CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRESSING AND SHAPING HATS, BONNETS, OR COVERINGS POR THE HEAD MADE FROM STRAW OR OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Howard, of Luton, in the County of Bed-
ford, Hat and Bonnet Block Maker, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRESSING AND SHAPING
HATS, BONNETS, OR COVERINGS POR THE HEAD MADE FROM STRAW OR OTHER
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 4th June 1867, and dated the 7th February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Howard at the
..Office of the. Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th February 1867.
I, SAMUEL HOWARD, of Luton, in the County of Bedford, Hat and Bonnet
Block Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRESSING AND SHAPING HATS,
BONNETS, OR COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD MADE FROM STRAW OR OTHER MATERIALS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to that description of machinery for pressing and
shaping hats, bonnets, or other coverings for the head, wherein water is applied
in connection with an elastic bag or sheet, and the improvements are applicable
to the pressing of such articles whether made of straw, felt, or other materials.
The improvements consist, first, in the application and use of two cisterns
of liquid, both in connection with the elastic bag, one placed at a convenient
height above the bag, and the other below, from which the liquid is forced
into the bag by means of a pump; when pressure is required in the bag to

page_text: press the hat or bonnet body a tap between the bag and top cistern is opened,
and the downward pressure of the water rapidly fills the bag, and to increase
the pressure to the required extent this tap is shut, and the pump is worked,
and water injected from the lower cistern, and at the same time a second small
pump is actuated by the same lever, which forces the same amount of water
which was discharged from the bag (at the last operation) into the upper
cistern, so that a constant circulation and supply is maintained, and by this
means the usual air vessel or reservoir is dispensed with.
A second part relates to the mould and block between which the articles
are pressed, and consists in so forming the interior of the mould cover or
lid as to leave a space between it and the hat brim, so as to leave room
for an extra thickness of material, out of which any peculiar shape of brim
may be formed, and in lining these parts with pasteboard instead of leather,
and also in fitting the exterior of such mould into a steam-tight recess in the
framing, and applying steam direct to the exterior surface of such mould.
Lastly, the Invention relates to such machines where "dome covers" are
used, and consists in attaching such cover to a wheel by a chain or rope, and
acting upon such wheel by a series of levers so as to transfer the motion
effected by the band below to the wheel above, and cause it to rotate partly,
and so to raise or lower the "dome.cover."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Howard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
HOWARD, of Luton, in the County of Bedford, Hat and Bonnet Block Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Samuel Howard, Her special license that I, the said Samuel Howard, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel
Howard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRESSING AND SHAPING HATS, BONNETS, OR
COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD HADE FROM STRAW OR OTHER MATERIALS,"
upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Howard, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said. Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Howard, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
My Invention relates to that description of machinery for pressing and
shaping bats, bonnets; or other coverings for the head, wherein water is applied
in connection with an elastic bag or sheet, and the improvements are appli-
cable. to the pressing of such articles whether made of straw, felt, or other
materials.
The improvements consist, first, in the application and use of two cisterns
of liquid both in connection with the elastic bag, one placed at a convenient
height above the bag and the other below, from which the liquid is forced into
the upper cistern by means of a pump; when pressure is required in the bag to
press the hat or bonnet body a tap between the bag and top cistern is opened,
and the downward pressure of the water rapidly fills the bag, and to increase
the pressure to the required extent this tap is shut, and the pump is worked and
the water injected from the lower cistern, and at the same time a second small
pump is actuated by the same lever which forces the same amount of water
which was discharged from the bag (at the last operation) into the upper
cistern, so that a constant circulation and supply is maintained, and by this
means the usual air vessel or reservoir is dispensed with.
.
A second part relates to the mould and block between which the articles
are pressed, and consists in so forming the interior of the mould cover or lid
as to leave a space between it and the hat brim, so as to leave room for an
extra thickness of material, out of which any peculiar shape of brim inay be
formed, and in lining these parts with pasteboard instead of leather, and also.
in fitting the exterior of such mould into a steam-tight recess in the framing,
and applying steam direct to the exterior surface of such mould.
Lastly, the Invention relates to such machines where "dome covers." are

