IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wilson, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Hat
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS."-A communication from abroad by
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th January 1873.
I, WILLIAM WILSON, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Hat Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR The Manufacture of Hats," to be as follows:-
The Invention relates to improvements in machinery for planking or
sizing hat bodies. The hat bodies after being hardened are placed in a
fulling mill, which is so constructed that the height of the fall of the
hammers can be regulated at the will of the workmen whilst the machine
is in operation, and also that the receptacle for the hat bodies can bo
decreased in size during the operation of felting. The regulation of the

page_text: rise and fall of the hammers is accomplished by a manner of lifting them,
consisting of a system of cams, which clamp at intervals belts attached
to the hammers, and by the rotary motion of these cams the belts are
drawn downwards and the hammers caused to rise. The height to which
the hammers are to be lifted is determined by the relative position to
cach other of the cams, and this position is altered by means of a handle
attached to a system of links and gears, and can be varied from a lift of
6 to 24 inches or more.
The back of the mill is composed of one or more loose pieces hinged
in the frame, and adjustable by means of a system of locks, and held in
position by a set screw, whereby the receptacle in which the hat bodies
are felted is decreased as their shrinking renders it needful to lessen it.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-Hat bodies saturated
with slightly acidulated water are placed in the mill, enlarged to its full
extent, sufficient to fill it loosely. The fall of the hammer is reduced to
its minimum extent; 'as the felting takes place the fall of the hammer is
increased and the space for the bodies diminished until the felting is
completed. The requisite temperature and moisture are maintained by
a pipe of hot water.
The Invention also relates to a machine for pouncing hat bodies on
the brim or on the brim and crown whilst the bodies are in the conical
form. The machine consists of two conical feed rollers in combination
with a conical cutting roller and supporting bed for hat bodics, so
arranged that the feed rollers may be adjusted relatively to each other
and to the cutting roller and bed that any size or shape of hat may be
pounced, and in any part. For this purpose the feed rollers are located
in independent frames, which may be adjusted lengthwise to the cutting
roller and nearer to or further from it as occasion may require.
To carry off the cuttings a suction blower is attached to the end of the
spindle of the cutting roller which draws them through a pipe having an
opening over the end of it.
To facilitate the papering of the hat the pipe is hung on the blower
and can be raised out of the way of the operator.
The rapidly revolving cutting roller is formed of india-rubber or other
clastic material covered with glass or emery paper.

page_text: The Invention also relates to a machine for ironing hats when on the
finishing block, which is so arranged that the under brim, the upper
brim, the side, crown, square, and tip may be ironed off at the same
time without any assistance from the operator. Upon an upright
spindle suitable mechanism to fasten upon it the hat block with the hat
on is placed. Parallel with this another spindle carries on its end a
rapidly revolving disc heated by gas or otherwise, which acts as an iron
for the under brim.
In a suitable frame another iron is so arranged as to adapt itself side-
ways to the various shapes and sizes of crowns while resting upon the
revolving hot brim so as to finish the upper brim. The side, crown, tip,
and square of the hat are finished by two irons also heated by gas or
sluggs. A long arm hinged near the base of the machine and pressed
by a system of levers and weights towards the hat block carries on its
upper end a spindle which is fitted in a movable socket at an angle of
about 15° to tho upright spindle. An extension of this axis would strike
at or about the square of the hat. To this spindle two irons are hinged, so
arranged that they may be held closer together or further apart to adjust
them for different heights of crown. To the spindle is attached a seg-
mental gear which makes a quarter of a revolution at every turn of a
cam which receives motion by means of a belt and a system of gears
from the main driving shaft.
When first put on the hat the tip iron is in an horizontal position and
presses on the flat part of the tip, while the side iron is in a vertical
position and irons the straight or curved part of the side crown. As the
cam revolves it causes the irons to travel around the centre of the
oblique spindle, and in this manner move gradually up to and over tho
square. The shape of the cam is such that this movement is so adjusted
that cach part of the crown receives an equal amount of work, and the
irons are, by the continued motion of the cam, brought back again to
their original position, and the operation may be repeated at the will of
the workman.
To facilitate the laying of the nap and putting on of the water the
machine is provided with a double set of belts, one for the slow motion
for the ironing, and the other fast for the above named purpose. The
change from one speed to the other is made by shifting a clutch coupling.
by means of a handle lever.

page_text: All the irons, except that for the under brim, are hinged in pins to
allow as close an adjustment as possible to the irregularitics of the
shapes and thicknesses of the hats. To use the Bunsen air burner and
to economise the heat the irons are formed with return channels inside,
and each iron is provided with a chimney that there may be draught |
enough to burn the gas all up, and prevent soot in the irons, and thus
prevent the hats becoming spotted during the ironing.
The fourth part of this Invention relates to machinery for pressing and
shaping the hat at one operation, and consists of a press so constructed
that the necessary pressure is produced by the closing of the two jaws of
The hats are pressed
the press either by hand or by mechanical means.
with great force by the pressure of water upon a diaphragm or flexible
bag in connection with a die or mould, and this pressure is produced
by closing and locking the press, and then applying the necessary
pressure by means of an independent force pump or air chamber.
I also construct the bag in such manner that it will not only fill and
press the side crowns and a straight or arched flat brim, but will force
the brim round a properly shaped mould, and thus at one operation give
the desired curl or shape around its edge. To take off the bag from
the bat without disturbing it after being pressed a shaping weight con-
forming partly to the shape of the bag is placed inside the water chamber,
which by its action takes off the bag at right angles with the hat in
all its parts, and prevents the hat sticking to the bag.
A water reservoir is placed on the press head, which may be put in
communication with the water chamber, and so increase the pressure
on the hat. To lower and raise the press head a system of cams and levers
is employed while the pressure is produced by the use of two knuckle
joints operated by the machinery.
When using power from a motor the press is operated by two belts
on the pullies on the driving shaft, and by the adjustment of the belt-
shifting arrangement the motions take place as follows:-After the hat
is placed in the mould the press head and diaphragm are put on the dic
and the pressure is put on by the automatic action of the machine. When
this is done the machine stops, and the workmen, having allowed the
necessary time to set the hat to clapse, again starts the machine, wher
the pressure is taken off and he removes the press head and diaphragm
and removes the hat and puts in another to be operated upon. With

page_text: some change in the adjustments of the shifting mechanism this machine
may be made to work entirely automatically.
.
The moulds are sometimes needed hot, and an apparatus is attached to
the press for superheating the steam when needed.
In some cases two rubber bags are used, one slightly larger than the
other, the larger in a short time becoming nearly as hot as the mould,
and the finish of the under brim is hereby much improved. To replace
one bag by another the bolts that hold the clamping ring are placed
outside the surfaces which hold the edge of the bag, preventing leakage
and the necessity of putting holes in the periphery of the bag.
When operated by hand the process is nearly the same. The actuating
mechanism is placed on the top of the press, and a hand wheel with
spokes provided for the workman, turning it one way. The press head is
closed upon the mould, and the pressure put on; turning it the other
the pressure is first taken off and the press head removed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WILSON, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Hat Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-.
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Wilson, Her special license, that
I, the said William Wilson, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Wilson, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MANUFACTURE OF HATS," a communication to me from abroad by Rudolph
THE

page_text: Eickemeyer, of Yonkers, in the United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Wilson, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the 5
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Wilson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same 1
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:—
The Invention relates to improvements in machinery for planking or
sizing hat bodies; the hat bodies, after being hardened, are placed in a
fulling mill, which is so constructed that the height of the fall of the 1
hammers can be regulated at the will of the workman whilst the
machine is in operation, and also that the receptacle for the hat bodies
can be decreased in size during the operation of felting; the regulation
of the rise and fall of the hammers is accomplished by a manner of
lifting them, consisting of system of cams which clamp at intervals 2
belts attached to the hammers, and by the rotary motion of these cams
the belts are drawn downwards and the hammers caused to rise; the
height to which the hammers are to be lifted is determined by the
relative position to each other of the cams, and this position is altered
by means of a handle attached to a system of links and gears and can
be varied from a lift of 6 to 24 inches or more.
The back of the mill is composed of one or more loose pieces hinged
in the frame and adjustable by means of a system of locks and held in
position by a set screw whereby the receptacle in which the hat bodies
are felted is decreased, as their shrinking renders it needful to lessen it.
In order that this part of the Invention may be fully understood I
have represented in the accompanying Drawings, and will proceed to
déscribe an improved fulling mill, embodying the improvements.
Figure 1 in said Drawings represents an end view of the said fulling
mill, with some portions removed; Figure 2 represents a top view of the
same with portions removed; Figure 3 represents a side view of the
same.

