US499492A

US499492A - And william a

Info

Publication number: US499492A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1893-06-13
Anticipated expiration: 1910-06-13

Description

2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

G. YULE & W. A. BAGLIN.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR BLOCKING HATS.

Patented-June 13, 1893. v

\W Mm Jww wo THE nokms PETERS co. puo'ruumou WASNiN (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. YULE & W. A; BAGIIN. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FUR BLOCKING HATS.

No. 499,492. PatentedJune 13, 1893.

oumq, WASHINGTON u c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE YULE, 0E NEWARK, .NEW JERSEY, AND WILLIAM A. BAGLIN, OF NEW YORK, NY.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR BLOCKING HATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,492, dated June 13, 1893. Application filed October 16, 1891. Serial No. 408,908. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE YULE, reside in g at Newark, Essex county, New Jersey, and WILLIAM A. BAGLIN, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus for Blocking Hats, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention is designed to furnish a means of pressing the crown into hat bodies of flat form. In such case the form of the felt is changed much more than when aconical body is blocked to form a crown and brim, and special means are required to prevent the overstraining of the fibers.

In our invention we support the fiat body upon a flat carrier with a suitable hole in the middle to form'the band of the hat, and We grip the extreme edge of the body so that when the hat block is pressed into the same the felt may be stretched throughout the entire substance of the body from the tip to the edge. The means that we have described are especially adapted to the manufacture of ladies hats of fancy styles which are shaped with very low crowns.

The apparatus may, as shown inthe drawings, be provided with means for partly drying thehat bodybyrotating it upon the supporting carrier, but such an attachment is not essential to practice the process of blocking alone.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 isa plan of the same, with the carrier and blocking lever removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, with the parts in section where hatched, on the center line of Fig. 4, which latter is a plan of the entire apparatus.

In the drawings, S is a stand supporting a curb T upon which the hat blocking lever e is pivoted at P. A bearing is is fixed in the bottom ofthe curb to support a spindle Z, the

carrier to admit the hat block c. The hat upon the pulley s when the spindle is lifted by the treadle. A circular steam box 0, having a rubber packing 0 in its upper edge, is

fixed within the curb beneath the carrier a, and is furnished with a steam pipe 1) and air pipe 19'. The carrier falls into contact with the packing 0 when the treadle is released from pressure, and when the blocking lever is brought into its operative position, as shown in Fig. 3, the clamp 01 presses upon the edge of the hat body and forces the carrier into still closer contact with the packing. The latch q is pivoted upon a slide g on the front of the curb T, and the slide is provided with an adjusting screw 0 so as to produce the requisite pressure of the clamp d upon the hat body,when the latch is engaged with the blocking lever. The pivot of the blocking lever is mounted upon the curb by slides with screws t and u, the screwu (like the screw 1") serving to adjust the pressure of the clamp d, and the screwt operating to set the clamp and hat block eccentrically over the carrier. The carrier in such case would have the aperture formed eccentrically to the rim or hat body, and the hat-crown could therefore be formed eccentric to the brim when required. This is very desirable in making fancy styles of ladies hats, and wholly obviates the trimming or excessive stretching of the brim to make it wider upon one side than the other of the crown.

The clamp 01 consists in a round or oval ring of metal attached removably to the blocking lever by screws (1, and is preferably faced with india-rubber upon its lower edge to press elastically upon the hat body 0'. The edge of the clamp is made very narrow so as to grip the extreme edge of the hat body and thus permit the remainder of the, body to stretch freely during the blocking operation. The carrier a is preferably formed with an upwardly projecting rim a to guide and hold the hat body into the desired position upon the carrier, and the carrier and clamp d are preferably made detachable, and formed in a series of different sizes, to fit various hat bodies.

With the Construction described, the hat body maybe clamped so tightly upon the carrier that steam cannot escape from beneath the same, and the steam introduced through the pipe 1) into the steam box 0 therefore presses upon the whole under surface of the body and softens it as desired.

