Improvements in Machines for Blocking Hats.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1897-Accepted, 9th Oct., 1897
Improvements in Machines for Blocking Hats.
We, ROUGHSEDGE WALLWORK of the Firm of Henry Wallwork & Co. Union Bridge
Iron Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer and JESSE HIGINBOTHAM
of the Firm of James Higinbotham & Sons, Mottram Road, Hyde in the County of
Lancaster, Hat Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our improvements consist in the construction of mechanism for the purpose of
blocking hats hereinafter set forth.
The machine consists of a brim or base which may be changed according to the
size required, or loose rings of the various sizes may fit in the one brim or base.
The brim is arranged to slide upon a suitable fixing or moving table and under
this table we arrange a shaft upon which are cams, so arranged that when the handle
connected to the shaft is partially rotated, the table with the brim is moved up and
down. Fixed to the frame of the machine we arrange a fixed circular ring. This
ring we may cover with felt, rubber, or other material so as to get a grip of the
felt body. We arrange a screw and hand wheel, lever and cain, or lever with pinion
to work into rack, over the centre of the machine for the purpose of forcing the block
into the hat body to be blocked; the operation being as follows:-
The hat body is first stretched into the usual form at the brim and crown and
softened in the usual manner. It is then quickly placed upon the brim. The block
is placed in position in the crown. The brim with the body is placed under the ring.
The table is lifted, which grips the body between the fixed ring and the brim. The
erown block is now forced through the brim plate to the required depth and the
operation is finished. The blocked hat is then removed and the process repeated.
In some cases we apply heat to the hat body whilst the hat is being blocked and
arrange in other cases for a current of cold air to be forced upon the body after
blocking, as the nature of the body that is being blocked requires.
In one arrangement for obtaining this object we enclose the crown of the hat
when being blocked in a confined chamber or box, and form holes round the top of
this or grooves along the top of the brim part and couple to this so as to move in
and out with the brim, means for supplying the necessary heat, say steam, so that
the steam may act upon the hat body during the process of blocking. In some cases,
after the hat is blocked, it is necessary to cool it as quickly as possible before
removing from the machine; to do this, we couple a small ejector to the chamber so
that the steam can be quickly removed and cold air drawn through the above
mentioned holes or grooves in the chamber enclosing the crown of the hat being
blocked, by this means quickly cooling the blocked hat.
Ln0th day of October 1806
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 6, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.

page_text: We, ROUGHSEDGE WALLWORK of the Firm of Henry Wallwork and Co., Union Bridge
Iron Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and JESSE HIGINBOTHAM
of the Firm of James Higinbotham & Sons, Mottram Road, Hyde in the County of
Lancaster, Hat Manufacturers, 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 :-
This Invention relates to machines for blocking hats and consists in the
improvements in the construction of said machines hereinafter set forth.
In order that our invention may be more readily understood and carried into effect,
we have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings on which
Figure 1 shows a front elevation and
Figure 2 a side elevation of the improved hat blocking machine,
Figures 3 and 4 show modifications of the carriage when required to be used with
steam during the blocking process, and
Figure 5 a horizontal section and a cross section through the exhaust branch of a
valve or apparatus used for the admission and exhaustion of the steam on an enlarged
scale.
Figure 6 a similar cross section with the exhaust valve or cock in its opened
position.
The improved machine is arranged in the following way: A frame A is supported
ön feet A¹ and formed with bearings for a shaft C, on which cams c and a handle c¹
are fixed. The cams c support an open table B formed of the sides b and connecting
ends b¹ which table is guided by slides 62 on the frame A. On the table a sliding
carriage a fitted with a handle a² is arranged. Upon this carriage we place a brim
plate or brim a¹ which may be changed according to the size required, or loose rings
of the various sizes may be fitted into one brim or base to suit various sizes of hats.
On Figures 1 and 2 a brim a' made as represented more clearly in half plan in the
lower half of Figure 3, is shewn as employed. The carriage A is shown on the
figures in the position for blocking; to place the hat body on the same it is drawn
out upon the table B by the handle a². The hat body is softened by steaming in the
usual way or by heat, and then quickly placed upon the brim a¹ and the necessary
block for the shape placed in position in the crown. The carriage is then pushed
back into the position shewn on Figures 1 and 2.
D is a ring fixed to the frame A of the machine and secured to this is a ring of
india rubber d¹. By pulling down the lever c¹ the table B with the carriage a is
lifted by the cams c and the brim of the hat is secured between the brim a' and
the rubber ring d¹.
A circular disc E is attached loose to the bottom end of a coarse thread screw e³
having a hand wheel e¹ at the top; an india rubber ring e3 is fixed to the bottom
of the disc E. As soon as the hat brim has been secured as aforesaid, the screw is
worked down until the rubber disc ea comes against the brin plate a¹, and at the
same time forces the block into the hat body to be blocked, which completes the
blocking process.
In some cases steam is used during the blocking process to soften the hat and in
such cases we use a carriage forming a box or chamber for containing the hat crown
similarly as shewn in section by Figure 4. The top surface of such carriage may be
grooved as shewn on Figure 3 and holes a³ may be drilled through it to deflect the
steam, the brim plate a forming a top covering for the grooves and holes; in this
case steam enters at a and escapes along the grooves a³ through the holes a*. In
some cases we form the carriage with a circular steam tube a' as shewn on Figure 4,

