Articles and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1886.
Specification Accepted, 28th Jan., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by JOHN THOMAS WARING, of Yonkers, New York,
United States of America, Hat Manufacturer.]
Articles and to Apparatus therefor.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to the felting of hat bodies and other articles, and to machines
therefor and comprises the improvements hereinafter described.
In carrying out my invention, I employ a bed which is transversely concave, and
which is usually upwardly presented, and a beater working upward and downward
either vertical or in an inclined position and operating upon the mass of articles
within the bed. To secure the best results I mount the beater in suitable guides, and,
by means of mechanism such as cranks and connecting rods, I reciprocate the beater
to deliver blows of definite range and force upon the mass of articles. I also make
the bed or beater, or both of them, longitudinally concave, to counteract the tendency
of the mass of articles to elongate; and to still further prevent such elongation of the
mass of articles, I provide abutments at the ends of the bed, which, if desired, may be
made in the form of rotary discs free to turn or move with the mass of articles. I
support the mass of articles to be felted upon a moving surface, which is comprised in
the bed and may consist of an endless apron having a progressive travel, and by such
movement of the apron the mass of articles will be turned so as to continually present
new surfaces to the action of the beater. I preferably act upon the mass of articles
while they are in a free or loose state and uncovered or un-enclosed by any envelope,
as by such method the hair which does not possess felting qualities will be permitted
to work out of the fur or other fibre possessing felting qualities. I also prefer to vary,
by adjustment, the place of delivery of the blows relatively to the mass of articles, and

page_text: such variation may be secured by making the mechanism for operating the beater
adjustable to vary the approach of the beater toward the bed, and to vary the position
of the beater widthwise of the bed.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a machine embodying my invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a transverse section and an end elevation of the
machine.
Figure is a sectional view, upon a larger scale, of one end portion of the bed and
appurtenances thereof; and
Figure 5 is an end view of a beater of modified form which may be used.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
A designates the concave bed, and B the beater of the machine, the bed being
presented upwards and the beater preferably having a direct reciprocating movement
in an approximately vertical path towards and from the bed. As here represented,
the bed is composed of a box or trough C, resting upon girders or beams C, which
extend between end frames or standards D, and are sustained by pockets or flanges d,
formed in said frame or standards. Within the box or trough C, are longitudinal and
transverse ribs c, c¹ notched one into the other and forming a cellular support for a
metal lining. This construction of the bed affords ample support to the metal lining,
and allows water and steam in the box or trough C to come in contact with the lining.
The lining may be of copper or other sheet metal and may be tinned on its exposed
surface. It is not continuous across the bottom of the bed A, but a narrow longi-
tudinal slot or opening e³ is left in which is arranged a pipe e perforated in its upper
portion to permit the escape of steam or water upwards within the bed to permeate the
articles undergoing treatment on the bed. By means of branch pipes cs, es, provided
with valves, c, c water or steam, at the will of the operator, may be admitted to the
pipe, c, and the level of water which it is desired to maintain in the bed may be
controlled by an outlet cock or pipe c³.
The beater B, which is here shown as extending from end to end of the bed, is or
may be attached to a cross head B', by bolts b, and at the ends of the cross-head are
wrist pins b², to which are attached connecting rods B² extending from cranks b² on
an overhead crank shaft B³. This shaft may be mounted in bearings d', on the end
frame D, and may be rotated by a belt driving onto fast and loose pulleys B*, B³.
By means of this or other suitable mechanism, the beater is operated and preferably
has imparted to it a direct reciprocating movement and is caused to deliver rapid blows
of definite range and force on the mass of articles in the bed.
As here shown, the boxes b, which receives the wrist pins ', are fitted to, and
adjustable by screws 6 within slots 6' in the connecting rods. By lowering the boxes
in the said slots, the effective length of the rods will be increased and the beater will,
at the lower termination of its movement, approach nearer to the bed. By raising
the boxes in the slots c³ a reverse adjustment will be secured. In this way I provide
for properly regulating the range of movement and the effect of the blow of the beater
to suit the quantity of articles being operated on, and also their varying condition as
the fulling or felting operation progresses.
It is also desirable to adjust the beater B so that it may operate on the mass of
articles on the bed, opposite the centre of the mass and bed, or near one side of the
bed than the other, as the case may be. To provide for such adjustment I have shown
the cross head Bi as adjustable laterally by screws 6 in end pieces Bº, which are
fitted to suitable guides d in the end frames D. By means of the screws the beater
and cross head B, B' may be adjusted to the position shown in Figure 2 so as to
deliver blows on the mass of articles at a point away from the centre, or at one side
thereof and near to the side of the bed. The beater then employed may be of the
form shown in Figure 2, or of any other suitable form, and its blows will tend to turn or
rotate the mass of articles on the bed and to thereby bring different portions of the
mass in position to receive the blows of the beater. I may also employ a beater B
having a concave face, as shown in Figure 5 and, when using this beater, the cross-
head may be adjusted to the middle of the bed, so that the beater will act upon

