IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,.on
.the 19th December '1865.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS," to be as follows:-"
7.5
This Invention relates to machinery for stretching the hat body pre-
paratory to the blocking and shaping process, and to machinery for
blocking and shaping, the hat. In the manufacture of felt hat bodies the
body after having been formed upon a conical "former" and subjected to
the "sizing process requires to be stretched to bring it to the required'
form or condition to enable the crown and brim to be produced.
IT
The stretching machinery, consists of a ribbed skeleton former; a circular
clamping instrument for liolding the body firmly upon the former, and one
i

page_text: or more circular series of rollers or other stretching devices for applying.
pressure upon the parts of the body between the ribs of the former while
the body is held thereon by the clamping device or devices.
The operation of stretching a hat body in this machine is as follows:-
The main shaft being set in motion a slow rotary motion is communicated
to the crank shaft. The former spindle and former have also imparted to
them a slow vertical longitudinal reciprocating motion. When the spindle
and former have arrived in its lowest position the hat body, having been
subjected to what is termed the sizing process, and while still damp from
that process, is placed upon and drawn tightly over the former by the
attendant, and as the former rises it brings the hat body in contact with the
clamping fingers, which clamp it upon the ribs of the skeleton frame and
those of the "former," and as the ascent of the former continues the clamp-
ing fingers, with their supporting ring rods and plate, rise with it, and by their
weight. continue to clamp the body upon the ribs of the former. By this
continued ascent of the former after the clamping fingers have come into
operation. the portions of the body between the two sets of ribs are brought
into contact with the pressing-rollers, which are thus made to press these
portions of the body into the recesses of the former between the ribs, and so
stretch them, and by this means the body is brought to a suitable shape for
the blocking operation, by which the crown and brim are to be formed. In
this operation the too rigid pressure of one set of rollers is prevented by
springs, and the too rigid pressure of the other rollers is prevented by a
loaded lever. The springs and lever allow the rollers to retire from the
vertical. centre of the machine.as far. as required to prevent the overstretch-
ing or tearing of the hat body. The pressure of one set of rollers may be
increased or-diminished by screwing up. nuts so as to increase or diminish the
pressure of the springs; the pressure of the other rollers may be increased
or diminished by moving the weight further from or nearer to the fulcrum
of the lever. To provide for stretching the hat, body more or less at the
crown, and thereby provide for the formation of a broader or narrower
crown, the fulcrum of the lever is made adjustable lower or higher by being
connected with a rocker. By lowering the fulcrum pin the former is
allowed to rise higher, and so give a greater stretch to the top of the
crown; and by raising the said fulcrum an opposite result is produced. The
same effects may be obtained by providing for the raising or lowering of
the former. on. its spindle. It may be here observed that round-edged
surfaces of any other kind might be substituted for the stretching rollers;
but, it is preferable to use the rollers, as by preventing friction' upon the

page_text: hat body they are less liable to tear it in the stretching operation. It may
also be observed that a clamping ring to press upon the hat body opposite
the complete circular portion of the former might be substituted for the
clamping fingers. For the stretching of felt hats made of fur the former
spindle and the hub of the former may be made hollow and supplied with
steam for the purpose of heating the former. The improvements in
blocking and shaping consist mainly in the employment in combination
with the hat block of what may be termed a banding shell and a banding
ring. The banding shell is in the form of a cap, the interior of which is
of a size and form to pass over the outside of the crown of the hat while on
the block; and the banding ring, the interior of which is somewhat larger
than the exterior of the shell, is fitted into one of the clamping plates by
which the brim of the hat body is held during the forming and blocking
process. The hat body is first drawn over the exterior of the banding
shell and through the banding ring, and by that means the formation of
the crown is commenced and the "band" or angle between the brim and
the side crown is formed; and it is afterward drawn off the exterior of the
banding shell and forced into the interior thereof by the passage of the
hat block into the shell, which completes the blocking and shaping process;
and in this operation it is overstretched sufficiently to compensate for the
shrinkage which is unavoidable when it is withdrawn from the shell. The
banding shell, banding ring, clamping plates, and block are so arranged
with respect to each other that their several operations are effected in
proper succession simply by the motion derived from the rotation of the
main shaft, and all the manipulation required of the attendant of the
machine is the insertion of the block with the hat body upon it, and its
removal with the hat after the blocking and shaping has been completed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send, greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent; bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-

