Improvements in Machines for Trimming the Curls or Rolls of the Brims of Hats.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Trimming the Curls or Rolls
of the Brims of Hats.
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168
:
We GEORGE HENRY HOOPER, of 70 Bedford Avenue, Hatter, and ANDREW
CAMPBELL, of 677 Gates Avenue, Mechanical Expert, and EDMUND MOLOUGHLIN, Jr.,
of 90 Bedford Avenue, Gentleman, all of the City of Brooklyn in the County
of Kings, and the State of New York, one of the United States of America, do
hereby jointly declare the nature of the said invention of the said George Henry
Hooper for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR TRIMMING THE CURLS OR ROLLS
OF 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 the manufacture of stiff hats, one of the steps in the manufacture is to fold
the edge of the brim, while it is yet hot and pliable, in ward'over the edge of a plate
which has a central aperture to fit about the body of 'the hat, and which is of the
proper size for, and has the external contour of the hat-brim: "In the after process
of finishing the hat the rough and crimped margin of the roll or curl thus turned
over is trimmed off by hand.
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The present invention relates to a machine for trimming off this margin of the
roll; the object being to effect the trimming smoothly, evenly, and expeditiously at
one simple operation.
The invention will be hereinafter fully described and its novel features carefully
defined in the claims.
In the drawings which serve to illustrate the invention:** * *...
Figure 1 is a vertical mid-section of the press or machine for trimming the roll
on the hat-brim, with its appurtenances.
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[
Fig. 2 is an underside plan view of the folding-plate, or brim-plate 'provided
with the annular trimming-cutter; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of same taken
on line 3, 3, in Fig. 2.
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"
'
Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate modified forms of the machine which will be fully
hereinafter described.
.
Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, A 'represents 'any 'solid forin of bed for the press,
provided with a suitable aperture or recess to receive the body of the hat. The
upper face of the bed A has the proper "warp" or curvature to properly fit to the
upper face of the hat-brim, or nearly so, and this face is best composed of a plate a,
DQ71
...

page_text: of copper or other similar soft-metal. B is the follower, the lower face of which
has a contour corresponding to the face of the bed A. We prefer to cushion the
face of the follower by interposing a cushion b, of rubber between the body of
the follower and the face plate c of the same. The purpose of this will be
hereinafter described.
C is the plate over which the roll on the margin of the hat-brim is folded or
turned. This plate has an aperture, d, of the proper size and contour to permit
the body of the hat to pass through and fit snugly in, and its outer contour
corresponds to that of the hat-brim. This plate we prefer to turn up from a plate
of steel; and in the process of turning we form on its surface an annular cutter, e,
which has the form it is designed to give the margin of the roll on the hat-brim
when trimmed.
The operation is as follows: In the construction and shaping of the hat the
plate C is applied and the brim turned in over its edge while the hat is warm and
pliable. In Fig. 1, is the body of the hat, y the brim, and the roll turned
inward over the edge of plate C, the cutter e standing under the roll z.
The
hat is now placed on the bed of the press, the body passing through the aperture
therein, and the brim, together with plate C, resting on the face-plate a of the bed.
The follower B is now brought down on the brim, and this serves to force the
annular cutter e through the material of the roll 2 and thus trim off the surplus
and crimped portion of the same, leaving a smooth and regular margin.
The hat is now lifted out of the press-bed and the plate C removed from under
the roll or inturned margin z of the brim. This may be readily effected while the
bat is still warm and pliable.
As the plate C is usually thin and somewhat flexible, and the material to be
trimmed off is usually somewhat uneven in thickness, we prefer to cushion the
follower B as described so that it may accommodate itself somewhat to the
resistance offered at the several points and yet not yield enough to prevent
the cutter from doing its work. The cutter need not be very sharp but should
have a smooth edge. If very sharp it is apt to cut into the plate a and form a
burr thereon. The aperture d, by fitting close to hat-body, forms a guide for
placing the cutter.
It is not essential that the cutter e be formed integrally with the plate C; it
might be made separately and attached thereto. The distance of the cutter e from
the margin of the plate C at the various points will be governed by the width
desired for the inturned roll s.
In Fig. 4 is shown a slight modification wherein the cutter e is formed upon or
secured to the bed A of the press and cuts through from the outside inward. In
this construction the plate should be made of copper, brass, or other moderately
soft metal.
Fig. 5 illustrates another modification, which is substantially an inversion of
that shown in Fig. 4. In this case the hat is turned crown up, and is slipped over
a block g on the press-bed. The cutter e is carried by the follower B. In this
case we cushion the face of the bed A with rubber 6' under a face-plate c¹.
We
We have not deemed it necessary to show any mechanism for operating the
follower B, as any of the well known means may be employed; as for example a
screw, or a lever. Or it might be simply placed and then receive a blow.
prefer a screw, however, as the most convenient means of forcing or pressing down
the follower in order to drive the cutter through the roll.
Indeed, it would be feasible to use the essential feature of the invention without
the aid of a press. For example a plate similar to plate C, with an aperture & for
the hat-body, and provided with an annular cutter, e, at its margin, might be
placed on the hat-brim so that the roll z would extend over the cutter.
The
trimming could then be effected with a hammer or roller, by exerting sufficient
pressure on the rolls to cause the cutter to penetrate it. In this case the ordinary
brim-plate might be used to carry the cutter, or the cutter might be carried by
another plate, which need not extend beyond the cutter,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention of George Henry Hooper, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, we jointly declare that what we claim is :—
1. A machine for trimming the curls or rolls of hat-brims, comprising a press-
bed to receive and support the hat-brim, a follower to press on the hat-brim as it
rests on the press-bed, a brim plate which rests on the hat-brim, and over which
the edge of the brim is folded or rolled, and an annular cutter, e, attached to one of
these parts, substantially as set forth.
2. A machine for trimning hat-brins, comprising a press-bed to receive and
support the hat-brim while it is being trimmed, a follower to press on the hat brim
as it rests on the press-bed, the brim-plate C, having an aperture d to receive the
hat-body, and an exterior contour corresponding to the contour of the hat-brim,
and an annular cutter, e, attached to or formed integrally with said plate C, said
cutter being arranged to stand under the roll on the edge of the hat-brim,
substantially as set forth.
3. As a means for trimming the edge of the roll or turned-over margin of a hat-
brim, a plate with an aperture to receive and fit the hat-body, and an annular
cutter, 6, attached to, or formed integrally with said plate, substantially as
set forth.
4. The follower of the press provided with a cushion on its operating face,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dout
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