In- PROVEMENTS IN HATS, CAPS, BONNETS, AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Cooper Tress, of Blackfriars Road, in the County of
Surrey, and François Cyrille Belhomme, of New Street, Covent Garden,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
Sealed the 17th April 1863, and dated the 21st October 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Cooper Tress and François
Cyrille Belhomme at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 21st October 1862.
We, COOPER TRESS, of Blackfriars Road, in the County of Surrey, and
FRANÇOIS CYRILLE BELHOMME, of New Street, Covent Garden, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN HATS, CAPS, BONNETS, AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD,"
to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture or
formation of hats, caps, bonnets, and other head coverings, whereby they are
rendered flexible and soft to the head, admit of being folded or crushed up,
yet again return to their original shape or form, and are made ventilating and
waterproof. For this purpose we prefer to form the hats or other similar
articles for the head of cloth or any suitable soft material and gutta percha,
caoutchouc, or any substance of a similar nature, and silk, cloth, or other

page_text: material suitable for the inside lining. These substances, with or without
horsehair, are cut to the required form, and placed over a block, and by means
of heat applied by rollers, irons, or steam cloths, or similar means, are made
to adhere together, the parts are then stitched, or otherwise secured, thus
forming a body or foundation. A little mellow proofing may be used in
addition in such parts as may require it to aid in retaining the required form,
when a covering of gutta percha or such like material is added. The foundation
thus formed is then covered with silk plush, or any other desirable external
material, and by the further application of heat the whole is made to con-
solidate well together; the hat is then bound, banded, and curled or shaped
off for use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Cooper Tress and François Cyrille Belhomme in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 21st April 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CooPER
TRESS, of Blackfriars Road, in the County of Surrey, and FRANCOIS CYRILLE
BELHOMME, of New Street, Covent Garden, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the.
said Cooper Tress and Francois Cyrille Belhomme, Her special licenee that
we, the said Cooper Tress and Francois Cyrille Belhomme, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Cooper Tress
and Francois Cyrille Belhomme, our 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 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 HATS, CAPS, BONNETS, AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Cooper Tress and
Francois Cyrille Belhomme, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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

page_text: 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 we, the said Cooper Tress and Francois Cyrille
Belhomme, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
:
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of hats,
caps, bonnets, and other coverings for the, head, whereby they are rendered
flexible and soft to the wearer, capable of being crushed or folded up without
injury to the material, and made sufficiently elastic in themselves to recover,
their original form, shape, or design upon the folding or crushing pressure
being withdrawn. This elasticity or power of recovering the original shape is
imparted to or formed by the peculiar combination of materials brought
together in the construction of the foundation or body of the said hats, caps,,
bonnets, and the like, and therefore differs from the usual mode of manu-
facturing such articles.
:
The means whereby we propose to effect the aforesaid improvements are as
follows: We form the hats and other like articles for the head of any
suitable soft material, such as cloth, silk, plush, felt, stuff, and the like suitable
for the inside lining, in combination with a portion of gutta percha, or any
other substance of the same nature or possessing similar properties. These
substances, with or without any suitable elastic fibre in combination therewith,
or applied thereto, are cut to the required shape or pattern, and placed over a
block, and then subjected to the action of heat, applied by rollers, irons, steam.
cloths, or other suitable means, whereby the said substances are made to
adhere together; the parts (previously cut to the required shape) are then
stitched or otherwise secured together by any of the known means now in
ordinary use, thus forming a body or foundation for the hat or other article,
a little mellow proofing being used in addition to the substances above
mentioned in such parts as may require it, to aid in giving and retaining the
required form preparatory to the first covering operation, in which first
covering we use sheet gutta percha, or other substance of a like nature, as
before described. The body or foundation thus formed possesses the required
clasticity, admits of being doubled or crumpled up by external pressure
without injury, and upon such pressure being withdrawn possesses just
sufficient expansive property to recover or return to the proper and original
shape or form, and can also be made to be ventilating by suitable perforations,
or waterproof, or both, as desired. For increasing the shape or form-
recovering property of these foundations, we propose to use any suitable

page_text: elastic matter, and to introduce the said material separately or in combination
with the cloth, silk, stuff, felt, &c., either in their process of manufacture, or
apply the said elastic material thereto afterwards, as may be found most con-
venient. These foundations formed to the required shape or design by any of
the improved means above described are then finally covered with a covering
of silk, plush, felt, beaver, or other suitable or desirable external material, and
by the further application of heat the whole (foundations and coverings) are
made to consolidate well together; the hat or other article is then finished
off, bound, banded, and curled or shaped in the required style for the
wearer's use.
,
Having thus described and ascertained the nature and object of our said
Invention, and the means whereby the said improvements may be carried out
in practice, we hereby further declare that we do not absolutely restrict
ourselves to the substances and materials herein mentioned, but include all
materials which may be suitable for producing the said improved flexible
and elastic hats, and other like articles, and possessing the properties herein
mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said Cooper Tress, on behalf of myself and
the said Francois Cyrille Belhomme, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-first day of April, One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-three.
COOPER TRESS. (L.S.)