AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS USED FOR IRONING THE BRIMS OF HATS
Year: 1885

page_text: of Hats.
I ROBERT GREEN, Cashier 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 my invention for AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS
USED FOR IRONING THE BRIMS OF HATS to be as follows:-
In ironing and pressing the brims of hats it has been usual to heat or soften the
brim of the hat by placing it upon an inverted oval trough which was heated by
means of a perforated gas pipe and it frequently happened that owing to want of
care in regulating the supply of gas, the "proof" was liquified and thrown onto
the surface, or the brim of the hat itself was burned in addition to which the
burning of the gas caused an unpleasant odour and was injurious to the health of
the workinen.
My invention consists principally in dispensing with the use of gas for this
purpose and substituting steam in lieu thereof.
Instead of the inverted oval trough I use a closed oval chamber and into this,
I introduce steam from any convenient source, the said chamber being provided
with a steam supply pipe, and also with a tap for drawing off condensed water.
By these means the heat to which the brim of the hat is submitted can be
regulated to a great degree of nicety, and it is impossible to raise the temperature
sufficiently high to start the "proof" or otherwise injure the hat.
Dated this 14th don
1007
GEORGE DAVIES,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I, ROBERT GREEN, cashier with the firm of Messrs. J. E. and W. Christy and Co
of Hillgate Works, Stockport, in the County of Chester Hat Manufacturers do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS
USED FOR IRONING THE BRIMS OF HATS" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
In ironing and pressing the brims of hats it has been usual to heat or soften the
brim of the hat by placing it upon an inverted oval trough which was heated by
means of a perforated gas pipe, and it frequently happened that owing to want
of care in regulating the supply of gas the "proof" was liquefied and thrown
on to the surface or the brim of the hat itself was burned, in addition to which the
burning of the gas caused an unpleasant odour and was injurious to the health
of the workmen.
My invention consists principally in dispensing with the use of gas for this
purpose and substituting steam in lieu thereof. Instead of the inverted oval
trough I use a closed oval chamber and into this I introduce steam from any con-
venient source, the said chamber being provided with a steam supply pipe and also
with a tap for drawing off condensed water.
By these means the heat to which the brim of the hat is submitted can be
regulated to a great degree of nicety and it is impossible to raise the temperature
sufficiently high to start the "proof" or otherwise injure the hat.
On the annexed drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical section and Fig. 2 a plan view
of so much of a hat brim ironing machine as is necessary to illustrate my
invention.
a. a is the sliding table provided with a handle b. b as usual, c. c is the closed
oval steam chamber which I substitute for the gas box and which is provided with
a flexible steam supply pipe d d for conveying steam into it from any convenient
source and e. e is a similar flexible pipe for conveying away the condensed water, a
tap may be used if preferred instead of the flexible pipe e. e.
The steam supply pipe d. d must be fitted with a regulating tap or valve
whereby the amount of steam admitted can be readily adjusted to any required
degree.

page_text: 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
The use or employment in a hat brim ironing machine of a closed oval steam
chamber in lieu of the inverted oval gas trough hitherto employed such steam
chamber being fitted with a steam supply pipe and an escape pipe or tap for
conveying away the condensed water substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
GEORGE DAVIES,
Agent for the Applicant.