US395117A - Hat-brim-curlinq machine - Google Patents

Description

v 4 Sheets'-Sheet 2. v J. BIGELOW.

HAT BRIM GURLING MACHINE.

(No Model.)

Patented Dec 25, 1888.

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w I F in, Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. BIGELOW. I HAT BRIM GURLING MAGHINE- 1I0 395','117. Patented Dec. 25, 1888..

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( No Model.) 4 sheetssheet 4.

J. BIGELOW.

HAT BRIM GURLING' MACHINE.

,lsss.

Patted Dec-r25 a plan view.

UNTTEE STATES PATENT EETcE.

JOHN IwIGELOIY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HAT BRHVFQUFILING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,117, dated December 25, 1888.

Application filed February 24, 1887. Serial No. 228,729. (No model.)

Be it known that I, JOHN BIGELOW, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in lIat -l3rim Curling Machines, of which ihe 'followin is a s]j)ccification.

The object of my .invention is to construct a hat-brim-shaping machine for forming the roll of the brim by pressing it between a die and a yielding support, and forming the curl substantially in the manner shown in Letters Patent No. 260,298, granted June 27, 1882, and N 295,050, granted March 188 to J. R. Kelsey.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a face view of my improved hatbrim-shaping machine. Fig. is a side view 5 Figs. 3, 4, and 5, enlarged sectional views of the shaping devices on the line 1 2, Fig. 2, showing the hat in the different stages of the operation. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 3 at, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the formers or curls, showing the same detached from each other. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the curls secured together. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the fluid-bag shown in Fi 3. Fig. 11 is a view showing a modi fication of the bag. Fig. 12 is a view showing a modification of the clamps for the curls.

Fig. 13 is a view showing the sectional form of the curl. Figs. l4, l5, and 16 are views showing minor features of the invention in detail, and Fig. 17 is a view of one of the side clamps.

Referring to Fig. 1, A is the table supported on suitable legs, a a, and having guides 19, between which slide the heads B B, which carry the curling-flanges c. The heads B l3 are connected to a double-armed lever, C, by rods C in precisely the same manner as in the patent above referred to. (See Figs. 3, a, and 5.)

Projecting from the center of the table is flange, (Z, Fig. 3, over which fits snugly the dish D, which is of the peculiar form shown in Figs. 3 and 6. The dish maybe supported adjustably as regards height by a set-screw, d, acting either directly or through the medium of a spring, (1 to supplement the natural elasticity of the yielding die referred to hereinafter, and make the effect of the closing of the clamps over the top of the curls.

similar to that of ironing on the felt of the hat-brim.

As shown in Figs. 23 and 6, the dish D contains a bag, E, of the peculiar form shown in air pump or reservoir containing fluid under pressure, the pipe being provided with a suitable stop-cock, e, for regulating the supply of fluid.

G is a sheet, of cloth or rubber, which I prefer to place above the bag E and above a metallic disk, I], Fig. 15, or its equivalent, which will gage the position of the front and back. of the curl, as described hereinafter. This sheet G affords a smooth bearing for the under side of the hat-brim, as will be readily understood.

I is the hat-block secured to the dish D by a suitable set-screw or clamp, i, that will hold it in place against upward pressure and yet permit it to be readily detached when a hat of a different size has to be acted upon.

Pins 2" insure the placing of the block in a correctcentral position, as in the aforesaid patents.

J J are the curls or formers, over which the hat-brim is molded and curled, as shown in Fig. 5. These curls may be either loose, as illustrated in the drawings, or may be attached to suitable arms, as shown in the Kelsey patents above referred to.

In the drawings I have shown detached curls and pivoted presser-arins K K, having adjustable plates 7;, which are provided with adjustable pressing-pins 71; for bearing upon the curls. The arms K are pivoted to brackets Kf, secured to the table A, and the rock shaft or shafts L, to which the arms K are secured, are provided at their outer ends with arms Z, to which a treadle is connected by rods m m at each side of the maelline, acountel-weight, m, being attached to the treadle M by ropes m which pass over suitable pulleys 011 the opposite side frames of the machine. This counter-weight tends to keep the arms K in the elevated position shown in Fig. 2, where they will be out of the way of the operator. I

Other devices than those shown in the drawings may, however, be used for imparting pressure to the eurlsJ without departing from my invention. WV hen the curls are in position as shown in Fi 4 the r are clam )ed together by any suitable devices; but I prefer to use the devices shown. in Figs. 7 and 8, the curls having lugs j j, with projecting pins j, and a clamp, N, which is forked and slotted at n, being passed over the pinsj and turned down, as shown in Fig. 8, so as ,to secure the two curls firmly together.

