792 



HAT MANUFACTURE 



these moans, may bo more easily got at by drawing out the frames c c, about half 

 way, when the suspenders, which are attached to the frames with the hats upon tlinn, 

 may be easily reached, and either removed or altered in position ; and when it is 

 done on one side, the sliding-framo may bo brought out on the other, and the remain- 

 ing quantity of ' suspenders ' undergo the same operation. 



The patentee remarks, that it is well known to all hat dyers, that after the hats 

 have been in the dyeing liquor some time, they ought to be taken out and exposed 

 to the action of the atmospheric air, when they are again immersed in the copper, that 

 part of the hat which was uppermost in the first immersion being placed downwards 

 in the second. This is done for the purpose of obtaining an uniform and regular dye. 

 The patentee's mode of carrying this operation into effect is shown in the figure : e e 

 are pivots for the dyeing-frame to turn upon, which is supported by the arms /, from 

 a crane above. The whole apparatus may be raised up or lowered into the copper by 

 means of the crane or other mechanism. When the dyeing-frame is raised out of the 

 copper, the whole of the suspenders or blocks are reversed, by turning the apparatus 

 over upon the pivots e e, and thus the whole surfaces of the hats are equally acted 

 upon by the dyeing material. 



It should be observed, that when the dyeing-frame is raised up out of the copper, 

 it should be tilted on one side, so as to make all the liquor run out of the hats, as also 

 to cause the rims of the hats to hang down, and not stick to the body of the hat, or 

 leave a bad place or uneven dye upon it. The second improvement described by the 

 patentee, is the construction of ' suspenders,' to bo substituted instead of the ordinary 

 blocks. 



These ' suspenders ' are composed of thin plates of copper, bent into the required 

 form, that is, nearly resembling that of a hat-block, and made in such a manner as 

 to be capable of contraction and expansion to suit different sized hats, and keep them 

 distended, which may be altered by the workman at pleasure, when it is required to 

 place the hats upon them, or remove them therefrom. The dyeing-frame at Jiff. 1140, 

 is shown with only two of these ' suspenders,' in order to prevent confusion. One 

 of these suspenders is represented detached at fig. 1141, which exhibits a side view ; 

 andy^. 1142, a front view of the same. It will be seen by reference to the figure, that 

 the suspenders consist of two distinct parts, which may be enlarged or collapsed by a 

 variety of means, and which means may be suggested by any competent mechanic. 

 The two parts of the suspenders are proposed to be connected together by arms g g t 

 and at the junction of these arms a key is connected for turning them round when 

 required. It will be seen on reference to the front view, fig. 1 142, that the ' suspenders ' 

 or substitutes for blocks are open at the top or crown-part of the hat ; this is for the 

 purpose of allowing the dyeing liquor to penetrate. 



Hats or Bonnets imported. 



