OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CUTTING, PLEATING, AND SEWING THE LININGS OF HATS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Beck, of 139 Cannon Street in the City of
London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent for an Invention of A NEW
"
OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CUTTING, PLEATING, AND SEWING THE LININGS OF
HATS," Communicated to him from abroad by Louis Chosson of 2 Boulevard
de Strasbourg, Paris, in the Republic of France, Machinist
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Beck at the
*Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd September 1882.
"
WILLIAM HENRY BECK of 139 Cannon Street, in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent, "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CUTTING,
PLEATING AND SEWING THE LININGS OF HATS' [Communicated to him from
abroad by Louis Chosson of 2 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Machinist]
The linings of hats which are manufactured complete by the machine forming
the subject of this invention, comprise a circular or elliptic crown, and a band of
greater or less depth, pleated up into pleats of any desired width and connected to
the said crown by sewing-.
The crown cut out approximately and usually lined with a paper support or
stiffener is fixed on an elliptic or other suitably shaped disc, mounted on a special
support in such manner as to cause the material intended to form the crown to
describe an ellipse or a circle of definite dimensions when the said disc is turned
round. The support being then brought opposite to a small circular band shears,
the crown and its paper lining are cut simultaneously to the required shape, the
said paper lining resting directly on the rotating elliptic disc-.
After this preparatory operation the crown is brought opposite a specially
adapted sewing machine, the band is placed on the crown by sliding it under the
pleating instrument, and the machine is then set in motion. The sewing takes
place and at determinate and regular intervals the band is formed into pleats
without deranging in any way whatever the continuity of the work. The pleater
is a very simple arrangement, quickly regulated and certain in its action-..
j

page_text: The machine comprises three distinct parts the working of each of which is
coordinated to the others so as to assure continuity in the operations; they consist
of the cutter, which cuts out the crowns of the hat linings; the pleater, which pleats
the band; and the sewing machine which unites the crown to the band-.
First The cutter out-This consists of the shears and the support which holds
the crown to be cut out
The shears consist of a pair of circular discs worked by hand by means of a
crank handle which drives a shaft carried in fixed bearings; on this shaft is keyed
a bevil pinion which gears with a similar pinion fixed on the shaft of the upper
disc of the shears and formed in one with a small spur wheel which transmits this
movement to another spur wheel on the shaft of the lower disc of the shears, the
whole being mounted in a suitable frame-.
The support consists of a carriage which pivots on a screw adjustable in a groove
sunk into the table of the machine. This support turning on the said screw can be
directed towards the sewing machine or brought into line with the shears. In the
first case the above mentioned carriage is held fast by means of a spring entering
a groove in a plate screwed to the table-.
The aforesaid carriage carries at its front end a disc intended to conduct an
elliptic plate in its evolutions round a centre supported by a slide fitted into
the aforesaid carriage, and which slide is adjustable by a traversing screw.
Divisions marked on this slide define the positions of the elliptic plate which is
provided on the axes of the ellipse with four cork centres serving to fix the material
of the hat lining on this disc by means of a suitable presser; a projection under
the elliptic plate forms with an oscillating stop lever a fixed point of departure
(mise au point).
The material previously cut out to the approximate size is placed, lined or not
with paper, on to the elliptic plate which is adjusted to a particular position by
means of the aforesaid stop lever. It is then turned towards the shears, the latter
are set in motion by hand, and immediately the cutting out is cleanly effected by
causing the material and its disc support to describe the ellipse that has been
previously determined upon-.
This operation finished, the carriage is brought opposite the sewing machine, and
fixed there by a spring-
Second-The pleater-In combination with the movements of the sewing
machine, which will be hereafter referred to, is arranged the pleating instrument
consisting of a claw which receives from suitable mechanism alternate rectilinear
intermittent movements for sliding and pleating the material of the band on itself—.
A plate with one, two, or more friction rollers mounted thereon is fixed on a
shaft situated parallel to and above the driving shaft, and receives therefrom by
tooth gearing the requisite rotary motion, according as the pleat is to correspond
to such or such a number of strokes or stitches of the needle of the sewing
machine_
A slide block kept in contact with the said friction roller or rollers by means
of a spring, receives alternate rectilinear movements in its slide groove from the
said friction roller or rollers. To this slide block is attached a claw which follows
the backward and forward movements of the said slide block while bearing upon
the material of the band, the material of the crown passing under an intermediate
plate when this claw is not raised by a projection fixed in the guide support of the
slide block.
