AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE STRETCHING & BLOCKING OF HATS & OTHER ARTICLES OF FELT & LIKE MATERIALS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Powley Alexander, of 14, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer & British & Foreign Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE STRETCHING &
BLOCKING OF HATS & OTHER ARTICLES OF FELT & LIKE MATERIALS." A
communication from abroad by Henry Alonzo House & Dwight Wheeler,
both of Bridgeport, State of Connecticut, United States of America.
Sealed the 27th June 1879, and dated the 16th January 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Powley Alexander at
"
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th January 1879.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 14, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
AN IMPROVE-
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer & British & Foreign Patent Agent.
MENT IN THE STRETCHING & BLOCKING OF HATS & OTHER ARTICLES OF FELT &
LIKE MATERIALS." A communication from abroad by Henry Alonzo House &
Dwight Wheeler, both of Bridgeport, State of Connecticut, United States of
America.
The object of this Invention is to reduce hand labour in the manufacture of hats,
caps, coverings, linings, & other like articles of felt or other similar material.
In the usual process of finishing felt articles, as hat bodies, by hand much time is
lost in moving the blocks to & from the oven, the body cools while being removed,
& cannot be well blocked; it is apt to be stretched unevenly, so that it is thin at
parts & wears unequally; the tying cord wears rapidly away & is expensive to
replace, & the necessity of waiting while the blocked body cools after forming, delays
the operations & increases the expense.
Another objection is the escape of steam from the ovens in removing the articles,
the same condensing on the walls or other places & dropping upon & injuring the
finished articles.
In the improved process the body or article of felt or like material is placed in
appropriate form upon properly shaped blocks or moulds, & then subjected while
under the influence of a surrounding fluid (preferably under pressure) to mechanical
appliances which automatically stretch the body upon the blocks & hold it in
position while the fluid is displaced or reduced in temperature.
The body may be of felt, fur, wool, or other suitable material, the blocks are of
the shape required to impart the proper form, & will vary in number with the
character of the article & of the manipulating appliances.

page_text: The said appliances are of any required form and character, & operated in any
suitable manner to seize, draw, stretch, hold, & work the body in position upon the
blocks, while any suitable appliances inay be employed to admit & discharge the
steam or other fluid, under the influence of which the operations are performed.
The apparatus consists of a casing containing a chamber, within which is located
the hat finishing machine. It will be understood however that any desired number
of machines may be in one chamber.
Opposite each machine is an opening closed by a sliding or swinging door operated
by a lever at the top of the case, & on the base are mounted an air pump &
condenser communicating with each other, the condenser also communicating with
the chainber through a pipe. An inlet steam pipe communicates with the chamber,
& each pipe has a valvo or cock.
On a stud at the top of the case is a frame having radial slotted arms, in each of
which is pivotted a block socketed to receive the upper end of an arm secured
adjustably to the block by a set screw.
On a hollow shaft sliding in an opening in the bottom of the casing is secured a
frame with radial arms carrying a series of socketed blocks and adjustable arms.
Springs on each frame throw the arms outward, & an elastic band encircles &
prevents the arms from spreading to too great an extent.
Each arm terminates in a thin blade, and is provided with an inclined shoulder
& with a finger having a slot, through which a cord passes to & through the slots
in all the arms to one of two parallel vertical shafts geared together & arranged
adjacent to the arms.
Each arm has a slot adapted to receive the blade, & terminates at the inner edge
in a finger.
Through an upright shaft extends a second shaft carrying at the upper end a
U shaped bracket with dowel pins, on which to centre the usual brim-block, & to
the latter is adapted the usual head block, having a socket to receive the end of a
rod sliding through the stud, & connected at the upper end to a lever above the
case.
In suitable bearings turn three shafts geared together, & provided with cam-
wheels & suitable appliances for operating the pump.
The body is first inserted in the brim block, & the plug or body block is placed
loosely in the body, as usual. The arms & bracket being in the position required,
& the door being open, the brim block placed on the bracket by the attendant when
the door will be automatically closed.
The shaft then rises, carrying the blocks upward & the brim against the edges of
the blades, after which the shaft is elevated, carrying upwards the arms, which
bearing against the rear edges of the blades force the latter inward as the edges of
the arms approach the shoulders of the arms.
As the ends of the arms approach each other the brim bearing on the inclined
edges of the blades is gradually forced inward until the extreme edge of the brim
to the extent of about one fourth of an inch is firmly gripped between the fingers.
The cock is now opened, & the chamber will be filled with steam, hot air, or
other gas or fluid, which will soften the body prior to & during manipulation by
the automatic devices.
The shaft & its blocks now rise, when the brim will be drawn tightly & uniformly
over the block & down below the cord groove, when the shafts will rotate & tighten
the cord or band against the brim, holding it securely in the groove or below the
shoulder of the brim-block, while the head block is forced downward by the descent
of the shaft, the lower arms having meanwhile descended to permit the upper arms
to move freely & independently & the cord to be drawn tightly.
