IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Spence at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th April
1870. A communication from abroad by Elie Adolphe Crespin,
of the Firm of Crespin and Company, of Paris, in the Empire.
of France, Hat Makers.
I, WILLIAM SPENCE, of 8, Quality Court, Chancery Lanc, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS," (being a
communication to me from abroad by Elic Adolphe Crespin, of the
Firm of Crespin and Company, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Hat
Makers,) to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the mounting of hats of felt, plush, or
stuffs of various kinds on foundations, forming a means of adhesion,
whether in Palmyra palm or straws of different kinds.
The modes hitherto adopted for the purpose have been defective, and
the present Invention consists in the modes of operation and the products
thercof herein-after described.

page_text: Palmyra palm or straws whether undyed or dyed to suit the felt or
stuffs to be employed to cover them are taken, but before any other
operation the hat which is intended to be made a foundation is turned
so that the external part which is the more ornamental may become the
internal part, the hat is then dressed on a form by means of iron or
hydraulic pressure, as most convenient. The hat so dressed is then polished
on the exterior with pumicestone or sand paper until the rough parts are
removed, and in order to render it still smoother it is glazed with hot iron
and then submitted to the following modes of preparation in order to
obtain the following products:-
First. In order to make a hat soft or pliant in the head and brim a
hat of Palmyra palm or straw without any preparation is taken and
after having turned, dressed, and polished it as above stated it is covered
over with a varnish in order to make the intended covering of felt or stuff
adhere to it. The required adherence is caused either by the ordinary
means (that is to say by the action of hot iron) or by steam or hydraulic-
pressure, according to the nature of the covering, or the style of the article
to be made.
Secondly. In order to make a hat which is half soft the same process
is used as that for making a soft hat except that there is spread over the
foundation before it is covered with the varnish intended to make the
felt or stuff adhere to it a layer of preparation of greater or less strength
proportioned to the degree of softness or flexibility required.
Thirdly. In order to make a hat with the head flexible and the brim
rigid the before-named operations of turning, dressing, polishing, and
smoothening are carried on, then there is spread over the brim only a
layer of gelatine which is allowed to dry. This is intended in addition
to its giving stiffness to the brim to prevent other materials afterwards
employed from coming through; then there are applied to the said
brim one or more layers of muslin according to the stiffness required,
covering them with dissolved gum lac and leaving them to dry. The
said brim is then smoothened and after covering the foundation with
varnish as in the former case the sticking on of the felt or stuffs is in
like manner proceeded with before the final covering.
And fourthly. In order to make a hat rigid both in the head and the 3
brim the operations are the same as those described for making hats
with a flexible head and rigid brim, only that the head part of the

page_text: foundation is covered over with one or several coats of preparation
according to the degree of rigidity required, after which it is covered
over with the varnish required for sticking the felt or stuffs, and the
remainder of the operations are the same as for finishing the foregoing
kinds of hats.