A NEW MANNER OF VENTILATING THE CROWNS OF HATS
Year: 1798

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
DUNNAGE, of Number 424 in the Strand, in the Parish of Saint Martin-
in-the-Fields, in the Liberty of Westminster, in the County of Middlesex.
Ilat Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS, the said George Dunnage, did, by my petition represent to
His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, that after much
labour and expence I had invented "A NEW MANNER OF VENTILATING THE CROWNS
OF HATS," which is much superior to any now used for that purpose, and that in
regard that I was the first and true Inventor thereof, and that the same had
not been practised or used by any other person or persons, to my knowledge or
belief, therefore most humbly prayed His said Majesty that He whould
be graciously pleased to grant unto me, my exors, aduiors, and assigns, His
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain for the sole
use and benefit of my said Invention within that part of His said Majesty's
Kingdom of Great Britain called England, His Dominion of Wales, and
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, for the term of fourteen years, according to
the Statute in that case made and provided, His said Majesty being willing
to give encouragement to all arts and Inventions which might be for the
publick good, was graciously pleased to condescend to my request, and therefore,
by His Royal Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-seventh
day of November, in the thirty-ninth year of His reign, of His special grace,
certain knowledge, and meer motion, for Ilimself. His heirs and successors.

page_text: did give and grant unto me, the said George Dunnage, my exois, admiors, and
assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole priviledge and authority, that I,
the said George Dunnage, my exors, admors, and assigns; and every of them,
by myself and themselves, or by mine or their deputy or deputies, servants or
agents, or such others as I; the said George Dunnage, my exors, admors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term of fourteen years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my said Inven-
tion within that part of His Majesty Kingdom of Great Britain called
England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such
manner as to me, the said George Dunnage, my exors, adñiors, and assigns,
or any of us, should in our directions seem meet, and that I, the said George
Dunnage, my exors, admors, and assigns, should and lawfully might have and
enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage from time to time
coming, growing, accruing, and arising by reason of the said Invention for
and during the term of years therein mentioned, to have, hold, exercise, and
enjoy the said licence, powers, privileges, and advantages herein-before granted
or mentioned to. be granted unto me, the said George Dunnage, my exors,
adors, and assigns, for and during and unto the full end and term. of fourteen
years from the date of the said Letters Patent next and immediately ensuing, and
fully to be compleat and ended, according to the Statute in that case made and
provided; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso.that if I,, the
said- George Dunnage, should not particularly describe, and ascertain the nature
of my. said. Invention, and in what manner the same is, to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled
in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calender month next and
immediately after the day of the date of the said Letters Patent; the same
should be void, as, relation being thereunto had, more fully and at large may
appear.
مجھے
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Dunnage, in compliance with the
said proviso, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and declare that the same consists in seperating or (if bats are made for the
purpose of my Invention): keeping seperate the tip of top crown.from the side
crown of the hat, and partly or wholly raising or shutting down the tip.or top
crown from or to the side crown, so as to admit the external, air to circulate
freely in the interior of the crown of the bat or to excludes the same therefrom;
by means of springs, slides, staples, sockets, grooves, loops, and cases, or sonie or
any of them, connected, to or with the tip or top and side crown, and thereby.to,
regulate the admission or exclusion of the external air in:front, behind, or on

page_text: either side, as may be found most agreeable to the wearer.
And I do hereby
specify and declare that the same is now performed by me in the following
manner, that is to say:
I make springs and sliders of the form and shape respectively described in
the Drawings and explanations hereto prefixed, and marked Figs. 1 and 2,
of whalebone, metal, or any other convenient substance. The staples or
sockets which are intended for the reception of the springs, and which are also
described in such prefixed Drawings and explanation, and distinguished by
Figs. 3, 4, and 5, form of thin metal; I then fasten or affix, in the manner
hereafter described, a convenient number of the said staples or sockets to a
thin fillett or hoop, made of linen, canvass, cotton, or other material sufficiently
stiffened to support the springs, sliders, staples, or sockets, grooves and loops
mentioned to be attached thereto and in the intermediate space left between
the said staples or sockets; I sew pieces of tape or narrow ribbon, canvass,
or cloth, on the said fillett or hoop, in the form of a small groove, loop, or
case, to receive the sliders, hereafter mentioned. I have found four springs
and an equal number of sliders to answer my purpose; or instead of using four
springs and four sliders I use six or more springs, only fixing an equal number
of grooves or socketts on the hoop or fillett to receive them, and omitt the loops
or staples; or I use six or eight sliders only, and attach an equal number of
loops and staples to the hoop or fillett, omitting the grooves or socketts;
either of these methods may be adopted, as may appear most convenient to the
manufacturer. I then, by means of glue or other adhesive substance) fasten
the said fillett or hoop with such staples or sockets, and the said grooves, loops,
or cases, or any or either of them, fixed thereon to the interior surface of the side
crown of the hat, and very near to the top edge of it; I then sew so many
pieces of tape, narrow ribbon, canvas, or cloth in the form of grooves or cases
on the under side of the tip or top crown in a direction from the edge towards
the center thereof as there are staples, or sockets and grooves, loops, or cases
on the fillett or hoop, in such parts thereof as will correspond with the staples
or sockets, grooves, loops, or cases placed on the fillett or hoop, into these
grooves or cases so affixed to the under side of the tip or top crown, that part
of the spring or slider which in the prefixed Drawing is marked A, A, is to
forced; I then put and pass the ends of the springs and sliders through the.
the said staples or socketts, grooves, loops, or cases provided for their
reception on the fillett or hoop, and compleat the operation by crooking or
turning upwards the ends of the sliders, and turning in the piece of metal
which is prepared for that purpose, by a notch or slit in the sides of the staples
or sockets which receive the springs, as may be seen in the prefixed Drawing,

