Improvements in Apparatus for Pressing Hats.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 26th June, 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SUIT
Improvements in Apparatus for Pressing Hats.
We JOSEPH ROWLEY and JOHN WILLIAM ROWLEY, both of Barn Meadow
Iron Works, Dukinfield, in the County of Chester, Ironfounders, do hereby
leclare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
1
The object of this invention is to dispense with the necessity for placing a loose
flexible plate upon the brim of every hat before it is pressed by the ordinary water
bag, and for changing the plate for various sizes of hat, and also with the necessity
for turning the edge of the bat dish to fit the ring which fixes the water bag to the
cover of the press.
For this purpose we provide a plate of suitable curved metal circular at its outér
edge and made to fit exactly into the ring which fixes the ordinary water bag to
the press cover.
It can be retained therein by lugs sliding in suitable recesses in the ring, the
recesses being covered by removable plates or their equivalent which prevent
the curved metal plate from becoming disengaged from the ring.
The curve of the metal plate corresponds with the curve of the brim of the hat
dish, and in the centre of the metal plate we form an oval hole not larger than the
smallest hat required.
We form the curved plate of thin sheet metal and we strengthen the outer and
inner edges thereof, the inner edge being provided with a round flange to prevent
damage to the water bag which protrudes into the crown of the hat when the
pressure is applied.
The curved plate being suited to the smallest required size of hat and being
strengthened and round at its inner edge will serve for the larger sizes also, and
thus only one plate will be required for a great number of hat dishes and the plate
will be always ready and in working position as it is carried in and by the cover of
the press.
As the curved plate fits the inside of the ring fixed to the press cover there will
be no need to make and turn the outer edge of the hat dish to fit the said ring
accurately as the curved plate covers the space between the dish and the said ring
and will prevent the water bag from being forced into such space and being thereby
burst, a great many water bags being at present burst owing to the dish being too
small for the press cover, and leaving a space between the said dish and the top
ring of the press.
As before stated all loose brim plates will be dispensed with.
1 1005

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Pressing Hats.
We JOSEPH ROWLEY and JOHN WILLIAM ROWLEY, both of Barn Meadow
Iron Works, Dukinfield, in the County of Chester, Ironfounders, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of this invention is to dispense with the necessity for placing a loose
flexible plate upon the brim of every bat before it is pressed by the ordinary water
bag and for changing the plate for various sizes of hat, and also with the necessity
for turning the edge of the hat dish to fit the ring which fixes the water bag to the
cover of the press.
Fig. 1 on the annexed drawing is a sectional elevation of so much of a hat
pressing apparatus as is necessary to illustrate the application of our invention
thereto.
Fig. 2 is an underneath plan view thereof, and
Fig. 3 is a plan of the press plate detached.
For the purposes of our invention we provide a plate a of suitable curved metal
made circular at its outer edge to fit exactly into the clamping ring 6 which fixes
the ordinary water bag c to the press cover d.
The plate
a can be retained in the ring 6 by lugs a' sliding in suitable recesses 61
in the ring b, the recesses 6' being covered by removable plates 66 or their
equivalent which prevent the curved metal plate from becoming disengaged
from the ring. One of these plates 68 may be bent as seen at Figs. 1 and 2
and slide in dovetailed grooves in the underside of the ring b and be moved.
back so as to release the plate a by means of an adjusting nut 6 or otherwise.
The curve of the metal plate a corresponds with the curve of the brim of the
hat dish which is shewn dotted at e on Fig. 1, and may be of any known description
and in the centre of the metal plate a we form an oval hole a+ not larger than the
smallest hat required.
We form the curved plate of thin sheet metal and we may strengthen the outer
and inner edges thereof, the inner edge being by preference provided with a round
flange a++ to prevent damage to the water bag c which protrudes into the crown.
of the hat as usual when the pressure is applied.
The curved plate a being suited to the smallest required size of hat, and being
round and by preference strengthened at its inner edge, will serve for the larger
Bizes also, and thus only one plate a will be required for a great number of bat
dishes and the plate a will be always ready and in working position as it is carried
in and by the ring b on the cover d of the press.
As the curved plate a fits the inside of the ring fixed to the press cover d
there will be no need to make and turn the outer edge of the hai dish e to fit
the said ring baccurately (which is at present necessary) as the curved plate a
covers the space between the dish e and the said ring b and will prevent the
water bag from being forced into such space and being thereby burst, a
great many water bags being at present burst owing to the dish being too small
for the press cover, and leaving a space between the said dish and the top ring of
the press.
As before stated all loose brim plates will be dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
In apparatus for presssing hats, the combination with the press cover water bag

page_text: and clamping ring, of a plate fitted in the said ring and carried thereby substantially
as and for the purposes herein before described.
Dated this 25th day of June 1896.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.