IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PARING, CUTTING OR TRIMMING THE BRIMS OF HATS
Year: 1885

page_text: the Brims of Hats.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of Stafford, in the County of Stafford, Engineer,.
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES
FOR PARING, CUTTING OR TRIMMING THE BRIMS OF HATS" to be as follows:-
My invention relates to machines, such as are described in the specifications of
Letters Patent dated 18th April A.D. 1883, N° 1963, and 17th July 1884, N° 10,269,
for paring, cutting or trimming the edges of hat-brims.
My present improvements are chiefly designed to render such machines more
durable, and capable of performing their work with greater rapidity and accuracy,
than heretofore.
My improved machine is constructed in the manner hereinafter described, that
is to say-A suitable frame and a goose-neck are secured to a bed-plate, and a
carriage is arranged to be moved to and fro on the said bedplate as described in
the said former specification N° 10,269. The said goose-neck carries a shaft, on
one end of which is fixed a pulley, whereby the machine is actuated. On the
other end of the said shaft is fixed an excentric, which is arranged to act upon a
rod coupled to one end of a lever pivotted to the top of the goose-neck. The other
end of this lever is coupled to the knife-movement as hereinafter described. The
fulcrum of this lever is a pin having excentric journals carried in bearings in the
frame; therefore, by turning this pin partly round in the said bearings, the knife
may be lifted out of the work.
The front part of the goose-neck is bored to receive a bush or block, which is
fitted with a capability of rotation therein and has a collar formed or fixed on its
lower part, and is secured by a nut or other suitable means at the top of the goose-,
neck. Upon the lower part of this bush or block is pivotted a lever which carries
the knife and which is constructed and arranged in a manner somewhat similar, to.
that described in the said former specification No 1963. The work-support or
table is also carried by the said bush or block.
The knife is fixed to the lower part of the said lever, and to the upper part of
this lever a rod is coupled by means of a pin and a block fitted to slide in a slot in
the said lever. This rod passes up through the centre of the said bush or block
which is bored to receive it. The said rod is, moreover, coupled to the lever on
the top of the goose-neck by means of a pair of collars, between which fits a fork
*
↓

page_text: on the lever, or by other suitable means which will permit the rotation of the said
rod. The bush or block, which, as above stated, is fitted to turn freely in its
bearing, is furnished with a lever extending backwards and connected by a pin
or bolt to another lever pivotted to the goose-neck, in the manner hereinafter
specified. Both these levers are slotted so that the said pin or bolt can be moved
towards the pivot of the one and the extremity of the other lever, and vice versa,
the result being that, when one lever is moved, motion will be imparted thereby
to the other lever, but the extent of angular motion thus imparted will depend
upon the position of the said pin or bolt in the slots. This second lever is carried
loosely on the end of an upright shaft which is supported in bearings in the goose-
neck, and extends to the lower part thereof. A slotted segment is fixed on the
said upright shaft beneath this lever, which is coupled to the said segment by a
set-screw passing through the slot; the said lever can, therefore, be adjusted to
vary the angle at which it stands relatively to an oscillating bar connected with
the socket of the grooved plate, whereby the hat is moved in such a manner as to
ensure the paring or cutting of the brim to a true oval or ellipse, as described in
the said specification No 10,269.
Instead of employing a slotted bar as described in the said specification, I use a
hollow bar in which is fitted to slide the turned arm of a lever fixed on the
upright shaft above mentioned. By these means, as the said grooved plate moves
from side to side, the knife is automatically adjusted so that it will be tangential,
or approximately so, to the line of cut.
The movable carriage and the plate with cross grooves carried thereby and
capable of sliding on the heads of bolts fixed in a slot in the said carriage, are
constructed and arranged in a manner somewhat similar to that described in the
said specification Nº 10,269. But, according to my present improvements, only
the adjustable pin or bölt is fitted in the slot formed in the top plate of the
carriage; the pin or bolt described in the said specification as being usually fixed,
instead of being fitted in the slot, is fitted in a bearing in the carriage, in which it
turns freely, and its head or block is integral with, or firmly secured to, it, instead
of being free to rotate thereon. The adjustable pin or bolt is fixed in a long bar
or piece fitted to slide in the slot and capable of being clamped therein.
The grooved plate is furnished with a socket and stem with a joint at the upper
part as heretofore, but the stem is provided with an adjusting screw to raise or
lower it according to the profile contour of the hat-brim to be pared.
