Improvements in Apparatus for Steaming or Damping Hats or Hat Bodies.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 6th June, 1893-Accepted, 22nd July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Steaming or Damping Hats or Hat
Bodies.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23 Southampton Buildings, in
the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention (a communication to me from Messrs. F. Klein & Co., of Liegnitz in
the Empire of Germany, Hat Manufacturers,) to be as follows:-
The invention relates to an apparatus for steaming or damping hats and hat
bodies in which the fresh steam is always combined with steam which has been
already used.
The compound of fresh and used steam passes through series of pipes at different
levels in the chamber, so that steam coming from the lower part of the chamber
will, by passing through the different tiers of steam pipes, be constantly dried.
In carrying the invention into effect a double walled cylindrical chamber is used,
into the bottom of which the steam issues; the used steam passes off at the upper
part of the vessel through a pipe which discharges it into the case or chamber of
an injector. The fresh steam passes through a valve into the injector and draws off
the used steam coming from the apparatus by the above mentioned connecting pipe.
The compound of used and fresh steam passes through a pipe leading from the
injector to a valve, and thence to the upper tier or coil of piping. The coils of
piping may be arranged in any convenient manner; an effective form consists of a
double spiral in the same plane connected together at the centre and provided with
an inlet and outlet closely adjacent to each other. The outlet of one coil is
connected to the inlet of the next lower coil. Any suitable number of coils or
spirals of piping may be used, five being a convenient number; the steam passes
in succession through these coils, commencing at the uppermost coil, and from the
lowermost coil into a lower perforated, preferably ring shaped, pipe, from which
the steam enters the chamber and, rising therein, passses off through a pipe at the
top thereof to an injector as before described.
The liats or hat bodies to be steamed are supported on the coils or spirals, either
direct or on suitable carriers.
The steam issuing from the perforated pipe into the chamber will have become
dried on its way from the uppermost coil or spiral, by which means dry steam will
always be used.
By combining used steam with fresh steam as above described, it will be seen that
only a small consumption of steam will be incurred.
The condensation water will be carried off from the chamber through a self-acting
conductor or discharge apparatus.
The chamber is provided at its upper part with a pressure gauge and safety
valve.
When the apparatus is to be emptied, a discharge valve connected to the pipe
attached to the delivery end of the injector, is opened and the valve on the pipe
leading from the injector to the chamber, is closed; the steam passing through the
injector will then draw off the steam from the chamber.
The chamber is provided with a steam-tight door fitted with a pair of double
bar bolts, studs from which pass into eccentric slots of a ring, which is capable of
partial rotation in either direction by means of a suitable handle, so that by turning
the ring in one or the other direction, the bolts will be shot or withdrawn."
Doted this 10th dow of Sontember 1892.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Steaming or Damping Hats or Hat
. Bodies.
1, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23 Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
(a communication to me from Messrs. F. Klein & Co., of Liegnitz, in the Empire
of Germany, Hat Manufacturers,) and in what manner the same. is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The invention relates to an apparatus for steaming or damping hats and hat
bodies in which the fresh steam is always combined with steam which has been
already used. The compound of fresh and used steam passes through series of
pipes at different levels in the chamber, so that steam coming from the lower part
of the chamber will, by passing through the different tiers of steam pipes, be
constantly dried.
In carrying the invention into effect it is preferred to used a double walled
cylindrical chamber, into the bottom of which the steam issues; the used steam
passes off at the upper part of the vessel through a pipe which discharges it into
the case or chamber of an injector. The fresh steam passes through a valve into
the injector and draws off the used steam coming from the apparatus by the above
mentioned connecting pipe. The compound of used and fresh steam passes through
a pipe leading from the injector to a valve and thence to the upper tier or coil of
piping. The tiers or coils of piping may be arranged in any convenient manner;
an effective form consists of a double spiral in the same plane connected together
at the centre and provided with an inlet and outlet closely adjacent to each other.
The outlet of one coil is connected to the inlet of the next lower coil. Any suitable
number of tiers, coils or spirals of piping may be used, five being a convenient
number; the steam passes in succession through these coils, commencing at the
uppermost coil, and from the lowermost coil into a lower perforated pipe, from
which the steam enters the chamber and, rising therein, passes off through a pipe at
the top thereof to an injector as before described.
The hats or hat bodies to be steamed are supported on the coils or spirals, either
direct or on suitable carriers.
The steam issuing from the perforated pipe into the chamber will have become
dried on its way from the uppermost coil or spiral, by which means dry steam will
always be used.