page_text: Figure 4 represents a view of certain parts of the machine designated
by the same letters, as the same parts in the other figures.
The fulling mill represented in the said Drawings has two fulling
stocks A, A, and a curved adjustable bed B to hold the articles, while
the fulling stocks are operating upon them. The fulling stocks in this
instance are constructed in the usual manner, cacli consisting of a beater
a, which is connected by an arm 6 with a frame D, the arm being
pivotted to the frame (as at e) so that the fulling stocks may be raised,
and may fall in circular arcs.
The adjustable fulling bed is constructed with a second and movable
back which I call an apron c, which is connected with the residue of the
bed by means of a hinge c', so that the said apron may be set more or
loss forward, to vary the area of the curved concave space in which tho
articles are confined.
In order that the adjustment of the bed may be effected with facility,
the upper side of the said apron c is connected by two links d with the
arms d¹ of a rock shaft 2, which is supported in suitable bearings
connected with the frame of the fulling mill, and is fitted at one end
with a crank arm C, by means of which it may be readily rocked to
move the upper end of the apron outward or inward.
In order that the apron may be secured in any position to which it
may be adjusted, a slotted segment f is made fast to the frame D, and
a clamp screw and nut fare provided to clamp the crank armi C to the
said segment, so as to secure it, and thereby fix the positions of the rock
shaft, its arms, and the apron connected with the said arms.
In order to confine the articles more closely than can be effected by
the adjustment of the apron alone, and thereby oppose a greater resist-
ance to their movement when necessary, the upper part or tip c of the
apron c is made adjustable relatively to the main portion thereof. To
this end, the said tip (c) is hinged to the apron (c) so that it may be set
forward, as represented by the dotted lines in Figure 3, and it is con-
nected with the apron by means of a slotted bar f2 and clamp screw
and nut f³, so that the tip may be secured in any position to which it
may be adjusted.
:
The fulling stocks A in the said fulling mill are raised by the following
Tach fulling stock is fitted with a stran E. which ascends and
33330

page_text: passes over a pulley F secured to the frame of the machine, and thence
descends between a set of two gripping rollers G, G'. The descending
portion of each strap is thickened as seen edgewise in Figure 3. One of
these gripping rollers G is secured to a shaft I, which is arranged to
revolve in bearings secured to the main frame D, and is fitted at its end
with a cog wheel H, whose teeth engage with those of a pinion H'
secured to the countershaft I', and this countershaft is fitted with a set
of cone pullies J for the driving belt. The second gripping roller G' of
each set is secured to a shaft I², which is supported in bearings secured
to a swinging frame K, which is pressed towards the shaft I of the first
gripping rollers G by means of springs g, the said springs being in this
instance india-rubber springs, and being slipped over tie bolts h, which
are pivotted to the main frame and pass through holes in the upper ends
of the arms of the swinging frame K. By means of these springs the
gripping rollers are held together with a yielding pressure and enabled
to grip strongly the strap between them. The second gripping roller
G¹ of each set is caused to revolve simultaneously with the first by
connecting the two roller shafts I, I, by means of the cog wheels
L, L', L³, L', whose positions are represented in dotted lines in Figures
3 and 4.
The gripping rollers G, G', are partially eccentric, a portion of the
barrel of each extending from ito in the direction of the arrows in
Figure 4, being concentric; and the residue (from to i in the same
direction) being eccentric or of less diameter than the concentric portion,
hence when the two rollers of a set are caused to revolve simultaneously
in opposite directions, and the two are arranged so that their concentric
barrels simultaneously act upon opposite sides of the strap E, as seen at
Figure 3, the two grip the strap between them, and pulling it downwards
raise the fulling stock until the eccentric portions of the rollers como
opposite each other. As these eccentric portions are separated by a
space that is wider than the thickness of the strap, the rollers then cease
to grip the strap, thus releasing it and permitting the fulling stock with
which the strap is connected to fall by gravitation. Each revolution of
the set of gripping rollers thus causes the fulling stock to rise and
permits its descent, and as the rollers of the two sets are arranged with
their eccentric portions diametrically apart, the two fulling stocks are
caused to rise and permitted to fall in succession. The fulling stock in
falling draws the strap upward between the gripping rollers until the

page_text: fall is arrested by the articles in the bed B, or by the contact of the
outer end of the arm with the stop j, whereupon the upward movement
of the strap between the gripping rollers stops and the strap remains
ready to be gripped by the opposing concentric portions of the gripping
rollers in their revolution; but as the position of the fulling stock does
not affect the time during which the gripping rollers act upon the strap,
the fulling stock is moved to the same distance whether it start from the
same place in the bed or not, which is a result that has not been attained
by the old system of lifting fulling stocks.
In fulling at bodies it is expedient that the force of the blow of the
fulling stock, and consequently the distance to which it is raised in order
to fall with force should be varied as the fulling proceeds, the said
articles being able to sustain progressively more forcible blows as their
substance becomes hardened by fulling.
In order that the distance to which the fulling stocks are raised may
be varied so as to vary the force of the blows, the raising mechanism
(for raising the fulling stocks) is constructed so as to be adjustable. The
construction which I prefer for this purpose is as follows:-
The connecting wheels L', L³, are pivotted to a movable frame M
composed of two arms k, k¹, and a link k². One of these arms is
arranged to swing upon the adjacent roller shaft I as a centre, and the
other arm (¹) upon the other roller shaft in like manner, and the
two arms are connected by the link k², consequently the connecting
wheels L', L, may be moved relatively to the whicels L, L³, upon the
roller shafts without the teeth becoming disengaged, and the effect of
this movement is to change the angular positions of the wheels relatively
to each other. As the wheels maintain their engagement during such
movement the change in the angular positions of the wheels changes
the relative positions of the concentric portions of the barrels of the two
gripping rollers of each set, and if the two rollers be in the relative
angular positions represented at Figure 3 when the connecting wheels
and the frame M have the positions therein represented, the movement
of the connecting wheels L', L2, to the right hand partially turns the
shaft I' of the second gripping roller G₁, relative to the first (I) as seen
in Figure 4, and consequently causes a part of the eccentric portion of
the second gripping roller G' to oppose the concentric portion of the first
gripping roller G, hence the pressure upon the strap will be released
sooner than when the gripping rollers and connecting wheels occupy the

page_text: relative positions represented in Figure 3, and consequently the fulling
stock will not be raised as high as before. The extent of lift of the fulling
stocks, and consequently the force of the blows, may thus be readily
varied by the movement of the adjusting frame M; and in order that
such movement may be readily effected, one of the arms k of that frame t
is prolonged, and is connected by a rod with a lever N which is
pivotted upon the end of the shaft d². The longer arm of this lever
forms a hand lever for moving the adjusting frame M, and the latter
may be secured in any desired position in which it may be adjusted by
fastening the hand lever by means of the slotted segment s, and clamp
screw and nut 8¹.
In order that the articles in the mill may be sprinkled or steamed a
perforated pipe P is provided, one of its arms being connected by a stop-
cock with a pipe leading from a steam boiler, and the other arm being
connected in like manner with a supply of water. The fulling mill also
is provided with gags t for catching and holding stocks when their
movements are to be arrested.
Although various variable mechanisms may be used for varying the
speed of movement of the fulling stocks, I prefer a cone pulley having
several grades, to one or other of which the driving belt may be
transferred, a similar but converso cone pulley being applied to the
countershaft from which the driving belt derives its movement.
The combination of the raising mechanism of the fulling stock with
this conc pulley (J) enables the speed with which the stocks are raised
to be varied so as to effect a great saving of time. Thus when the
articles are first charged into the mill the adjustable raising mechanism
is so set as to raise the fulling stocks but a short distance, hence at this
period the blows may be made with great rapidity. As the work
proceeds the adjustable raising mechanism may be adjusted to raise the
fulling stocks higher, consequently they must then be operated more
slowly, and this is readily accomplished by shifting the driving belt to a
larger pulley grade.
If the raising mechanism were driven only at one speed, as is the
customary arrangement, the speed could be only that which can be used
with the greatest lift of the stocks, and consequently when the stocks
are lifted but little they would remain at rest for considerable periods
before they were again raised, and much time would be lost.