The hat is not carried, as heretofore, in a brow or ring which holds it by the
inside, but is held and adjusted in position by pressure against the edge of the
brim in the following manner, that is to say:-1 Upon the top of the stem, and
carried by the jointed bar, is a plate bent to the same curve in profile as the part
of the brim to be pared, so that, if the hat be placed upon it, the top edge of the
brim will be parallel to the plate. The hat is carried by this plate, small blocks
being provided which prop up or support the parts of the brim where its underside
does not touch the plate, and which are so formed that they hold the hat by the
edge of the brim and thus prevent horizontal displacement thereof.. Some of the
said blocks are furnished with catches that overlap the brim and prevent the hat
from rising from the plate. The said blocks are fitted to slide in grooves in
the plate so that they can be adjusted to suit various sizes of hats and are
connected together below by means of right and left handed screws or other
suitable means for moving them symmetrically and truly centring the hat on the
machine.
The edge of the said plate is arranged to move in a guide in the goose-neck, so
that the hat-brim is always maintained at the proper height for the cutting
operation.
In order to pare hat-brims deviating in form from a true oval or ellipse, the
aforesaid pin or bolt which is fitted to rotate in a bearing in the carriage and has a
solid block or head fitting into one of the grooves of the grooved plate, and which,
therefore, revolves during the movement of the grooved plate, extends downwards

page_text: and carries a cam below the carriage; this cam is of such shape as to give the
required degree of deviation. It runs in contact with a roller carried on an
adjustable stop secured to the bed-plate or frame. The carriage is acted upon by
one or more springs, whereby it is normally held against the said stop, and, so long
as the part of the brim being pared is of truly oval or elliptical form, the cam does
not act, but, when a part of the brim is being pared which deviates from the true
oval or ellipse, the cam moves the carriage back from the said stop to the required
extent.
If no part of the brim is part of a true oval or ellipse, the cam can be made of
such form that it will act upon the carriage during the entire revolution of the
grooved plate. In this case, moreover, I sometimes use two cams on the same pin
or bolt, one to act during the cutting of the ends, and the other during the cutting
of the sides, of the brim; and I employ two separately adjustable stops, one to act.
in combination with each cam. The curls of hat-brims can thus be cut of varying
width as desired.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Paring, Cutting, or Trimming
the Brims of Hats.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of Stafford, in the County of Stafford, Engineer,
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 machines of the class described in the specifications of
former Letters Patent dated 18th April, A.D. 1883, No. 1963, and 17th July,
A.D. 1884, No. 10,269, for paring, cutting or trimming the edges of hat-brims.
My said invention is cheifly designed to make such machines more durable and
capable of performing their work with greater rapidity and accuracy than heretofore.
It comprises improved means for operating the knife or cutter, and the provision
of means whereby the same can be readily moved out of and into its operative
position. It also comprises improved means for supporting and centring or adjusting
the hat in the machine in such a manner as to ensure its being held in the proper
position relatively to the knife or cutter. It also comprises the employment of one
or more cams, as hereinafter set forth, for so regulating or controlling the move.
ment of the hat that the brim thereof will be cut to a shape or contour deviating
from a true oval or ellipse. And it further comprises various improvements
hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine partly in vertical central section.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same, partly in horizontal section, some of the parts
being removed.
Figure 3 is a front elevation, partly in vertical section, some of the parts being
removed.
Figure 4 is a plan of a tray or support for the hat to be pared.
Figure 5 is a rear elevation, drawn to an enlarged scale, shewing details of
construction.
Figures 6 to 9 are different views hereinafter described shewing further details
of construction.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the bed-plate or base-plate of the machine. B is a curved arm or goose-neck
formed on, or secured to, the said bed-plate. C is a carriage arranged to be moved
to and fro on the bed-plate A, as described in the said former specification
N° 10,269. D is a shaft carried in a bearing D' formed on, or attached to, the
goose-neck B. On one end of this shaft is fixed a driving pulley E by means of
which motion is imparted to the machine. On the other end of the shaft D is fixed
an eccentric F furnished with a rod f which is coupled to one end of a lever G.
This lever is pivotted upon a pin or shaft g having eccentric journals g¹, g³ carried
in bearings in the brackets g³ at the top of the goose-neck B. The other end
of the lever G is connected with the knife-movement as hereinafter described.
A handle g is fixed on one end of the pin or shaft g.
