IMPROVE- MENTS IN AND APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING FELT HAT BODIES IN THE COURSE OF MANUFACTURE
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Grimshaw, of Hurst Brook, Ashton-under-Lyne,
in the County of Lancaster, Hat Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING FELT HAT BODIES IN THE COURSE
OF MANUFACTURE.”
Sealed the 3rd September 1878, and dated the 6th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Grimshaw at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th March 1878.
WILLIAM GRIMSHAW, of Hurst Brook, Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of
Lancaster, Hat Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING
FELT HAT BODIES IN THE COURSE OF MANUFACTURE."
This Invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for stretching or
pulling out (technically called "breaking the tension") of "hat bodies, and consists
in performing the operation whilst the hat bodies are immersed in boiling water in
contradistinction to performing the same out of water as heretofore.
In carrying out my Invention I affix a series of convex stars or ribbed skeleton
blocks upon slides capable of sliding up and down in radiating grooves formed in a
revolving frame, this revolving frame being mounted in horizontal bearings over a
cistern of boiling water so as to partially revolve therein. Radiating from or
forming part of the same revolving frame are a series of arms or brackets carrying
concave stars, which are immediately opposite to and correspond with the convex
stars herein-before mentioned.
33
The convex stars are actuated (moved up and down in their respective grooves in
the revolving frame) by a stationary cam, which is so "timed as to bring each
series of convex and concave stars into closest and interlocking contact when they
are deepest in the boiling water, and to be widest apart when they are furthest out
of the water.
The action of this machine is as follows:-Each hat body to be operated upon is
placed between one of the series of convex and concave stars herein-before
mentioned when they are widest apart, and is by them carried round into the

page_text: boiling water, in passing through which the two stars approach each other owing to
the action of the stationary cam, and so stretch or pull out the felt to the desired
extent whilst immersed in the boiling water, until having made a complete revolution
round the axis the same stars are again fully open ready for the now stretched body
to be removed, and for another unstretched one to take its place.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Grimshaw in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
Septmber 1878.
WILLIAM GRIMSHAW, of Hurst Brook, Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of
Lancaster, Hat Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING
FELT HAT BODIES IN THE COURSE OF MANUFACTURE."
This Invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for stretching or
pulling out (technically called "breaking the tension") of hat bodies, and consists
in performing the operation whilst the hat bodies are immersed in boiling water in
contradistinction to performing the same out of water as heretofore, and by an
arrangement of mechanism as herein-after described.
'
And in order that this my said Invention may be the more readily understood
and carried into practical effect, I have hereunto annexed a Drawing illustrative of
my improved machinery for stretching hat bodies, Fig. 1 being a front sectional
view, and Fig. 2 a plan of the same drawn to a scale of about two inches to
the foot.
In both the views A, A, are a series of convex stars or ribbed skeleton blocks
(well known in the trade), and which are affixed at the extremities of slides B, B,
which are capable of sliding up and down in radiating grooves C, C, formed in a
revolving frame D; this revolving frame D is carried by a shaft E mounted in
horizontal bearings E' across the top edge of a trough or cistern F which contains
boiling water, and thus such frame is partially immersed in such boiling water.
Motion is communicated to the shaft E by the worm and worm wheel G, and is
controlled by the fast and loose pullies H. Radiating from or forming part of the
same frame D are a series of arms or brackets I carrying concave stars J (which are
also well known in the trade), which are situated immediately opposite to and
correspond with the convex stars A herein-before mentioned, but such concave stars
have no sliding or up-and-down motion imparted to them.
The convex stars A are actuated (moved up and down in their respective grooves)
as the shaft E and frame D revolve by means of a stationary cam K, which is
affixed to or forms part of the sleeve piece K' and bracket K². This stationary
cam K has a continuous groove a formed in its face (seen dotted in Fig. 1), into
which groove project the friction bowls L mounted on the face of each of the slides,
as illustrated, and thus as the frame D revolves such friction bowls L, by following
the stationary path of the cam groove a, so move the slides B and convex star A

page_text: up and down accordingly, the cam groove A being so "timed" or shaped as to bring
each series of convex and concave stars into closest and interlocking contact when
they are deepest in the boiling water or when they are coming out of the water,
and to be widest apart when they are furthest out of the water.
The action of this machine is as follows:-The water contained within the cistern
being by preference in a boiling state, and a slow rotary motion being imparted to
the frame D by means of the worm and worm wheel G, each hat body to be operated
upon is placed between one of the series of convex and concave stars when they
are widest apart and out of the water, and is by them carried round into the boiling
water, in passing through which the two stars approach each other owing to the
action of the stationary cam, and so stretch or pull out the felt to the desired extent
whilst immersed in the boiling water, until having made a complete revolution
round the axis the same stars are again fully open ready for the now stretched body
to be removed, and for another unstretched one to take its place.
By means of this Invention I am enabled to stretch hat bodies to a greater
extent than has hitherto been possible, and the process is greatly accelerated.
It will be obvious that the same mechanism can be used without the frame D
revolving in a cistern of boiling water, but this I should consider to be a modification
of my Invention.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, I wish it to be understood that I am well aware of convex and concave
stars having been hitherto employed in the stretching of hat bodies, and therefore I
make no clain to them except when used in conjunction with my improved
mechanism as herein-before described; and I do not confine myself to the precise
details, relative proportions, or dimensions of the various parts of the mechanism
herein-before described, as the same may be considerably varied without departing
from the Invention; but what I claim is,-
1st. The method of stretching hat bodies whilst rotating and immersed in boiling
water, substantially as herein-before described.
2nd. The arrangement and construction of mechanism for stretching hat bodies,
substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Grimshaw, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
FILLIAM GRIMSHAW. (L.S.)