IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY DESIGNED FOR SHAPING AND PRESSING STRAW HATS, BONNETS, AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Washington Belding, of No. 97, Cheapside,
in the City of London, Merchant, and David Emory Holman, of No. 72,
Sloane Street, Chelsea, Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY DESIGNED FOR SHAPING AND PRESSING STRAW HATS, BONNETS,
AND OTHER ARTICLES."-A communication from abroad by John Rogers,
of Mansfield, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Sealed the 6th June 1865, and dated the 14th December 1864.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Washington Belding
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 14th December 1864, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
WASHINGTON BELDING, of No. 97, Cheapside, in the City of London,
Merchant, and DAVID EMORY HOLMAN, of No. 72, Sloane Street, Chelsea,
Middlesex, send greeting..
WHEREAS we are in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY DESIGNED FOR SHAPING AND PRESSING STRAW HATS, BONNETS, AND
OTHER ARTICLES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto us, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the
same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been communicated to
us from abroad by John Rogers, of Mansfield, Massachusetts, United States
of America.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George Washington Belding and
David Emory Holman, do hereby declare that the following Complete
Specification, under our hands and seals, fully describes and ascertains the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan of the machine,
Figure 2 a side elevation, and Figure 8 an end elevation of the same;
Figure 4 is a section of the expanding block on which the articles are shaped
and pressed; Figure 5, a front elevation of the same, and Figure 6 a front
elevation of a non-expanding block for similar purposes.
The nature of our Invention consists, first, in the mode of applying power
to the parts of a machine for pressing and shaping articles.
Second, in the manner of expanding a block designed for this purpose.
Third, in the use of a solid or hollow non-expanding pressing and shaping
block with an elastic or yielding covering.
Fourth, in the devices for adjusting said blocks in reference to the mould
to adapt the machine for pressing articles of various thicknesses, and in
locking the movable frame to which the power is applied to the mould or
steam chest,
Fifth, in the arrangement of the different parts, whereby is combined
cheapness in construction with efficiency and facility in the operations of the
machine.
Our improved machine may be constructed of any suitable material,
required size, and convenient form.
The machine: shown in the Drawings is made of metal with the exception
of the pressing and shaping blocks which are partially formed of wood; these
blocks may, however, be formed advantageously of metal alone, and should in
either case have a covering of india-rubber or other yielding material.
A is the bed plate of the machine; B, Figure 1, a horizontal frame;
C, the supports of this frame; D, Figure 3, is a block on which the sup-
ports C rest, and to which the latter are securely bolted; this block slides in
a way on the bed plate, the form of which is shown in Figure 3. Between
the bearing surfaces of the bed plate and sliding block may be placed. two
steel plates a. A rod or shaft E passes through journals formed at either
end of the frame B; to the end of the rod E is fixed an expanding or non-
expanding pressing and shaping block, the former F being shown detached in
Figures 4 and 5, and the latter, G, being shown detached in Figure 6. One
end of the levers H is secured to a boss b formed on the rod E by means of
pivot c, and one end of the levers I is connected to the frame B by means of

