US560191A

US560191A - Hat-conformer

Info

Publication number: US560191A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 1913-05-19

Description

(No Model.)

No. 560,191. Patented May 19, 1896.

Wain a as E. s Ir' flea-Luz:

ANDREW B GRAMAM. PHUTUUTNOVVWASHINGIUN D c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR H. BYERLY, OF KNIGHTSTO\VN, INDIANA.

HAT-CONFORM ER.

SPECIFICATION iorming part of Letters Patent No. 560,191, dated May 19, 1896.

Application filed January 30, 1896. Serial No. 577,375. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that 1, EDGAR H. BYERLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Knightstown, in the county of Henry and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hat-Conformers; 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.

No two men have heads shaped exactly alike, and the difference in shape is so considerable that it is difficult to find a hat in a merchants stock of goods that will fit any ones head; but by warming the sizing in a hat it can be readily made to assume a new shape, which will be retained when the hat is cooled again. If a form set to the shape of a mans head could be had, and the heated hat stretched on this form and left to cool, the hat would fit the shape of the head.

The object of this invention is to provide an adjustable form that can he set to the shape of any individuals head; that can be readily inserted into a hat, and as the sizing is heated press the material of the hat into shape to fit the proposed head. 7

The object, further, is to provide adevice that can be readily understood and easily operated and that will be simple and cheap.

I accomplish the objects of the invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a view in perspective of my hatconformer set ready to receive a hat to be changed in shape; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of same, showing all of the slides set but one.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout both views of the drawings.

The frame of my conformer consists of the outside band A and the inside band A, which are either round or oval in shape, and the bars B joining the two bands together. Preferably the inner band and the radial bars will be formed in one integral piece, and the outside band will be secured to the ends of the bars B by means of the screws 1?, as shown in the drawings, which pass through the band A into threaded holes in the ends of the bars 13.

Mounted on the bars B, which are preferably eight in number, are the inside spiral springs C, the slides D next to the springs O, the stops E next to the slides, and the conical spiral springs F. The bars will preferably be square in cross-section and the openin gs in the slide D will fit the shape of the bars so as to prevent any rotary movement of the said slides. Depending from the slides D are the blades D, and extending upwardly from the slides are the blades D The stops E are provided with openings to fit the shape of the bars B on which they slide, and are provided with the set-screws e, whereby the stops can be fastened at any desired place on the bar.

The operation of the device is as follows: The frame is set upon the head of the person who is to be fitted with a hat. The stops E are all free to move longitudinally of the bars and are forced inwardly, together with the slides D, by the springs F, which are more powerful in their action than the inside springs O. The blades D are pressed firmly against the head, and the whole number of blades will together form an outline of the head to which they are fitted, The number of blades will preferably be eight, but the number might be more or less without departing from the spirit of this invention. The position of the slides is fixed by tightening up the set-screws c on the stops E, which checks the further action of the outside springs F. The inside springs C will force the slides against the stops, but by compressing the springs the slides, with their attached blades,can be moved in toward the inside ring. This construction enables the upper blades D to be easily inserted inside of a hat, and when the hat is warmed over a lamp or otherwise heated the springs G will force the blades out against the stops, and carrying the sides of the hat out with them will give the hat a new and desirable shape conforming to the head of the proposed wearer. The blades D and D are integral with the slides D, and the two blades of each slide are vertically alined, but in order to get a broader bearing against the band of the hat the upper blades D will be expanded into plates, as shown in Fig. 1. These plates, which are opposite the front and back of the hat and at the middle of the two sides, are much wider than the remaining four plates, which are distributed between the said wide ones. I have found this to give better results than when all of the blades are wide or all are narrow. I prefer to use the conical springs F because they will telescope and allow closer compression than where the spirals are uniform in diameter; but this is only a preferable form of spring and not an imperative form.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination with a frame having radial bars, of slides mounted on said bars and having both upwardly and downwardly projected blades, substantially as shown, springs to force the slides out,stron ger springs to force the slides in and stops arranged and constructed substantially as described and operating as and for the purposes specified.

2. A hat-conformer having the inside band A and the radial arms B integral therewith, the outside band A removably secured to the ends of the bars, stops D having blades D EDGAR II. BYERLY. lVitnesses:

Josnrn A. MINTURN, F. W. Wonnwnn.