HAT MANUFACTURE

( L’art de Chapelier , Fr.; Hutmacherkunst , Germ.) Hat is the name of a piece of dre worn upon the head by both sexes, but principally by the men, and seems to have been first introduced as a distinction among the ecclesiastics in the 12th century, though it was not till the year 1400 that it was generally adopted by respectable laymen. As the art of making common hats does not involve the description of any curious machinery, or any interesting proce es, we shall not enter into very minute details upon the subject. It will be sufficient to convey to the reader a general idea of the methods employed in this manufacture. The materials used in making stuff hats are the furs of hares and rabbits freed from the long hair, together with wool and beaver. The beaver is reserved for the finer hats. The fur is first laid upon a hurdle made of wood or wire, with longitudinal openings; and the operator, by means of an instrument called the bow, (which is a piece of elastic ash, six or seven feet long, with a catgut stretched between its two extremities, and made to vibrate by a bowstick,) causes the vibrating string to strike and play upon the fur, so as to scatter the fibres in all directions, while the dust and filth descend through the grids of the hurdle. After the fur is thus driven by the bow from the one end of the hurdle to the other, it forms a ma called a bat , which is only half the quantity sufficient for a hat. The bat or capade thus formed is rendered compact by pre ing it down with the hardening skin , (a piece of half-tanned leather,) and the union of the fibres is increased by covering them with a cloth, while the workman pre es them together repeatedly with his hands. The cloth being taken off, a piece of paper, with its corners doubled in, so as to give it a triangular outline, is laid above the bat. The opposite edges of the bat are then folded over the paper, and being brought together and pre ed again with the hands, they form a conical cap. This cap is next laid upon another bat, ready hardened, so that the joined edges of the first bat rest upon the new one. This new bat is folded over the other, and its edges joined by pre ure as before; so that the joining of the first conical cap is opposite to that of the second. This compound bat is now wrought with the hands for a considerable time upon the hurdle between folds of linen cloth, being occasionally sprinkled with clear water, till the hat is basoned or rendered tolerably firm. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0635.png:Wooden receiver The cap is now taken to a wooden receiver, like a very flat mill-hopper, consisting of eight wooden planes, sloping gently to the centre, which contains a kettle filled with water acidulated with sulphuric acid. The technical name of this ve el is the battery . It consists of a kettle A ; and of the planks, B C , which are sloping planes, usually eight in number, one being allotted to each workman. The half of each plank next the kettle is made of lead, the upper half of mahogany. In this liquor the hat is occasionally dipped, and wrought by the hands, or sometimes with a roller, upon the sloping planks. It is thus fulled or thickened during four or five hours; the knots or hard substances are picked out by the workman, and fresh felt is added by means of a wet brush to those parts that require it. The beaver is applied at the end of this operation. In the manufacture of beaver hats, the grounds of beer are added to the liquor in the kettle. Stopping , or thickening the thin spots, seen by looking through the body, is performed by daubing on additional stuff with succe ive applications of the hot acidulous liquor from a brush dipped into the kettle, until the body be sufficiently shrunk and made uniform. After drying, it is stiffened with varnish composition rubbed in with a brush; the inside surface being more copiously imbued with it than the outer; while the brim is peculiarly charged with the stiffening. When once more dried, the body is ready to be covered , which is done at the battery . The first cover of beaver or napping, which has been previously bowed , is strewed equably over the body, and patted on with a brush moistened with the hot liquor, until it gets incorporated; the cut ends towards the root, being the points which spontaneously intrude. The body is now put into a coarse hair cloth, then dipped and rolled in the hot liquor, until the root ends of the beaver are thoroughly worked in. This is technically called rolling off, or roughing . A strip for the brim, round the edge of the inside, is treated in the same way; whereby every thing is ready for the second cover (of beaver), which is incorporated in like manner; the rolling, . being continued, till a uniform, close, and well-felted hood is formed. The hat is now ready to receive its proper shape. For this purpose the workman turns up the edge or brim to the depth of about 1 1 ⁄ 2 inch, and then returns the point of the cone back again through the axis of the cap, so