Improvements in and relating to Hat Rounding Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1896-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Hat Rounding Machines.
I, CHARLES HENRY REID, a citizen of the United States of America, residing
un Crosby Street near White Street, in the Town of Danbury, County of
Fairfield and State of Connecticut, one of the United States of America,
Manufacturer 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 invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in hat rounding
machines, but more particularly to machines of this description which are operated
by hand, as distinguished from power machines.
In hand machines considerable time is lost in properly adjusting the rounding
knife with respect to the brims of hats of different sizes, since, after a rounded
hat has been removed from the clamp and another hat of a different size substituted
thereon, the operator is obliged to adjust the rounding knife so that it will trim off
the brim to the proper width and such adjustment must necessarily be dependent
upon the judgment of the operator.
As a rule, the brims of hats are uniformly proportionate to the sizes of the
hats, and it is only when the general style of the hat is changed that it becomes
necessary to make any alterations in the brins irrespective of the sizes of
the hats.
It is the object of my present improvement to insure uniformity in the rounding
of hat brims, by making the proper adjustment of the rounding knife automatically
dependent upon the size of the hat, a further object of my improvement being to
improve upon the construction shown and described in Letters Patent of the
United States, No. 237,128, issued to me on February 1st, 1881.
In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may
more fully understand its construction and operation, I will proceed to describe
the same in detail, referring by numbers to the accompanying drawings forming a
part of this application, in which-
Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved machine.
Figure 2 a plan view.
Figure 3 a section at the line x-x of Figure 1.
Figure 4 a section at the line b-b of Figure 2.
Figure 5 a section at the line y-y of Figure 1.
Figure 6 an elevation, partly sectioned away, at the line a-a of Figure 2, and
Figure 7 a section at the line -2 of Figure 2.
Similar numbers of reference denote like parts in the several figures of the
drawing.
All the parts of my improved machine, with the exception of those that are
immediately connected with the proper movements of the rounding knife, are the
same both as to construction and operation as the corresponding parts shown and
described in my Letters Patent of the United States above referred to, and I will
not enter into any description of said parts but will merely refer to the same by
numbers of reference and will briefly state their function.
1 is the standard of the machine of any suitable shape which is attached to any
ordinary bench or supporting platform by means of a bolt 2. This standard is
provided with a vertically disposed hollow hub 3 within which is secured by

page_text: means of the set screw 5 the vertically extending hollow bushing 4. 6 is a
swinging frame which supports the appliances for rounding the hat, which frame
has a hollow hub 7, that loosely surrounds the hollow bushing 4, so as to be
capable of a free swinging movement, and rests upon the hub 3. 8 is the hat
supporting platform which has depending therefrom a hollow hub 9 which latter
is tightly secured around the bushing 4. Depending from this platform is an
annulus 10 to which is secured by means of a set screw 11 the template 12,
I prefer to secure the template to the platform in this manner, although of course.
these parts may be cast integral if desired.
The hat clamping device is supported directly upon the platform 8 and is of a
well-known and ordinary construction, and consists of a series o radial arms 13
engaged in a proper innnner with a rotating scroll wheel 14, and elastic steel
plates 15, 16, attached in the usual manner to the outer extremities of the arms,
so that when the latter are projected said plates will conform to the inner contour
of the hat body and securely hold the same. 17 is a spindle within the hollow
bushing 4 and capable of a free rotation, the upper end of said spindle being
secured, by means of a pin 18, to the seroll wheel 14, whereby when said spindle
is revolved in opposite directions the clamp plates will be expanded or contracted,
as the case may be. 19 is a hand wheel secured to the lower extremity of the
spindle for convenient operation of the same, and 20 is a screw secured around
said spindle immediately below the bushing 4, so that it will be readily understood
that said spindle is confined as against any lengthwise movement, by means of the
screw and the scroll wheel.
21 is the main slide which is capable of a free horizontal movement within
suitable bearings in the frame 6, and secured to the bottom of said slide in the
usual manner, as set forth in said Letters Patent, is the shoe block 22. 23 is the
shoe, which is pivoted to the block 22 and whose toe 24 is normally in engagement
with the template, and whose heel is slotted so as to afford a vertically extending
elongated gate 25 which normally registers with a similar gate 26 in the shoe
block. 27 is a hollow handle which extends from the frame 6, and within this
bandle is a coil spring 28 confined at its extremities between the outer end wall of
said handle and an angle plate 29 which depends from the slide 21, so that it
will be readily understood that the action of this spring will tend to normally
force the slide 21 forward so as to keep the shoe 24 in constant engagement with
the template.
