An Improved Machine for Applying Dressing or Stiffening Material to Hat Shapes of Felt, Wool, and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Applying Dressing or Stiffening Material
to Hat Shapes of Felt, Wool, and the like.
JEAN FRANÇOIS GIRAUD, of 107, Rue Vander Stichalen, Molenbeck-lez-Bruxelles,
in the Kingdom of Belgium, Dresser, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
The machine which forms the subject of my invention, has for its object to
replace a defective process at present performed by hand, by a perfect and
regular mechanical process which moreover yields a much superior return.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure is a front elevation of the machine.
Figure 2 is a section on the line AB, Figure 1.
3
Figure represents one of the bells, shapes, or hat bodies; these however have
innumerable forms depending upon the hats to be made.
The machine comprises two india-rubber cylinders A and B arranged one above
the other as shown in the drawing. The shafts a and b of these cylinders are of
iron or steel and their ends rest in bearings C adjusted so as to move with gentle
friction in the standards D), 1). The upper cylinder B is pressed more or less
strongly against the cylinder A by means of counterweights E, E which can be
moved backwards and forwards more or less on the levers F, F. This is the whole
function of the upper cylinder that is to say, to press more or less strongly what is
termed in the trade, the bell or shape (that which is to be made into a hat) against
the lower roller A.
As shown in the drawing, the lower cylinder A is immersed up to its axis in a
reservoir G which contains a suitable dressing or coating with which the bells
or shapes are to be covered. As the dressing usually employed for this purpose
is solid at ordinary temperatures, it is necessary to heat it. For this purpose,
the reservoir G is surrounded by a casing H a few centimeters distant from the
bottom of the reservoir G in order that the said reservoir shall have a double
bottom. Into this double bottom, water is placed, which is heated by gas jets I,
or by steam or any other system of heating. The reservoir G thus forms a
water-bath in which the dressing cannot burn by reason of an excess of tempera-
ture, nor solidify by reason of loss of heat.
At J there will be seen a pipe communicating with the reservoir G. This pipe
leads from a larger reservoir which is also heated and serves to fill the reservoir G
accordingly as the latter empties. To set the evlinders in motion, a crank
handle K is employed. In certain cases, they can be driven by a motor.
It now remains to explain the operation of the machine. When the bell or
shape shown in Figure 3 is to be completely dressed, it is passed between the
two cylinders, first on one side and then on the other side, that is to say, there
is a deuble operation. The lower cylinder, by capillarity, carries up the dressing
and imparts it to the bell or shape. At this point it is necessary to well regulate
the pressure of the cylinder B, for it must not be forgotten that the dressing must
not traverse the fabric or tissue of the bell or shape because it would make

page_text: "
stains on the other side, and thus produce what is termed in the trade a
"pricked bell.or shape which is no longer of any value. This forms one of the
great advantages of my machine, that is, to impart to the bells or shapes a very
uniform layer of dressing without pricking them. But my machine renders
much more valuable services still when it is required to dress bells or shapes for
making hats having one part hard or stiff and the other soft. This case frequently
presents itself in shapes for ladies' or gentleman's hats.
If it is desired, for example, to dress a bell or shape, the part a of which
Figure 3, remains soft, that is to say, does not receive the dressing and the part b
of which is to be hard.
To obtain this result, I turn back the roller A a little. As its upper part is not
coated, I introduce the part a of the shape at this place. I have previously made
or taken note of a mark on the cylinder in order that, in turning, the commence-
ment of the part to be hardened corresponds with the immersed part of the
cylinder A. In order not to completely coat the cylinder A, when the end of the
bell or shape is reached, instead of continuing to turn, I turn the cylinder A
back so as to keep the necessary part of it clean, that is to say, without dressing
or coating material.
Summing up, my invention consists in making a machine comprising two
cylinders of india-rubber pressed more or less strongly together by means of
counter-weights or springs, and in which machine the lower cylinder is immersed
into a reservoir heated by a water-bath, the said reservoir containing the dressing
with which the cylinder coats the bells or shapes which are passed between
them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:―
1. In a machine for dressing hat-shapes, the two cylinders of india-rubber
placed one above the other and pressed against each other by means of counter-
weights or springs, substantially as described.
2. The combination of the two cylinders the upper one remaining free and
clean and the lower one being immersed in a reservoir containing the dressing,
in order to coat the shapes over the whole of their surface or over only a part
thereof, substantially as described.
3. The combination of the lower cylinder dipping into a reservoir or basin with
a double bottom containing the dressing, the double bottom of the said reservoir
forming a water-bath and being heated by any suitable source of heat to maintain
the said apparatus at a predetermined temperature, substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
4. The improved machine as a whole and in its details, the reservoir of the
lower cylinder, which can be filled at will, being in communication with a larger
reservoir in order to render the operation of the machine continuous, as shown in
the drawing and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 4th day of December 1899
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.