IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HAIR FELT
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Erskine, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Felt Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HAIR FELT."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Erskine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st April 1881.
JOHN ERSKINE, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Felt
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HAIR
FELT."
This Invention, which relates to improvements in machinery for the manufacture
of hair felt, has for its objects to simplify and to reduce to as small a number of
parts as possible the mechanism for imparting the to and fro motion to both the
upper and under plates between which the felt is produced.
Hitherto it has been the practice. to produce these motions by means of cams
operating levers carried in studs or centres at or near to the central part of the
machine, these levers being coupled by connecting rods to the driving attachments
of the upper and under plates.
By means of the present Invention the aforesaid gearing is dispensed with and
the plates are driven directly from a horizontal rotating shaft fixed at one end of
the machine, or any number of felting machines, which may be arranged side by
side in a row. That part of the said shaft which drives the upper and under
plates for each machine is provided with two eccentrics, one for driving the upper
and the other for driving the under table. These eccentrics are coupled by straps
or rods to any suitable points of attachment of the upper and under table, but that
of the upper table is formed with a slot or gripping jaw at its outer end, so that
it may be lifted up from or lowered down on to the driving pin or connecting piece
of the upper table.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Erskine in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th September 1881.
JOHN ERSKINE, of Greenock; in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Felt
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HAIR
FELT."
My said Invention relates to improvements in machinery for the manufacture of
hair felt, and has for its objects to simplify and to reduce to as small a number of
parts as possible the mechanism for imparting the to and fro motion to both the
upper and under plates between which the felt is produced.
Hitherto it has been the practice to produce these motions by means of cams
operating levers carried on studs or centres at or near to the central part of the
machine, these levers being coupled by connecting rods to the driving attachments
of the upper and under plates.
in a row.
By means of my Invention the aforesaid gearing is dispensed with, and the plates
are driven directly from. a. horizontal rotating shaft fixed at one end of the felting
machine, or any number of felting machines, which may be arranged side by side
That part of the said shaft which drives the upper plate and under
plate or table for each machine is provided with two eccentrics, one for driving the
upper plate and the other for driving the under plate or table. These eccentrics
are respectively coupled by straps or rods to any suitable points of attachment of
the upper plate and the under plate or table, but the strap or rod of the upper
plate is formed with a slot or gripping jaw at its outer end; so that it may be
lifted up from or lowered down on to the driving pin or connecting piece of the
upper plate.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to
the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say.
Figure 1 represents in vertical longitudinal section, Figure 2 in plan, and
Figure 3 in end elevation of the upper portion of a machine for the manufacture of
hair felt provided with my improvements. The under plate or table A is ribbed
on its upper side and perforated, and is of a box form for the reception of the hair.
to be felted; it is capable of sliding longitudinally upon the top of the steam
chest C. The upper plate B is capable of sliding longitudinally upon the plate A,
and is provided with handles b for removing it from off the said plate A, and also
with projections 63, from which the weights for giving the requisite pressure are
suspended; it also is ribbed upon its under side and perforated. All these parts
are or may be similar to those of ordinary hair felting machines.
Mounted in bearings d at one end of the machine is a horizontal rotating shaft D,
shewn separately in Figure 4. The said shaft is furnished with fast and loose
pulleys, and has formed upon it two eccentrics or cranks d² and d³ with opposite
throws, the one d² being coupled by the rod e to the upper plate B, and the other d³
being, coupled by the rod f to the lower plate or table A, the said rods e and f
containing at the ends at which they are attached to the cranks d2 and d³
adjustable brasses, in which the said cranks turn. The outer end of the rod fis
fastened by the pin f2 between lugs a upon the plate or table A, and the outer end
of the rod e is bifurcated to form a gripping jaw, which is attached to the plate B
by engaging this jaw with a projection or pin, as at 63, the said rod e being secured
in position by a strap g being turned over the said end part and secured beneath a

page_text: catch piece g². When the machine is in operation the cranks d², d³, as they
revolve cause through the connecting rods e and ƒ a reciprocating motion in
reverse directions to be given to the plates A and B, by which motion the felting
operation is performed. When the felt is to be removed from between the plates
the driving band is removed from the fast to the loose pulley, and the machine
thereby stopped, when the strap g is turned from off the end of the rod e, and the
said rod is raised upon the crank d² as a centre, when the plate B may be lifted
from off the plate A.
The shaft D may extend in front of one, two, or any number of machines, being
provided with a pair of cranks for each machine.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may'
be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
The improvements in machinery for the manufacture of hair felt, consisting in
driving the upper and lower plates of the said machinery from cranks or eccentrics
on a shaft arranged and communicating motion to the said plates, essentially as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Erskine, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
JOHN ERSAINE.
(L.S.)