US2230044A - Machine for shrinking hat bats - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 28, 1941. F. 1.. SCHMELTZ MACHINE FOR SHBINKING HAT BATS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 :Ir. 0 N I m O H M. 0 I: L "H m I I a .Z i n 1 1| a g h M 0/0 l o o F w 'Ja.n. 2s, 1.941;

F. L. SCHMELTZ MACHINE FOR SHRINKING HAT BATS Filed Nov; 17, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I ua 616512;;

awe whom HMEL T Z FRANK L. J0

Patented Jan. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR SHRINKIENG HAT BATS Application November 17, 1937, Serial No. 175,051

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to the shrinking of felt hats-for example, bats from which felt hats are made-and it has particular reference to the method of and a machine for eifecting the starting operation on the hat bats; this operation following the hardening of the hat in the usual manner. While the invention is particularly adapted for use in the starting operation, it is not limited thereto.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine and method by which hat bats and the like may be economically, effectively, and correctly started preliminary to subsequent felting or shrinking operations requiring a more severe action.

A further object is the accomplishment of this starting by a machine wherein the hat bats are subjected to a series of blows, some of which are relatively more rapid than others; the hat bat being rotated so that it is simultaneously subjected to the two types of blows.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment which the present invention may take:

Figure l is a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic end view showing the cages and pressure rolls with the hat bat therebetween.

Referring to the drawings, the machine has a suitable frame 9 in which are mounted, on parallel axes, cages A and B; the cages being so shaped as to form a pocket or seat therebetween,

adapted to receive the roll C of bats to be manipulated. The cages are respectively carried by shafts Ill and II shaft to being provided at one end with a pulley 12 which may be belt-driven to operate the machine. The opposite end of shaft Ill is provided with a gear I3 which meshes with an idler M which, in turn, meshes with a gear l5 on the end of shaft H. In this way, when pulley I2 is rotated to turn shaft Ill in a counterclockwise direction, shaft II will be rotated simultaneously in the same direction through the gear chain l3, l4, and I5.

In accordance with the present invention, cage A is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed heads l6 which are secured to the shaft and are interconnected by a plurality of longitudinally extending rods I? which preferably have a circular cross section. In the embodiment shown, cage A is provided with thirty-two of these rods, although this number may vary according to the size of the machine. The rods are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to a radius thereof.

The cage B is similarly formed with oppositely 1 disposed heads l8 and a plurality of interconnesting longitudinal rods l9 also preferably of circular cross section. However, the rods l9 are of larger diameter than the rods ll of cage A; the cage 3 in this instance being provided with twenty such rods; the rods being spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the radius thereof. With this arrangement, the ratio of rods on cage A to that of cage B is approximately three to two, and, as a result, when the hat bat C rests in the pocket therebetween, the periphery thereof will be simultaneously engaged by more of the rods ll of cage A than of the rods IQ of cage B.

In order to maintain the bats C in contact with the rolls, there are provided pressure rolls 2!] and 2|. These rolls are automatically raised and lowered in timed relation to the stopping and starting of the machine, as hereinafter described in detail. In the present illustrative disclosure, the roll is carried by a pivoted frame or carrier comprising a pair of arms 22 fixed to a rock shaft 23 journalled in brackets 36. The other pressure roll 2| is carried by a shaft 24, the ends or gudgeons of which extend into vertical slots provided in the arms 22.

Means are provided for permitting adjustment of the pressure rolls so as to accommodate rolls of bats of various sizes. To this end, one of the arms 22 is adjustably connected to a lever or link 31 which is mounted on the shaft 23 for angular adjustment. One end of the lever 31 is pivotally connected to a yoke member 38. The adjustable connection between the arm and the lever 31 consists of a bolt 39 carried by the lever and extending through a slot 40 in the arm.

The numeral 45 designates a cam shaft on which are mounted the instrumentalities for controlling the clutch sleeve 34 and the movement of the arms 22 to and from operative position. This cam shaft is driven from the cage shaft ill through the train of gears 4E, 41, 48, and 49. The gear 49, which is fixed to the cam shaft, has, on its outer face, a projection or trip '59 which is adapted to engage a projection 5| on the cam lever to throw this lever in a direction to disengage the clutch after the machine has been in operation for a predetermined time. Fixed to the cam shaft is a cam 55 which is adapted to engage a roller 56 on the lower end of the yoke 38 so as to raise the pressure rolls to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 just before the trip disengages the clutch 34.

