Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for the Manufacture of relt.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for the Manufacture
of relt.
I, NIKOLAUS WAHL, of Loebau, in Saxony, Empire of Germany, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
-
This invention relates to improvements in felting and fulling machines
specially adapted for the treatment of felted cloth in the piece.
Hitherto the process of manufacture usually consisted in passing a suitable
number of lengins of material as prepared by the carding machine, through a
so-called felt-hardening machine, thence into a roller telting-machine where
the material is treated by a series of rollers having a rotating and to-and-fro
motion, and finally into and through a fulling machine. The material was
then ready for undergoing the finishing operations.
The object of the present invention is to construct a machine adapted to
perform all the various aforesaid operations in one passage of the material
instead of necessitating the employment of separate and different machines for
their performance.
Two trains of rollers supporting two superposed conveying bands are held in
bearings provided on a suitably constructed frame and receive coinciding motion
through conveniently arranged gear wheels. A lever pivoted to the frame of
the machine and receiving an oscillating motion from the driving shaft of the
machine, is connected by means of a rod with a double-armed lever adjustably
pivoted to the frame, so that the oscillations of the former main lever are followed
by the said double-armed lever, the arms of which are made of unequal length,
and which in its turn is connected by a rod with a third lever oscillating and
pivoted on the spindle of one of the aforesaid gear wheels.
At the junction of connecting rod and lever a pawl is provided, adapted to
engage with the gear wheel at each oscillation towards the right of the lever
pivoted on its spindle, and thereby moving the wheel forward for a corresponding
distance. This partial rotation which is communicated to the other gear wheel
coincides with the corresponding jerking forward movement of both conveying
bands.
The main lever connected with the driving shaft of the machine by means
of a rod and sleeve which is displaceable upon the lever shank, passes through
and is moveable in a sleeve turnably affixed to the frame and adapted to auto-
matically adjust itself to the oscillating lever. This connection of main lever
and roller frame is designed to impart a regular to-and-fro motion to the latter,
and the full weight of the frame and of the rollers held therein is made to bear
upon the machine table, the latter forming the cover plate of a team-heated
chest. Of the rollers forming the trains, those nearest both extremities of the
train have smooth surfaces while those at and near the centre are fluted. The
two rollers at the right end of the train are made hollow so as to be capable of
being heated by steam. A pine or tube from which hot water is sprayed, is
arranged between the two last rollers on the left of the train.

page_text: Adjoining the aforesaid steam-chest there is provided a dish-sectioned water
tank through which the lower conveying band is made to pass for the purpose
of keeping it continually moistened, and next to the said tank a second steam
chest is arranged having a perforated cover plate so that steam passing through
the perforations may penetrate through the conveying band and the superposed
layers of material under treatment.
At both sides of the frame there are extensions to receive brackets for the
reels from and onto which the material is being wound before and after passing
through the machine.
In order to admit of the machine herein before described to be employed in
direct connection with the known felt-hardening machines now in use, only
unimportant constructional alterations are required, the principle remaining
the same.
The necessary alterations in construction essentially consist in pro-
viding means by which the roller frame can be made to follow the up-and-down
movement of the cover plate of the felt hardening machine.
This end can be attained by suitably arranging the machine to be driven by
the main shaft of the felt hardening machine by means of suitable coupling,
and by providing a convenient combination of levers for effecting the raising
and lowering of the roller frame simultaneous with that of the cover plate of
the felt hardening machine.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1899
CAMBIE & WINCKELSETT,
Warwick Buildings, 40, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
For the Applicant.
CUMIT INIL
DIMIFICATION.
Inprovements in the Method of and Apparatus for the Manufacture
of Felt.
I, NIKOLAUS WAHL, of Leobau, in Saxony, Empire of Germany, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement: -
This invention relates to felting and fulling machines specially adapted for
the treatment of felt in the piece.
Hitherto the process of manufacture usually consisted in passing a suitable
number of lengths of material as prepared by the carding machine, through a
so-called felt-hardening machine, thence into a roller felting machine, where
each piece is treated separately by about 40 pairs of rollers having a rotary
and a to-and-fro motion. Subsequently the felted material coming from the
roller felting machine is treated (each piece separately) in a preliminary fulling
machine, which prepares it for the crank-fulling machine.
