IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FELTING THE BODIES OF HATS AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Vero, of Dewsbury, near Leeds, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR FELTING THE BODIES OF HATS AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Vero at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th February 1866.
I, JOSEPH VERO, of Dewsbury, near Leeds, in the County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR FELTING THE BODIES OF HATS AND OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE
HEAD," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to felt, or what is technically termed
"plank," the bodies of hats and other coverings for the head composed
of felt. This I effect by the use of very simple apparatus or machinery.
Within and between suitable side frames I place a trough (open or other-
wise) containing vitriol and water or other liquid in which the bodies to be
"planked" or felted are dipped as may be required in the process of
felting. In front of the framework I place a suitable table or plank, upon

page_text: which the operator places the hardened bodies or other coverings for the
head requiring to be felted for opening and wrapping up in suitable cloths.
Between the side frames and over the trough I place three or more rollers
in a horizontal position. By preference I use four rollers, the three under
ones being at an angle slightly acute to each other as well as being in
proximity to each other, and having bearings upon the side frame, whilst
the fourth or upper roller rests in a framework having its fulcra and
capable of swinging upon the axis of the roller at the back of the machine,
though when in position the upper roller rests over the centre and lower
roller, and is retained in that position by a heavy moveable weight which
follows up with the pressure. I must here explain that the rollers above
named are not grooved but have screws or worms chased upon their
peripheries extending from each outer end towards the centre; and
although I prefer that all the rollers should be so screwed or chased, still
if desired the front and back rollers might be left even, or one of the
same, the main work of felting devolving upon the centre and upper rollers;
or the screws or worms cut upon the centre and upper rollers might be
alternately right and left hand threads. The operation is as follows:-
Suitable gearing being used to actuate the respective rollers, the material
or bodies to be felted having been wrapped round a small roller and
covered with a cloth, the upper screwed or wormed roller is raised by the
means before named; and the roll of material to be felted put betwixt
the rollers in motion, the two outer rollers preventing its escape. A
squeezing motion is thus given to it, and it is caused to rotate but not to
traverse. From the peculiar construction of the screwed or wormed
rollers, and the fact that the hollow of the lower wormed roller is opposite
the full part of the pressing or upper roller, a milling or felting process
takes place, aided by the pressure of the balance weight, and the operation
is repeated as often as may be desired, the small roller released and
replaced in each roll of bodies or left out as the case may require.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Vero in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
VERO, of Dewsbury, near Leeds, in the County of York, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Joseph Vero, Her special licence that I, the said
Joseph Vero, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Joseph Vero, 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 MACHINERY FOR FELTING THE BODIES OF HATS AND OTHER
COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Joseph Vero, 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 Joseph Vero, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object of my Invention is to felt, or what is technically termed
"plank," the bodies of hats and other coverings for the head. This I
effect by the use of very simple apparatus or machinery. Within and
between suitable side frames I place a trough (open or otherwise) con-
taining vitriol and water or other suitable liquid in which the bodies to be
planked or felted are dipped as may be required in the process of felting.
In front of the framework I place a suitable table or plank upon which
the operator places the hardened bodies or other coverings for the head
requiring to be felted for opening and wrapping up in suitable cloths.
Between the side frames and over the trough I place three or more rollers
in a horizontal position. By preference I use four rollers, the three under
ones being at an angle acute to each other as well as being in proximity to
each other, and having bearings in the side frame, whilst the fourth or upper
roller rests in a framework (furnished with a moveable weight which
follows up with pressure as the roll of "bodies" becomes less in circum-

