IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF FLOCKING PAPER AND OTHER FABRICS AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents 6, Breams Buildings
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF FLOCKING
PAPER AND OTHER FABRICS AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—―
This Invention relates to a method of flocking in which the paper or fabric is
moved continuously forward while the flock is distributed upon it, and is subjected
to a beating action as it moves, and it also relates to a machine for flocking.
The Invention includes a method of flocking paper or other fabric which consists
in printing with adhesive substance on the paper or fabric, in moving the paper or
fabric continuously forward and then upwards to a point of delivery after printing,
in delivering Block upon the printed paper or fabric as it moves, in subjecting the
paper or fabric to a beating operation during the forward movement to produce
the uniform distribution and adhesion of the flock, and in subjecting the paper or
fabric to a second beating or a shaking operation as it moves upwards to the point
of delivery for the purpose of shaking off any superfluous flock which otherwise
would remain on the paper or fabric.
The Invention also consists in the combination of a closed box, having a flexible
bottom of canvas or other material, an endless apron or carrier arranged to travel
immediately above the bottom of the box and serving to move continuously
forward the paper or other fabric which rests upon it, beaters arranged below the
bottom of the box for acting thereon, a printing machine for printing with adhesive
substance on the paper before it enters the box and a hopper or distributor for
flock arranged at that end of the box at which the paper enters.
The Invention also consists in other combinations of parts hereinafter described
and referred to in the claims.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of an apparatus
embodying our Invention, Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section thereof on the
dotted line xx Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a plan of the forward portion of the closed box

page_text: and its appurtenances and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the rear portion of said box
wherein the paper has an upward movement to a point of delivery.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
A is a stationary chamber or casing which extends approximately horizontally
and which has at its rear end a portion A¹ of greater height.
The top of this chamber A may be inclined as shown, and at a suitable distance
from the top is an inclined partition or floor a which may be of canvas or other
suitable flexible material. The portion of the chamber A above the canvas or
other floor a constitutes a closed flocking box A2 and the canvas floor a constitutes
the bottom of said flocking box.
B is an endless apron or carrier which may be made of india rubber or other
suitable material, and which is mounted on the rollers or drums B1, B2, which are
arranged at opposite ends of the flocking box A2. The roller or drum B' is mounted
-in fixed bearings b at the front end of the flocking box A2, and is positively
driven by means of a belt passing over pulleys e e' with which its shaft is
provided.
The roller or drum B' is mounted in bearings 61 which are adjustable by means
of screws b² to put proper tension on the apron or carrier B. One of the bearings 61
and its screw b³, are shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and also in full lines in Fig. 4.
Such an adjustment is well known in machines of various kinds in which an
endless travelling apron is used and is not therefore intended to be claimed.
The roller or drum B turns in a direction to move the apron B as indicated by
arrows in Fig. 1 and that portion of the apron which is above the canvas bottom a
serves as a carrier for the paper.
D D' are beaters which extend from the opposite sides of the flocking box A²
inwards and nearly across the box below the bottom a.
Each beater consists of a long stick or bar which may be of wood, and which is
fulcrummed or pivotted at d in a bracket d' secured to the side of the flocking
box A, as best shown in Figure 2. The tail end or portion of each beater which
projects outward from the fulcrum d is acted upon by a spring e, and when not
otherwise actuated the spring throws the outer end of the beater downwards and
its inner end upward against the canvas bottom, a. The beaters are arranged in
two series, those D on one side of the flocking box being arranged intermediately
between those D' on the other.
D2 D3 are shafts which extend along opposite sides of the chamber A and on
which are cams e¹ for acting on the tail-ends of the beaters D, D'. By the action
of the cams the beaters are moved away from the canvas bottom and when the
cams release the beaters they are impelled upwards by the springs e with a quick
sharp blow against the canvas bottom a.
The shafts D3 D³ are rotated by means of bevil gears ff connecting them with
a shaft C as best shown in Fig. 3. The shaft C is rotated by means of a wheel
and pinion c2 c³, connecting it with the shaft of the drum B'.
At the front of the flocking box A2, and on top thereof is a flock hopper E
which extends transversely across the box, and the outlet of which is controlled by
a valve or gate g by adjusting said valve or gate the delivery of flock from the
hopper into the flocking box A' and upon the paper may be regulated.
In the hopper E may be arranged one or more rotary stirrers 8 for keeping the
flock in a loose state and preventing its packing in the hopper. These stirrers
may be rotated by means of a bolt s' from a pulley s on the shaft of the
drum B¹
At the forward end of the apparatus is a press F of the kind which is commonly
used in printing wall paper and to which no claim is made.
The roll of paper G to be flocked is placed in bearings at the front of the
chamber A, and is drawn continuously therefrom through the press F where it is
printed upon with adhesive substance or material. From the press, the paper G
passes continuously forward through a horizontal slot or opening i at the front end
of the flocking box A' and just above the canvas bottom a. The forwardly

