IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT AND IN APPARATUS RELATING THERETO
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Spence, of 8, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, in
"
the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT AND IN APPARATUS RELATING THERETO."
(A communication from abroad Louis Bruno Fortin, the elder, of Paris, in the
Republic of France. Manufacturer.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Spence at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th March 1879.
WILLIAM SPENCE, of 8, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT AND IN
APPARATUS RELATING THERETO." (A communication from abroad by Louis Bruno
Fortin, the elder, of Paris, in the Republic of France, Manufacturer.)
This Invention has for its object the manufacture of felt in such a manner as to
obviate defects hitherto found to exist therein, as for example, in thick felts are met
with flaws and a kind of puff paste instead of a complete agglomeration, and in light
felts thin places are produced which diminish their value.
And this Invention consists in the combination of machines herein-after described,
by means of which felts can be manufactured of more perfect quality and with
greater economy.
For the formation of the sheet of wool issuing from the carding cylinder there is
substituted for the known horizontal apron which receives the wool between two
cloths, and of which the working can neither be seen nor regulated, a vertical
apron which is visible from the leaving of the carding apparatus to the machine
for stretching or spreading, the carding apparatus supplying its product on to the
said vertical apron; this product is then stretched or spread at a right angle (by
means of aprons suitably fitted and worked as required) in order to give thus a
layer of wool crossed, as fine or as thick as may be desired, and which being, felted
and fulled or milled will have the same power of resistance in length as in width,
and may be used in the manufacture of various articles, such as boots, shoes, carpets,
and light felts called flannels, for petticoats, dressing gowns, and linings for shoes.

page_text: The improvements in the felting machine which follows the stretcher or spreader
consists in dispensing with the ordinary apparatus in front of the table and the
crank shaft. This is replaced by a double movement at the sides, leaving the front
and back entirely free, thereby allowing of the passage of the necessary cloths and
the rolling of the felt over guide rollers suitably arranged. The endless cloth for
carrying the felt between the two metal tables heated by steam is passed by means
of guide rollers through a reservoir of water. The two reciprocating longitudinal
and transverse motions of the upper table are produced by means of levers and
excentrics arranged to work at right angles to each other and connected by bevil
gear. The raising of the table as required is effected by means of suspending
chains and pulleys arranged with counterbalancing, weights, so as to admit of the
raising apparatus being under easy control of the attendant.
The improvements in felting machines in the form of carding apparatus consist
in replacing the intermittently acting clicks by a regular and continuous motion
obtained by an eccentric. The main cylinder or drum is heated by steam; an end-
less cloth passing through a trough of water carries the felt between the outer
surface of this cylinder and a series of smaller cylinders arranged round the upper
half of the main cylinder, such smaller cylinders being worked as required by
eccentrics on a horizontal shaft.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
September 1879.
•
WILLIAM SPENCE, of 8, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT AND IN
APPARATUS RELATING THERETO." (A communication from abroad by Louis Bruno
Fortin, the elder, of Paris, in the Republic of France, Manufacturer.)
This Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture of Felt and in Apparatus
Relating thereto " has for its object the manufacture of felt in such a manner as to
obviate defects hitherto found to exist therein, as for example in thick felts are
met with flaws and a kind of puff paste instead of a complete agglomeration; and
in light felts thin places are produced which diminish their value; and this
Invention consists in the combination of machines hereinafter described, by means
of which felts can be manufactured of more perfect quality and with greater
economy.
-
For the forination of the sheet of wool issuing from the carding cylinder there is
substituted for the known horizontal apron which receives the wool between two
cloths, and of which the working can neither be seen nor regulated, a vertical apron,
which is visible from the leaving of the carding apparatus to the machine for
stretching or spreading. The carding apparatus supplying its product on to the said
vertical apron this product is then stretched or spread at a right angle (by means
of aprons suitably fitted and worked as required) in order to give thus a layer of
wool crossed, as fine or as thick as may be desired; and which, being felted and
fulled or milled, will have the same power of resistance in length as in width, and
may be used in the manufacture of various articles, such as boots, shoes, carpets,
and light felts called flannels, for petticoats, dressing gowns, and linings for shoes.
