Improvements in Machinery for Hardening Felt Hats, Partly Applicable to other Felt Hardening Machines.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 7th July, 1886.
Complete Left, 7th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 10th May, 1887.
Improvements in Machinery for Hardening Felt Hats, Partly
Applicable to other Felt Hardening Machines.
I FREDERICK STANLEY ANDERSON of Delph in the County of York Foreman do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
1
This invention relates especially to the apparatus for hardening felt hats known as
a "flat" hardening machine and consists mainly in improved mechanism for com-
municating the requisite to and fro motion to the "lid "and to the hardener bottom
in order to obtain a perfect felting of the material under operation.
I also provide an improved connection between the "lid" and the said mechanism.
In the first place, instead of connecting a single excentric to an oscillating lever
one end of which actuates the lid and the other end the hardener bottom (by means
of suitable links) I connect the said lid and the hardener bottom by means of a
pair of suitable rods and clips to a double excentric mounted and constructed as
follows.
Upon a shaft mounted in suitable bearings behind the lid and the hardener bottoni
I key a circular block in each side or face of which I cut two parallel undercut grooves
of such a form and depth as to receive bolt heads and allow the bolts to project there-
from and slide therein. By means of these bolts and suitable nuts I fasten to each
side of this block a circular flanged plate in the centre of which I cut a slot parallel
with the grooves in the said block.
The shaft passes through this slot and thus each of these circular flanged plates
may be set at any distance from the centre of the shaft and the circular block, and
independently of each other.
They therefore form together with the said block a double excentric, it being of
course understood that the clips work round the circular flanged plates.
"
and to
It will be understood that this excentric motion may be applied to impart the
reciprocating motion to machines known as cup and cone hardeners"
other felting machines where a similar motion is required to be given to the felting
plates.

page_text: The rod and clip from one side of the above named excentric is connected to the
lid in the following manner.
I dovetail (or otherwise mortise) the casting to which the excentric rod is pivotted
into the upper surface of the back part of the "lid" and I connect the bar to which is
attached the usual "spring," to the front of the lid in a similar manner. I bolt the
casting to the bar, the bolt passing through the casting and into the bar, the head
thereof fitting into a slot or recess cut in the underneath surface of the said bar. I
also prefer to form the said casting in such a manner that it shall enclose, or box in,
the end of the said bar, and secure the bar and the casting firmly together by
a suitable nut, and as they are both dovetailed into the "lid" the latter will be
consequently connected to the excentric rod.
Hitherto the spring bar and a somewhat similar casting (to which was connected
the link of the ordinary reciprocating motion) have been attached to the lid by bolts,
the heads of which were let into the underneath surface of the lid and although the
holes thus made were plugged with wood, rust sometimes found its way from the bolts
to the felt under treatment. By my improved connection which is all upon the
upper surface of the "lid " no rust can possibly reach the felt.
This construction will also effect a great saving in wood as the under surface of the
lid will be perfectly intact, and there will be no bolt holes to wear loose, consequently
the lid will last longer, and there will be no wooden plugs which at present require
constant attention.
I provide the excentric rod which actuates the "lid" with an adjustable projection
which works upon a suitable part of the fixed framing of the machine and may be set
so as to keep the said "lid" level, or flat upon the felt.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for Hardening Felt Hats, Partly
Applicable to other Felt Hardening Machines.
I FREDERICK STANLEY ANDERSON of Delph in the County of York Foreman 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:
This invention relates especially to the apparatus for hardening felt hats known as a
"flat" hardening machine, and consists mainly in improved mechanism for com-
municating the requisite to-and-fro motion to the "lid" and the "hardener" in order
to obtain a perfect felting of the material under treatment.
I also provide an improved connection between the "lid" and the said mechanism.
The nature of my invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed
or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to the two
annexed sheets of drawings and the following explanation thereof.
On Sheet 1. Fig. 1. on the drawings is a side elevation of a "flat" hardener
constructed according to my invention.
