Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 21st Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 25th May, 1888
I GILES ATHERTON of the Virginnia Mills Higher Hillgate Stockport in the County
of Chester Hat Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to the Coating or napping of felt hat bodies and has for its
object to obtain upon wool bodies a surface consisting wholly or principally of fur. In
former Inventions for which Letters Patent No. 718 and 1117 of the year 1882 have
been granted to me I employed heat and friction to effect the sticking of fur bats to
wool hat bodies each body being separately treated. In my present invention I am
enabled to coat a number of bodies at one operation and to obtain a thin coating so
that the bodies may be finished in the same manner as bodies which are composed
wholly of fur or of a mixture of fur and wool. In the coating of the wool bodies I
employ heat and moisture alone or in conjunction with the mechanically obtained
frictional contact of one body with another. When employing heat and moisture
without mechanical agitation of the bodies I immerse the bodies along with the fur
in water which is kept at or about at the boiling point the water being acidulated as is
usual in felting operations. I have found that the fur adheres to the surface of the
hat bodies and enters into intimate union with the woolen surface so that the bodies
can be sheared pounced and otherwise finished as if they were composed entirely of
fur. The time of immersion will vary according to the thickness of coating required.
I may add gelatine or other suitable substance or material to the water to expedite the
operation. In my experiments I have operated upon the bodies after they have been
proofed. In this operation when the object is to obtain a thin fur surface I can use
fur waste but when it would be desirable to obtain a thicker coating or a nap I should
use a more suitable quality of fur. The operation may be varied by agitating the
bodies in the liquid during the operating. For this purpose I should prefer to use the
machine which was illustrated in the drawings attached to the specification of the

page_text: patent No. 1117. of the year 1882 hereinbefore referred to. To complete the operation I
prefer to place a number of bodies in a drum or box which is caused to revolve the
frictional contact of the bodies completing the adhesion of the fur. I may effect the
operation entirely by the aid of such an apparatus the bodies being introduced into
the drum along with the fur and being kept moist and hot but not immersed in water
until the fur has adhered to the surfaces of the bodies or I may use this method to
obtain an increased quantity of fur upon the outer surfaces of the bodies or I may use
such a revolving drum or box when operating by immersion in the hot fluid.
principal object in using the revolving drum is to obtain frictional contact between
the hat bodies I do not confine myself to the rotatory motion as the box or receptacle
containing the bodies may be oscillated, vibrated rocked or otherwise moved to produce
the desired effect.
Dated this 13th day of September 1887.
As the
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James' Square, Manchester,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Coating, "Plating," or Napping Felt Hat Bodies.
I GILES ATHERTON of the Virginia Mills, Higher Hillgate, Stockport in the
County of Chester Hat Manufacturer 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, that is to say :—
My Invention relates to the coating or napping of felt hat bodies and has for its
object to obtain a surface consisting wholly or principally of fur upon a body
composed of wool or of a material or mixture of materials inferior to the fur used in
the coating operation. In former Inventions for which Letters Patent No. 718
and 1117 of the year 1882 have been granted the former to my Patent Agent
Edward Kenworthy Dutton and the latter to myself I employed heat and friction to
effect the sticking of fur bats to hat bodies each body being separately treated. By
my present invention I am enabled to coat a number of bodies at one operation and
to obtain a thin coating of fur upon wool bodies or otherwise a thin coating of fine
fur upon bodies composed of coarser fur or of a mixture of fur and wool the result
being that wool bodies coated with fur may be finished in the same manner as bodies
which are composed wholly of fur or of a mixture of fur and wool. In the coating
of the bodies I employ heat and moisture to cause the fur to adhere or felt on or into
the bodies. I immerse the bodies along with the fur in water which is kept at or a
little below the boiling point the water being acidulated as is usual in felting operations.
I have found that the fur adheres to the surfaces of the hat bodies and enters into
intimate union with such surfaces so that the bodies can be sheared, pounced and
otherwise finished as if they were composed entirely of fur. I sometimes place a
number of bodies in a drum, box or cage which is caused to revolve or oscillate.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood I will describe the manner in
which I proceed when carrying the said invention into effect. I prepare a hath by
adding sulphuric acid to water in proportion of about twenty ounces to two hundred
gallons of water this being about the quantity I use when operating upon a batch of
twelve dozen hat bodies. In this acidulated water I dissolve one pound and a half of
ordinary gelatine. At present I prepare this bath in a jacketed copper pan in which
the bath may be boiled or heated, but any suitable kind of kettle or pan may be used
or a vat or cistern will answer the purpose the bath being heated by means of a steam
coil or by discharging steam into the bath. The bodies to be coated are placed in the
hot bath along with a suitable quantity of the coating fur. In ordinary practice I
use fur waste, but very short fur or ordinary fur cut or reduced by any suitable
means into short lengths may be used. When it would be desirable to obtain a
thicker coating or nap I should use fur of ordinary length or fur of a length suitable
to the effect which it would be desirable to produce. The contents of the pan or vat
are preferably kept at a temperature a little below the boiling point say for example at

