A MACHINE FOR PREPARING HAT LININGS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Pierre Arnaud Massip, of 39, Rue de l'Echiquier,
Paris, and 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Gentleman, for the Inven-
tion of "A MACHINE FOR PREPARING HAT LININGS."-A communication
from Désir Birac, of New Orleans.
Sealed the 1st April 1856, and dated the 20th October 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Pierre Arnaud Massip
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th October 1855.
I, PIERRE ARNAUD MASSIP, of 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, and 4, South
Street, Finsbury, London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention of "A MACHINE FOR PREPARING HAT LININGS" to be as follows,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists in improved apparatus for cutting, folding, &
preparing materials employed in the manufacture of hats.
Figure 1 represents the machine for cutting out the crown of hats, &
for edge folding; Figure 2, plan of the same.
This machine is capable of cutting 500 crowns each time; it may be worked
by manual or steam power, & is composed, 1st, of a platform with cast-iron
cutter, of the same size as the crown to be cut; it is fixed to a sliding rod A,
Figure 3, & presses on the paper by means of a screw B. The cutting

page_text: apparatus is changed according to the size required. 2ndly, of a knife or
cutter bearer, with springs placed above the disc, & revolving on a screw, the
threads of which are in proportion with the passage required to admit a knife
in the basket. 3rdly, of one or more knives or cutters fixed around the knife
bearer on a spring rod. The edge of the knife or cutter is similar to the paper
knives used by the bookbinders.
My Invention also consists of an edge folding machine. By increasing the
number of the stampers & folders of this machine, one or more crowns can be
folded at once; it is composed, 1st, of.a weighted lever C, fixed to a slide D,
carrying one or more grooved rods, on which are fixed stampers E, E, of the
size of the crown to be folded. These stampers are composed of four parts,
folding up by means of springs & an escapement, so that the crown piece
detaches itself from the balance beam, when this one returns to the position
shewn in the Drawing. 2ndly, of the same number of folding knives or
cutters, as there are stampers. The folding knives sliding in a groove on the
foundation, plate T, are pushed forward by two springs fixed on the said plate;
each set of the folding blades being worked by means of cords & pulleys
fixed to a treadle, set in motion when required by means of an escapement
rod. 3rdly, of springs serving to guide the folders. 4thly, of a heating pipe
supplying the required heat to maintain the foundation plate at the requisite
temperature.
.
Figure 3 represents the machine for preparing the-bands; Figure 4, plan of
the same.
This machine, placed on a framework either of wood or of cast
iron, is composed, '1st, of tivo tables placed one. over the .other, which receive
the paper & the silk to be cut. 2ndly, of wooden or cast-iron cylinders
guiding the paper & the silk. 3rdly, of circular knives or cutters .cutting
the silk & the papers to the requisite sizes. 4thly, of cylinders supplied with
sponges or brushes to take up the paste from an upper reservoir, & spread it
evenly on the paper as the operation progresses. 5thly, of cylinders for uniting
the paper & the silk together. 6thly, of drying cylinders. 7thly, of smooth-
ing cylinders. 8thly, of grooved knives or cutters, cutting off the bands as
soon as they have reached a certain length. These cylinders working upon
suitable axes are put in motion by means of chains, straps, & cog wheels;
their speed being regulated by a flyer proportioned to the strength of the
machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Pierre Arnaud Massip in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th April 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PIERRE
ARNAUD MASSIP, of 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, and 4, South Street,
Finsbury, London, Gentleman, send greeting...
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,.
the said Pierre Arnaud Massip, Her special license that I, the said Pierre
Arnaud Massip, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Pierre Arnaud Massip, 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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland; the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "A MACHINE FOR PREPARING HAT LININGS," (a communication
from Désir Birac, of New Orleans,) upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Pierre Arnaud Massip, by an instrument in writing under my,
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and. causė
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 Pierre Arnaud Massip, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by tho
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereto
annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say.
The Invention consists in improved apparatus for pasting, cutting, and
folding materials to be employed in the manufacture of hats.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the pasting machine; Figure 2, a plan of the
same. A, A', screws regulating the tension and motion of the endless feeding
cloth, on which is placed the paper to be pasted; B, cylinder, on which passes
the cloth to the pasting cylinders C, and thence to the circular brushes D;
C, C, C, are three cylinders carrying the adhesive matter or color to the
materials. One of the cylinders takes the color or adhesive matter from the
box P. The three cylinders are covered with cloth. D, D, cylindrical brushes,