page_text: The combination in the same fulling mill of the adjustable bed and
the adjustable raising mechanism for the fulling stocks is of a great
practical value, as it enables the movement of the articles being fulled
to be resisted as the blows of the fulling stocks become more forcible,
and prevents the articles from escaping from the fulling stocks more
rapidly than is desirable for good work.
I claim as respects this part of the Invention the combination sub-
stantially as before set forth of the adjustable tip and the adjustable
apron of the bed of the fulling mill.
Also the combination substantially as before set forth of the fulling
stock with adjustable raising mechanism, so that the force of the blow
can be varied as the fulling progresses.
Also the combination substantially as before set forth of the adjustable
bed for the fulling mill, the fulling stock, and the adjustable raising
mechanism for the fulling stock, so that the resistance to the movement
of the articles may be increased when the force of the blow is increased.
Also the combination substantially as before set forth of the fulling
stock, the adjustable raising mechanism therefor, and the cone pulley for
varying the number of strokes of the fulling stock a given time.
Also the combination substantially as before set forth of the fulling
stock, the raising strap, and the gripping rollers.
Also the combination substantially as before set forth of the raising
strap, the gripping rollers, and the adjusting méchanism for varying the
relative angular positions of said rollers, so as to vary the time during
which they operate upon the raising strap.
The next part of the Invention has for its object to render pouncing
machines more compact, and to enable their members to be adjusted to
the various circumstances which arise in their practical operation.
At Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, of the accompanying Drawing is shewn
a pouncing machine for pouncing the brim of the hats, and Figures 9,
10, and 11, a pouncing machine for pouncing the crown of the
hats; Figure 5 represents a plan of the brim-pouncing machine
with the suction pipe removed; Figure 6 represents a side view of
the brim-pouncing roller and bed, and their appurtenances, with certain-
parts of the machine removed to exhibit its internal construction;

page_text: Figure 7 represents a side view of the feed rollers and their appurtenances
with certain portions of the machine removed; Figure 8 represents an
end view of the fan case with the end plato removed; Figure 9
represents a side view of the machine for pouncing the crown of the
hat and of the lathe on which the hat is placed; Figure 10 represents a
front view of the same; Figure 11 is a plan view of the same.
The members of the brim machine which operate directly on the hat
are the bed A which supports it, the pouncing roller B which carries the
sand paper, or other pouncing material, and applies it to the hat, and
the conical feed rollers C, C', which cause the hat body to revolve upon
the bed A and draw it through between the bed A and the pouncing
roller B. All of these members are connected with the main frame D
of the machine, or that frame which sustains the shaft of the pouncing
roller. The pouncing roller B is secured to a shaft E which is con-
structed to revolve in suitable bearings a, a', secured to the main frame,
and is fitted with a belt pulley F to which the driving belt is applied.
This shaft is extended beyond the rear bearing a', and the fan wings G
for carrying off the dust from the bat are arranged upon it, so that the
same shaft performs the two offices of pouncing roller, shaft, and ſan
shaft, and that the pouncing roller and fan can be operated by the samo
belt pulley and driving belt. The fan wings are surrounded by a fan
case G¹ which may be of the ordinary volute form, and the eye of this
case communicates with a suction pipe H which is extended to the
pouncing roller B and terminates there in a mouth d. This suction pipe
is jointed at b, so that its mouth may be raised from the pouncing roller
sufficiently to be out of the way when required, and the mouth is readily
raised or lowered and supported in either position by means of an
oscillating elbow rest f. The pouncing roller is of the usual conical
form, and its barrel is covered by preference with india-rubber so as to
hold the sand paper. Below the pouncing roller B is the bed A, which
supports the hat during pouncing. This bed is combined with the
pouncing roller by being connected with the main frame D, through the
intervention of a movable support which in the present machine has the
form of an arm M which is pivotted at its inner end of the main frame, so
that its outer end and the bed A secured thereto can be lowered, to
permit of the application of the hats to the bed and can be raised to press
the hats against the pouncing roller above. The arm M is guided in its
movement by being confined in a slot in the front end of the main frame.

page_text: The bed is varied and lowered by means of a treadle J, to which the foot
of the operator can be applied, and the distance to which it can be raised
is limited by a regulating screw g, so that the pressure of the hat against
the pouncing roller can not be made excessive, as the contact of the.
point of the regulating screw with a projection of the frame above limits
the distance to which the bed can be raised. The combination of the
bed with the pouncing roller by means of the movable arm, and the
regulating screw (or some equivalents therefor), enables the distance of
the bed from the pouncing roller to be adjusted to suit hats of different
thicknesses; hats vary in thickness from the brim to the tip and the
variation in different lots of hats differs.
In order to adapt the machine to such differences the bed A is con-
nected with its support or arm M by means of a pivot e, so that the bed
can be so tipped upon its support M that the surface of the bed A can
be more or less inclined to the surface of the pouncing roller to suit the
differences in thickness of the hats. The tipping is adjusted by turning
the nut h of the tipping screw ', and the surface of the said nut is held
in contact with the under side of the support or arm M by means of a
spring, which in this instance is made of india-rubber.
The feed rollers C, C', are arranged at one side of the pouncing roller
and bed, and they are fitted to spindles I, I, which are inclined to each
other, and are supported in the bearings of a supplementary or feed
roller frame K so that the adjacent conical surfaces of the feed
rollers may press simultaneously upon the hat between them. The two
inclined spindles I, I', are arranged to revolve in suitable boxes, and
are connected by means of bevelled wheels, so that they are com-
pelled to revolve simultaneously in opposite directions; moreover one of
the spindles is fitted with a belt pulley F', to which the driving belt,
is applied.
In order that the distance between the opposing surfaces of the conical
feed rollers may be adjusted to suit the differences in thickness of
different lots of hats the feed roller frame K is constructed of sections
m, n, the upper (m) of which is movable in a vertical direction relatively
to the lower, and can be adjusted relatively to the lower to vary eitlier
the distance between the adjacent surfaces of the feed rollers or the
inclinations of those surfaces to each other. To these ends the upper
section m of the frame is combined with the lower by means of the
1

page_text: yoke L and the pivot S. The sides of the yoke L are pivotted to the
lower section of the frame, and they embrace the upper section m so as
to prevent its lateral movement relatively to the lower section n. Tho
adjustment of the forward end of the upper section of the frame to
the lower section is effected by turning the nut j of the screw j' which
passes through a hole in the head of the yoke, and is fastened to the
upper section m of the frame, the said nut j being held in contact with
the upper surface of the yoke by means of the spring k, which in this
instance is made of india-rubber. The adjustment of the rear end of
the upper section of the sectional feed roller frame thus described is
effected by means of the screw 7. The stem of this screw passes through
a hole in a brackets of the said upper section, and is held therein by a
collar below the bracket and by the shoulder of the head above the
bracket. The body of the screw passes through a slot in the hub for the
pivot S, and is screwed into the pivot S. The bore of this hub of the
pivot, as seen in Figure 3, is oblong, and is large enough to permit the
rear end of the upper section m of the sectional frame to be screwed up
or down the extent required for the adjustment of the feed rollers. The
adjacent faces of the upper and lower sections of the sectional feed roller
frame are maintained in contact (so as to prevent lateral movement) by
means of a spring k¹, which is caused to press against the outer side of
the hub of the pivot by means of a nut k² screwed upon the end of the
pivot. The spring k' in this instance is made of india-rubber, and
metallic collars or washers are applied to cach of its ends.
The combination of the sections of the feed roller frame by the means
above described permits the upper feed roller to be moved from or
towards the lower feed roller, and without changing the inclination or
paralellism of their adjacent surfaces, by using both the means of
adjustment, vizt., the screw nut j and the screw; and the inclination
of the surfaces of the feed rollers to each other may be changed by using
cither of the said two means of adjustment, or by adjusting the forward
and rear ends of the upper section of the feed roller frame in opposite
directions, as found most expedient for any particular case..
In operating upon hats in a pouncing machinc it is sometimes
expedient (as, for example, during the operation of what is techni
cally termed "shaving") to do the feeding by having the feed rollers
operate upon the brim of the hat alone. In order that the feed rollers
may be adjusted to this requirement the feed rollers are combined with

