IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WOOLLEN FABRICS, OR FABRICS OF WHICH WOOLS, FURS, OR HAIRS ARE THE PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS AS WELL AS FOR THE. MACHINERY USED THEREIN
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS,
ROBINSON WILLIAMS, of Cheapside, in the City of London, Gentleman; send,
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of September, in the fourth year of Her,
reign did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Robinson Williams, Her especial license, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said Thomas Robinson Williams, my.
executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Thomas.
Robinson Williams, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any.
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,,
and vend, within all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in
the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WOOLLEN FABRICS, OR FABRICS OF WHICH
WOOLS, FURS, OR HAIRS ARE THE PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS AS WELL AS FOR THE.
MACHINERY USED THEREIN;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso,.
obliging me, the said Thomas Robinson Williams, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my:
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause
the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery, within six
term

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Robinson Williams, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which. the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of "Improvements in the manufacture of woollen fabrics, or
fabrics of which wools, furs, or hairs are the principal components, as well as
for the machinery used therein," relates chiefly to the making of cloth by
felting alone, without spinning and weaving, and consists in a new combination
of machinery, apparatus, and processes, first, for obtaining a long, even, and
uniform bat of wool or other materials of any required length, width, or thick-
ness, suitable to be made into commercial ends or pieces of cloth, and after-
wards for the purpose of producing such fabrics, or ends, or pieces of cloth,
composed of all the various well known felting substances, such as wools, furs,
and the hairs of animals, and which I use either 'separately or mixed up
together, in every possible proportion, and sometimes with a small addition of
non-felting fibrous materials, such as cotton, silk, or flax, not exceeding one
third, as best suits the description of fabric required. The fabric or manufac-
ture as produced by these processes and machinory, herein first combined and
described, wholly depend for their union and strength upon the great principle
or tendency of these animal products, when properly treated, to combine and
unite (or as it is commonly called to felt together, and this without the usual
auxiliaries of spinning and weaving (as in the old cloth manufacture), or the
use of any adhesive mixtures being at all employed.) The raising machine I
have hereafter described to be used in the finishing of cloths is applicable
chiefly to cloth, made by felting alone, but is also applicable to cloths produced
by spinning and weaving. I should first observe, that in the new manufacture
of fulted cloth, I dispense entirely with the use of any oil or oleaginous matter
which is generally required in the common woollen manufacture for assisting
the spinning of yarns, and prefer that the wool should be well scoured and
dried, after which it should be teazed or willied, picked and scribbled in the
usual way. The dry clean wool, as it is thus prepareil, is then to be weighed
out into quantities for producing any required thickness and width of goods as
now described, remarking, that for fine wools I prefer, for obtaining the bat,
the method represented at Figures 1, and Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11; and for

page_text: short coarse wool and hair the method afterwards described under Figs. 12,
13, 14, and 15..
Fig. represents a common wool carding engine, which, to produce broad
cloths, should be made from seventy-two to eighty-four inches broad; and
A, B, C, D, two long revolving aprons of linen cloth (or any other suitable..
material) attached thereto, passing over the rollers or drums 1, 2, 3, 4, which
have a motion from the doffers of the card as here represented, or any other
convenient part of the engine. These aprons and drums revolve in opposito
directions, as represented by the arrows, so that the two inner surfaces a, b, of
each apron move in the same direction with uniform speed, and nearly with tho
same velocity with the doffer, of the card; as regards their surfaces. The wool
is taken off from the doffers by the usual comb crank motion in an attenuated
sliver. This sliver is now received between the two revolving aprons at c, d;
which have a slight flooring i, i, for their support, and passes on between them..
until it arrives at the further end of the aprons from the card. A direction is
then given to the sliver, so that it shall pass up and over the upper apron A, C,..
and wind itself upon this apron, one sliver over the other, until the bat has
become of sufficient thickness, it being, during this operation, supported and
sustained in contact with the apron A, C, by the apron B, D, for which
support this latter apron is principally intended. As the apron A, C, may be
of any determinate length and width corresponding with the card, it is evident
that any fixed quantity of wool, being passed through the engine and received
upon this apron, may be made to produce any required thickness of bat, and
consequently any required weight of goods per yard that may be desirable,
after having undergone the succeeding operations. As in many manufacturing
premises these two long extended aprons could not be so conveniently used for
want of room, I sometimes extend them backwards and forwards, and even
with several aprons, as shewn at Figs. 6, 7, and 8, or perpendicularly up and
down, where only two are required, as shewn at Figures 9 and 10. There is
another mode of producing a bat, which perhaps, on some accounts, is prefer-
able for the finer and lighter descriptions of goods. It is still produced from
successive folds of the sliver, but in this way there are several slivers taken off
from the doffers of different carding engines and simultaneously received upon
the same aprons, and enter into the composition of one and the same bat.
For this purpose any of the several arrangements of aprons found most con-
venient for adaptation to certain premises may be equally applied, it only
being necessary to extend the lower aprons of any of these along and
under two, three, or more carding engines, one standing behind or after
the other, as shewn at Fig. 11. The lower apron is here seen extending

