Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 13th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 25th Apr., 1888
I JOHN HENRY NEAVE of Rainow Macclesfield in the county of Chester, Hat
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to improvements in the method of treating hats made from
felted materials during the process of manufacture with the object of consolidating and
rendering more cloth like the texture of the felt and also to assist in obtaining and
preserving a bright and glossy surface upon hats.
It consists essentially in subjecting the partly made hat at a certain stage in the
process of manufacture to the action of steam and a considerable pressure forced
through the material and further in the apparatus for carrying out the operation.
In carrying the invention into effect I construct a block or case of metal or other
suitable material of a shape to receive the hat to be. operated upon.
The block may
be made so that the hat body may fit over it or into it as may be found most desirable
and of shape corresponding to the shape of the hat body at whatever stage of the
manufacture it may be taken to be operated upon. At present I prefer to make the
block to receive the hats on the outside and detachable from the other parts of
the apparatus so that it can be removed for the purpose of fitting the hat bodies
thereon. The block or shape upon or into which the hat bodies fit is perforated with
holes at a suitable distance apart. The under part of the block or shape is enclosed
to form a steam chest or chainber into which the steam is led by means of a pipe. A
baffle plate may be inserted to prevent any condensed water being raised or forced
through the perforations with the steam. The hats are then drawn tightly down one
on the top of another onto the perforated shape or if preferred may be fitted one
inside another into a perforated shape made in a concave form-and being fastened
securely down, steam at the required pressure is introduced into the case below the
hats which having no other means of escape is driven through the perforated holes
and right through the material.
The hats may be held in their place by a covering of canvas, cloth or other suitable
material tightly bound round them or where more pressure is desired a metal or other

page_text: rigid covering suitably perforated-to-admit of the escape of the steam forced through
the bats may be screwed or otherwise fastened down upon them (or inside them).-
"
For the purpose of consolidating and tightening the texture of the felt it may be
subjected to this steaming process at any stage during the process of manufacture and
it may be desirable to repeat the steaming process one or more times before and after the
finishing" of the hats but for the purpose of brightening the appearance of the
hats, this process should in any case-be employed after the "Finishing" operation
and a considerable pressure kept upon the hats whilst they are subjected to the steam
by this means any opening of the felt that may have resulted from the finishing
process will be closed up and a brightness imparted to the surfaco.
Hitherto I have obtained the best results by employing the steaming process upon
hats that have been finished " or polished by the methods described in the
-Specifications of patents No. 2051 May 1881 and No. 4526 of 26th March 1887.
Hats polished by the methods described in these specifications and afterwards subjected-
under pressure to a force of steam may be made closely to resemble highly finished-
broadcloth. The somewhat velvety appearance produced by the method described in
the specification of my patent of May 1881 No. 2051 will be removed by this process
and the closeness and solidity of the texture of the felt increased and the brightness
rendered much more permanent.

page_text: Fig. 4 plan view of perforated plate K.
In theso A is a steam chamber or chest with a perforated top K' and an aperture
which is covered by the perforated block or shape J. B is a large chamber placed
below A supplied with steam from the feed pipe C. The chamber B communicates
with chest A and is fitted at the top with a baffle plate b or other contrivance to
prevent condensed water being thrown into chest A. C, is the steam feed pipe. D, is
a chamber placed so as to receive any condensed water that may be blown forward
from the feed pipe C and guide it down to the bottom of B where it escapes by the
small pipe E. F, is a pipe to drain condensed water from the chamber A. The pipes E
and Fare supplied with stop taps e and f. H, are cramps fitted on pivots and
supplied with screws to hold the metal plates K in their places. J, is the perforated
metal block upon which the hats are placed and may be made of any shape required.
K, is a perforated metal plate.

