IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Vero, of Dewsbury, in the County of
York, Hat Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Vero at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st November 1870.
I, JOSEPH VERO, of Dewsbury, in the County of York, Hat Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
FELT HATS AND OTHER LIKE COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to certain additions to and improve-
ments upon the planking machines for which Letters Patent were
granted to me bearing date the Thirteenth of February One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-six, No. 455, and consists, firstly, in easing the
pressure of the top roller or rollers when required, or (if desired) in
throwing back entirely the hinged frame which carries the top roller or

page_text: rollers by means of a weighted lever or spring connected by a rod or
chain with the back of the hinged frame, such weighted lever or spring
being sustained by a small arm or tappet on a horizontal rocking shaft
bent up so as to form a lever which projects out beyond the front of
the plank so as to be easily moved to one side by the lateral pressure
of the side of the attendant against such lever. A second arm on the
rocking shaft is connected by a rod with the back of the hinged frame,
so that by a slight side pressure against the front lever the pressure of
the top roller or rollers is eased a little from off the roll of hat bodies,
which is found advantageous when commencing to operate on a fresh
roll. A further pressure against the front lever will release the weighted
lever and cause it to throw back the hinged frame on to its rests or
supports. By moving the same front lever in the reverse direction it
will throw over the frame again into its working position, these motions
being all derived from the mere side pressure against the front lever;
or in lieu of using a weighted. lever or spring for throwing back the
hinged frame a sliding revolving tappet or cam on the driving shaft may
be employed, such tappet or cam being thrown in or out of its lifting
position by the side motion of the front lever before referred to. When
brought into its lifting position it is caused to act upon a bearing
surface attached to the hinged frame, and by its revolution will lift or
throw the top or hinged frame back on to its supports behind.
In order to facilitate the stretching of the hat bodies at intervals
during the process of flanking, I propose according to the second head
of my Invention to adapt to one side or end of the plank two halves
of a conical block or two arms of any desired shape, one of which is
stationary whilst the other receives a constant reciprocating motion to
and from the other half block or arm. This motion may be derived
from the driving shaft by a crank, eccentric, or other mechanical equi-
valent, and if desired, in lieu of making one of the stretching arms
stationary, both may be made to reciprocate towards and from each other.
The hat body to be stretched is placed upon the stretcher, and the
machine itself then performs the operation of stretching.
The third part of my Invention relates to certain improvements upon
and additions to the hardening machine described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to me on the Tenth day of March One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-eight, No. 826, and has for its object the
simplifying the machine and the reducing the wear and tear of the

page_text: mechanical parts thereof, whilst at the same time a more efficient mode
of hardening is obtained.
According to this part of my Invention I propose to make the recipro-
cating wedge-shaped block upon which the hat bodies are hardened
perforated on its two opposite acting faces, for the purpose of allowing
the steam employed for heating such blocks to escape into or upon the
felt body placed thereon during the process of hardening. By this
arrangement I am enabled to dispense with the use of the separate
moveable shell referred to in my said former Specification. As the felt
body is thus steamed or moistened whilst it is upon the reciprocating
wedge-shaped block the application of steam to the wings or flaps
referred to in my said former Specification may be dispensed with,
although in some cases, if desired, the said wings may be heated by
means of steam confined therein or otherwise. The said wings may or
may not be hinged together at the top, but I prefer to make them
without hinges, the continuous sheet metal lining referred to in my said
former Specification being made to form the wings themselves, it being
bent or curved at the top as heretofore, and stiffened or strengthened on
the outer surfaces by metal plates or wooden slabs secured thereto. This
continuous sheet is lined with another continuous sheet of roughened
india-rubber extending over the whole of the acting surface thereof, and
is attached at its curved or bent part to a cross bar in the sliding frame
described in my said former Specification. The continuous sheet thus
lined has its two sides pressed against the felt body by means of adjust-
able screws carried in the said sliding frame and acting against the upper
portion of the two sides of the continuous sheet, whilst the lower portion
is acted upon by means of two levers or arms hinged to the sides of the
sliding frame. The sliding frame carrying the wings or continuous sheet
and the said pressing levers or arms is suspended by chains or their
equivalent from an overhead counterweighted lever, the said chains being
connected to the bottoms of the continuous sheet forming the wings on
each side, and also to the hinged levers or arms, so that when lifted the
chains will first act upon and lift the levers or pressing arms, and will
then raise the inner frame, opening at the same time the wings or con-
tinuous sheet. The said wings are prevented from lateral motion at the
bottom part by having a slot or groove made at their lower ends working
upon the sides of the sliding frame.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Vero in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st May 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
VERO, of Dewsbury, in the County of York, Hat Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the of
year
Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Joseph Vero, Her special license that I, the
said Joseph Vero, my executors, administrators, and. assigns, or such
others as I, the said Joseph Vero, my executors, administrators, or
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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS AND OTHER LIKE COVERINGS FOR
THE HEAD," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Vero, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Vero, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates, firstly, to certain additions to and improve-
ments upon the planking machines for which Letters Patent were
granted to me bearing date the Thirteenth of February One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-six, No. 455, and consists, firstly, in easing the
pressure of the top roller or rollers when required, or (if desired) in

