US2316047A

US2316047A - Hat blocking apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2316047A
Application number: US455269A
Authority: US
Inventors: Cairns Edward
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1942-08-18
Filing date: 1942-08-18
Publication date: 1943-04-06
Anticipated expiration: 1960-04-06

Description

April 6, 1943.

E. cAlnNs 1 HAT BLOCKING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 18,'1942 s sheets-sheet 1 April `6, 1943.- E. cAlRNs HAT BLOGKING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 18.A 1942 3 Sheets-Shes; 2

Y section, taken on the line -5 of Fig. 1;

Patented Apr. 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAT BLOCKING APPARATUS Edward Cairns, Montclair, N. J.

Application August 18, 1942, Serial No. 455,269

s claims. (o1. 223-) This invention relates to blocking apparatus intended for the production of dome-like shapes formed of leather or of other material capable of vbeing temporarily stretched and of taking a iinal set in such stretched state and more especially to hat blocking apparatus for remens or military helmets.

Among the principal objects of the invention are the provision of an apparatus which is simple, compact and economical to manufacture in which hats and the like can be expeditiously blocked or shaped with a minimum of skilled labor Ibeing required for such production. Further objects of the invention Will hereinafter appear.

In the production of helmets and the like from materials such as leather which when wet can be stretched, within reasonable limits, to a desired size and shape and which shape when dry will permanently set in such stretched state, the blocking operation is essentially a hand operation wherein the operative draws the assembled crown segments to be shaped over a block of the desired size and shape While such block is held in his lap. Such operation is laborious and also requires that a considerable degree of skill be exercised in order to produce a helmet of uniform quality and of the desired size and appearance. Furthermore, as the stretching operation involved in such production is performed with hand tools, such hand blocking operation is wasteful of material since an undue amount of material is removed in the final trimming operation.

My investigations have led to the discovery that the aforesaid helmets and like dome-shaped structures can be expeditiously formed, with a considerable saving of labor and with a maximum degree of uniformity and quality and with a substantial saving of material, in the blocking apparatus fully set forth and described in the accompanying specification and drawings, in which latter Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a hat blocking machine especially adapted for shaping helmets such as remens or military helmets;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the clamp element, isolated;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section, partly in elevation, taken on the line 'l--l of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 8 is a horizontal plan view, partly`in section, taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings and the construction shown therein,` the reference numeral I designates a circular base plate that is rotatably mounted in flanged bearing .blocks 2 which are rigidly secured to a floor or other suitable foundation A. Said base serves as an anchorage for four uprights or rods 3 which project vertically therefrom and serve to horizontally support a circular table 4 that is rigidly mounted on the upper ends thereof. The table is provided with four radial slots 5 which extend completely therethrough and in which the blocks 6, having removable bottom plates B', are slidably mounted. Radial apertures I extend from the respective outer ends of the slots through the adjacent periphery of the table and serve to receive the threaded shanks of hand screws 8, each of which Shanks is loosely tted in one of said apertures and is in threaded engagement with one of said blocks whereby limited adjustment of the latter can be eiected upon rotation of the hand screws. Each of such hand screws is provided with a collar 8 adjacent the end thereof and extends outwardly through a bearing block 9 that is rigidly secured to the outer periphery of the table `and is provided with a recess 9 to receive said collar. Each block has a screw eye I vertically supported therein which functions as hereinafter described.

An hydraulic press, such for example as an ordinary hydraulic jack, is mounted on said base plate I, the same comprising a main cylinder` II, provided with the usual relief valve (not shown), a small cylinder II, interconnected with the main cylinder by a iuid supply pipe I2 and an operating hand lever I3 that is fulcrumed on la pin I4 carried by a lug I4 on the cylinder wall and is also pivotally connected to the upper end of a plunger I5, that is carried by the piston in the small cylinder, by means of a pinion I5', whereby upon movement of the plunger I5 a simultaneous but smaller movement of a large plunger I6, connected to the piston in the main cylinder I I, is effected all in the well known manner. I

A ram element I1, having a reduced lower end I1 which normally rests on said plunger I6,

is slidably mounted in the central aperture I8 of. said table and said ramis vertically guided by a sleeve I9 rigidly secured by its bottom ange Ia to said table marginally of said aperture I8.

A hat block desirably formed of wood, which is of a dome-shaped configuration and whose upper surface conforms to the internal surface of the crown of the desired helmet, carries a centrally apertured pressure plate 26 and has a central aperture 21 for the centering pin 28 that is rigidly mounted in the upper end of said ram and projects centrally through said pressure plate 25.

The reference numeral 30 designates the crown of a helmet after the same has been blocked in my improved press, the same comprising four leather sector-like flanged members which have been united together, prior to the blocking operation, by stitches S to form curvilinear ribsy 3l and. which have embossed stiiening beads 32, also previously formed thereon, whose opposite walls are also united by stitches S to thereby prevent their'collapse during the blocking operation.