30 is a carriage adapted to slide in suitable ways in the main slide 21 and having
in its inner end and extending therethrough from top to bottom a circular perfora-
tion 31. 32 is a head block which rests upon the carriage 30 and has depending
from its inner end a stud 33 which closely fita within the circular hole 31 so that
said block will be capable of a free swinging movement. This stud is slotted
(not shown) and within this slotted portion a flat bar 34 is pivoted, as shown
at 35, and extends downwardly through the gates 26 and 25 in the block 22 and
shoe 23 respectively. The width of the slots 26, 25, is such that the bar 34 is
closely embraced by the side walls of the slot 25, while considerable clearance is
left between said bar and the side walls of the slot 26, so that it will be clear that
any rocking movement of the shoe around its pivotal point will be communicated,
through the medium of said bar, to the block 32, all of which forms no part of
my present invention but is clearly set forth in my Letters Patent of the United
States above referred to.
Pivoted at 36 to the block 32 is the knife carrier 37, in the inner end of which
is secured the knife 38 in the usual manner. 39 is the usual latch bar secured
around the pivot 36, and 40 is a lock pin which extends loosely through the head
bluck 32 and engages with a notch or suitable opening 41 in a downward exten-
sion 42 from the carrier, in order to lock the latter in its lowest or operative
position. When the rounding of a hat brim is completed the pin 40 is simply
withdrawn from the extension 42 and the carrier swung back out of the way
preparatory to the placing of a succeeding hat in proper position for rounding.

page_text: With the exception of the screw 20 secured around the spindle 17, all the parts
which I have heretofore described are the same, both as to their construction and
function, as the corresponding parts shown and described in my Letters Patent
of the United States above referred to, and I will now describe my present
improvement, which, latter is identified solely with the rounding knife and the
manner of adjusting the same independent of the general movements which are
imparted to the knife directly from the template.
Besides the general movements of the knife in performing the rounding opera
tion and controlled directly from the template, I provide for two adjustments of
said knife as follows:-
In rounding hats of the same style on a hand machine, the operator has
hitherto been obliged to set the knife every time a different size of hat is to be
rounded; that is to say hats of the same style or block require different adjustments
of the knife in their various sizes.
I have obviated this disadvantage by providing means whereby the knife is
automatically adjusted by the operation of the clamping mechanism so as to round
the brims of the same style or block of hats in their different sizes.
It is a well known fact, that, the greater the size of the hat, the further around
the scroll wheel 14 must be turned in order to effect the clamping, and it is also
true, that, in the same style or block of hats, the width of the brim increases
in proportion to the size of the hat. 43 is a collar loose around the bushing 4,
and capable of a sliding movement, and 44 is a groove in the periphery of said
collar.
45 is a nut around the strew 20 and having a flange 46. 47 are bults which
connect said flange and collar so that any travel of the nut 45 will be communicated
to said collar.
These bolts pass loosely through the standard 1 in order to lock the nut and
collar against rotary movement, while at the same time permit their free vertical
travel.
48 is a bracket which depends laterally from the main slide 21, and to the
lower end of this bracket at 49 is pivoted a bell crank lever 50, one leg of which
latter extends in a vertical plane while the other leg extends in a horizontal plane.
51 is a shoe pivoted at 52 to the inner face of the horizontal leg of this lever and
extending within the groove 44 in the collar 43 so that it will be readily under-
stood that said shoe is capable of a free movement lengthwise of said groove,
while at the same time the lever 50 is free to rock owing to its pivotal connection
with the shoe. The upper end of the vertical leg of this bell-crank lever is
provided with an elongated vertically disposed slot 53 within which is a block 54
capable of a free sliding movement. 55 is a small screw bolt which passes through
a properly threaded opening in the top of said vertical leg and is swiveled at its
lower end in any suitable manner to the block 54, whereby when said screw is
operated the block will be adjusted up and down within the slot 53 for the purpose
presently explained.
56 is a block within a suitable elongated guide way 57 in the sliding carriage 30,
and 58 is a screw which extends loosely through said carriage and passes through
a properly threaded opening in said block, said screw being confined at the outer
end of the carriage as against any lengthwise movement in the usual manner, so
that it will be clear that the turning of this screw will cause the carriage to slide
while the block will of course remain stationary.
59 is a head block which is secured by means of screws 60 to the top of the
block 56, and 61 is a slide adapted to reciprocate in suitable vertical ways in the
block 59 and provided with a circular stud 62 which extends through a
'corresponding opening in the block 54.
