IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT AND IN MACHINES FOR THE PURPOSE
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Spence, of 8, Quality Court, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT AND IN MACHINES FOR
THE PURPOSE." -A communication from abroad by Louis Bruno
T
of Denia in the Tmning of Finance Manufacturer
Sealed the 19th October 1869, and dated the 30th April 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Spence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th April 1869.
I, WILLIAM SPENCE, of 8, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT AND IN
MACHINES FOR THE PURPOSE," being a communication to me from abroad
by Louis Bruno Fortin, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Manufacturer,
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates more especially to the manufacture of thicker
felts, such as are used for pianos.

page_text: Hitherto felts have been manufactured by mechanism having motion
only in one direction, that is to say, either lengthwise or breadthwise of
the piece of material under operation. Now under this Invention in
machines for making felt in sheets the table which covers the wool to
be felted has imparted to it at the same time both a longitudinal and a
transverse reciprocating motion. The table is thus caused to work both
longitudinally and transversely at the same time, but with the extent of
its motion in one direction differing from the extent of its motion in
the other direction. The transverse motion of the table is effected
by means of a lever worked by a crank and connecting rod, or
it may be otherwise effected; and the longitudinal motion thereof,
which is less in extent, is effected by means of a pin on a revolving
plate acting on the slotted end of an oscillating lever connected to the
table by a jointed rod, but this motion may likewise be otherwise
effected.
In machines for manufacturing felt in continuous lengths the
material to be felted is passed through the machine between two
endless cloths, one of which is passed round a hollow metal drum heated
by steam and through a trough of water, and the other round a series
of rollers all of which turn in the same direction, but have at the same
time a reciprocating longitudinal motion imparted to them. The drum
turns on its axis, and has at the same time a reciprocating motion.
The wool to be felted is unwound from a roller at one side of the
machine, and after passing through the same is wound on to a roller in
the condition of felt at the other side of the machine.
By means of the improved process of manufacture above stated defects
in the quality of the felt may be prevented, and facilities for increasing
the quantity obtained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office 30
on the 29th October 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SPENCE, of 8, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Spence, Her special licence
that I, the said William Spence, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Spence, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT AND IN MACHINES FOR THE PURPOSE," being a
communication to me from abroad by Louis Bruno Fortin, of Paris,
in the Empire of France, Manufacturer, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Spence, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Spence, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
This Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture of Felt and
in Machines for the purpose," has for its object the remedying of defects
hitherto experienced in the manufacture of felts, especially the thicker
felts, such as are used for pianos.
Hitherto felts have been manufactured by mechanism having motion
only in one direction (that is to say) cither lengthwise or breadthwise of the
material under operation. Now under this Invention in machines for
making felt in sheets the table which covers the wool to be felted has

page_text: imparted to it at the same time both a longitudinal and a transverse
reciprocating motion. The table is thus caused to work both longitu-
dinally and transversely at the same time, but with the extent of its
motion in one direction differing from the extent of its motion in the
other direction. The transverse motion of the table is effected by
means of a lever worked by a crank and connecting rod, or it may be
otherwise effected, and the longitudinal motion thereof, which is less
in extent, is effected by means of a pin on a revolving plate acting on
the slotted end of an oscillating lever connected to the table by a jointed
rod, but this motion may also be otherwise effected.
In machines for manufacturing felt in continuous lengths the
material to be felted is passed through the machine between two endless
cloths, one of which is passed round a hollow metal drum heated by
steam, and through a trough of water, the other endless cloth being
passed round a series of rollers all of which turn in the same direction,
but have at the same time a reciprocating longitudinal motion imparted
to them. The drum is caused to turn on its axis with a slow and
intermittent action, and has at the same time a reciprocating motion
imparted to it. The wool to be felted is unwound from a roller at one
side of the machine, and after passing through the machine is wound
on to a roller in the condition of felt at the other side thereof. And
when the Invention is applied to ordinary roller machines for hardening
felt the compound motion is or may be effected by mounting the rollers.
with their ordinary mechanism on a frame vibrating longitudinally, as
herein-after described,
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed
to describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be
performed, by reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which are
represented two machines of the kinds referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a transverse section of a machine for manufacturing felt in
sheets; Fig. 2 is a portion of a longitudinal elevation of the same.
A is a hollow table of copper or other suitable metal heated by
steam, and either perforated with holes or otherwise, on which table
is placed the "batt" of wool x required to be felted; B is the table of

