Improvements in the Manufacture of Felt Hats and in Apparatus therefor, part of which Apparatus is Applicable to the Manu- facture of other Hats.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 8th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 7th Apr., 1887.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Felt Hats and in Apparatus
therefor, part of which Apparatus is Applicable to the Manu-
facture of other Hats.
I WILLIAM HENRY BLACKWELL 24 Manor St. Hooley Hill Nr Manchester in the
County of Lancaster Hatter do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
PART OF WHICH APPARATUS IS APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF OTHER HATS
to be as follows:-
1st. My invention relates to a new or improved manufacture of felt hats (viz)
pressing proffed or stiffened felt bodys or hoods, preferabley without any brim angle,
or oval, or practally in hood or body shape, for the purpose of better sandpapering
them or other manipulation before they are blocked or put in shape, the bodys can be
pressed either with or without having undergone the process of being pulled out in
the tip, as the case may require.
I prepose effecting the above by pressing these bodys or Hoods in conical or conoid
dshes or moulds, and a conical or conoid crown on the press bags used therefor 2nd
In the case of curling bags or other similar bags used for hatting that part of the bag
between the brim plate and foot of vase when the bag is in work or the presure
on, may have a solid or a series of solid or other projections on one or both sides,
but preferably on the outside of the bag when in poshition, so as to make this part
of the bag more dureable or fill up the angle or angles which perticular occur at
the sides of the frames or plates on which the hats are set and curled, or curled only,
this filling up will prvent the bag having much if any strain here at these side
angles, these projections may go all round if required.
3rd. That part of the bag which overlaps the brim plate and curl of hat (of the last
mentioned bags) may be made duble or have a series of dubles, or any of the above
porition of the bags (From top of brim plate to foot of vase) may be made metallic or
have a combination of canvas or other fibrous material, or that part of the bag comeing
in contact with the hat may be made of oil rubber or other suitable means causeing a
differrent class or differrent material in differrent parts of press or curling bags used for
hatting

page_text: 4th. That portion or part of the press in which the bags are secured encirkels a
plate, dish, or ring when the press is locked, and the bags are liable to get pinched
between the two (viz) (The porition in which the bags are secured, and the plate, dish,
or ring, which the same encerkles) I prepose strenghtening this part of the bag by
thickening or other suitable means, this will apply to all bags in a like manner liable
to pinching. Also bags having a crown or those used to press the hats to there
whole extent may be strengtened at the band or angle of the crown and brim by a
belt or other suitable means to protect the bags from the brim plates or make the
same more dureable here. 4th. Any bags used for pressing or curling Hats may be
treated or combined with cellulose, or the bags may have an elbow angle at the edge
or other suitable means to gain more material or surface (without corrugation.) The
novel features for which I pray for protection are practally as herein discribed.
Dated this 7th day of April 1886.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Felt Hats and in Apparatus
therefor, part of which Apparatus is Applicable to the Manu-
facture of other Hats.
I WILLIAM HENRY BLACKWELL, 24 Manor Street Hooley Hill Nr Manchester in
the County of Lancaster, Hatter, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
PART OF WHICH APPARATUS IS APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF OTHER HATS
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
1st. My invention relates to a new or improved manufacture of felt hats (viz)
pressing proofed or stiffened felt bodies or hoods preferably without any brim angle
or oval or practically in the hood or body shape for the purpose of better sandpapering
or other manipulation before they are blocked or put into shape, and consists in
pressing proofed or stiffened felt hat-bodies or hoods in a suitable body mould as
illustrated by sectional view in Fig. 1. and by means of a corresponding form of
crown on the bag as illustrated by sectional view Fig. 2. whereby such hat bodies are
pressed by hydraulic pressure into a corresponding circular or conical form. Moulded
in this form and without any brim, the operations of sand-papering, carding or
veluring are facilitated and which in this case, are effected before the hoods are
blocked or put into shape. The bodies may be so pressed either with or without having

