Improvements in or connected with Hydraulic Hat Presses.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Hydraulic Hat Presses.
We, HENRY Herbert TurNER and ALBERT TURNER both of Denton, near
Manchester, Hatters' Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of our said 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 has reference to hydraulic hat presses, and consists, first in means
for readily repairing the centre pin of curling presses when worn or damaged,
second in means for distributing the water in the press bag more centrally than
heretofore, third in means for better supporting the cover plate, fourth in means
for setting or fixing the brim plate in true relation to the hat mould, fifth in means
for marking the felt to afford an indication to the hat curler of the centre line
of the hat, sixth in means for setting the "brow" and seventh in means for
automatically raising and lowering the brim plate before and after the operation of
pressing the crown and brim of the hat.
And in order that our said invention shall be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect, we have hereunto annexed two sheets of drawings and
will now proceed to describe the same with the assistance of the various figures
and letters of reference marked thereon.
On Sheet 1 Fig 1 illustrates a sectional view of part of the cover portion of a
hat brim curling press shewing the position of the centre pin and water inlet orifice
and with the first, second and sixth features of our improvements applied thereto.
Fig. 2 shews the centre pin alone. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 illustrate transverse sectional
and inverted plan views of modifications of the second feature of our improvements.
Fig. 6 illustrates part of the third feature of our invention.
On Sheet 2 Figs. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate the fourth, fifth and seventh features of
our invention, Fig. 8 being a transverse section of the hat mould of a press with
a hat body therein and the brim plate resting on the brim thereof and Fig. 7 being
a similar view of the bag portion of a press in the position it occupies when raised
out of the mould shewn in Fig. 8.
Referring now to the first feature of our invention the centre pin of a hat brim
curling press frequently requires renewing owing to the screw thread thereon
becoming stripped under the pressure of the water behind the top plate, and at
present the renewing of the centre pin is a difficult matter generally entailing a
Our invention is to obviate this
stoppage and the removal of part of the press.
latter grievance and consists of a portable threaded portion which fits over the
fixed centre pin and which is under the control of the operator who can renew it
any time in a few minutes. This portable threaded portion consists, preferably of
a sleeve or tube of metal (A) see Figs. 1 and 2 which is screw threaded internally
and externally as illustrated, the internal thread serving to screw the sleeve onto
the centre pin (B) (formed as illustrated and screw threaded to receive the sleeve)
This
and the external thread serving to receive the usual stay nut (C).
sleeve or tube when screwed up against the shoulder (D) is prevented turning
or becoming loose by means of the lock nuts (E), (E) which screw onto the end of
the centre pin as illustrated. In this way instead of screwing the stay nut direct
on to the centre pin as heretofore we screw such stay nut onto the sleeve portion
and thus cause the pressure to be sustained by the thread of such sleeve portion
instead of by the thread of the centre pin.
Referring now to the second feature of our invention in hat brim curling presses
and in hat body presses the water supplied to the press bag is usually admitted
through an orifice away from the centre of the bag on account of the position of

page_text: the centre pin and as a consequence the water tends to act upon one part of the
bag before another. Now our invention has for its object to distribute the water
from a point or points as near the centre of the bag as possible and as applied to
existing hat presses consists of a dished plate (F) mounted on the centre pin as
illustrated and provided with the perforations (G), (G). The periphery of this
plate extends beyond the water inlet orifice (H). The water entering at (H) is
prevented entering directly into the bag by the dished plate (F) which collects and
leads it to the centre of the press and distributes it centrally through the
perforations (G), (G) around the centre pin as desired. As applied to new
machines this part of our invention consists in forming a channel or passage (I) in
the substance of the cover (see sectional and plan views Figs. 3 and 4) which
extends from the water inlet opening (H) to an annular chamber (J) around the
opening for the centre pin. This annular passage communicates with the interior
of the press bag through a number of perforations (K) which distribute the water
centrally as it flows into the bag. A further modification consists of a pipe (L)
(see Fig. 5) one end of which screws into the water inlet opening and the other
end coils round the centre pin, such coiled extremity being perforated on its
underside for the distribution of the water. The same effect may be produced by
forming a groove on the underside of the cover from the inlet opening to and around
the centre pin opening, and covering said groove by a plate, so forming a channel
or passage for the water, that part of the plate around the centre pin being
perforated for the distributing purposes aforesaid.
Referring now to the third feature of our invention the cover plate of hat
presses is usually supported by one chain and heretofore the breakage of such chain
has caused serious damage to the press and injury to the attendant. Now our
improvements consist in duplicating the chains so that in case one should break
the other is available for supporting the cover plate. To provide for this we
employ either a double grooved pulley or two separate pulleys to carry the
chains and we connect the chains to the centre pin of the cover plate in the manner
illustrated in Fig. 6. The opposite ends of the chains are both connected to the
usual balance weight.