The front and back sliding curls, c, are secured to the curlingflanges c by bolts which pass through inclined slots in the sliding flanges 0, whereby the closing of the side curling-flanges, 0, will also, owing to the inclined slots and the bolts effect the closing of the front and back slides; and in order to assist in centering the curls J', I prefer to form 011 or secure to these front and back slides, (1, lugs 02., so that when the curls J' are locked together by the clamps N the handles N of the latter fit snugly between lugs n on the front and back flanges, c. The block J serves to properly center the curls as the latter are dropped over the hat, the centering of the curls being necessary, as the arms K exercise no such influence over the curls, but serve simply to depress the same.

The curls J .I may be secured as shown in Fig. 12, one end of each curl being swiveled at p to pieces 1) p, hinged together at their outer ends, clamp-arms N being pivoted to the opposite ends of the curls and held together by a sleeve, N", as shown. The curls are hollow in order to make them as light as possible; and I prefer to cast the lower portion of each curl with a groove or recess, and then solder or braze to the top of the casting a thin metal cover, .I, as shown in Fig. i123, thus making the curl very light and convenient for the operator to handle.

The side curlingsflanges, c, are secured together by the front and back flanges, c, which, as before described, have slots for the reception: of screw-bolts on said side flanges, and I attach the side flanges to the heads l3 l; by bolts if, which pass through openings in the heads and through open-bottomed slots 1'' in the side flange, (see Fig. 6,) so that the entire set of curling-flanges can be taken from the heads B B without taking the set apart.

The operation of the machine is as follows: \Vhen a certain sized hat is to be curled and set, I first clamp together the proper curls, .l .l, and then place them on the rubber sheet G in the correct position in respect to the bag E. The curling-flanges are then moved to the position shown in Fig. 5, and water, air, or other fluid is admitted to the bag E until the latter is filled, as shown in Fig. 5, and conforms to the shape of the under side of the curls J, the supply of fluid being then cut off, the flanges retracted, and the curls released. A hat is then placed over the block I, and the curls J placed in position on the brim, as shown in Fig. 4, and subjected to pressure. As all escape of fluid from the bag E is cut off, said bag must necessarily conform to the shape of the under surfaces of the curls and present a solid backing for the brim of the hat. The curling-flanges c c are then forced partly over the curls by the operation of the lever (1, so as to form the curl of the brim, and the depressing-levers K K are then raised and the inward movement of the curling-flanges completed, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to iron or flatten the curl.

It will be noticed that the under side of the brim, which constitutes the roll of the hat, is formed by the pressure of the fluid-bag, and that the curl of the brim is obtained by the sliding flanges above referred to, so that a smoothly-iiiiished roll and a very sharp and even curl of the brim are obtained at little expense, the fluid-bag providing a flexible under die, which is capable of use for every sized hat needed, thus dispensing with the usual separate under dies or dishes, which are very considerable items of expense.

The only expensive pieces in my improved machine are the curls, and economy in the manufacture of these may be attained by making one pattern for a certain style, and

obtaining differentsizes of castings by successive shrinkages. Thus the casting from the pattern will, owing to shrinkage, be less than said pattern; a second casting, obtained by usin the first casting as a pattern, will be less than said first casting; a third casting, made from the second, will be still less, and so on. i

The construction of the curls shown in Figs.

8, f), and 12 is much simpler than that shown in Kelseys patents. In the Kelsey machine the curls are secured to an inner ring, and accurate fitting is required as well as care in attaching the ring to the swinging arms shown in that patent.

The upper arc of the curls which I use is a fixed one, being less by the thickness of the felt of the hat than the arc of the side clamps, c. The inner opening or oval accords in size and shape with the size and shape of the hat to be acted upon, and the outer oval edge and the shape of the under side can be readily obtained from a model hat.

