IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PARING THE BRIMS OF HATS
Year: 1885

page_text: We ROBERT GREEN, Cashier, and THOMAS MASSEY PENNEY, Pattern Maker,
both with the firm of Messieurs J. E. & W. Christy & Co of Hillgate Works
Stockport in the County of Chester, Hat Manufacturers do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PARING THE BRIMS OF
HATS, to be as follows:-
=
In hat paring machines as hitherto used the hat is placed upon a "brow block"
formed of several sections which are adjustable to the size of the hat by a set screw
at the top and in fitting a hat thereon it is necessary to remove and replace the
hat several times before the "brow block" could be accurately adjusted to fit
the same.
Our improvement in this part of the paring machine consists in placing the
screw for adjusting the " brow-block" underneath the table instead of above the
block, by which means the workman has merely to place the hat upon the block
with one hand, and then by means of the other hand beneath the table he can
expand the " brow-block until it just fits the hat and thus time and labor are
economized.
"
"
Again as regards the paring knife and the L-shaped guard these had to be
removed and re-set for each hat; whilat according to our invention the knife and
guard only require to be once "set for any particular width of brim, and can be
removed and replaced with accuracy for each hat by mere pressure upon a thumb-
piece.
For this purpose we mount the knife-carrier upon one end of a sliding bar which
is carried in a groove formed in the framing of the machine.
This bar carries a rod which is capable of partially turning in bearings and is
provided with a thumb-piece for that purpose.
This rod is provided also with a cam acting against a fixed cap which causes
the knife bar to be pressed down into position for cutting when the rod is partially
turned.

page_text: Another cam on the same rod also acts upon a lever connected with the L-shaped
guard which at the same time brings the said guard under the curl of the brim.
When the brim has been pared the thumb piece is raised which withdraws the
L-shaped guard and at the same time allows the knife bar to be raised out of
cutting position by means of a spring.
The pared hat may then be removed and replaced by another, when the simple
pressure upon the thumb piece will bring the knife and guard back into the exact
position for paring the brim, and thus the necessity for re-setting the knife and
guard for each hat is entirely obviated.

page_text: We, ROBERT GREEN, cashier and THOMAS MASSEY PENNEY, pattern maker, both
with the firm of Messrs J. E. and W. Christy & Co Hillgate Works, Stockport, in
the County of Chester, hat manufacturer: do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PARING THE BRIMS OF HATS" and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
.
"
In hat paring machines as hitherto used the hat is placed upon a "brow-block
formed of several sections which are adjustable to the size of the hat by a set
screw at the top and in fitting a hat thereon it is necessary to remove and replace
the hat several times before the "brow-block" could be accurately adjusted to fit'
the same.
Our improvement in this part of the paring machine consists in placing the set
screw or its equivalent for adjusting the "brow-block" underneath the table
instead of above the block, by which means the workman has merely to place the
hat upon the block with one hand, and then by means of the other hand beneath
the table, he can expand the "brow-block" until it just fits the hat, and thus tine
and labour are economized.
Secondly as regards the paring knife and the L shaped or curved guard,
according to the usual arrangement these had both to be removed and reset for
each hat whilst according to our invention the knife and guard only require to be
once "set" for any particular width of brim, and can be removed and replaced
with accuracy for each hat by mere pressure upon a thumb-piece.
The practical construction and application of our invention will be readily
understood on reference to the sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed and to the
following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on the Drawings is a side elevation of so much of a paring machine as is
necessary to illustrate the invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same and Fig. 3 is a detached view showing the
knife and its adjuncts in the cutting or paring position.
a a is the framing of the machine 6 b the revolving table supporting the adjust-
able "brow-block" c c, and d d is the sliding headstock to which the knife carrier
is attached.
The brow-block cc is expanded as usual by means of a spiral scroll ee which
according to our invention is carried at the upper end of a shaft ff, the lower end
of which (below the table) is fitted with a hand wheel g g (or its equivalent) by
means of which the "brow-block" is adjusted and fitted to the hat
The knife carrier h h is attached to or forms a part of a sliding bar ii which is
carried, as usual, in a groove formed in the sliding headstock d d of the machine.
The sliding bar i requires only to be adjusted once for each size of hat and is
then fixed by the set screw i* *. This bar ii carries a rod k k which is capable
of partially turning in bearings and is provided with a thumb-piece // for that
purpose. This rod k k is provided also with a cam or crank m m acting against a
fixed cap n n which causes the knife carrier hh to be pressed down into position
for cutting (see Fig. 3) when the rod k k is partially turned.

page_text: Another cam or projection o o on the same rod also acts upon a lever pp con-
nected with the L shaped or curved guard qq which at the same time brings the
said guard under the curl of the brim.
When the brim has been pared the thumb piece ll is raised which withdraws
the L shaped or curved guard qq and at the same time allows the knife bar i i
to be raised so as to bring the knife rr out of the cutting position by means of a
special spring 8 8 the bar i i being hinged at the point for that purpose.
The pared hat may then be removed and replaced by another to which the
brow-block is instantly fitted by a partial turn of the hand wheel g g beneath the
table when the simple pressure upon the thumb piece will bring the knife rr
and guard qq back into the exact position for paring the brim and thus the
necessity for resetting the knife and guard for each hat is entirely obviated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
First. In hat paring machines providing a set screw (or other equivalent device)
beneath the table whereby the brow-block can be adjusted with one hand whilst
the bat is placed upon it by the other, and
Secondly. The arrangement or device (substantially as shewn on the Drawings
and hereinbefore described) whereby the knife and guard may be removed out
of the way whilst changing the hats without disturbing the adjustment of the
sliding bar.