The object of the present invention is, to construct a machine adapted to
perform all the various aforesaid operations in one passage of the material,
instead of necessitating the employment of separate and different machines for
their performance.
The advantages of this novel machine are as follows:-
1. Inasmuch as the machine operates upon and finishes more than one length
of felt at the same time, its capacity of production increases in the same propor-
tion, while the cost of labour becomes less according as the output of the machine
is larger.
2. The machine may readily be combined into one connected arrangement,
or single machine, with the existing felt-hardener, which need not necessarily

page_text: undergo any special alteration for the purpose, but which may, if desired, be
carried out in a somewhat modified form (Figs. 3, 3, 4, and 4*), a feature which
will enable manufacturers possessing hardeners of any of the older types to retain
them in use, in conjunction with the new machine.
3. This machine, when carried out as shown in Figs. 1, 1, 2 and 2ª, permits
the felt hardener, the roller felt machine and the preliminary fulling machine
to be dispensed with, thereby not only effecting a substantial saving in the
cost of erection of new works, but also enabling the machinery required to be
fitted up more compactly or to occupy less space.
4. By reason of the simplified mode of operation, which is one of the effects
of the improved machine, the rolling up of the unfinished pieces of felt at
each stage of operation, which has been necessary hitherto, being avoided,
since the appliances which required this are now rendered superfluous, a great
saving is secured in time, the amount of exertion required, and the wages to be
paid for labour.
In the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1 and 1ª, are a side elevation of a machine
embodying my invention, while Figs. 2 and 2ª are a plan of the same.
-
Figs. 3 and 3 represent a modified form of the machine, directly combined
with one of the ordinary felt hardeners,-being a side elevation thereof;-
while Figs. 4 and 4 are a plan of the same. Each of the said figures represents
either the right or the left half of the machine, so that an elevation or plan
of the entire machine may be obtained by joining the two corresponding figures
together.
The machine chiefly comprises in its construction a frame or stand G, in which
are arranged two endless transporting bands or feed aprons T, T" serving to
produce the forward motion of the superposed layers of felt to be operated upon.
Each of these bands forms a closed loop, one of them being arranged above,
and the other below the frame.
Two groups of rollers are provided for guiding and supporting the two endless
transporting bands, viz., the rollers w¹ mounted above the frame G, and the
rollers w mounted below the same, and their circumference is roughened to
prevent the bands T, T¹ from sliding on the rollers. The tension of the trans-
porting bands may be regulated, by means of regulating rollers w² and w³
mounted in inclined slots of the machine frame, the said rollers being capable
of adjustment along the said slots.
The intermittent forward motion of the transporting aprons T and T', and
that of the felt is effected in the following manner.
A lever H is pivoted at its lower end to the machine frame like an inverted
pendulum, and connected with a two-armed lever h, likewise pivoted to the
frame H, by means of a horizontal connecting rod s, the connection between
the lever and the rods being made by means of an adjustable sleeve adapted
A link s¹
to regulate the motion imparted to the lever h by the lever H.
connected at one end with the short arm of the lever hand at the other with a
lever pivoted on the axle of the toothwheel Z, serves to impart intermittent
motion to the latter by means of a ratchet pawl k secured to the lever.
The pendulous motion of the lever H is therefore transmitted to the spur-
wheel and to a roller w connected with the same (but not shown in Fig. 1),
and each time the feed apron T is fed forward a short distance. As the wheel Z
gears into a toothwheel Z' of equal size, which is connected with a roller w¹,
(not shown) the latter takes part in this motion and transmits it to the endless
band T', so that the latter travels forward at exactly the same rate as the
band T.
In this manner the felt lying between the two feed-aprons is gradually fed
forward through the machine, during which time it is subjected to the treat-
5ment hereafter described.
