Resistol's "Self-Conforming" Patent

[jeff]

This may have been gone over before, if so I apologize. I did a quick search, but "self-conforming" brings up lots of results.

For fun I have been looking up patent numbers I've seen in various pictures of hats on ebay. One I was particularly curious about was Resistol's Self Conforming leather.

One number I repeatedly saw (and then looked up) on Resistol hats is Patent No. 407201.

Upon lookup, though, it's for a "Loom Shuttle" patented in 1889. Maybe one of you master hatters know's what a Loom Shuttle is - the description on the USPTO site doesn't shed much light - but it clearly didn't seem to be for the Self-Conforming headband.

The other that I see repeatedly is 403324 - which is for a "Machine for Making Cigarette Mouth Pieces". Hmm.. very curious.

Upon further searching of Resistol hat pictures, one showed Pat No. 2178495. This one is about hat bands (!) however it's about improved felt protection from perspiration, but doesn't talk about conforming.

See attached images.

So has anyone done this search already? I'm truly curious to see the patent.

jeff

 

[Brad Bowers]

That's definitely not a patent number from 1934, too few digits. It is, however, a prior registration number for Resistol's "Self-Conforming" trademark, rather than a patent.

Just looking at my old Resistol, there is nothing particularly special about their sweat, other than its softness. Any soft felt hat with a soft sweat will "self conform" to your head, but then, any soft hat will do that anyway, given enough time. Just a clever marketing ploy that has stood the test of time.

That's an interesting patent you found. Old patents are a lot of fun, and I've found many cool hat patents in my countless hours of searching. I've thought about compiling them in a book or a CD.

Brad

 

[jeff]

Brad,

Thanks for the info - that makes perfect sense.

Funny how they put "PAT OFF. NO." before each number, even though one's a patent and the other a trademark.

I guess they never thought anyone us geeks 70 years later would be looking them up.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Could be that the USPTO just went by the name U.S. Patent Office back then. Hard to say...

Let's hear it for the hat geeks!lol

Brad

 

[J.T.Marcus]

The Resistol "Self Conforming" sweatband was simply what you might call a "floating" band. Instead of lying on the inside felt of the crown, there was a slight space between the top edge of the sweatband and the inside of the crown. This allowed a little more give, so the band could stretch to fit your head. I started to scan the pamphlet that came with the hats, but it only said what I've just stated, and no patent number is mentioned.

 

[jeff]

Thanks J.T.!

 

[deanglen]

Yes, thanks J.T., I always wondered what that actually referred to with those hats.

dean