as to produce another inner fold of the same point resembles a flat circular piece having a number of concentric folds. In this state it is laid upon the plank, and wetted with the liquor. The workman pulls out the point with his fingers, and pre es it down with his hand, turning it at the same time round on its centre upon the plank, till a flat portion, equal to the crown of the hat, is rubbed out. This flat crown is now placed upon a block, and, by pre ing a string called a commander , down the sides of the block, he forces the parts adjacent to the crown, to a ume a cylindrical figure. The brim now appears like a puckered appendage round the cylindrical cone; but the proper figure is next given to it, by working and rubbing it. The body is rendered waterproof and stiff by being imbued with a varnish composed of shellac, sandarach, mastic, and other resins di olved in alcohol or naphtha. The hat being dried, its nap is raised or loosened with a wire brush or card, and sometimes it is previously pounced or rubbed with pumice, to take off the coarser parts, and afterwards rubbed over with seal-skin. The hat is now tied with pack-thread upon its block, and is afterwards dyed. See Hat-dyeing , infra . The dyed hats are now removed to the stiffening shop. Beer grounds are next applied on the inside of the crown, for the purpose of preventing the glue from coming through; and when the beer grounds are dried, glue, (gum Senegal is sometimes used,) a little thinner than that used by carpenters, is laid with a brush on the inside of the crown, and the lower surface of the brim. The hat is then softened by exposure to steam, on the steaming basin, and is brushed and ironed till it receives the proper glo . It is lastly cut round at the brim by a knife fixed at the end of a gauge, which rests against the crown. The brim, however, is not cut entirely through, but is torn off so as to leave an edging of beaver round the external rim of the hat. The crown being tied up in a gauze paper, which is neatly ironed down, is then ready for the last operations of lining and binding. The furs and wools of which hats are manufactured contain in their early stage of preparation, hemps and hairs , which must be removed in order to produce a material for the better description of hats. This separation is effected by a sort of winnowing machine, which wafts away the finer and lighter parts of the furs and wools from the coarser. Me rs. Parker and Harris obtained a patent in 1822 for the invention and use of such an apparatus, whose structure and functions may be perfectly understood, from its analogy to the blowing and scutching machine of the cotton manufacture; to which I therefore refer my readers. I shall now proceed to describe some of the recent improvements proposed in the manufacture of hats, but their introduction is scarcely po ible, on account of the perfectly organized combination which exists among journeymen hatters throughout the kingdom, by which the masters are held in a state of complete servitude, having no power to take a single apprentice into their works beyond the number specified by the Union , nor any sort of machine which is likely to supersede hand labour in any remarkable degree. Hence the hat trade is, generally speaking, unproductive to the capitalist, and incapable of receiving any considerable development. The public of a free country like this, ought to counteract this disgraceful state of things, by renouncing the wear of stuff hats, a branch of the busine entirely under the controul of this despotic Union , and betake themselves to the use of silk hats, which, from recent improvements in their fabric and dyeing, are not a whit inferior to the beaver hats, in comfort, appearance, or durability, while they may be had of the best quality for one-fourth part of their price. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0636a.png:Ollerenshaw The annexed figures represent Mr. Ollerenshaw’s machine, now generally employed for ironing hats. Fig. 534. is the frame-work or standard upon which three of these lathes are mounted, as A , B , C . The lathe A is intended to be employed when the crown of the hat is to be ironed. The lathe B , when the flat top, and the upper side of the brim is ironed, and lathe C , when its under side is ironed; motion being given to the whole by means of a band pa ing from any first mover (as a steam-engine, water-wheel, .) to the drum on the main shaft a a . From this drum a strap pa es over the rigger b , which actuates the axle of the lathe A . On to this lathe a sort of chuck is screwed, and to the chuck the block c is made fast by screws, bolts, or pins. This block is represented in section, in order to shew the manner in which it is made, of several pieces held fast by the centre wedge-piece, as seen at fig. 535. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0636b.png:Block The hat-block being made to turn round with the chuck, at the rate of about twenty turns per minute, but in the opposite direction to the revolution of an ordinary turning lathe, the workman applies his hot iron to the surface of the hat, and thereby smooths it, giving a beautiful glo y appearance to the beaver; he then applies a plush cushion, and rubs round the surface of the hat while it is still revolving. The hat, with its block, is now removed to the lath B , where it is placed upon the chuck d , and made to turn in a horizontal direction, at the rate of about twenty revolutions per minute, for the purpose of ironing the flat-top of the crown. This lathe B moves upon an upright shaft e , and is actuated by a twisted band pa ing from the main shaft, round the rigger f . In order to iron the upper surface of the brim, the block c is removed from the lathe, and taken out of the hat, when the block fig. 536. is mounted upon the chuck d , and made to turn under the hand of the workman, as before. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0636c.png:Rim The hat is now to be removed to the lathe C , where it is introduced in an inverted position, between the arms g g supporting the rim h h , the top surface of which is shewn at fig. 537. The spindle i of the lathe turns by similar means to the last, but slower; only ten turns per minute will be sufficient. The workman now smooths the under side of the brim, by drawing the iron acro it, that is from the centre outwards. The hat is then carefully examined, and all the burs and coarse hairs picked out, after which the smoothing proce is performed as before, and the dre ing of the hat is complete. Me rs. Gillman and Wilson, of Manchester, obtained a patent, in 1823, for a peculiar kind of fabric to be made of cotton, or a mixture of cotton and silk, for the covering of hats and bonnets, in imitation of beaver. The foundation of the hat may be of felt, hemp, wool, which is to be covered, by the patent fabric. This debased article does not seem to have got into use; cotton, from its want of the felting property and inelasticity, being very ill-adapted for making hat-stuff. A more ingenious invention of John Gibson, hatter, in Glasgow, consisting of an elastic fabric of whalebone, was made the subject of a patent, in June, 1824. The whalebone, being separated into threads no larger than hay stalks, is to be boiled in some alkaline liquid for removing the oil from it, and rendering it more elastic. The longest threads are to be employed for warp, the shorter for weft; and are to be woven in a hair-cloth loom. This fabric is to be pa ed between rollers, after which it is fit to be cut out into forms for making hats and bonnets, to be sewed together at the joints, and stiffened with a preparation of resinous varnishes, to prevent its being acted upon by perspiration or rain. A very considerable improvement in the lightne and elasticity of silk hats has been the result of this invention. The foundation of men’s hats, upon whose outside the beaver, down, or other fine fur is laid to produce a nap, is, as I have described, usually made of wool felted together by hand, and formed first into conical caps, which are afterwards stretched and moulded upon blocks to the desired shape. Mr. Borradaile, of Bucklers bury, obtained a patent in November 1825, for a machine, invented by a foreigner, for setting up hat bodies, which seems to be ingeniously contrived; but I shall decline describing it, as it has probably not been suffered by the Union to come into practical operation, and as I shall presently give the details of another later invention for the same purpose. Silk hats, for several years after they were manufactured, were liable to two objections; first, the body or shell over which the silk covering is laid, was, from its hardne , apt to hurt the head; second, the edge of the crown being much exposed to blows, the silk nap soon got abraded, so as to lay bare the cotton foundation, which is not capable of taking so fine a black die as the silk; whence the hat a umed a shabby appearance. Me rs. Mayhew and White, of London, hat-manufacturers, proposed in their patent of February, 1826, to remedy these defects, by making the hat body of stuff or wool, and relieving the stiffne of the inner part round the brim, by attaching a coating of beaver upon the under side of the brim, so as to render the hat pliable. Round the edge of the tip or crown, a quantity of what is called stop wool is to be attached by the ordinary operation of bowing, which will render the edge soft and elastic. The hat is to be afterwards dyed of a good black colour, both outside and inside; and being then properly stiffened and blocked, is ready for the covering of silk. The plush employed for covering silk hats, is a raised nap or pile woven usually upon a cotton foundation; and the cotton, being incapable of receiving the same brilliant black dye as the silk, renders the hat apt to turn brown whenever the silk nap is partially worn off. The patentees proposed to counteract this evil, by making the foundation of the plush entirely of silk. To these two improvements, now pretty generally introduced, the present excellence of the silk hats, may be, in a good measure, ascribed. The apparatus above alluded to, for making the foundations of hats by the aid of mechanism, was rendered the subject of a patent, by Mr. Williams, in September, 1826; but I fear it has never obtained a footing, nor even a fair trial in our manufactures, on account of the hostility of the operatives to all labour-saving machines. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0638a.png:Carding engine Fig. 538 enlarged (122 kB) Fig. 538. is a side view of the carding engine, with a horizontal or plan view of the lower part of the carding machine, shewing the operative parts of the winding apparatus, as connected to the carding engine. The doffer cylinder is covered with fillets of wire cards, such as are usually employed in carding engines, and these fillets are divided into two, three, or more spaces extending round the periphery of the cylinder, the object of which division is to separate the sliver into two, three, or more breadths, which are to be conducted to, and wound upon distinct blocks, for making so many separate hats or caps. The principal cylinder of the carding engine, is made to revolve by a rigger upon its axle, actuated by a band from any first mover as usual, and the subordinate rollers or cylinders belonging to the carding engine, are all turned by pullies, and bands, and geer, as in the ordinary construction. The wool or other material is supplied to the feeding cloth, and carried through the engine to the doffer cylinder, as in other carding engines; the doffer comb is actuated by a revolving crank in the common way, and by means of it the slivers are taken from the doffer cylinder, and thence received on to the surfaces of the blocks e e . These blocks, of which two only are shewn to prevent confusion, are mounted upon axles, supported by suitable bearings in a carriage f f , and are made to revolve by means of a band g g , leading from a pulley on the axle of a conical drum beneath. The band g pa es over a pulley h , affixed to the axle of one of the blocks, while another pulley i , upon the same axle, gives motion, by means of a band, to as many other blocks as are adapted to the machine. As it is nece ary in winding the slivers on to the blocks, to cro them in different directions, and also to pa the sliver over the hemispherical ends of the blocks, in order that the wool or other material may be uniformly spread over the surface in forming the cap or hood for the shell or foundation of the intended hat, the carriage f , with the blocks, is made to traverse to and fro in lateral directions upon rollers at each end. This alternating motion of the carriage is caused by a horizontal lever l l , (seen in the horizontal view fig. 538. ) moving upon a fulcrum pin at m , which lever is attached to the carriage at one extremity n , and at the other end has a weighted cord which draws the side of this lever against a cam wheel o . This cam is made to revolve by means of a band and pulley, which turns the shaft and endle screw q , and this endle screw taking into a toothed wheel r , on the axle of the cam o , causes the cam to revolve, the periphery of which cam running against a friction roller on the side of the lever l , causes the lever to vibrate, and the carriage f f , attached to it, to traverse to and fro upon the supporting rollers, as described. By these means the slivers are laid in oblique directions, (varying as the carriage traverses,) over the surface of the blocks. The blocks being conically formed, or of other irregular figures, it is nece ary, in order to wind the slivers with uniform tension, to vary their speed according to the diameter of that part of the block which is receiving the sliver. This is effected by giving different velocities to the pulley on the axle of the conical drum s , corresponding with e . There is a similar conical drum t , placed in a reverse position in the lower part of the frame, which is actuated by a band from any convenient part of the machine pa ing over a pulley u , upon the axle of t . From the drum t , to the drum s , there is a band v , which is made to slide along the drums by the guidance of two rollers at the end of the lever l . It will now be seen that when the larger diameter of the cam wheel o forces the lever outwards, the band v will be guided on to the smaller part of the conical drum t , and the larger part of s , consequently the drum s will at this time receive its slowest motion, and the band g will turn the blocks slower also; the reverse end of the lever l , having by the same movement, slidden the carriage into that position which causes the slivers to wind upon the larger diameter of the blocks. When the smaller diameter of the cam is acting against the side of the lever, the weighted cord draws the end of the lever to the opposite side, and the band v will be guided on to the larger part of the cord t , and the smaller part of the cone s ; consequently, the quicker movement of the band g will now cause the blocks