IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FELTING OR PLANKING' THE BODIES OF HATS OR OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER FELTING PURPOSES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Kirk and Samuel Shelmerdine, Hat
Manufacturers, and Cephas Froggatt, Machinist, all of Stockport,
in the County of Chester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FELTING OR PLANKING' THE BODIES OF
HATS OR OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO OTHER FELTING PURPOSES."
Sealed the 4th October 1870, and dated the 12th April 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Kirk, Samuel
Shelmerdine, and Cephas Froggatt at the Office of the Commis-
sioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 12th April 1870.
We, JAMES KIRK and SAMUEL SHELMERDINE, Hat Manufacturers,
and CEPHAS FROGGATT, Machinist, all of Stockport, in the County of
Chester, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FELTING OR PLANKING THE BODIES OF
HATS OR
OTHER COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO OTHER FELTING PURPOSES," (to be as follows):
This Invention relates principally to such machinery used for felting or
planking the bodies of hats or other coverings for the head wherein the

page_text: felting or planking is effected by placing the roll of hat bodies or other
articles to be felted between three or more revolving rollers, which are
mounted in a horizontal position with their axes parallel to each other,
and more especially to such machines as are constructed according to
a previous Invention, for which Letters Patent were granted to us
bearing date June 16th, A.D. 1869, No. 1861.
Our present Invention consists of a new form or construction of the
working rollers of such machines whereby the rapidity of the felting
operation is considerably increased, and at the same time an important
economy in cost is effected.
According to our Invention we form the rollers with a series of alter-
nate V shaped annular projections and grooves, turned or formed side by
side round the circumference at right angles to the axis from end to end
of the roller. The depth and width of the projections and grooves as
well as the pitch or angle of inclination of the sides of the same may
be varied and the projecting edges and the bottom of the grooves may
be more or less rounded so as to produce more of a waved or undulating
surface, but we prefer so to form the annular projections and grooves
that their sides shall be at about an angle of forty-five degrees to the
axis of the roller, the projecting angle being consequently a right anglo
or thereabouts, the extreme angle being slightly rounded off. The rollers
may be mounted in the machine so that the annular projections of one
roller shall be coincident with the annular grooves of the opposite roller,
but we find the best effect produced when the rollers are so mounted
that their projections are opposite to each other.
Wo have found by experience that the alternating inclined surfaces
upon rollers of this construction will have a much more rapid felting
effect than rollers of the construction or form hitherto employed. These
rollers may be used either alone or in conjunction with rollers of any
other known form, and they may be made of any suitable hard wood or
other material. The rollers may be mounted with all their axes parallel
to each other, or they may be mounted in such a way that the top pair
of rollers are parallel to each other, and the bottom pair of rollers are
also parallel to each other, but the axis of the top and bottom rollers
respectively cross at a slight angle, the whole four rollers being still
horizontal.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Kirk, Samuel Shelmerdine, and Cephas
Froggatt in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 12th October
1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
KIRK and SAMUEL SHELMERDINE, Hat Manufacturers, and CEPHAS
FROGGATT, Machinist, all of Stockport, in the County of Chester, send
greeting.
WHEREAS IIer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said James Kirk, Samuel Shelmerdine, and
Cephas Froggatt, Her special licence that we, the said James Kirk,
Samuel Shelmerdine, and Cephas Froggatt, our exccutors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said James Kirk, Samuel
Shelmerdine, and Cephas Froggatt, our 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, excrcise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for **IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR FELTING OR PLANKING THE BODIES OF HATS OR OTHER COVERINGS
FOR THE HEAD, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER FELTING
PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James
Kirk, Samuel Sholmerdine, and Cephas Froggatt, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said James Kirk, Samuel Shelmerdine,
and Cephas Froggatt, 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 and accom-
panying Drawings (that is to say) :-

page_text: This Invention relates principally to such machinery used for felting or
planking the bodies of hats or other coverings for the head wherein the
felting or planking is effected by placing the roll of hat bodies or
other articles to be felted between three or more revolving rollers which
are mounted in a horizontal position with their axis parallel to each
other, and more especially to such machines as are constructed according
to a previous Invention, for which Letters Patent were granted to us
bearing date June 16, A.D. 1869, No. 1861.
Our present Invention consists of a new form or construction of the
working rollers of such machines, whereby the rapidity of the felting
operation is considerably increased, and at the same time an important
economy in-cost-is-effected.
According to our Invention we form the rollers with a series of alter-
nate V shaped annular projections and grooves, turned or formed side by
sido round the circumference at right angles to the axis from end to end
of the roller.
The annexed Drawing represents in side elevation three forms of felting
rollers with alternate annular grooves and projections constructed accord-
ing to our Invention. The depth and width of the projections and grooves,
as well as the pitch or angle of inclination of the sides of the same may
be varied, and the projecting edges and the bottom of the grooves may
be more or less rounded so as to produce more of a waved or undulating
surface, but we prefer so to form the annular projections and grooves
that their sides shall be at about an angle of forty-five degrees to the
axis of the roller, the projecting angle being consequently a right angle
or thereabouts, the extreme angle being slightly rounded off as shown at
Fig. 1.
Fig. 2 shows the grooves and projections formed at a more
obtuse angle than Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 shows the undulatory form. These
rollers may be mounted in the machine so that the annular projections
of one roller shall be coincident with the annular grooves of the opposite
roller, but we find the best effect produced when the rollers are so
mounted that their projections are opposite to each other.
We have found by experience that the alternating inclined surfaces
upon rollers of this construction will have a much more rapid felting
effect than rollers of the construction or form hitherto employed. These
rollers may be used either alone or in conjunction with rollers of any
other known form, and they may be made of any suitable hard wood or
other material, and may have an endwise traversing motion (as usually

page_text: employed in cloth felting machines) imparted to them, or they may
simply revolve without traversing. The rollers may be mounted with all
their axes parallel to each other, or they may be mounted in such a way
that the top pair of rollers are parallel to each other, and the bottom pair
of rollers are also parallel to each other, but the axis of the top and
bottom rollers respectively cross at a slight angle, the whole four rollers
being still horizontal.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-
formed or carried into practical effect, we wish it to be understood
that we claim as our Invention the construction of rollers for felting
purposes in the manner herein-before particularly set forth and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Kirk, Samuel Shelmer-
dine, and Cephas Froggatt, have hereunto set our hands and
seals, this Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord Onc
thousand eight hundred and seventy.
20 Witnessed by
GEORGE DAVIES, C.E.,
Office for Patents,
JAMES KIRK.
(L.S.)
SAMUEL SHELMERDINE. (L.S.)
CEPHAS FROGGATT.
Manchester.
(L.S.)