Improvements in Machinery for Drying Felt Hats.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 12th May, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Drying Felt Hats.
I, ROBERT ROBINSON of Bunkers Hill, Bredbury, Stockport, near Manchester,.
England, Hat Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and.
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Hitherto it has been the custom to dry felt hats after the "blocking" operation
in a stove or oven the operation of drying occupying seven or eight hours, with the
disadvantage of the heat altering the shape of the hat bodies and drying them in
an uneven manner.
Now my invention has for its object to expedite the operation of drying and to
dry the hats in a manner which shall not injure or change their shape, and consists.
of a machine comprising two or more " whirlers or wheels carrying a number of
hoops or frames for holding a corresponding number of felt hats, so that as such
wheels are rotated at a considerable velocity they cause the water to rapidly leave
the hat bodies and so dry the same. These wheels are mounted at the respective
ends of a horizontal shaft supported in bearings from a table or counter, and the
hoops or frames for holding the hats are fitted between the spokes of the wheels at.
equal distances apart and at equal distances from the centre of revolution.
And in order that my said invention shall be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect I have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a front view and Fig. 2 a side view of my improved machine. Figs. 3 & 4
are detail views.
""
In accordance with my invention (A), (A) are two "whirlers or wheels, made,
by preference of wrought iron and keyed upon the ends of the horizontal shaft (B),.
supported by the pedestal bearings (C), (C) upon the table or counter (D). These
wheels are made in the spoke form as seen more clearly in Fig. 2 and therefore
serve for carrying the rings or frames (E) which carry the hats. The frames (E)
consist of hoops of thin sheet metal (see plan & side views Figs. 3 & 4) about the
size of a hat body and of the same shape and which are fastened to the spokes of
the wheel by the clamping strips (F) and small nuts and screws. The wheels
shewn in the drawing will only carry a dozen hat bodies, but it will be obvious that
by increasing or decreasing the size of the wheels they may be made to carry
more or less. The wheels may be made to carry a pair of rings or frames
between each set of spokes, one nearer and the other further away from the centre
of movement.
The operation of drying the hat bodies is as follows:-
The hat bodies to be dried are placed on the table (D), which is made
sufficiently wide for the purpose, and then a hat body is placed in each of the
holders (E), the operator bringing the wheels round by hand as the rings are filled.
Both wheels being filled, or the number of hats requiring to be dried being placed in
the wheels, the driving strap is transferred from the loose pulley (G) to the fast
pulley (H) thus setting the shaft and wheels in motion. The water immediately
Hies off the hat bodies in a radial direction and in spray form and continues to do
so until almost all the water is extracted out of the hat bodies.
The drying operation takes about 3 to 4 minutes with a speed of about
300 revolutions. As soon as the hats are dried the machine is stopped and the
hats removed to make way for a fresh batch, and in this way I expedite the drying
of the hat bodies. Of course the hat bodies are not absolutely dry, but the bulk
of the water is removed and the hats only require to be stoved for about one hour

page_text: "
or less instead of seven or eight. It is possible that if the hats were "whirled' in
a heated room or chamber the drying would be complete without storing.
In case the hat bodies should be too small to be tightly held by the frames (E)
a slight twist will fix them, or an elastic band (I) (see Fig. 3) stretched across the
frame will hold them in position.
Although I have illustrated my improved centrifugal hat drying machine having
the "whirlers" or drying wheels to revolve in a vertical plane it is obvious that
the same might be mounted to revolve upon a vertical shaft and that a greater
number than two of such wheels might be employed.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.-
For drying felt hat bodies, the use of one or more " whirlers" or drying
wheels (A), (A), with facilities (by preference in the form of rings or
frames (E)) for holding felt hat bodies and mounted and operating substantially as
set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1894.
JOHN G. WILSON & Co.,
55, Market Street, Manchester, Agents.