page_text: with holes a, through which tube and holes the steam enters and passes out through
hole a', or vice versa. With these arrangements for steaming the hat body we in
some cases arrange a valve supplying the steam so that it is opened or closed by the
pashing in and drawing out of the carriage, or by turning the handle e' for raising
or lowering the table, the steam supply being connected to the carriage by a flexible
pipe. Preferably we employ however, a double cock arrangement worked by trendles
and represented on Figures 1, 2 and 5, by which steam can be admitted to the box
of the carriage and afterwards a current of air drawn through the same for quickly
cooling the hat.
Steam enters the cock casing through the pipe H¹ at the centre. Each end of the
casing is fitted with a cock having a central bore with another lateral bore rectan-
gularly thereto and meeting the former. On the square of each cock a lever with a
treadle at one end and a balance weight (not shewn on the drawing) at the other end,
is mounted. The cock g¹ is of the usual conical shape, and by depressing the
treadle G¹ the cock g¹ is turned into the position shown on Figure 5, so that steam
passes through the central and lateral bore from the steam pipe H¹ to the right leg G*
of the breeches pipe G G and into the flexible pipe F, the upper end of which is
connected to the carriage, so that the hat body contained therein is steamed on its
outer side, while on release of the treadle the balance weight closes the outlet from
the cock casing to the branch G and pipe F and steam is shut off from the carriage.
The other cock g² is cut away at the sides parallel with the lateral bore, as shown on
Figure 5, the bore g³ being only small. When in the position shewn on Figure 5 the
lateral bore is closed by the cock casing and steam cannot pass through the cock;
when the treadle G however is depressed, after the cock g' has been closed, and the
cock g is turned into the position shewn on Figure 6, a small jet of steam will blow
through towards the discharge pipe H communicating with the atmosphere, which at
the same time is placed into communication with the pipe F and carriage through
the leg G of the breeches pipe and the space at the flat sides of the cock. The
steam blowing out through the cock induces a current of cold air through the box
shaped carriage past the hat body, so as to cool it quickly.
We do not confine ourselves to this special arrangement of cocks or valves, but any
other construction of valve or valves for alternately admitting steain to the hat
carriage and drawing cold air through the same by means of an injector may be used.
Two separate valves for instance worked by treadles or by the movement of the
carriage or the shaft C might be employed for this purpose, or a valve operated by
one treadle and admitting steam or drawing air according to the position of the
treadle may be used. In some cases when the hatbodies are steamed previous to
being placed on the machine in the usual way only an injector for creating a current
of cold air past the hat body may be used, and this arrangement may be applied in
combination with a box shaped blocking carriage and rim plate constructed as
herein before described to other hat blocking machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. The improved construction of a hat blocking machine substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.
2. In a machine for blocking hats the combination of a table, a hat carriage
sliding thereon, a fixed ring against which the carriage can be raised by lifting the
table by cams, and a blocking disc which can be depressed upon the carriage
substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the
drawings.
3. In combination with a hat blocking machine constructed substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, the arrangement of the
carriage as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the drawings and for
the purpose set forth.
4. In combination with a hat blocking machine constructed substantially as

page_text: hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the
arrangement of the carriage as herein before described with reference to Figure 4
of the drawings and for the purpose set forth.
5. In combination with a hat blocking machine the arrangement of an injector or
its equivalent for drawing a current of cold air past the blocked hat body substantially
as herein before described.
6. The construction or arrangement of the valve or cocks substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the drawings and for the purpose set forth.
ليود
c г 1
1005
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 6, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.