AN IMPROVED HAT- BLOCKING MACHINE
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 59, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED HAT-
BLOCKING MACHINE."-A communication from abroad by Julius Sheldon,
of New York City, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 10th March 1868, and dated the 27th September 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th September 1867.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Ar
IMPROVED HAT-BLOCKING MACHINE," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of three different elements all combined in one
machine. The first element is a mechanism for blocking the crown of the hat,
consisting of a number of expansible bars; any suitable mechanism may be
employed, and I do not claim any improvement therein. The second element
consists in a ring for breaking the band of the hat, which is constructed so as
to be capable of a downward motion, which motion is to be given to the ring
after the blocking of the crown and the stretching out of the brim has been
completed. The third element is a series of clamps placed in a circle to seize

page_text: the brim, which clamps are in an inclined position nearly fitting the conical
shape of the bat body when said hat body is to be placed on the machine.
These clamps when the stretching of the brim is to take place receive a double
motion; they are brought up to a horizontal position, and then expanded
out.
The machine containing these improvements is constructed as follows:-
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a vertical section of the machine in such
a position as to be ready to receive the hat body; Figure 2 is also a vertical
section of the machine, but all the parts I have improved are shown in the
position they will be in when they have completed their functions.
In the centre of a horizontal table a stands a stem a' containing the crown
blocking mechanism designated by letter A in the Drawings. Above this
table a, supported by legs H', which are secured to said table, stands a
stationary ring H concentric with the stem a¹. This ring H contains the
fulcrums of a number of levers G, whose upper ends are hinged to the upper
ends of the clamps E, and whose lower ends engage with short connecting
links H, which again are hinged to a ring K; this ring K is made to slide
up and down by any convenient mechanism. In raising this ring up to a
position as shown in Figure 2 the connecting rods Hand levers G acting as
toggle joints will throw out or expand the clamps E. There is a forked
ring G, to which the
springs D are fastened, the lever W being capable of being swung up with all
its appendages to a vertical position, as shown in Figure 1, when a hat body
is placed on the machine, and of being turned down to horizontal position,
lever W hinged to a pair of uprights W', which bears a
as shown in Figure 2, when the hat body is on the machine, and the blocking
operation is to commence. The ring B for breaking the band is placed below
ring C, and is capable of an independant motion downward, being guided by
four rods Z in corresponding holes in ring C. This motion is given by a forked
lever Y and a pair of links, one at each side, which connect said lever Y with
a pair of cross pieces V, permanently secured to the upright guide rods Z, the
lever Y being hinged to the other forked lever W, which holds the ring C.
A spring O tends to hold the lever Y elevated until the operator wishes to
force it down.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The various parts of the
machine are brought to such a position as shown in Figure 1, the hat body is
placed upon it, and the clamps are to be closed by raising up ring P. Next
the forked levers Y and W and their rings B and C are to be lowered down
from their position shown in Figure 1' to the one shown in Figure 2, when

page_text: the springs D will give the required pressure to the clamps; lever W is to be
secured by a catch in this position. Now the machine is ready for blocking
the hat, and the first blocking operation is the stretching out of the crown by
expanding the mechanism A; next the clamps are raised up to a horizontal
position by ring Q, and are thrown out or expanded by elevating the ring K,
and finally the band ring B is forced down by depressing the forked lever Y,
which completes the breaking of the band of the hat.
A further improvement consists in the peculiar construction of the clamps of
which Figure 3 is a side view and Figure 4 a section. From theso Figures
it will be seen that said clamps are made of a V-shape on their vertical cross
section for the purpose of taking a firm grip of the brim with the least amount
of pressure upon them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th March 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of ller
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVED HAT-BLOCKING MACHINE," (a communication to
me from abroad by Julius Sheldon, of New York City, in the United States
of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner tho

page_text: same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
:-
This improved machine consists of three different elements all combined in
one machine. The first element is a mechanism for blocking the crown of
the hat, consisting of a number of expansible bars; any suitable mechanism
may be employed, and I do not claim any improvement thereon. The second
element consists in a ring for breaking the band of the hat, which is con-
structed so as to be capable of a downward motion, which motion is to be
given to the ring after the blocking of the crown and the stretching out of the
brim has been completed. The third element consists in a series of clamps
placed in a circle to seize the brim, which clamps are in an inclined position
nearly fitting the conical shape of the hat body when said hat body is to be
placed on the machine. These clamps when the stretching of the brim is to
take place receive a double motion, they being brought up to a horizontal
position and then expanded.
The machine containing the improvements of this Invention is constructed
as follows:-Referring to the Drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical section
of the machine in such a position as to be ready to receive the hat body;
Figure 2 also shows a vertical section of the machine with all the parts I
have improved in the position they will be in when they have completed their
functious.
In the centre of a horizontal table a stands a stem a¹ containing the crown
blocking mechanism designated by the letter A in the Drawings; above this
table a which is supported by legs H¹ secured to said table stands a stationary
ring H concentric with the stem a'. This ring H contains the fulcrums of a
number of levers G, whose upper ends are hinged to the upper ends of the
clamps E, and whose lower ends engage with short connecting links He, which
latter are hinged to a ring K; this ring K is made to slide up and down by
any convenient mechanism. In raising this ring up to the position shown in
Figure 2, the connecting rods H and levers G acting as toggle joints serve to
throw out or expand the clamps E. There is a forked lever W hinged to a

page_text: pair of uprights W₁ which bears a ring C, to which the springs D are fastened.
This lever W is capable of being swung up with all its appendages to a
vertical position, as shown in Figure 1, when a hat body is placed on the
machine, and of being turned down to a horizontal position, as shown in
Figure 2, when the hat body is on the machine and the blocking operation is
to commence.
I
The ring B for breaking the band is placed below ring C, and is capable
of independent motion downward, being guided by four rods Z in corre-
sponding holes in ring C. This motion is given by a forked lever Y and
a pair of links (one at each side) which connect said lever Y with a pair of
cross pieces V permanently secured to the upright guide rods Z, the lever Y
being hinged to the other forked lever W which holds the ring C. A
spring O tends to hold the lever Y elevated until the operator wishes to force
it down.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The various parts of the
machine are brought to such a position as is shown in Figure 1; the hat body
is placed upon it and the clamps are closed by raising up ring P. The forked
levers Y and W and their rings B and C are next lowered from their position
shown in Figure 1 to the one shown in Figure 2, when the springs D will
give the required pressure to the clamps, the lever W being secured by a
catch in this position. The machine is now ready for blocking the hat, and
the first blocking operation consists in stretching out the crown by expanding
the mechanism A; the clamps are next raised to a horizontal position by
ring Q, and are thrown out or expanded by elevating the ring K, and finally
the band ring B is forced down by depressing the forked lever Y, which
completes the breaking of the band of the hat.
A further improvement consists in the peculiar construction of the clamps,
of which Figure 3 is a side view and Figure 4 a section. From these Figures
it will be seen that said clamps are made of a V shape on their vertical cross
section for the purpose of taking a firm grip of the brim with the least amount
of pressure upon them.
Having described the nature of the said Invention; and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the berein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The arrangement of a band ring capable of a downward motion, as
and for the purposes described.
Secondly. I claim the arrangement of clamps capable of expanding the
brim of the hat in the manner before described.

page_text: Thirdly. I claim forming the clamps in V shape as and for the purpose
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)