Brim Edge Patents

For your perusal, a selection of brim edge treatment patents for processes, machinery, and designs. Some are for regular welt edges, some are for Cavanagh Edges, and some are for Cavanagh-imitators. Others are for presses for forming welts and irons for the maintenance of welted edges. This will be a good way to waste a bunch of time.lol

Brad

<table border="2" width="600"cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1"><tr><td class="hg">Year Patented</td><td class="hg">Name</td><td class="hg">Patent Number</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1870</td><td class="fl">Corey Glued-Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">108884</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1871</td><td class="fl">Corey Glued-Binding Edge</td><td class="fl">111178</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1879</td><td class="fl">Thomas Tubular-Bead Edge</td><td class="fl">215411</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1909</td><td class="fl">Sackett Manual Welt Press</td><td class="fl">934219</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1909</td><td class="fl">Sackett Powered Welt Press</td><td class="fl">936364</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1909</td><td class="fl">Wales Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">941746</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1913</td><td class="fl">Cavanagh Edge Type I</td><td class="fl">1053973</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1917</td><td class="fl">Haugh Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">1246917</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1919</td><td class="fl">Davis Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">1304268</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1922</td><td class="fl">Hodshon Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">1404291</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1925</td><td class="fl">Martin Hem-Edge Die</td><td class="fl">1539758</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1925</td><td class="fl">Segschneider Welt-Edge Machine</td><td class="fl">1546757</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1927</td><td class="fl">Miller Brim Plating Machine</td><td class="fl">1618212</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1927</td><td class="fl">Reynolds Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">1772288</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1928</td><td class="fl">Busold Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">1695084</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1930</td><td class="fl">Ives Presser-Foot Welt Gauge</td><td class="fl">1760500</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1930</td><td class="fl">Rolnick Brim Rear-Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">1785325</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1931</td><td class="fl">Becker Hidden-Stitching Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">1791461</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1931</td><td class="fl">Cavanagh Edge Type II</td><td class="fl">1805977</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1932</td><td class="fl">McKinnon/Stetson Re-Enforced Edge</td><td class="fl">1848832</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1933</td><td class="fl">McKinnon Re-Enforced Edge Machine</td><td class="fl">1915063</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1934</td><td class="fl">McKinnon Re-Enforced Edge Machine</td><td class="fl">1958857</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1934</td><td class="fl">Stack Hidden-Stitching Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">1967012</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1934</td><td class="fl">Martz Welt-Edge Hatter’s Iron</td><td class="fl">1981520</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1935</td><td class="fl">Cavanagh Edge Type III</td><td class="fl">2027858</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1939</td><td class="fl">Stack Beaded Edge</td><td class="fl">2178111</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1940</td><td class="fl">Wall Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">2284854</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1940</td><td class="fl">Cavanagh Puckered-Edge Design</td><td class="fl">121714</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1946</td><td class="fl">Cavanagh Wide-Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">2408610</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1946</td><td class="fl">Rausch Dual-Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">2503131</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1947</td><td class="fl">Eakland Contrast-Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">2560508</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1956</td><td class="fl">Rafferty Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">2746056</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1958</td><td class="fl">Gravesen Felted-Welt Edge</td><td class="fl">2840864</td></tr><tr><td class="fl">1958</td><td class="fl">Friedman Welted-Edge Iron</td><td class="fl">2842297</td></tr></table>

wow,these patents are impressive to read. So there is no way the Cavanagh edge can be done today? Can we not get welted edges to felt over on themselves somehow?

The Rausch dual is an interesting bit of textile engineering!

These patents are amazing. They could be done but the problem is the cost involved in preparing the bodies. The original Cavanagh patent shows the welting done at the start of the hat production when the body of the hat is still in it's cone shape. From what I was told , the lone body manufacturer in Tenn could do it but it would be too expensive for todays market. I doubt it would even be appriciated . There are but a small group of people left who even know what a Cav edge is .





Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

WOW!!!! Thanks Brad, now I can see what I'll be doing all weekend..what interesting reading!!!

I confess I got seduced by the wider Google patents search...

Thanks for taking the time to research and post this info Brad.
This is sticky worthy information.

Brad, you unstopable wildman!
Always on the cutting edge!

That's impressive.

besdor said:

I doubt it would even be appriciated . There are but a small group of people left who even know what a Cav edge is .

Click to expand...

