Improvements in Machinery for Pouncing the Brims of Felt Hats.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Pouncing the Brims of Felt Hats.
We, HENRY HERBERT TURNER, ALBERT TURNER, and ARNOLD TURNER, all of
Ashton Road, Denton, near Manchester, Hatters' Machinists, do hereby declare
the nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to a novel construction of machine for pouncing the
brims of felt hats, consisting of two pouncing pads, arranged one over the
other with their working faces opposite each other, and, by means of revolving
disc wheels and connecting rods caused to move rapidly to-and-fro, and act
simultaneously upon the respective sides or surfaces of a hat brim placed between
them, and thus remove the superfluous fur or wool. Such machine also consists of
a set of conical feed rollers to draw and rotate the brim between the pouncing
pads, and of a suitable escapement movement by which the movements of the
pads and rollers are automatically arrested after the desired amount of treatment
has been imparted to the hat brim.
The pads are of an elastic character covered by sand paper and each run in
a V slide. The upper slide is carried by a bracket, up and down which it is
capable of moving under the action of a lever or peg, for allowing of the intro-
duction of the hat brim.
The upper pouncing pad is held against the lower pad at various pressures by
an adjustable weight capable of being moved along a lever.
The "escapement" aforesaid consists of a vertical spindle carrying a ratchet
wheel with which a pawl or click engages carried by a lever arm, which is so
disposed in relation to a cam wheel, that at every revolution of such wheel it
moves the lever arm, and imparts an impulse to the ratchet wheel equal to one or
two teeth. This movement is utilised to rotate a disc or plate, having holes in it at
suitable distances apart and fitted with a peg or pegs which after rotating a
predetermined degree strikes a toggle "link, which previously locked the starting
lever, and allows the starting lever, under the pull of a spring, to tilt over and
throw a suitable driving friction out of gear with the driving pulley.
66
Dated this 18th day of July 1808

page_text: the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
Our invention relates to a novel construction of machine for pouncing the brims
of felt hats, and such machine consists of two pouncing pads, arranged one over the
other with their working faces opposite each other, and, by means of revolving
disc wheels and connecting rods caused to move rapidly to-and-fro, and act
simultaneously upon the respective sides or surfaces of a hat brim placed between
them, and thus remove the superfluous fur or wool. Such machine also consists of
a set of conical feed rollers to draw and rotate the brim between the pouncing
pad, and of a suitable escapement movement by which the movements of the
pads and rollers are automatically arrested after the desired amount of treatment
has been imparted to the hat brim.
The pads are of an elastic character covered by sand paper and each run in
V slide.
The upper slide is carried by a bracket up and down which it is
capable of moving under the action of a lever or peg for allowing of the intro-
duction of the hat brim.
The upper pouncing pad is held against the lower pad at various pressures by
an adjustable weight capable of being moved along a lever.
The "escapement" aforesaid consists of a vertical spindle carrying
a ratchet
wheel with which a pawl or click engages carried by a lever arm which is so
disposed in relation to a cam wheel that at every revolution of such wheel it
moves the lever arm and imparts an impulse to the ratchet wheel equal to one or
two teeth. This movement is utilised to rotate a disc or plate having holes in it at
suitable distances apart and fitted with a peg (or pegs) which after rotating a
predetermined degree breaks a toggle," which previously locked the starting
lever and allows the starting lever, under the pull of a spring, to tilt over and
throw a suitable driving friction out of gear with the driving pulley.
56
In order that our said invention may be more readily understood and carried into
practical effect we have hereunto annexed two sheets of drawings and we will now
proceed to describe the same with the aid of the various figures and reference
numerals marked thereon.
Fig. 1 illustrates a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan of our improved felt hat
brim pouncing machine, certain parts being removed in each view to make our
invention clear. Fig. 3 illustrates an alternative position of the "toggle" herein-
before referred to.
(1) designates the top of the machine upon which all the parts are supported.
(2) the driving shaft, (3) the friction cone or clutch box driving pulley, (4) and
(5) the two parallel side shafts driven by shaft (2) through chains (6) sprocket
wheels (6) and sprocket pinions (6**). Side shaft (4) is fitted with a disc (7), and
side shaft (5) with a disc (8). To an eccentrically disposed stud (9) on disc (7) a
rod (10) is connected, and to a similar stud (11) on disc (8) a rod (12) is connected.
The opposite ends of the rods (10) and (12) are in turn connected to
slides (13), (14) carrying pouncing pads (15) (16) and under the reciprocating
motion of the shafts (4) and (5), and discs (7) and (8) the pads and slides move
to-and-fro. The slide (13) is supported upon arm (17) and the slide (14) is
supported by a carrier bracket (18). The upper pad is carried by slide (14) through
the medium of swivel pin (19). The working faces of the pads face each other as
illustrated. The bracket (18) is supported by a further fixed bracket (20) in which
is a vertical slot, up and down which slot the bolt (21) and peg (22) on the said
carrier may slide, and thus guide the carrier as it moves up and down.
Fulcrumed upon an upright (23) is a bell-crank lever (24) with one extremity
arranged to lie beneath the stud or peg (22), and the other extremity formed as a
handle, and provided with a trigger" catch (25) for the purpose of engaging
with a small opening in the upright (23), and thereby lock the lever (24) in the
position shewn in Fig. 1. In such position the lever holds the upper pad carrier-
bracket at the highest point and the pad (15) clear of pad (16) for the purpose
say of renewing the pads, or introducing a hat brim.