page_text: wood or other suitable material which rests on the said "batt" and to
which is imparted two different motions simultaneously. The transverse
motion is obtained by the lever b, the connecting rod b', and the crank
c. The longitudinal motion, less in extent, is given by the connecting
rod d and the oscillating lever d₁ worked by the pin of the revolving
disc D. In order to allow the table B to move lengthwise at the
same time that it is moved crosswise, the lever b is forked at the upper
end, and embraces a morticed staple fixed to the side of the table B.
This mode of connecting the table B to the reciprocating lever balso
admits of the table being readily raised and lowered to its work, and
accommodated to any thickness of "batt" undergoing the process of
hardening or felting. The table is raised as required by means of
straps ff passed over pulleys f¹, f¹, mounted on one shaft as usual.
By means of this machine three thin pieces of material placed
one over the other and separated by cloths may be readily felted at.
once, so as when made, to be useful for druggets, hose, and various
printing purposes. The machine is also possessed of increased facilities
for manufacturing felt, and requiries comparatively small power to
drive it.
Fig. 3 represents in section a machine in the form of a carding
machine for the production of continuous felt. This machine is
composed of a drum of metal A heated by steam, which is introduced
through a hollow axis, and of a series of small rollers B, B, fixed near
to each other. These travelling rollers all turn on their axes in the
same direction at the same time that they receive a reciprocating
longitudinal motion. The drum A has a compound movement imparted
to it by the following means:-On the axis of the drum A is mounted
a worm wheel a, and also a hollow metal column b, which receives an
oscillating motion from the crank wheel V and connecting rod c.
Within this column 6 is mounted a shaft d carrying at one end a worm
e gearing with the worm wheel a and at the other end a bevil wheel f
gearing with the bevil pinion k mounted on the same axis, and fixed
to the ratchet wheel r; a pall is jointed to the connecting rod c. By
this arrangement the oscillating movement of the column 6 is trans-
mitted to the drum A, the worm e gearing with the worm wheel a,
thereby forming a connection so as to draw the drum forward. But on
each turn of the crank wheel V the rod c moves the pall 1. over the

page_text: ratchet wheel r, and causes it to turn a given distance, thereby giving a
corresponding rotary motion to the worm e and from it to the drum
A entirely distinct from the oscillating motion above described. As
regards the to-and-fro movement of the rollers B longitudinally, that is
obtained in the same manner as usual in existing machines for hardening
By the above-described means is obtained a combined and simul-
taneous motion similar to that of the machine for manufacturing felt in
sheets herein-before described. The wool x intended to be felted passes
between two cloths, the one g which by its becoming wetted in the
trough g and surrounding the drum A produces a vapour that penetrates
the wool, and the other which only receives and transmits the action
of the small rollers B, B. In this manner the wool as it is unwound on
one side of the machine at X becomes completely felted by the time
that it reaches the other side of the machine at X. The speeds of the
drum A and the travelling rollers B, B, may be varied according to
the felting quality of the wool.
In order to apply the said improved mode of felting to machines
composed of two sets of rollers, one over the other, furnished with a
travelling apron, similar to that described in the Specification of a
Patent granted to Thomas Robinson Williams, dated Fourteenth
February One thousand eight hundred and forty, No. 8387, with
reference to Figures 2 and 3 therein, it is only requisite to mount the
whole of the upper set of rollers together with the gearing and cranks
for giving to them the alternating and continuous forward motion in a
frame, which frame is to be suspended by levers or otherwise supported,
so as to allow the whole to vibrate to and fro to a small extent in a
longitudinal direction, and this to-and-fro motion may be effected by a
crank and rod or lever, as already described, or by other means.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, communicated to me from abroad
as aforesaid, I hereby declare that what I claim as of the said Invention
is, the hardening of felt either in sheets or in a continuous form by
means of machines for the purpose containing mechanism such as that
described, or mechanically equivalent thereto, for giving the compound

page_text: motion or motions to the table and the drum and the rollers respectively
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Spence, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
W. A.. JACKSON,
8, Quality Court,
Chancery Lane.
WILLIAM SPENCE. (L.S.)