Another intermediate plate receives a flexible guide pivoting at a certain point
and conducting the crown up to the pleating claw-.
The carriage or frame of the pleater is fixed on the work plate of the sewing
machine by means of a thumb screw-.
The number of pleats made for any number of strokes of the needle is dependent
upon the number of friction rollers on the roller plate-
Third-The sewing machine is of the ordinary kind for producing the chain
stitch by means of a needle and revolving hook, with a thread guided in the usual

page_text: manner. The claw of the feed motion operates on the crown of the hat lining as
usual.
Combined action of the pleater and sewing machine-The crown of the hat
lining cut out and placed as already explained, on the elliptic plate, is put under
the needle of the sewing machine and below the plate which covers the material of
the band.
Under these conditions the sewing machine effects the sewing together of the
band and crown, and simultaneously therewith the pleater furnishes the band by
forming the pleats of equal widths at regular intervals of time-
A guide ending in a claw prevents the slipping of the material, and facilitates, by
a slight displacement the formation of the last pleat. The pivoting may be
produced by mechanical arrangements working automatically and correlatively with
the revolutions of the elliptic support of the crown or even of the material
constituting the hat linings.
:
The stopping mechanism of the slide block may consist of a piece which giving
the normal width of pleat, can be modified as to length by a covering piece
mounted on an oscillating lever. When the covering piece is brought opposite the
friction rollers these latter give an increased back ward movement to the slide block
to the extent of the whole thickness of the said covering piece-..
The forms, materials and dimensions of the parts may be varied at pleasure—.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Henry Beck in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd March 1883.
WILLIAM HENRY BECK of 139 Cannon Street, in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent. "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CUTTING,
PLEATING, AND SEWING THE LININGS OF HATS [Communicated to him from
abroad by Louis Chosson of 2 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Machinist]
The linings of hats which are manufactured completely by the machine forming
the subject of this invention comprise a circular or elliptic crown and a band of
greater or less depth pleated up into pleats of any desired width and connected to
the said crown by sewing.
The crown cut out approximately and usually lined with a paper support or
stiffener is fixed on an elliptic or other suitably shaped disc mounted on a special
support in such manner as to cause the material intended to form the crown to
describe an ellipse or a circle of definite dimensions when the said disc is turned
round. The support being then brought opposite to a small circular hand shears
the crown and its paper lining are cut simultaneously to the required shape, the
said paper lining resting directly on the rotating elliptic disc.
After this preparatory operation the crown is brought opposite a specially
adapted sewing machine, the band is placed on the crown by sliding it under the
pleating instrument and the machine is then set in motion." The sewing takes
place, and at determinate and regular intervals the band is formed into pleats
without deranging in any way whatever the continuity of the work.
The pleater
is a very simple arrangement quickly regulated to take up more or less stuff and
certain in its action
In the drawings hereto annexed Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 a
plan of the whole machine.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the shears on the line A. B of Figure 2, and Figure 4
is a front view of the pleater.
The machine comprises three distinct parts, the working of each of which is
co-ordinated to the others so as to assure continuity in the operations; they consist
of the cutter which cuts out the crowns of the hat linings; the pleater which
pleats the band; and the sewing machine which unites the crown to the band.
First. The cutter out. This consists of the shears and the support which holds
the crown to be cut out.
The shears consist (see Figures 2 and 3) of a pair of circular discs a a¹ worked
by hand by means of a crank handle b which drives a shaft b' carried in fixed
bearings b; on this shaft b' is keyed a bevil pinion 63 which gears with a similar
pinion a² fixed on the shaft of the upper disc a of the shears and forined in one
with a small spur wheel a³ which transmits this movement to another spur wheel a¹
on the shaft of the lower disc a' of the shears, the whole being mounted in a
suitable frame.
The support consists of a carriage c which pivots on a screw c¹ adjustable in a
groove c² sunk into the table of the machine. This support c turning on the said
screw c¹ can be directed towards the sewing machine as shown in Figures 1 and 2
or brought into line with the shears. In the first case the above mentioned
carriage c is held fast by means of a spring c³ entering a groove c³ in a plate c³
screwed to the table.
The aforesaid carriage c carries at its front end a disc d' intended to conduct an
elliptic plate d in its evolutions round a centre & supported by a slide d³ fitted

page_text: into the aforesaid carriage c and which slide is adjustable by a traversing screw d*.
