Improvements in Apparatus for Paring or Planing the Ourls or Edges of Hat Brims.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1888
Specification Accepted, 7th Sept., 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Paring or Planing the Ourls or
Edges of Hat Brims.
I GILES ATHERTON of the Virginia Mills, Higher Hillgate, Stockport in the County
of. Chester, Hat Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (com-
municated to me from abroad by Rudolf Eickemeyer, of Yonkers, in the County of
Westchester, and State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer)
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:
My said Invention relates to apparatus which will automatically pare or plane the
curls or edges of hat brims and so enable one person to operate several machines, or
if attending one, to devote a portion of his time to other duties, as, for instance, to
the preliminary rounding of brims upon a somewhat similar machine, or operating or
shaping mould. In my apparatus the operator is also enabled to adjust the brim
clamping ring to ovals of varied size and contour, with a minimum of labour and to
render such machines of a more varied scope than heretofore in the matter of
presenting a hat brim to the planing tool whereby the overturned edge of a brim can
be planed on lines more or less varied from the usual hat oval, as for instance, so as to
plane said edge closely to the upper surface of the brim, at each end, and leave it
specially full at the quarters, at each side of the front and rear as is sometimes deemed
desirable by the trade.
In order that my said invention may be properly understood I will now proceed to
describe the same reference being had to the annexed five sheets of drawings.
Fig. 1 sheet 1 is a plan or top view of one of said improved machines.
Fig. 2 sheet 2 illustrates the same partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal
central section.
Fig. 3 illustrates a portion of the same partly in end view and partly in central
cross section.
1
Fig. 4, sheet 3, is partly a plan and partly a longitudinal horizontal section of
the same.

page_text: Figs. 5 to 12 are detailed views of portions of the mechanism by which the
automatic operation of the machine is obtained having special reference to stopping
it, after it has been allowed to commence operations.
Figs. 13 and 14 sheet 4, are enlarged views of the lower portions of the machine,
respectively in side elevation and end view, and each partially in vertical central
section.
Figs. 15 to 18 sheet 5 illustrate in detail the mechanism by which the planing tool
is automatically controlled for varying its presentation to a folded brim edge.
Only such portions of the machine embodying the present invention will be
specifically described, inasmuch as the remaining older portions of said machines
will be readily understood by persons skilled in the art.
Considered generally the revolving planing tool or rotary cutter A, the rotative hat
bed B, and the expansible brim clamping ring C embody features not novel at the
date of my present application.
In existing machines the rotatory planing tool A, was pivoted in a vertically adjust-
able frame A¹, but a capacity for swinging movement was provided to enable it to be
swung into and from its working position. In the present invention the said planing
tool has not only this same capacity, and for the same purpose, but also for another
and widely different purpose, in that the said cutter is thereby enabled to occupy
variable positions while operating upon the edge of a hat brim, and thus to vary the
line of cut from a true oval (as when operating with an oval chuck in the usual
way) to irregular ovals. This portion of the present invention is shown in Figures 1
and 2, but it is best illustrated as to details in Figures 15 to 18 inclusive, sheet 5.
Referring specially to Figure 15 it will be seen that a horizontal sliding rod a is
housed in guide bearings in a portion of the frame A', and abuts at its inner end
against the portion A2 of the frame in which the planing tool shaft is journalled.
The opposite end of said rod abuts against a flat plate b, and this plate if moved
toward the planing tool, will therefore cause said tool to be moved outwardly, its
frame A2 being mounted in the frame A¹ on horizontal pivots at its upper end. This
vibrating movement of the planing tool toward and from the centre of the hat bed
is automatically effected by means of a rotatory cam wheel c which can be located on
any suitably revolved shaft in the machine, but is here shown as at the foot of a
vertical shaft by which the hat bed B and its oval chuck is rotated. This cam may be
variously patterned according to requirements, but as here shown its working surface
is full at its quarters as indicated by the difference between the circular dotted line
and the full line in Figure 16. This cam in rotating bears against a pendant arm e
on a rocking shaft c² which at its outer end is provided with a cylindrical vertical
arm c³, so that the latter is slightly vibrated in a vertical plane four times at each
revolution of the cam. At one end of the machine to the right hand of the planing
tool frame, there is a vertical bell crank lever d which is rectangular in form, has one
short step or pivot d', and above this a longer pivot d², journaled in the frame A', so
that said lever can swing laterally in a horizontal plane. The long pivot d² has thereon
an arm d³ which projects laterally therefrom and at right angles to the rectangular
portion of said lever, and said arm carries the plate 6 already described as one
which abuts against the outer end of the sliding rod a. On the vertical portion of
the lever d, there is at its lower end a sliding shoc e having a concave face. which is
fitted to bear against the coincident surface of the cylindrical vertical arm c³ on the
rock shaft c². As thus far described it will be obvious that when the cam c partially
rotates the rock shaft c, the lever d will be correspondingly vibrated as to time, and that
the latter operating through the arm d³ and plate b, will force the rod a inward, and
cause the planing tool frame to be swung on its pivot and its lower end thereby lifted,
and thus vibrating the cutter in a vertical plane, and varying the cutting line or path
of the planing tool, but always merging the said path with the oval path defined by
the oval chuck, because said tool is also moved toward and from the centre of the
bed. For securing the proper contact relations of the several parts thus described
as well as to secure the backward or return movements of the planing tool, a spring
is employed which may be variously applied, but as illustrated in Figure 1 at it is

page_text: an expansive spiral spring encircling a rod f which is pivoted at one end to the
central portion of the planing tool frame A2, passes through a hole. in the frame A¹,
and is provided with an adjusting thumb nut, between which, and the surface of the
frame A¹ said spring is compressed.