page_text: under the cylinders and doffers of three carding engines, reaching from A to 13.
Under each of these carding engines is a flooring 1, 2, for preventing the dirt
and dust of each from falling upon the bat; but between each carding engine
there is a transverse opening through the flooring for allowing the slivers to
fall upon the apron, which, as in the other cases (with the one sliver,) are
carried forward to the lower end of the apron frame, as before described, for
winding the bat upon the roller E; and which bat is afterwards treated in a
similar way to all or any of those produced in the other machines. It is neces-
sary that these aprons should be prevented from wrinkling, and kept uniformly
and carefully extended throughout their whole lengths, whether passed out at
length, as in Fig. 1, or wound in other directions, as shewn at Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9,
and 10. I make use of the following means for effecting this object:-Upon
the two edges of the apron a, a, a, Figs. 6, 7, 8, is sewn cords b, b, or strips
of leather or any other material, and against these cords or strips the longi-
tudinal guides or strips of wood c, c, c, are brought in contact by means of the
forked arms d, d, and set screws e, e, thereby preventing the apron from con-
tracting. Fig. 17 represents a detached end view on an enlarged scale of a
portion of the apron with this contrivance applied. Another plan for effecting
this object is shown at Fig. 18. The apron a is here kept distended by means
of friction rollers c, c, working against the cords or strips of leather b. The
same effect may be produced by using rods or laths of wood, whalebone, or
other suitable material, put at proper distances across the apron; but I have
found the other methods answer much better. The bat having acquired its
requisite thickness, it is then cut across its width, as represented at g,. Figs.
1, 6, 7, 9, and the end being passed over the roller E, it is wound firmly upon
it by contact of the roller with the apron A. When the last end of the
severed bat reaches the roller E it brings with it the sliver, which is continuing
to proceed from the carding engine; and which sliver is, as before, passed up
over the apron A, C, and another bat is thus then commenced. The bringing-
off a sliver from the carding engine and winding it round a roller in folds is
now practised for the purpose of taking the contents of such roller from the
scribbler to the carding machine for making rolls for spinning; and such contents
may be and have I believe been felted into sheets of very limited size by hand;
and occasionally also one piece of bat may have been joined on to another and
felted together by manual labour. The continuous bat having been obtained,
as before described, and received upon the said roller E, it is then taken to
another machine, represented at Figs. 2 and 3, called the hardening machine,
and placed in the situation marked f, f. A, B, is the framework of this
machine. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, &c., are rollers, of which there are two sets,

