Improvements in Felt Hats and in Apparatus used in the Manu- facture of same.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1892-Accepted, 9th Apr., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Felt Hats and in Apparatus used in the Manu-
facture of same.
I, ROBERT ROBINSON of the firm of James Robinson & Son, Romiley, near
Stockport, Cheshire, Hat Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My invention relates to new or improved forms of ventilators for felt hats and
also to certain improvements in or connected with the moulds and dishes used in
the manufacture of said hats.
In carrying out my invention I employ a metal ring affixed in the mouth of the
hat mould which is formed with projections at intervals along the circumference
thereof and which ring is sprung into position in the mould. When the hat is
pressed a recess is formed in the felt corresponding to the ring in the mould and a
series of recesses or indents corresponding to the projections on the ring are also
formed in the felt hat. Holes are formed or punched through these last mentioned
recesses through which metal eyelets are afterwards placed and which constitute
ventilating orifices.
The indents in the hat are sufficiently deep to allow the eyelet and ribbon
trimming to lie flush with the outside surface of the hat.
In the case of helmets and the like these improvements dispense with the
duplicate body which usually fits inside the outer body thus obtaining great
lightness.
I further form ventilating orifices in the crown of the hat by raising the centre
portion and piercing holes in the sides of such raised portion; this raised portion
being formed by making a recess in the bottom of the mould or in a plate or false
bottom let into the mould or dish into which recess the felt is forced when being
pressed.
The plate or false bottom aforesaid lies on the bottom of the mould and may be
made with or without the recess and may be removed and substituted for other
plates for hats with crowns of different shapes and thus a saving will be effected as
hitherto a separate mould has had to be made for every change of shape.
In order that this my said invention may be more readily understood I have
hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings illustrative of my improvements and will
now proceed to describe the same with the assistance of the various figures and
letters of reference marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of an ordinary fett hat with my improved ventilators
shown applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view showing my improved ventilators applied to a
helmet.
Fig. 3 shows a mould or dish fitted with a ring and false bottom and
Figs. 4 and 5 show the ring and false bottom separately.
A is the ordinary mould or dish in which the hat is pressed, B my improved
ring made of a thin strip of metal and sprung into the mouth of the mould so as
to occupy the position shown in Fig. 3. C. C. are the projections for forming the
recesses or indents C¹ (see Figs. 7 & 8) in the hat to receive the metal eyelets C'
which are arranged at suitable distances apart as illustrated.
In taking the hat out of the mould as soon as it has been pressed the ring B is
removed with it and as soon as such ring is clear of the mould it springs off the
hat so permitting the hat to be withdrawn without injuring the shape of the
recess C³.
The eyelets C' are affixed by any suitable tool and the hat leather is either

page_text: made rather shallow so as to uncover the eyelets as illustrated in Fig. 1 or holes
are made in the leather coming directly opposite the eyelets to allow of the passage
of air into the interior of the hat as illustrated in Fig. 2,
D is the raised portion which is formed by a recess in the mould or by a
recess E in the plate or false bottom F. G. G. are the perforations or ventilating
orifices.
To suit various depths and shapes of hats it will be seen that different shaped
plates or false bottoms may be employed, a flat plate being used in case of a hat
with a flat crown whilst a plate with a curved or arched recess in it as illustrated
in Fig. 6 is used for a hat with a curved or arched crown. It will be seen that
by varying the thicknesses of these plates they may be also used for various depths
of hats.
These improved plates may be used apart from my improved ventilator.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1st. In felt hats a recess formed in and around the hat body to receive the
ribbon with a series of indents to receive metal eyelets arranged to lie flush with
the outside surface of the hat substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
2nd. The use and employment of a ring B with projections C., C., sprung into
the mouth of the mould substantially as and for the purposes specified.
3rd. In felt hats a raised projection O formed on the crown of the. hat with
holes formed in and around. it substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
4th. In the manufacture of felt hats the use of plates or false bottoms fitting
into the dish or mould A with or without the recess E substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1892.
•
JOHN G. WILSON,
Agent for the Applicant.