The goose-neck B is formed or provided with a boss or bearing b, in which a
hollow shaft H, shewn in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 3, is fitted to rotate. On
this shaft is formed or fixed a block h, the upper end of which serves as a collar or
shoulder to bear against the lower end of the boss or bearing b. A lever I is fixed

page_text: .
on the shaft H; the boss of this lever serves as a collar to bear. against the upper
end of the boss or bearing b, and thus retains the shaft H therein.
A lever j is pivotted at ¹ to the block h and carries the knife or cutter J, which
is arranged to operate somewhat similarly to that described in the said former
specification N° 1963.
The said knife is fitted with a capability of adjustment in a groove or channel
formed in the lower part of the lever j and is secured therein in any desired
position by means of the screw j* passing through a slot in the knife and secured
by means of a nut.
The table or plate ³, upon which the edge of the hat-brim to be cut or pared is
supported during the operation of cutting, as described in the said specification
No 1963, is also attached to the block h.
A rod K is fitted to slide up and down in the hollow shaft h. This rod is coupled
at its lower end to the lever ; by means of a pin and block J' (Figure 5) fitted to
slide horizontally to and fro in a slot in the said lever. The upper end of the said
rod K is coupled or connected to the front end of the lever G by means of a pair of
collars, ³, between which fits a fork g³ on the lever G. Or it may be coupled or
connected thereto by other suitable means, which will permit the rotation of the
said rod, whilst enabling the said lever to move the same up and down.
When the machine is in operation, oscillating motion is imparted, by the
eccentric F, to the lever G and, through this lever and the rod K, to the lever j
carrying the knife.
When the knife is in its operative position, the pin or shaft g is in the position
'shewn in Figure 1, that is to say, the part thereof which constitutes the fulcrum of
the lever G is at its lowest point. By partially rotating this pin or shaft in its
bearings, by means of the handle g, the lever G is raised and the knife thereby
lifted out of its operative position. I thus provide for permitting the withdrawal
of a hat from the machine and the insertion therein of another hat to be pared.
The lever I extends backward and is connected by a pin or bolt i to another
lever L fixed on the upright shaft M. This shaft is fitted with a capability of
rotation in bearings 61, 6ª formed on the goose-neck B. The levers I, L are made
with slots ¹, 7, through which the said pin or bolt i is passed. The said pin or bolt
can, therefore, be adjusted nearer to or farther from the pivot of either of the said
levers. When the lever L is moved as hereinafter described, motion will be
imparted thereby to the lever I, but the amount of angular motion thus imparted.
will depend upon the position of the pin or bolt i in the slots ¹, l. A lever N is
fixed on the lower end of the upright shaft M and is fitted to slide in the
hollow bar O.
P is a plate formed with grooves P¹ and arranged to be rotated upon the
carriage C as described in the said former specification N° 10,269. The bar O
is formed with a hoop or eye o which encircles the socket P2 of the grooved
plate P.
.
By the arrangement above described, I provide for accomplishing the same
result as that effected by means of the forked bar or rod. described in the said
former specification N° 10,269 and the levers connected with the said bar or rod,
that is to say-As the grooved plate P, in its rotation, is moved from side to side,
motion is imparted by means of the lever N, shaft M, and levers L, I, to the hollow
shaft H and to the block carrying the knife-lever j, thereby automatically
adjusting the knife so that it will, at all times during the operation of the machine,
be tangential, or nearly tangential, to the line of cut.
It is sometimes desirable to be able to vary the angle of the knife in cutting
opposite sides of the hat-brim. To provide for this variation, the lever L, instead
of being fixed on the lever M as above described, is fitted loosely thereon, and a
slotted segment Q is fixed on the said shaft beneath the lever L. A screw-bolt q
is passed through the slot in the segment, for the purpose of securing the lever L
in any desired position relatively to the said segment. By these means, the
lever L can be set at any desired angle with the lever N and the angle of the knife

page_text: t
varied accordingly. This arrangement is shewn on the drawing, but the segment Q
is, in most cases, dispensed with, and the lever L fixed firmly on the shaft M as
above described.
A presser-foot or bar is secured to one side of the boss or bearing 6 by
screws passing through slots in the said bar. This presser bar is caused by the 1
spring to hold the edge of the hat-brim down upon the table or work-support 3.
The upper end of the presser-bar projects over the rod K, as at 3, so that, when
the knife is lifted out of its operative position as above described, the said presser-
bar will also be lifted so as to release the hat-brim.
The movable carriage C and the grooved plate P carried thereby and capable of
sliding thereon are, as above stated, constructed and arranged to operate in a
manner somewhat similar to those described in the said specification Nº 10,269.