On Sheet 2. Figs. 2. 3. 4 and 5 are detached views illustrating the improved "lid"
and its attachments, and Figs. 6. 7. 8. and 9. are similar views (drawn to a larger
scale) of the improved excentric and its attachments.
In the first place instead of connecting a single excentric to an oscillating lever one
end of which actuates the "lid" and the other end the hardener bottom (by means of
suitable links) I connect the said "lid" shown at a, a Fig. 1. and the hardener bottom b, b
by means of a pair of suitable rods and clips a', and, to a double excentric, which is
mounted and constructed as follows.
Upon a shaft c, e mounted in suitable bearings behind the lid a, a and the hardener
bottom b, I key a circular block d, d (Figs. 1. 6 and 9) in each side or face of which
I cut two parallel undercut grooves e, e of such a form and depth (see Fig. 9.) as to
receive the heads of bolts ff and to allow the said bolts to project therefrom and
slide therein. By means of these bolts f, and suitable nuts I fasten to each side of
this block d, da circular flanged plate g, (see Fig. 7) in the centre of which I cut a
slot which I place parallel with the grooves e, e in the said block.
The shaft c, c passes through this sloth and thus each of the circular flanged
plates g, g may be set at any required distance from the centre of the shaft c, c and
the circular block d, d and independently of each other as indicated by the dotted
lines on Fig. 6.
They therefore form, together with the said block, a double excentric it being of
course understood that the clips a¹ and b¹ work round the circular flanged plates
(see Fig. 9).
It will be understood that this excentric motion may be applied to machines known
as "cup and cone "hardeners " bumpers "and to other felting machines where a
similar motion is required to be given to the felting mechanism.

page_text: The rod and clip a¹ from one side of the above named excentric is connected to the
lid a, a in the following manner.
a, a in a
I dovetail (or otherwise mortise) the casting i, i (to which the excentric rod a¹ is
pivotted,) into the upper surface of the back part of the "lid" a, a and I connect the
bar k, k to which is attached the usual "spring" 1, 1 to the front of the "lid "
similar manner. This construction may be effected as shown on the drawings; Fig. 2.
being an underneath plan view of the casting i, i. Fig. 3. a similar view of the bar k, k
and Fig. 4 a top plan view of the "lid" a, a. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of these
three parts when connected together.
I bolt the casting i, i to the bar k, k the bolt m m passing through the said casting
and into the bar, the nut (or the head thereof) fitting into a slot or recess cut in the
bar. I also prefer to form the said casting i, in such a manner that it shall enclose,
or box in (as shown at Fig. 1. 2 and 3, the end of the bar k, k and the bolt m, m
secures the same and the casting firmly together and as they are both dovetailed into
the "lid" the latter will be consequently connected to the excentric rod.
**
Hitherto the spring bar and a somewhat similar casting (to which was connected
the link of the ordinary reciprocating motion) have been attached to the lid by bolts,
the heads of which were let into the underneath surface of the lid, and although the
holes thus made were plugged with wool, rust sometimes found its way from the bolts
to the felt under treatment.
By my improved connection which is all upon the upper surface of the "lid" no
rust can possibly reach the felt.
This construction which is also applicable to the ordinary "Flat" hardener will also
effect a great saving in wood as the under surface of the lid will be perfectly intact,
and there will be no bolt holes to wear loose, consequently the "lid "will last longer
and there will be no wooden plugs which at present require constant attention.
I may provide the excentric rod, a¹ which actuates the "lid" a, a with an adjustable
projection or support which works upon a suitable part of the fixed framing of the
machine and may be set so as to keep the said "lid "level or flat upon the felt.
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 :-
First. The improved adjustable excentric device substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the annexed drawings for imparting a to-and-fro motion
to the "lid" or other moving portion of the felting mechanism of a hardening
machine.
Secondly. The improved method of and apparatus for connecting the "lid" of a
"flat" hardening machine to the spring bar and to the excentric or other mechanism
employed for imparting a to-and-fro motion thereto substantially as herein before
described and illustrated by the drawing annexed.
CAL
C A1 1007