page_text: the pouncing roller by means of an adjustable transverse connection,
which permits the longitudinal movement of the feed rollers, so that the
relative longitudinal positions of the feed rollers and the pouncing roller
may be changed.
Various adjustable transverse connections permitting such longitudinal
movement may be used, but that which I prefer and have employed in
the present machine is a radius frame N, which is pivotted at its inner
end to the bed of the main frame D, and has the rear end of the feed
roller K pivotted to it so that the outer end of the radius frame can move
to and fro, and that the feed roller frame and the feed rollers connected
therewith can be moved longitudinally to vary the longitudinal positions
of the feed rollers C, C', relatively to the pouncing roller B and to the
bed A.
In order that the feed rollers may be secured in any longitudinal
position to which they may be adjusted the radius frame N is provided
with an arm O, whose end is fitted with a clamp screw p and nut p³,
which connect it with a slotted are p² that is pivotted to the main frame.
The slacking of the clamp nut permits the longitudinal movement of
the feed roller frame and feed rollers, and the tightening of the clamp
nut secures them in their positions.
As different lots of hats vary in conicalness, it is desirable that the
feed rollers should be capable of adjustment horizontally or laterally to
the pouncing roller to suit such variation. The combination of the feed
rollers and feed roller frame with the pouncing roller bed and main
frame, through the intervention of the pivot P at the rear end of the
feed roller frame K, permits the front end of the feed roller frame
and the feed rollers to be turned horizontally from or towards the
pouncing roller and bed, so as to adapt the positions of the feed rollers
to variations in the hat bodics.
The holding of the feed rollers in any horizontal position to which
they may be so turned or adjusted is effected by means of the slotted
link Qand the clamp screw and nut u, the first of which Q is connected
by a pivot with the main frame, so that it may turn to adapt itself to
variations in the longitudinal positions of the feed rollers. A, A, repre-
sents the lathe on which the hat block B, B, is screwed. An ordinary
latho may be used for this purpose, but I prefer one with two, speeds, as
shewn in the Drawing, the slow speed to be used whilst the hat is being

page_text: .
strike at or about the square of the hat. To this spindle two irons are
hinged so arranged that they may be held closer together or further
apart to adjust them for different heights of crown. To the spindle is
attached a segmental gear which. makes a quarter of a revolution at
every turn of a cam which receives motion by means of a belt and a
system of gears from the main driving shaft. When first put on the
hat the tip iron is in an horizontal position and presses on the flat part
of the tip, while the side iron is in a vertical position and irons the
straight or curved part of the side crown; as the cam revolves it causes
the irons to travel around the centre of the oblique spindle and in this
manner move gradually up to and over the square; the shape of the
cam is such that this movement is so adjusted that cach part of the
crown receives an equal amount of work, and the irons are by the con-
tinued motion of the cam brought back again to their original position,
and the operation may be repeated at the will of the workman.
To facilitate the laying of the nap and putting on of the water the
machine is provided with a double set of belts, one for the slow motion
for the ironing and the other for the above named purpose. The change
from one speed to the other is made by shifting a clutch coupling by
means of a handle lover. All the irons except that for the under brim
are hinged in pins to allow as close an adjustment as possible to
the irregularities of the shapes and thicknesses of the hats.
To use the Bunsen air burner and to economise the heat the irons are
formed with return channels inside, and cach iron is provided with a
chimney that there may be draught enough to burn the gas all up and
prevent soot in the irons, and thus prevent the hats becoming spotted
during the ironing.
In the Drawings Figure 12 represents a side view of a machine con-
structed according to this part of the Invention; Figure 13 represents a
plan view of the same; Figure 14 represents a side view of certain
portions of the machine, with the traversing irons and their appurten-
ances operating upon the square of the crown; Figure 15 represents a
plan view of said portions at that time; Figure 16 represents a vertical
section of the machine at the line x, x, of Figure 13; Figure 17
represents a view of certain parts of the machine detached from the
residue; Figure 18 represents various views of the irons. The same
parts are denoted by the same letters throughout all the Figures.
R

page_text: The machine represented in the said Drawings has a strong framē A
which supports the moving parts of the machine and sustains the driving
shaft B. At about the centre of this frame there is an upright shaft C,
which is constructed to revolve in suitable bearings, and carries at its
upper end the block holder D, upon which the hat blocks are placed.
These hat blocks. E are of the shape to which the crown of the hat is to
be ironed, and may be made of wood in the usual manner, the hat block E
being in one picce, when the crown is to be of such form that a solid
block can be readily withdrawn from it, and the block being made in
sections when the hat is bell-crowned, the block holder D is provided
with three upright pins a, and the under sides of the hat blocks are
perforated with corresponding holes so that the hat block can be quickly
applied to and removed from the machine, and when upon the machine
is compelled to revolve with the upright shaft C and block holder D.
The said shaft C is connected with the driving shaft B through the
intervention of the cog wheels b, b, b', b', and the shaft C'.
brim, with the corner of
The other iron (F") is
In order that the brim of the hat may be ironed simultaneously on
both sides two brim irons F, F', are provided. One (F) of these irons is
constructed to press upon the upper side of the
the iron against the adjacent band of the hat.
constructed to support the brim against the pressure of the upper brim
iron and also to iron the under side of the brim. The upper brim
iron F is connected by pivots e, e, with a yoke d, so that this iron may
rock upon its longitudinal axis or thereabouts, and the yoke d is pivotted
to a movable arm G so that the brim iron may rock upon its transverse
axis or thereabouts, the practical effect of this double pivotting being
that the upper iron can adapt itself to any peculiarity of the brim.
The movable arm G is connected with the frame of the machine by a
species of universal joint which permits said arm and the brim iron
.connected with it to be raised and moved laterally. The said joint is
formed by the T headed rest H, which is constructed to turn in a socket
of the frame A, and by the pivot which connects the hub h of the arm G
with said rest; as this pivot is at right angles to the stem of the rest
the movement of the arm and upper brim iron in all directions is per
mitted.