page_text: a temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit for about one hour to an hour and a half
the bodies being stirred and turned over, and kept in motion in the bath by means o
a pole or staff or if preferred by means of a revolving or other mechanical agitator or
the bodies may be placed within a pervious drum cage or chamber mounted to revolve
in the pan or vat so as to be immersed in the bath to a suitable extent or such drum
may itself constitute the receptacle for the bath. In place of using mechanical means
for agitating the bath I may use steam or compressed air as for example the steam
ischarged into the water as herein aforesaid would agitate the bath to some extent.
After the indicated lapse of time the bodies are withdrawn from the bath and are
turned so that the surfaces which were outside become turned inside. The bodies are
then replaced in the bath along with a further supply of fur and the treatment is
continued for a second period of about the same duration as that of the first treatment.
The bodies are then removed from the bath and washed in warm water to clear them
from loose fur. They will then be found to be coated inside and out with the fur and
may be finished as if composed entirely of fur. In place of the bodies being stirred
about in the bulk as hereinbefore described they may be agitated singly by suitable
mechanism. For such a purpose the machine illustrated by the Figures in Sheet 1
of the drawings attached to the specification of my Patent number 1117 of the year
1882 would be suitable it being simply necessary to substitute the bath containing
diffused fur for the plain water which I employed when I used the machine for its
original purpose, means being provided for maintaining the bath at the indicated
temperature. The operation might be varied by suspending the bodies in the water
without mechanically imparted motion the water being kept in a state of agitation
but I do not say that as good an effect would result. In place of the bodies being
constantly moved or disturbed the bodies might be re-arranged turned over or moved
about at intervals. It will be seen that the proportions of the two coatings of fur
inside and outside of the bodies may be varied, as for example if it be desired that
less fur shall be deposited upon the inside surface than upon the outside,
less fur is supplied to the bath for the second immersion or the duration
of the second treatment is shortened or both means may be adopted to
produce the desired result. It will also be understood that when the inside
coating is not required the second treatment is dispensed with. I prefer to
subject the bodies to the treatment hereunder after they have been proofed. In some
or in all cases I transfer the bodies from the hot bath to a drum, cage, or box and
cause the same to revolve whereby the bodies are brought into frictional contact one
with another and the fur coating becomes more intimately united to the foundation by
the increased penetration of the fur. The duration of the treatment in the revolving
drum will depend upon the kind of finish which the hat bodies are intended to receive.
If they are to have a very smooth or bare finish the operation may be continued until
the fur has penetrated almost the entire length of its staple into the body so that less
sand papering and labour will be required. Instead of a revolving drum a rocking
or vibrating receptacle may be used for the purpose but I consider the revolving
drum or box to be the most suitable and efficient. I may use any suitable apparatus
for the purpose or the bodies may be subjected to a slight hand planking or working
after the immersion in the bath. When describing the preparation of the hot bath
mentioned the ingredients and the proportions which I have found to be suitable but I
do not intend to confine myself to such proportions nor to the use of such ingredients
with the exceptions of the fur and the hot water. Less or more of the acid or of the
gelatine may be used according to the quality of the hat bodies or of the coating fur.
If not considered to be necessary the acid may be dispensed with and although I have
found the gelatine to have a good effect in facilitating the adhesion of the fur to the
bodies, other users of my process might not consider it to be essential or might prefer
to use some other substance or agent and I therefore do not make this a necessary
part of my Invention. Although I consider the stirring movement or agitation of
the bodies or bath to be very beneficial I do not wish it to be understood that this
part of the process is an absolute necessity. The bodies might be dyed and coated by
one operation by mixing dyeing matter with the hot bath used in the process.

page_text: 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 process for coating felt hat bodies with fur substantially as hereinbefore
set forth.
(2) Coating felt hat bodies. with fur by immersing or steeping the bodies in hot
water in which has been placed the fur to form the coating or outer surface
substantially as set forth.
(3) In the coating of felt hat bodies with fur, keeping them immersed in hot water
in which the fur is diffused and stirring agitating or moving about the bodies in
the mixture until the bodies are sufficiently coated.
(4) The process or part of a complete process for the coating of felt hat bodies
with fur consisting in immersing the bodies in a hot mixture of water, acid, gelatine
and fur and moving or agitating the bodies in such mixture substantially as set
forth.
(5) In the coating of felt hat bodies with fur steeping the bodies in hot water
admixed with fur and with or without acid or gelatine or both for a period, removing
the bodies, turning them inside out and repeating the immersion in the mixture in
order to coat both inside and outside of the bodies substantially as set forth.
(6) In the coating of felt hat bodies with fur, suspending the bodies in a hot water
bath containing fur and agitating or shaking the bodies mechanically or agitating the
bath substantially as set forth.
(7) In the coating of felt hat bodies with fur, the treatment of the bodies in
accordance with any of the foregoing claiming clauses numbered 2 to 6 both inclusive
combined with the further treatment within a revolving drum, cage or box or a
rocking or shaking receptacle substantially as set forth.
11 ብሰ
1
A1 1000
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James' Square, Manchester,
Agents.