A retaining pin 33 serves, when inserted between the inner terminals of the said ribs 3| and into the radial slot 3d of the block 25, to centrally position the helmet members in position on the block. An adjustable strap, comprising similar members 35, 35' having

terminal flanges

36, 36 respectively adjustably connected together by bolts 31 and 3l and also having convolutions 38, 3B to receive the ribs 3l and beads 32, is adapted after the completion of the blocking operation to retain the helmet crown in its stretched condition and admit of the removal from the press of the block 25 carrying the stretched helmet crown, all in the manner hereinafter described.

When the pre-'united helmet sectors, aft-er being thoroughly soaked in water in the well known manner have been applied in position on the block 25 and the positioning pin 33 has been inserted in the slot 34, the lower margin of the helmet crown is securely gripped between four sets of clamping members disposed at 90 intervals about such margin, each of which sets cornprises cooperating jaws, Ml, lit having opposed serrations or teeth a and the jaw 49 being forked and having a central slot M of a width adapted to permit one of the ribs 3l to freely project therethrough. Each jaw lil also has an inwardly projecting terminal lug or spacing element 42 and each jaw carries a guide pin 43 which projects through an aperture 43' in the opposing jaw. A screw-threaded post M, that is rigidly a-nchored in each of the jaws dii, projects through the slot 4I and also a hand wheel 45 is threaded thereon. Coil springs b, normally held under compression when the jaws are clamped on the helmet crown, serve to instantly separate the jaws and release their grip on the helmet crown when the hand wheels 45 arev unscrewed to a sufficient extent.

'Iurnbuckles IIS are connected by eyes il and hooks 41', that are secured to the opposite ends thereof, to

bolts

4,3 carried on the lower ends of the jaws 40 and to the screw eyes Il] carried by theblocks 6, respectively.

In blocking the crown of a helmet or like dome-shaped structures, the pre-united helmet sectors to be stretched are loosely fitted over the block 25 and the lower margin thereof is inserted between the jaws Ml, 40' carried on the upper end of the turnbuckles 45, which have been previously adjusted so to be of approximately the same length and while each is elevated into its uppermost position, whereupon the hand wheels 45 are screwed in, i. e. turned clockwise so as to cause said jaws to securely grip the lower margins of the helmet at intervals along the same. The blocks 6 are then adjusted longitudinally of the radial slots 5 by suitably turning the hand screws 8 so that the turnbuckles 46 will project vertically from the blocks 5. Then the hand lever vI3 is slowly manipulated to eiect the gradual upward movement of the ram I'I against the hat block 25, which movement serves to gradually push the block upwardly into the united helmet sectors, In the event that an uneven pull of the jaws of the helmet is observed during the Vupward movement of the ram I'I., as will'be indicated by the tipping of the pin 33 from a vertical position, the turnbuckles are separately adjusted so as to return the pin during such stretching operation to the Vertical position. The upward movement of the block serves to cause the relative movement of the helmet thereover and when such helmet has been stretched to the desired extent it will assume the position shown in Fig. 1. Thereupon the

strap members

35, 35 are applied to the helmet in such a manner that two of the ribs 3I respectively project into the opposing convolutions 38 and the other two ribs respectively project between the

adjacent ends

35, 3% of such strap members and also extend through slots 4I of the jaw members IIB'. The adjusting bolts 3E are then turned down with a suitable wrench until the

strap members

35, 35" have firmly clamped the wet helmet crown to the block 25 at the extreme base thereof, whereupon the relief valve of the main cylinder is opened to admit of the rapid descent of the ram, and then the hand wheels I5 are unserewed to release the grip of each of the jaws on the helmet. The block 25, with the helmet securely clamped thereto, is then bodily lifted off the ram and removed to a drying r-oom where the stretched helmet is allowed t0 gradually dry over a period of many hours. Another block carrying the united sectors of another helmet crown loosely fitted thereto is then applied to the top of the ram and the cycle of operations is repeated.

In addition to the aforesaid advantages of my improved blocking apparatus and method of .blocking helmets and the like by the employment of such apparatus, there is the advantage of the ease of adjustment of either the turnbuckles i6 or the hand screws 8 during the blocking operation in the event that any uneven stretching of the crown should commence to occur. Also, due to the swiveled mounting of the base plate I of the frame of the machine in the bearing blocks 2, the operative cany readily rotate the machine to bring any particular turnbuckle or hand screw or set of jaws to the front of the machine without involving the waste of time and effort in walking around the machne to eiect such adjustment. Moreover, due to the fact that immediately upon the completion of the stretching operation on the helmet crown the same can be clamped, in its stretched condition, on the block 25 by means of the straps 35, 35', the block carrying the crown can, as above stated, be quickly lifted from the machine merely by the simple operation of releasing the grip of the jaws on the helmet crown. Furthermore, it is possible, with but one of my improved machines to block many times the number of helmets in a given time than could be blocked or shaped by the hand blocking operationv heretofore in general use.

