US2008638A - Machine for stretching hat blanks - Google Patents

Description

July 16, 1935. w. cu 2,008,638

MACHINE FOR STRETCHING HAT BLANKS Filed Feb. 18, 1933 2 Sheets-$heet 1 NVENTQR;

Gearge bl (may -.m 16, 1935. G. w. wmm e 2,008,638

MACHINE FOR STRETCHING HAT- BLANKS Filed Feb. 18, 3.933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 16, 1935 UNITED STATE MACHINE FOR STRETCHING HAT BLANKS George W. Cuming, New York, N. Y., assignor to M. A. Cuming & 00., Inc., New corporation of New York York, N. Y., a

Application February 18, 1933, Serial No. 657,395 11 Claims (01.223-33) This invention relates to a machine for stretching hat blanks, and an object of the invention 7 is to provide a simple. practical and eflicient machine which may be employed for the quick; easy .5 and convenient stretching of hat blanks from their crude initial shapes into shapes suitable for expeditious and proper shaping in other machines to which the blanks are passed after being operated upon by the present machine.

. A further object is to provide a machinewhich will include a stretching head over which the hat blank may be drawn and held by hand during the stretching operation. V A further object is to so construct the machine that .the stretching operation may be performed par ly by the hands of, the, operator and partly as the result ofpressure applied and controlle by means of a foot lever or the like... v A further object is to soconstruct the machine- 1 that it will include means to apply steam to the hat blank during thegstretohing operation.

A further object is to so construct the machine that the supply of steam will be under the convenient control bythe operator through the medium'of a foot leverpreferably associated with the blank stretching foot lever.

Afurther object is to so construct the machine that the stretching of the hat blank will be uniform in all radial directions. 7

A further object is to so construct the machine that the shape of the stretching head thereof may be altered at will. I

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above,.will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated willbe indicated in the appended claims. Inthe accompanying drawings which are tobe taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred'form of "embodiment of the invention: Fig. I is a side elevational view of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention and showing a hat blank in dotted lines as it appears in position over the stretching head] of the' machine.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View substantially upon the plane of line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3' is a horizontal sectional view upon the plane of line IIIIII of Fig. 2 and looking in.

plane of line IV-IV of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings for describing in detailthe structure which is illustrated therein, the reference character L indicates a main frame including a top or platform portion I. and suitable legs- 22 forsupporting the platform I spaced a suitable distance above the floor 3. Mounted centrally upon the upper surface of the platform I isa short pedestal G at the upperend of which is carried the'stretching head H.

The stretching head illustrated in the drawings consists of a plurality of separatesegments as 4 4 collectively of a generally inverted semispherical contour, thoughit will be understood tical axis of the pedestal, as most clearly indicatedin Fig. 3, so that the several segments are free to swingtoward. and away from each. other about their respective pivots, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. i

- When the several segmentsare in their closed positions they completeaproper form to initially receive the-hat blank thereover, as indicated by the dot and dash line in Fig. 1, and when they are swung outwardly from this closed position they operate to stretch the hat blank radially, the lower, edge portion of theblank being meanwhile held bythe' operators hands as indicated- The manner of detachably-connecting the segments i- -lwith their carriers 55 may take any desired form, but -in--the instance illustrated the segments: are merely detachably bolted to said carrierasby means of the bolts8-8 illustrated which extend through the upper wall of the carrier, and engage within threaded apertures provided in the lower wall portions of the segments, respectively. Whenever it is desired to substitute a different shape of stretching head it is merely necessary to remove the bolts 8 and return them. again for holding. the substitute head segments upon the carriers.

I The means employed for swinging the head segments 4-4 may take any desired form, but that" illustrated includes a plurality of draw rods-as 3-4? pivotally connected' at their upper ends as lever may be depressed at the will of the operator,v Depression of the lever I causes all of the rods 9 to move downwardly in unison and to swing apart the segments l accordingly,

A tension spring is is fixed to. the upper end of 2 the central draw rod l3 and has its opposite end fixed as at is so that said spring operates atall times to urge the plate l2 and hence the rods 9,

upwardly for holding the segments 4 normally.

in closed position. V 7

Suitable meansrnay be employed ior'providing adjustment of the several partspresentI In the structure illustrated for instanceihe rod I3 is longitudinally adjustable as by means of the threaded extensionpiece 20 thereon, so'as thereby to provide adjustment of the tension 'ofspring i3.- Also, the plate i2 is adjustablelongitudinally of the rod i3, as by means of the oppositely positioned holding nuts 2i and 22 threaded upon said rod and engaging the upper and lower surfaces respectively of the plate, therebyto adjustably move all of the segments 44 as may be desired. Also, the length of the respectiverods 8 is adjustable as by means of the threaded extension pieces 23-23 at the ends thereof, these piecespermitting of adjustment of the position-of the several segments 44 with respect to each other, and said pieces 23, as well as the extension piece 23, providing convenient means of pivotal mounting of said pieces as illustrated.