The operation of .the machine is as follows: The bats, in moistened condition, are rolled up in the usual manner in a piece of burlap or fiannelthat is, four (to eight bats are laid one upon the other on the flannel and rolled up from tip to brim. The rolled assembly is placed in the trough between the two cages in such position that, when the machine is in operation, the tendency will be to wind the assembly tighter. The clutch is now thrown in by operating the clutch lever 35 through the instrumentality of the handle 35a whereupon the cages will be driven, and the cam will move out of engagement with the roller 56 so that the pressure rolls will move from the inoperative position shown in dotted lines to the operative position shown in full lines, Fig. 2. After a predetermined time, say after the machine has been running for twelve seconds with the cages rotating at 56 R. P. M., the cam 55 raises the pressure rolls, and then the trip 50 throws the clutch so as to stop the machine. The roll of bats is taken from the machine, unrolled, turned over bottom side up, and again rolled up from tip to brim and the rewound assembly is placed in the machine and the operation repeated, after which the bats are rolled from one side to the other and placed back in the machine and then operated upon. Next, the bats are turned over bottom side up and again rolled from side to side and manipulated in the machine in this condition. The four operationsthat is, two tips and two side rollsare called a round. The bats are now opened out flat and each bat is crozed or folded at a difiererrt place and then the bats, which have been on the outside, are placed in the center, and the center bats are placed on the outside so as to make a new pile for the second round.

During the operation of the machine, the rods of cage A give the bat a rapid, but shallow, punching motion, and there is formed therein a wave comprising crests adjacent each contacting rod and troughs intermediate of each contacting rod. Simultaneously, the cage B, though rotating at a like speed, subjects the bat to a slow, but deep, punching motion because of the fewer rods of greater diameter. As only two of the rods IE will be contacting the bat, the resultant wave will be of greater amplitude; there being formed but two crests and one trough. As the bat is rotated, the portion acted on by the rods of cage A is subsequently acted upon by the rods of cage B whereupon the felting motion resulting from the punches of cage A will be distributed over a difierent range and subjected to a different type of blow than when in contact with cage A. Thus, the cages, in effect, act upon the bats with a continuous wave-like or corrugated surface, and the bat is simultaneously subjected to two different waves, one creating rapid shallow blows and the other slow deep blows, and

each part of the bat successively receives each type of blow as it is rotated, thus maintaining a vibratory action which eiTects a shrinking of the bats.

Despite the difference in the size of the rods, the action of the machine is very smooth, elastic, and gentle, and avoids shoves and defective work. The spacing of the rods is of importance; it being necessary that they be so spaced that the hat bat will be in contact with a substantial area thereof at all times; this being obtained, in the present instance, by the narrow spacing between the succeeding rods. Thus, the machine will operate with a uniformity of pressure and motion on the hat bat.

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

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the character described, a pair of cages arranged to support a roll of bats, each of said cages comprising a pair of spaced heads and longitudinally extending rods supported by said heads and spaced relatively close to one another; the rods of one of said cages being of a greater diameter, but less in number, than the rods of the other cage.

2. In a machine of the character described, a pair of parallel cages arranged to support a roll of bats, each of said cages comprising a pair of spaced heads and longitudinally extending rods supported by said heads, the rods of one cage being of larger diameter than the rods of the other cage, and the other cage having a number of rods in excess of the first cage in an approximate ratio of three to two.

3. In a machine of the character described, a pair of parallel cages arranged .to support a roll of bats, each of said cages comprising a pair of spaced heads and longitudinally extending rods supported by said heads and spaced relatively close to one another, the rods of one cage being of a larger diameter but of a lesser number than the rods of the other cage, and means for exerting pressure upon the roll of bats supported between said cages.

4. In a machine of .the character described, a pair of parallel cages arranged to support a roll of bats, each of said cages comprising a pair of spaced heads, and longitudinally extending rods supported by said heads and spaced relatively close to one another; the rods being of a larger diameter but of lesser number than the rods of the other cage and the spacing between the rods being less than the diameter of the rods.

FRANK L. SCHMELTZ.

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