page_text: ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence, that
I, the said William Edward Newtoh, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors,
administrators, 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, shoulil and lawfully might maké, 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 MACHINERY
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS," being a communication from
abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, 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 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 Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures.marked thereon (that is to say):
. This Invention relates to machinery for stretching the hat body
preparatory to the blocking and shaping process, and to machinery. for
blocking and shaping the hat.
In 'the 'manufacture of felt hat bodies the body after having been formed
upon 'a. conical " former" and subjected to the "sizing" process requires
to be stretched to bring it to the required form or condition to enable the
crown and brim to be produced. This stretching process has heretofore
been commonly performed by hand, and has required great care and skill
to bring all parts as near as practicable to a uniform thickness without
tearing them. It has been considered desirable to perform this process
by machinery, and to this end the herein-described machinery consists of
fibbed skeleton former, a circular clamping instrument or series of
clamping instruments for holding the body firmly upon the former, and
one or more circular series of rollers or other stretching devices for
applying pressure upon the parts of the body between the ribs of the former
while the body is held thereon by the clamping device or devices.
. In Sheet I. of the. accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a front view of a

page_text: stretching machine; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same at right angles
to Fig. 1; Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 are views of some of the details of the.
machine which will be herein-after explained.
A (Figures 1 and 2) is an upright stationary frame on the top of which
is firmly secured a horizontal circular plate B, of which Fig. 3 is a plan.
view, and which will be herein-after fully described. Directly under the
centre of this plate is a vertical spindle J, which is arranged to slide up.
and down in two fixed guides.ff, the upper one of which is in the
centre of a fixed circular plate or disc S. On the top of the spindle J the
skeleton former C is placed concentrically. This former, of which an-
outside elevation is shewn in Fig. 1, a central vertical section in Fig. 2,
and a plan in Fig. 4, is made of cast iron or other suitable metal or
material, and has its vertical profile of conical or other suitable form.
resembling or nearly resembling that of the hat body before the stretching
operation. At about the middle of its height this former is of complete,
circular form in its horizontal section, as shewn at a, a, but above this.
circular portion it has a number of equidistant vertical and radial ribs e, e,,
and below it a number of equidistant radial ribs d, d, and the edges of
these ribs form the profile of the former. The number of the lower ribs.
d, d, should preferably be equal to double that of the upper ones .e, e, as,
represented in Fig. 4. The former is made in two pieces, one of which
consists of the lower ribs d, d, and a central hub c to which the ribs are,
attached, and which is fitted tightly to the spindle J in such manner that.
it will not turn easily thereon, and the other of which consists of the ring
or complete circular portion a, a, and the upper ribs e, e, and these two
parts are so fitted together that either can be changed for one of larger or
smaller size, the upper part being changeable for the purpose of increasing
or diminishing the size of the upper part of the crown of the hat, and the
lower part for the purpose of stretching larger or smaller hats. In Fig. 2:
a bat body is shewn in section in red outline upon the former. The
former spindle J is connected by a pin. (in such manner that it cannot
turn on its axis) with a lever D, the fulcrum of which is a pin supported
by a rocker D' connected with the back part of the frame A, and the lever
is connected by a rod Ds with a crank P¹ on a horizontal shaft P, which
is arranged in fixed bearings in the frame A, the shaft P deriving a slow,
rotary motion through gearing P, Q, from the main shaft of the machine,
The rotary motion of the crank P¹ produces a vertical reciprocating
movement of the spindle. J and former C. E¹ (Figures 1 and 2) is a
horizontal ring to which are attached a circular series of clamping fingers

