Curling-Nachines.—The operation of curling hat-brims has been greatly simplified by the int rodnetion of au tomatic machines. The process, after the brim has been heated is as fol lows: Upon the horizontal table of the eurli»g-maehine (Fig,. 2) are mounted 36 folding-fingers, which form a con tinuous ring around the edge of the hat. These fingers are movable to ward the center by means of 10 treadle-levers. and are adjustable to any size or oval of the hat-brim to be curled. The hand-lever above the hat is pivoted in the of the machine. and on the band-ring a trim sheet metal pattern of suitable size and shape is secured. This pattern is made in three sections of trim metal, and is held in place by springs which center it aceurately over the hat-brim. After the pattern has been placed on the band-ring of the hand-lever the lever is lowered upon the table, and two adjustable fingers set within an eighth of an inch of the edge of the pattern. and confined in that po sition by means of the wheel-nut shown above the crtiss-bar on the treadle-lever. The hat, properly heated, is now placed on the ma chine, the hand-block accurately centered upon the chuek-block, and the edge of the brim resting upon the edge of the folding-fingers. The hand-lever is rapidly brought down, forcing the edge of the brim between the fold ing-fingers and 1 he pattern, when, by the motion of the treadle, the former are made to move rapidly toward the center, folding the edge smoothly and evenly upon the pat tern, when, by a turn of the hand-lever on the left of the machine, the folding-tingers are forced firmly upon the edge of the brim and thus complete the operation. The hat is now ready to have its i111119' edge trimmed. In order to insure aecurtiey the outer edge of the. bat-brim is clamped upon a 11111-support ing table (Fig. 3), and, to prevent any strain upon the brim, a rotary miller is nsed to trim the edge of the curl. In the center of the revolving hat-supporter, which is mounted upon an adjustable oval ehue•k, a c•hum1c-blorl of the same size and :,111111e as I hose 011 the heater and curler is firmly fixed. Upon I his the hat is placed. Twelve sections located apon radial sliding pieces are now (dosed around the edge of the by means of IL 11:11111 11.17er, 111111 l'1111111) the ellu:e The rotary cutter shown in Pig, 8, on an inclined spin dle, is now lowered in place, and one or two revolutions of the hat-supporting plate is suffi cient accurately to trim the edge. The machine is adjustable, and easily arranged for any
oval that may be desired, trimming the curl to any width or shape.
The Blanchard Lathe in Hat-ilaking.—Many attempts have been made to improve the Blanchard machine so as to enable it to make flanges with scooped faces. It is claimed that the machine illustrated in Fig. 4 is the first in which this object has been successfully accom plished. it will finish a hat-block from the edge of the band to the center of the tip, and it will cut out a flange flat or scooped ready to saw out the hole in the center, and will make any size of block or flange from a given pattern. In the machines heretofore used to make blocks, the pattern as well as the wood was held between centers, and it was impossible to work to the tip of the block. This made it necessary to finish every block made on the machine on a wood-lathe or by hand. Another point in the old machine was the adjustment of the ma chine to vary the sizes and heights of the hat-block to be used. Both of these points have, in this machine, been corrected. The hat-block is worked over by the cutter from the edge of the band to the center of the tips, and is ready for sand-papering when taken out of the ma chine. Only one adjustment is required to regulate the size and depth of a hat-block. In Fig. 4 the machine is shown as in use making a flange. The flange on the left of the machine repre sents the pattern, while the other represents the flange as turned by the machine. The pat tern is secured upon an oval plate screwed upon the pattern-spindle, and the block of wood on a similar flange on the working-spindle ; the saddle upon which the cutting-spindle and pattern-wheel are secured is now shifted to the left until the wheel touches the edge of the pattern. When the machine is started the pattern-wheel will cause the frame upon which the pattern and working spindle are supported to swing to and from the cutters, and an ac curate copy of the pattern is made, the size of the copy depending on the adjustment of the pattern-wheel. Any style of flange or block can be made without other change than the sub stitution of one pattern-wheel or cutter for another. In Fig. 4 the pattern-wheel and cutter intended for such a block are shown as resting on the base of the machine. All the foregoing machines are from designs by and are patented to Mr. Rudolph Eickemeyer, of Yonkers, N.Y.