The main lever H, which is connected through the medium of an adjustable
sleeve M and a connecting rod S with a crank shaft K driven by the tooth-

page_text: wheels V, protrudes with its upper end through a sleeve M¹ suspended from the
frame Rand performing a pendulum motion; so that, as the said sleeve swings
backwards and forwards, automatically accommodating itself to the oscillations
of the said lever, such lever is adapted to perform corresponding movements
within the sleeve. Owing to the connection of the lever H with the frame R,
it is set in a rectilinear reciprocating motion, the full weight of the frame and
of the rollers W which it supports, bearing-no matter what the position
upon a plate P constituting a steam chamber. Of the rollers W supported in
the frame R, of which there may be any requisite number, both the two
foremost and the two rearmost rollers are made smooth, while the intermediate
ones (of which it is here assumed, by way of example, that there are three) are
grooved or milled. In addition to this, the two extreme rollers on the right
side are so arranged, that they may be heated with steam; while between the
two extreme rollers on the left there opens the orifice of a flexible tube or hose L,
through which, irrespective of any motion of the frame R, hot water may be
injected in the form of spray. Close behind the plate P, forming a steami-chest,
a channel or trough-shaped recess of the well-known type is provided, and kept
filled with water, so that the lower feeding apron T may be sent through it and
thus constantly maintained in a moist condition. In front of this trough or
channel, there is arranged another steam-chamber or chest P", the covering
plate or lid of which, however, is so perforated, that the steam admitted may
permeate the feeding apron and the felt layers resting thereon. The frame is
at both ends fitted with extensions which serve to secure in position the brackets
arranged one behind the other, in pairs, and which, in their turn, serve for the
reception of the rollers, from or on to which the layers of felt F', and their
respective felt cloths F are wound. Through lack of space one felt roller only
has been shown here, although from four to six may be provided, so that their
respective bands of telt, placed one above the other, may all be conducted to
the machine.
The operation of the form of machine represented in Figs. 1, 1 and 2, 2ª
(Sheets 1 to 4) is as follows:-
The woollen fleeces F, as they come from the card, and are wound upon
rollers, being say from four to six in number, are placed on the brackets,
provided in the right hand side extension, in such a manner that a roller Ft,
with a felt-cloth, and a series of woollen fleeces F, then another felt-cloth
roller F, and so on, alternate in regular succession. The ends of all these
alternating lengths of material, thus lying in juxtaposition, are arranged in
alignment in front, and in this condition introduced between the two feeding
aprons T T, which thereupon automatically feed along, and effect the unwinding
of the fleeces and felt-cloths. The material thus piled up in alternate sheets
or layers is first of all drawn over the steam chest P₁ covered over with the
perforated plate; the steam rising from the chest through such perforated
plate or lid being allowed to permeate the material which, by a slow step-by-step
motion, is drawn along over the chest. When it has reached the end of this
chest, the lower feeding band T is constantly moistened by passing through the 4
trough-shaped recess filled with water, and it now proceeds, together with
the steamed material, to take up its position over the closed steam chest P. From
the moment it comes to be over this steam chest, the material is within the
reach of the frame R, which is being rolled backwards and forwards by the
swinging lever H. The result of this reciprocating motion of the frame, the
entire undiminished weight of which is sustained by the material, is to subject
such material to a single operation of a special kind, having a combined felting
and fulling effect, and the advantageous nature of which is evidenced by the
very marked distinction noticeable between the finished material treated by
this process, and similar material obtained by the methods used hitherto. The 5
old method of felting, with the felt-hardener and roller-felt machine could not

page_text: ut lead to an imperfect result, for, owing to the straight vertical pressure
xercised by the lid of the felt hardener, the wool fibres, whilst retaining their
arallel position imparted to them by the card, were simply moved past each
ther by a smooth sliding motion, and so compressed; so that no matting or
elting effect was produced, so, also, the treatment by means of the roller felting
nachine is unsatisfactory because, as the rollers are arranged close together
both in the horizontal and vertical directions,-the wool fibres are maintained
as it were, between a series of tongues; the consequence being, that notwith-
standing the brief rocking movement they receive as they pass from one pair of
rollers to the next, they are not allowed sufficient time to become felted. In
these respects the machine herein described differs in toto from all previous
arrangements, both as regards the immediate effect produced and the result
finally attained. The fibres, which, to begin with, are submitted to the action
of intense heat both from below, through the plate P-, and from above,--
through the terminal rollers on the right hand side, which have been heated by
steam, become in a marked manner curled or crimpled; while owing to the slow
backward and forward motion of the heavy frame and the rollers, the fibres are
enabled to become felted within each other, as it were, a process which is further
assisted and accelerated by the action of the milled or grooved rollers, which not
After leaving the
only press the fibres into, but twist them around each other.