page_text: Tho hats or hat bodies (at whatever stage of manufacture they are taken) are
drawn down upon the block J one on top of another. The block with the hat bodies
is then placed in position upon the steam chest A and a porous or perforated covering
preferably canvas, placed over it and securely fastened so as to hold and compress the
hat material tightly to prevent the moving or curling of the fibres more particularly
the outer one under the influence of steam. When the hats are covered with the canvas
the plato K is placed over them and screwed tightly down by the cramps H. This
brings pressure upon the brims and draws the canvas tightly over the crowns and
sides of the hats. To avoid the brims being marked by the folds of the canvas it is
desirable frequently to use two of these plates-one to be placed immediately upon the
brims of the hats underneath the canvas-whilst the second is placed upon the top of
the canvas, which being drawn into folds by the plate will bring the needful pressure
upon the crowns of the hats. The cramps H secure the block J and perforated
plate K to the steam chest A and when fastened, steam at the required pressure is
admitted through the inlet steam pipe C and chamber B to the chest A. The steam
having no other means of exit is forced through the perforations in the block J and
top plate of chest A through the hats and through the covering of canvas or other
material by which they are compressed.
Instead of canvas as a covering for compressing the hats during the process of
steaming any other suitable textile or porous or perforated material may be employed
that will allow of the passage of steam through it. Or a perforated metal shape may
be used as a covering, there is an objection however to the use of tho metal shapo as
it has more tendency to condenso the steam in its passage through the material and I
find that the best results are obtained by the use of steam as dry as possible.
It is obvious that the block J may be reversed and placed down into the chest A
the steam passing through the hats from the outside to the inside. Or the hat bodies
may be fitted into a shape instead of onto one.
While I prefer to use an apparatus such as herein shown and force the steam
through the material as I obtain the best results thereby it is not absolutely essential
for the success of my process that the steam should he forced directly through the
material as I find that if the hats or hat bodies are tightly compressed upon or into a
block or shape, with a porous or perforated covering and then placed into a steam
chest or chamber into which steam is admitted (preferably under pressure) a fairly
good result will be produced. In either caso provision should be made for the escapo
of any condensed water as it is important that water should not be driven onto the
material during the operation.
"
For the purpose of consolidating and tightening the texture of the felt it may bo
subjected to this steaming process at any stage during the process of manufacture and
it may be desirable to repeat the steaming process one or more times before and after
the finishing" of the hats but for the purpose of brightening the appearance of the hats
this process must be employed after the "finishing" operation and a considerable
compressing pressure kept upon the hats whilst they are subjected to the steam; by
this means any opening of the felt that may have resulted from the finishing process
will be closed up and a brightness imparted to the surface.
Hitherto I have obtained the best results by applying this steaming process to hats
that have been "finished" or polished by the methods described in the specifications
of patents No. 2051 of 1881 and No. 4526 of 1887. Hats polished by the methods
described in these specifications and afterwards subjected whilst under an independent
pressure to the action of steam preferably forced through them may be made closely
to resemble highly finished broadcloth. The somewhat velvety appearance produced
by the method described in the specification of my patent of 1881 No. 2051 will be
removed by this process and the closeness and solidity of the texture of the felt
increased and the brightness rendered much more permanent.
I do not however limit the invention to hats so prepared or finished as it may be
applied to hats for the purpose of consolidating the fibres of the felt before finishing or
to bats finished by any other process for the purpose of fixing the finish or polish.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it to be understood
that I am aware that hats have during manufacture been subjected to the action of
steam in an enclosed chamber and do not claim broadly the steaming of hats but 1
declare that what I claim is :-
1. The process of treating hats during manufacture which consists in subjecting the
hat to the action of steam while the hat or hat body is tightly compressed or subjected
to an independent pressure either for the purpose of consolidating the texture of the
material or of fastening the finish or polish or for both purposes substantially as
described.
2. As a new article of manufacture, a hat having a finish resembling broadcloth
made from a felted material which has been finished or polished by the process
described in specification of Patent No. 2051 of 1881 or of Patent No. 4526 of 1887
and then subjected to the action of steam while compressed or subjected to an
independent pressure substantially as described.
3. The method of steaming hats by passing or forcing steam under pressure
through them while they are tightly enclosed or independently compressed substantially
as described.
4. An apparatus for steaming or treating hats during manufacture having a steam
chamber or chest, perforated on top, into which the steam under pressure is delivered
and from which when under operation the only egress is through the hats or hat
bodies, a baffle plate or chamber to prevent water being carried with the steam and a
shape and plate to receive and secure the inaterial substantially as described and
shown.