page_text: while the upper iron is held towards the bands by a weight "K," which
is connected with the hub of the arm by means of a cord j.
As the hat is revolved in contact with the upper brim iron, and there
is more or less friction produced by this movement, there is a tendency
to suck up, strain, or wrinkle the brim. In previous hat ironing
machines this tendency has been counteracted more or less by supporting
the brim upon a block which revolved with the hat block, but the use
of such a brim block rendered the ironing of the under side of the brim
simultaneously with the ironing of its upper side impracticable.
In the machine represented in the Drawings the tendency of the
ironing to wrinkle, suck up, or strain the brim is counteracted by con-
structing one of the brim irons (in the present case the lower one F) to
revolve in the same direction as the hat block, but at greater speed, and
to this end the under brim iron F has the form of a disc, and is mounted
upon the shaft C', which is connected with the block holder shaft C by
means of the cog wheel and pinion b, b. From this combination of the
two brim irons it follows that the tendency of the one brim iron (F) to
obstruct the forward movement of the hat brim is counteracted in whole
or in part by the tendency of the other brim iron (F¹) to move the brim
forward at greater speed than it would be carried by the revolving hat
block on which the hat is mounted.
The speed at which the revolving brim iron is moved may be varied to
suit circumstances, but it has been found by experiment that the best
arrangement for the machine represented in the Drawings is that the
forward speed of the under brim iron at the middle of the brim should
be about twice as great as the speed of the brim at the same place.
The shape and position selected in the machine shewn is also based
upon another consideration, namely, in the manufacture of fur hats it is
customary to lay the nap of the under brim radially from the centre.
The revolving iron is so placed that the upper iron presses upon that
part of the hat brim which rests upon the periphery of the revolving
iron, and where its motion is partly or approximately radially from the.
centre of the hat, and thus conforms in a measure with the directions in
which the nap is laid. To iron the under brim of a hat without.
reference to the direction of the nap, the revolving iron would be placed
concentric with the spindle upon which the hat block is placed, giving
R 2

page_text: the iron a motion in the same direction the block is moving, but with
twice the speed, or a little more than the hat block is revolving.
In order that the side, crown, square, and tip of the hat may be ironed,
two traversing irons F, F³, are provided. One of these irons F is
constructed to iron the tip of the hat body, and the other iron to iron the
side crown while the two traverse or move over the square so as to iron
it. The tip iron F" is pivotted to a yoke & by which it is connected
with a holder J which supports the iron through the intervention of its
yoke, and the crown iron F is pivotted to a similar yoke d³, by which it
also is connected with the same iron holder J. The iron holder has the
general form of a T, and its stem is constructed to turn in a hub f, so
that the iron holder and the irons connected with it may be turned to
cause the irons to traverse over the square m of the hat, and thereby
iron it. In order to turn the iron holder and the traversing irons
connected with it, the stem of the iron holder is fitted with a cog
segment 6, and a corresponding segment 63 is arranged to turn upon an
arm projecting from the hub f, and to engage with the first cog
segment ; the second segment is connected by a rod 7 with a lever L
which is moved by a cam M, the lever being fitted with a friction wheel
which runs in the groove of the cam. The cam is secured to a cam
shaft C which is driven from the driving shaft C through the inter-
vention of the cog wheels b', b*, and the belt pulleys N, N'.
The rotation of the cam M causes the iron holder J and the irons F, F,
connected with it to turn to and fro so as to carry the faces of the irons
across the square of the hat and back again.
The time during which the irons are operating upon the square
depends upon the form of the cam, the speed at which it is revolved,
and the time during which it moves. These may all be varied as
required, and as it may be expedient to cause the hat to revolve at times
without the irons F, F, being in operation upon it, the belt pulley N' is
arranged to run loose upon the driving shaft, and a clutch lever m and
clutch n are provided to throw it either in or out of gear.
In order that the tip and crown irons (F³, F³) may be readily
removed from the hat and applied to it the hub f in which the iron
holder turns, is connected with a swinging bar O, which is pivotted at
its lower end upon the shaft C³, so that its upper end with the traversing
irons may be moved from or towards the hat block on the revolving

page_text: block bolder. The movement is effected by means of a hand lever G',
which is pivotted to a standard of the main frame, and is connected with
the swinging arm O by means of a link p.
In order that the traversing irons may press upon the hat with the
requisite force a weight K¹ is provided. This weight is suspended from
the longer arm of an elbow lever P, whose shorter arm q is slotted to
receive a studs that is secured to the swinging arm O, so that the force
of the weight K' forces the swinging arm towards the revolving block
holder and the hat block, and causes the crown iron to bear against the
hat thereon. As the yokes to which the irons F, F, are pivotted are
inclined to the direction in which the swinging arm is forced by the
weight, and as the square of the hat intervenes between the faces of the
irons like a blunt wedge, the tendency of the weight is to cause those
irons to separate when they bear upon the hat. This tendency is
prevented by the screw t, which connects the yokes so that the pressure
of the swinging bar towards the hat body not only causes the side crown
iron F³ to bear laterally against the hat body, but also causes the tip iron
to bear down upon the tip. The screw thus acts as a link to connect
the two irons, and it is made in the form of a screw, in order that tho
relative positions of the two irons may be adjusted to suit hats of
different height and size of crown. The pivotting of the yokes d³, ď³, to
the iron holder J permits them to move so as to adjust their faces to the
square of the hat during the turning of the irons across it, and the
extent of this self-adjustment is regulated by means of two adjusting
screws, which screw through cars of the cross bars of the
yokes d, d³, and bear against a lug u projecting from the iron
holder J.
In order that the traversing irons may adjust themselves to the oval
form of the hat crown, as its shorter and longer diameters are
successively revolved past their faces, the hub that carries the iron
older of the traversing irons is pivotted to the swinging arm by being
connected with it by a journal which turns in a bearing in that arm, and
s the weight of the irons and yoke is all on one side of this journal, the
rons would tend to press with all their weight upon the tip of the hat,
which being the smaller surface would get too much work and be
njured while the side crown would not get work enough. The weight
rould also tend to drop the irons down when swung back from the hat
nless this tendency were counteracted. In order to regulate the

page_text: pressure of the two irons relatively to each other while acting upon the
side crown & tip respectively, and also to counteract the tendency of
the irons to drop, a second weight K² is provided and is arranged to
operate upon the hat, and irons through the intervention of the lever
arm P which is secured at its inner end to the hub f which carries the
iron holder J, so that this weight tends to rock the hub fon its journals and
thus raise the head of the iron holder J and the traversing irons connected
therewith, thereby counterbalancing their weight and producing the
necessary amount of pressure against the side crown while the pressure
upon the tip is reduced. This counterweight K' is also so arranged as to
modifiy the pressure of the traversing irons upon the hat, while they are
operating upon the square, at which time the pressure should be less
because of the less extent of surface upon which the irons operate at the
time. To this end the lever arm P¹ is fitted with a pin v which projects
from it laterally behind the swinging arm O, and at a short distance
therefrom when the irons are operating upon the tip and side crown, so
that during the ironing of these portions the counterweight K² does not
relieve the pressure of the irons. When however the irons are turned
crosswise upon the square they and the swinging arm are pushed back
by the square of the hat block, which then bears simultaneously against
the faces of the irons transversly to their length, and as the square does
not in this position tend to prevent the rise of the irons by the action of
the counterweight, this weight descends until the pin of the lever
arm P¹ comes in contact with the back of the swinging bar O, and thus
applies any excess of force in the weight K³ to that arm, thereby
facilitating its backward movement, counteracting partially the tendency
of the weight K' to bear the irons against the hat, and reducing the
pressure of the traversing irons. The weights K, K³, K³, are by
preference made up of discs suspended upon rods, and the discs are
slotted at one side that they may be readily applied to, or removed from
the suspending rods for the purpose of varying the force with which the
irons are pressed against the hat, as required in practice for hats of
different forms, or different sizes, or qualities.
The pivotting of the tip and side crown irons to their yokes, and the
pivotting of the latter to the iron holder J, permit the irons to sway for
the purpose of adapting their faces to the varying positions of the
surfaces of the hat upon which they act; as such variation in tho
positions being due to the fact that hat crowns are oval and that