The process of blocking a hat with such apparatus is as follows: The hat bodies are felted to form a series of felt disks of substantially the same dimensions, and of suitable form, whether round or oval, to fit inside the rim a upon the carrier. The blocking lever and block cbeing raised, the hat body is laid upon the carrier a, and the clamp 61 pressed thereon by the lever e. The steam is then admitted through pipe 19 to the steam box 0, and the felt is subjected to its influence until sufficiently softened. The steam is then cut off, the blocking lever is lifted, and the spindle and carrier are then raised by operating the treadle n to press the friction wheelt' against the rotating pulley s, which rotates the carrier at a high rate of speed. Such rotation operates by centrifugal force to stretch the edge of the hat body a into close and accurate contact with the rim a and thus gives the desired shape to the edge of the hat brim. The blocking lever is then brought downward and latched, with the clamp d pressed in the desired degree upon the felt by adjusting the latch screw 0. The clamp by its elastic grip, then holds the edge of the brim immovably, while the hat block is depressed by the screw f to a suitable distance to form a crown of the desired height. During the depression of the hat block, the felt is stretched not only in the center, where the crown isformed; but through its entire substance to the edge of the brim, where it is held by the clamp d, and the felt is thus prevented from overstraining at any one point. As the pressure of thehat block is liable to draw the edge of the felt in slightly, it is preferable to again rotate the carrier after the blocking operation. This is done by raising the blocking lever and depressing the treadle to rotate the carrier, the rapid motion of the carrier then stretching the hat brim afresh into close contact with the rim a and discharging the moisture from the body at the same time so as to dry out the felt in a great degree. The rotation of the carrier also operates to press the band of the crown into contact with the carrier at the margin of the aperture 1) and thus forms the band accurately while the hat is drying, as

the aperture is necessarily formed of the exact size to whichthe body is blocked.

To facilitate the drying operation, a blast of either hot or cold air may be introduced Within the box 0 through the pipe 99, the air obtaining access to the under side of the hat body between the arms a of the carrier, although the carrier is lifted above the packing so as not to Wholly retain the air in the box.

Instead of the arms a, the carrier may be provided, beneath the aperture 12, with a cavity adapted to shape the hat crown accurately, and the rotation of the body, with the carrier, after the hat block has been pressed into the same, operates to press the felt strongly against the walls of such cavity and to thus shape the band and entire surface of the crown as may be desired. With such construction, perforations would be formed in the walls of the cavity to admit the steam or air introduced within the steam box by the pipe 1; or 1). Waste pipes 13 and B are shown applied to the steam box and to the curb outside of the same to drain therefrom the water which is condensed in the steam box or discharged from the hat when wringing the same.

By this process a series of hats may, when first blocked, be formed with the brims of exactly the same size, and all future trimming to give the hat brim the desired shape is thus wholly avoided. The brim is thus brought to the desired dimensions without any waste of of felt, and it is also provided with a raw edge, which is much superior to one formed by cutting the felt.

The process possesses special advantages in the blocking of hats which have the brim previously napped, as the process wholly avoids the application of stretching tongs or fingers to the brim which is liable to damage the nap during the blocking operation, and wholly avoids the trimming of the brim subsequent to the blocking operation, to give the edge of the brim the desired dimensions. The rotating carrier for drying the hats is claimed in a separate Patent No. 483,823, dated October 4, 1892, entitled machine for wringing hats, and such machine, by the centrifugal force developed, is capable of preparing a series of hat bodies of exactly the same dimensions to fit the rim a upon the blocking machine. The wringing machine is not claimed herein except in combination with the devices for blocking the hat.

By practicing this process upon napped hats, the body may be felted with a raw edge of nearly the desired dimensions, and the exact diameter for the body secured by rotation in the wringing machine before and after the nap is applied, and the bodies are thus adapted to lit the rim upon the hat blocking carrier, and to be stretched by centrifugal force into contact therewith, after the crown is pressed in the body; without any injury to the flowing fur. The napped hat is thus completed more perfectly and with less injury to the nap than by any previous process.

The carrier a and clamp (Z are shown herein of oval form, and the carrier therefore reintoa position corresponding with that of the clamp; which is readily done by the'operator,

and the clamp is thus adapted to fit and press upon the extreme edge of the brim upon all sides. The hat bodies, in flat disk form, may be made by suitable felting of bats formed of either fiat or conical shape, but the mode of preparing the hat bodies for treatment, by this process and apparatus, is Wholly immaterial.

If the aperture 19 in the carrier be made eccentric to the spindle, the blocking lever may be moved by the screw 2%, to adjust the hat block over such aperture, and the clamp may then be adjusted upon the lever to fit within the rim 06*, by means of the bolts d and slots (P. The opposite end from the fulcrum of the blocking lever is formed to receive the latch q for a considerable length, so as to fit the same when the fulcrum P is moved upon the curb.

We are aware that it is old to take a hat which has been previously blocked and clamp the brim immovably between flanges pressed upon the whole surface of the brim, and to then stretch the crown to shape the same and the band more perfectly. This is a wholly different operation from the blocking operation, and the mechanism employed is different from ours in which we clamp the edge of the brim only, so that in blocking the hat the felt may yield from the tip of the crown all the way to the edge of the brim. This is very essential, in stretching the crown from a flat piece of felt, and avoids in great degree overstretching and tearing the band. The process we practice is therefore different, the effect-upon the felt is different, and the mechanism requires to be essentially different from any heretofore employed, so as to securely grip the entire edge of the body during the blocking operation.

