Patent GB-517241-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for sizing hat bodies or bats
IPC: A42C1/02
Filed: 1938-08-15
Abstract: 517,241. Hat felting machines. BOESCH, A. H. Aug. 15, 1938. No. 24045. Convention date, Jan. 27. [Class 63] Relates to hat felting machines of the multiroller type. A number of sets of rollers are connected by conveyers. The rollers and conveyers are driven by mechanism disposed between the sets of rollers. Change speed mechanism allows "crozing" when desired and of variable amount. The pressure between co-operating banks of rollers is adjustable. The rollers rotate some 350 times per minute and the lower rollers reciprocate axially some 1750. times per minute. The bearings of the rollers are of phenolic condensation compounds lubricated by water. To reduce vibration the reciprocations of the sets of rollers are balanced one against the other. Fig. 3 shows one side of the machine, a similar unit being disposed on the other side of a casing 141 housing the driving mechanism. The bats are placed on a conveyer 27 comprising driven shafts carrying spaced rollers, the rollers on one shaft just clearing the adjacent shaft. Near, the end of this conveyer the bats are sprayed with hot water by pipes 130, Fig. 4, below them and pipes 132 above them. Fingers 116 then guide the bats between upper rollers 45 and lower rollers 99, the upper rollers being mounted in a frame 44 hinged to brackets 47, and capable of being raised about the hinge by a handle 85. Normally the frame is locked in its operative position by inclines 91 carried by a slide bar 90 engaging pins 89 on the frame. The bar is retracted, when desired, to free the frame by a pin 95, Fig. 3, engaged by an arm 96 actuated by a handle 97, Fig. 4. The height of the upper frame, and, therefore, the gap between upper and lower rollers is determined by wedge surfaces 104 on bars 103 moved lengthwise by pinions 105 on a rotatable shaft carrying a pointer 110. The rollers are carried in bearings 50, 51, 101 of material capable of lubrication by water, such as a phenolic condensation compound. The upper bearings are urged downwardly by springs 53, the tension of which may be adjusted by a handle 78, Fig. 3, secured to a rod 75 carrying a pair of bell-crank levers and linked to a rod 74 carrying a second pair. The position of the levers, and therefore the tension of the springs is maintained and indicated by a pawl released by a finger 79. The lower rollers are oscillated axially, the travel being about one-eighth of an inch, eccentrics 149, Fig. 7, on a shaft driven by a motor 140, being connected by links 150, 152 and pivot pins 159 with a cross-head 158 for each set of lower rolls. The cross-heads each have a thrust roller 164 and are connected with shafts 170, Fig, 11, secured to the lower rollers. Each shaft 170 slides through a driving pinion 174 and extends through a bore 175 containing sealing discs preventing escape of lubrication from the housing 141. The upper rollers are driven through a four speed gear governed by a handle 219, Fig. 7, co-operating with a gate. With the handle in one of the slots the upper and lower rollers rotate at the same speed. When "crozing" is desired one of the other gears is meshed, these providing higher speeds of the upper rollers up to a maximum of twelve per cent. The upper and lower rollers have grooves 135, 136, Fig. 4, out of alignment so that hot water jets from pipes 137, 138 may reach the bats as they pass along between the rollers. After passing through both sets of rollers shown in Fig. 3 the bats reach a second conveyer 28, similar to the conveyer 27 and then a stacking apparatus of the kind described in Specification 516,437, having corrugated rollers 256, 257 for stiffening the bats while they are thrown on to a table or conveyer. The eccentrics 149 are so placed that the rollers on the two sides of the machine move in and out together, and so balance and reduce vibration. Further, the throws for the two sets of rollers on one side are arranged at right angles to still further reduce vibration, especially such as may result from coincidence of electrical and mechanical frequency. The roller and conveyer shafts are each driven by a bevel gear, and each gear has an oil supply pipe. Treadles 254, Fig. 4, control valves to empty tanks at the base of the apparatus which catch the water. Preferably "crozing" is applied only when a bat travels side foremost between the rolls.. The rollers are rubber covered and have a diameter of two inches.