CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE PROCESS OF DYEING HATS
Year: 1830

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BOWLER, of Castle Street, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Hat Manufac-
turer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth
did, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Fourth day of November, in the first year of His
reign, give and grant unto me, the said John Bowler, His especial licence
that I, the said John Bowler, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others I, the said John Bowler, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
EMPLOYED IN THE PROCESS OF DYEING HATS;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said John Bowler, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within two calender months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that, in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Bowler, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained by the following description thereof, reference being had to the.

page_text: Drawing annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is
to say) :-
My Improvements or Invention consists in putting the hats into the dye
kettle by machinery, in such a manner that the hats are made to enter into the
dying liquid in a different position and in a different part of the dye kettle at
each time of lowering such machine into the dye kettle, whereby the hats will
bo moro evenly dyed, and at the same time it will be unnecessary either to turn
the hats by the hand, or to remove them by hand from the machine, as has
heretofore been the case when dyeing hats by machinery. But, in order that
my Invention may be more readily understood and carried into effect, I will
proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed, which represents a
machine capable of receiving six dozen hats at one time.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a machine applicable to the dyeing of hats according to my
Invention, consisting of a square open framing. a, a, a, a, and b, b, b, b, are
four doors, hinged to the parts c, c, of the machine. These doors b, b, b, b, have
four cross framings d, d, d, d, on which are affixed the sets of pins c, e, e, &c.
which carry the blocks on which the hats are placed. ff, is a partition,
having five cross framings d, d, d, d, d, on which are affixed sets of pins for
carrying the blocks on which are placed the hats to be dyed. In the Drawing
a number of sets of pins c, c, e, &c. are shown, and also the means of
affixing the same to the cross framings d, d, d, which is done by means of
a screw passing through the plate g, on which the pins are fixed, and screwing
into the cross framings d, d. The object of having three pins on each of the
plates 9 is for the purpose of preventing the turning round the block thereon,
and also to prevent the block (which is usually formed of three parts) falling
to pieces, for one of the pins enter into each of the thrco parts of which the
block is composed, and they thus keep the parts of the block close together,
which is very necessary, in consequence of the pliable and weak state of the
hat at the time it is saturated with the dyeing liquid, and thus when once the
hats are blocked and placed in the machine they do not require afterwards
to be touched till they are sufficiently dyed. I would hero observe, that the
cross framing d, d, d, may be moved further from or uncarer together, there
being tapped holes formed at small distances in the partition f.f, and the
doors b, b, b, b, to receive the screws, by which the cross framings d, d, d, d,
are affixed to the partition and the doors of the machine, so that in case
of smaller bats being required to be dyed a greater number of cross framings
may be used than what is shown in the Drawing, and in that case, there being
also tapped holes in the cross framing d, d, d, the sets of pins for carrying

page_text: the blocks may be placed closer together. The machine shown in the
Drawings represents the doors to have eight sets of pins each, and the
partition as having twenty sets of pins on each side, making seventy-two
sets of pins, capable of receiving seventy-two blocks, and the dimensions
shown in the Drawing allows of that number of hats of a large size. I
would here observe, that I usually construct the machine of copper, but any
other sufficiently strong material which will not be acted on by the dyeing
inaterials will do.
Having now described the nature and construction of the machine, I
will proceed to describe the manner of using the same. Having placed six
dozen of hats on as many blocks, I proceed first to place such blocks on the
sets of pins affixed to the framings of the partition f, f, which I am enabled
readily to do in consequence of the opening of the doors b, b, b, b. Having
filled the pins contained on the partition, I next proceed to fill the sets of pins
affixed to the cross framing of the doors, and, when these are filled I close the
doors, which are either fastened by a spring catch or other means. The
machine thus filled with hats is then to be lowered into the dye kettle, and to
be wholly immersed in the dye liquid contained therein. On each side of the
machine there is an axis h, h, having bearings in the part i, i, of the framing
which carries the machine. I would hero observe, that it is well known
in dyeing hats that it is necessary to dip the hats many times into the dyeing
liquid for a certain time, and then to submit them to the action of the
atmosphere, but the time which is required for. dipping, and the time
which is required for subning them to the action of the atmosphere,
varying according to the nature or quality of the hat, and the quality and
strength of the dye liquor. And as my Invention does not alter this part
of the process, no description thereof will be be necessary, and the same
must depend, as heretofore, on the judgment and skill of the workman.
I first proceed by letting the side of the machine marked No. 1
into the kettle, so that the whole of the hats will enter and remain
immersed with their sides downwards, which are towards the side of
the framing marked No. 1. When the hats have been sufficiently long
immersed, and require to be submitted to the action of the atmosphere, the
machine is raised out of the kettle, having the side marked No. 2 kept upwards,
by which means the draining will be towards the part which entered first into
the kettle. The machine having been kept sufficiently long in this position for
the atmosphere to act on the hats contained therein, the machine is to be
turned round on the axis h, h, till the side inarked No. 2 is undermost. That
part is to be next lowered into the kettle, by which means those hats which
were heretofore at the upper part of the kettle will now be at the lowest part

page_text: thereof, and those which were before at the bottom will be at the upper part
of the kettle. When sufficient time has been allowed, the machine is again to
be raised into the atmosphere, when the draining will be in an opposito
direction to that which it was in the first instance. The machine is again
to be turned round till the side marked No. 3 is brough lowest, and which
is next to enter the kettle, and again to be raised out into the atmosphere;
and the side No. 4 is to be brought lowest, and next to enter the kettle; and
this process is to be successively continued 'till the hats contained in the
machine are sufficiently dyed, when they are to be removed, and the machino
again filled.
It will be evident, from the above description, that the essential properties
of my Invention are a machine capable of permitting the hats contained
therein to enter into the dye kettle in a different position and in a different
part of the dye kettle at each lowering of the machine into the dye kettle,
whereby evenness of dye is obtained to the bats; and it will also be evident
that, although I have only described a machine capable of receiving six dozen
hats at one time, a machine may be made to receive a larger or smaller
number; and although I have hero described the machine as being made of a
square form, yet I do not confine myself to that shape or form. But I would
have it understood that what I claim is, a machine constructed as above
described, when used for the purpose and in the manner above described.
And I further claim the manner of holding together the parts of the blocks
in the manner above described.
In witness whereof, I, John Bowler, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Third day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight