IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS, CAPS, BONNETS, AND OTHER COVER- INGS FOR THE HEAD, AND THE FOUNDATIONS THEREOF OR SIMILAR ARTICLES; AND IN THE MEANS AND APPLIANCES FOR PRODUCING THE SAME
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Harcourt Brown and William
Bull at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 30th July 1867.
We, JOHN HARCOURT BROWN, of Richmond, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, and WILLIAM BULL, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS, CAPS, BONNETS, AND OTHER COVER-
INGS FOR THE HEAD, AND THE FOUNDATIONS THEREOF OR SIMILAR ARTICLES; AND
IN THE MEANS AND APPLIANCES FOR PRODUCING THE SAME," to be as follows, that
is to say:
The improvements which constitute this Invention have for their object the
manufacture or formation of hats, caps, bonnets, and other coverings for the
head, or the foundations or bodies thereof or similar articles, in any required
shape or configuration entire in any one piece without joint or seam, and of
one uniform thickness of material, or of varying thickness when required.
First, we prepare a pulp of the following materials, bleached or unbleached,
namely, fibre of woollen, cotton, or other materials, thoroughly disintegrated,
in combination with animal skin or fibre and the watery solution of shellac
or other suitable gum. The fibrous materials are to be beaten or drawn out
by an engine or machine to the required consistency, the water and other
ingredients being added till the whole mass is thoroughly pulped; in which
condition it is placed in suitable vats or troughs for having the hollow vacuum

page_text: moulds, berein-after described, upon which the articles are formed, submerged
therein. We also propose to use tanned or untanned refuse of animal hides,
as also linen or cotton waste, or other fibrous materials, in combination with
animal size, glue, shellac, and other resinous or gummicious substances in
such proportions and such consistency as the production of the various articles
may require. We then prepare two vats or pulp receptacles, or a vat divided
into two compartments containing different fibrous materials, for example, one
containing the fibrous pulp for the foundation, and the other the tanned or
untanned animal fibre or other fibrous material. From the first vat we take
up on the moulds a thin film or coat, and then submerge in the second vat or
compartment, and take up the required surface material; these fibrous mate-
rials may be dyed in the usual way. We next prepare hollow perforated
vacuum moulds of the shape and configuration of the articles required to be
made; the perforated surfaces (whether on the exterior or interior of the said
moulds) being covered by a fibre intercepting but water, permeable cover, or
Jining; the moulds are attached to branch vacuum pipes, through which a
connection between the interior of the said hollow moulds and a main vacuum
pipe can be alternately opened and closed. Thus prepared and fitted, the moulds
are submerged in the pulp, when vacuum power being applied the materials
held in suspension will be deposited upon the surface of the intercepting
covers or linings before mentioned. When a sufficient thickness of materials
has been deposited upon the cover the mould is withdrawn; the hat or
foundation, or other article thus formed, and the cover or lining which acts
as a support while the fibres are in a wet and fragile condition, are both
removed together, and are both placed upon hollow shaping moulds or
blocks, the latter being made in sectional parts of iron or other metal heat
and pressure are then applied for drying and giving the required shape.
When sufficiently dry the hat foundations may be removed from the inter-
cepting covers or linings, and when necessary be coated with any suitable
composition and surfaced with silk or other finishing surface material in the
usual way.