Inasmuch as this variation in the line or path of cut is not usually required, it is
desirable that the machine be readily readjusted to operate on true ovals as by the
oval chuck, and this has been provided for by mounting the plate on the lever
arm by means of a screw b¹ which serves as a pivotal clamp, and enables said plate
to be placed either coincident with the spindle a or to the one side thereof so as to
be thereby rendered inoperative. It will be seen that the working face of the cam c
is unchangeable in its capacity to semi rotate the rock shaft, but as it is desirable to
vary the extent of the vibratory movement of the planing tool, this has been
provided for by, in substance, elongating or shortening the length of the vertical
cylindrical arm 3 on said shaft, or in other words by varying the point of contact
between said arm and the concave shoe e before described as mounted on the vertical
portion of the lever d. This shoe is attached to a vertical tail piece e¹ which can
slide vertically on said lever, and is raised or lowered by means of the small hand
lever eas clearly illustrated in Fig 15.
In this connection it should be observed that the features of invention involved in
the mechanism thus far described, are not limited to a cam c of any special form, and
it will be obvious that if no other provision were made for variably presenting a hat
brim to the planing too! in a true oval path, this cam could be relied upon for
accomplishing that purpose, if correspondingly shaped, it being understood, however,
that it is preferred to rely for cutting true ovals upon an oval chuck on which the
bed is mounted, as in the aforesaid prior machines, such a chuck being shown at D in
the drawings illustrative of the present machines.
It is to be understood that in Figures 15 and 16 the cam c, pendant arm c¹, and
rock shaft 2 are illustrated as when applied to a machine in which the hat bed shaft
is operated by hand while in Figures 1. 2. and 3, they are shown as when organized
in an automatic machine.
The present improvement upon the expansible and contractible brim clamping ring
on top of the hat bed B will next be described. In prior machines said ring c was
composed of a series of complex sections mounted on radially sliding blocks g
controlled by means of a semi-rotative cam plate y provided with a handle g³
sufficiently well indicated in Figures 1. 2. and 3 for the purposes of this specification.
By swinging this handle to and fro, all of the sliding blocks, are caused to simul-
taneously move inward and outward, and to maintain their proper relative positions,
so that the complex sections of the clamping ring can be advanced inwardly for
properly clamping the curled edges of a brim peripherally and then retired for
releasing it. When it is necessary to vary the outline of the clamping ring, a pattern
plate is placed upon the bed, and the several sections separately adjusted to its
periphery and then tightened on the sliding blocks. In former machines this
adjustment involved the loosening and tightening of three screws at each section, but
now it is accomplished by means of a single screw because each ring section h is in
one piece, and has a slotted tail piece and a single clamp screw by which it is
mounted on its sliding block g, as shown in Figure 1. This clamp screw serves also
as a pivot for its ring section, enabling the latter when loose to be swung laterally to
and fro, so as to readily conform to the outline of various pattern plates, and the
slotted tail piece enables said section to be moved to and fro lengthwise of the radially
sliding blocks.
It has been herein before stated that in prior machines the hat bed was slowly
rotated by hand for feeding the brim to the planing tool, and there will next be
described the means by which this is done automatically, and the bed automatically
controlled by a stop motion.
The vertical hat bed shaft i is provided with a worm wheel which meshes with a
worm 2 on a horizontal shaft & driven by means of a belt cord from the main shaft 2,
from which by means of a similar belt the rotatory planing tool is also driven. The

page_text: worm shaft k at one end is mounted in a pendant swiveled hanger and at its
opposite end in the pendant arm of a bell crank lever k² having a handle at the end of
its horizontal arm, so that if said handle be kept in an elevated position, the worm
and worm gear will be in mesh, but also so that they will be separated, if the handle
be depressed, as for instance by its own weight, when permitted to fall.
This lever is maintained in an elevated position by means of a tappet or arm k³ on a
rock shaft m the upper end of said tappet engaging with and passing beneath a lateral
stud or projection on said lever.