page_text: the irons traverse across the square of the hat, and in order that the
connecting yoke screw t may not prevent this swaying it is connected
with the cross bar of one yoke (²) by means of a bearing which turns
in that cross bar, and its nut is constructed to turn in the cross bar of
the other yoke ³.
The irons which I prefer to use are made hollow, and are heated by
gas jets; they are represented in detail at Figures 18. Each irou is
hollow to permit of the introduction of the gas pipe wo, and each is
constructed with a chimney x, so as to create a current of air in a
specific direction, and thus cause the hot products of combustion to
traverse the cavity of the iron. The cavity in cach iron is partially divided
by a partition, as represented in dotted lines at y, so that the hot current
of the products of combustion is caused to traverse the iron twice, the
result of which is considerable economy in the consumption of gas
required to heat the irons. The lower brim iron F also is hollow below
and is heated by gas jets supplied by the pipes wo¹, 20¹.
The driving shaft B is fitted with two loose belt pulleys N2, N3, either
of which may be engaged with the driving shaft by means of a doublo
clutch m² which is operated by means of a clutch lever R. These
pulleys are of different dimensions and receive the driving belts which
transmit power from the line shafting of the factory. The use of two
belt pulleys enable the driving shaft to be driven at either of two
different speeds, the smaller pulley N³ being caused to revolve with the
greater speed. When the machine is not in operation the upper brim
iron is removed from the vicinity of the rotating block holder (E) by
lifting this brim iron by means of the handle z formed upon the arm G,
and by moving it outward and resting the arm upon a rest S, whence
the arm is prevented from moving by a stud r projecting from said rest.
The tip and side crown irons F2, F³, also are thrown back from the
vicinity of the revolving block holder, by the movement of the swinging
arm (O) and its appurtenances by means of the hand lever G'. A hat
block with the hat ſitted upon it, is then applied to the pins e, e, and
if the hat is to be pounced or sponged preliminary to ironing it, tho
clutch lever R is moved so as to throw the driving shaft in gear with the
faster moving belt pulley N³, so that the hat is caused to revolve rapidly.
When ironing is to be performed the clutch lever is shifted so as to
throw the driving shaft in gear with the slower moving driving
pulley N. Then the upper brim iron F is brought into action by means

page_text: of lever G, and as the brim is then pressed between the opposing faces of
the two brim irons it is ironed on both sides simultaneously. The tip
and side crown irons F, F³, are brought into action by means of the
lever G, and are caused to traverse over the square and back again, by
throwing the belt pulley N into gear with the pulley N2 by means of
the clutch lever m. The employment of a clutch and clutch lever
permits the operator to keep the tip and side crown irons bearing upon
the hat, without traversing over the square as long as he deems expedient.
When the hat is sufficiently ironed the levers G and G₁ are moved
so as to remove the irons, the hat with the hat block is lifted from the
pins e of the revolving block holder, and a new hat previously fitted to
a hat block is put in its place, the machine being stopped or not during
the shifting of the hat blocks, as found expedient. In the machine
thus described the revolving block holder is the instrumentality by
means of which the hat block and the hat thereon are supported, and by
means of which the hat is turned, so as to present every part of it in
succession to the irons. This revolving hat block is combined with the
several irons and their appurtenances by means of the frame of tho
machine, the gearing and the appurtenances of the irons, all of which
may be greatly varied without materially changing the combinations.
Thus for example the swing arm may be replaced by a sliding in-
strument by which the traversing iron or irons may be moved, or
permitted to move from or towards the revolving block holder. So also
a single iron may be arranged to traverse the square of the hat, and the
work of ironing the tip and side crown may be mainly done by means
of irons which do not traverse across the square. These and other
modifications may be adopted to suit the views of different constructors.
I claim as respects this part of the Invention,-
First. The combination of the revolving block holder with a revolving
brim iron, substantially as before set forth.
Second. Also the combination of the revolving block holder with two
brim irons arranged to operate simultaneously at opposite sides of the
brim of a hat, caused to revolve by the said block holder, substantially
as before set forth.
Third. Also the combination of the stationary brim iron, and the
movalving brim iron having their faens aanged onnosite to anch

page_text: 11
Fourth. Also the combination of the revolving block holder with a
traversing iron for ironing the square of the hat, substantially as before
set forth.
Fifth. Also the combination of the traversing iron, the turning iron
holder, the rocking hub of said holder, and the swinging arm, sub-
stantially as before set forth.
Sixth. Also the combination of the traversing iron, the turning iron
holder, the rocking hub, and the counterweight, substantially as before
set forth.
Seventh. Also the combination of the traversing iron, the turning iron
holder, the swinging arm, the pressure weight, and the counterweight,
substantially as before set forth.
Eighth. Also the combination of the two traversing irons, the yokes
for said irons, and the screw by means of which the said yokes are con-
nected, substantially as before set forth.
Ninth. Also the combination of the two traversing irons, the pivotted
yokes thereof, the iron holder, and the adjusting scrows which control
the sway of said yokes and irons, substantially as before set forth.
Tenth. Also the combination of the revolving block holder, with
two traversing irons arranged so as to operate upon the tip and side
crown, and to traverse the square of the hat, substantially as before
set forth.
Eleventh. Also the combination of the revolving block holder with a
traversing iron, tho turning iron holder, and the swinging bar (by
means of which the said traversing iron can be moved from or towards
the block holder), substantially as before set forth.
Twelfth. Also the combination of the revolving block holder, the
traversing iron, the pivotted yoke of said iron, and the turning iron
holder, substantially as before set forth.
Thirteenth. Also the combination of the revolving block holder, the
traversing iron, the turning iron holder, the swinging bar, and the
weight (by means of which the traversing iron is pressed toward the
block holder), substantially as before set forth.
Fourteenth. The combination of the revolving block holder with
the traversing iron, and the turning iron holder, through the intervention

page_text: of a clutch which permits the traversing iron to be operated simultane-
ously with the block holder or not, as required, substantially as before
set forth.
Fifteenth. Also the combination of the revolving block holder with
two driving pullies, and the clutch, so that the block holder may bo
made to revolve at either of two different speeds, substantially as
before set forth.
Sixteenth. The combined arrangement of machinery for ironing hats,
substantially as herein described.
The Invention also relates to that class of hat presses which are
commonly known as bag presses, whereby hats are pressed in shape with
great force by the pressure of water upon a diaphragm or flexible bag
operating in connection with a die or mould. In these presses the hat
is placed upon or within the dic. The press head containing the bag is
then locked to the dic, and the pressing effected by forcing water or
other liquid into a cavity in the press head behind the bag. Although
these presses operate with great power they are very slow, and require a
number of manipulations of the operator to press a hat. Nevertheless
they have continued to be used because of the difficulty of properly
pressing a hat between metallic dies as in presses heretofore operated by
mechanical devices. The object of this part of the Invention is to
obtain an automatic press for pressing hats which combines the advan-
tages derived from the mobility and incompressibility of the fluid and
the flexibility or clasticity of the bag, with the celerity and regularity of
a press operated by mechanical devices. To this end the application of
hydraulic pressure upon the bag through water or other liquids by a
pump or a plunger is discarded, and the mobility and practical incom-
pressibility of a confined body of water or other liquid as a support for
the diaphragm is made use of, and the bag and die are operated by
mechanical means to press the hat.
By regulating the quantity of water confined without the press head
or by increasing or diminishing the cavity in the press head occupied by
the water the pressure applied to press the hat may be regulated without
changing the adjustment of the mechanical devices, whereby the pressure
is applied to the jaws of the press.
A pressure gauge communicating with the confined body of water
enables the operator to ascertain the pressure applied in order that he

page_text: may gu
vuv quang
pressure required.
PACKS B
Heretofore in bag presses the rubber bag or diaphragm has been
clamped to the press lead by clamping surfaces, through which the
clamping screw bolts passed, thus necessitating cutting holes in the
flange of the rubber bag and weakening the same, besides being a very
troublesome way of putting on the bag. I have improved the bag press
by making the clamping wider and forming it to fit a shoulder on the
press head, so that the bag is clamped firmly between plain surfaces.
which have no bolts through them, the bolts passing through slots in a
flange outside of the bag flange, as shown in the Drawings.
Within the cavity of the press head inside of the bag is placed a device
that I call a shaping weight, and which has a peculiar mode of operation..
This shaping weight I make of iron or lead or other suitable material
heavier than the water or other liquid used with the bag, and of similar
shape to the bag and the hat to be pressed, but smaller in the crown
part and wider between the crown part and the outer edge or curl of the
brim part, which latter part turns over, surrounding the part of the bag
that presses upon the hat brim, and extends far enough downwards to
rest upon the circumferential part of the bag close to the clamp ring by
which the bag is secured to the press head. A hole through the tip part
of the shaping weight permits the water to pass freely between it and
the bag. The shape of the shaping weight should be such that the part
surrounding the brim will be large enough to leave one-eighth of an
inch space between the rubber bag and the brim of the mould or die for
the largest hat of a dozen, and the crown part. small enough to leave
one-eighth of an inch space between the rubber bag and the mould or the
die for the smallest hat of a dozen. The whole weight of the shaping
weight resting upon the bag near the clamping ring has a tendency to
pull the bag down. There being no air inside of the bag the atmospheric
air holds the bag up against the pressure of the shaping weight, pressing
the bag close to its lower surface and compelling the water to go up
behind it. When the hat is in the mould and the press head is lowered
there is consequently room enough for the bag to go into the crown and
over the brim without rubbing. As soon as the bag touches the lower
part of the press the shaping weight is supported by the press, and the
rubber bag is gradually forced by the water from the weight and against
the hat in the mould.