The cock is now opened, when the steam will exhaust into the condenser, the
door will be elevated, & the cold air will rush in & chill & set the body. The shafts
will then turn in a reverse direction, the cord or band will be released, the arms
will swing out & the blocks descend to a position to be withdrawn by the operator
who removes the body and inserts another, which is treated like the first.

page_text: It will be apparent that the steam exhausted into the condenser cannot escape
into the room, that the cord being drawn without knotting will not rapidly wear
away, & that as the body is stretched from all sides at once & while surrounded by
a heated atmosphero it will yield uniformly without rupture. It will also be obvious
that the loss of time in removing & replacing the blocks & in cooling the body
incident to ordinary modes of manufacture is avoided.
The essential features of novelty are,―
1. The improvement in the manufacture of articles of felt or like material, con-
sisting in blocking & stretching the same by automatic mechanism, substantially as
specified.
2. As an improvement in the manufacture of felt articles, stretching & blocking
the same while under the influence of a surrounding fluid hot until the body is
formed & set & then cold, substantially as set forth.
3. In the manufacture of articles of felt & like material, subjecting the body while
being stretched to the action of a surrounding hot fluid, & then displacing said fluid
by cold air, as set forth.
4. The combination with a closed chamber containing the body stretching &
forming mechanism of a steam pipe & a pump or its equivalent, whereby steam may
be quickly introduced into & withdrawn from said chamber, substantially as set
forth.
5. The combination with the crown & rim forming blocks of grippers & appliances,
whereby said blocks & grippers are operated to draw the brim over the brim
block, & the crown block is forced inward, as set forth.
6. The combination with the blocks & grippers of a cord or band & appliances
for tightening the same after the brim has been drawn over the block, as set
forth.
7. The combination of arms, blocks, & cord, carried by one set of arms, substan-
tially as set forth.
8. The arms having blades in combination with slotted arm & block supporting
appliances & with the operating devices, substantially as described.
9. The casing provided with passages for admitting and discharging the fluids &
enclosing the appliances for automatically holding & stretching the body on the
blocks, substantially as set forth.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edwin Powley Alexander in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th July 1879.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 14, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign Patent Agent.
AN
IMPROVEMENT IN THE STRETCHING AND BLOCKING OF HATS AND OTHER ARTICLES
OF FELT AND LIKE MATERIALS." A communication from abroad by Henry Alonzo
House and Dwight Wheeler, both of Bridgeport, State of Connecticut, United States
of America.
The object of this Invention is to reduce hand labour in the manufacture of hats,
caps, coverings, linings, and other like articles of felt or other similar material.
In the usual process of finishing felt articles, as hat bodies, by hand much time
is lost in moving the blocks to and from the oven, the body cools while being
removed, and cannot be well blocked; it is apt to be stretched unevenly, so that it
is thin at parts and wears unequally; the tying cord wears rapidly away, and is
expensive to replace, and the necessity of waiting while the blocked body cools after
forming delays the operations and increases the expense.
Another objection is the escape of steam from the ovens in removing the articles,
the same condensing on the walls or other places, and dropping upon and injuring
the finished articles.
In the improved process the body or article of felt or like material is placed in
appropriate form upon properly shaped blocks or moulds, and then subjected while
under the influence of a surrounding fluid (preferably under pressure) to mechanical
appliances which automatically stretch the body upon the blocks and hold it in
position while the fluid is displaced or reduced in temperature.
The body may be of felt, fur, wool, or other suitable material; the blocks are of
the shape required to impart the proper form, and will vary in number with the
character of the article and of the manipulating appliances.
The said appliances are of any required form and character, and operated in any
suitable manner to seize, draw, stretch, hold, and work the body in position upon
the blocks, while any suitable appliances may be employed to admit and discharge
the steam or other fluid, under the influenco of which the operations are
performed.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several
Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same letters
of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings (which illustrate an apparatus for use in blocking and
stretching men's felt hats) is an external view, showing one form of apparatus for
carrying out the Invention.
Figure 2 is a front view, the front of the casing being removed.
Figures 3, 4, 5 are detail views, illustrating the operation of the devices.
Figure 6 is a section on the line 1-2 in Figure 2.
A represents a casing containing a chamber, within which is located the hat
finishing machine. It will be understood however that any desired number of
machines may be in one chamber.
Opposite each machine is an opening closed by a sliding or swinging door B,
operated by a lever C at the top of the case, & on the case are mounted an air
pump D & condenser E, communicating with each other, the condenser also com-
municating with the chamber A through a pipe F. An inlet steam pipe F' commu-
nicates with the chamber, & each pipe has a valve or cock.
On a stud a at the top of the case is a frame G, having radial slotted arms b, in
each of which is pivotted a block C socketted to receive the upper end of an arm H
secured adjustably to the block by a set screw e.