page_text: serving to distribute the adhesive matter or color in a regular manner; E, E, E,
wooden or metallic cylinders, serving to conduct the silk or other material over
the endless cloth to the knife O, which cuts them into equal parts; F, F,
cylinders for uniting or pressing the silk and paper together. The endless
cloth Q carries the paper under the cylinder F, where it meets with the silk
conducted by the cylinders E, E, where they are pasted together; they are then
made to pass over the drying cylinders G, G. To complete the drying process
they are afterwards made to pass upon the steam box H, where they quit the
endless cloth and are placed by hand between the cylinders K, K, in order to
be smoothed, watered, figured, or glossed. After the preceding operation the
tissues pass
under the printing cylinders. Several colors at once can be printed
if necessary. G, G, G, G, drying cylinders heated by steam by means of tubes
J, passing from one cylinder to the other; H, sheet-iron steam box to complete
the drying of the materials; I, I, stop-cocks, to regulate the inlet and outlet of
steam to the box; J, J, tubes provided with stop-cocks for conveying steam to the
cylinders; K, K, copper cylinders for smoothing, watering, figuring, or glossing
the paper. These cylinders contain steam, the introduction or egress of which
is regulated by stop-cocks. One of these cylinders K is covered with paper..
Different cylinders may be employed in the above operations. L, L, copper
printing cylinders, with counterpart of wood or metal covered with cloth or
caoutchouc. There may be a series of printing cylinders in reserve for printing
several colors. M, coloring cylinder; N, box with compartments for the colours;
0, 0, fixed knives for dividing the materials lengthwise either before or after
the pasting; P, box for the paste or colour; Q, endless cloth, extending from
the cylinder B to the extremity of the drying cylinder; R, R, endless cloth,
which may be of caoutchouc, serving to conduct the silk to be fixed on the
The endless cloths are of the same breadth as the materials required.
S, cylinder, pressing on the two endless cloths, and is acted on by two screws
serving to regulate its motion; U, transverse knife to cut the materials length-
wise. Its movement is regulated by the fly wheel of the machine. X, X,
knife blades for scraping off the paste or color from the cylinders F, L; Y, fly
wheel. In lieu of silk, other materials may be employed. This machine is
worked by the hand or other motive power by means of chains and pulleys,
which regulate the motion of the cylinders. It is mounted on two cast-iron
supports bolted to a framework of oak.
paper.
Figure 3, elevation of cutting machine; Figure 4, a plan of the same. The
paper and silk being prepared by the pasting machine above described are now
submitted to the cutting machine, which cuts them of a round or oval form, as
desired. This machine is provided with several discs A, A, having an outer

page_text: circle of about two-thirds of an inch in depth; these discs can be changed at
will, and are placed on the steel rod B, screwed below the disc, so as to cut all
the dimensions required. Above the disc are the blade holders C, C, which
move in slides. To these blade holders C the blades are fixed by means of a
thumb-screw E. The blades D cut out the round or oval pieces of the hat
linings by moving round the circumference of the disc A. The blade holders
C are set on the axis B, and are provided with a fine screw thread, which serve
to effect a progressive descending pressing movement on the blades D, so as to
prevent the tearing of the stuffs to be cut. The knife may be worked by hand
or other motive power. The blade holders have a projecting piece, which fits
in a hole in the disc A, so as to hold them firmly in working.
Figure 5 represents the folding machine, also shewn in plan, Figure 6. The
machine consists of a cast-iron disc A, with a rod B fitting in a vertical rod C,
worked by a lever D. Underneath the disc A are four pieces E jointed to the
links F, which support them; these links are fixed at one end to the ring H.
When the lever D is brought down, it causes the pieces E to expand and press
out the material about one-sixth of an inch more in diameter, to form the fold
at the bottom of the lining of the hat. As soon as the lever D is released, the
spiral spring I raises the disc A.
Figure 7 represents a view of one of the knives.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details herein laid down, so long as the peculiar cha-
racter of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is, the construction of
apparatus for pasting, cutting, and folding materials to be employed in the
manufacture of hats.
In witness whereof, I, the said Pierre Arnaud Massip, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
PIERRE ARNAUD MASSIP. (L.S.)