IMPROVEMENT IN HAT FELTING AND SIZING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I THOMAS LONGSHAW, of Watsessing County of Essex, State of New Jersey
United States America Hat Maker do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVEMENT IN HAT FELTING AND SIZING MACHINES and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement
My invention relates to that class of machines which are used in the process of
hat making known as felting or sizing; this part of the work is generally per-
formed by hand labor which is slow and tedious, and where inachinery has been
applied, for this purpose. It has met with serious objections by spoiling the stock,
and when performed by machinery satisfactorily the process was too slow-that the
product so small in advance of hand labor-that it does not pay the expense of
building, the machines.
"
The object of my invention is to devise and construct a machine that will meet
all the requirements of the process and perform the work more rapidly and
successfully than has been done heretofore.
I attain this by passing the roll of hats between a revolving drum and a series
of small rolls, attached to a suitable frame. Around the said drum the said. series
of rolls are provided with a suitable adjusting device for increasing or decreasing
the space between the rolls and drum uniformly throughout the whole of the circle,
which is an essential feature as the roll of hats require an even pressure through-
out; the process of sizing, and proper provision is also made for keeping the roll of
hats warm, which will be more fully explained hereinafter. As the roll of hats
becomes more set and harder, they can be worked more rapidly; therefore to
facilitate the work, I construct a double series of rolls outside of the circumferences
of the pressure rolls, which carry the roll of hats more rapidly along and increase
the product very materially which will hereinafter be more fully explained, reference.
being bad to the accompanying drawing in which
Fig. 1, represents side elevation of my machine part in section.
Fig. 2, représenta end elevation in section.
In the drawing, 1 represents frame, 2 drum, 3 water tank,
pressure rolls,..
5 rolls of hats, 6 outer rolls, 7 outer pressure rolls. The drum 2, which is plain,
corrugated or fluted on the face is supported by shaft 8 in suitable bearings 9, on.
frame 1, and is revolved by the belt pulley 10, in the direction of arrow point,

page_text: To the inner side of the frame 1, at 11, the levers 12 are pivoted and to the other
end of said levers 12, is attached the pressure rolls 4, moving to and from the
drum 2, by the levers 12, swinging on the pivot 11. And the said rolls 4 are
retained and adjusted to any desired distance from the drum 2, by the circular
frame or disk 13, having slots 14 therein for the reception of the protruding
pins 15 on levers 12. The said disk 13, being guided in a suitable circular channel
on the inner side of frame 1. Attached to the disk 13, is the arm 16, which is
connected to the adjusting screw 17, and operated by crank handle 18, and swivel
nut 19. By turning the handle 18 in either direction the disk 13 is revolved in
the channel forward or backward and raises or lowers the whole series of rolls 4,
uniformly throughout the entire circle by the pins 15, on lever 12 sliding freely in
the slots 14. in disk 13.
The levers 12 may be dispensed with if desired and the end of the rolls 4, run
in bearing blocks which slide in radial slots in frame 1, and said blocks provided
with pins which fit into slots 14, in disk 13, and operated in a similar manner as
described.
"
On the outer ends of the shaft 8 and beyond the bearings 9, are secured to said
shaft two pulleys 20 and 21 on which the end a of rolls 6, (of the outer series)
rest and are revolved by frictional contact with pulleys 20 and 21, the ends
extending through the frame 1, and covered with rubber or other material to
produce the required friction and being adjustable to and from the pulleys by
radial slots 22, in said frame 1, and the required pressure is obtained by suitable
springs 23 placed in said slots 22.
Outside of the series of rolls 6, is attached a series adjustable pressure rolls 7,
which are attached to levers. 24, said lever 24 being pivoted to frame 1, at 25,
and operated in the same manner as rolls 4 heretofore described, by the disk 26,
arm 27, screw 28.
Upon the inner side of the frame 1, and on either side opposite the spaces 29
and 30 for the hat rolls are placed steam pipes 31 and 32, provided with
openings 33, which allow the jet of steam to flow in direction of the arrow points
and thereby keep the roll of hats hot, while they are passing along between the
drum 2 and rolls 4; the rolls 6 and rolls 7.
The whole machine being erected in a suitable tank 3, for the purpose of holding
water or other liquid used in process of manufacture and provided with steam
pipe 35, for heating same. To operate the machine, the drum 2, is revolved by
pulley 10, in direction of arrow point and the roll of hats 5 fed into the passage 29
from table 38 and travels around between the drum 2 and pressure rolls 4, and is
discharged upon table 39, when the hats have become sufficiently hardened they
are fed into the space 30, between the outer rolls 6 and 7, from table 40, and
travelling around at a higher velocity are discharged upon the table 41.
In all of the above operations the space between the rolls for hat rolls 5, is
adjusted to suit the work required.
I In some cases it is preferable to remove the rolls 6 and 7, and use only the
drum 2, and rolls 4, which makes only a single acting machine, but will perform all
the duties required without being connected and will only lessen the product. If
desired, the rolls 4, 6.and 7, may be plain, fluted, corrugated, straight or spiral. In
some instances it may be preferable to remove the face of drum 2, and insert a set
of small rolls, or may be driven by pulleys on shaft 8, in a similar manner as the
rolls 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
.
1st. In a Hat-felting and Sizing Machine with a revolving drum and series of
pressure rolls; the levers 12 pivoted to main frame 1, at a point 11, tangent with
the periphery of the drum 2, and attached to the rolls 4, and connected by slots 14,

page_text: pin 15, to the movable disk 13, for adjusting the rolls 4, to and from the drum 2,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2d. In a Hat-felting and Sizing Machine with a revolving drum, the movable
disk 13, rotating in channel on inside of frame 1, around axis of drum 2, and
provided with slots 14, for reception of pins 15, arm. 16, and connected to the
adjusting screw 17, by swivel nut 19, and crank 18, substantially as described.
3d. In a Hat-felting and Sizing Machine. The revolving drum 2, with plain or
corrugated surface, placed inside of the series of adjustable rolls 4, substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
4th. In a Hat-felting and Sizing Machine the rolls 4, placed along the inner
circumference of the rotating disk 13, in combination with levers 12, frame 1,
disk 13, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5th. In a Hat-felting and Sizing Machine, the rolls 6 with ends Ga in com-
bination with the pulleys 20 and 21, adjustable pressure rolls 7, and levers 24,
disk 26 arm 27, adjusting screw 28, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
6th. In a Hat-felting and Sizing Machine, the steam pipes 31 and 32, provided
with perforations 33, in combination with the drum 2, adjustable pressure rolls 4,
rolls 6 and adjustable rolls 7, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7th. In a Hat-felting and Sizing Machine, the drum 2, rolls 4, 6 and 7, in com-
bination with pulleys 20 and 21, disks 13, and 26, arms 16 and 27, adjusting
screws 17 and 28, steam pipes 31 and 32, provided with perforations 33, substan-
tially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this eighth day of April 1885.
Witnesses,
C. R. WAGNER.
ALFRED WEBER.
THOMAS LONGSHAW.