It will therefore be clear that, when the lever 50 is rocked around its pivotal
point 49 the sliding carriage 30 will thereby be reciprocated in its ways, the
slide 61 rising or falling as the case may be, to compensate for the variation in the
horizontal level of the block 54.

page_text: The operation of my improvement during the rounding of a hat is as
follows:-
The hat is placed upon the clamp, the haud wheel 19 operated to force the
plates 15, 16, firmly against the inside of the hat crown, the brim of the hat placed
between the carrier 37 and latch bar 39, and said carrier dropped to its lowest
position and locked by means of the pin 40.
The screw 58 is now operated to adjust the sliding carriage 30 so that the
knife 38 will be brought into its proper normal position with respect to the width
of brim to be rounded. The operator now grasps the handle 27 and swings the
frame 6 around, the template 12 and spring 28 meanwhile co-operating in
connection with the shoe block 22 to effect the proper ovoidal contour described
by the knife.
When the hand wheel 19 is operated to release a hat the screw 20 will force
the nut 45 downward, thereby lowering the collar 43 and causing the upper or
vertical leg of the lever 50 to swing inward carrying with it the sliding
carriage 30 and thus bring the knife 38 to the limit of its inward or projected
movement.
When a succeeding hat is placed upon the clamp the had wheel is operated to
force the plates 15, 16, against the hat to hold the same, thereby causing the
sliding carriage 30 and the knife 38 to be retracted to their normal outermost
positions.
In rounding hats of the same style and size, the extent throughout which the
spindle 17 must be turned is fixed and positive; that is to say, the scroll wheel 14
is turned throughout the same arc. But when hats of the same style but of
different sizes are rounded the arcs throughout which the scroll wheel is turned
vary according to the size of the hat. For instance, if a larger size follows a
smaller size the hand wheel 19 must be turned throughout a greater extent to
properly operate the scroll wheel to clamp the hat, and therefore in clamping such
a hat the collar 43 will be carried further upward and the upper leg of the lever 50
will be swung further backward thus carrying the cutting knife further out on
the brim.
As before stated, however, there is a certain proportion between the size of the
hat and the width of the brim in the various sizes of the same style of hat, and
therefore there is a fixed proportion between the extent throughout which the
scroll wheel is revolved to clamp a hat and the extent of movement of the knife
effected primarily from the spindle 17.
It will thus be readily understood that the knife always moves automatically in
harmony with the clamping mechanism, and that the normal inner and outer
positions of raid knife, after the proper adjustment with respect to a certain style
of hat has once been made, are automatically effected by the operation of the
clamping mechanism.
In building a machine, were it practical to make the upper end of the vertical
leg of the lever 50 solid without the slot 53, and to simply tap a round hole
through said end for the stud 62, it would not be necessary to provide any
adjustable connection between the upper leg of this lever and the slide 61, but it
will be obvious that it would be quite out of the question to make a machine of
this description, in which most of the parts are cast, so that when assembled the
round hele tapped in the upper leg of the lever 50 would always be precisely the
same distance from the pivotal point 49. It will also be clear that, in such proposed
construction, a slight variation in the horizontal plane of this hole would effect a
marked variation from the proper and uniform movement of the knife, since the
distance between the stud 62 and the pivotal point 49 would be variable, and
therefore the movement of the sliding carriage 30 caused by the swing of the
lever would sometimes be more and sometimes be less in rounding the same size
and style of hat.
I have therefore provided for an adjustable connection between the block 61 and
the upper leg of the lever 50, so that by elevating or lowering the block 54 by

page_text: means of the screw 55, I obtain a greater or lesser movement of the sliding
carriage.
In rounding some styles of hats the brims of the same styles increase in width in
the various sizes precisely as much as the crowns of the hats enlarge radially, and
in such hats, if the crown of a hat increased radially an eighth of an inch all
around, the brim would likewise increase an eighth of an inch all around. But
this is not true of hats generally speaking, for the brims increase in width a trifle
more than the diameter of the hat crowns, and this proportion, whatever it may he,
is fixed and is preserved in the rounding of hats of various sizes.
Therefore in the drawings (particularly referring to Figure 1) it will be seen
that the effective length of the lower leg of the lever 50 is shorter than the effective
length of the upper leg, so that it will be clear that the upper leg at the axis of
the stud 62 will have a greater swing than the lower leg at the axis of the
pivot 52.
