IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC- HPE OF HATO CARO OFFER COVERTYAL PADROAD
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Vero, of Atherstone, in the County
of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC-
HPE OF HATO CARO
OFFER COVERTYAL PADROAD "
Scaled the 29th March 1870, and dated the 1st February 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Vero at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st February 1870.
I, CHARLES VERO, of Atherstone, in the County of Warwick, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS, CAPS, AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD," to
be as follows:-
In the preparation of fur for the manufacture of felt hats or coverings
for the head, whether they are to be made wholly of fur or of a mixture
of wool and fur, the rabbit or other skins from which the fur is to be
obtained are first pulled, that is, the coarse long hairs which lie over
the fine fur are drawn or forced out of the skins with a knife, and are
known as forcings. The fur is afterwards cut from the skin, and is then

page_text: picked or introduced into a current of air to still further remove these
coarse hairs which are called kemps. Such forcings or kemps are now
only used as manure; also when cutting the fur from the skins what
is known as fur dust is made which is of little value.
The object of the first part of my Invention is to utilize these
materials in the manufacture of felt hats or coverings for the head. For
this purpose I mix them with wool, and employ such mixture in the
manufacture of felt hats or other coverings for the head. A small
proportion of the sorted fur might, if desired, be combined with the
mixture of coarse hair and wool. In the case of the forcings and kemps
I mix them in suitable proportions with wool or with a mixture of wool
and fur on a carding engine, and the sliver produced I manufacture into
hats or coverings for the head in the ordinary way, and to rendered smooth
the surface of such hats or coverings I pounce or shave them as is usual.
In the case of fur dust I apply it by means of a sifter or dredger or
otherwise on to the surface of a sliver of wool or mixture of wool and fur
as it is being wound on to a conc or shape to form a body from which a
hat or covering is to be formed. The fur dust is thus wound up and so
incorporated with the sliver. The body is then hardened and felted in
the ordinary way.
The next part of my Invention has for its object to produce impressed
patterns upon the surface of hats, caps, and other coverings for tho
head.
Heretofore in moulding or shaping hats or other coverings for the
head by the ordinary hat presser's hydraulic press, the hats or other
coverings are placed into a mould and are moulded or shaped to it
by placing within them a bag which can be expanded by forcing a fluid
into it.
Heretofore also it has been proposed to indent or corrugate the
surface of the hats or other coverings by similarly pressing them into
an indented or corrugated mould. In this case the corrugations or
indentations were necessarily made in a straight line in order that
when the hats or coverings had been pressed into the moulds they might
bo withdrawn from them.
By my Invention I am enabled to press any desired pattern or device
upon the surface or part of the surface of hats and other coverings for
the head, by placing in the die in which the hat or covering is to be
moulded a lining engraved or formed with the design desired to be

page_text: imparted to the surface of the hat or covering, such lining being divided
into parts, so that after the hat or covering has by the application of
clastic pressure being moulded to the pattern surface of the lining
the hat or covering together with, the lining can be removed from the
die, when the segments of the lining can readily be removed. from the
hat or covering. The hat or other covering when being moulded is,.
by preference, placed into the die as is usual in a plastic state, and it then.
readily adapts itself to the form into which it has been moulded, or thọ.
hat or covering might be placed into the die in a cold state whilst
the lining or die is heated. Or I place in the dio netted or plaited or
woven fabrics. of twisted cord, wire, straw, or other material either
flexible or rigid.. If flexible they may be in one piece as in this case
their flexibility admits of their being readily stripped from the finished
hat or covering; if they are rigid they are made in parts to admit of
their, being stripped from the hat or covering. Or in place of inserting
a lining into the mould or dic I produce the pattern surface in the die
itself, and in this case I make the mould or. die in parts which can be
drawn asunder after that the hat or covering has by means of elastic
pressure been moulded within it. By this means I am enabled to
form a hat or other covering with any desired pattern embossed upon
its. surface in place of forming hats or coverings with a smooth.
surface, as has always heretofore been the case,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters. Patent,
filed by the said Charles Vero in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st August 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
VERO, of Atherstone, in the County of Warwick, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third,
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give.
and grant unto me, the said Charles Vero, Her special licence that
I, the said Charles Vero, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Charles Vero, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,

page_text: 1rom time to time and at all times therealter during the term Mierem
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 MANU-
FACTURE OF HATS, CAPS, AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Vero, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describo 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 Charles Vero, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say:—
In the preparation of fur for the manufacture of felt hats or coverings
for the head, whether they are to be made wholly of fur or of a mixture
of wool and fur, the rabbit or other skins from which the fur is to be
obtained are first pulled, that is, the coarse long hairs which lie over the
fine fur are drawn or "forced" out of the skins with a knife, and are
known as forcings. The fur is afterwards cut from the skin and is then
picked or introduced into a current of air to still further remove these
coarse hairs, which are when so removed called kemps. Such forcings
or kemps are now only used as manure. Also when cutting the fur from
the skins what is known as "fur dust" is made; it is extremely short
or flock like fur, and is of little value.
The object of the first part of my Invention is to utilize these materials
in the manufacture of felt hats or coverings for the head, and for this
purpose I mix them with wool and employ such mixture in the manu-
facture of felt hats or other coverings for the head. A small proportion
of the sorted fur might, if desired, be combined with the mixture of
coarse hair and wool, and the appearance of the hat will in this way be
in some degree improved, but the cost being greater I do not generally
employ sorted fur in combination with the forcings, kemps, or fur
dust. In the case of the forcings and kemps I mix them in suitable
proportions, by preference from 15 to 25 per cent., with wool or with a
mixture of wool and fur on a carding engine, and the sliver produced I