\Vhile in some instances an inner ring for the curls is of great convenience in taking the curls from a hat-brim after it has been shaped and set, I find but little difficulty in removing the sections shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

In place of the bag E, the dish D may be used as the receptacle for fluid by providing it witha flexible cover, S, as shown in Fig. 11, said cover being secured to the flanges of the dish in any suitable manneras, for instance, by riveting, cementing, or clamping.

hen the cover is attached directly to the dish, as shown in Fig. 11,1 prefer to form the said cover as shown in Fi ltfthat is to say, thick at the portion a: and gradually diminishing in thickness to the portion 05, so that it will conform more readily to the shape of the curls J. In fact the cloth or rubber sheet G may be likewise shaped when the bag E is used, or the upper side of the bag itself may be made in this way when the use of a cloth or rubber sheet, G, is dispensed with.

In some cases I prefer to use an oval disk, H, placed beneath the rubber or cloth sheet G and above the bag E, forming a set plate, this disk having at front and rear projections conforming to the dip of the curls J, so that it is adapted to support any sized hat. These projections serve to relieve the front and back portions of the bag from part of the pressure, and although their use is preferable it is not essential, as I have curled hats perfectly without it.

111 Fig. 16 I have shown the dish D made in two parts, the dish proper being secured to the base-plate A of the machine and the center portion, 1), adapted to be raised or lowered by the screw d independently of the outer portion of the dish I). By this means the machine can be readily adapted for forming any desired depth of curl.

It should be understood that the terms lower and upper are used in this speeiiication as applying to those parts which act, respectively, upon the under and upper sides of the brim of the hat, and not as indicating the necessary relative location of the parts in the machine, for it will be evident that my invention is applicable to a machine in which the location. of the parts is the reverse of that showik-th'at is to say, in which the fluid-filled die is above and the curls beneath, or in which the parts are otherwise disposed in a manner different from that shown in my drawings.

I do not in this application claim, broadly, the flexible f1ui fl-filled die shown and described or the combination of such die wit-h the curls and pressing-flanges, as these mat ters form' the subject of a separate applica tion filed by me on. the 2d day of July, 1887, Serial N 9- 3,250; nor do I claim in this application the mode of forming the lower hollow flexible die, as said mode forms the subject of a separate application for a patent filed by me on the 21st day of July, 1988, Serial No. 280,618.

I claim as my invm1tion 1. The combination, in a hat-brim-curling machine, of upper curls, a lower die consisting of a flexible fluid-tilled casing, and a flexible sheet covering said lower (lie, all substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in a l1at-brim-cui.-ling machine, of the upper curls, the lower flexible and fluid-filled die, and a set-plate having a bearing upon the under side of the hat-brim at the front and rear of the hat, all substantially as specified.

The combination of the upper curls made in sections with securing-clamps, all. substantially as specified.

4. The combination, in a hat-brim-curling machine, of side and end pressing-flanges securedtogether so as to constitute one structure, operating-heads for said flanges, and securing-bolts adapted to open-ended slots, so as to permit the removal of the flange structure a unit, all substantially as specified.

5. The combination, in a hat-brim-curling machine, of upper curls with a presser free from connection with the curls but bearing upon the latter to depress the same, all substantially as specified 6. The combination, in a hat-brim-eurling machine, of upper curls with a presser free from connection with the curls and having adjustable pins for bearing on said curls, all substantially as speci fied.

7. The cmnbination, in a hat-brim-curli11g machine, of the upper curls with a presser having adjustable plates carrying pins for hearing on the curls, all substantially as specified.

8. The combination, in a hat-brim-curling machine, of the hat-block, the lower die,-and upper curls conforming to and centered by said hat-block and separate from the pressure-imparting devices, all substantially as specified.

9. The combination, in a llat-l)rim-curling machine, of the end pressing-flanges having guides thereon with upper curls made in sections, and clamping levers for said curls having arms adapted to the guides on the flanges, all substantially as specified.

10. The combination, in a hat-brim curling machine, of upper curls consisting of sections clamped together, a presser acting thereon but disconnected therefrom, side pressingflanges, and a lower die, all substantially as specified.

ll. The withinalescribed dish for a hatbrim-inirling machine, said dish comprising the fixed outer portion and adjustable center portion, all substantially as specified.

12. The combination of the detached upper curls of a hat-brim-curlil1g machine and lower die and hat-bloek with guides to assist in centering the said detached curls, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN BIGELOXV.

"Witnesses:

WILLIAM D. CONNER, HARRY SMITH.

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