IMPROVEMENTS IN FELTING MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Yule, of Newark, New Jersey, in the United
States of America, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FELTING
MACHINES'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Yule at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st December 1880.
GEORGE YULE, of Newark, New Jersey, in the United States of America,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FELTING MACHINES."
My said Invention has for its object to facilitate the felting of hat bodies and
other felted articles. In machines constructed in accordance with my Invention
felting aprons or rollers acting in concert with felting beds receive reciprocative
and oscillating movements in addition to progressive, forward, or rotatory motions.
In one arrangement two rollers carrying a felting apron are mounted above a hot
water tank, in which is partly immersed a felting bed shaped to correspond to
the path or traverse of the lower part of the said apron, and immersed sufficiently
to soak the articles to be felted. The said bed is or may be sustained by means of
spiral or other springs, which can be adjusted so as to regulate the upward pressure
of the bed. A reciprocating and progressive rotatory motion is imparted to one of
the said rollers in the following manner :-One of the rollers is mounted loosely
upon the driving shaft, and one end of the said driving shaft is provided with a
crank or crank disc, the throw of which can be regulated by a set screw or by
other suitable means. The driving shaft is connected by bevel gearing with a
side shaft, upon which is mounted a worm which gears with a worm-wheel which
is secured to the axle of the other roller. The said worm is arranged to slide upon
its shaft, and is connected by means of a connecting rod with the crank on the
driving shaft. The driving shaft imparts a continuous revolving motion to the worm
shaft, and the worm on the latter imparts a progressive motion to the circumference
of the roller, and at the same time by its reciprocating movements causes the said
roller to oscillate upon its axis. This compound action of the said roller being
communicated to the apron causes it to roll the hat bodies or materials being felted
backwards and forwards, and also to gradually move them from the inlet end of

page_text: the machine towards the outlet end. Any suitable apron may be used, but I
prefer an apron which is studded or provided with mushroom headed or suitably
shaped projections, or with zig-zag or diagonal ribs or grooves, or is formed with
a reticulated surface. The loose roller may be fixed or mounted upon an inde-
pendant axle instead of upon the driving shaft, and if preferred both rollers may 5
receive a positive motion. Intermediate sustaining rollers are or may be applied
at the back of the apron. In a further modification I dispense with the apron,
and employ one roller or drum acting in concert with a curved felting bed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Yule in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st June
<<
1881.
GEORGE YULE, of Newark, New Jersey, in the United States of America.
IMPROVEMENTS IN FELTING MACHINES."
My said Invention has for its object to facilitate the felting of hat bodies, beaver
and plush hats and articles, and other felted articles. In machines constructed in
accordance with my Invention felting aprons or rollers acting in concert with
felting beds receive reciprocative and oscillating movements in addition to
progressive, forward, or rotatory motions, whereby hat bodies or materials being
felted are rolled backwards and forwards, and are also gradually moved from the
inlet end of the machine towards the outlet end thereof..
In order that the description of my Invention may be fully understood I have
attached hereunto a Sheet of Drawings marked with letters of reference, to which
Drawings I will now refer. Fig. 1 represents a plan, and Fig. 2 a sectional
elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with my Invention. In the said
Figs. a is a tank or vat to contain water or felting liquid, which is maintained at
a suitable temperature by the injection thereinto of steam or by any suitable
means. The said tank sustains the parts of the apparatus. In suitable bearings
the axles or shafts of two rollers b and c are mounted, and upon these rollers is
placed an endless felting apron d. Below the said rollers is mounted a felting
bed e, which is sustained at each end by means of springs f, which can be com-
pressed or relaxed by means of screws g, in order to regulate the upward yielding
pressure of the bed. The roller b is loosely mounted upon a shaft h, to which a
revolving motion can be imparted by means of a strap pulley i. The said shaft is
connected by bevel gearing with a side shaft k, upon which is mounted a long
worm, which gears with a worm-wheel m, which is secured to the axle of the
roller c.
The said worm is fitted to slide upon the shaft k, and upon a fast key
which compels the worm to turn with the said shaft. A collar n is mounted upon
one end of the said worm, so that a turned boss upon the end of the worm can
revolve in the said collar, and the said collar is kept from revolving by means of a
guide o, which is fixed to the side of the tank, and is slotted to receive a projection
3.

