Improvements in Binding Strips and Bands for Hats.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 6th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Binding Strips and Bands for Hats.
I, THOMAS WILLIAM BRACHER of Greene Street, New York, United States
of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an improved binding strip for hats by
means of which the hat is finished with less cost and labour and is very much
improved in appearance and rendered more marketable also an improved band
similarly constructed by which a more elegant or artistic appearance is given
thereto.
Hitherto the bands have been applied to soft stiff and felt hats and they have
been bound in such a way that the edge lines of the bands and of the binding strips
vary from the lines or curves of the curl so that the result is inartistic and
awkward enough to impress itself upon the attention of anyone who has once been
directed to it.
I find that by so shaping the binding strip and the band that when applied to
the hat the edge lines which meet the eye follow the curve or contour of the curl
and a much more artistic graceful and pleasing appearance is given to the hat.
This invention consists therefore in a binding strip or band for hats (of any
suitable material) which is made of a length corresponding to the periphery of that
part of the hat to which it is to be applied and with two points of maximum width
and two points of minimum width and with tapering edges between said points of
maximum and minimum width.
The hat is made in the usual way of any ordinary or desired shape.
The binding strip and the band may be made of any usual and suitable material
and may be cut, braided woven or otherwise constructed to enable them to effect
the desired result.
The method at present preferred is by cutting out of a woven material of suitable
width to yield either two or more of the strips or bands required. I at present
take a ribbon of which the width is equal to the sum of maximum and minimum
width of the binding strip or band. For the binding strip it is desirable to make
the maximum width about one inch and the minimum width about half an inch and
taking the circumference of the hat brim at 34 inches it will be seen that the
binding strip will have two parts of maximum width and two parts of minimum
width I therefore take a ribbon of 1 inches wide and shear it or cut it apart along
an undulating or sinuous line repeating the waves or undulations every 17 inches
thereby constructing two binding strips simultaneously. The bands are cut in a
similar manner with two parts of maximum width and two parts of minimum width
the band being somewhat wider in both parts and shorter corresponding in length
to the circumference of the body or crown of the hat. By this method of
manufacturing the strips and bands only about two-thirds of the material is used
that would be used by shaping or cutting a single band or by using the old strip or
band of equal width throughout.
In applying the old form of binding strip to the hat to present even a
moderately good finish to the upper side of the brim it projects so far over the
edge on the underside of the brim as to be very ugly and undesirable. Considering
the brim of the hat uncurled and generally flat the binding strip has hitherto been
put on in two ways either having a substantially uniform lap on the top of the
brim and therefore a substantially uniform 'lap on the bottom of the brim which

page_text: gives the effect when the hat is curled of an increased and unnecessary lap
underneath the brim which is generally the way of applying bindings in silk hats,
or in the cheaper class of hats the binding is put on irregularly so as to expose if
the brim were flattened as before described a narrower width at the front and back
of the hat and a broader width of the binding at the sides of the hat.
The band being of uniform width exposes to view a much greater width at the
front and back than at the sides where the brim is curled up.
In applying my improved form of binding strip I propose to make a substantially
uniform lap on the upper edge (assuming the brim to be uncurled) and I place
the parts of minimum width at the front and back of the brim and the two
parts of maximum width at the sides of the hat, thus by reason of the fact that the
two points of minimum width of the binding are placed at the middle of the front
and back of the brim I am enabled at the same time to have the narrowest lap on
the bottom of the brim at those places while the exposed curl of the brim is still
covered as well as heretofore.
This arrangement makes an attractive and artistic finish on both upper and under
side of the brim. In a similar manner in applying the improved form of band
I may place the narrower parts of the band at the front and back of the hat and
the parts of maximum width at the sides and thus produce an artistic effect. Or
I may dispose of the curved edges in any other way to carry out the design of
the hat.
Variations may be made in the contour of either the binding strip or the band
for ornamental purposes.
For example for shapes or styles of hats such as where the greatest amount or
height of curl in the brim is at the back of the hat or at one side of the hat the
binding strip and the band or either of them may be so cut or shaped that the width
will vary throughout the length according to the width or height of that part of
the curl adjacent thereto.
Dated this 14th day of September 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Binding Strips and Bands for Hats:
I, THOMAS WILLIAM BRACHER, of Greene Street, New York, United States
of America, Manufacturer, 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 an improved binding strip for hats by
means of which the hat is finished with less cost and labour and is very much
improved in appearance and rendered more marketable also an improved band
similarly constructed by which a more elegant or artistic appearance is given
thereto.
Hitherto the bands have been applied to soft stiff and felt hats and they have
been bound in such a way that the edge lines of the bands and of the binding strips
vary from the lines or curves of the curl so that the result is inartistic and awkward
enough to impress itself upon the attention of anyone who has once been directed
to it.
I find that by so shaping the binding strip and the band that when applied
to the hat the edge lines which meet the eye follow the curve or contour of
the curl and a much more artistic graceful and pleasing appearance is given to
the hat.