As the felt is liable to vary in thickness at different portions of the edge, we secure a firm and uniform grip upon all parts of the edge, by making the clamp with a thin narnow edge and facing the same with india-rubher, or other yielding material, so as to press elastically upon the felt. The clamp is thus a yielding clamp, and adapts itself to different portions of the felt so as to grip the entire edge with firmness, and prevent it from yielding during the blocking operation.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed herein is 1. The process of blocking hats which consists in first feltingahat body into a fiat disk, then securing the edges of the disk rigidly and supporting the adjacent portion thereof, and finally depressing the central portion of the disk and stretching the body to form the crown, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The process of blocking hats which consists in first felting ahat body into a flat disk, second, rotating such disk within a suitable shaping ring and thereby stretching the edge of the body into contact therewith, third, securing the edges of the disk rigidly and supporting the adjacent portion thereof, and fourth, depressing the central portion of the disk and stretching the body to form the crown, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The process of blocking hats which consists in first felting a hat body into a flat disk, second, rotating such disk within a suitable shaping ring and thereby stretching the edge of the body into contact therewith, third, securing the edge of the disk rigidly and supporting the adjacent portion thereof, fourth, depressing the central portion of the disk and stretching the body to form the crown, and fifth, releasing the edge of the hat body and again rotating the same to dry the latter, substantially as herein set forth.

4.' The process of blocking hats which consists in first felting a hat body into a fiat disk, second, rotating such disk within a suitable shaping ring and thereby stretching the edge of the body into contact therewith, third, securing the edge of the disk rigidly and supporting the adjacent portion thereof, fourth, depressing the central portion of the disk and stretching the body to form the crown, and fifth, releasing the edge of the'hat body and again rotating the same to stretch the edge of the body into contact with the shaping ring and simultaneously projecting an air blast against the body, to dry the same, substantially as herein set forth.

5. A hat blocking machine provided with a flat carrier tosupport the hat body, a clamp having a thin edge adapted to press theouter edge of the hat body upon the flat face of the carrier, a hat block and means for pressing it toward the carrier, and the carrier being provided witha suitable aperture to form the band of the hat, substantially as herein set forth.

6. A hat blocking machine provided with a flat carrier adapted to support a flat hat body and having an aperture to receive a hat block and a rim upon its face as described, means for rotating the carrier and stopping the same at pleasure, a clamp with a thin edge for pressing the edge of the hat body upon the flat face of the carrier adjacent to the said rim, and a hat block with means for pressing the same into the aperture in the carrier, substantially as herein set forth.

7. A hat blocking machine provided with the curb T, the spindle Z having the flat carrier a with aperture I) mounted thereon and movable vertically by the treadle n, friction wheels for driving the spindle when lifted, the clamp for holding the hat body upon the carrier, and a hat block with means for pressing the same into the aperture in the carrier, as herein set forth. 7

8. A hat blocking machine provided with a flat carrier adapted to support a flat hat body and having an aperture to receive the block,

a steam box with a packing upon its upper side adapted to fit the under side of the carrier, means for movingthe carrier to and from the steam box, a clamp for pressing the edge of the hat body upon the flat face of the carrier, and a hat block with means for pressing the same into the aperture in the carrier, substantially as herein set forth.

9. A hat blocking machine provided with a flat carrier having an aperture to admit the hat block, a steam box beneath the carrier to supply steam, to the under side of the hat body, a curb surrounding the carrier and steam box, a hat blocking lever pivoted upon one edge of the curb and provided at the opposite edge with an adjustable latch, and a hat block and a clamp secured to the hat blocking lever and movable toward the carrier, as herein set forth.

10. A hat blocking machine provided with the stand S the friction pulley s rotated continuously, the bearing 70 and treadle 'n supporting the spindle Zwith friction wheel iand having at its upper end the flat carrier a, the

curb T surrounding the carrier, the blocking lever e pivotednpon the curb and provided with the clamp d, and the hat block a and screw f, the whole arranged and operated substantially as herein set forth.

11. A hat blocking machine provided with a fiat carrier having an aperture to receive the hat block, the lever e having at one end avertically adjustable pivot, and at the opposite end a latch for securing the lever, and provided with the clamp d to press upon the flat face of the carrier, and with the hat block 0 and screw f for operating the same, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE YULE. WILLIAM A. BAGLIN. \Vitnesses:

THos. S. CRANE, J OSEPH PHELPS.