IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR BLOCKING HATS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,:
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR BLOCKING HATS."-A communi-
cation from abroad by William Case Griswold and Julius Sheldon,.
Sealed the 18th June 1867, and dated the 24th January 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th January 1867.
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 "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR BLOCKING HATS," to be
as follows:-.
The machine consists of an expansible framework for stretching out the
crown and the cylindrical part of the hat, also a ring to break the band of
the hat, and a number of clamps which receive the brim part of the hat and
stretch it out flat. In the centre of a table there is a stem which bears >
circular plate with a number of slots radiating towards the periphery of the
plate, in these slots play upright bars which have their fulcrums in sliding.

page_text: pieces directly under the plate; by raising or lowering a cone, which turns
on a screw cut on the stem, these sliding fulcrums can be thrown in or out.
The bars are provided with notches which form the seats for the fulcrum
pins, and their upper ends are jointed to short arms by which the bars
receive a vibrating motion from a vertical rod that passes through the centre
of the stem, and can be worked up and down by a lever. The notches in
the bars are for the purpose of adjusting the machine to all depths, and the
fulcrum slides serve to adjust the machine to all sizes of hats. An elastic
ring is placed all round the bars opposite the fulcrum pin to keep the notches
of the bars in gear with their fulcrums, and also to keep the sliding pieces
in contact with the cone. There are also a number of clamps hinged to the
plate; these consist each of two jaws being jointed together at the lower
ends; they stand in an inclined position, and the upper jaws are thrown
open to receive the hat body. There is a ring which can be moved vertically
up and down by a forked lever to shut the clamps simultaneously.
ring is hung in a forked lever and serves a double purpose; it forms with
its sharp edge the corner between the brim and the cylindrical part of the
hat, and being surrounded by an elastic ring or cushion gives pressure upon
the ends of the upper jaws of the clamps. When the hat body is placed
on the machine the clamps must be closed, the brim. ring brought down over
the hat body, and pressure given to it by the operator; this causes the
clamps to take a firm. hold of the edge of the brim, and retain that hold
while they are being raised up to a horizontal position and so stretch out the
brim flat; the vertical bars are then expanded, and the hat will be
blocked.
Another
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 24th July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County s
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her.
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, a

page_text: the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Newton, 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, 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 "IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR BLOCKING HATS," being a communication to me 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) :-
The machine which forms the subject of the present Invention consists of
an expansible framework for stretching out the crown and the cylindrical
part of the hat, also of a ring to break the band of the bat, and of a number
of clamps which receive the brim part of the hat and stretch it out flat.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents a section through the
machine, the hat body being shewn in red line on the machine; Fig. 2 is
also a vertical section in a line at right angles to that of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is
a plan view of some parts of the machine; Fig. 4 represents the lower side
of the plate b, shewing two of the fulcrum slides b².
In the centre of a table a there is a stem a', which carries a circular
plate with a number of slots cut in it, radiating towards the periphery of
the plate; in these slots play upright bars b', which have their fulcrums
in sliding pieces directly under the plate b; by raising or lowering a
cone c which turns on a screw cut on the stem a these sliding fulcrums can
be thrown in or out. The bars are provided with notches which form the
seats for the fulcrum pins, and their upper ends are jointed to short arms c
by which the bars 61 receive a vibrating motion from a vertical rod c¹ that
passes through the centre of the stem a', aud can be worked up and downr

page_text: by a lever c. The notches in the bars b₁ are for the purpose of adjusting
the machine to all depths, and the fulcrum slides 62 serve to adjust the
machine to all sizes of hats. An elastic ring is placed all round the bars b
opposite the fulcrum pin to keep the notches of the bars 61 in gear
with their fulcrums, and also to keep the sliding pieces in contact with
the
cone. There are also a number of clamps d hinged to the plate b.;
these clamps consist each of two jaws jointed together at the lower ends;
they stand in an inclined position and the upper jaws are thrown open, as
shewn in red lines in Fig. 1, to receive the hat body. There is a ring e which
can be moved vertically up and down by a forked lever et, and being guided
by two vertical rods & serve to shut the clamps simultaneously. There is
another ring f upon which all the clamps rest with their lower ends, which
is also capable of a motion up, being guided by two vertical rods f³, and
operated by a forked lever f³; its function is to raise the clamps from their
inclined position to a horizontal position, as shewn in Fig. 2. Another ring g
is hung in a forked lever g¹, whose fulcrum is at 9; this ring can be brought
down upon the machine when required, and serves a double purpose; it-forms
with its sharp edge the corner between the brim and the cylindrical part of
the hat, and being surrounded by an elastic ring or cushion h gives pressure
upon the ends of the upper jaws of the clamps.
In order to block a hat the machine is to be operated in the following
manner: The machine is brought to a position, as shewn in Fig. 1, the
clamps are down and open, the bars .b¹ are contracted, and the ring 9 must
be raised off. When the hat body is placed on the machine the clamps
must be closed, the brim ring g being brought down over the hat body, and
pressure given to it by the operator; this causes the clamps to take a firm
hold of the edge of the brim, and retain that hold while they are being
raised up to a horizontal position by the ring f, and so stretch out the brim
flat; the vertical bars are then expanded, and the machine is then in the
position shewn in Fig. 2, and the hat will be blocked.
Having now described the Invention of "Improved Machinery for Blocking
Hats," which bas been 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 use of the clamps, constructed and operated as herein set forth,
for the purpose of stretching the brims of hat bodies.
Second, the application of a ring to break the band and to give pressure
to the clamps.

page_text: Third, the expansible framework, with its adjustability as to size and
depth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
AVitness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)