steam chest P, the felt layers F and felt cloths Ft (respectively) become wound
upon a corresponding number of rollers, in the same order of succession in which
they were at the start, arranged upon the rearward extension of the machine
frame; and by means of a chain-loop the said rollers are revolved at the same
rate of speed at which the rolled or felted material is unwound and delivered;
the felt being by this time sufficiently prepared only to require being additionally
fulled by means of a fulling machine, to be finished.
The modified form of machine illustrated by Figs. 3, 3 and 4, 4ª (Sheets 5
to 8) is, in principle, identical with the form first described. The fact, how-
ever, that this modification is adapted for use in conjunction with a felt hardener,
as heretofore employed, has necessitated an alteration of certain structural
details in no way affecting the principle of the machine. The object of the
machine in this form is to enable manufacturers who happen to be in possession
of flat felt hardeners of the ordinary type, to adopt the present improved apparatus
without the necessity of, to any great extent, altering the arrangement of the
existing felt hardener, and to use the improvement in conjunction with such
hardener.
The structural distinction between this modification and the form of machine
depicted in Figs. 1, 1, and 2, 2ª is, that here the reciprocating frame R, together
with the rollers supported therein, must rise and fall simultaneously with the
cover of the felt hardener; and further hot water is admitted, not only, as in
the machine first described, at one particular point, but so that it is distributed
Motion is, in this case, imparted to the
over the whole area of the frame.
machine from the driving shaft of the felt hardener direct, through the agency
ot a chain or strap.
The course of operations is as follows:-
As the cover of the felt hardener rises, the draw-bar Z is, by means of the
lever H', inserted for the purpose, whose arms are equal in length, drawn to the
right hand side, and along with such rod, the bell-crank levers Ware drawn
back, so that their lower arms rise, and that through the medium of the short
levers, adjustably attached to the sliding bars H2, both the said levers Wi
and the frame R, together with the rollers W which it supports, are brought
to a raised position. As the plate of the felt hardener descends, these movements
of the several levers are reversed, with the result, that the roller frame R is
5 lowered. Irrespective of these movements the pendulum movement of the lever H
continues, and the moment the frame R has descended, it is reciprocated back-
wards and forwards exactly as in the case of the first-mentioned form of machine;

page_text: and the felting and initial fulling effects, also, are precisely the same as in the
first case.
It will be observed, that in Figs. 3, 3 and 4, 4ª the felting rollers F and
their respective felt-cloths I have had to be omitted through lack of space.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
1 claim is―
1. A combined felting and preliminary fulling machine for piece felts, having
the characteristic feature, that several layers of felt material placed one above
the other and kept apart by felt cloths are drawn through the machine simul-
taneously in the known manner between two endless transporting aprons T T
travelling at exactly the same speed, and are thereby caused to pass over a
steam chest P having a perforated cover, and subsequently over a steam chest l'
having a solid (riz.-unperforated) cover, during which time they are subjected
do the action of a reciprocating frame I running on rollers and set in motion
from a crankshaft by means of a pendulous lever H, the pressure of the said
frame acting through the intermediary of smooth and grooved rollers arranged
in alternate groups and partly heated by steam, together with the water supplied
by a hose Land directed on the felt in the shape of a spray, being adapted to
perform the felting and preliminary fulling in one operation, after which the
different layers of felt and felt-cloth coming from the machine are again separated
from one another and wound on separate rollers, substantially as described.
2. A felting and fulling machine of the type described, in combination with a
felt hardener, and means for lifting and lowering the reciprocating frame R
simultaneously with the cover of the felt hardener, the coupled bell-crank
levers W being, for this purpose, connected by the rod Z2 with the lever H
of the felt hardener, and the levers W' being connected with the lifting rods H2
by means of links, substantially as described.
3. A combined felting and fulling machine constructed and adapted to operate
substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of February 1900.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents, 37 and 39, Essex Street, Strand, London.