page_text: the mass of articles opposite the centre and will be adapted for performing the final
fulling or felting operation.
To facilitate the rotary motion which it is desired to impart to the mass of
articles under operation, L employ an apron E, or other travelling or moving surface,
and such apron preferably has a progressive travel and on it the articles are
supported while under the action of the beater. This apron E is here shown as
endless, and passes over rollers e at opposite sides of the bed. These rollers may
be geared together by a chain e¹ or other means and motion which may be given
to one of them by a belt and pulley from an outside source, and such motion is by the
This apron
chain transmitted to the other roller and by the two rollers to the apron.
conforms to the curvature of the bed, and by its travel continuously in one direction
it greatly aids in imparting rotary motion to the mass of articles on the bed.
During the final part of the fulling or felting operation, when it is desired to use the
beater shown in Figure 5, or any beater analogous thereto having a concave face, the
beater may be adjusted laterally so as to bring it to position to deliver its blows on the
mass of articles opposite the centre of the bed, and although this beater then has no
function in turning the mass of articles the latter will be kept in rotary motion by the
progressive travel of the apron and the mass of articles will be worked into a cylindric
roll, new surfaces being presented successively to the action of the beater.
The surfaces of the beaters may be lagged or otherwise constructed to perform
effective work, and the apron E may be lagged or otherwise constructed with a
roughened surface to give it a hold on the mass of articles to turn them by its
progressive movement.
In order to counteract the tendency of the mass of articles to elongate while under
the action of the beater, I may make the face of the bed or heater, either or both,
longitudinally concave. I have shown both these surfaces concave in figure 1.
Should it be found that the longitudinal concavity of the bed interferes with the
proper travel of the apron, a number of belts arranged side by side may be substituted
for the apron.
may
In order to prevent the rotary motion of the mass of articles from being in any way
impeded by the friction of the ends of the mass upon the ends of the bed A,
cover the ends of the bed with smooth copper or other metal or I may mount at each
end of the bed a rotary disc supported by a central stud or shaft fitting a
bearing in the end of the heil. This disc may be supported at the back by anti-
friction rollers 3, to enable it to turn easily with the mass of articles in a rotary
path. A disc or piece of felt or other material might be placed in the end of the bed
for a like purpose, and to prevent any abrasive action on the articles as they turn in
the bed.
The machine above described is very simple in construction and capable of
performing effectively and rapidly the fulling or felting of hat bodies or other articles
in large quantities.
The beater shown extends the entire length of the bed, but obviously two or more
beaters operating simultaneously or successively might be employed in lieu thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondent 1 declare that what I claim is
First. In a felting machine for hat bodies and other articles, the combination with
an upwardly presented bed and a beater suitably guided in its movements, of
mechanism for reciprocating the beater to deliver blows of definite range and force
upon the mass of articles, such mechanism being preferably adjustable to vary the
approach of the beater towards the bed and to vary the position of the beater width-
wise of the bed substantially as described.
Second. In a felting machine for hat bodies and other articles, the combination with
a transversely concave bed, of a beater and mechanism for operating it, the bed or
beater, or both, being longitudinally concave to counteract the tendency of the muss
of articles to elongate substantially as herein described.

page_text: Third. In a felting machine for hat bodies and other articles, the combination with
a transversely concave bed, of a beater and mechanism for operating it, and abutments
or supports at the ends of the bed for preventing the elongation of the mass of articles,
such abutments being preferably free to turn or move with the mass of articles as
described to prevent abrasion of the articles, substantially as herein described.
the mass
Fourth. In a felting machine for hat bodies and other articles, the combination with
a bed comprising a travelling apron or other moving surface whereby the articles are
supported and turned or moved, of a beater operating to deliver blows upon
of articles supported and moved by such travelling or moving surface substantially as
herein described.
Fifth. The improvement in the felting of hat bodies and other articles, consisting in
subjecting the mass of articles to blows while the mass preferably in a free state or
loose and uncovered state, is supported on a travelling apron or analogous moving
surface, substantially as herein described.
Sixth. The improvement in the felting of hat bodies and other articles, consisting in
subjecting the mass of articles to blows of definite range and force, in varying by
adjustment the place of delivery of the blows relatively to the mass, and in confining
the mass at the ends to prevent its elongation; substantially as herein described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.