While I'm sure the vast majority of the hat
buying public does not know what a Cavanagh
Edge might be, I believe that a good hat salesperson
could explain its value pretty quickly. That, along with
simple aesthetics, could sell some hats. I suspect a lot
of people, at least those who buy hats in person rather
than online, require a fair amount of assistance and
advice from hat sellers for what they buy already.
Few enough even know a fedora from a homburg, but
we still make and sell both.

Feltfan, we are lucky just to have a salesman period! It is so hard for the hat companies today to find someone who will travel to sell hats. We just met our new salesman for Stetson. While he is a very nice guy , I know more about hats than he ever will . I had to explain to him what a welted edge was. Unfortunately in the days of 30.00 wool hats, I doubt more than a few people would ever care about a Cav edge even though it would make the hat last longer. The way the hat business is going , there wont be anyone left soon to even make a felt hat in the US within the next ten years!




Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

feltfan said:

Brad, you unstopable wildman!
Always on the cutting edge!

Click to expand...

Well, maybe the Cav edge.

I had a blue green Borsalino come through with a dual-welt edge (though it wasn't marked as such). I'll see if I can find a picture of it.

I'd love to see some of these in person, like the one with the super wide edge that makes the band as well, or the puckered edge. This is some great stuff, Brad.

Mr. Bowers, THANKS SO MUCH for posting this. I love welted edges. Right up my ally. I have some perusing ahead

What kind of edge is this?

This edge is incredible. What is it called?



It's a Schoble, and it seems to be relatively old.



I can't find a single stitch!



Check out the inner tag... It is very detailed. Even includes the crown height.

Johnny, from all appearances, what you have there is a Cavanagh Edge. Looks like I can add Schnoble to the list now!

Brad

Great patent research

I own a Portis that has an edge, based on your research, that is probably the Reynolds Welt Edge. I had the hat refurbished by Graham at Optimo about nine months ago. It is an overwelt (folded over right) that is stitched underneath but the stitches do not show through on top. Graham told me that he was looking into getting a machine that did this type of welting. Below are some pics of the hat.

http://public.fotki.com/addiwrigs/portis-fedora/img0653.html
http://public.fotki.com/addiwrigs/portis-fedora/img0656.html
http://public.fotki.com/addiwrigs/portis-fedora/img0662.html
http://public.fotki.com/addiwrigs/portis-fedora/img0665.html
http://public.fotki.com/addiwrigs/portis-fedora/img0666.html
http://public.fotki.com/addiwrigs/portis-fedora/img0667.html
http://public.fotki.com/addiwrigs/portis-fedora/img0668.html

OOPS... forget about the links above

Sorry about the webpage postings above. Here are the pics.

that's a sewn and pressed underwelt, not a cavanagh.
They're pretty cool, kind of like a poor-man's cav.

Here's another version...

Wow... I finally found the coveted edge!

Here's another example of the Schoble version of the "Cavanagh Edge"... I think it's interesting that the markings on these hats don't give any clues about the edge. Maybe Schoble didn't think the edge was any big deal.

Thanks Dinerman, underwelt not overwelt (I know I will still confuse the two in the future). I realize that my Portis does not have a Cavanagh edge I think it might be the 1927 patent "Reynolds Welt Edge." What I think is more interesting is the attempt by Optimo Hats to procure the machine that does this type of welting. I have to believe that if one does exist a considerable amount of retooling will probably be in order.

Johnnyphl (or is it Johnnyphi, my computer screen is a bit blurry, or maybe its my eyes), I love your hat. It is too bad that costs prohibit the manufacture of a true Cavanagh edge it really does provide a good look.

Indeed...

lucas said:

Johnnyphl (or is it Johnnyphi, my computer screen is a bit blurry, or maybe its my eyes), I love your hat. It is too bad that costs prohibit the manufacture of a true Cavanagh edge it really does provide a good look.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Lucas... These are beautiful hats, and... After sorting through hundreds of vintage hats... mostly Adam, Stetson, Lee, and Schoble brands... I can tell you that very few are anywhere close to a Cavanagh Edge. These 2 hats are the first confirmed by Mr. Bowers, and I only have 2-3 more of this rare breed.

Considering the fact that my hats are "Deadstock", unsold inventory, I believe this amazing edge was either highly popular, or it was too expensive to be copied by the other big manufacturers, such as Stetson, Lee and Adam (the ultimate copy cats).