page_text: E, E, the number of which is equal to that of the upper series of ribs e, e,
on the former, and consequently equal to half the number of the lower
series of ribs d, d. This ring is suspended by rods g, g, from a circular:
plate F, which is bored centrally of proper size to slide upon, and is
arranged upon a stationary vertical screw F which is secured firmly in-
the centre of the stationary plate B herein-before mentioned, and situated
in line with the former spindle J. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of
this ring and its fingers E, E, and Fig. 6 is a vertical section of one of the
fingers and part of the ring E¹. Below the plate F the screw F is fitted
with a nut F¹ which serves as a stop to prevent the plate and the suspended
ring E¹ from descending below the position which permits a hat body to
be passed under the clamping fingers E, E, while the former is in its lowest
position. These positions of the former, the plate F, and the ring E¹, are
shewn in Figures 1 and 2. The fingers E, E, which are attached rigidly:
to the ring E' have their inner or lower faces so grooved and are so
arranged that when the former is raised to a proper position each may
overlap both sides of one of the upper ribs e, e, of the former, and one of
the lower ribs d, d, which is in line with that upper rib, and thus the
several fingers clamp the interposed hat body upon the former in a number
of lines parallel with the generating lines of the cone of the former. To
prevent the hat body from slipping between the fingers and the former the
edges of the lower ribs d, d, of the former are notched or roughened, as
shewn in Figures 1; 2, and 4. The rods g,g, by which the ring E' is
suspended pass through holes g¹, g¹, (Fig. 3); in the plate B herein-before
mentioned, and by that means these rods are kept vertical, and the rings
and the fingers E, E, are kept in proper relation to the former C. K, K,
and M, M (Figures 1, 2, and 4), are two circular series of thin round-edged
rollers for stretching the hat body by pressure upon those parts of it
between the ribs of the cone, the upper series K, K, corresponding in
number with the upper series of ribs e, e, of the former, and operating be-
tween these ribs and the lower series M, M, corresponding in number with
the lower ribs d, d, and operating between those ribs. The several rollers
are so arranged with their planes of rotation radial to the axis of the
former as to operate midway between their respective ribs. The axles k,k,
of the upper rollers K, K, are supported in the lower ends of levers L, L,
which pass through slots k', k¹, Fig. 3, in the stationary plate B, and the
outer edges of which are notched in the manner shewn at 8 in Fig. 2, so
as to fit the rounded edge of a circular moulding 10 formed upon the plate
to serve as a fulcrum for the levers L, L. These levers have attached to
.

page_text: them light screw bolts n, n, which pass through lugs n³, n', on the rim of
the plate B, and which have springs 9, 9, placed upon them between the
lugs and nuts p, Fig. 2. These springs may be composed of-india-rubber
tubing, as represented; or of other suitable material, and their purpose is
to press the levers and the rollers K, K, toward the vertical centre of the
machine; and so make the rollers produce a yielding or elastic pressure
upon the portions of the hat body between the ribs e, e, of the former C
when the former is raised up between the rollers. To prevent the rollers
from approaching too near the vertical centre of the machine when the
former is depressed the bolts n, n, are furnished with heads outside of the
lugs n', n'. The axles m, m, of the lower rollers M, M, are supported in
the lower ends of the levers N, N, which pass through slots m²,.m² (Fig. 3),
in the stationary plate B, and the other edges at which are notched in
such manner, shewn at 11 in Fig. 2, as to fit the rounded edge of a circular
moulding 12 formed upon the plate to serve as a fulcrum for the levers
N, N. The upper parts of the levers which project above the plate B,
are curved inward toward the screw F; and the weight of the levers is so
disposed that their rounded upper ends always bear upon the upper surface
of a circular flange G¹ which is provided upon a collar Ģ which is fitted
to slide freely up and down on the screw below the nut F. The collar G
is embraced by and connected with the forked inner end of a lever H
which works on a fulcrum pin supported on a small upright standard. R¹,
projecting upward from the stationary plate B, and the outer end of which
is loaded by a weight H¹, which tends to force the collar G upward, and
thereby makes the flange G¹ of the collar act upon the levers N, N, with a
tendency to press the rollers M, M, toward the vertical centre of the
machine. The nut F acts as a stop to the collar G, and so regulates the
distance within which the rollers M, M, are allowed to approach the
vertical centre of the machine when the former is depressed, and this nut
has to be adjusted higher or lower according to the smaller or larger size
of the hat body to be stretched.. When adjusted it is secured by a hooked
stop F, which is attached to the framing, and drops into a hole in
the nut...
:
:
The operation of stretching a hat body in this machine is as follows:-
The main shaft Q being set in motion a slow rotary motion is communi-
cated to the crank shaft P and the former. The spindle J and former C
have imparted to them, through the crank P¹ and lever D, a slow vertical
longitudinal reciprocating motion. When the spindle and former have
arrived in the lowest position, shewn in Figures 1 and 2, the hat body,

