CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CAP FRONTS
Year: 1858

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edwin Whitehall at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd October
1858.
I, EDWIN WHITEHALL, of Bromley Place, Parish of Saint Nicholas, Town
and County of Nottingham, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CAP
FRONTS," to be as follows:-
A certain machine for the manufacture of cap fronts patented by Edward
Hammond, of No. 89, Herbert St., in the Parish of Shoreditch, and County
of Middlesex, on the 29th day of January in this present year 1858, and
numbered in the list of Patents 161, is the subject of the improvements for
which protection is now sought.
The Invention of the said Edward Hammond consists in a certain groove in
a metal table, within which the band for a cap front is placed, and over which
and between two guides the previously goffered blond is laid; and of a certain
knife which is capable of being brought down upon the goffered blond, thereby
forcing it into the band; and likewise of a certain lever, by means of which
the aforesaid groove is closed and the band and blond tightly compressed and
united.
In these Specifications it is not intended to lay claim to any of the features
of the original Invention, but only to certain improvements thereupon herein
described; and to be applied to and used in connection with the original
Invention only by and with the concurrence of the original Inventor.

page_text: The improvements have reference to the groove, the guides, and the knife.
Firstly, of the groove. Three views of the groove are presented at Fig. 4, 5,
and 6, the first of these shows a section of the groove and exhibits the action
of the lever in closing it. A, A, are two strong iron bars working on pivots
at each end; B, B, are the checks or sides of the groove; C is the metal bar
forming the bottom of the groove, sustained in its place by lateral pins which
work loosely in corresponding perforations in the cheeks of the groove. This
bar prevents the sides of the groove from coming into too close contact and
admits of the introduction of the zinc slips to be hereafter mentioned. An
extension of the checks of the groove overlaps the ends of the bar as represented
at Fig. 7, thus terminating the groove at each end. It will now be seen at
once that by depressing the lever T the groove will be closed, but just
allowing space for the zinc slips, which are to enclose the band of the cap
front. D, D, are the covering plates which are intended to cover up the
groove after the zinc slips enclosing the band have been placed within it with
the exception of a narrow slit just sufficient to admit of the descent of the
knife. These plates are supported at each end of the machine by small rods
working on pivots as represented at Fig. 5, they are kept open by the
inclines formed by a projection in the upper part of the frame sides, against
which an extension of them works (see Fig. 6) and close by means of the
springs E, E, the moment the groove is raised above the top of the inclines.
The specific improvements in the construction of the groove, for which pro-
tection is now sought, are, 1stly, the mode of closing it described above, and
2ndly, the use of covering platos.
Secondly, of the guides. For the arrangements in previous use it is now
proposed to substitute an oblong frame of wood represented at Fig. 8, this
frame encloses two moveable bars, to the bottoms of which a narrow strip of
brass is attached, these bars (F, F,) work upon the screws (G, G,) by means
of the small milled wheels H, H. At each end of the frame there is a hole
intended to pass over the corresponding pegs at the ends of the groove. The
goffered blond intended to be used is placed upon the brass strips and between
the moveable bars.
Thirdly, of the knife. The proposed arrangement differs from the original,
firstly in this, that the descent of the knife is effected by the action of a
treddle instead of by hand pressure; and, secondly, that the groove is made to
ascend and and meet the knife in its descent; this will be explained by a
reference to the Drawings Figs. 1st and 3rd. The groove with its adjuncts
is supported by the strong rods I, I, which work through the fixed bearings
J, J, inside the frame sides of the machine. The knife on the contrary is

page_text: supported by the rods K, K, working in the fixed bearings L, L, outside the
frame sides. The rod I, I, is attached to one arm of the lever M by the
bent bar N and the rod K, K, to the other arm by the bar O; the treddle I'
is connected by a thin rod with a small lever upon the spindle Q, which is
likewise connected with the rod I by the corresponding lever R; by this
arrangement the pressure of the foot upon the treddle P raises the rod I, J,
and with it the groove which it supports. But by by reason of the rods K, K,
and I, I, being attached to the opposite arms of the lever M; the rod K, K,
is depressed at the same instant that the rod I, I is raised, and thus while the
knife descends the groove rises to meet it.
The action of the entire machine with the improvements herein described
may be thus briefly recapitulated, two operators are required, one at the front
and one at the back of the machine. It is the duty of the one standing at
the back to place the zinc slips in the groove, to wet the bands and place them
between the zine slips within the groove, and then by placing her foot upon
the treddle S to raise the groove above the inclines already mentioned,
thereby allowing the covering plates to close. While this is being done the
operator in front of the machine is placing the the goffered blond in the frame.
A few turns of the milled wheels bring the guides up to the dge of the blond,
touching and confining it equally throughout its entire length, she then places
the frame over the pegs at the ends of the groove and exactly under the knife,
and placing her foot firmly upon treddle P raises the groove and brings the
knife down into it. By this action the blond is carried into the band, then
seizing the lever D she closes the groove, thereby firmly compressing and
uniting the blond and the band, the finished article is then ready to be
removed into the drying tray.