page_text: used, and consists in attaching such cover to a wheel by a chain or rope, and
acting upon such wheel by a series of levers so as to transfer the motion
effected by the hand below to the wheel above, and cause it to rotate partly,
and so to raise or lower the dome cover.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made upon a scale of
about three inches to the foot, similar letters of reference being marked upon
corresponding parts of the apparatus.
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of the improved machinery or apparatus
employed for pressing and shaping hats or other coverings for the head;
Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the same, shewing more particularly
the internal arrangement of the chamber containing the elastic bag; and
Fig. 3 represents the arrangement of apparatus employed for raising or
lowering the dome or cover.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a and b are two cisterns, the upper one containing
a "head" of liquid, and the lower one receives the discharged liquid and are
connected by the pipes c, d, with the interior of the dome e and chamber f
containing the elastic bag 9, the cistern a being suitably supported at a con-
venient height above the bag, and the cistern 6 below the same. When it is
required to press the hat or bonnet body it is placed between the outer mould
and the bag, and the tap i is turned so as to admit the liquid from the top
cistern a into the bag at this time, and in order to obtain greater pressure the
tap is turned so as to close the passage from the cistern to the bag, and the
tap is opened, which affords a free passage from the bottom cistern 6 to the
top a, through the pipe k. The two pumps actuated by the lever m at this
time are set in motion, and the pump h forces liquid into the elastic bag and
exerts extra pressure on the hat body, and the second pump / lifts from the
lower cistern b, and forces into the top cistern the same amount of water that
was discharged from the bag (at the last operation), effecting thereby a
constant circulation and supply of liquid; by this means and the use of the
elevated water pressure, the usual air reservoir used to obtain pressure is
dispensed with. The mould n is constructed so as to leave a space p between
the cover or lid q, in which space the hat brim is placed, the extra space
being allowed in order to afford room for an extra thickness of material,
out of which any peculiar shape of brim may be formed, the surface or side
of such space p and of the mould, if necessary, being lined with pasteboard
instead of leather; the exterior of the mould is fitted as shewn steam tight
into the recess r in the framing, steam being caused to act upon the exterior
surface of such mould through the pipe s, as usual. The dome cover e is

page_text: suspended from and attached to the wheel u by means of the chain or rope v,
the said wheel being caused to rotate so as to raise or lower the dome cover
by means of the handle w through the medium of the levers x, x.
I would here remark that a four-way tap, as shewn in sections 4, 5, and 6,
may be adapted instead of the separate taps i, i, in which case one pump
would be sufficient to give the extra pressure in the bag, and to raise the
discharge water to the upper cistern by turning the tap in the required
position, and containing the working of the pump after sufficient pressure was
obtained.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention I wish it to be
understood that I claim,-
First, the application and use of two cisterns so arranged that the liquid
from the upper one first fills the bag immediately by its own pressure and
without pumping, the extra pressure being obtained from the second cistern
by the use of the pump and the use of a double pump to maintain the supply
of liquid in the upper cistern, or a four-way or other tap to enable one pump
to effect the said object.
Secondly, the use of a space between the hat mould and the cover (which
have hitherto fitted) to admit of extra size brims in hats.
Thirdly, the arrangement of the mould whereby steam may be applied
direct to the outside of the mould by making it in a steam-tight joint in the
framing.
And, lastly, the method of lifting and lowering the dome cover by the
arrangement of levers and wheel as herein-before described, set forth, and
fully illustrated in the Drawings attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Howard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witnessed by
JNO. HUGHES,
Clerk to Jno. Davies & Son,
Office for Patents,
4, St. Ann's Sq.,
Manchester.
SAMUEL HOWARD. (L.B.)