page_text: having been subjected to what is termed the sizing process, and while still
damp from that process; is placed upon and drawn tightly over the former
by the attendant, altid as the former Hises it brings the hat body in contact
With the clamping fingers E, E, which clamp it upon the ribs d, d, and
è, è', and as the ascent of the former continues the fingers with their 'sup-
porting-ring E, the rods g, g, and plate F rise with it, and by their weight
continue to clamp the body upon the tibs of the former: By this con-
tinited ascent of the former after the clamping fingers have come into
operation the portions of the body between the ribs d, d, and e, e, are
brought into contact with the pressing rollers K, K, and M, M, which are
thus made to press these portions of the body into the recesses of the
former between the fibs, and so stretch them, and by this means the body
is brought to a suitable shape for the blocking operation by which the
crown and brim 'are to be formed.". In this operation the too rigid pressure
of the 'rollers K; K, is prevented by the springs q, q, and the too rigid
pressure of the other rollers M, M, is prevented by the loaded lever -H.
The springs and lever allow the rollers to retire from the vertical centre
of the machine as far as required to prevent the overstretching or tearing
of the hat body. The pressure of the rollers K, K, may be increased or
diminished by screwing up the nuts p more or less toward the lugs n¹, n',
of the plate B, so as to increase or diminish the pressure of the springs
4,4. The pressure of the other rollers M, M, may be increased or dimi-
nished by moving the weight H' further from or mearer to the fulcrum r
of the lever H; in the retiring movement of the rollers M, M, above
"described the upper ends of the levers N, N, press down the collar G.
After the stretching has been completed by the rise of the former C to
"its highest position, the former spindle and former descend, and as the hat
"body descends with the former the stretching rollers approach the vertical
centre of the machine until the collar G has been raised by the loaded
lever H into contact with the stop nut F¹, and the springs q, q, have
'expanded to the greatest length permitted by the heads of the bolts n, n.
The continued descent of the former until the plate has descended to
the stop nut F liberates the hat body from the clamping fingers, and the
further descent of the former to the lowest position permit the removal of
"the stretched body, and its replacement by an unstretched one, which by the
next ascent of the former spindle and former is subjected in the same
manner as 'above described to the stretching operation. To provide for
stretching the hat body imbre or less at the crown, and thereby provide
for the formation of a broader or narrower crown, the fulcrum of the

page_text: lever D is made adjustable lower or higher by being connected with the
rocker D, by a screw P. By lowering the fulcrum pin the former is allowed
to rise higher and so give a greater stretch to the top of the crown, and by
raising the fulcrum an opposite result is produced. The same effects may
be obtained by providing for the raising or lowering of the former on its
spindle.
usė
It may
be here observed that round-edged surfaces of any other kind
might be substituted for the stretching rollers, but it is preferable
the rollers, as by preventing. friction upon the hat body they are less
liable to tear it in the stretching operation. It may also be observed that
a clamping ring to press upon the hat body opposite the complete circular
portion of the former might be substituted for the clamping fingers E, E.
For the stretching of felt hats made of fur, the former spindle and the
hub of the former may be 'made hollow and supplied with steam for the
purpose of heating the former.
The improvements in blocking and shaping consist mainly in the
employment in combination with the hat block of what may be termed a
banding shell and a banding ring. The banding shell is in the form of
a cap, the interior of which is of a size and form to pass over the outside
of the crown of the hat while on the block; and the banding ring, the
interior of which is somewhat larger than the exterior of the shell, is fitted
into one of the clamping plates by which the brim of the hat body is held
during the forming and blocking process. The hat body is first drawn
over the exterior of the banding shell and through the banding ring, and
by that means the formation of the crown is commenced, and the "band"
or angle between 'the brim and the side crown is formed, and it is after-
wards drawn off the exterior of the banding shell and forced into the
interior thereof by the passage of the hat block into the shell, which
completes the blocking and shaping process; and in this operation it is
overstretched 'sufficiently to compensate for the shrinkage which is unavoid-
able when it is 'withdrawn from the shell. The banding shell, banding ring,
clamping plates and block are so arranged with respect to each other and
applied in connection with proper mechanism that their several operations
are effected by motion derived from a rotating shaft, and all the manipula-
5 tion required of the attendant is the insertion of the block with the hat
body-upon it, and its removal with the that after the blocking and shaping
has been completed.
In Sheet II. of the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of
the blocking and shaping machine, partly in section; Fig. 2 is a back view

