US293015A - harper - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.).

, N. HARPER.

A V HAT- IZING APPARATUS. 1Y0. 293,015. Patented Feb. 5, 1884.

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7 ."UNITE STATES PATENT OFFIQEQ NATHAN HARPER, oE NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, nssrenon To ruinous w ADAMS, OF SAME PLACE.

HAT-SIZING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patnt No. 293,015, dated February 5, 1884;

- Application filed June 29,1883. (X model) I To all, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN IIARIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hat-Sizing Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. a

The object of this invention is to facilitate W the operation of felting or sizing hat-bodies,

and to effect a saving in the amount of manual labor heretofore employed in said operation. u

The invention consists in the arrangements and combinations of parts, substantially as hereinafter set forth, and finally embodied in the claims. Referring to the accompanying drawings,in which similar letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in each of the figures, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section, of my improved devise; and Figs. 2 and 3 are similar sections, showing additional features thereof and modifications therein.

It is well understood that the process of sizing or felting hat-bodies consists in alternately dipping said bodies in hot felting-liquid, and then rolling themunder the hands or within a felting-chamber. It is further understood that the best results in quality and quantity cannot be obtained unless said bodies are thus dipped and heated prior to each repetition of the rolling process. If said bodies are not thus redipped and thoroughly heated previous to each repetition of said rolling process, the quality of the goods will thereby be rendered inferior. This dipping of the hatbodies in felting-liquid outside of a feltingchamber has heretofore, so far as I know, been done by hand, and has consumed a large portion of the time of the operator. Even in sizing with a machine having its felting-surfaces immersed in felting-liquid, if the said dipping is omitted and the hat-rolls passed directly into the felting-chamber, the said rolling operation at once commences before goods, I employ an automatic device adapted to dip or submerge saidbodies in the feltingliquid while they are free from all felting-surfaces or outside of the felting-chamber. Any mechanism may be employed for this purpose, that which I prefer, however, consists of feeding and delivering devices submerged or in part submerged, within a tank 5f felting-liquid, and connected with a felting-chamber or feltingsurfaces, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the drawings, a is a tank or vessel adapted to be filled with water or other felting-liquid, which may be heated by any of the usual means, said tank being in this case made long enough to include both the dipping and feeding mechanism as well as the felting devices. In connection with said tank is arranged a felting mechanism, 1), having the lower part of the felting surface or surfaces submerged in the felting-liquid, the felting devices herein shown being a central drum, g, and a surrounding felting bed or apron, f, said drum and bed or apron having a felting-chamberfll, between them for the passage of the hat-rolls. To such an arrangement of the felting mech-- anism, however, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself, as any other form or variety of felting-machine may be used in this connection in lieu of that herein shown.

I prefer to arrange the delivering device above the felting-liquid, as shownlinFigs. 1 and 2, to enable the operators to handle the rolls without coming into contact with the heated liquid, while the feeding device I submerge within the felting-liquid, so that the hat-rolls may pass through the same and be thoroughly heated and saturated before they come into contact with the felting-surfaces. To this end I arrangeeither or both of the belts c (1 within the tank a, and below, or in a part below, the water-line thereof, so that one or both of said belts are submerged, or

partially submerged, in the felting liquid; but I prefer that the feeding mechanism only shall be entirely submerged. I

In Fig. 1 is a belt or apron, 0, adapted to convey or impel the hat-rolls 0 to and from the felting-chamber h. The lower half of said belt is hereshown below the upper edge of the tank, and so immersed in the felting-liquid. The said belt may be constructed of india-rubher, textile material, cords, cables, wires, chains, or any material or combination of materials adapted to the purpose. On the outer surface of said belt I provide a series of projections, e, at suitable distances apart, to form recesses adapted to receive a roll of hats between them, and of such height as will retain said roll in its position 011 said belt. \Vhere said projections are used to propel the hatrolls through the felting-liquid, as in Fig. 1, I construct them of greater height than when simply used to retain said rolls in position on the belt, as in Fig.3. The said projections may consist of ribs forming partof said belt,

or of lags, bosses, or slats secured thereon,

In practice, I however, I prefer, because of their lightness,-

either by rivets or other means.

wooden slats running crosswise of said belt, although any other material maybe employed.