page_text: Figs. 4 & 5, by which means the springs and sliders or springs or sliders,
when they are separately or otherwise used, are prevented from being entirely
discharged or drawn out upon elevating the top crown of the hat.. +
THE EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS ABOVE REFERRED TO.
Fig. 1, a spring made of whalebone or other material. A, A, the part 5
which is to be attached or forced into the grooves or cases under the tip or.
top crown; B, B, the part which is to be attached to the side crown, by.
means of a staple or socket affixed to the fillett or hoop, before mentioned.
Fig. 2, a slider A, A, the part which is to be attached or forced into the
grooves or cases in or under the tip or top crown; B; the part which is to be: 1
attached to the side crown, by means of a groove or case affix'd to the fillett or.
hoop, before mentioned.
Fig. 3, a front view of a groove, a socket made of thin metal or other.
material, in which the above-mentioned spring is to move: A, A, A, A, four
corners or bits of metal left above and below the body of the groove or socket,
which, being turned back, two of them over and two of them under the fillett
or hoop; serve to fasten it on to the fillett or hoop, in manner as seen at C, C,
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4, a side view of the staple or socket meant for the reception of the
springs, as fastened to the fillett, with the spring A, A; A, in it.. B, body of
the staple or socket; C, C, corners of the same (as at A, A, A, A, Fig. 3,).
turned over and under the fillett; D, a small notch or slit in the lower side of
the staple or socket.
Fig. 5 is an oblique view of the staple or socket meant for the reception of
the spring, which is placed in such a point of view as to shew the notch or, slit.
D, which is made for the purpose of turning the point thereof inwards, thro'
the bend or curve of the spring, and thereby to prevent the spring being drawn.
too far out or discharged upon the clevating the tip or top crown of the hat.
Fig. 6 is the section and interior view of a hat with the top elevated. A,
tip or top crown; B, side crown; C, fillett or hoop, with the staples or sockets,
and the grooves or loops fixed thereon.
Fig. 7, the like section, and a view of a hat with a part only of the top.
crown elevated, the rest remaining in contact with the side crown.
The springs, sliders, staples, or sockets, and grooves, loops, or cases, above.
described, are such as after a number of experiments. I have found best to
answer the object of my Invention; but it is obvious that springs, sliders,
staples, sockets, grooves, loops and cases may be made, in a great variety of
forms, and of various materials, to produce the effect of my Invention. I there-

page_text: fore repeat, that it is the elevation or depression, or partial elevation or
depression, of the tip or top crown of the hat, by means of springs, sliders,
staples, sockets, grooves, loops, and cases, or some or any of them, which I
claim as my Invention more than any particular form, a combination or appli-
cation of such springs, sliders, staples, sockets, grooves, loops, or cases which I
have adopted as the means or agents for producing the effect of my said
Invention. These means I consider that I am at liberty to vary and exclusively
to apply, as experience shall point out, provided I strictly adhere to the manner
of ventilation above specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Dunnage, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight, and in the
thirty-ninth year of the reign of our said Sovereign Lord George the
Third, by the grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland,
King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth.
SAM BATCHELLOR, Clement's Inn.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-second day of December,
in the year of our Lord 1798, the aforesaid George Dunnage came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing. therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according
to the tenor of the Statutes made for that purpose.