page_text: throwing back entirely the hinged frame which carries the top roller or
rollers by means of an arm on a horizontal rocking shaft which is bent up
so as to form a lever or has a lever handle fitted thereón and projecting
out beyond the front of the plank so as to be easily moved to one side by
the lateral pressure of the attendant against such lever. A second arm
on the opposite end of the rocking shaft is connected by a rod with the
back of the hinged frame, so that by a slight side pressure against the
front lever the pressure of the top roller or rollers is eased a little from
off the roll of hat bodies, which is found advantageous when commencing
to operate on a fresh roll. A further pressure against the front lever
will throw back the hinged frame on to its rests or supports. By moving
the same front lever in the reverse direction it will throw over the frame
again into its working position, these motions being all derived from the
mere side pressure against the front lever; or the hinged frame may be
thrown back by a sliding revolving tappet or cam on the driving shaft,
such tappet or cam being thrown in or out of its lifting position by the
side motion of the front lever before referred to. When brought into
its lifting position it is caused to act upon a bearing surface attached to
the hinged frame, and by its revolution will lift or throw the top or
hinged frame back on to its supports behind..
In order to facilitate the stretching of the hat bodies at intervals
during the process of planking I propose according to the second head
of my Invention to adopt the one side or end of the plank two halves
of a conical block, or two arms of any desired shape, one of which is
stationary, whilst the other receives a constant reciprocating motion
to and from the other half block or arm. This motion may be derived
from the driving shaft by a crank, eccentric, or other mechanical
equivalent, and, if desired, in lieu of making one of the stretching arms
stationary, both may be made to reciprocate towards and from each
other. The hat body to be stretched is placed upon the stretcher, and
the machine itself then performs the operation of stretching.
The third part of my Invention relates to certain improvements upon
and additions to the hardening machine described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to me on the Tenth day of March One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-eight, No. 826, and has for its object the
simplifying the machine, and the reducing the wear and tear of the
mechanical parts thereof, whilst at the same time a more efficient mode
of hardening is obtained.

page_text: In carrying out this part of my Invention I propose to make the
reciprocating wedge-shaped block upon which the hat bodies are
hardened perforated only on its two opposite acting faces, the same
being covered with canvas for the purpose of allowing the steam em-
ployed for heating such block to escape into or upon the felt body
placed thereon during the process of hardening.
may
By using this arrangement as a double machine I am enabled to
dispense with the use of the separate moveable shell referred to in my
said former Specification. As the felt body is thus steamed or moistened
whilst it is upon the reciprocating wedge-shaped block the application
of steam to the wings or flaps referred to in my said former Specification
be dispensed with, although in some cases if desired the said wings
may be heated by means of steam confined therein or otherwise. The
said wings may or may not be hinged together at the top, but I prefer
to make them without hinges, the continuous sheet metal lining referred
to in my said former Specification being made to form the wings them-
selves, it being bent or curved at the top, as heretofore, and stiffened
or strengthened on the outer surfaces by metal plates or wooden slabs
secured thereto. This continuous sheet is lined with another continuous
sheet of roughened vulcanized india-rubber cloth extending over and
secured to the whole of the acting surface thereof, and is attached at its
curved or bent part to a cross bar in the sliding frame described in my
said former Specification. The continuous sheet thus lined has its two
sides pressed against the felt body by means of adjustable screws carried
in the said sliding frame, and acting against the upper portion of the
two sides of the continuous sheet, whilst the lower portion is acted upon
by means of two self-acting levers or arms hinged to the sides of the
sliding frame. The sliding frame carrying the wings. or continuous
sheet and the said pressing levers or arms is suspended by counter-
weights and chains or their equivalent. Other chains attached to over-
head counterweighted quadrant levers are connected to the levers or
arms which are hinged to the sides of the sliding frame, and which are
again connected by a short chain to the lower portions of the sheet
forming the wings on each side, so that when lifted the chains will first
act upon and lift the levers or pressing arms, and will then through
those levers and the short chains raise the inner frame after having first
opened the wings or continuous sheet. The said wings are prevented
from lateral motion at the bottom part when in position on the wedge-

