The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-05-12
HOW HATS ARE MADE.
The Process Of Manufacture Employed In
American Factories.

the two most important branches Of the
hat industry, the making of felt hats,
and Of silk hats. As now made. folt
hats are of three different kinds, plain
soft, plain hard and mapped" or fur
felts.. Formerly all the processes Of
Matchmaking were accomplished by hand
work. but now machinery is very
largely employed. The first successful
machinery for this purpose was devised
in America, and was introduced into
England about 1858; it is now used in
all large establishments in Europe as
well as in America. The finer felt hats
are made entirely of fur. others Of
mixed fur and wool, and yet others of
wool only. In making fur hats,
the important part of the apparatus
u sed consists Of cone of copper of the
size and form Of the hat to be made,
perforated all over with small holes.
This is made to revolve on its axis
slowly over an orifice, under which
there is powerful fan. which main
tains strong inward draught Of air
through the holes in the cone. On one
side of this is trunk or box, nearly
filled with fine fur clipped from the
skin. This is thrown out by the rapid
revolutions Of brush-likc cylinder,
and the little cloud of separate hairs is
drawn by the current of air to the cone,
and deposited upon its outer surface.
When this is covered with coating of
loose fibers wet cloth is wrapped
around it, over which another cone is
slipped, and the whole removed, while
another copper cone is placed in position
for continuing the work. The double
cone taken away is put into tank of
hot water, which makes the fur tena-
cious, so that it can be slipped off the
cone, taken to u table, gently worked
by hand-rOlling in a piece of blanket,
then pressed and folded into a con-
venient shape, and laid aside for the
final process of making the hat.
If wool felt is to be made the wool
is cartlcd, then wound around q
conical block of wood. Two strips of
the cardcd wood are taken, which are
made to cross and recross each other
diagonally in winding about the cone.
BY this plan the strength and elasticity
of the felt are both greatly increased.
Into each cone of wool when taken from
the block an inlayer is placed to keep
the inside from mating, after which
they are folded in cloths and put on u
perforated iron plate, through which
steam is blown. When well moistened
and heated they are placed between
boards and subjected to rubbing ac-
ton to harden them. The mats of fur
or wool felt are at this stage sent to
the hatters, whose first work is to
''size" them. This, which is entirely
hand process. consists in rubbing pile
of several of them, first dipped in hot
water and rolled in piece of blanket,
upon sloping table. technically called
= battery. BY rubbing the hat bodies.
in this way for q short time they are re-
duced to about one-third their origi-
nal size, and the felt is rendered
more compact. The ''shells," as
they are now called, are next dyed
of any desired color. after which
they are blocked, which consists
in stretching the coneshaped shell
over a wooden or plaster block
of the shape and size of the hats to be
made. For stiff hats. the felt is satu-
rated with solution of glue before
blocking. The next operation is
.'pouncing," by which the rough sur
face of the hatis smoothed. Both block
ing and pouncing were formerly done
always by hand, but are now performed
by machinery. After pouncing. the
hat is again stretched OH block and
pressed into any shape desired with e
hot iron. The trimming is done by
girls who put in the lining, the round
top piece, and the leather, and sew on
the band and binding. the last named
being usually put OIL with a sewing ma
chine. A hot iron is again run over
the hat to press it into perfect shape,
and it is ready for the packing box.
Silk hats were formerly made on felt
shells. but these are now almost en-
tirely superseded by bodies made of mus
lin. The muslin is prepared by being
stretched on frames and saturated with
solution of shellac in ammonia and
water. For the brims from two to six
thickncsses are required, for the tops
one OF two thicknesses. After the sew
eral sheets are laid OH each other they
are dried by the fire, after which
another coat of shellac varnish is laid
on. When this is dry the muslin is
taken from the frame and cut into
the proper shapes for sides. tops
and brims. and the pieces are then
fitted together over block. The side
is put on first, then the top, and the
projecting edges Of the latter are then
ironed down until they adhere firmly
to the side. and then strip of the mus
lin, saturated with shcllac. is ironed
down around the edge to strengthen it
and to keep the parts together. The
brim is then fastened on in similar
way, trimmed to its desired width, and
then after another vanishing with
shellac the hat is ready for the silk
plush. The piece covering the under
side of the brim is laid on first, then
that on the upper side, and they are
made to adhere by ironing with hot
iron. This softens the shellac of the
varnish, and thus makes the silk fabric
adhere to the hat body. The cover for
the side is then sewed on to that for the
top with fine stitches, makinga a scarcely