Photos of hatters tools

[Hurricane Jack]

I noticed that too, Bama. When I saw yours & RJR's I just had to hustle around & take some pics to post. The lower base of mine is cast pot metal & very much resembles the base of an old telephone. Where the switch is located is where the phone dial would be. I've never had it apart but where the long threaded machine bolt comes thru resembles the cradle where the hand set of a phone would lay. I'm undecided if it was a desk phone or candlestick but I'd bet the design of the casting was adapted from the phone & that the same casting company made both. Mine is probably older than yours than. If I Google the patent numbers I could probably learn a whole lot more about it.

 

[Bamaboots]

Hurricane Jack, funny I had the same phone thoughts when I saw yours.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Patents applied for in 1920 & 1927

http://www.google.com/patents/US1371247
http://www.google.com.au/patents/US1650571

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Apparently it was just a switch & not a rheostat. From the patent:

"' One of the members 29 carries a'rigidly disposed iin er or pointer 31, the point of l on and olf switch 34 of well known con-` struction so that when the switch is turned on'both heating units will be heated simultaneously and to the same deree. lIt is usual for the block to be heated urin most of the operations thereof, althouei for stretching purpes the block may used at room temperature."

And from the patent here is a summation of how they work:

"Wit the foregoing s ecific description of the mechanism, the moge of operation may be briey summarized as follows: With the hand wheel and screw rotated as far as it can be toward the right, the two block portions will be brought with their plates 35 in abutting relation, and at this time the indicator 31 will register with the smallest practical size of hat indicated on the plate 12. The switch 34 will be turned on if heat is desired in the block units. The hand wheel 25 is then turned in the left .direction so as to separate the units 26 and 27v as far from each other as will be determined by the amount of tension or stress desired to be placed in the hat which is of course understood to be placed thereover 'before the block elements are separated. This movement of the screw is continued until the desired size for the hat is indicated by the pointer 31 over the plate 12 and the operation will be then delayed long enough for the roper amount of stretch to become effective especially if the hat has been moistened or steamed for the purpose.

I claim:

In a hat crown block, a base, a pedestal extending upward from the base, a cross head carried by the upper end of the pedestal and comprising a central bearing and a pair of bosses spaced on opposite sides thereof, said bosses having parallel horizontal bores, a pair of guide bars fixed in said bores and extending fore and aft from the cross head, a horizontal ri'ght and left screw journaled in said cross head bearing, a air of' block portions, and a cross head xed to each of the block portions, each of the latter mentioned cross heads comprising a central nut ortion co-operatin with said screw, andp a pair of guide lings slidably mounted upon said bars whereby the block members are caused to move toward or from each other and are held positively from lateral tilting or other movement."

 

[Joao Encarnado]

I wish I had one.

 

[humanshoes]

Well, here's a rounding jack even you can probably live with Joao. Just finished this supersized jack for our very own Esther in Antwerp. It will trim out to 21cm, or about 8 1/4" for my metrically challenged brain. Btw, nice old hat stretchers. Mine was made by the Grand Mfg. Corp. and is still in excellent working order, although I have never had the need or the guts to use the heat.

 

[EstherWeis]

Can't wait to use it!
Thank you for making it for me!!

 

[humanshoes]

My pleasure Esther! I sent you a pm.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Well, here's a rounding jack even you can probably live with Joao.

As long it can't trim below 4", it's OK with me

 

[RJR]

Beautiful job,Rick.

 

[humanshoes]

As long it can't trim below 4", it's OK with me

Well, it'll go below 4", it's just not strictly necessary if you're philosophically opposed to it.

 

[humanshoes]

Beautiful job,Rick.

Thanks RJR! It made me realize why we Americans never warmed up to the metric system.

 

[DOGMAN]

Very nice work,biggest rounding jack I've ever seen.

 

[humanshoes]

Thanks Dogman. I was thinking of calling it the "Encarnado". Hah!

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Well, it'll go below 4", it's just not strictly necessary if you're philosophically opposed to it.

I can always get it wrong and could trim to 2", then it's impossible to undo.

Thanks Dogman. I was thinking of calling it the "Encarnado". Hah!

ah ah

 

[DOGMAN]

Sorry,Joao....But that's kind of funny.

 

[DOGMAN]

Been watching this block and a antique store for more than a year.It finally went on sale.It's a 7 1/4-5 3/4- 52 Block.

 

[Frunobulax]

In decent shape, too.

 

[RJR]

Nice catch,Chuck.

 

[Bob Roberts]

What's in a number...? I heard from one hat maker that hes guessing Feds are blocked on a 58...? and he claimed his flagship hat is blocked on an 82 "reverse" taper, and I'm told from JJ'S Hats that Stetsonians are blocked on a 600 or 60? So it appears to be all about the block if you want that true "vintage" profile.