page_text: one over the other. These rollers are wrapped round with an elastic cloth,
and the lower set are furnished with a travelling apron, as represented at a, b.
There are several steam pipes, connected with a boiler producing steam, brought
up and inserted between some of the lower rollers and under the apron repre-
sented at c, c, c, which pipes extend from side to side of the apron, and are
finely perforated upon their upper sides for the purpose of allowing steam to
escape upwards for moistening and warming the bat of wool. As the first
stage of the felting process called hardening is now commencing, the upper
tier of hardening rollers receive an alternating motion endwise, by a cranked
shaft S running. along the side of the machine Fig. 3, upon which there are
as many cranks or excentrics having a short throw of about half an inch, and
connected with each upper roller by shackle bars or slide rods n, n. The
hardening rollers receive also a slow progressive motion from the main shaft T
on the other side of the machine by suitable gearing, consequently moving
the apron between the rollers in the direction of the arrows. There is likewise
inserted between these rollers and under the apron several heaters 1, h, h, h.
These heaters are of hellow metal, and connected by stop-cocks with the steam
pipes which furnish the perforating pipes, for the purpose of increasing and
regulating the heat applied to the bat and assisting the incipient process of
felting. As before stated, the roller E with its bat, being brought from Fig. 1,
is placed in the position f, f; Fig. 2, and its end being entered between the front
rollers of the hardening machine at x, it is gradually passed through them, and.
by means of the alternating motion of the upper rollers acting against tho
resistance offered by the lower ones (which do not alternate), and aided by.
the moisture and heat, the bat arrives at the other end of the niachine in a
consolidated firm state, possessing a considerable degree of feltation. Here,
at z, it is again wound upon a roller F by friction of contact with the apron a, b;
and when the whole bat intended for a piece of cloth (in commerce, called an
end) is finished and wound upon it, it is taken away to receive the next opera-
tion. If this travelling apron be merely wetted by a perforated watering..
pipe, or by passing into a trough of water under the machine, the beaters
h, h, h, acting upon the moisture of the apron so wetted will render (in some
cases) the steam pipes unnecessary, but the heaters must then be increased in
number, so as to give nearly one heater to every pair of rollers:
Having now described the machinery and apparatus which I prefer for
manufacturing fine wools and furs into the hardened state of the bat, it will
be better, before proceeding to the after operation of felting thein into cloths,
to describe such apparatus as is more adapted to manufacture coarse short
wools or hairs or mixtures thereof into useful fabrics. Fig. 12, 13, 14.

page_text: A, the feeding end of the machine, and the cylinder B are nearly the common
construction of the most improved ordinary devil; the feed rollers and apron
being actuated in the usual way, and the cylinder nearly resembling it, except
that I prefer having a greater number of steel teeth, amounting to about
twenty-four thousand in a cylinder, six feet wide upon the face and three feet
diameter. One important feature however in which it differs is that there is
no grating to be used under this cylinder, but a large opening or box with an
end or stop at a is provided for catching or retaining all the unopened locks of
material or extraneous matter which fall by gravity into it; and that the drauglit
of air produced by the revolution of the cylinder B will only carry forward
such light particles as are completely free, and almost as open as the carding
of such materials would produce. C is a cylinder of large dimensions, say
three feet in diameter, covered around its circumference with woven wire gauze,
or perforated metal supported in one or two parts of its length by thin rims of
metal extending to its axle or arbour; the ends of this cylinder are closed and
the ends are just contained within the said linings of this part of the machine,
which are the same distance apart as where it enclosed the ends of the
cylinder B.
It will be seen by the Drawing that only the upper half of the
cylinder C is exposed to the draught of the toothed cylinder B, and receives
the fibres of wool or other materials upon it, and that the lower half is open
for the escape of the air through the floor into the room' D below, which is
constructed of lattice work or any open material. The surface of the per-
forated cylinder C is made to revolve, as shewn in the Drawings, in the
direction of the arrow, at the rate of about five or six feet per minute, and
the flow of the material having formed a bat of sufficient thickness (which is
governed by the amount of feed weighed and spread upon the apron 6); when
the bat has arrived at the two fluted rollers c, c, (the upper one being weighted
upon the lower) it is received between them and passed onwards between the
two other endless aprons d, d, d. These aprons are made of strong canvass,'
and the lower one revolves around the two end rollers 1 and 8, and, conse-
quently, over the intermediate ones 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and the upper apron passes
under the two rollers,, and up over the friction rollers g, g. The lower
rollers marked 5, 6, 7, are inclosed by the pan 9 for the purpose of admitting
steam to the bat whilst between the two aprons, and for which purpose it is
connected by a steam-cock and pipe in comniunication with the boiler;
e, e, e, e, e; e, are upright wooden beaters, with smooth rounded ends at bottom,
supported in the framework f, f, and directly over the lower rollers Nos. 2 to 7.
These beaters are divided into six or more several parts as they extend across
the machine, making in all about thirty-six. They receive a sinall but quick