page_text: ference) having its fulcra and capable of swinging upon the axis of the
roller at the back of the machine, though when in position the upper roller
rests over the centre and lower roller. I must here explain that the rollers
above named are not grooved, but have screws or worms chased upon their
peripheries extending from each outer end and towards the centre, and there
meeting; or instead of the screws or worms being chased out of the solid
strips of lead (or other metal that will withstand the action of the acid)
may be coiled round smooth rollers of wood or other suitable material in
the manner just described, which may be secured to the rollers by screws
or nails, and although I prefer that all the rollers should be so screwed,
chased, or coiled, still if desired the front and back rollers might be left
even, or one of the same, the main work of felting devolving upon the bottom,
and upper rollers; or the screws or worms cut or coiled upon the centre
and upper rollers might be alternately right and left hand threads. The
operation is as follows:-Suitable gearing being used to actuate the
respective rollers, the material or bodies to be felted having been wrapped
round a small loose roller and covered with a cloth, the upper screwed or
wormed roller is raised by the means before named, and the roll of
"bodies" to be felted put betwixt the rollers in motion, the two outer
rollers preventing its escape. A squeezing motion is thus given to it and
it is caused to rotate but not to traverse. From the peculiar construction
of the screwed or wormed rollers, and the fact that the hollow of the lower
wormed roller is opposite the full part of the pressing or upper roller, a
milling or felting process takes place, aided by the pressure of the balance
weight, and the operation is repeated as often as may be desired, the small
roller released and replaced in each roll of bodies or left out as the case
may require.
But in order that my Invention may be the better understood, reference
is made to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and the letters and figures
marked thereon, similar letters representing similar parts, that is to say :-
Figure 1 is a front perspective elevation; Figure IS a side elevation or
the right-hand side; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the left-hand side, and
Figure 4 is a smooth roller with chain wheel having a worm or screw coiled
around it.
Letters A show the framework consisting of two side frames, between

page_text: which the dipping trough B, which is filled with the acid solution before-
named is placed, being secured by bolts from frame to frame; C is the.
planking board upon which the articles to be operated upon are placed;
Letters D are side plates secured by bolts to the frames A, and which carry
the rollers d, e, and f. It will be seen that the roller d is shown plain,
whilst the rollers e and fare screwed or wormed in the manner before
named, viz., from each extremity meeting in the centre. The roller g is
similarly screwed or wormed, although if preferred it may have a right-
hand thread from end to end, the rollere having a left-hand thread, or vice
versa. E is a frame carrying the roller g and capable of swinging upon
the axis of the roller f through its arms h. In Figure 2 this frame is shewn
in working position, the weight i which may be moved backward and for-
wards according to the pressure required. In Figure 3 the same frame is
shewn thrown back and resting against the support x to allow the operator
to put in or take out the roll of bodies to be operated upon, or which has
been operated upon by the rollers e and g, the front and back rollers d
and preventing it from dropping out. F represents the driving pulley,
having two speeds keyed on the shaft of the bottom roller e, and commu-
nicating rotary motion by means of the chain pulley j and chain to the
other chain pulleys and l, keyed on the axes of the rollers d and f, the
latter in turn by similar means imparting motion to the roller g (see
Figure 3) on the other or left-hand side of the machine, the chain being
kept sufficiently tight by an adjustable pulley m working in a slot in the
arm h. By means of the worms on the rollers above described lateral
motion of the material under operation is prevented and a rotary motion
imparted with an effectual felting result. Although I have only shown in
the Drawings what I term a single machine, it is obvious that the bottom
rollers d, e, and f, may be constructed two or more times the length of the
top one g, and that two or more moveable top rollers having independent
frames E swinging upon the axis of the roller f (which may be cut at suit-
able places to receive the arms ) and geared independently of each other,
may be used, the trough and planking board being proportionately
increased, and thus two or more sets of bodies may be felted at the same
time.
Having now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and in
what manner the same may be performed, would have it understood that
I do not confine myself to the precise mechanical details shown and
described; but what I claim is, the felting or "planking" of the bodies of

page_text: hats or other coverings for the head by means of the apparatus shown and
described, the predominant features of such apparatus consisting in the
nature and arrangement of the screws or worms.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Vero, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
P. H. SHARp.
Patent Agent,
Leeds.
JOSEPH VERO. (L.S.)