The term hat as employed in the claims includes helmets and like head gear.

It is, of course, understood that while the straps 35 shown herein are adapted to fit a helmet having elevated beads or ribs thereon, suchy as the ribs 3| and the beads 32, that plain straps to securely grip the lower margins of a helmet having a smooth crown may also be employed, if desired. Also while I preferably employ a hydraulic press or hydraulic jack, a mechanical jack or mechanically operated press may, if desired, be substituted therefor.

Various modifications of the above described apparatus within the scope of the appended claims may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as embraced therein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a blocking machine for shaping the crowns of hats and the like the combination with a rotatable frame of an upright ram element slidably mounted in said frame,'a block member removably supported thereon whose upper surface generally conforms to the shape of the inner surface of the desired crown to be shaped in such apparatus, adjustable stretching means carried by said frame, including a plurality of spaced jaws adapted to grip the margin of the crown to be stretched at spaced locations along the same and means for clamping such a crown to said block to maintain the same in a stretched condition following its removal from the machine and during the drawing thereof.

2. In a blocking machine for shaping the crowns of hats and the like the combination with a rotatable frame of an upright ram element slidably mounted in said frame, a block member removably supported thereon who-se upper surface generally conforms to the shape of the inner surface of the desired crown to be shaped in such apparatus, adjustable stretching means carried by said frame, including a plurality of turnbuckles swiveled to said frame at spaced intervals and each having adjustable jaw members at one end thereof and also including a transverse support offering resistance to an upward thrust of the ram, to effect the stretching of a crown to be stretched when gripped by said jaws.

3. In a blocking machine for shaping the crowns of hats and the like the combination with a rotatable frame of an upright ram element slidably mounted in said frame, a .block member removably supported thereon whose upper surface generally conforms to the shape of the inner surface of the desired crown to be shaped in such apparatus, adjustable stretching means carried by said frame, including a plurality of turnbuckles swiveled to said frame at spaced intervals and each having adjustable jaw members at one end thereof and also including a transverse support offering resistance to an upward thrust of the ram to effect the stretching of a crown to be stretched when gripped by said jaws and means for clamping such a crown to said block to maintain the same in a stretched oondition following its removal from the machine and during the drying thereof.

4. In a blocking machine for shaping the crowns of hats and the like, the combination comprising a rotatable frame having central guide means for a ram element, a slidable ram projecting through said guide means, a blockmember removably supported thereon, a plurality of laterally adjustable members carried by said frame adjustable means, including terminal jaw members connected to each such adjustable member, for gripping the bottom margin of a crown to be shaped in such machine.

5. In a hat blocking machine, the combination comprising a main frame, a ram element slidably mounted therein, means for exerting pressure on said rain element, a block member removably supported on said frame whose upper surface generally conforms to the shape of the inner surface of the desired crown to be shaped in such apparatus, adjustable stretching means carried by said frame, including a plurality ofspaced jaws adapted to grip the margin of the crown to be stretched at spaced locations along the same and means for clamping such a crown to said block to maintain the same in a stretched condition following its removal from the machine and during the drying thereof.

6. In a hat blocking machine, the sub-combination comprising a supporting turn table, a Vertically slidable ram element associated therewith, vertically and laterally adjustable means for gripping the lower margin of the crown of a hat to be shaped in said machine and for offering resistance to an upward thrust of said ram element to effect the stretching of such a crown so gripped by said adjustable means and other means for effecting the gradual upward sliding movement of said ram.

7. In a hat blocking machine, the combination comprising a rotatable base member, an hydraulic press, including a ram element supported thereon, a transverse table supported on said base and having central guide means for said ram element, a plurality of radially adjustable members carried by said table, a turnbuckle secured to each of said members, terminal jaws on each turnbuckle for gripping the lower margin of a hat crown to be shaped in said machine, a removable hat block supported on said ram and removable clamping means for retaining the crown in a stretched condition on said block while admitting of the removal thereof from the machine.

8. In a blocking machine for hats and other dome-shaped articles of pliable material the combination with a main frame of hydraulic press, including a main plunger and a ram actuated thereby, of a unitary block whose external periphery conforms to that of the crown of the desired article, means for supporting said block centrally on said ram, adjustable clamping means for securing a stretched crown after the shaping thereof on said block when the latter is removed from the press and means cooperating with said ram, including a plurality of turnbuckles and a plurality of laterally slidable blockscarried by said frame, for gripping the crown of an article to be shaped and effecting the stretching thereof upon upward movement of said ram.

EDWARD CAIRNS.