page_text: of the same; Figures 3, 4, and 5 are elevations, partly in section, repre-
senting the hat block, banding shell, and banding ring, and parts of the
clamping plates in different positions to illustrate different stages of their
operation. Fig. 6 is a plan of the lower clamping plate and banding ring;
Fig. 7 will be herein-after explained. A is the framing of the machine in
which the working parts are supported and guided in their operation; D
is the hat block of wood or other material of a size and form to be blocked
and shaped, and is removable so that it may be changed for blocks of the
different sizes and shapes desired; it is supported upon a plate I secured
upon the upper end of an upright spindle J, which is fitted to slide up and
down in suitable guides in the framing A. The upper end of this spindle
projects above the plate I, as shewn at a in Fig. 1, so that it may enter a
hole in the centre of the bottom of the hat block and keep it concentric
with the spindle. E and F are the annular holding plates between which
the brim of the hat is held in the forming and blocking operation. These
plates are arranged with their circular openings concentric with the hat
block, and have holes provided in them for the passage through them of
two vertical rods c, c (Figures 1, 2, and 6), which work through guides in
the frame A. The lower plate E has a flat upper surface on which are
inscribed circles x, x, Fig. 6, by which to place the brim of the hat body
concentrically upon it; and its central opening is larger than the exterior
of the banding shell H, which will be presently described, and into this
opening is tightly fitted what is termed the "banding ring".b, for forming
what is termed by hatters the "band" of the hat, viz., the angle between
the brim and the side crown. The upper surface of this ring may project
slightly above the upper surface of the plate E. Below this plate E there are
provided on the rods c, c, two collars d, d, (Fig. 2,) for lifting the plate by
rising in contact with lugs d', d¹, thereon. Banding rings of different
internal diameters are to be provided for hats of different sizes, and that
which is used: must correspond in its internal diameter to the required size
of the exterior of the lower part of the side crown. When different sized
hats are to be made the rings must be changed. The upper plate: F also
has its central opening somewhat larger than the exteriors of the stretching
shell, and it is, made heavy enough to produce the requisite pressure on
the banding ring to hold the hat in the forming and blocking process; it
is provided with projecting lugs e, e (Fig. 2), to rest upon stationary pins
or projections ff, secured or provided in or upon the frame A for pre-
venting. it from descending below a certain position. The banding shell
consists of a thin hollow upright open-bottomed cylinder of metal, the

page_text: interior diameter of which is so much larger tlian the exterior of the
hat block as to admit the thickness of the hat body between them:
It is secured firmly to the upper part of the frame A by a screw g
(Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), in a position above and concentric with the
hat block, and with the openings in the holding plates E, F...Secured to
the framing A, and surrounding the spindle J. of the hat block supporter
I, there is an annular trough A¹ for the reception of any water that
may be squeezed from the hat body. in the shaping and. blocking
operation, which is performed while the body is in a wet or moist state:
The driving pulley L of the machine is fitted, to turn: loosely on a fixed
stud or axle i secured to one side of the framing of the machine, and has
firmly secured to it a spur wheel which, by means of suitable spur
gearing k, l, m, 4, and an intermediate shaft P, gives rotary motion to a
shaft m working in bearings in the base of the table and framing of the
machine. This rotating shaft m has a crank 'm' at the middle of its length,
which is connected at n¹ by a rod n with two levers p, p, the fulcrum p¹ of
which is supported in a rocking. frame which rocks in bearings q' in the
lower parts of the sides of the machine. The levers are connected at p
with the spindle J, and the revolution of the crank produces through the
rod and levers a vertical. reciprocating motion of the spindle J, the sup-.
porter I, and the hat block. The rotating shaft m has at one end another
crank m³, which is connected by a rod t with the arm r¹ of a rock shaft r,
which works in bearings in the upper ends of two rocking pillars s, 's, the
lower ends of which are pivotted at s¹ to the lower parts of the sides of the
framing of the machine, and; the rock shaft has rigidly attached to it two
other arms 3, 73, which are pivotted to adjustable collars c¹, c', secured by
set screws c, c³, to the vertical rods c, c. The arms,, are connected
together by a yoke r', Fig. 2. The rotary motion of the crank m³ produces;
through the agency of the rod t, arm r³, rock shaft r, and arms.³, 1ª³, a
vertical reciprocating motion of the rods c, c, by which the upward move-
ments of the clamping plates E, F, are obtained. The wrist. m of the
crank mis adjustable in a slot m³ of the crank m³, backward or forward
relatively to the wrist of the crank m³, to properly time the movements of
the holding plate's relatively to the movements of the hat block, and the
connection of the rod t with the arm is adjustable higher or lower
by means of a set screw ³, to regulate the distance which the holding
plates E, F, are moved upward, and thereby regulate the distance which
the plates move upward over the banding shell, according to the desired
height of the crown of the hat. The operation of blocking and shaping

