IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ORNA- MENTATION BY PRINTING OF FELT HATS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Shelmerdine, of Stockport, in the County
of Chester, and John Dransfield, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
Hat Manufacturers, for tho Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ORNA-
MENTATION BY PRINTING OF FELT HATS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Shelmerdine and
John Dransfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 10th April 1863.
We, SAMUEL SHELMERDINE, of Stockport, in the County of Chester, and
JOHN DRANSFIELD, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Hat Manu-
facturers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE ORNAMENTATION BY PRINTING OP FELT HATS," to be as follows:-
We make the felt bat in the shape of a cone, and then print or stain any
desired pattern or ornament on the said cone-shaped body by the block-printing
operation, printing first one side of the cone and then the other, thus giving
the necessary ornamentation, instead of making the hat in sections or of
different portions of fancy materials; we then block the body to the required
shape or configuration in the usual way.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Shelmerdine and John Dransfield in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 9th October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, SAMUEL
SHELMERDINE, of Stockport, in the County of Chester, and JoшN DRANSFIELD,
of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Hat Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Samuel Shelmerdine and John Dransfield, Her special license that we,
the said Samuel Shelmerdine and John Dransfield, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Samuel Shelmerdine and
John Dransfield, 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
THE ORNAMENTATION BY PRINTING. OF FELT HATS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Samuel Shelmerdine and John Dransfield, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 per-
formed, 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 we, the said Samuel Shelmerdine and John Drans-
field, 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):-
We make the felt hat body in the shape of a cone, and then print or stain
any desired pattern or ornament on the said cone-shaped body by the block or
machine printing operation, printing first one side of the cone and then the
other, thus giving the necessary ornamentation, instead of making the hat in
sections or of different portions of fancy materials; we then block the body
of the required shape or configuration in the usual way.
In order to facilitate the operation of printing the said cone-shaped felt
hat, we pass it between two or more revolving rollers to give it two flat
surfaces, we then place it in a press or put it under pressure to give the flat

page_text: surfaces a greater amount of solidity; if a press is used it may be worked
either by hand or power, according to the amount of pressure required. We
print the said bats either in the self color, or stain or dye them previous to
printing, as may be found most desirable for ornamentation.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be understood that
we claim printing felt hats in the cone shape, either in the self color or after
being stained or dyed.
In witness whereof, we, the said Samuel Shelmerdine and John Drans-
field, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-three.
SAMUEL SHELMERDINE. (L.B.)
JOHN DRANSFIELD.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Samuel Shelmerdine
and John Dransfield in the presence
of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
(L.S)
Manchester.