page_text: When the press head begins to lift the first action of the water is to
go from between the bag and shaping weight to above and behind the
shaping weight, thus loosening the bag from the hat and mould before
the whole bag begins its upward motion.
Heretoforc in bag presses the mould or shell was made with a flange
to fit closely in the clamping ring, which holds the bag to the press
head, in order to support the bag and prevent it from breaking under
the pressure, there being as many different moulds used as shapes and
sizes of hats, the shapes changing every season, according to the fashion,
the fitting of the moulds was expensive. To remedy this defect I have
fitted the lower jaw of the press to the clamping ring, so that it will pass
up within the ring, and make a close joint to support the bag in line
with the joint of the clamping ring to prevent it from bursting; and I
also have made recess or socket in the lower jaw, in which the moulds
are placed, being supported by a flange upon them, which is faced off
underneath to rest upon the flat upper surface of the lower jaw. It is
therefore only necessary to face off the lower flange of the mould in
order to fit it to the press, and the moulds can be removed and replaced
readily. As the joint made by the lower part of the press within the
clamping ring to support the bag is always in the same position when
the press licad is lowered, the rubber bag is always in its natural position
when pressing the hat, and thus undue, strain of the bag caused by the
use of different moulds is prevented.
The peculiar shape of the brim part of the bag which surrounds the
brim of the mould, and extends down below the same, enables it to be
pressed under the curl of the brim without stretching. I have further
improved the bag press by separating the brim from the crown part of
the mould used with the bag for pressing hats with stiff brims and soft
The hat in this case is heated in an oven before it is put in the
press; the crown mould is also heated while the brim pieces are kept
cool, so that the drawing out of the stiffening from the brim is avoided,
while the crown which has less stiffening is pressed in a heated mould to
produce a fine glossy finish.
crowns.
In the operation of a hat press the dic and diaphragm must be moved
a sufficient distance from cach other to permit the operator to introducc
the hat into the dic, and remove it therefrom without distorting its shape
when pressed. This requires a considerable movement of the press

page_text: head, which should be made rapidly in order to save time, and such
rapidity of motion is inconsistent with the necessarily slow motion of
toggle levers, or other mechanical devices by which great pressure is
applied. I have therefore combined with my press two mechanisms for
operating it, onc mechanism being used to lift and lower the press head
to permit of the introduction and removal of the hat, and the other
mechanism to apply the pressure to the parts when the hat has been
introduced into the die and the press head lowered upon it.
I have also combined with said mechanisms a reversing mechanism, so
that the motion of the press head is reversed at each end of the stroke,
and may be automatically arrested at either the upper extremity or the
lower extremity of the movement of the press head, or be suffered to
reciprocate without arrest, as the operator may previously determine, by
adjustment of the reversing mechanism.
The accompanying Drawings represent an automatic hat press
embodying the improvements. Figure 19 shews a side clevation;
Figure 20, a plan; and Figure 21, a back view of the press partly in
section. In each of these views the press head is shown in its lower
position. Figures 22 and 23 shew longitudinal sections of the press.
In Figure 22 the press head is shown in the act of pressing a hat, while
Figure 23 shows the press head raised and the mould ready to receive
a hat to be pressed; Figures 24 and 25 show separately sections
of other forms of moulds; Figures 26 show details of a divisiblo brim
ring.
Letter a represents the frame of the press b, the lower or stationary
jaw of the press 6', a steam heating chamber in the lower jaw supplied
with steam by the pipe 6, and escape pipe 63, being also connected with
the steam chamber.
A recess or socket 6 in the lower jaw receives a dic or mould c, in
which the hat is placed to be pressed, the flange c¹ of the mould resting
upon the flat upper surface of the stationary jaw of the press.
The mould may be made in one piece, as shown, or it may be made
with a separate brim piece for stiff brims c³, as shown in Figures 24, and
this separate brim piece may be made in two pieces for undercurled hat
brims, as shown in Figures 26.
the
Letter & represents the press head or movable jaw of the press d³,
concave or cavity within the press head containing a confined body of

page_text: water or other similar fluid for the purpose of supporting the bag under
licavy pressure.
Letter e represents the rubber bag or flexible presser firmly secured
to the press lead by a clamping ring e', attached to the press head by
screw bolts in slot holes. The bag e is clamped to the press head by the
clamping ring. The clamping surfaces may be flat or they may be V
shaped. The clamping surfaces which hold the bag are distinct from
the part of the clamping ring which is attached by screw bolts to the
head, there being a shoulder formed on the press head fitted to a flange
e upon the clamping ring. The bag has no holes cut in it as heretofore
to fit the bolts, and is casier to fit properly to the press than when cut
with holes to fit screw holes as in former presses. The lower jaw of the
press is fitted to the clamping ring, as shewn at e³, so that when the
press head is at its lower extremity of motion and the full pressure is
upon the bag the part of the bag next to the press head is supported 1
by the fixed jaw, as shewn.
The concave in the press head above the bag joint is a little larger in
diameter than the fixed jaw, so that in case the fixed jaw should come
above the bag joint it will not cut off the bag.
Letter represents an open cistern for water formed on top of the a
press head communicating with the concave within the press head by a
screw hole, which screw hole may be stopped to confine the body of
water within the press head by a screw plug g¹, as in Figure 5.
Letter i represents a metallic pressure gauge, which should be capable
of indicating seven hundred pounds pressure connected by a passage 2
with the cavity of the press head containing the confined body of
water.
Letter represents the shapeing weight; A, the aperture in the tip part
of the same for the water to pass to the bag outside the shaping weight.
The shapeing weight rests upon the bag presser or diaphragm e at .
The operation of the shaping weight is clearly shown by the Drawings.
Having described the construction of the press head and lower jaw
of the press, I will now proceed to describe the mechanism by which
the press head is raised and lowered and pressure applied to press
the hat.
3

page_text: Letter represents a main cam shaft supported in bearings n¹, n³, in
the side frames of the press. The driving shaft p is supported in fixed
bearing p, p, at the extreme end of the machine. An intermediate
shaft is also supported in fixed bearings 1, 3, attached to the frame.
The driving shaft p carries three belt pulleys, the centre p³ being a fast
pulley with a loose pulley on cach side p', 25, and is geared to the
intermediate shaft by a pinion 22%, which gears into and drives a large
gear wheel rotating the intermediate shaft on which another pinion
wheel gears into and drives a large gear wheel n³ fast to the cam
shaft.
By the operation of an automatic reversing mechanism herein-after
described, the cam shaft is turned one revolution in one direction to
lower the press head and press the hat, and then reversed and turned
one revolution in the reverse direction to raise the press head, when it
rests until again set in motion, unless the belt shipping mechanism is
adjusted to automatically reverse the motion in both directions. There
aro four cams attached to the cam shaft, the two of them outside being
used for lifting and lowering the press head, and the other or inner two
for applying the pressure to the press head through toggle levers. The
two cams q, q', nearest the side frames are scroll cams, which lift and
lower the press head through the side levers 7, 21, pivotted at 2, 3, and
connected with the press head by adjustable connecting rods *,, the
side levers being connected with the cams by roller pins in the usual
manner. When the press head is lifted it is supported by the lifting
cams, but when it is lowered to its place they cease to support, it being
only of such length as to lift and lower the press head, and then leave
the side levers free from their action or control while the pressing
mechanism is operating.
The pressing mechanism consists of the two cams 8, 8¹, and two
toggles or knee joints operated by the cams. Each of these toggles is
composed of a lever hinged to an arm or lever which is connected
with its cam by a roller pin &, and pivotted at & upon a lug & that
projects downwards from the under part of the fixed jaw of the press, so
that when the levers are raised by their cams they bring the joints of
the toggles nearly in line, and cause the lower levers or members of the
toggles to press with great force upon a horizontal cross bar t connected
with the press head by vertical sliding rods t, t, which pass up through
guide holes in the lower or fixed jaw of the press, and also through the

