IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELTED FABRICS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Heywood Whitehead, of the Royal George
Mills, in the Parish of Saddleworth, in the West Riding of the County
of York, Woollen Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF FELTED FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Heywood White-
head at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th January 1864.
I, JAMES HEYWOOD WHITEHEAD, of the Royal George Mills, in the Parish
5 of Saddleworth, in the West Riding of the County of York, Woollen Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF FELTED FABRICS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of felter
fabrics wherein wool, fur, or hair form the principal component parts. For
this purpose I fix to the carding engine now in general use a folding machine
such as is described in the Specification of a Patent granted to James
Ferrabee, 6th of June 1859, No. 1383, the sliver is by this apparatus
deposited in folds on an endless cloth in such manner that the folds run cross-
wise the length of the cloth, the rollers of the folding apparatus being for this
purpose made to travel to and fro at right angles with the direction in which
the endless cloth travels, the endless cloth is carried forward between the
rollers of a hardening or felting machine, which impart to it a slow revolving
motion, so that the bat is carried forward from the folder directly to the

page_text: hardening machine without moving it, thus making the hardening machine a
continuation of the folder.
The next part of my Invention consists in an improvement on the roller,
hardener, or felting apparatus described in the Specification of a Patent
granted to Thomas Robinson Williams, on the 14th day of February 1840,
No. 8387, which consisted of a series of rollers revolving slowly on their axes,
the upper rollers having in addition a quick vibratory motion communicated
to them in the direction of their length. Now in addition to giving to the
upper rollers this vibratory motion in the direction of their length, J,
according to my Invention, give to both the upper and lower rollers a quick
oscillating movement upon their axes, at the same time causing them to
revolve slowly in one direction, which motion is communicated to the endless
bat cloth, which receives the sliver from the folder. The additional oscillating
motion before described gives very inuch greater felting power to the machine,
which may also be further increased by making the latter portion of the upper
rollers of cast iron, thereby giving greater solidity to the felted cloth.
In some cases instead of constructing a roller hardener of a large series of
rollers, consisting of two rows, one above another, I find it more convenient
as regards space to have three or more sets of rollers one above the other, the
bat or cloth passing to and fro between each set of rollers.
After a bat or sliver has been acted on by a machine, such as above
described, the cloth produced may if desired be further felted by the common
fullers' stocks or the roller fulling machine, or it may be passed through a
machine constructed like a driver or pusher, such as was formerly in use
for scouring woollen woven cloths, and working them straight after fulling in
the stocks. The two feet are suspended from above and nearly touch the
bottom of the trough, which is shaped somewhat like the common fulling
stock now used. The feet are pushed forward by two connecting rods
working in cranks on a shaft on which I fix a heavy fly wheel and a pair of
pulleys, to drive it by a strap, or it may be driven in any other manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Heywood Whitehead in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HEYWOOD WHITEHEAD, of the Royal George Mills, in the Parish of Saddle-
worth, in the West Riding of the County of York, Woollen Manufacturer,
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Heywood Whitehead, Her special licence that I, the said
James Heywood Whitehead, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said James Heywood Whitehead, 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 FELTED FABRICS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Heywood White-
head, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 James Heywood Whitehead, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of felted
5 fabrics wherein wool, fur, or hair form the principal component parts. For
this purpose I fix to the carding engine now in general use a folding machine,
such as is described in the Specification of a Patent granted to James Ferrabee,
6th of June 1859, No. 1383; the sliver is by this apparatus deposited in folds
on an endless cloth, in such manner that the folds run crosswise the length of
the cloth, the rollers of the folding apparatus being for this purpose made to
travel to and fro at right angles with the direction in which the endless cloth
travels, the endless cloth is carried forward between the rollers of a hardening
or felting machine, which impart to it a slow revolving motion, so that the bat
is carried forward from the folder directly to the hardening machine without
5 moving it, thus making the hardening machine a continuation of the folder.
The next part of my Invention consists in an improvement on the roller
hardener or felting apparatus described in the Specification of a Patent granted
to Thomas Robinson Williams, on the 14th day of February 1840, No. 8387,
which consisted of a series of rollers revolving slowly on their axes, the upper