page_text: Fig. 1, is a side view of a hat with a binding strip and band of the usual type.
Fig. 2, is the same kind of hat with my improved binding strip and band.
Fig. 3, is a front view of the hat shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4, is a front view of the hat shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 5. Perspective view of the hat shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 5. Perspective view of another form of hat.
Figs. 6 and 8 are plan views showing the upper and under sides of the hat shown
in Figs. 1 and 3.
Figs. 7 and 9 are corresponding views of the hat shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5.
Figs. 10 and 11. Part sections enlarged, through the curl and front of brim of
hats shown in Figs. 1 and 3.
Figs. 12 and 13. Part sections enlarged through the curl and front of brim of
the hat shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5.
Fig. 14. Extended plan of the binding strip before it is applied to the hat.
Fig. 15. Extended plan of the band before it is applied to the hat.
Same letters of reference indicate similar parts of the different figs.
The hat is made in the usual way of any ordinary or desired shape. A is the
crown or body of the hat. Bis the curl. D is the old form of binding strip of
uniform width throughout its entire length. D' is the improved binding strip.
which varies in width. E is the old form of band of uniform width or parallel
throughout its length. E' is the improved band which varies in width.
The binding strip D¹ aud the band El may be made of any usual and suitable
material and may be cut braided woven or otherwise constructed to enable them to.
effect the desired result.
The method at present preferred is by cutting out of a woven material of suitable.
width to yield either two or more of the strips or bands required. I at present
take a ribbon of which the width is equal to the sum of maximum and minimum
width of the strip D' or band E'. For the binding strip D' it is desirable to make
the maximum width about one inch and the minimum width about half an inch and
taking the circumference of the hat brim at 34 inches it will be seen that the
binding strip D will have two parts d of maximum width and two parts d' of
minimum width I therefore take a ribbon of 1 inches wide and shear or cut it
apart along an undulating or sinuous line repeating the waves or undulations every
17 inches thereby constructing two binding strips D' simultaneously. The bands E
are cut in a similar manner with two parts e of maximum width and two parts e¹ of
minimum width the band being somewhat wider in both parts and shorter corre-
sponding in length to the circumference of the body or crown A of the hat. By
this method of manufacturing the strips and bands D' and E¹ only about two-thirds.
of the material is used that would be used by shaping or cutting a single band or
by using the old strip D or band E of equal width throughout.
Referring to Figs. 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, in applying the old form of binding strip D
to the hat to present even a moderately good finish to the upper side of the brim
as shown in Fig. 6 it projects so far over the edge on the under side of the brim
as to be very ugly and undesirable see Fig. 8. Considering the brim of the hat
uncurled and generally flat the binding strip D has hitherto been put on in two
ways either having a substantially uniform lap on the top of the brim and therefore
a substantially uniform lap on the bottom of the brim which therefore gives the
effect when the hat is curled of an increased and unnecessary lap underneath the
brim which is generally the way of applying hindings in silk hats or in the cheaper
class of bats the binding is put on irregularly so as to expose if the brim were

page_text: flattened as before described a narrower width at the front and back of the hat and
a broader width of the binding at the sides of the hat.
The band E being of uniform width exposes to view a much greater width at the
front and back than at the sides where the brim is curled up.
Referring to Figs. 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, in applying my improved form of binding
strip D₁ I propose to make a substantially uniform lap on the upper edge (assuming
the brim to be uncurled) and I place the parts d' of minimum width at the front
and back of the brim and the two parts d of maximum width at the sides of the
hat, thus by reason of the fact that the two points d' of minimum width of the
binding are placed at the middle of the front and back of the brim I am enabled
at the same time to have the narrowest lap on the bottom of the brim at those
places as shown in Fig. 9 while the exposed curl of the brim is still covered as well
as heretofore.
This arrangement makes an attractive and artistic finish on both upper and under
side of the brim. In a similar manner in applying the improved form of band E
I may place the narrower parts e¹ of the band at the front and back of the hat and
the parts e of maximum width at the sides and thus produce an artistic effect. Or
I may dispose of the curved edges in any other way to carry out the design
of hat.
Variations may be made in the contour of either the binding strip D' or the
band E' for ornamental purposes. For example for shapes or styles of hats where
the greatest amount or height of curl in the brim is at the back of the hat or at
one side of the hat the binding strip and the band or either of them may be so cut
or shaped that the width will vary throughout the length according to the width or
height of that part of the curl adjacent thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A binding strip or band for hats made of any suitable material and of a length
corresponding to the peripheral circumference of that part of the hat to which it is
to be applied constructed of varying width throughout its length having two points
of maximum width and two points of minimum width the edges gradually curving
from one to the other substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. As a new article of manufacture a hat provided with a binding of varying
width the broadest part of the said binding being at the sides of the said hat and
the narrowest part at the front and back of the hat, substantially as described.
3. As a new article of manufacture a bat provided with a binding of varying
width the narrowest part of said binding being applied to the front and back of the
hat and the broadest part to the sides of the hat, the overlapping edge of said
binding on the top of the brim being substantially uniform throughout the length
of the binding substantially as described.
4. A hat provided with a band of varying width the broadest part of the said
band being at the sides of the hat and the narrowest part at the front and back of
the bat substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. A hat provided with a binding strip of varying width throughout its length
the width of the said strip conforming at any point with the size of the curl in the
hat brim adjacent thereto substantially as herein before described and shown.
6. A hat provided with a hat band of varying width of material throughout its
length the width of the material conforming with the height of the curl in the brim
adjacent thereto substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
Dated this 5th day of January 1897.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.