In rounding a hat should it be ascertained that the movement of the clamping
mechanism in securing a hat does not carry the knife quite as far back as desired,
the operator will readily understand that the throw of the upper vertical leg of
the lever 50 is a trifle short, and therefore he merely corrects the error by
backing the screw 55, thus normally elevating the block 54 and giving to the
sliding carriage 30 the benefit of a greater swing of said leg.
It will thus be seen that delicate adjustments of the knife may be effected not
only independent of the template, but also independent of the screw 58.
The adjustment of the sliding carriage by means of the screw 58 is also an
independent adjustment and is very quick and efficient when it becomes necessary
to adjust the knife for rounding special widths of brims, as well as in effecting the
initial adjustment of the knife, as hereinbefore set forth.
It will thus be seen that, in addition to the general movements of the knife in
traversing an ovoidal circuit during a rounding operation, the knife has two addi-
tional adjustments that are independent of each other, each of which is of great
value in hat rounding machines.
During the operation of rounding a hat the shoe 51 slides freely through the
groove 44 in the collar 43, and all the movable parts supported on the frame 6
will of course be carried back and forth in harmony with the movements of the
main slide 21.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of iny suid inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what [
claim, is :-
1. In a hand operated hat rounding machine, the combination of the hat
clamping mechanism, the main slide, the carriage capable of sliding in ways within
said main slide, the bell crank pivoted to an extension from the main slide, and
connections between the legs of said bell crank and said clamping mechanism and
carriage respectively for automatically determining the proper adjustments of the
knife in rounding hats of different sizes, substantially as set forth.
2. In a hand operated hat rounding machine, the combination of the hat
clamping mechanism, the main slide, the carriage capable of reciprocation within
suitable ways in said slide, the rounding knife supported on said carriage and
partaking of the movements thereof, means for adjusting said carriage independent
of said slide, means for effecting the reciprocation of said slide whereby the knife
is caused to follow a general ovoidal contour, and automatically operated and
controlled appliances intermediate of said clamping mechanism and carriage for
independently determining the proper adjustments of the knife in rounding hats of
different sizes, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of the standard having secured thereto the hollow bushing 4,
the swinging frame loosely journaled around said bushing, the rotatory spindle 17
within said bushing and carrying the screw 20, the hat supporting platform and
the template secured around said bushing at the upper end thereof, the clamping

page_text: mechanism supported on said platform and operatively connected to said spindle,
the nut engaging said screw, the grooved collar 43 loose around the spindle and
capable of a reciprocatory sliding movement, connections between said nut and
collar whereby sliding movements are communicated to the latter from the former,
the main slide adapted to reciprocate in suitable ways in the swinging frame,
mechanism for imparting reciprocation to said slide directly from said template,
the carriage capable of reciprocation within said slide, the head block supported
on said carriage, the knife supporting carrier properly mounted on said block, the
block 56 within suitable ways in said carriage, the head block 59 secured to the
block 56, the slide 61 capable of reciprocation in vertical ways in the block 59 and
having a laterally extending round stud 62, the bell crank 50 pivoted to an
extension from the main slide and having near the extremity of its upper leg an
elongated slot and provided with a shoe which is pivoted to the extremity of its
lower leg and extends within the groove in the collar 43, the black 54 capable of
sliding freely within said slot and having a circular aperture within which the
stud 62 extends, and the adjusting screw 55 swiveled to the block 54, substantially
as set forth,
4. The combination of the sliding carriage 30 having ways 57, the block 56
within said ways, the head block 59 secured to the block 56, the slide 61 capable
of reciprocating within vertical ways in the block 59 and having a laterally
extending circular stud 62, the sliding grooved collar 43, the main slide within
which said carriage is adapted to reciprocate, the bell crank lever pivoted to said
slide and provided with a pivoted shoe at its lower leg extending within a groove
in said collar and having a vertically disposed slot in its upper leg, the adjustable
block within said slot and having a circular aperture within which the stud 62
extends, the spindle for operating the clamping mechanism, and means auto-
matically operated and controlled by said spindle for effecting the sliding movements
of said collar whereby the bell crank lever is rocked and the sliding carriage
reciprocated, substantially as set forth.
5. In a band operated hat rounding machine, the combination with the sliding
carriage which supports the rounding knife and the mechanism for clamping the
hat, of means interposed between said carriage and mechanism whereby the
operation of the latter will effect independent movements of the former, substantially
.as set forth.
Deted this Third day of November 1806
JENSEN & SON,
77 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.