"
Referring now to the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh features of our improve-
ments which relate to means for fixing the usual brim plate in proper relation to
the hat mould, to means for marking the felt to afford an indication to the hat
shaper or curler of the exact centre line of the hat, to means for setting the "brow
and to means for raising and lowering the brim plate automatically, we employ the
brim plate (M) (see Fig. 7, 8 and 9) and, by preference at each end of this plate
and on the centre line thereof we fix a stud or peg (N) corresponding to a hole or
recess formed in the top of the hat mould (O) as illustrated. These pegs which
are, by preference formed conical for the better seating of the plate, always cause
the oval or other shape of the plate to lie in proper relation to the oval or other
shape of the hat mould, thus avoiding all nicety of adjustment on the part of the
operator and ensuring the proper alignment of the brim of a hat with the crown,
independently of the operator's skill. In this same brim plate & by preference as
near each side as possible and on the centre line thereof we stamp or otherwise
form small slots or openings (P) (P) (seen more clearly in plan view Fig. 9).
These slots or openings when the hat is in the press and pressure is applied to the
plate, leave a small portion of the felt corresponding to said openings unpressed
and when the pressure is removed and the hat withdrawn from the press such
unpressed portions appear as two small projections. These "projections
constitute " marks and serve for indicating the true centre line of the hat and
afford a guide to the shaper and curler in setting the brim. The "projections
are formed as near the edge of the brim as possible so that they may be afterwards
covered by the usual trimming, It will be obvious that indentations would serve
as well as slots for "marking" the felt. Instead of a slot or depression a small
enlargement may be formed on the plate producing a depression instead of a
projection on the felt.
"
"

page_text: In hat presses it is usual to employ what is called a "brow" (Q) (see Fig. 1) which
corresponds to the oval of the mould and fits into the entrance of the mould during
the curling or shaping operation in order to preserve the formation of the hat body.
This "brow" is interchangeable with "brows" of other sizes according to the
size of the hat being curled. Now our invention has for its object to facilitate the
setting of these "brows" in proper relation to the hat mould after the manner of
setting the brim plate aforesaid and consists in providing the supporting plate (R),
which always remains on the centre pin, with a set of pegs or studs (S), (S) and
of forming the "brow " with holes or openings corresponding thereto. The
supporting plate is formed in one with the nut (R) and is thereby screwed onto
the centre pin, the boss of the "brow" being formed hollow to allow room for the
nut. When the "brow" is placed on the centre pin it is pressed up against the
supporting plate and turned round until the holes find the pegs or studs and being
then pushed further up finds its own position and simply requires to be clamped by
the stay nut (C).
-To avoid the handling or taking out and replacing of the brim plate each time a
hat brim is pressed we provide the inner periphery of said plate with bevilled
portions or projections (T) as illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. These portions
engage with the rubber bag as illustrated in Fig. 7 the distances between their
nearest edges being narrower than the diameter of the bag so that when the bag
is raised out of the mould the brim plate is raised with it by reason of the said
bevilled portions gripping the bag thus avoiding the necessity of handling as
aforesaid. When the bag is again lowered into the mould the brim plate is also
lowered.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. In hydraulic hat presses the use and employment of an internally and
externally threaded sleeve portion (A) fitting onto the centre pin and locked
thereon by nuts or other suitable means substantially as and for the purposes set.
forth and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
2nd. In hydraulic presses, conveying the water before it enters the press bag to
a point or points near the centre of the cover and distributing it centrally into the
press bag by means of a dished plate (F), cored passage (I), length of piping (L)
or grooved channel and plate substantially as set forth and illustrated.
3rd. In hydraulic hat presses the use and employment of two chains for raising,
lowering and sustaining the cover portion of the press substantially as set forth and
illustrated.
4th. In hydraulic hat presses the use of a brim plate with pegs or pins and a hat
mould formed with holes or recesses to receive the pegs or pins aforesaid
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5th. In hydraulic hat presses the use and employment of a brim plate having
small slots, indentations or enlargements on the centre line of the plate and, by
preference near the periphery thereof as and for the purposes set forth.
6th. In hydraulic bat brim presses the use of a supporting plate with pegs or
pins and "brows" formed with holes or recesses to receive the pegs or pins aforesaid
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7th. In hydraulic hat presses the use and employment of a brim plate with a
bevilled portions upon its inner circumference as and for the purpose set forth.
8th. The general improvements in hydraulic hat presses separate or combined.
substantially as set forth and illustrated.
Dated this 19th den of Tan1202
JOHN G. WILSON & Co.,
Agents.