Divisions d³ marked on this slide define the positions of the elliptic plate & which
is provided on the axes of the ellipse with four cork centres e e serving to fix the
material and its lining on this disc by the four points e' e' of a presser e³ seen in
elevation and plan at Figure 5.
The projections f¹ under the elliptic plate d and beneath the corks e form with
an oscillating stop lever f fixed points of departure (misè au point).
The material, previously cut out to the approximate size is placed, lined or not
with paper, on to the elliptic plate d which is adjusted to a particular position by
means of the aforesaid stop lever f. It is then turned towards the shears a a', the
latter are set in motion by hand, and immediately the cutting out is cleanly effected
by causing the material and its disc support to describe the ellipse that has been
previously determined upon.
This operation finished, the carriage c is brought opposite the sewing machine
and fixed there by the spring c³.
Second. The pleater. In combination with the movements of the sewing machine,
which will be hereafter referred to, is arranged the pleating instrument consisting
of a claw g which receives from suitable mechanism alternate rectilinear inter-
mittent movements for sliding and pleating the material of the band on itself.
A plate h with one, two or more stops h' is fixed on a shaft i situated parallel to
and above the driving shaft m and receives therefrom by the spur wheel h² and
the teeth m² cut in the shaft the requisite rotary motion according as the pleat is
to correspond to such or such a number of strokes or stitches of the needle p of the
sewing machine.
A slide block n kept in contact with the stop or stops h³ by means of a spring r
receives alternate rectilinear movements in its slide groove n¹ from the said stop or
stops. To this slide block n is attached the claw g which follows the backward
and forward movements of the said slide block while bearing upon the material of
the band, the material of the crown passing under an intermediate plate o (Figure 4)
when this claw is not raised by a projection g¹ fixed in the guide support of the
slide block n.
The intermediate plate o receives a flexible guide o¹ pivoting at a certain
point o and conducting the crown up to the pleating claw g.
os is the spring
which acts on the guide o'.
The carriage or frame of the pleater is fixed on the work plate 9 of the sewing
machine by means of a thumb screw n².
If the plate h has two stops h' for the same number of stitches of the needle, the
pleater makes twice as many pleats; for 3, 4, &c stops the pleats are triple,
quadruple and so forth.
Third. The sewing machine is of the ordinary kind for producing the clain
stitch by means of a needle p and a revolving hook s which is mounted on the end
of the driving shaft m with a thread F guided in the usual manner. The claw x
of the feed motion operates on the crown of the hat lining as usual but the feed
can be varied at pleasure so as to deliver more or less material for the same
number of strokes of the needle p. For this purpose the piece y (see the detailed
plan Figure 6) receives a to and fro movement from an eccentric y' on the shaft m
which movement is transmitted to the claw x. The piece y is acted on by a
springy and stopped by the end of a lever y³ pivoting at y'. By turning the
lever y³ from left to right the movements of the piece y may be shortened until
they are rendered mil. Divisions y³ on the lever show by means of an index z the
intervals of the stitches.

page_text: · Under these conditions the sewing machine effects the sewing together of the
band and crown and simultaneously therewith the pleater furnishes the band by
forming the pleats of equal widths at regular intervals of time.
The guide o ending in a claw prevents the slipping of the material and facilitates,
by a slight displacement, the formation of the last pleat. The pivoting may be
produced by mechanical arrangements working automatically and correlatively with
the revolutions of the elliptic support of the crown or even of the material
constituting the hat linings.
The forms, materials and dimensions of the parts may be varied at pleasure.
Having now described the nature of the said invention and the manner in which
the same is to or may be carried into effect I would have it understood that
what I claim as the invention to be secured by the within in part recited letters
patent is
First. The arrangements of the cutter for cutting out the crown of the hat lining
comprising the disc shears a a¹ and the stuff carrier c the elliptic plate d of which
describes ellipses the forms of which may be varied at pleasure and the stoppages
of which are produced by the instruments c³ and f as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.
Second. The automatic mechanism for pleating the band whereby pleats of any
desired size and number are produced by means of a porter plate h furnished with
one or more stops h¹; such plate h receiving its movement from the main driving
shaft; a slide block n with a claw g which supplies and pleats the band of material
and the feed claw x the to and fro feeding motions of which can be varied at
pleasure by means of the lever y³, the whole combined, arranged and operating as
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.
Third. The combination of a sewing machine with the pleater g and its guides o o¹
for effecting the sewing together of the crown and of the band by a continuous
movement as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings hereto
annexed
In witness whereof I the said William Henry Beck have hereunto set my hand
and seal this first day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.