page_text: rollers having, in addition, a quick vibratory motion communicated to them in
the direction of their length. The lower tier of rollers is caused to revolve
slowly in one direction, which motion is communicated to the endless bat cloth
which receives the sliver from the folder.
In some cases, instead of constructing a roller hardener of a large series of
rollers consisting of two rows one above another, I find it more convenient, as
regards space, to have three or more sets of rollers one above the other, the
bat or cloth passing to and fro between each set of rollers.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 shows in sectional elevation the
folding machine referred to in connection with an ordinary carding engine,
and constructed to fold out to 84 inches or more in width, and as narrow as
may be desirable for the purpose of regulating the width of the cloths to be
made.
apron
apron
d
Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the hardening or felting
machine, and cross elevation of the folder connected by an endless travelling
apron with a hardener arranged according to the second part of my Invention;
the fleece or broad sliver of wool or other material is stripped from the doffer a
of the carding engine by means of stripping rollers b, or by a doffing comb in
the usual way, and is taken up by the endless apron c of the folding machine
mounted in a vibrating frame, and by it is deposted in folds crosswise on the
apron d to any required thickness, which thickness is regulated by causing the
d to travel faster or słower, as may be desirable. The endless
passes across the folding machine, and through the hardening or felting
machine, as shown by the red line, and carries with it the accumulated folds
of sliver laid by the folding machine on the apron & to the hardening or felting
rollers of the hardener or felting machine. The bottom tier of rollers e of the
felting machine has a slow progressive forward movement in the direction of
the arrows corresponding with that of the apron d, the middle tier of rollers f
rests between the lower ones doubling the points of contact and the upper
tier g rest upon the middle tier in the same way; the middle tier of rollers has
an alternating motion endwise imparted to them by a crank as well as rotatory
motion imparted to them by contact with the lower series of rollers; by the
addition of the upper tier of rollers the material to be felted is brought into
contact with the middle tier on the upper side, again doubling the points of
contact, and the felting process is thereby much facilitated, and the cloth
rendered much firmer for the further process of fulling. It is preferred that
rotatory motion be communicated to the lower tier of rollers in the hardener
or felting machine, and that the other tiers of rollers shall receive their rotary
motion only by contact with the lower tier.

page_text: Motion may be communicated to the folding machine from any part of the
carding engine after a bat or sliver has been acted on by a machine such as
above described, the cloth produced may, if desired, be further felted by the
common fullers' stocks, or the roller fulling machine; or it may be passed
through a machine constructed like a driver or pusher, such as was formerly
in use for scouring woollen woven cloths, and working them straight after fulling
in the stocks. The two feet are suspended from above and nearly touch the
bottom of the trough, which is shaped somewhat like the common fulling
stock now used. The feet are pushed forward by two connecting rods working
in cranks on a shaft, on which I fix a heavy fly wheel and a pair of pulleys to
drive it by a strap, or it may be driven in any other manner.
I have not thought it necessary further to describe the various parts of the
folding machine, as it is of a similar construction to that shown and described
in the Specification of a Patent granted to James Ferrabee, dated June 6th,
1859, No. 1383, nor have I thought it necessary further to describe the con-
struction and mode of operation of the hardening or felting machine, as it is
(with the exception of the modifications already referred to) of a similar
character to that shewn and described in the Specification of a Patent granted
to T. R. Williams, dated Feb 14th, 1840, No. 8387.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the mode of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,―
Firstly, the combination of a carding engine, folding machine, and hardener
or felting machine, having an endless apron extending across the folding
machine and through the hardener or felting machine, whereby the successive
folds or layers of sliver for forming the felt are carried continuously forward
through the hardening or felting machine, substantially as shewn and
described.
And, secondly, I claim the addition of another or third tier of rollers to the
hardening or felting machine, substantially as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Heywood Whitehead, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
JAMES HEYWOOD WHITEHEAD. (L.S.)