By combining used steam with fresh steam as above described it will be seen that
only a small consumption of steam will be incurred.
The condensation water will be carried off from the chamber through a self-acting
conductor or discharge apparatus.
The chamber provided at its upper part with a pressure gauge and safety
valve.
When the apparatus is to be emptied, a discharge valve connected to the pipe
attached to the delivery end of the injector, is opened and the valve on the pipe
leading from the injector to the chamber is closed; the steam passing through the
injector will then draw off the steam from the chamber.
The chamber is provided with a steam-tight door, which may be fitted with a pair
of double bar bolts, studs from which pass into eccentric slots of a ring which is
capable of partial rotation in either direction by means of a suitable handle, so that
by turning the ring in one or the other direction, the bolts will be shot or withdrawn.
Other suitable fastening arrangements may however be employed.
•
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus constructed according to the invention
and having a vertical cylindrical chamber.

page_text: Figure 2 is a vertical section drawn on the line A. B Figure 4.
Figure 3 is a front elevation, Figure 4 is a horizontal section drawn on the
line CD Figure 2, Figure 5 is a similar section drawn on the line E F of
Figure 2, and Figure 6 is a side elevation of an arrangement of removable tubes.
Figure 7 is a side elevation showing the invention applied to a horizontal tubular
chamber, Figure 8 is a vertical cross section, Figure 9 is a front elevation showing
the door fastenings, Figure 10 is a longitudinal section of the movable tube frame,
Figure 11 is a cross section and Figure 12 is a perspective view of the same.
Figure 13 is a plan of the heating arrangement in the form of tubes provided with
radiators or gills and Figure 14 is a plan of the perforated forked tube which
delivers the steam into the vessel.
Referring first to the arrangement represented at Figures 1 to 6, the apparatus
consists of a vertical cylindrical vessel a, which may have double walls or be
otherwise jacketted to prevent loss of heat; into this vessel steam is introduced
at the bottom through the perforated steam pipe %, as hereafter described. The
used steam is conducted off from the upper part of the vessel through a tube b
leading to an injector d. Fresh steam coming from the valve c enters the injector d
and withdraws the used steam from the vessel a. The used steam thereby mixes
with the fresh steam and, by passing through the pipe and valve y, enters the
uppermost tubular spiral, Figure 2. The apparatus, as shown at Figure 2, is
provided with five spirals f¹ to 7%, all of which are double wormed, see Figure 4,
and the steam passes from one into the next lower spiral till it finally issues through
the perforations in the annular tube f situated at the bottom of the vessel.
The articles to be steamed are laid either directly on the spirals or are placed on
forms provided for them.
The steam from the perforated annular tube passes upwards between the
spiralstof, so that it is always dry steam which comes into contact with the
hats or hat bodies.
As the used steam is mixed again and again with fresh steam, and as at each
passage through the apparatus it becomes dried, it will be obvious that the con-
densation of steam by the apparatus is reduced to a minimum. The condensation
water is continuously conducted off from the bottom of the apparatus by an
automatic trap n. The double armed tube h at the top of the vessel a carries a
gauge and a safety valve.
In order to discharge the contents of the apparatus, the valve g requires to be
closed, whilst the valve e is opened, when the steam passing through the injector
will draw the steam from the chamber a through the pipe and will eject it
through the valve e.
The arrows in Figure 2 indicate the direction the steam takes in passing through
the tubes and apparatus, the arrows in full lines, for the fresh steam, and the
dotted arrows for the used steam; the full line and dotted arrows indicate the
mixture of fresh and used steam.
The apparatus is preferably worked at a pressure of about 1 atmospheres and
tested for a pressure of about 3 atmospheres.
The door is provided with two double bolts m having pins or studs which
work in eccentric or cam slots in a disc k. A. hand lever i fixed to the disc k
enables the latter to be rotated to shoot the bolts into or withdraw them from the
fastenings.
$
The tiers or tubes ƒ ƒ ƒ³ ƒ ƒ are arranged so as to be capable of ready
connection and disconnection with the pipes by means of union joints f, and
they are combined with a frame o provided with rollers'o' o, the rollers o' running
on ways o³ and the roller o on the floor, so as to be capable of being readily run
into and out of the chamber a. The frame o also forms a cover to prevent any
drippings from falling on to the hats or hat bodies.