page_text: perpendicular and falling motion by the tappet shafts h, h, h, h, h, h, which are
geared and revolve together, being connected with any convenient part of the
machine whereby to be set in motion. The quick alternating action of these
beaters, aided by this steam and heat, applied in the way to the bat, occasion it
to be properly hardened and united for producing a consolidated and partly
felted sheet, suitable for the succeeding operation of tight felting, in common
with the bats produced by the previous described machines for fine wools by
carding.
Fig. 15 is another arrangement of a machine, which is used with advantage
in manufacturing the coarser descriptions of goods, such as paddings, coarse
druggets, &c., and is in every way similar to that last described, except in
the mode employed for hardening the bat, which is likewise performed at one
operation, and to both of which the method hereafter described of winding the
bat upon rollers with an intervening cloth between the folds is particularly
applicable as well as for the greater quantity of these goods, which may be
hereby produced in a given time, than in the finer descriptions where carding
engines are altogether indispensible as before stated; the operation of the
machine is precisely similar.to the last-described until the bat is formed and
has arrived at and passed through the delivering rollers c, c; it is now received
upon the endless apron a,. and passes in between the cylinder Z, and the
hardening rollers 1, 2, 3, 4, &c. ..placed around the periphery of the cylinder.
This cylinder is hollow, and is best made of thin copper and as light as it con-
veniently can, being provided with a stuffing box, and pipes at each end for
enabling low steam to be passed in at one end, and for the condensed water to
be taken off at the other (very similar to a common paper drying cylinder), an
received its motion from the lower delivering roller c. The hardening rollers all
receive their motion, either by a band passed over them and connected with any
convenient part of the machine, or have toothed wheels upon their ends taking
into a large wheel upon the axis of the copper cylinder; and it is necessary
that the inner surfaces of these rollers should turn in the same direction as
the surface of the cylinder and with exactly a similar velocity, and that both
the cylinder and rollers should be covered with an elastic cloth. And I
may
here state, that in all the machines where hardening rollers are employed I
have found it best to cover them first with a piece of good strong felted cloth,
having over it another covering of linen cloth, or what I have found very
good for this purpose is thick strong fustian with the pile placed upon the
outside. A quick alternating motion of about half an inch stroke is given to
the cylinder z by an excentric upon a side shaft, similar to that represented at
Fig. 3 of the hardening machine, and connected with the main axle of the.

page_text: devil cylinder by bevel wheels; y is a perforated pipe connected with a reser-
voir of water for supplying moisture to the covering upon the cylinder before
the bat comes in contact with it at x; as the bat is liberated from either of the
two last described 'machines it is wound upon a roller E by friction of contact
precisely in the manner before mentioned in the previous machines. Figs.
19, 20, is what may be now denominated an improved felting machine; A, B,
is the frame and supporting parts of the machine, having a double tier of
rollers (now generally made of cast-iron), the upper tiers resting between the
lower ones so as to double the points of contact. The undulating motion,
and the backward and forward motion produced on the 'bat in the manner
hercin-after described with this new position of the rollers, materially assist the
felting process: These rollers are all actuated by bevil gear upon alternate
ends of the upper tier of rollers, which turn the lower ones by spur-wheels
upon their opposite ends connected with similar gear upon the two shafts
extending the whole length of the machine on each side; and these two sido
shafts are again connected with each other by similar but stronger gear upon
the cross main shaft C. Each set of upper rollers should be weighted upon
the lower ones for the purpose of accomodating a certain degree of pressure to
all the different degrees of thickness or accumulate: thicknesses of various
goods submitted to their action; D, D, is a box' or cistern lined with lead for
holding a supply of hot water or soap suds, and in which the lower rollers can
be more or less immersed by regulating the quantity thereof. In the felting of
fibres together with the fabrics being felted is not held together by threads; acids;
or acidulated waters have always been used because they assist the process, but
I use a solution of soap or other saponaceous matter in contradistinction and
perferable to acids or acidulated waters, which solution is kept in a heated
state as after mentioned. There are disadvantages attending the use of acids
which are avoided by the application of a soapy solution in lieu thereof. Upon
the bottom of this cistern there are several coils of metal pipe perforated in
many places and connected by a stop-cock with the boiler for heating its con-
tents. R, R, R, are friction rollers or drums, over which an upper and a lower
endless apron d, d, d, are passed for conducting the bat or cloth from end to
end, and through the machine. These aprons of cloth move by the friction of
the metal rollers in the direction of the arrows; and as will be seen by the
Drawing, both pass in together between the front rollers c, c, receiving the
cloth between themselves, and liberating it as it arrives at the lower end, one
apron, of course, turning upwards and the other downwards. The object of
the apparatus, connected with the main shaft c, is to give the two tiers of
rollers a reciprocating, or backward and forward motion, and at the same time