Said slats or projections may be either longer or shorter than the width of the belt, their length being only limited by the width of the tank or frame within which said belts travel. These slats or projections accomplish a variety of results. First, they enable thehat-rolls to be conveyed to and return. from the felting-ehamher by using a single belt only, as in Fig. 1, two belts having been heretofore necessary for this purpose; second, they enablethe said feeding and discharging or returning devices to be operated on an incline either above or below the horizontal line, as illustrated in Fig. 3; third, when submerged, or partially submerged, within the felting-liquid, they force the hat-rolls to travel through said liquid 1:0-

ward or into the felting-chamber, thereby in- I suring the requisite supply of heat and saturation to the rolls, and converting a feedingbelt into a feeding and dipping mechanism. The said slats likewise keep the cross-section of the belt fully and evenly distended, and enable it to be more easily guided. These slats therefore possess advantages for feeding and delivering independently of the dipping function, and are desirable alike either on feeding, discharging, or dipping belts. The said belt is distended by the rollers i and j, and is driven by any of the usual means. A series of rollers, k, is or may be employed to prevent said belt from sagging. Beneath said belt, and close to the projections thereon, I arrange a platform or bed, (1, for the reception of the hat-rolls as they pass from the belt 0 over rollers 2'. Said platform, table, or bed may consist of stationary or immovable partssuch'as boards, slats, rods, rubber cloth, or any-other suitable materials, or of rollers 01, arranged to form a continuous bed, which bed is stationary when considered as a whole. These rollers, as well as those sustaining the belt, may have their hearings on strips secured against the inner sides of the tank, or on a frame independent of said tank. Behind and in juxtaposition to the roller 1', I construct an adj ustable frame of rollers to guide or conduct the hat-rolls from the upper belt to the lower belt or platform. The rollers offer less resistance than plain surfaces to the passage of the l1at-rolls, and are on this account preferred.

In Fig. 2 are shown two belts, c and d, the latter entirely submerged below the water and the former partially so. These belts are placed close enough to each other to press against the upper and lower sides of the hat-rolls, as at 0, and thereby convey them through the felting-liquid toward or into the felting-chamher. If preferred, slats or otherprojections may be employed 011 either or both of these belts, and their distance from each other be increased accordingly.

In Fig. 3 the belts c and d carrythe hatrolls to and from the felting-chamber, but per form no dipping function, the projecting slats being shown on the lower belt to illustrate their use on carrying devices, irrespective of their employment for dipping purposes. The single belt and stationary platform (shown in Fig. 1) can in like manner be used for feeding and returning the hat-rolls independently of any dipping function. It will thus be manifest that any of the carrying devices herein shown can be arranged to operate atvarious degrees of inclination; that they can be connected with a felting-chamber and be used to convey the hats to and from said chamber without being immersed or used for dipping; that they can besubmerged to any extent de sired, and thereby perform both the carrying and the dipping, and that they can be disconnected from a felting-chamber and so be used for dipping only.

The usual manner of using the machine is substantially as follows: Iower being applied by any of the usual. means, the belts travel in the direction of the arrows. The operators stand on each side of the machine and place the hat-rolls on the belt 0, by which they are conveyed over the roller i on to the beltdor platform cl, beneath the boiling felting-liquid, through which they are carried on said belt or plat form to the felting-chamber 71 thence between the felting-surfaces to roller j, where they are again received by the belt 0, from which they are removed by the operator, to be refolded and again passed through the machine as of ten as necessary until the sizing is completed. In thus passing through the hotliquid the hat bodies become thoroughly heated and saturated before they reach the felting-chamber, and are thereby brought into the best condition for the rolling operation before coming into contact with the felting-surfaces. By these means hand-dipping between the successive rolling operations is entirely dispensed with, a large reduction in the amount of labor and in the cost of the sizing operation effected, and a superior quality of goods obtained.