page_text: previously undergone the process of being pulled out in the tip as the case may require
for different shapes of hats.
I am aware that hats have hitherto been attempted to be moulded in a circular or
conical form but in all cases with a brim. The feature which I claim is in so pressing
as aforesaid and without any brim angle.
2nd. In the case of curling or other similar bags used for hatting, that part of the
bag between the brim plate (or about where the brim plate extends when used) and
the foot of base when the bag is in work with the pressure on.
I make this part as
illustrated in sectional view Fig. 3. preferably with solid projectures A. or extra
thicknesses graduated in both directions downwards towards the ordinary thickness
at the front and back. These projectures are obviously or practically for filling
up the angle or hollow which occurs at the curl of the frame or plate on which
the hat is curled. In making the bag in this form 1 countersink or shape the
he mould corresponding to the projecture or thickness required on the bag to fill
up the above angles or hollows. When required to leave the bag about one thickness
at the parts where the above projecture graduates to, the thickness is divided more
or less on each side of the bag as different curls may occasion and in this case the she
mould is countersunk or formed correspondingly.
When necessary, say, in the cases of bags which are not liable to such heavy strain
or friction or where the angle or hollow is slight I make the bag with a proportionately
thickened part or projecture not necessarily or practically to fill up the angle or hollow
entirely but to strengthen it in some degree.
3rd. I prefer to form the projecture or thickening A. of solid india rubber or to
place a similar belt between two other layers or folds B. of similar material and which
outer layers are preferably extended throughout the bag and to compress and vulcanise
the whole together in moulds. These doubles or outer layers B. are to break or
overlap any seam or joint and thus prevent fracture in the enclosed central layer
thickening or projecture A.
I may however manufacture the bag with a double or belt extended by preference
to the foot of the base when the bag is in use. The outer edge of this belt or double
will in this case be loose from the bag but its inner edge will be secured to that part
of the bag which is beneath the brim plate or where such brim plates extend when
used but I prefer to compress and consolidate the whole together as aforesaid as the
most practical means of carrying out my invention.
To further strengthen and render more durable the aforesaid portion of the india
rubber bag, I imbed metal chain or wire links in the rubber during its manufacture
and before vulcanising or I imbed canvas or other suitable fibrous or other material
either in combination with the metal link or separately as may be required for different
classes of bags.
4th. That portion of the press in which the bag is secured and which encircles a
plate dish or ring when the press is locked is liable to pinch the bag between the two
viz-where the portion of the press in which the bag is secured and the said
plate dish or ring. To obviate this, I commence thickening or strengthening the bag
as illustrated by letter C. in Figs. 2 and 3. from against the joint D in the form
of a projecture C. tapering towards the crown. As required for arched moulds
this thickening or projecture C. is graduated or arched accordingly and where
required to be about one thickness all round against the joint D. it is correspon-
dingly divided more or less on each side of the bag as various arched moulds occasion.
To effect this I employ a mould shaped to the form of projecture required and either
mould the projecture C. separately from the brim part of bag and join or cement the
same together, or I mould the brim part of the bag with the required thickening or
projecture on. I also make this part of the bag metallic and more durable by
imbedding therein preferably metallic rope, as indicated by letter in Fig. 4. during
the manufacture and surround the bag close to edge of the joint D-the ends of the
rope being spliced together.
Where the bag is used for pressing the hat to its whole extent I strengthen the
band or angle of brim and crown by a belt layer or thickening of rubber as indicated

page_text: by letter G. I also effect this when the bag is required to be strengthened both at
joint and band by graduating the projecture or the thickening C. from against the
joint D. to about one inch on crown part of the bag. I also make the bag with brim
and band thickened or strengthened in one by moulding in shaped dies or make the
hag with brim and band, part separately from crown and cement or join them
together.
When required any of the above strengthened parts layers or projectures are com-
pressed between two other layers or folds as hereinbefore described in respect of
Fig. 3. I also make or combine those parts of press and curling bags which come
into contact with the hats of oil rubber which consists of a composition of rubber and
other ingredients by which the action of the oil is partially resisted and thus I render
such parts of the bags more durable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim as my
improvements in the manufacture of felt hats and in apparatus therefor, is :-
1st. The improved method of and apparatus for pressing proofed or stiffened hoods
or bodies substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2nd. Forming a thickened projecture upon bags for filling up the curl angle or
hollow and otherwise strengthening the bag substantially as hereinbefore described.
3rd. In press and curling bags compressing thickened parts belts or projectures
between other layers substantially as hereinbefore described.
4th. Forming a thickened projecture on the bag against the joint and where the
same is liable to be pinched, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described.
5th. The application of chain metallic link canvas or other fibrous material together
or separate and imbedded in any of the aforesaid strengthened parts of press and
curling bags substantially as hereinbefore described.
6th. Making parts of press or curling bags metallic substantially as hereinbefore
described.
7th. Forming a thickened or strengthened part at the band or angle of brim and
crown of press bags substantially as herein before described.
8th. The use and application of oil rubber to those parts of bags which come in
contact with the hat, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Dated this 6th day of January 1887.