I will now describe the modification represented at Figures 7 to 14. In this
form of apparatus the steam is used over and over again by mixing it with fresh
steam as before described, but the mixed steam is caused to pass through a steam

page_text: conduit consisting of tubes X provided with radiators or gills X1 arranged in the
interior of the apparatus. Also, a movable stand or frame of tubes forming
several compartments is adapted to be moved in and out of the apparatus, and is
heated separately from the radiating tubes by means of fresh steam, so that the
steam entering into the apparatus at the bottom becomes thoroughly dry on its
passage upwards between the several tiers of the steam conduit pipes.
The apparatus consists of a horizontal cylindrical vessel o, into which steam
enters at the bottom. The used steam is drawn off at the top of the vessel
through the tube by the action of the injector c. The steam mixed with the fresh
steam is caused to pass through the tube e and into the radiating pipes shown in
Figures 8 and 13, so as to heat the apparatus. The steam returns from the radiating
pipes and passes through the valve into the pipe and thence into the condenser h.
When the apparatus has been sufficiently heated, the valve is shut and the.
valve i opened in order to allow the steam to pass through the pipe k into the
perforated forked tube a, Figures 8 and 14, from whence it makes its way through
the apparatus and comes into contact with the hats or hat bodies. A tube with
valve m is provided to conduct the condensation water from the bottom of the
apparatus into the vessel h.
The hats or hat bodies to be steamed are laid either directly on the steam
conduit pipes y2 y3 or on forms thereon, as shown at Figure 12. This conduit
is heated by fresh steam from the valve n and tube o, while the condensation
water is drawn off therefrom through the pipe p into the steam trap q. Two
union joints are provided to enable the pipes o and p to be readily connected
and disconnected with the tubes y y of the frame. The covers of the frame
of tubes is mounted in trough guides s', so as to enable it to be readily removed
and replaced, and it serves to ward off any drippings from the upper inner surface
of the vessel a, which might otherwise tend to wet the hats or hat bodies.
The upper part of the apparatus is provided with the necessary gauge, safety
valve and air cock fixed on suitable tubes t t.
In order to discharge the apparatus the valve iis closed, whilst the valve u
is opened, when the steam rushing through the injector draws off the steam from
the vessel through the tube and blows it through the valve . By opening
the air cock », combined with the suction of the injector e, either cold or warin
air is caused to enter. the apparatus. If the goods are to be treated with cold air,
the latter is supplied by means of the fan win conjunction with the air channels
and cocks and 2.
The full lined and dotted arrows indicate the course taken by the fresh steam,
the used steam, and the combined fresh and used steam, as described with respect
to the arrangement shown at Figures 1 to 6.
The chambers a may be single walled or they may be jacketted in any con-
venient manner. I do not however claim a jacketted vessel as part of the present
invention.
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 :-
:-
1. In jacketted or non-jacketted apparatus for steaming or damping hats or hat
bodies, the combination and arrangement of apparatus substantially as herein
shown and described and for the purpose stated.
2. A jacketted or non-jacketted apparatus for steaming or damping hats or hat,
bodies in which the used steam is drawn off from the upper part of the steaming
chamber by an injector and is mixed with fresh steam, and in which the combined
steam is then caused to flow through several tiers of steam conduit pipes within
the chamber and to issue into the bottom of the latter through a perforated pipe,
from which the steam, in rising to the upper part of the chamber, passes the tiers
of steam pipes and is again drawn off and mixed with fresh steam, substantially as,
herein described and for the purpose stated.

page_text: 3. A jacketted or non-jacketted apparatus for steaming or damping hats or hat
bodies in which the used steam is drawn off from the steaming chamber by an
injector, is mixed with fresh steam, and in which the combined steam is caused to
enter the bottom of the steaming chamber and, in rising, is dried by contact with,
and by radiated beat from, tiers of steam heated pipes, after which it is again
drawn off and treated as before, substantially as herein described.
4. In jacketted or non-jacketted apparatus for steaming or damping hats or
hat bodies, the combination of a steaming chamber, an injector in connection
by a pipe with the upper part of said chamber, and acting to draw off the used
steam and to mix it with fresh steam, tubular connections from the boiler to
the injector, tubular connections from such injector to a perforated pipe within,
and acting to deliver the mixed steam into the bottom of, the steaming chamber,
tiers of steam heated pipes within said chamber, a self-acting discharge apparatus
for the condensation water, suitable valves on the various pipes, and a steam-tight
door to the steaming chamber, substantially as herein shown and described and for
the purpose stated.
B. J. B. MILLS,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.