page_text: sockets J and pivots d; these sockets are bolted to the frame, as clearly shown
in Figure 2. The adjacent ends of the levers H and I are connected by
means of a socket K and pivots e forming toggle joints. The hand or power
wheel L is secured on end of a dead screw f, the opposite end of the
latter being connected with the socket K in any convenient manner. In the
frame B is placed a live nut with collars 9 and h; the collar h is secured to
this nut by means of a set screw i, so that it may be readily removed. The
hand or power wheel L may be connected with the live nut through the
separate collar h, or a collar may be formed on the wheel itself, and fastened
directly to said nut. M is the steam chest or heating box which is supported
by the standards j and the rod k; this box is cast or formed open at one end,.
which is closed by the mould N, shown by dotted lines in Figure 2, said mould
being so united to the box M by means of screw. bolts passing through the
flanges and m, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, that the mould may be readily
removed when desired: There is an inlet at the top of the chest M, and an
outlet pipe n fixed in the bottom, shown in Figure 2. O are adjustable con-
necting pins with slots o, and P is a key band with a handle p and two pro
jections or keys q. The connecting pius O are adjusted by means of a screw
formed on the same working in a female screw formed in the frame B, said.
pin being secured by the nut r.
:
The expanding block F is formed in four sections s, as shown in Figure 5 ;.
these sections are forced outward at the same time the block itself is being
pressed into the mould by means of the levers t hinged at one end to the boss Q.
and boss Q' and at the other to the metal conical sections S fixed to block F
R, Figure 4, is a spiral spring for contracting the block. The block G is
formed solid, having a plate T through an aperture in which the rod or
shaft E passes, said rod being secured in place the set screw u fixed in the
flange ; these blocks are covered with an elastic yielding material for the:
purpose of more perfectly pressing articles with uneven surfaces.
The frame B connected with the block D by the standards C slides back
and forth on the bed plate A. The pressing and shaping block which is con-
nected to the frame B by the rod or shaft E being withdrawn from the
mould N, which is connected, as before described, to the steam chest or
heating box M; the operator places the bonnet or other article upon said
5 block. The frame B is then moved up to the chest M, as shown in Figure 1,
and locked thereto by means of the connecting pins O and keys: q on the key
band P; this band is moved by the handle p, simultaneously locking or
unlocking both pins. These pins are adjustable for the purpose of adapting
the machine for pressing and shaping articles of various thicknesses without a

page_text: change of parts. The pressing and shaping block having been secured in the
mould, the hand or power wheel L is turned to bring the levers H and I into
line, and thereby exerting the required pressure upon said block. When the
block F, shown in Figures 4 and 5, is used, the power exerted upon the rod E
not only forces the block forward but expands it laterally within the
mould.
"
When the block G, shown in Figure 6, is used, the power is exerted in a
borizontal direction only, which is all that is necessary in some description of
articles, the block being covered with india-rubber or other yielding substance.
While the articles are being pressed and shaped the mould should be heated ;
for this purpose steam is usually employed, being admitted to the steam chest
through the inlet at the top thereof, and the water formed from the steam
being discharged through the outlet pipe n; other convenient means of
heating may be employed. When the article is properly pressed and shaped
the frame B is moved back, thereby withdrawing the block from the mould;
when an expanding block is used the larger end of the same is contracted as
the motion of the wheel L is reversed by pressure of the spring R against the
boss Q, thereby lessening the friction between the said block and the mould N.
The first article being removed another is placed upon the block, and the same
operations are repeated.
The blocks and mould, shown in the Drawings, are designed for pressing and
shaping bonnets, but it will be readily seen that articles of various descriptions
may be pressed and shaped, the only change required being in the mould N
and block F or G, which mould and blocks are so united to other parts of the
machine as to be readily attached or detached. For the wheel L may be
substituted a crank, and other parts may be replaced by similar or equivalent
substitutes without changing the character of our Invention.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of our improve-
ments, and shown how the same may be conveniently carried into practice, we
claim as our Invention,―
First, the combination of the levers H and I with the rod E and the
pressing and shaping block F or G, for the purpose and substantially in the
manner described.
Second, the devices, shown in Figure 4, for expanding and contracting the
pressing and shaping block when employed for the purpose and arranged
substantially in the manner described.
Third, the use of a non-expanding block G when covered with india-rubber
or other yielding material, for the purpose and substantially in the manner
described.

page_text: Fourth, the adjustable connecting pins O for the purpose of adapting the
machine to articles of various thickness locked substantially in the manner
described.
Fifth, the general arrangement or combination of the parts constituting our
Invention, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
GEORGE HASELTINE,
12, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
London.
GEO. W. BELDING. (Ls.)
(L.B.)
D. E. HOLMAN.