Untitled record

δ. Pillings.

ΟατΊΪΥΐό Het Zruzd ' ZcHerited Jug- 7, /377.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SYLVESTER BILLINGS, OF SPRING GARDEN, PENNSYLVANIA.

BLOCK FOB SETTING HAT-BRIMS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 6,627, dated August 7, 1849.

To dll whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Sylvester Billings, of the district of Spring Garden, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Penn5 sylvania, have invented a new and useful Machine for Heating the Brim of a Hat for Curling and Setting; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and 10 operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which—

Figure 1 is a top view, Fig. 2 an inside view of the top, showing the manner in 15 which it is cast, Fig. 3 an inside view of the bottom piece, Fig. 4 a front elevation; Fig. 5 a perspective view of the iron or heater; Fig. 6 a perspective view of the machine, letter a in Figs. 1, 4 and 6, the top surface 20 of the machine, being slightly convex from 1 to 2, letter b, in the Figs. 1, 4 and 6, an iron weight concave on the under part, to fit the convexity of a, and working on the hinge or joint c, d, a ring for the purpose of 25 raising the weight b, in order to introduce the brim of the hat for heating, letter (e) Figs. 1, 4 and 6 an elevation used for heating the front and rear of the brim, after giving the proper shape to the sides, letter 30 /, Figs. 4 and 6, is the slide in front, by which the heater (Fig. 5,) is inserted into the body of the machine.

The nature of my invention, consists in providing a heater for softening the brim 35 of a hat; in order that it may receive the proper curl and shape. The operation being performed in the following manner: first raise the iron weight b, place the side edge of the brim under it, let it remain there until it becomes sufficiently soft to work, it 40 is then taken out and worked .in the usual manner by hand, by which it receives what is termed the edge curl; to edge-curl the other side, the same process is repeated. The next thing to be done, is to give the side 45 brim the proper shape or set; in order to do this, we place the brim of the hat on the convex surface a (Fig. 1) where it remains until it becomes sufficiently softened by the heat for working; it is then worked by hand, in 50 the usual maimer.

In order to give the. necessary shape or set, to the front and rear of the hat brim, it is placed on the raised surface e, Figs. 1, 4 and 6 and remains there until sufficiently soft- 55 ened to be worked by hand.

I· wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not claim the hollow box, nor the heater (Fig. 5,) nor the method of heating the machine by the same, that being already in 60 common use; nor do I confine myself to that particular mode of heating; as the same may be accomplished by steam or heated air; it being only necessary to dispense with the slide /, and making the machine steam or 65 air tight.

What I do claim as my invention and wish to