page_text: moving portion of the apron B likewise passes through the slot or opening i and
by it the paper is moved or carried forward from the front to the rear end of the
flocking box continuously. As the paper G passes under the flock hopper E the
flock is distributed upon it very evenly and by the automatic operation of
the beaters on the paper, a firm adhesion of the proper quantity of flock is
insured.
The flocked paper G after leaving the rear end of the apron or carrier B is
taken or moved upward in the portion A¹ of the chamber, and is delivered through
a slot at the top thereof, and over a roller j' whence it is taken continuously to
drying apparatus. The drying apparatus is not shown as it may be of any well
known kind and forms no part of this Invention.
The paper G is slack in its passage through the portion A¹ of the chamber and
moves over cylinders or rollers k which are lagged or otherwise formed so that
they will constitute beaters or will shake the flocked paper as it moves upward
sufficiently to detach therefrom all surplus flock which falls back froin the
ascending portion of the paper.
The several rotary beaters or shakers, k, require very little power to operate
them and they may be rotated by any suitable means.
In Figure 4 we have shown a belt 2 which passes around a pulley l' on the outer
end of the shaft of the drum or roller B2 and around pulleys 12 on the outer ends
of the shafts of said beaters or shakers k.
This Invention may be employed for flocking cloth or other fabrics than
paper.
When the paper or other fabric is flocked in a pattern or figure the form roller
of the press F will have in relief upon its surface the pattern or figure desired but
when the paper or fabric is to be flocked over its entire surface the roller of the
press F which applies the adhesive substance will have a plain surface. In the
latter case it is preferred to employ one or more rollers o for the purpose of
smoothing or flattening the adhesive substance after it is applied to the paper or
fabric G.
The term "printing" as used in this Specification and in the claims is intended
to cover the application of adhesive substance to the paper or fabric, whether it is
applied in a pattern or figure or over the whole surface thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1 The method of flocking paper or other fabric consisting in printing with
adhesive substance on the fabric, in moving the fabric during and after printing
continuously forward and then upward to a point of delivery, in delivering flock
upon the printed fabric as it moves, in subjecting the fabric to a beating operation
during its forward movement and after the flock has been delivered upon it and
in subjecting the fabric to a second beating or a shaking operation as it moves
upwards to the point of delivery, substantially as and for the purpose herein
described.
2nd The combination of a closed flocking box having a flexible bottom, an
endless apron or carrier arranged to travel immediately above the said bottom
and serving to move the fabric continuously forward, beaters arranged below the
bottom of the box for acting thereon; a printing machine for printing with
adhesive substance on the fabric before it enters said box, and a hopper or
distributor for flock arranged at that end of the box at which the fabric enters,
substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
3rd The combination of the closed flocking box A* having a flexible bottom, a,
the endless apron or carrier B the stationary hopper or distributor E for delivering
flock into said box, beaters for acting upon the said bottom a, and a printing press
from which the paper or fabric passes continuously into said box, substantially as
and for the purpose herein described.

page_text: 4th The combination of the closed flocking box A³, having a flexible bottom a,
the endless apron or carrier B the flock hopper E, a printing press from which the
paper or fabric passes continuously into said box and to said carrier, means for
producing an upward movement of the flocked paper or fabric as it leaves said
carrier, and beaters or shakers for acting on the paper or fabric during such
upward movement substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
Dated this 9th dox of Anail 1884