Improvements in Apparatus used in the Manufacture of Hats.
Year: 1894

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus used in the Manufacture of Hats.
I WILLIAM HENRY BLACKWELL George Hotel Stockport in the County
Cheshire Patentee do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
This invention has reference to apparatus known as curling bags and are used
for pressing or forming the curl on or the set and curl in the hat brim and in
protectors, at times, used in conjunction with aforesaid bags, also in bags used to
press the hat to its whole extent and known as a press bag.
1st. Referring to aforesaid curling or seting bag, they are most liable to
fracture at the sides, to obviate this I purpose to strengthen them here by embeding
in the india rubber (or like material that may be used to manufacture these bags,)
preferably metallic gauze, leather, or a combination of both, while such india
rubber is in a plastic state, the leather if required may have a series of
perforations or slits formed therein or be plaited so as to obtain more flexability
and allow of the india rubber to amalgamate through the same, if necessary I
embed this strengthening material all round the bag, these bags are also very
liable to fracture at the top of the same, more especially in the case of those bags
used to work in conjunction with what are known as split frames, I purpose to
strengthen them here in a like manner if required.
2nd. Having regard to what is known as a curling bag protector and which, at
times, is used in conjunction with aforementioned curling bag, this protector is a
cuped cap, forming a kind of hood or lining which is applied underneath and fits
into the cuped portion of the bag and is intended to protect the parts of the bag
liable to fracture as aforesaid, I strengthen this protector at the sides and top or
all round where liable to fracture and in a like manner to the bag mentioned.
3rd. In the case of those press bags used to press the hat to its whole extent,
these bags are very liable to fracture in the brim portion (viz.) at the juncture of
the balanced portion of the press (when in action) or the outer edge of the dish or
shape in which the hats are pressed, here I purpose to strengthen by imbeding
(preferably) wire gauze, leather or buffalo, all the above strengthening may be
done by compressing the material between two layers of rubber either before or
while being vulcanized or other suitable means, there is a ring used with this bag
(used to press the hats to there whole extent) and which is intended to protect the
bag at the aforesaid part, I also purpose strengthening this ring in a like manner
to the bag mentioned.
4th. When either of the aforementioned bags are applied to the press, there is
an internal chamber formed in conjunction with the metal work of the press and
such bag, I purpose forming a pneumatic ring, which I apply to this chamber, this
ring is intended to fill up or reduce more or less of the chamber space, so as to
require less water used with the hydraulic press and to cause dualistic pressure
(viz.) the pressure going on will compress the air in the ring and such pressure
when turned off and the air being then released, in its turn will force the water
from the chamber thus saving time.
The above may be more or less open to modification, when I may claim all or
any as in 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1894

page_text: provements in Apparatus, used in the manufacture of Hats.
I WILLIAM HENRY BLACKWELL, George Hotel, Stockport, in the County of
Cheshire, Patentee, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My said invention has for its object certain improvements in the india rubber
bags and appliances used in combination therewith in the presses in which hats are
placed in or on a mould or shape and subjected to the pressure of water contained
in a bag for the purpose of pressing the body of the hat and for shaping and curling
the brim.
Reference is hereinafter made to the accompanying drawings which are to be
understood as forming part of the present description.
Fig. 1 is a section of part of a press used for curling the brim of a felt hat.
Resting on a table a is a mould or shape b on which the hat c is laid. The
cover d of the press is bollow and is closed by a rubber bag e securely held to the
cover by a ring f. When the cover d is clamped to the table a water under
pressure is admitted through a pipe g.
The water pressure causes the rubber bag e to descend and to expand so as to
assume the shape indicated by the dotted line e¹ and the edges of the hat brim are
thereby forced to curl under.
Owing to the great and irregular stretching of the india rubber at certain places
as for instance where the bag curls under the edges of the mould b the bags soon
burst or tear at such places and become useless although the rest of the bag remains
perfectly sound.
The object of one part of my said invention is to provide against this evil
by inserting locally in the india rubber bag layers or strips h of wire gauze leather
or other suitable strengthening material. Such insertions are made just at the
points where the destructive action is most operative and by being inserted locally
the elasticity of the rubber between such insertions is not interfered with.
Fig. 2 is a plan of a curling bag made in accordance with my said invention.
Fig. 3 is a section through a-y of Fig. 2.
Fig. 3 is a section showing how such a bag is built up.
I first put on the lower rubber part of the bag e² the insertion and also at ³ at
the top part. I then cover the same with a covering part of rubber e³. The whole
is then vulcanized together to form a solid mass.
When leather is used the layer thereof is preferably slit as shown in Fig. 4.
The slits not only contribute to the flexibility of the bag but by allowing
the rubber to pass through in the process of vulcanizing help to more securely
hold the leather.
In some cases I use strips composed of plaited laces of leather.
My said invention is also in part applicable to protectors or hoods such as k
(Fig. 1) used in conjunction with a bag. In such case gauze or leather is locally
inserted at the place where it is bent round the rim and also at the top or centre
where it is attached to the press.
Local strengthening insertions of leather wire gauze or other suitable material
are placed in the flanges of the bags used for pressing the entire hat in a mould or
dish u (see Fig. 5) where the bag descends between the edges of the dish and the
securing ring. At this point I insert the strengthening layer h¹.
The local strengthenings may be placed only at the sides as seen in Fig. 2 or may
extend as an annular strip right round the bag.
Another part of my said invention relates to an appliance for facilitating the

page_text: discharge of the water from the bag after pressing. For this purpose I insert a
closed tubular ring m (containing air) in the press cover over the bag.
On the water being admitted under great pressure the ring will collapse owing
to the contraction of the air. On the water pressure being released the air in the
ring m will expand and aid in expelling the water from the bag.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.-
1. A rubber bag for use in a hydraulic hat press having local strengthening
pieces inserted therein at the places where it is subject to most strain substantially
as set forth and shown.
2. A rubber protector cap or hood for use in combination with a bag in a
hydraulic hat press having local insertions of leather or wire gauze at the places
where it is subject to most strain, substantially as set forth and shown.
3. In combination with a bag in a hat press the annular air tube m for hastening
the discharge of water from the bag substantially as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of August 1905
E. T. WHITELOW, A.M. Inst. C.E.,
70 Deansgate, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.