page_text: the hat in this machine is as follows:-The hat body v having been pre-
pared for blocking either by being stretched by hand in the usual manner,
by the stretching machine herein-before described, or by other suitable
means, and subsequently wetted or moistened by hot water or steam, is
placed crown upward on the lower plate E while the hat block is in the
lowest position, represented in Figures 1 and 2. The plates are then.
supported by the collars d; d; of the rods c, c, a little above the block, and
the upper plate F then rests on the pins or projections ff, with its lower:
surface a little below. the lower edges of the banding shell H. The upward
movement of the rods c, c, then carries up the plate. E and the hat body,
and brings the brim into contact with the lower surface of the plate F,
between which and the banding ring 6 the brim is then held by the weight
of the latter plate, while the two plates E, F, pass up over the exterior of
the banding shell, turning the crown inside out and stretching it over the
shell, as shown in Fig. 3, at the same time forming the band over the upper
inner edge of the banding ring b. The two plates move upward high
enough to overstretch the crown, (that is to say,) to stretch it to a greater
height or depth than it is desired to have when blocked. This over-
stretching is desirable on account of the tendency of the liat body to
.shrink as soon as it is relieved of tension, and it is in effecting this, pre-
paratory to the introduction of the block, that the operation of this machine
differs essentially in one respect from that of other forming and blocking
machines. As the upward movement of the holding plates and the hat body
proceeds the spindle J, the supporting plate I, and the block D move
upward with the hat body, and as these have a greater movement than the
plate E, the top of the block comes in contact with the tip of the crown
of the hat before the descent of the holding plate commences, and the
continued upward movement of the hat block while the rods c, c, descend
and permit the descent of the plates by their own weight draws the crown
of the hat off from the exterior of the banding shell, and turns it right
side out over the block which enters the shell, as illustrated in Figures 4
and 5, the former of which Figure represents this reversal of the crown as
partly effected, and the latter represents it as completed. The crown of
the hat having been drawn tightly. over the block the latter descends with
the plates E, F, the plate F stopping when it reaches the stops ff while
the plate E, and the spindle J, block supporter L, and block D .continue
their descent. The spindle J and supporter. I descends faster than the
plate E, and as the hat is tight on the block and the upper end a of the
spindle J fits loosely in the block, the spindle and supporter are withdrawn

page_text: 3.
from the block, leaving it in the hat while the hat remains on the plate E.
The hat and block are then removed together by the attendant from the
plate E, and the hat is taken off the block. The same block is then
replaced, or another one placed on the plate E, and another hat body being
placed on the plate is subjected to the same blocking and forming process
by a repetition of the operation of the machine. It may be here remarked
that both the screw for adjusting the connection t of the rod t with the
lever and the adjustable crank wrist m³, both serve to regulate the height
to which the plates E, F, move for stretching the hat body over the
exterior of the banding shell, but the adjustment by the screw, which is
the more convenient, is used for slight variations in the height of the
crown of the hat and the adjustment by the crank wrist m is used for
greater variations.
..
Having now described this Invention of "Improvements in Machinery
for the Manufacture of Felt Hats, as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, and having explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid,―
First, the employment in the process of stretching hats of a skeleton or
ribbed former, as herein described.
Second, the clamping fingers E, E, or other clamping devices in combi-
nation with the skeleton or ribbed former, for the purpose herein specified.
Third, the employment in combination with the skeleton or ribbed and
recessed former of pressing rollers K, M, or other equivalent pressing
devices, as herein set forth.
Fourth, the combination in a machine for stretching hats of a skeleton
'or ribbed former, a pressing ring, and a system of rollers or other equivalent
pressing devices, for the purpose herein specified.
Fifth, the banding shell H applied and operating in combination with
the hat block D, and with suitable means of holding the brim of the hat,
for the purpose herein described.
Sixth, the construction and arrangement of the parts of a machine for
shaping and blocking hats, whereby the crown of the hat is overstretched
in height or depth preparatory to the entrance of the block, as herein set
forth.
Seventh, I claim so applying and operating the holding plates for
clamping the brim of hats in the shaping and blocking machine, so that
they may be opened and closed automatically by the operation of the
machine, as herein described. .

page_text: .. Eighth, the banding ring b applied within the lower holding plate and
operating in 'combination with the banding shells H, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J.-W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.s.)