AN APPARATUS FOR PRESSING AND IRONING STRAW HATS OF ANY SHAPE OR FORM
Year: 1862

page_text: Sealed the 12th September 1862, and dated the 11th April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jules François Mathias
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th April 1862.
I, JULES FRANÇOIS MATHIAS, of 22, Rue de Châlons, Paris, in the Empire
of France, Hat Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN APPARATUS FOR PRESSING AND IRONING STRAW HATS OF ANY
SHAPE OR FORM," to be as follows:-
The Invention consists in a new mode of pressing to any shape or form
straw hats requiring to be repaired, by means of a special apparatus on which
is fixed a wooden or cast-iron block of the required shape; the bat to be
pressed is placed on the said block and covered up with a piece of leather, then
a cast-iron hinged hollow steam-tight cover, the under side of which is formed
with a sheet of india-rubber, is brought down over the hat, which imprints its

page_text: shape in the india-rubber; and the covering being secured by any convenient
means, steam is introduced within the hollow cover, its pressure, which can
be increased to any extent, presses to shape the straw hat, smoothing it much
better than by ironing it, as usually done to this day.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jules François Mathias in the Great Seal Patent Office, on
the 9th October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JULES
FRANÇOIS MATHIAS, of 22, Rue de Châlons, Paris, in the Empire of France,
Hat Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Jules François Mathias, Her special licence, that I, the said Jules François
Mathias, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Jules François Mathias, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "AN APPARATUS FOR
PRESSING AND IRONING STRAW HATS OF ANY SHAPE OR FORM," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Jules François Mathias, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 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 Jules François Mathias, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawing hereunto
annexed, and forming part of this my Specification, and to the figures and
letters of reference placed thereon.

page_text: The process of ironing straw hats by means of hand smoothing irons being
long, wearisome, and defective, was superseded by a mechanical contrivance
consisting in a moveable form or block actuated by suitable gearing, the hat
placed on the said form moving round with it, and the smoothing iron, heated
inside, being pressed against it by means of a lever; but as fashion is constantly
changing the shape of hats, the forms or blocks require constant modification.
By my improved apparatus the following results are obtained:-Firstly, an
equal elastic pressure is given on every part of the hat; secondly, although
the pressure is exerted on both sides of the hat, the grain or fibre of the straw
is preserved; thirdly, the wearisome labour of the workman is done away
with, as he can give the requisite pressure without fatigue, using his judgment
as to the pressure required for the straw he is operating upon; fourthly, the
work is much better done, and in one-tenth of the usual time.
In the Drawing, Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2, plan, of my appa-
ratus; both Figures being partly in section.
A, brass or cast-iron form or block on which the hat to be ironed is placed;
the said form is heated inside by steam, which arrives through the pipe B; C,
sheet of india-rubber which is brought over the hat, the form of which it
embraces closely. The workman taking hold of the handle P brings down
with one hand the form or block covering D, hinged at M, whilst with the
other hand he drives the lever R fixed on the shaft S; and a toothed segment
U carried by the said shaft, cogs with a rack W, carried by a rod u', u', which
rod bears two keys L, L, the said keys sliding in the frame K and entering
the mortices h, h, of the arms J of the form or block covering D, for the pur-
pose of holding these two pieces fast together when the steam is introduced
over the india-rubber sheet (the rod u, u, slides on the guides X, X). The
steam is introduced within the form or block cover D through the pipe Q and
hollow shaft M. Water or gas under pressure might be introduced into the
apparatus instead of steam. E, metallic plate screwed fast under the cover D,
to hold the sheet of india-rubber. A lever F embodied with the form or block
cover, carries counterpoises G, to preserve its equilibrium and relieve the
operator. The hollow axis of the said lever is carried by a stand H, which,
together with the stand of the form A, is carried by a circular plate I, bolted
fast on a cast-iron frame plate T. The arms J of the form or block cover enter
proper apertures cut in the extended parts K of the stand carrying the form.
An escape cock N over the form covering is to drive out the air, and a purge
cock O to expel the condensed water. When the steam is introduced in the
form covering D, the sheet of india-rubber being pressed upon with force,

page_text: takes the shape of the bat and presses it upon the metallic form with equal
force on all and every part of it, and in less than one minute the hat is pressed
to shape, then the operator takes out the keys L by working the lever R, and
by means of the handle P he raises the form or block cover to take out the
hat, between which and the india-rubber a hat-shaped sheet of leather had
been previously introduced.
It is well understood that for different qualities of straw the pressure should
be different, and it is easy for the operator to give what pressure he pleases,
by opening more or less the admission cock. A steam guage put on the top
of the apparatus will show him at any moment what this pressure is, and the
expense in fuel to produce this steam will be much less than for heating the
smoothing irons.
It is almost needless to observe that the word hat is used throughout my
Specification to designate a covering for the head of whatever shape or design,
as it will be evident that straw bonnets and all coverings for the head manu-
factured of straw may be pressed and ironed by the apparatus above described,
and shewn in the Drawing.
My Invention being now described, and illustrated on the annexed Sheet of
Drawing, I would have it understood that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details of the apparatus herein-before described so long as the
particular character is retained; but I claim,-
Firstly, the general arrangement of the apparatus for pressing and ironing
straw hats, as shewn on the annexed Sheet of Drawing.
Secondly, applying steam or any other energetic pressure agent for the
purpose of pressing and ironing straw hats to any shape or form.
Thirdly, the system of pressure over forms placed within the hats.
Fourthly, the new application of over-shaped leather forms, to receive the
pressure of an india-rubber sheet, whatever may be its shape and the thickness
of the straw, leaving to the said straw all its rough or fine-grained state and
whiteness, and completely smooth ironing the said hat on both sides quicker
and better than ever done hitherto.
Fifthly, the application of an india-rubber sheet as a new organ for per-
forming this work.
Sixthly and lastly, I claim as the most important part of my Invention,
avoiding contact of the outside of the hat with any metallic surfaces, which, by
their high degree of heat always produce a combination of the oxigen of the
air with some portion of sulphurous acid produced by the sulphur retained by
the straw when bleaching, and thus creates a certain quantity of sulphuric

page_text: acid, which burns the straw, tarnishing its whiteness, and giving it a
reddish hue.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jules François Mathias, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Signed and sealed in the
presence of
L. D'AUBRÉVILLE, C.E.
MATHIAS. (L.S.)