e e to revolve with a corresponding speed. The carriage f will also be moved upon its rollers, to the reverse side, and the sliver of wool or other material be now wound upon the smaller parts and ends of the blocks, at which time the quicker rotation of the blocks is required. It may be here observed, that the cam wheel o should be differently formed according to the different shaped blocks employed, so as to produce the requisite movements of the lever and carriage suited thereto. It only remains to state, that there are two heavy conical rollers w w , bearing upon the peripheries of the blocks e e , which turn loosely upon their axles by the friction of contact, for the purpose of pre ing the slivers of wool or other material on the blocks as it comes from the doffer cylinder of the carding engine, and when the blocks have been coated with a sufficient quantity of the sliver, the smaller end of the pre ing rollers is to be raised, while the cap is withdrawn from the block. The proce being continued as before, the formations of other bodies or caps is effected in the manner above described. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0638b.png:Heated plates After the caps or bodies of hats, . are formed in the above described machine, they are folded in wet cloths, and placed upon heated plates, where they are rolled under pre ure, for the purpose of being hardened. Fig. 539. represents the front of three furnaces a a a , the tops of which are covered with iron plates b b b . Upon these plates, which are heated by the furnace below, or by steam, the bodies wrapped in the wet cloths c c c , are placed, and pre ed upon by the flaps or covers d d d , sliding upon guide rods, to which flaps a traversing motion is given, by means of chains attached to an alternating bar e e . This bar is moved by a rotatory crank f , which has its motion by pulleys from any actuating power. When any one of the flaps is turned up to remove the bodies from beneath, the chains hang loosely, and the flap remains stationary. These caps or hat bodies, after having been hardened in the manner above described, may be felted in the usual way by hand, or they are felted in a fulling mill, by the usual proce employed for milling cloths, except that the hat bodies are occasionally taken out of the fulling mill, and pa ed between rollers, for the purpose of rendering the felt more perfect. Mr. Carey, of Basford, obtained a patent in October, 1834, for an invention of certain machinery to be employed in the manufacture of hats, which is ingenious and seems to be worthy of notice in this place. It consists in the adaptation of a system of rollers, forming a machine, by means of which the operation of roughing or plaiting of hats may be performed; that is, the beaver or other fur may be made to attach itself, and work into the felt or hat body, without the nece ity of the ordinary manual operations. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0639.png:Roughing or plaiting machine The accompanying drawings represent the machine in several views, for the purpose of showing the construction of all its parts. Fig. 540. is a front elevation of the machine; fig. 541. is a side elevation of the same; fig. 542. is a longitudinal section of the machine; and fig. 543. is a transverse section; the similar letters indicating the same parts in all the figures. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0640.png:Roughing or plaiting machine Upon a brick or other suitable base, a furnace or fire-place a , is made, having a descending flue b , for the purpose of carrying away the smoke. A pan or shallow ve el c c , formed of lead, is placed over the furnace; which ve el is intended to contain a sour liquor, as a solution of vitriolic acid and water. On the edge of this pan is erected a wooden casing d d d , which encloses three sides, leaving the fourth open for the purpose of obtaining acce to the working apparatus within. A series of what may be termed lantern rollers, e e e , is mounted on axles turning in the side casings; and another series of similar lantern rollers, f f f , is in like manner mounted above. These lantern rollers are made to revolve by means of bevel pinions, fixed on the ends of their axles, which are turned by similar bevel wheels on the lateral shafts g and h , driven by a winch i , and geer, as shown in figs. 540. and 541. Having prepared the bodies of the hats, and laid upon their surfaces the usual coatings of beaver, or other fur, when so prepared they are to be placed between hair cloths, and these hair cloths folded within a canva or other suitable wrapper. Three or more hats being thus enclosed in each wrapper, the packages are severally put into bags or pockets in an endle band of sackcloth, or other suitable material; which endle band is extended over the lantern rollers in the machine. In the first instance, for the purpose of merely attaching the furs to the felts (which is called slicking, when performed by hand), Mr. Carey prefers to pa the endle band k k k , with the covered hat bodies, over the upper series f f f , of the lantern rollers, in order to avoid the inconvenience of disturbing the fur, which might occur from subjecting them to immersion in the solution contained in the pan, before the fur had become attached to the bodies. After this operation of slicking has been effected, he distends the endle band k k k , over the lower series of lantern rollers e e e , and round a carrier roller l , as shown in fig. 542. ; and having withdrawn the hat bodies for the purpose of examining them, and changing their folds, he packs them again in a similar way in flannel, or other suitable cloths, and introduces them into the pockets or bags of the endle bands, as before. On putting the machinery in rotatory motion in the way described, the hats will be carried along through the apparatus, and subjected to the scalding solution in the pan, as also to the pre ure, and to a tortuous action between the ribs of the lantern rollers, as they revolve, which will cause the ends of the fur to work into the felted bodies of the hats, and by that means permanently to attach the nap to the body; an operation which when performed by hand, is called rolling off. The improved stiffening for hat bodies proposed by Mr. Blades, under his patent of January, 1828, consists in making his solution of shellac in an alkaline lye, instead of spirits of wine, or pyroxylic spirit, vulgarly called naphtha. He prepares his water-proof stiffening by mixing 18 pounds of shellac with 1 1 ⁄ 2 pounds of salt of tartar (carbonate of potash), and 5 1 ⁄ 2 gallons of water. These materials are to be put into a kettle, and made to boil gradually until the lac is di olved; when the liquor will become as clear as water, without any scum upon the top, and if left to cool, will have a thin crust upon its surface of a whitish cast, mixed with the light impurities of the gum. When this skin is taken off, the hat body is to be dipped into the mixture in a cold state, so as to absorb as much as po ible of it; or it may be applied with a brush or sponge. The hat body being thus stiffened, may stand till it become dry, or nearly so; and after it has been brushed, it must be immersed in very dilute sulphuric or acetic acid, in order to neutralize the potash, and cause the shellac to set. If the hats are not to be napped immediately, they may be thrown into a cistern of pure water, and taken out as wanted. Should the hat bodies have been worked at first with sulphuric acid (as usual), they must be soaked in hot water to extract the acid, and dried before the stiffening is applied; care being taken that no water falls upon the stiffened body, before it has been immersed in the acid. This ingenious chemical proce has not been, to the best of my knowledge, introduced into the hat manufacture. A varnish made by di olving shellac, mastic, sandarach, and other resins in alcohol, or the naphtha of wood vinegar, is generally employed as the stiffening and water-proof ingredient of hat bodies. A solution of caoutchouc is often applied to whalebone and horse-hair hat bodies. The following recipe has been prescribed as a good composition for stiffening hats: four parts of shellac, one part of mastic, one half of a part of turpentine, di olved in five parts of alcohol, by agitation and subsequent repose, without the aid of heat. This stiffening varnish should be applied quickly to the body or foundation with a soft oblong brush, in a dry and rather warm workshop; the hat being previously fitted with its inside turned outwards upon a block. The body must be immediately afterwards taken off, to prevent adhesion. Hat-Dyeing. —The ordinary bath for dyeing hats, employed by the London manufacturers, consists for 12 dozen, of — | 144 | | pounds of logwood; | | 12 | | pounds of green sulphate of iron, or copperas; | | 7 | 1⁄2 | pounds of verdigris. | The copper is usually made of a semi-cylindrical shape, and should be surrounded with an iron jacket or case, into which steam may be admitted, so as to raise the temperature of the interior bath to 190° F., but no higher, otherwise the heat is apt to affect the stiffening varnish, called the gum, with which the body of the hat has been imbued. The logwood having been introduced and digested for some time, the copperas and verdigris are added in succe ive quantities, and in the above proportions, along with every succe ive two or three dozens of hats, suspended upon the dipping machine. Each set of hats, after being exposed to the bath with occasional airings during 40 minutes, is taken off the pegs, and laid out upon the ground to be more completely blackened by the peroxidize ment of the iron with the atmospheric oxygen. In 3 or 4 hours the dyeing is completed. When fully dyed, the hats are well washed in running water. Mr. Buffum states that there are four principal objects accomplished by his patent invention for dyeing hats. 1. in the operation; 2. the production of a better colour; 3. the prevention of any of the damages to which hats are liable in the dyeing; 4. the accomplishment of the dyeing proce in a much shorter time than by the usual methods, and consequently le ening the injurious effects of the dye-bath upon the texture of the hat. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0641a.png:Buffum Fig. 544. shows one method of constructing the apparatus. a a is a semi-cylindrical shaped copper ve el, with flat ends, in which the dyeing proce is carried on. b b b is a wheel with several circular rims mounted upon arms, which revolve upon an axle c . In the face of these rims a number of pegs or blocks are set at nearly equal distances apart, upon each of which pegs or blocks it is intended to place a hat, and as the wheel revolves, to pa it into and out of the dyeing liquor in the vat or copper. This wheel may be kept revolving with a very slow motion, either by geer connecting its axle, c , with any moving power, or it may be turned round by hand, at intervals of ten minutes; whereby the hats hung upon the pegs, will be alternately immersed for the space of ten minutes in the dyeing liquor, and then for the same space exposed to the atmospheric air. In this way, the proce of dyeing, it is supposed, may be greatly facilitated, and improved, as the occasional transition from the dye vat into the air, and from the air again into the bath, will enable the oxygen of the atmosphere to strike the dye more perfectly and expeditiously into the materials of which the hat is composed, than by a continued immersion in the bath for a much longer time. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0641b.png:Variation on Buffum A variation in the mode of performing this proce is suggested, and the apparatus fig. 545. is proposed to be employed, a a is a square vat or ve el containing the dyeing liquor; b b is a frame or rack having a number of pegs placed in it for hanging the hats upon, which are about to be dyed, in a manner similar to the wheel above described. This frame or rack is suspended by cords from a crane, and may in that way be lowered down with the hats into the vat, or drawn up and exposed in the air; changes which may be made every 10 or 20 minutes. I have seen apparatus of this kind doing good work in the hat-dyeing manufactories of London, that being a department of the busine with which the Union has not thought it worth their while to interfere. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0642a.png:Hodge Mr. William Hodge’s patent improvements in hat dyeing, partly founded upon an invention of Mr. Bowler, consist, first in causing every alternate frame to which the suspenders or blocks are to be attached, to slide in and out of grooves, for the purpose of more easily removing the said suspenders when required. Fig. 546. represents the improved dyeing frame, consisting of two circular rims, a a , which are connected together at top and bottom, by three fixed perpendicular bars or the frame-work b b b . Two other perpendicular frames c c , similar to the former, slide in grooves, d d d d , fixed to the upper and lower rims. These grooves have anti-friction rollers in them, for the purpose of making the frames c c , to slide in and out more freely. The suspenders or substitutes for blocks, by these means, may be 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 them, may be easily reached, and either removed or altered in position; and when it is done on one side, the sliding frame may be brought out on the other, and the remaining 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 f , 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 be substituted instead of the ordinary blocks. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0642b.png:Suspenders 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 fig. 546. is shown with only two of these “suspenders,” in order to prevent confusion. One of these suspenders is represented detached at fig. 547. , which exhibits a side view; and fig. 548. 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 , 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. 548. , 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. From the mixture of copperas and verdigris employed in the hat-dye, a vast quantity of an ochreous muddy precipitate results, amounting to no le than 25 per cent. of the weight of the copperas. This iron mud forms a deposit upon the hats, which not only corrodes the fine filaments of the beaver, but causes both them and the felt stuff to turn speedily of a rusty brown. There is no proce in the whole circle of our manufactures, so barbarous as that of dyeing stuff hats. No ray of chemical science seems hitherto to have penetrated the dark rece es of their dye shops. Some hatters have tried to remove this corrosive brown ochre by a bath of dilute sulphuric acid, and then counteract the evil effect of the acid upon the black dye by an alkaline bath; but with a most unhappy effect. Hats so treated are most deceptious and unprofitable; as they turn of a dirty brown hue, when exposed for a few weeks to sunshine and air.