Means is provided for supplying steam within the stretching head 1-1; This means 'may take any desired form or it may include any" preferred construction of parts, butin the instance herein illustrated it consists of a steam jet '24 mounted ithin the head H, being screwed into the upper end of a central cavity 25 provided in the-pedestal G and having one or more outlet'openings as 26 by which steam from the 'cavityi25 may flow into the interior of the head H. A feed pipe 2! communicates with the' cavity 25 through a suitable opening as at 28, and this feed pipe is fitted with a valve 29 which is nor-' mally closed but which is adapted to be manually operated into open position whenever steam is desired within the head H. I

The valve stem as 30 is'normallyforced upwardly into valve closing position, by suitable spring mechanism within the valve, not illustrated, and alever 3! is arranged for engaging the upper end of this stern operable to-press the stem downwardly whenever steam is desired.

The lever 3! is pivotally'mounted by one'end as at 32 adjacent to'the stem 30, and its other end is engaged by a link 33 which extends downwardly into pivotal engagement with an auxiliary foot lever 35.

The foot lever 35 is pivotally mounted, preferably upon the lever l5 as by the pivot member I4, and its free end is formed with a foot receiving treadle portion 36 disposed adjacent to the treadle portion l l and by which the lever 35 may be pressed downwardly to open the valve 29 at any time. Y

It is noted that the foot treadle portion 36 may stand directly, or partially, above the foot treadle portion 11, so that the operator in pressing down the treadle 36 will, by the same foot movement, press down also the treadle ll after the treadle has reached the horizontal plane of the treadle ll. The depression of the lever 35 by the treadle whereby the steam valve 29 will be opened, also causes the depression of the lover I5 whereby the segments constituting the stretching head are moved to form openings therein so that steam is admitted to the head during the opening of the segments. If the treadle 3E5 overlies all or any portion of the treadle ll the downward movement of the treadle 36 beyond a given point will positively require the treadle I? to begin down- Ward movement with it, while if the treadle 3B is slightly to one side of the vertical plane of the treadle ll the operators foot may if desired project from the treadle 36 so as to engage and press down the treadle 36 whenever the treadle 35 is moved downwardly beyond theplane of the In any eventthe treadle 36 may be treadle ii. moved downwardly to the horizontal plane of the treadle I! for thereby admitting steam into the head H at any time and for-any period regardless of' whether or not the treadle I1 is pressed downwardly. I

' Usually, in practice, however, the operator presses down the treadle 35 until it meets the treadle I 1, thereby admittingthe steam into the head H, and he then continues downward move} ment of both 'treadles to efiect' the stretching movement of the segments of the head while a supply of steam is still being adrm'tted into the head. v

The steam within the head not only heats the material of the segments of the head, and thereby heats the-hat material being stretched, but it also'fiows outwardly into direct contact with the material of the hat blank thereby moistening and further heating said material, this being highly desirable in order that a quick and proper stretching of the hat material can be effected.

The steam from within the head may find its way"outwardly of the head into engagement with the material of the hat blank through the cracks between the head sections, but if desired the segments maybe provided with suitable steam outlet apertures therethrough as 3l31.

' Water of condensation may be conveniently collected and drawn'ofi from the bottom of the cavity 25 as by means of a pipe 38 at the outer end of which is a valve controlled drain outlet 39 disposed in an out of the way position at one side of the machine. i

.The mechanism as herein shown and described is simple, practical, substantial and highly efiicient for its purpose. To use it, an operator merely takes an ordinary hat blank in his two hands and draws it downlover the head 1-1 after themanner graphicallyillustrated in Fig. 1. While thus, drawing the blank over the head he presses down the foot treadle 3'5v to admit steam into the head and into contact with the material of the blank, and he continues the downward movement of his foot to move the treadle Il' down for forcing the head segments apart in their respective radial directions. The force with which the head sections move apart is tempered andcontr'olled by the operators foot and the efiect upon the hat blank is at the same time controlled by manipulation of the blank in the operators two hands. By slightly varying the direction and the strength of the down pull by the handsat different intervals, meanwhile. re-

taining the flow of steam more or less constant,

the hat blank will be readily transformed from.

its original crude pyrimidal shape into a shape more suitably adapted tofinal shaping in a hat: finishing machine. The hat blank is at no time fastened in position upon the machine, but is always carried and handled in the operator-s. hands from the moment he receives it until hehas completed his operation upon it and has passed iton for completion by a hat finishing machine; and thus the stretching and shaping of the hat blank out of itsoriginal crude condition may be performed most expeditiously and at small cost.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

l. A machine for stretching hat blanks comprising a head over which a hat blank may be drawn, said head comprising a plurality of sections movable relative to each other for stretching the hat blank, a foot treadle depressib-le to so move said sections, a, steam supply for supplying steam into contact with the hat blank, and a second foot treadle mounted above the first foot treadle and depressible to the level of the first foot treadle and further depressible with the first foot treadle, thereby to effect admission of the steam to the hat blank prior to the stretching operation and to continue admission of the steam during the stretching operation.