page_text: a
to allow the bat (or as it may now be called the cloth,) alternately pressed and
liberated between their inner, surfaces gradually, to move in a forward direction
through the machine, enabling the rollers to do much more work upon the
piece of cloth, without its re-entering at c, c; G, is a pulley, receiving its motion
from any convenient part of the running gear with proper speed; .c.is.a stud
and pin, working a connecting rod attached to the lever ff, this lever .being
loose upon the main shaft at C; g is a large toothed wheel, which is made.fast
to the shaft.C, and seen behind the lever f; his a small pinion likewise behind
the lever, taking into the larger toothed wheel :g. Upon the front of this
lever, (but working through it and attached by an arbor or, axle to the small
pinion h) is the toothed wheel, i, working into another or small toothed
wheel m, m, which is loose upon the main shaft, and to the front of which
fast pulley, a, is screwed. Now it is evident if this last pulley, and wheel
were to be fastened to any adjoining part of the machine or other thing, and
the main shaft only to turn within them, a mere reciprocating motion would be
given to the felting rollers of the machine, without their progressing or moving
the cloth at all forward. To effect this progressive motion of the cloth, a
small pulley is fastened to the pulley G, having a band o, o, passed over it
and around the pulley a, a, which, notwithstanding the constantly reciprocating
motion is adding thereto a progressive one as well, in order to carry the cloth
through the machine, as to cause it to receive a regular action from end to end.
In order to increase the felting action, it is very desirable to allow the felting
rollers to act upon the cloth in as many directions as possible. By the
reciprocating motion of this machine, we have seen that this action is produced
in each direction longitudinally; and in order to do this in other directions, tho
cloth is taken from the last machine, and placed in the entering end of
another similar felting machine; but instead of being entered as before, the
piece is first passed between two feeding rollers T, one of which is shewn in
Fig. 20, and which are placed at an angle with the feeding apron of some-
where near forty-five degrees. These two rollers have a velocity from three
to four times that of the feeding apron upon which the cloth is thrown
in regular folds as it enters, laying at nearly the same angle as the position of
the rollers. This now causes the action to take place diagonally across the
piece of cloth; and after having passed through in this direction it is reversed,
and when again passed, it will be seen that the action is nearly at right angles
with the last. In this way, it may now be run through this machine several
times, and for some descriptions of cloth, should be for a time milled in the
common clothiers' fulling stocks; and after having been milled in such stocks,
I have found that the cloth may again with advantage be passed through the
said felting machine Figs. 19, 20.

