Patent GB-782030-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to a method of manufacturing blanks of articles of feltand automatic machine therefor
IPC: D04H1/22
Filed: 1955-05-02
Abstract: 782,030. Felt. CASSE, M. May 2, 1955 [May 5, 1954], No. 12633/55. Class 42 (2). [Also in Group VII] In the forming of felt hat bodies or other articles, in order to effect the hardening and first felting operations whilst the fragile blank formed by deposition of fibres on a perforated cone or other shaped support is retained on the support, the support is subjected to highfrequency vibrations of small amplitude. Fig. 1 shows a hat-forming machine comprising a forming station I and a station II for receiving each hat body after separation from its cone. A movable support B carries two forming cones 1, 1a and is moved by mechanism C to bring them into succession and alternately to stations I, II, one cone 1 at station I being upright whilst the other cone 1a is inverted. On the support B, each cone 1 or 1a is combined with a driving mechanism D which imparts to this cone firstly a slow rotary movement about its axis and secondly a rapid vibratory movement, having a frequency between 1000 and 3000 vibrations per minute and an amplitude of about 1 mm. Provided at the station I is a fan E for producing a down draught of air inside an openable forming vessel F comprising two half shells 85, 86, Figs. 1, 2. heated by tubes 92 and pivotally mounted on a shaft 94 for displacement to the open position shown in dot-dash lines at 85a, 86a, Fig. 2. The vessel F is combined with a hot water spraying device G which is capable of occupying a position outside the vessel F or at G<SP>1</SP>, Fig. 1, in an operative position inside the vessel. The vessel F is also combined with a feed device H for supplying fur, hair or other fibres such as glass fibre. In operation, with the cone 1 in position, the feed device H pours fibres into the vessel F with the latter in its closed state and under the action of the fan E, the fibres are deposited in a layer O on the cone 1. The mechanism D imparts a slow rotary movement to the cone 1 to permit an even distribution of fibres over the cone and a high-frequency vibratory movement which effects the hardening operation. When the layer O has been fully deposited, the vessel F opens and the spraying device G moves in to its operative position G<SP>1</SP> and sprays the layer O. Thereafter the support B substitutes the cone 1a for the cone 1 and the cone 1 takes up an inverted position at station II where the hat body O becomes detached from the cone under the effect of the continued vibrations. Each cone is mounted on a ring 41 which is connected by short resilient pins 43 to a second coaxial ring 32 which is slowly rotated, the ring 41 also being resiliently connected by rods 47 and through the medium of an anti-friction bearing 48 to an eccentric journal 54, Fig. 4 (not shown) of a shaft 55 which is coaxial with the ring 32 and rotated at a much higher speed than the ring 32 to provide the vibrations for the ring 41 and cone 1. The operation of the machine is entirely automatic, the various movements of its parts being effected and co-ordinated by electric motors and cam-operated switch gear.