page_text: upon the collar, or to receive a sliding block formed upon or connected with
the said collar; or any other suitable method may be adopted to prevent
the rotation of the collar. Upon the collar is formed or fixed a stud with which
engages one end of a connecting link p. The other end of the said link engages
with a cranked pin which is fixed to a crank diser which is secured to the shaft h.
The said crank pin is formed upon a block which is fitted to slide in a vee slot in
the said disc, and can be adjusted in position therein by means of a screw so that
the stroke of the crank can be varied. As the shaft h revolves the crank causes
the worm to slide to and fro upon its shaft, and the worm acting as a rack
upon the wheel m, causes the roller c to rock to and fro upon its axis. The said
worm at the same time partaking of the revolving movement of the shaft k, a
slow revolving motion is imparted to the roller c in addition to its rocking
movement. The apron d is thus caused to have a to and fro movement, and in
addition thereto a comparatively slow progressive movement in the direction
indicated by the arrow. The said apron may be made of or partly of vulcanized
caoutchouc or of any other suitable material. If preferred the worm may be fixed
upon the shaft and the latter be arranged to slide in its bearings or to slide in the
direction of its axis. I prefer to furnish the outer surface of the apron with
mushroom headed or with otherwise suitably shaped projections, or with zig-zag
or diagonal ribs or grooves or to form it with a reticulated surface. In the example
the apron is represented as being provided with diagonal ribs d¹, meeting in the
centre and inclined in the direction indicated with reference to the direction of
travel of the apron with mushroom headed projections d², with a zig-zag rib and
with diamond shaped projections, these being given as examples of several forma-
tions which may be adopted, but in practice not necessarily appearing in the same
apron. The upper surface of the bed e is also formed or provided with similar ribs
or projections or with grooves or with both grooves and projections. In Fig. 4,
wherein is represented the felting bed of a modified form of apparatus, both
projections are seen in the left hand portion of the bed and reticulated diagonal
and zig-zag forms of grooves in the left hand portion thereof. Any of these forms
of grooves or projections may be used. I consider the double diagonal forms of
rib and groove d', and e¹ to be very suitable. It will be seen that the axis of the
roller b is lower than that of the roller c and as a consequence that one end of the
felting bed is immersed in the liquid in the tank, the same end being curved partly
around the roller b, so that both ends of the bed are above the surface of the liquid.
The roll of hat bodies or articles or the rolled article is introduced between the
roller b and the curved end of the felting bed and is drawn downwards into the
liquid, and is rolled backwards and forwards with a pressure due to the springs f,
and is at the same time gradually moved towards the other end of the apparatus,
and is thereby brought out of the liquid and is eventually discharged from between
the roller c and the bed. The action of the apron is very similar to that of the
hand in the ordinary felting operations. The action of the machine is regulated by
adjusting the upper pressure of the bed e, and also by adjusting the throw of
the crank and by varying the speed of the driving shaft by means of the cone
pulley. When the speed of the said shaft is increased, the goods are more quickly
passed through the machine, and on the contrary when the speed is decreased the
operation is lengthened. To sustain the apron against the upward pressure,
rollers 8, 8, are applied to the back of the apron, the axles of the said rollers being
mounted in suitable bearing brackets which are fixed to the tank. In the example
the roller b receives its motion from the apron, but if preferred it may receive a
positive motion, as, for example, it may be connected by means of a shaft and
gearing with the roller c, and also if preferred the said roller b may be provided
with gudgeons mounted in bearings instead of being mounted on the driving shaft,
and other modifications may be made in the arrangements so long as the peculiar
movements of the rollers are retained. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a modification
wherein the apron e is dispensed with, and a single roller b¹ is employed in
connection with a curved felting bed e². The apparatus for giving motion to the

page_text: said roller is not repeated, but it will be understood that the same means may be
employed to actuate the roller as are used to actuate the roller 6 in the first
example. The roller 6 rocks to and fro upon its axis and also has a progressive
revolving motion in one direction, whereby the goods are drawn into the tank and
rolled backwards and forwards and discharged as in the first example. Fig. 4
represents a plan of the felting bed e². The formation of the surface of this bed
has already been described.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which I carry the same into practical effect, I would have it to
be understood that I claim,―
First. The combination of parts forming the felting apparatus, arranged and
acting substantially as set forth and indicated herein before, and in and by the
accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The roller or drum having both oscillating and progressive movements
in combination with a yielding bed, substantially as and for the purpose set forth
and indicated.
Thirdly. The endless felting apron mounted upon rollers to one or both of which
rollers are imparted the oscillating and progressive movements, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth and indicated.
And, lastly. The use of a worm or its equivalent arranged to rotate and at the
same time to slide to and fro in the direction of its axis to impart the required
movement to a roller, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Yule, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
ARARAS