Improvements in the Manufacture of Felt Hats, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application. 22nd Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1895-Accepted, 22nd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Felt Hats, and in Apparatus
therefor.
We, ALBERT TURNER, of Ashton Road, Denton, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, ARNOLD TURNER, of Ashton Road, Denton, aforesaid, Engineer,
ROBERT STALKER, of Grafton Street, Lancashire Hill, Stockport, in the County
of Chester, Hat-body Maker, GEORGE BATY, of St. Peter's Gate, Stockport,
aforesaid, Hat-finisher, and JAMES JOHNSTON, of Tiviot Dale Hat Works,
Stockport, aforesaid, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
In the manufacture of felt hats from fur as hitherto carried out it has been the
practice to make the crown and the brim of the same quality of material though
making the brim thicker and stiffer than the crown.
This invention is designed to reduce the cost of manufacture without impairing
the appearance or durability of the hat and consists essentially in manufacturing
the hat of one, two, or more different qualities (or colours) of the material the
better quality being placed to form the crown and the lower quality to form the
brim, and also in constructing a hat forming machine with one or more partitions
or an additional funnel placed in the delivery funnel by which the different qualities
of fur can be deposited on the forming cone to give the desired result.
The invention may be carried out in several ways by the addition of one or
more partitions or funnels to the present machine and by depositing the two or
three qualities of material upon the cone either simultaneously or separately.
At present we prefer to place in the delivery funnel of the forming machine, a
second funnel or shoot fitting close to the delivery bush at one end and extending
to the delivery aperture at the other. This funnel is much narrower than the
delivery funnel and is preferably trough shaped with inclined bottom so that the
delivery end is at a height to correspond with that part of the cone which repre-
sents the division between the crown and brim of the hat. The funnel is also
preferably placed opposite the centre of the delivery brush. The feed table or
apron is provided with a division opposite to and corresponding with the additional
funnel so that the fur fed thereonto is delivered to this funnel and the fur fed to
the side of this division will be delivered to the ordinary feed funnel.
Instead of an additional funnel partitions vertical or horizontal may be made in
the feed funnel, and so arranged with a spiral or inclined bottom to deliver the fur
at different heights on the cone.
The sides of the funnel or partitions may project through the adjustable roof of
the delivery funnel.
By this construction of apparatus we are enabled to employ two or more qualities
or colours of fur or to employ such a material as wool to form part of the hat and
fur to form the other part.
In operation the different qualities are fed into the machine simultaneously and
kept separate by divisions on the feed table or they may be simply so spread as to
enter the machine without becoming mixed. The funnel or partition takes the
finer fur and delivers it on the cone in position to form the crown, and the coarser
fur is delivered thereon in position to form the brim. By this means a hat can be
formed with fine fur in the crown and coarser fur or wool in the brim, or the hat

page_text: may be formed of three qualities, the finer in the crown, the second quality in the
brim, and a very coarse quality of fur or wool only in the part which forms the
edges of the brim and from which the parings are taken in shaping and paring
the brim.
Dated this 21st day of September 1894.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture: of Felt. Hats, and in. Apparatus
therefor.
We, ALBERT TURNER, of Ashton Road, Denton,. in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, ARNOLD TURNER, of Ashton Road, Denton. aforesaid, Engineer,
ROBERT STALKER, of Grafton Street, Lancashire Hill,, Stockport, in the County
of Chester, Hat-body Maker, GEORGE BATY, of St. Peter's Gate, Stockport,
aforesaid, Hat-finisher, and JAMES JOHNSTON, of Tiviot Dale Hat Works,
Stockport, aforesaid, Manager, 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 :-
In the manufacture of felt hats from fur as hitherto carried out it has been the
practice to make the crown and the brim of the same quality of material though
making the brim thicker and stiffer than the crown.
This invention is designed to reduce the cost of manufacture without impairing
the appearance or durability of the hat and consists essentially in manufacturing
the hat of one two or more different qualities (or colours) of material the better
quality being placed to form the crown and the lower quality to form the brim and
also in constructing a hat forming machine with one or more partitions or an
additional funnel placed in the delivery trunk by which two (or more) different
qualities of fur can be simultaneously deposited on the forming cone the better
quality on the crown and the lower quality at the base to form the brim of
the hat.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1. Longitudinal section of machine for making bat bodies constructed
according to our invention.
Fig. 2. Sectional plan of same.
Fig. 3. End elevation of delivery trunk.
Fig. 4. Transverse section through delivery trunk.
Fig. 5. Perspective view of the separating or dividing partition.
Fig. 6. Longitudinal section through delivery trunk showing another form of
partition.
Fig. 7. Transverse section of same on line y-y.
Fig. 8. Perspective view of partition shown in Fig. 6.
Fig. 9. Longitudinal section through trunk showing another modification.
Fig. 10. Transverse section of same on line z-z Fig. 9.
Fig. 11. Perspective view of partition shown in Fig. 9.
Fig. 12. Longitudinal section through trunk showing another modification.
Fig. 13. Perspective view of partition shown in Fig. 12.
Figs. 14 and 15. Longitudinal sections through trunk showing other
modifications.
In the carrying out of this invention the fur is applied to the forming cone in
two streams simultaneously these streams are divided or separated one being
deposited on the top part of the cone and the other being deposited on the base of