page_text: press head being provided at their top ends with screw nuts t³, t, which
bear against the top of the press head.
The sliding rods which connect the cross bar with the press head, also
act as guides for the press head, but not being confined to the press
head except by the screw nuts above, they are adjusted by said screw
nuts so as to hold the cross bar at the proper point for the action of the
toggle levers upon it in pressing the hat.
In the operation of the press the cross bar t is raised and lowered
with the press head, and to prevent its upward movement being
obstructed by the toggles I have placed a toc or wiper u upon cach of
the upper
levers of the toggles, and another toc V upon each of the
lower levers of the toggles, the action of the toes being to move the
lower levers out of the way of the cross bar when the toggles have
completed their pressing action, and are released from the cross bar by
the lowering of the upper lovers & connected respectively with the
pressing cams 8, 8; should the weight of the lower levers not be sufficient
to bring them back in place over the cross bar when the press head is
lowered a weight may be attached to an arm
levers, as shewn in the Drawings. The lifting cams are so arranged with
relation to the pressing cams that they lift and lower the press head
while the pressing cam is using its concentric surface to hold the toggle
levers out of the way of the cross bar, the pressing cams acting while
the lifting mechanism is at rest and disengaged from its cams to bring
the toggles in place over the cross bar to apply the pressure through the
toggles to the cross bar, and to remove the toggles from over the cross bar.
of cach of the lower
The cam shaft is automatically caused to make alternate revolutions
in reverse directions by a reversing mechanism as follows:-The tight
pulley p³ on the driving shaft p¹ is alternately rotated in reverse
directions by two driving belts not shewn in the Drawings, but
which run in opposite directions (one being a cross belt) indicated by
the arrows upon the loose pulleys p' and p³, and are controlled by the
belt guides wo, w¹, attached to a horizontal sliding shipper w³ which slides
in guides wo³, 10, attached to the frame of the machine. Another sliding
bar to lies alongside of the shipper 10 and slides in the same guides.
This sliding bar w³ is connected to the sliding shipper w² by a hand
lever which is jointed to both by the pins a¹ and x. The other end of
the hand lever rests upon a horizontal support in which are holes into
cither of which an adjustable stop a may be inserted. There are two

page_text: gear
pins, placed in the sliding bar to³ at cach side of the hand lever
which alternately act upon the hand lever to cause it to move the shipper
so as to throw the belt which may be on the tight pulley over on its
appropriate loose pulley, the sliding bar w being moved alternately in
reverse directions for that purpose by a bell-crank lever y connected by a
slotted link y', with a weighted bell-crank tumbling lover y² attached to
a rocking shaft y³ which is caused to vibrate alternately in reverse directions
by the alternate action of the pins y', y³, projecting from the sides of the
wheel n³ upon the shifting dogs yº, y', attached to the rock shaft y³.
If the stop were not placed at the outer of the arm which supports
the end of the hand lever, the belt shipping mechanism would cause the
cam shaft to stop at the end of every revolution, and the operator would
have to throw on the proper belt to reverse the motion by using the hand
lever; but when the adjustable stop 25 is placed outside of the hand lever
as shewn in the Drawings, the hand lever is brought against the stop,
which stop forms a fulcrum for said lever and causes it to move the
shipper far enough to shift the belt from the loose pulley p³ over on to
the tight pulley, and thus automatically reverses the motion of the cam
shaft to lift the press head to its extreme upper position when the belt
is thrown back on its loose pulley, and the motion of the cam shaft is
arrested. When the operator has removed the hat from the mould and
replaced it by another, he starts the press by moving the hand lever
towards the side of the press. Should it be desirable to stop the
press at the lower extremity of motion of the press head and reverse it
automatically at the end of the upward stroke, the stop x must bo
shifted to the other side of the hand lever, and should the press be
required to reciprocate without stopping at either end of the stroke,
another stop must be placed upon the supporting arm on the opposito
side of the hand lever.
To prepare the press for pressing hats a quantity of water is admitted
inside of the press head and bag through the tap hole G which is then
closed. The press is then brought together upon a hat, and if the
quantity of water confined in the press head is too great for the pressure
required, a small valve is opened to permit the surplus to escape into the
cistern above, tho pressure gauge indicating to the operator the pressure
attained by the press, so that he can regulate it. When the press is
once adjusted for one hat it requires no further adjustment for pressing
any number of hats of the same bulk, and the operator has only to place

page_text: the bats in the mould and remove them when pressed, and to start the
press when a hat is placed in the mould by moving the hand lever of
the belt shipping mechanism towards the side of the press. I do not
wish to limit that part of my Invention, which consists in the employ-
ment of a confined body of water in combination with a press head, and
bag, and mould that are operated by a mechanical means to a press head
and bag which contains a shaping weight, although said shaping weight
is a great advantage to the press.
Neither do I wish to limit said part of my Invention to the special
mechanical means described for operating the press head, or to operating
the press automatically, although I prefer to use the means described.
It will be obvious that other mechanical devices that are employed in
presses for other purposes may be substituted for those described, and
especially claimed by me in connection with the press head; the press,
nevertheless, containing the substance of said above-mentioned part of
my Invention. Morcover, I do not wish to limit my Invention of the
shaping weight to its employment in a bag press operated by mechanical
power, as it will be of great advantage to any bag press.
I claim as of my Invention an improvement in bag presses for
pressing hats and similar articles wherein a flexible bag or diaphragm
presser is used in connection with a mould,-
1st. In combination with the jaws of a press operated by a toggle or
other suitable mechanical device, a flexible diaphragın, bag presser, and
a mould, substantially as described, the combination being such that the
pressure to press the hat is caused by the movement of the movable jaw
of the press towards the fixed jaw in contradistinction to locking the
press head and mould together, and then applying the pressure directly
to the diaphragm or bag presser as in former bag presses.
2nd. In combination with a flexible diaphragm or bag press, and a
mould, in the jaws of a press operated by a toggle or other suitable
mechanical device, a confined body of water or other similarly incom-
pressible fluid within the flexible diaphragm or presser which acts as an
inelastic but mobile cushion, to support the flexible diaphragm or bag
presser against the pressure of the press, and to cause it to conform to
the mould, substantially as described.
3rd. In combination with the press head and diaphragm or flexible
bag presser, the clamping ring, when the clamping surfaces are free.

page_text: from the clamping bolts, substantially as described, so that the rubber
diaphragm or flexible bag presser is not weakened by cutting holes for the
bolts as in former presses.
4th. The shaping weight in combination with the diaphragm or flexible
bag presser, and the mould, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
5th. Fitting the lower jaw of the press to the clamping ring of the
press head, substantially as described, whereby the flexible diaphragm.
presser is always supported at the proper point by the fixed jaw when
pressing a hat independently of the moulds, substantially as herein.
before set forth.
6th. In combination with the movable jaw or press head a flexible
diaphragm or bag presser, and the mould, the lifting and lowering
mechanism, substantially as described.
7th. In combination with the movable press head a flexible diaphragm
or bag presser, and the mould, a lifting and lowering mechanism, and a
pressing mechanism, substantially as described.
8th. In combination with the movable jaw or press head, diaphragm,
and mould, a lifting and lowering mechanism, a pressing mechanism,
and an automatic reversing mechanism, substantially as described,
whereby the motion of the lifting and lowering mechanism, and the
pressing mechanism is reversed at each extremity of the movement of
the press head, and the action of the press head, arrested at the desired
point, or suffered to continue without intermission, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wilson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal. this Third day of July. in the year of our