page_text: It now remains for me to describe another method and process which
'I use for some descriptions of goods of felting materials, and which may
'be used either without the aid of the felting machine or even, indeed,
'without the hardening machine; but I prefer passing the bat first through
the hardening machine as at Figs. 2, 3, where the bat is winding upon
the roller F; another roller is placed at a, as. shewn in the detached view
Fig. 21, having wound upon it a piece of smooth linen, cotton, or worsted
cloth, being a yard or two longer than the intended bat of felting material, and
being previously wetted with a solution of soap. This is for the purpose of
being wound, as there shewn, between the folds of the bat of felting material,
which is firmly and tighly effected by weights a, b, placed on the ends of the
roller F. When this is done, the roller upon which it has been wound is
withdrawn, when the bat may immediately be put, into a broad fulling stock
as broad as the roll is wide, or otherwise suitably placed to receive repeated
blows or pressure, or both, where either one, two, or more feet, or hammers, may
be made to act upon or compress it in different directions, and it may be thus
worked until it is sufficiently hardened or felted to be unwound and taken out
of the cloth, and the felting process is then completed in the common stocks.
With respect to the after finishing of many descriptions of these manufactured
"goods, I will state that they may readily be subjected to all the different pro-
cesses of raising, shearing, or cropping, boiling, pressing, &c. used by manufac-
turers on the old system of spinning and weaving; but I would recommend the
following described machine for raising the pile or nap for the finer qualities of
felted goods.
In the Drawings, Figures 22 and 23, B, C, represents, the frame of
a new raising machine; D, E, are two cylinders covered with wire cards or
teazles, (but I prefer the wire cards); these may either be filletting or sheet
cards, the teeth should be fine and long, of iron or hard drawn brass wire, not
'very much bent, but set in good firm leather or indian-rubber backs; F, G, are
two other smaller cylinders, likewise covered with similar card teeth, to the
arbor or shaft of one of which the driving pulley is attached at one
end, and by connecting wheels this is made to actuato the other-smaller
cylinder. These cylinders separately are geared into the two larger raising
cylinders by toothed wheels so arranged that the surfaces of the smaller
ones revolve somewhat faster than the larger ones, and are for the purpose of
clearing the larger ones from the flock, which would otherwise colleet, as it
now does, in the teeth of the present raising machines, whether of cards or
teasles. These two cylinders are placed in slight contact with each other, and
the teeth being set in different directions as their surfaces pass each other (like
the fly or fancy of a carding engine), it will be readily seen that in neither of

page_text: them can the flocks accumulate, and that the smaller has a very useful
tendency to sharpen the larger or raising cylinders. 1, 2, 3, 4, are nearly the.
common arrangement of the regulating rollers for conducting and taking away.
the cloth as it is subjected to the action of the raising cylinders, and. receive
their motion from the carrying shaft in any of the usual modes. H is the,
scray or trough into which the cloth falls as it revolves over the several
cylinders, having the ends of one or more pieces secured together, so as to.
form an endless band in its revolution. 5 is a perforated water pipe for:
supplying á spray of water to. the cloth under action, as it is similarly used in
the common gig. The principal feature in this machinė, besides the clearing
rollers, it will be seen is the diagonal position of the raising cylinders, one
acting from one of the lists towards the other, and the other in the opposite
direction. This I have found to produce the closes pile or nap with the
soundest and more even bottom, as well as of course the best ultimate finish.
Now, having thus fully described the whole process of making felted cloths
by my improved machinery, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim as
my present Invention any individual parts of the same, but I claim the appli-
cation of a double apron or aprons, or compound aprons and rollers or cylinders,.
for the production of bats, as herein described, from the long sliver, and the
different means herein described for keeping these aprons together with the
bats in a smooth and even condition; and I claim the extended sliver itself, as
herein described, applied to forming a bat by successive folds or layers, for.
the production of long or commercial ends of cloth without spinning or
weaving.
I also claim the improvement of the hardening machines, Figures 2, 3, 12, 13,
14, 15, by using the heaters in addition to steam pipes or pans, or in conjunc-
tion with a wetted apron, as herein before mentioned, and using travelling
aprons, as herein-before described.
Also I claim the improved positions of the rollers in the felting machine,
Figures 19 and 20, for producing the double contact of each tier of rollers, and
the combined reciprocating and progressive motion of these rollers, as well as
the manner in which this motion is produced, as applied to the said felting
machine; and also the method of diagonal or cross felting as effected by the
feeding rollers, Fig. 20, herein-before described; and also the method
described at Fig. 21 of producing long continuous fabrics of felt in a fit state
for the common fulling stocks.
I also claim in the raising machine, Figures 22 and 23, the diagonal
positions of the raising cylinders, as herein before described, and particularly
also the use of other or opposite revolving cylinders, whether covered with

page_text: cards or any other material, for clearing raising cylinders whilst at work, as
applied to the cloth manufactured by felting alone, or by the old method of
spinning and weaving.
I also claim the use of soap or 'saponacious matters dissolved in water, in
conjunction with rollers, for assisting in the felting of fabrics made without
spinning and weaving, in contradistinction to acids or acidulated waters which
have heretofore been used for fabrics, depending for their union upon felting
alone...
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Robinson Williams, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of. March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-one..