IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CURLING THE BRIMS OF HATS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Lees, of Stockport, in the County of Chester,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CURLING THE BRIMS
OF HATS,"
Sealed the 17th November 1876, and dated the 25th May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Lecs at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th May 1876.
THOMAS LEES, of Stockport, in the County of Chester.
APPARATUS FOR CURLING THE BRIMS OF HATS."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
This Invention is designed principally for curling the brims of hard felt hats, but
with slight variations it may also be adapted to curling the brims of other kinds
of hats previously to shaping the same.
The apparatus consists principally of a revolving plate and brow block (upon
which the hat is fastened by means of a loose ring) in combination with two slides
carrying pressers or irons and breakers or blades for curling over and pressing the
edge of the brim. The revolving plate is fitted on its upper side with an oval ring
or template of the size and form of the brim when finished, and beneath the plate
is a corresponding oval ring or cam so connected to the slides above mentioned as
to give an alternate movement to them corresponding with the oval form of the
hat as it revolves. These oval rings are fastened to and revolve with the plate.
The pressers or irons may be one or both heated by gas or otherwise, but I
prefer to have one heated and the other cold. The front part of the presser is made
somewhat in the form of a plough, so that as the plate revolves it picks up the brim
of the hat and bends or doubles it over whilst the following part presses it down
and breaks the edge.
A breaker or blade above the brim works inside the bend or curl and assists the
operation. The breakers or blades are each attached to a lever so that they can
be raised up when placing and removing the hat, and the pressers or irons work on
a slide so that they can be moved outwards whilst the breakers are lowered into
their places, and then be brought forwards over the breakers and locked in their
position by means of a lever and cam, the breakers are locked down by means of
a spring catch.
The hats before being placed on the table are heated and softened by means of an
ordinary "Baker"
or otherwise, and a small quantity of water is applied to the
[Price Gdl

page_text: hat brim as it revolves during the process of curling. When the brim is sufficiently
curled and broken, the heated iron or presser is withdrawn and a few turns of the
plate under the cold iron or presser will "set" and cool the curl.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent_filed by
the said Thomas Lees in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th November
1876.
THOMAS LEES, of Stockport, in the County of Chester.
APPARATUS FOR CURLING THE BRIMS OF HATS."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
This Invention is designed principally for curling the brims of hard felt hats, but
it may also be adapted for curling the brims of silk or other kinds of hats previously
to shaping the same.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood I
have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the
same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof.
In the annexed Drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical and longitudinal section, and Fig. 2
a plan view of my improved apparatus for curling the brims of hats.
The apparatus consists principally of a revolving plate a, a, and brow block b, b,
(upon which the hat is fastened by means of a loose ring) in combination with two
slides c, c, carrying pressers or irons d, d, and breakers or blades e, c, for curling
over and pressing the edge of the brim.
The revolving plate a, a, is fitted on its upper side with an oval ring or tem-
plate ff of the size and form of the brim when finished, and beneath the plate is a
corresponding oval ring or cam g, g, so connected to the slides c, c, above mentioned
as to give an alternate movement to them corresponding with the oval form of the
hat as it revolves. These oval rings ƒ and g are fastened to and revolve with the
plate a, a The pressers or irons d, d, may be one or both heated by gas or other-
wise, but I prefer to have one heated and the other cold, the latter acting only as
a "dummy" or flattener. The front part of the presser is made somewhat in the
form of a plough, so that as the plate revolves it picks up the edge of the brim
of the hat and bends or doubles it over (as seen at Fig. 1), whilst the following
part presses it down and draws in and contracts the edge. A breaker or blade e, o,
above the brim works inside the bend or curl and assists the operation. The
breakers or blades e, e, are each attached to a hinge at h, k, so that they can be raised
up when placing and removing the hat, and the pressers or irons d, d, work on a slide
at h, k, so that they can be moved outwards whilst the breakers are lowered into
their places, and then be brought forwards over the breakers and locked in their
position by means of a lever and cam 1, 7, the breakers are locked down by means of
a spring catch at i, i. The form of the curl produced will depend upon the precise
form or curler and breaker employed.
The hats before being placed on the table are heated and softened by means
of an ordinary "Baker" or otherwise, and a small quantity of water is applied
to the hat brim as it revolves during the process of curling. When the brim
is sufficiently curled and the creases removed the heated iron or presser d, d, is
withdrawn, and a few turns of the plate under the cold iron or "dummy" will
"set" and cool the curl.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect,
I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention the special apparatus for
curling hat brims as herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings annexed
or any mere imitation or modification thereof, constructed and operating in sub-

page_text: stantially the saine or a similar manner, and especially I claim the combination of
plough or curler, and a dummy or flattener with a breaker or breakers, and a
revolving table or other means of causing the hat to revolve beneath the said
curler, dummy, and breaker.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Lees, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-third day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
THOMAS LEES. (L.S.)