But, according to my present improvements, the slot C¹ extends only a part of the
distance across the carriage C, and only one pin or bolt o is fitted in the said slot,
the pin or bolt c, which, in the machine described in the said specification, is
stationary, being fitted in a bearing in the carriage C, instead of in a slot in the
said carriage Moreover the pin or bolt c¹ is free to rotate in its bearing and its
head or block c³ is integral with, or firmly secured to, its shank, instead of being
free to rotate. thereon as described in the said former specification. To provide for
the adjustment of the pin or bolt c and, at the same time, leave space for the cam
or cams hereinafter described, the said pin or bolt is fixed in a long bar or piece C
fitted to slide in the slot C and capable of being clamped therein by the T-headed
screw c¹.
A forked stem R is fitted to slide up and down in the socket P2 of the plate P
and has a joint r at its upper end; the said stem is provided with rack teeth r
geared with an adjusting pinion ³ for raising or lowering the said stem according
to the profile contour of the bat-brim to be pared. A set-screw ³ is also provided
for clamping the stem in any desired position.
The hat is not carried as heretofore on a brow or ring which holds it by the
inside, but is carried on a tray or support and is held and adjusted in position by
pressure against the outer edge of the brim.
The tray S is carried upon the fork of the stem R and pivotted thereto by
the pin. The said tray or plate is curved so that, when the hat is placed upon
the said tray, the top edge of the brim will be approximately parallel to the said
tray. The hat is carried by this tray or plate, and small blocks 8, 8¹, t are provided,
which are so formed that they support the brim and hold the same by the edges
thereof, thus preventing longitudinal and lateral displacement of the hat. The two
blocks 8 for the sides of the brim are furnished with adjustable catches &³, as shewn
in Figures 6 and 7, of which Figure 6 is a side elevation and Figure 7 a front
elevation of one of the said blocks. When the hat is placed on the plate or tray S4
and these catches are properly adjusted, they overlap the brim of the hat and
prevent the rising of the latter from the plate or tray. The said blocks s are fitted
to slide in slots or grooves g³ in the plate S, so that they can be adjusted to suit
different sizes of hats. They are provided with screws and nuts 8 for clamping
them in position.
The two blocks 8' for the ends of the hat-brim move in slots or grooves &³ and
are connected below the plate by means of rods 86 provided with ball-and-socket
joints at their ends and coupled to a double armed lever 87 pivotted at 88. The
lever 8 is furnished with a long handle 80 which works against a slotted guard or
segment 810 and is provided with a clamping screw 811 whereby the said lever, and
consequently the blocks 8', can be secured in any desired position.
The blocks t for the quarters of the hat-brim, move in slots or grooves t¹. One
of these blocks is shewn in front elevation and side elevation in Figures 8 and 9.
The said blocks t are coupled by the rods 2, provided with ball-and-socket joints,
to the plate 3, which acts as a four-armed lever. The plate t³ is furnished with a
bandle which works against the slotted guard or segment and is clamped in
place by the screw t
.
A

page_text: The quarter blocks t are provided with ledges or shoulders t which extend
beneath the hat-brim and are capable of adjustment to suit different forms or
sizes of hats. A bed is thus provided on which the hat may rest without risk of
distortion.
The hat to be pared is placed upon the tray S. The blocks 81 are then
simultaneously moved by the handle until the hat-brim rests upon them, and
its edges touch the shoulders 811 of the said blocks. The hat is thus centred
longitudinally. The quarter blocks t are then simultaneously brought up against
the hat-brim by means of the handle t, so that the ledges tall bear against the
said brin, and the said ledges are adjusted to support the brim as above described.
The hat is thus centred transversely on the tray S. The two side blocks 8 are
then moved up so that they press against the brim, and are clamped or fastened in
place, and the catches 8 are adjusted to hold down the hat-brim.
In adjusting the blocks 8, since they have to be adjusted and clamped separately,
care must be taken to place them equally distant from the centre of the hat. To
facilitate this operation, a scale of parts of inches is engraved on the tray S at one
side of each of the said blocks. A similar scale is engraved on each of the blocks &
to facilitate the proper adjustment of the catches 8³.
The object of the blocks above described and the mechanism for synchronously
adjusting the same is to enable the hat to be accurately centred upon the tray S
and held in its proper position thereon relatively to the knife or cutter J, so that
the hat-brim, when pared, will be symmetrical.