Having thus described myinventiomwhat I claim as new is- 1. In hat-sizing apparatus, dipping mechanism constructed-and adapted to automatically dip or immerse the hat-rolls in the felt-' ingliquid outside of the felting-chamber, substantially as set forth.

2. In ahat-sizing apparatus, dipping mechanism constructed and adapted to automatieally dip or immerse the hat-rolls or hat-bodies in the felting-liquid outside of the feltingchamber, and thence convey them toward or into said chamber, substantially as set forth.

3. In a hat-sizing apparatus, dipping mechanism consisting of a traveling belt or apron submerged, or in part submerged, beneath the felting-liquid, and provided with slats, ribs, bosses, or other projections adapted to receive a roll of hats between them, and to automatically dip or immerse said hats in said liquid outside of the felting-chamber, substantially as set forth.

4. In a hat-sizing apparatus, dipping mechanism consisting of a traveling belt or apron, submerged,or in part submerged, beneath the felting-liquid, and provided with slats, ribs, bosses, or other projections adapted to receive a roll of hats between them, and to antomatically dip or immerse said hats in said liquid outside of the felting chamber and thence convey them toward or into said chamber, substantially as set forth.

.5. In hat-sizing apparatus, a belt or apron adapted to convey the hat-rolls from the folders to the felting-chamber, or to return them from thefelting-chamber to the folders, said belt or apron being provided with slats, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a hat-sizing apparatus, a feedingbelt or apron provided withslat-s, ribs, bosses, or other projections adapted to receive a roll of hats between them, and convey or impel said hats toward or into the felting-chamber, substantially as set forth.

7. In a hat-sizing apparatus, a feeding belt or apron provided with slats, ribs, bosses, or

. other projections adapted to receive a roll of hats between them, and to convey said hats from the felting-chamber.

S. In a hat-sizing apparatus, a feeding and a discharging mechanism having but a single carrying belt or apron, said belt or apron being provided with slats, ribs, bosses, orother projections adapted to receive a roll of hats between them, and to convey or impel said hats to and from the felting-chamber, substanchamber, and a discharging belt or apron adapted to convey said hat-rolls from. the felting-chamber, one or both of said aprons being submerged, or in part submerged, within the felting-liquid to dip orimmerse said hats therein while conveying them toward said feltingchamber, substantially as set forth.

11. In a hat-sizing mechanism, the combination of afelting-chamber with a feeding apparatus containing a stationary table,platform, or bed adapted to receive the hat-rolls, and along which said rolls are impelled or drawn by a belt or other suitable mechanism toward or into the feltingchamber, substantially as set forth.

12. In a hat sizing apparatus, a feeding mechanism containing a stationary platform of rollers adapted to receive the hat-rolls, and along which said hat-rolls are drawn or impelled by a belt or other suitable mechanism toward or into the felting-chamber, substantially as set forth.

13. In a hat-sizing apparatus, afeeding and discharging mechanism consisting of a traveling belt or apron provided with slats, ribs, bosses, or other proj eetions adapted to receive a roll between them, and to convey said hats from the felting-chamber, in combination with a stationary table, platform, or bed, along which said hats may be drawn or impelled by said belt or projections toward or into said chamber.

14. In ahat-sizing apparatus, a feeding and dipping mechanism containing a stationary table, platform, or bed adapted to receive the hat-rolls, and along which said rolls may travel or be impelled or drawn by a belt or other suitable mechanism toward or into the feltingchamber, said table, platform, or bed being submerged, or in part submerged, in the felting-liquid outside of the felting-chamber to dip or immerse said hats in said liquid while being conveyed toward said chamber, substantially as set forth.

15. In a hat-sizing apparatus containing feeding and discharging mechanism, a guide or connecting device provided with a series of rollers and adapted to guide or convey the hat-rolls from one mechanism to the other, substantially as set forth.

16. In a hatsizing mechanism, the combination of belt 0, slats or projections a, platform cl, and tank a, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of June, 1883.

CHARLES H. FELL, F. F. CAMPBELL.

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