page_text: (26) designates conical feed rollers for drawing the hat brim between the
pads (15), (16) which are driven by bevil or skew gearing (not shewn), and knuckle
coupling (27) from lay shaft (28). This latter receives its motion from driving
shaft (2) through pinion (29) and spur wheel (30).
(31) is the starting lever, which, through the medium of connecting rod (32),
lever (33) and a set of bowls, engages the pulley cones, and starts the machine.
With the machine in operation the hat brim to be treated is placed upon the lower
pad (16), and the upper pad is then lowered on to the hat brim by releasing
lever (24), the said upper pad finding its proper bed upon the brim by reason
of its swivel mounting. The hat brim is then (or previously) introduced between
the rollers (26), and with the to-and-fro motion of the pads, and such pads
operating upon the respective sides of the brim, while it is drawn between them,
both sides of the brim are effectively and simultaneously pounced.
To protect the hat crown from injury we provide a thin metal plate (34),
capable of being tilted up out of the way when required, and to hold the brim
well between the pads we provide a small runner (35) carried by upright (36)
mounted on a small pivoted plate (37) which under the pull of spring (38) holds
the runner against the hat with a yielding pressure. To support the hat during
treatment we provide a wooden rest (39).
"
To effect the automatic stoppage of the machine after the hat brim has received
a predetermined amount of treatment we hold the friction driving cones in gear
by the aid of a toggle," comprising cranked lever (40) fulcrumed on upright
bracket (41), link (42) for connecting lever (40) to lever (31) and fixed stud (43).
In pulling lever (31) forward the link (42) is brought into a horizontal position,
and resting on stud (43) prevents lever (31) returning, which has a constant
tendency to return under the pull of spring (44) acting on extension (31) of said
lever, and a fixed part (45). For " breaking such toggle we employ a vertical
spindle (46) carrying a disc wheel (47) with holes (48) and loose interchangeable
peg (49), also a swivel plate or lever (50) lying on the top of bracket (41) with one
end lying in the path of the peg (49) when carried round by disc wheel (+7), and
the other end lying opposite the free end of lever (40). The spindle (46) also
carries a ratchet wheei (51) and below such wheel and also mounted on the
spindle (46) is a lever (52), which carries a pawl (53) designed to engage with the
teeth of wheel (51) Said lever extends beyond the wheel (30), and opposite the
face of such wheel carries a set screw (54) which under the pressure of a spring (55)
presses against the wheel. Upon the face of the wheel is a swelling (56), hence at
cach rotation of the wheel (30) the lever (52) is caused to move the pawl (53)
forward, advance the ratchet wheel (51) one or more teeth at a time, and with it
the spindle (46), disc wheel (47) and peg (49).
When the peg reaches the turned up end of the swivel lever (50) it pushes
the swivel to one side and thereby causes the opposite end of the swivel lever
to press against lever (40) and so break the "toggle," which in turn allows lever (31)
to move back, throw the cones out of contact, and so stop the machine. The
position of the link (42) & lever (40) when the machine is stopped is shewn in
Fig. 3.
By the interchange of the peg (49) into the various holes in the disc, or by
varying the speed of the disc, the machine may be set to stop at different periods
according to the treatment of the hat brim between the pads desired.
To afford a sufficient pressure of the upper pad upon the lower pad, also to
regulate such pressure we provide a lever (57) resting upon the carrier bracket (18)
and carrying
a weight (58) capable of being moved to-and-fro along said lever.
Whilst we shew the pads or their slides as operated from two shafts arranged
on opposite sides of the machine, we may operate them from two shafts upon the
same side, or one shaft only. Each pad is composed of an elastic cushion over
which a layer of emery paper is tightly stretched and held by clamps at each
side.

page_text: Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is;-
1: In felt hat brim pouncing machines, a set of pouncing pads operating
to-and-fro in a parallel direction and one above the other under the impulses of
rods, studs, discs and shafts receiving motion from a driving pulley, substantially
as herein set forth and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
2: In felt hat brim pouncing machines, a set of pouncing pads operating
to-and-fro in a parallel direction and one above the other under the impulses of
rods, studs, discs and shafts receiving motion from a driving pulley, and means for
automatically arresting the motion of said pads substantially as herein set forth
and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
3-In felt hat brim pouncing machines, a set of pouncing pads, a set of slides
carrying said pads, a fixed bracket carrying the lower pad, and a movable bracket
and swivel pin carrying the upper pad, and a lever and catch for raising, lowering
and sustaining said upper pad or bracket, substantially as herein set forth, and
illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
4: In felt hat brim pouncing machines, a set of pouncing pads operating in
the manner described, and a set of conical rolls for drawing a hat brim between
the said pads, substantially as herein set forth.
*
5 In felt hat brim pouncing machines, a lever for stopping and starting the
motion of the machine, a toggle," comprising bell-crank lever, link and stud for
locking said lever for a predetermined period, a disc with holes and loose inter-
changeable peg driven by cam, lever, pawl and ratchet wheel intermittently, and
a swivel lever or plate for breaking said "toggle" under the movements of said peg.
and all mounted and operating substantially as herein set forth and illustrated
on the accompanying drawings.
6: The combination and arrangement of parts constituting our improved
construction of felt hat brim pouncing machine, substantially as herein set forth
and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of April 1800
HENRY HERBERT TURNER,
ALBERT TURNER, .
ARNOLD TURNER,
By John G. Wilson & Co.. Agents.