IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR HEATING THE PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION HATS PREPARATORY TO THE OPERATION OF CURLING SHAPING
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Hampson, Alfred Hellewell, James
Kenyon, and William Chantler, of Hurst Nook, near Ashton-under-
Lyne, in the County of Lancaster, Hat Manufacturers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR HEATING THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Hampson, Alfred
Hellewell, James Kenyon, and William Chantler at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 26th May
1873.
We, HENRY HAMPSON, ALFRED HELLEWELL, JAMES KENYON, and
WILLIAM CHANTLER, of Hurst Nook, near Ashton-under-Lyne, in the
County of Lancaster, Hat Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR
HEATING THE BRIMS OF HATS PREPARATORY TO THE OPERATION OF CURLING OR
SHAPING," to be as follows:-

page_text: heat the brim of the hat preparatory to the operation of curling or of
shaping or giving the set or form to the said brim, and previously to our
said Invention such heating has been effected by means of hand pressing
irons which have been heated at a fire or stove. To effect the said
heating we employ irons or metal blocks heated by steam or gas. The
said blocks are arranged in pairs and are hollow, or are formed with an
internal passage or with internal passages, and when steam is used each
block in a pair is provided with an inlet for steam and an outlet for
steam and water. The said blocks are suitably curved or formed, and
are made to extend around one-half or any other suitable portion of the
hat brim, or entirely around the said brim, as may be preferred.
When a hat brim is to be heated the upper block is raised, or the
blocks are separated by means of a lever or other appliance, and the
brim of the hat is placed between the two blocks, and the upper block is
lowered, or the blocks are caused to press the said brim between their
opposed surfaces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Hampson, Alfred Hellewell, James Kenyon,
and William Chantler in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
HAMPSON, ALFRED HELLEWELL, JAMES KENYON, and WILLIAM
CHANTLER, of Hurst Nook, near Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of
Lancaster, Hat Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Henry Hampson, Alfred Hellewell,
James Kenyon, and William Chantler, Her special license that we, the
said Henry Hampson, Alfred Hellewell, James Kenyon, and William

page_text: Chantler, executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said Henry Hampson, Alfred Hellewell, James Kenyon, and
William Chantler, our 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 Channel Islands and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR HEATING THE BRIMS OF HATS
PREPARATORY TO THE OPERATION OF CURLING OR SHAPING," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Henry Hampson, Alfred Hellewell,
James Kenyon, and William Chantler, 'by an instrument in writing
under our or one of our 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Kenyon, for myself and
on behalf of the said Henry Hampson, Alfred Hellewell, and William
Chantler, 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 the following statement and accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
Our Invention relates to the manufacture of hats, such for example,
as the ordinary felt or silk hats. In such manufacture it is necessary
to heat the brim of the hat preparatory to the operation of curling or of
shaping or giving the set or form to the said brim, and previously to our
said Invention such heating has been effected by means of hand pressing
irons which have been heated at a fire or stove. To effect the said
heating we employ irons or metal blocks heated by steam or gas. The
said blocks are arranged in pairs and are hollow, or are formed with an
internal passage or with internal passages, and when steam is used each
block in a pair is provided with an inlet for steam and an outlet for
steam and water. The said blocks are suitably curved or formed, and
are made to extend around one half or any other suitable portion of the
hat brim, or entirely around the said brim, as may be preferred.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood, we have
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood, we have
furnished a Sheet of Drawings made about one half the full size, and

page_text: into effect.
Referring in this place to the said Drawings Fig. 1 represents a plan,
and Fig. 2 a side elevation of an apparatus suitable to be employed for
the purpose herein-before indicated.
5
In the example a and b are two curved metal blocks or heaters which
may be conveniently formed of cast iron. Each heater is hollow or is
formed with an internal thoroughfare for steam. The upper heater is
connected with the steam pipes c, c, and the lower heater with the
pipes d, d.
In the case of each heater one pipe conveys steam into the 1
interior of the heater, the other pipe serving as a discharge pipe for
steam or water. The upper heater is fitted to slide up and down upon
two guiding pillars e, e, which are fixed to the lower heater, and the
said upper heater is connected by the jointed link with one end of the
lever g, the other end of the said lever being connected by a rod with 1
a suitable treddle or foot lever, the arrangement permitting the said
upper heater to be raised to some extent, as seen in Fig. 2.
When the apparatus is to be used the upper heater is raised, and the
hat is placed in the position indicated by i in Fig. 1, a portion of the
hat brim being introduced into the space between the two heaters. The
upper heater is then lowered upon the hat brim, and the hat is allowed
to remain as long an interval as is found to be suitable. If the pipes c, c,
are made sufficiently long they will spring or bend to such an extent as
will permit of the upper heater being raised without injury to the said
pipes or to the joints, but if preferred or considered to be more advan-
tageous swivel joints or stuffing box slides may be fitted to the said
pipes.
Although we have mentioned steam more particularly, we do not
confine ourselves to the use of steam, as the said heaters may be heated
by means of burning gas; nor do we confine ourselves to the precise

page_text: would have it to be understood that we claim, the use of apparatus for
heating or softening hat brims, substantially as herein-before set forth
and indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Kenyon, for myself and on
behalf of the said Henry Hampson, Alfred Hellewell, and William
Chantler, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth
day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-three.
Signed and sealed by the said James
Kenyon in the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent to the Patentees,
3, Princes Street,
Manchester.
JAMES KENYON. (L.S.)