To provide for paring hat-brims deviating in form from a true oval or ellipse, the
following mechanism is employed, that is to say-The aforesaid. pin or bolt c¹ is,
as above stated, is fitted to rotate in a bearing of in the carriage C and has a solid
block or head fitting into the grooves P¹ of the grooved plate P; it therefore revolves
during the movement of the grooved plate. This pin or bolt is extended down-
wards, and has a cam V fixed thereon below the carriage C. This cam rotates in
contact with a stop-roller V¹ carried by a sliding three armed bracket v. The said
cam is of such shape as to ensure the requisite movement of the grooved plate P to
obtain the desired degree of deviation. One arm of the bracket vis provided with
a pin or stud which fits into the slot v¹ in the bed-plate A, and another arm of the
said bracket is provided with a pin or stud on which is placed a block &' fitting
into the slot in the said bed-plate. This bracket is coupled, by means of a
link vs, to a lever pivotted at v to the bed-plate. The lever can be secured
in any desired position by the thumb-nut which is fitted upon a bolt passing
through the slot in the bed-plate. By these means, the stop roller can be
adjusted to and held in, the requisite position.
The carriage C is acted upon by one or more springs W which hold the cam V
against the stop-roller V₁. The cam V is of such form that, so long as the part of
the brim being pared is to be part of a true oval or ellipse, the said cam will not
affect the movement of the hat, but, when a part of the brim is being pared which
is required to deviate from the true oval or ellipse, the cam comes into action and
moves the carriage C, and consequently the hat, in such a manner as to produce the
required deviation,
If no part of the brim is to be part of a true oval or ellipse, the cam is made of
such form that it will act upon the carriage during the entire revolution of the
grooved plate.
The contour desired for the edge of the brim varies from time to time with the
taste of the manufacturer, it is, therefore, desirable that the machine should be
capable of being readily changed from cutting a true oval to adapt it for cutting an
altered figure, and vice versa. For this purpose a screw is provided which can be
passed through the slot into the bed-plate A at 8, for the purpose of clamping
the carriage in position as described in said specification N° 10,269. Instead of
removing the cam V when it is not required (which removal might lead to a
disturbance of its adjustment), the link and the sliding bracket v which carries

page_text: L
the roller V', and the shoe which supports the end of the bracket v are removed
and the carriage is clamped in its proper position.
I sometimes use two or more cams on the pin or bolt c¹, one to act during the
cutting of the ends, and the other during the cutting of the sides of the brim ; and
I employ separately adjustable stops, one to act in combination with each cam.
The curls of hat-brims can then be cut of varying width either with or without the
grooved plate P.
By means of the said cam or cams I am enabled to impart to the edges of hat-
brims peculiar shapes which can only be obtained by the use of a cam.
The said
cam or cams, moreover, being attached to, and arranged to move, the carriage C,
will serve for hats of different sizes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
First. The combination of parts comprising the excentric F, the rod f, the lever G,
and the rod K substantially as set forth, whereby oscillating motion is imparted to
the lever carrying the knife.
Second. The provision of means whereby the knife or cutter can be readily moved
out of and into its operative position, substantially as, and for the purpose, set
forth.
Third. The combination, with a tray or other support for the hat to be pared, of
sliding blocks provided with means for synchronously adjusting the same, as, and
for the purpose, specified.
Fourth. The combination of parts comprising the curved plate or tray S, and the
blocks 8, 81, t and means for adjusting the same, substantially as set forth, whereby
I provide for supporting the hat to be pared and for centring the same and holding
it in its proper position relatively to the knife or cutter, as above specified.
Fifth. The combination, with the sliding block 8 of the adjustable catch 8³, sub-
stantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Sixth. The combination, with the sliding block t, of the adjustable ledge or
shoulder t, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Seventh. The combination of parts comprising the hollow shaft H provided with
the block h and carrying the knife-lever j, the levers I, L, the shaft M, the lever N,
and the bar O fitted upon the socket P of the grooved plate P, substantially as
set forth, whereby the knife is automatically adjusted, as, and for the purpose,
specified.
Eighth. The combination, with the grooved plate P provided with the socket P*,
of the stem R provided with the rack teeth, and the pinion r³ geared with the said
rack teeth, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Ninth. The employment of one or more cams fixed upon the pin or bolt c¹, as,
and for the purpose, above specified.
Tenth. The combination, with the cam V fixed upon the pin or bolt c¹, of the
spring or springs W, the roller V' carried by the sliding bracket v, and means for
moving the said bracket to and fro, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Eleventh. The improved machine consisting of the parts constructed and com-
bined substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings and
operating as, and for the purpose, specified.
Deted this 0th day of March 102A