. I would
have it understood the perforated moulds or cases as well as the blocks
upon which these articles are formed and dried must in all cases where
проп
the helmet, hat, cap, or similar article is wider at the crown than the
base be made in sections, the same as the blocks employed by manu-
facturers of hats, see Fig. 4; and also that the moulds or cases with
the permeable covers may be deposited in the pulp, either by hand or
by means of any suitable mechanical contrivance.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, and the means by
which I perform the same, I claim, the manufacture of leather helmets,
hats, caps, and similar articles from leather or skin pulp, and their
combinations, and also the sectional moulds and cases as herein described,
and with such variations in the mixture of the said combinations as may
be required.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Harcourt Brown, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.