I have seen the novelty hats with umbrellas on the top but here is a new one. It’s on old one from September 1904. So you have a narrow brim hat you too can turn it into a wide brim hat – just slip this gadget over the top. The gadget was designed to fold up like a fan. Devilishly clever those Edwardians. Does anyone know if this design was ever commercialized and whether there are any hats using this principle over one hundred years later?
I repeat this information from my previous postings
If you are interested in patent protection you should visit the US Patent Office site. I did not research the patent laws as they applied in 1904. The bottom line is that provided you comply with certain conditions such as continuous filing with prescribed fees, under current laws you are protected for 10 years (twenty years prior to 1989). I am NOT a lawyer and I am definitely not giving you any legal advice. It’s complicated and before you assume you are in the clear you need to research similar patents that might be in force that “improve”on an earlier patent that may not be in force, such as the one in this post. In addition these patent and indeed,copyright (a different thing) laws are different even among the developed nations. So take care!
I present these inventions for amusement and educatation only.
