Hat.

Application filed December 4,1906, Serial No. 346,240.

preferably eight in number, which are adapted to engage with corresponding female members 3 of snap-fasteners, certain of which are secured to flaps on the hat-brim and cer- 60 tain others of which are provided upon the crown, as will be hereinafter fully described. Instead of employing snap-fasteners, which are preferred, I may use buttons and buttonholes or other equivalent separable fastening 65 elements.

To the band 1 I secure the brim, which is of the usual annular form, and consists, preferably, of a lower intact ring of fabric 4 and an upper coincident fabric member 5, having 70 circular cut-out portions 6. Formed integrally with the upper fabric member 5 are tongues or flaps 7, each having an aperture 8, through which a stud 2 is designed to pass. The lower fabric ring 4 is provided with a like 7 5 number of flaps 9, carrying the female fastening members 3, which are adapted to engage such of the stud members 2 as project through the apertures 8 in the flaps 7. The tongues 7 are of approximately the same length as the 80 height of the band’ 1 and when fastened lie adjacent its exterior surface, whereas the flaps 9 are made sufficiently long to project upwardly on the interior side of the band and to be turned downwardly thereover, so as to 85 overlie the flaps or tongues 7.

The preferred form of hat includes four flaps for engaging as many studs, thus leaving four free stud members 2 between the flaps for engagement with the female mem- 90 bers upon the interior of the crown.

It will be noted that an annular pocket, is formed between the fabric layers of the brim, and before the brim is secured upon the band I insert into this pocket a ring of flexi- 95 ble resilient material 10, such as wire, Fig. 2, wliich serves to distend the fabric, giving it a smooth appearance and serving the same purpose as a wire frame, but having none of the objectionable features of the latter. To 100 the inner edge of the lower fabric member 4 is sewed a lining 11, which is provided with a draw-string 12 to enable the lining to be drawn together and placed in the hat, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. ^I05

I prefer to make the crown of an inner stiffening or supporting member and an outer covering of fabric therefor. In Fig. 5 I have ₍ illustrated the stiffening member, wliich con- • sists of an upper circular piece of.material 13 no • and a lower concentric piece of like material , 14, having a circular aperture cut therein.

To all whom it may concern: ;

Be it known that I, Edward David Soule, a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Manhattan, in the city, 5 county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hats, of which the following is a specification. ,

The present invention relates to ladies io and children’s hats of the class in which the outer material may be readily removed for the purpose of being laundered or replaced, as desired.

One of the objects of the invention is to 15 dispense entirely with the wire or skeleton frame used as a support or base for the fabric and to replace the frame by suitable flexible rings of wire or similar material, one such ring being inserted in the brim portion of the 20 hat and the other in the crown portion, these rings serving to distend the fabric and give it the requisite firmness and shape.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hat composed of separable elements, 25 which may be readily and quickly assembled and disassembled, effecting a decided savingin time and cost of labor.

The invention has other objects and possesses numerous advantages which will be 30 apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following specification.

Before proceeding to a detailed description of the invention I wish it to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification 35 in various details, and the annexed drawings illustrate but one embodiment of the invention, and in the drawings—

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hat embodying the novel features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the brim portion of the hat. Fig. '4 is a similar view of the crown portion of the hat. Fig. 5 is a similar view of a stiffening element adapted 45 for insertion into the crown of the hat. Fig.

is a similar view of the hat-brim having the flaps thereof secured to the band or bandeau, and Fig. 7 is a similar view of the band or bandeau.

In constructing my improved hat 1 employ a band or bandeau 1, such as that illustrated in Fig. 7. This band is made of a suitable fairly stiff material and is of. the standard size which the. completed hat is to

5 have. On the periphery of the band are secured a series of male or stud members 2,

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To the edge of the aperture is secured, as by sewing, a band 15, of buckram or like material, in which are orifices 16, through which those of the studs 2 on the band 1 are de5 signed to pass that are not engaged by the flaps 9. Over the stiffening member and adapted to practically envelop the same is placed the outer fabric crown 17, on the interior portion of which are provided a series of io female snap members 3, winch engage the studs 2, that project through the orifices 16. If desired, the crown 17 may be provided with an ornamental rim 18 to lie over the hat-brim. Before the crown and brim are 15 connected I place wit hin the annular pocket formed by the members 13 and 14 a wire 19, similar in its nature and operation to the wire 10 in the brim portion.

When the crown and its stiffening element 20 have been placed one about the other, as above described, the hat may be completed by placing the band 15 over the band 1 in such manner that the unengaged studs 2 project through the orifices 16 and are in line 25 with the female members 3 of the hat-crown, which female members may then be snapped upon the studs, thus firmly uniting the parts of the hat.

From the foregoing description it will be 30 noted that by my invention I am enabled to make a hat consisting of two principal parts-— viz., the brim portion and the crown portion which may be easily joined and as readily separated.

It will also be apparent that I dispense with the wire frames now generally employed, thereby saving the cost thereof and making the hat lighter than if the frame were included. The frame being usually 4° made of comparatively inflexible wire may be readily bent out of shape without having the resiliency to return to its normal form, and in this respect is a decidedly disadvantageous feature in a hat of this character.

The provision of means lor the removal of the fabric enables the latter to be laundered as frequently as desired and presents an advantage from the viewpoint of economy and cleanliness.