page_text: the cone. The two qualities of fur are also fed simultaneously into the machine
By this method of applying the fur to the cone the crown of the hat can be made
of much, finer quality than the brim and also the brim may be made much thicker
than the crown as a greater weight of fur can be supplied to form the lower
stream than the upper one.
In the trunk A of the machine through which the fur is blown onto the
perforated cone B we place one or more partitious C to divide the trunk A into
two or more sections horizontally at its delivery end the partitions being so shaped
or arranged as to receive the fur issuing from the brush or fan D as it is blown.
forward from the under side thereof.
These partitions may be made of various shapes or applied in several ways to
the trunk of the machine with the same object of depositing the fur in two or more
belts or bands upon the cone for the purpose of forming the crown and brim of
different quality of material.
Referring to Figs. I to 5 we place in the delivery funnel or trunk A a partition
formed to make two funnels or shoots with the partition a' between the two at the
receiving end vertical and the partition a at the delivery end horizontal. Any fur
fed to the right of the vertical part a' of the partition will be delivered at the base
of the cone B and any fed to the left will be delivered at the top of the cone. To
prevent the different furs becoming mixed in their passage through the machine to
the delivery trunk A a thin strong plate E of sheet copper steel or other material
is placed to surround the brush or fan D and the card roller F and a strip. or
piece G of wood or other material may be placed on the travelling feed table H
to divide it into two compartments.
The division plate E is fitted close up to the body of the brush some of the
bristles being removed or a groove can be made therein and is preferably made in
two parts to be easily fitted into position. In the front edge it is made with a
vertical slot or groove e and the vertical part a' of the partition C is provided with
a thickened or beaded edge. The slot e is three to four inches deep and the edge
of the partition fits therein thereby allowing for the trunk A. to be drawn out or in
and the delivery end to be moved to the right or left as may be required.
The floor or bottom A³ of the trunk A may he made adjustable or capable of
being raised and lowered to regulate the depth of brim or a false bottom may be
placed part way in the trunk for the same purpose.
In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 the partition C is of trough shape the central part inclined
upwards to meet the horizontal front part and the sides are curved over to prevent
the intermingling of the fur fed to the centre with that fed at the sides. The feed
table is divided into three compartments the fine fur being fed in the centre part
and the coarse or heavy fur at the sides.
In Figs. 9, 10 and 11 a modified form of the partition referred to in Figs. 6
and 8 is shown this partition may be further modified by making it. trough shaped
throughout with inclined bottom and vertical sides the sides extending up to and
through the top of the trunk A. as in Figs. 12 and 13. In this form it may be
placed either in the centre or to one side of the trunk and the travelling feed table
will be arranged with corresponding divisions.
In Fig. 14 a horizontal partition C is shown with a hinge or joint at a short
distance from the brush so that the end piece c can be raised or lowered to direct
the fur from the brush D either above or below the partition by this arrangement
the coarse fur can first be fed to the lower part of the cone and the hinged end c
of the partition lowered and the finer fur fed to the upper part of the cone.
Fig. 15 shows another modification on which a reversible or pivoted attach-
ment is added to the rear end of the partition so arranged that one part of it
will block the entrance to the chamber above the partition and when reversed the
other part will block or close the entrance to the chamber below the partition and
present an incline for the fur to travel to the upper side of the partition. In
this case also the two qualities of fur will be fed separately first one and then the
other.

page_text: It will be understood that if desired the trunk A may be divided by two
partitions into three chambers and thus a still lower quality of material may be
used for the edge of the brim which is largely pared away during the curling and
shaping of the brim.
In each case the horizontal front edge of the partition may be provided with a
tongue a sliding in a slot or groove which can be drawn in and out and adjusted to
come within the desired proximity to the cone B to prevent the streams of fur
mixing before being deposited on the cone.
In operation the different qualities are fed into the machine simultaneously and
kept separate by divisions on the feed table or they may be simply so spread as to
enter the machine without becoming mixed. The funnel or partition takes the
finer fur and delivers it on the cone in position to form the crown and the coarser
fur is delivered thereon in position to form the brim. By this means we form a hat
with fine fur in the crown and coarser fur or wool in the brim or the hat may be
formed of three qualities the finer in the crown the second quality in the brim and
a very coarse quality of fur or fur mixed with wool in the part which forms the
edges of the brim and from which the parings are taken in shaping and paring
the brim.
The hats so formed may be of any required strength of crown or brim. A
very heavy or strong brim can be put on a very light crown or a heavy crown can
be put with a light brim with the advantage that all the hats of the same class
will be exactly alike and the same description of hat can
duplicated.
at any time be
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The process of forming or making felt hats which consists in simultaneously
depositing on the cone a fine or light fur at the top to form the crown and a coarse
or heavy quality of fur at the base to form the brim whereby a fine or light crown
and heavy brim are produced substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for manufacturing felt hats a delivery trunk constructed with
one or more partitions at the delivery end dividing it into two or more chambers
whereby the fur is simultaneously deposited in belts or hands upon the cone thus
providing for the use of different grades of fur for different portions of the hat
substantially as described.
3. Apparatus for manufacturing felt bats comprising in its construction a
perforated cone a delivery trunk with partitions dividing it into chambers hori-
zontally a division plate surrounding the brush or fan and a division piece on the
feed table to separate the fur as it enters the machine substantially as and for the
purpose described.
4. In apparatus for manufacturing felt hats a delivery trunk divided into two or
more chambers by a partition substantially as described and shown with reference
to either of the figs. of the drawings.
Dated this 10th day of June 1895
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.