page_text: shaped block by suitable adjustable stops or other well-known con-
trivance.
And in order that my 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 annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the corresponding Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a perspective view of one of my
roller planking machines with my present improvements attached thereto;
Figures 2, 3, and 4 represent detail perspective views of different forms
of rollers which may be substituted for some of those shewn in Figure 1,
but I lay no claim to these particular forms of rolls. A is the top
roller carried in the hinged frame B, which frame is connected at C to
the vertical rod D, the lower end of which rod is jointed to the lever E
on the back end of the horizontal rocking shaft F, which carries an
upright lever and handle G at its forward end just in front of the plank
H so as to be easily operated upon by the attendant, the movement of,
the lever causing the top roller to be lifted slightly on the frame B to
be thrown back on to its supports I, I. The rigid connecting rod D
enables the frame B to be brought back again, so as to bring the top
roller in contact with the roll K of hat bodies again, this being accom-
plished by moving the front lever G in a reverse direction. Or if a
chain or flexible connection be substituted for the rod D, then the frame
B. will have to be brought back to its closed position by the handle L
attached thereto. M, M', are two stretching arms carried on one end of
the plank H, one of such arms M¹ being stationary, whilst the other
receives a reciprocating motion in the slotted plate or guide N by means
of the connecting rod O from a crank arm P on the spindle of the
bottom roller or on any other convenient shaft of the machine. The
crank arm is slotted to admit of the throw being adjusted, and the
connecting rod is provided with several holes in order to regulate
the distance asunder of the two stretching arms.
Figure 5 represents a perspective view of my improved hardening
machine, which I have represented as a double machine. A, A, are the
reciprocating wedge-shaped blocks sliding to and fro along the guides
B, B, formed on or fitted to the table C of the machine, and receiving
their reciprocating motions by means of cranks or eccentrics and con-
necting rods (not seen in the Drawing) from their respective second

page_text: motion shafts D and D¹. These blocks A are perforated only on their two
opposite acting flat faces and covered with canvas a, through which
steam passes into the hat body, one of the perforated and acting surfaces
being shewn at b, where the canvas covering is represented as partially
torn away. E, E, are the wings, one pair of which are shewn elevated
and the other lowered on to the block in the position they would assume
when in action; cach pair of wings is attached to a vertical sliding
frame F working between the upright guides G, G, and suspended by
the chains H and counterweights I, the chains passing over the guide
pulleys K, K. The Drawings shew the wings without hinges at the
top, being composed of a single sheet of metal c attached to stout back
plates or boards d, and lined with a continuous sheet of vulcanized
india-rubber cloth e extending over the inner face of both wings and
under the bent top or apex; f.f, are the screws for pressing the upper
part of the wings against the felt, the screws being carried in lugs on the
frame F; g, g, are the two self-acting or tumbling levers for pressing and
holding the lower portions of the wings against the felt, these levers being
hinged to the vertical sides of the sliding frames F, and caused to drop
into a horizontal position as shewn in the right hand half of the machine
at Figure 5, where the ends of the levers are represented as bearing
against the wings, thereby acting as props to keep the lower portion
of the wings in contact with the felt. L, L, are the other chains
attached to the levers 7 and connected to the overhead quadrants M, M,
keyed on to the rocking shafts N, N¹; h, h, represent other short lengths
of chain which connect the levers g, g, to the lower portions of the
wings E, E; 0, 0³, are other quadrant levers keyed on the shafts N, N¹,
to which are attached chains i, i¹, carrying counterweights. On the
outer ends of the two separate rocking shafts N, N¹, there are keyed
the short lever arms P (one of which only is seen in the Drawing),
and to each of these levers there is connected a vertical rod Q jointed at
its lower end to one end of a lever R working on a fulcrum attached
to the side frame of the machine, the opposite end of such lever
being acted upon so as to be lifted at suitable intervals by a pro-
jecting pin or stud on the spur wheel S, which turns loosely on a
stud centre, and is driven by a pinion k on the axis of the worm wheel
T. The worm wheel is rotated by a worm U keyed on to each of the
outer ends of the two second motion shafts D, D', which revolve
independently of each other; V is the inner driving shaft carrying two
additional pullies W, W¹, which give motion through the driving straps

page_text: X, X', to the second motion shafts D and D¹ respectively, each of these
shafts being provided with fast and loose pullies Y. The raising of the
wings from off the hardening blocks at stated intervals of time is
effected by the pin in the wheel S striking the lever R, which causes
the corresponding rocking shaft N or N¹ to be partly turned and the
wings to be elevated as shewn. When the wings are to be lowered again
the lever handle Z or Z as the case may be is depressed by the attendant,
and at its opposite end is engaged with the counterweight chain H, the
counterweight I will be lifted, and the sliding frame F with the wings E
will then descend by their own gravity. Whilst in action the wings
are held stationary or prevented from following the reciprocating
motions of the block A by means of stops 1, 1, made adjustable or not
as preferred, such stops being fitted to the table C of the machine.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, 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 therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The so arranging of mechanism in a roller planking machine
as that the attendent shall be enabled by a side pressure of his body
against a lever to vary the pressure of the top roller or rollers, or to
throw back entirely the hinged frame carrying such roller or rollers,
substantially as herein-before described.
Second. The combination with a roller planking machine of a hat
stretcher worked in conjunction with the same, substantially as herein-
before described.
Third. The application and use of vulcanized india-rubber cloth on
a flat or plane surface for the purpose of hardening the bodies of felt
hats.
Fourth. The lining of the wings of the herein-before described
hardening machine with vulcanized india-rubber clotb, substantially as
and for the purpose herein-before described.
Fifth. The application and use of self-acting levers for applying
pressure to the wings employed in hardening the bodies of felt hats,
substantially as herein-before described.

page_text: Sixth. The passing of steam through the two opposite acting sides of
a reciprocating wedge-shaped block used in combination with wings for
the purpose of hardening the bodies of felt hats.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Vero, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of b
April One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.