page_text: On a hollow shaft a¹ sliding in an opening in the bottom of the casing is secured
a frame G', with radial arins carrying a series of socketted blocks c' and adjustable
arms H
Springs on each frame throw the arms outward, and an elastic band g encircles
and prevents the arms H' from spreading to too great an extent.
Each arm H terminates in a thin blade h, and is provided with an inclined shoulder
and with a finger t having a slot 8, through which a cord passes to and through the
slots in all the arms to one of two parallel vertical shafts J, J', geared together and
arranged adjacent to the arm3. Each arm H' has a slot y adapted to receive the
blade h, and terminates at the inner edge in a finger t
Through an upright shaft a' extends a second shaft K, carrying at the upper end
a U shaped bracket T, with dowel pins on which to centre the usual brim block L,
and to the latter is adapted the usual head block m, having a socket u to receive the
end of a rod N sliding through the stud a, and connected at the upper end to a lever
C above the case.
In suitable bearings turn three shafts m, m³, m³, geared together and provided with
cam wheels and suitable appliances for operating the pump D, the shafts J, J', N, and
K, and cocks in the pipes F, F', as fully described hereafter. The body n is first
inserted in the brim block, and the plug or body block m is placed loosely in the
body, as usual. The arms H, H', and bracket T being in the position shown in
Figure 2, and the door B being open, the brim-block is placed on the bracket by the
attendant, when the door will be automatically closed.
The shaft K then rises, carrying the blocks upward and the brim z against the
edges of the blades h, Figure 3, after which the shaft a' is elevated, carrying
upward the arms H', which bearing against the rear edges of the blades h force
the latter inwards as the edges of the arms H¹ approach the shoulders x of the
arms H.
As the ends of the arms approach each other the brim bearing on the inclined
edges u of the blades h is gradually forced inward until the extreme edge of the
brim, to the extent of about one fourth of an inch, is firmly gripped between the
fingers t, t, as shown in Figure 4.
The cock of the pipe F is now opened, and the chamber will be filled with steam,
hot air, or other gas or fluid, which will soften the body prior to and during manipu-
lation by the automatic devices.
The shaft K and its blocks now rise, when the brim will be drawn tightly and
uniformly over the block and down below the cord groove to the position shown in
Figuro 2, when the shafts J, J', will rotate and tighten the cord or band i against
the brim, holding it securely in the groove or below the shoulder of the brim block,
while the head block is forced downward by the descent of the shaft N, the lower
arms H' having meanwhile descended to permit the upper arms to move freely and
independently, and the cord to be drawn tightly.
The cock of the pipe F is now opened, when the steam will exhaust into the
condenser E, the door B will be elevated, and the cold air will rush in and chill
and set the body.
The shafts J, J', will then turn in a reverse direction, the cord or band i will be
released, the arms H will swing out, and the blocks descend to a position to be
withdrawn by the operator, who removes the body and inserts another, which is
treated like the first.
It will be apparent that the steam exhausted into the condenser E cannot escape
into the room, that the cord i being drawn without knotting will not rapidly wear
away, and that as the body is stretched from all sides at once and while surrounded
by a heated atmosphere it will yield uniformly without rupture. It will also be
obvious that the loss of time in removing and replacing the blocks and in cooling
the body incident to ordinary modes of manufacture is avoided.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and

page_text: therefore claim as the Invention..secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The improvement in the manufacture of articles of felt or like material,
consisting in blocking and stretching the same by automatic mechanism, substan-
tially as specified.
Second. As an improvement in the manufacture of felt articles, stretching and
blocking the same while under the influence of a surrounding fluid hot until the
body is formed and set and then cold, substantially as set forth.
Third. In the manufacture of articles of felt and like material subjecting the body
while being stretched to the action of a surrounding hot fluid, and then displacing
said fluid by cold air, as set forth.
Fourth. The combination with a closed chamber containing the body stretching
and forming mechanism of a steam pipe and a pump or its equivalents, whereby
steam may be quickly introduced into and withdrawn from said chamber, substan-
tially as set forth.
Fifth. The combination with the crown and rim forming blocks of grippers and
appliances, whereby said blocks and grippers are operated to draw the brim over
the brim block and the crown block is forced inward, as set forth.
Sixth. The combination with the blocks and grippers of a cord or band and
appliances for tightening the same after the brim has been drawn over the block, as
set forth.
Seventh. The combination of the arms H, H', blocks, and cord i, carried by one
set of arms, substantially as set forth.
Eighth. The arms H having blades h in combination with the slotted arms H'
and block supporting appliances and with the operating devices, substantially as
described.
Ninth. The casing A provided with passages for admitting and discharging the
fluids and enclosing the appliances for automatically holding and stretching the body
on the blocks, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Powley Alexander, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER.
(L.S.)