page_text: manufacture into hats or coverings for the head in the ordinary way;
and to render smooth the surface of such hats or coverings I pounce or
shave them, as is usual, to grind down the surface until it is rendered
even; in this operation somewhat more labor is required than with hats
made with sorted fur. In the case of fur dust I apply it by means of
a siſtèr ˜or dredger or otherwise on to the surface of a sliver of wool or
mixture of wool and fur as it is being wound on to a cono or shape to
form a body from which a hat or covering for the head is to be formed;
the fur dust is thus wound up and so incorporated with the sliver; the
body is then hardened and felted in the ordinary way. The fur dust
may be powdered on to the sliver by hand from a dredger whilst the
sliver is wound on the form in the usual way, so that the dust 'may
become lapped in between the numerous convolutions of the sliver. I
in this way work in about 25 per cent. of fur dust. I do not apply the
fur dust uniformly throughout the winding; but the greater part of it'
I wind in near the beginning and the end of the accumulatory process!
so that it may appear on the surfaces. A certain part of the fur dust
will escape in the subsequent hardening and felting operation's, but the
greater part will be so entangled with tho wool as to remain and become
consolidated in the felt.
The next part of my Invention has for its object to produce impressed
patterns upon the surface of hats, caps, and other coverings for the
licad.
Heretofore in moulding or shaping hats or other coverings for the
head by the ordinary hat presser's hydraulic press the hats or other
coverings for the head are placed into a mould and are moulded or
shaped to it by placing within them a bag which can be expanded by
forcing a fluid into it.
Heretofore also it has been proposed to indent or corrugate the
surface of the hats or other coverings for the head by similarly pressing
them into an indented or corrugated mould.. In this case the corru-
gations or indentations were necessarily made in a straight line in order
that when the hats or coverings for the head had been pressed into the
moulds they might be withdrawn from them.
By my Invention. I am enabled to impress any desired pattern or
device upon the surface or part of the surface of hats and other coverings
for the head by placing in the dic in which the hat or covering for the
.)

page_text: head is to be moulded a lining engraved or formed with the design
desired to be imparted to the surface.. The lining may conveniently be
of pewter or copper about an eighth of an inch thick, more or less,
according to the nature of the design, and the lining is divided into
parts, so that after the hat or covering for the head has by the appli-
cation of clastic pressure been moulded to the pattern surface of the
lining the hat or covering for the head together with the lining can be
removed from the dic, when the segments of the lining can readily be
separated. The hat. or other covering for the head when being moulded
is by preference pliced into the dic, as is usual, in a hot and plastic
state, and it then readily adapts itself to the pattern surface, and when
cold it retains the form into. which it has. been moulded;, or the hat or
covering for the head might be placed into the die in a cold state whilst
the lining or die is heated, but this is not so convenient.. Or I place. in
the die netted or plaited or woven fabrics or pattern surfaces of twisted
cord, wire, straw, or other material either flexible or rigid. If flexible.
they may be in one piece, as in this case their flexibility admits of their
being readily stripped from the finished hat or covering for the head;.
if they are rigid they are made in parts to admit of their being, stripped
from the hat or covering for the head.. Nets and plaited straw fabrics.
made to the form of the inside of the die are very conveniently and
advantageously employed; wirework patterus are also convenient. I
make the brim separate from the sides in order that the sides, may remain
sufficiently flexible to strip. off readily. Or in place of inserting a lining
into the mould or dic I produce the pattern surface in the die itself, and
in this case I make the mould or dic in parts, which can be drawn
asunder after that the hat or covering has by means of clastic pressure
been moulded within it. By this means I am enabled to form a hat or
other covering for the head with any desired pattern embossed upon its
surface in place of forming hats or coverings with a smooth surface, as
has always heretofore been the case.
I claim the carding together of "forcings" or "kemps" and wool,
the winding or accumulating the compound sliver thus obtained on a
conc or form, and felting it into a body for a hat, cap, or other covering
for the head.
I also claim the lapping in of fur dust between the convolutions of a
sliver wound on a conc or form, and felting the accumulation so obtained
into a body for a hat, cap, or other covering for the head.

page_text: I also claim the production of a pattern on the surface of a hat, cap,
or other covering for the head by expanding it against a pattern surface
contained in a die or mould, such pattern surface being flexible, and
being afterwards stripped from the surface of the hat, cap, or other.
covering for the head.
I also claim the production of a pattern on the surface of a hat, cap,
or other covering for the head by expanding it against a pattern surface
contained in or formed upon a die or mould, such pattern surface being
made in segments or separate parts so that they may be taken off from
the surface of the hat, cap, or other covering for the head without injury
to the pattern.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Vero, have hereunto set my