It is found to be important for obtaining the best results, that the planing tool
should make a preliminary or roughing cnt around a brim, and then a second or
finishing cut, and therefore a stop motion is so arranged that the brim bed will be
revolved twice, and then automatically stopped, thus indicating to the operator that a
brim has been finished, and it is preferably always stopped and started at the front end
of a hat brim.
The requisite movements of the tappet arm k³ and rock shaft m are derived from the
hat bed shaft by way of the small beveled gear m₁ thereon which meshes with a
beveled gear m², having twice the number of teeth on the small gear. The controlling
cam m³ is on a short counter shaft standing at right angles to the hat bed spindle
and mounted in a rigid hanger, and is connected to said gear m³. This cam has a
peripheral working face, and bears against a horizontal bar m mounted by means
of two arms m³ on the rock shaft m, and said cam is so shaped that at each
revolution it will cause said shaft to turn backward slightly, and said bar is held
to the face of said cam by means of a retractile spiral spring me which is coupled
to the rock shaft by means of an arm m'. The several parts thus described are
shown in detail on sheet 3, and are thereon clearly designated. They are also
more or less shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 13, and 14, and their operation is as follows.
It will be assumed that the planing tool is in operation, but the hat bed at rest,
and the hand lever k² depressed. A hat is placed on the bed and the brim clamp
adjusted thereto. The operator then raises the lever A³, whereupon the tappet arm k³,
because of the spring me, moves under the stud kon said handle, and holds the
worm and its gear in mesh. The hat bed then slowly revolves twice, and when
the greatest swell on the cam m³ comes into contact with the bar m³, it will
release the tappet arm ³ from its position beneath the hand lever, and by allowing
it to drop, cause the hat bed to rest for the removal of a hat. At the time the
hat bed is thus stopped, the widest portion of the cam is in contact with the bar m²,
but when the hand lever is next raised by the operator, the cam commences to
revolve, and the bar falls behind the shoulder on the cam, thus placing the tappet
arm beneath the hand lever again.
It will be readily apparent that either of these improvements may be applied to a
machine independently of the others, and yet when organized in one machine as
shown, they co-operate in enabling the cost of paring or planing curled hat brims to
be reduced to a minimum by economizing in the time of the operator, and enabling
him to either properly attend to several such machines or only one, and thereby enable
him to devote a portion of his time to other operations, whether these should precede
or follow the planing of the brims.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
(1) In a hat brim paring or planing machine, the combination of a rotatory hat
bed, a brim clamping ring thereon, and a rotatory planing tool mounted in a swinging,
pivoted frame, and automatically vibrated in a vertical plane, and also toward and
from the centre of the said bed substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
(2) In a hat brim paring or planing machine, the combination of the rotary hat
bed, the rotary planing tool, mounted in a movable frame, the rock shaft, its cam, and
its spring, the sliding rod, in contact with said planing tool frame, and the series of
levers and arms between the said eam and sliding rod, whereby the latter is moved

page_text: longitudinally, varying the position of the planing tool toward and from the centre of
the hat bed substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
(3) In a hat brim paring or planing machine, the combination with the planing
tool, its movable frame, and sliding rod, of a vibrating lever. provided with an
adjustable plate abutting against the said rod, and a clamp screw, whereby said frame
may or may not be moved by said lever during its vibrations, substantially as
described and shown.
(4) In a hat brim paring or planing machine, the combination of the planing tool
and its movable frame, a rocking shaft provided with an arm, and a complex lever
and a sliding rod, interposed between the said arm and planing tool frame for
enabling the said rocking shaft to move said frame, and the adjustable shoe interposed
between the said arm and lever, substantially as described, whereby notwithstanding
the uniform movements of the rocking shaft, the planing tool and its frame may be
variably moved to and fro.
(5) In a hat brim paring or planing machine, the combination of a hat bed
mounted upon an oval chuck, a planing tool mounted in a movable frame, and a cam
detachably coupled to said planing tool frame for moving said tool toward and from
the centre of the hat bed, substantially as described, whereby a hat brim may be
presented to the planing tool in a true oval line or in various other lines merging with
an oval line.
(6) In a hat brim paring or planing machine, the combination with a hat bed, and
a series of radially movable sliding blocks, of a brim clamping ring, composed of
sections, each of which has a slotted tail piece and is attached to a sliding block by
means of a single screw which serves as a pivot and a clamping device, substantially
as described.
(7) In a hat brim paring or planing machine, the combination of the rotary planer,
the rotating hat bed, and the stop motion mechanism, substantially as described and
shown.
(8) In a hat brim paring or planing machine, the combination of the rapidly driven
rotary planing tool, the slowly rotating hat bed, and a hat bed stop motion containing
a rotary controlling cam, which revolves but once during two revolutions of said bed,
substantially as described and shown.
1000
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.