2. A machine for stretching hat blanks comprising a head over which a hat blank may be drawn, said head comprising a plurality of segments mounted to move in diirerent radial directions with respect to a common center, control means for so moving said segments, and means connected to be operated by said control means for supplying steam intov said head during the movement of said segments.

3. A machine for stretching hat blanks comprising a head over which a hat blank may be drawn, said head comprising a plurality of segments mounted to move indifferent radial direc tions with respect to a common center, means to admit steam into said head including a movable lever, and other means movable to thereby move said segments said other means being disposed in the path of movement of said lever so as to be moved by movement of said lever.

l. A machine for stretching hat blanks comprising a head over which a hat blank may be drawn, said head comprising a plurality of sections movable relative to each other for stretching the hat blank, carrying means for said head by which said head is supported in position to receive a hat blank drawn downwardly about said head, means manually controllable to move said sections toward and away from each other, said sections and said carrying means co-operating to define a steam cavity between them, and said carrying means having a steam admission passage therethrough through which steam may be fed into said cavity for contact with the hat blank during movement of the sections, and means whereby steam may be caused to flow through said: passage andv into. said. cavity incident to movement of the sections. 7

5. A machine .for stretching hat blanks comprising ahead overwhich a hat blank maybe drawn, saidhe'ad comprising apluralityv of segments pivotally mountedv to swing apart in different radial directions with respect to a common center, a plurality of rods pivotally connected one with each of said segments for swinging. said. segments respectively, a plate to which said rods collectively are pivotally connected, a spring connected with said plate for urging said plate andpsaid rods in adirection to swing said Segments toward saidcommon center, and alever, Connected with saidplate operableto, move said plate and rods against the tension of said spring to swing saidv segments, away from. said common center, together with means by which to at once adjust the tension of said spring and also the position of said plate with respect to said lever.

6. A machine for sretching hat blanks comprising a head over which a hat blank may be drawn, said head comprising a plurality of segments pivotally mounted to swing apart in different radial directions with respect to a common center, a plurality of rods pivotally connected one with each of said segments for swinging said segments respectively, a plate to which said rods collectively are pivotally connected, a spring connected with said plate for urging said plate and said rods in a direction to swing said segments toward said common center, and a lever connected with said plate operable tomove said plate and rods against the urge of said spring to swing said segments away from said common 7. A machine for stretching hat blanks com prising a head over which a hat blank may be drawn, said head comprising a plurality of sections normally abutting edge to edge but being movable relative to each other out of abutting relation for stretching the hat blank, said sections collectively. defining a steam cavity between them having steam outlets between the abutting edges of said sections which enlarge as the sections move apart, means for so moving said sections, and means to supply steam into said cavity for contact with the hat blank through said outlets. Y a

8. A machine for stretching hat blanks comprising a head over which a hat blank may be drawn, said head comprising a plurality of segments mounted for movement toward and away from a common center, a lever by which to so move said segments, a steam supply for supplying steam to the hat blank on said head, and a control for said steam supply including an operating member operatively associated with said lever so that operation thereof will operate said lever tov move said segments. a

9. A machine for stretching hat blanks comprising a head over which a hat blank may be drawn, said head comprising a plurality of sections normally abutting edge to edge but being movable relative to each other out of abutting relation i or stretching the hat blank, said sections collectively defining a steam cavity between them having steam outlets between 'the abutting edges of said sections which enlarge as the sections move apart, means for so moving said sections, and

means to insure a supply of steam within said cavity incident to moving apart of the sections.

10. A machine for stretching hat blanks comprising a head over which a hat blank may be tions collectively defining a steam cavity between them having steam outlets between the abutting edges of said sections which enlarge as the sections move apart, means for so moving said sections, and means whereby movement of said sections apart will produce a supply of steam within said cavity for movement through said outlets.

11. A machine for stretching hat blanks comprising a" head over which a hat blank may be drawn, said head comprising a plurality of segments pivotally mounted to swing apart in different radial directions with respect to a common center, an upstandingpedestal at the upper end of which said head is disposed in position to receive a hat blank held by hand and drawn downwardly about said head, means manually operable to swing said segments toward and away from each other, said segments and pedestal co-operating to define a steam cavity between them, and means connected to be operated by said segment swinging means to supply steam into said cavity for contact with the hat blank during swinging of the segments.

GEORGE W. CUMING.

Images