The improvements in the felting machine which follows the stretcher or spreader
consists in dispensing with the ordinary apparatus in front of the table and the
crank shaft. This is replaced by a double movement at the sides, leaving the front
and back entirely free, thereby allowing of the passage of the necessary cloths and
the rolling of the felt over cores or guide rollers suitably arranged. The endless
cloth for carrying the felt between the two metal tables heated by steam is by
means of guide rollers passed through a reservoir of water. The two reciprocating
longitudinal and transverse motions of the upper table are produced by means of
levers and excentrics arranged to work at right angles to each other and connected
by bevil gear.
The raising of the table as required is effected by means of suspending chains
and pulleys arranged with counterbalancing weights, so as to admit of the raising
apparatus being under easy control of the attendant.
The improvements in felting machines in the form of carding apparatus consist
in replacing the intermittently acting clicks by a regular and continuous motion
obtained by an eccentric. The main cylinder or drum is heated by steam; an
endless cloth passing through a trough of water carries the felt between the outer
surface of this cylinder and a series of smaller cylinders arranged round the upper
half of the main cylinder, such smaller cylinders being worked as required by
excentrics on a horizontal shaft.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention I will now proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by the aid
of the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented the parts of apparatus
above referred to.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents in vertical section the combination of a carding apparatus
having an endless vertical apron with the stretching or spreading machine (which
serves also as a feeder for a carding apparatus) placed at an angle of forty five
degrees; Fig. 2 shews a section of the stretching apparatus employed as for a feeder
for the carding apparatus.
P, Fig. 1, is the doffer cylinder, which supplies the wool or fleece issuing from
the carding apparatus C to an endless apron T, the developement of which extends
to a length of about forty to forty five "métres," and at the end of which is
adapted a stretching or spreading apparatus A capable of serving as a feeder to &
second carding apparatus, and which allows of the production of layers of wool of
a suitable length and thickness, the filaments of which are crossed at right angles.
The vertical apron T is so arranged that the work can be readily followed, can
be utilized for felts not crossed; and the cloth which it conveys may be converted
into a roll (X, Fig. 1), which can be doubled or tripled by the aid of the apparatus
represented in Fig. 5.
The stretching or feeding machine is distinguished from feeding apparatus
already known by the simplicity of its construction, its solidity, its economical
use, and its better return than machines hitherto employed. This machine is com-
posed of an endless apron a intended to receive the wool or fleece as it comes from
the combing apparatus, and cause it to rise in order to place it afterwards between
two endless aprons b, b¹, having laths like the apron a, and mounted parallel.
The carrier of the apron a can oscillate at f, and it is fixed to the support & of
the apron band 61 by the top part, like the branches of a compass, in order that
the said aprons b, b', by being moved alternately the whole width of the stretcher
may stretch the wool or fleece over a fourth endless apron e, also having laths, and
which is moved at right angles to the former aprons.
The alternate to and fro movement is imparted to the aprons 6, 61, by endless
screws of long pitch which work in the female screws v', and which turn alter-
nately in one direction or the other as driven by the mechanism. The female
screws are of a particular form. They are surmounted by a socket with an
interior smooth face for sliding on the smooth top of the parts n of the frame. The
internal part carries a tightening screw for adjusting to a convenient height a
support t, which receives the trunnions of the two cylinders effecting the stretching
of the material proceeding from the vertical apron in passing from the carding
apparatus on to the apron e.
The wool or fleece after having been brought by the vertical apron T terminating
in a horizontal part e under the stretching machine, may be formed into a roll X,
Fig. 1, as above stated, and may be afterwards doubled or tripled in the most
simple manner by the aid of the apparatus shewn in elevation at Fig. 5.
This apparatus is composed of two standards, connected together so as to con-
stitute a frame m, to which are fixed the columns o which carry the supports a for
receiving the rolls. In the case chosen for illustration there are only two rolls,
h and h, the cloths of which become united between the rollers p and p³, so as
thereby to become doubled into a single roll Y. The cores of the rolls intended to
be doubled or tripled have their axes, which rest in the supports 8, the height of
whicli can be regulated on the columns o. The rolls thus doubled or tripled are
then placed on special supports in front of the felting table, of which. Figures 3
and 4 represent respectively a longitudinal and a transverse section. The improve-
ments applied to the felting table consist in dispensing with the coupling bar or
spindle placed in front of the said table, and also the shaft with a handle; these
parts being replaced by mechanism for giving a double motion to the sides of the
table, leaving the front and the back entirely free, thereby allowing the passage of
the necessary cloths and the finished felts, which are rolled on the cores. A is the

page_text: lower table of metal, in the interior of which are a series of vertical ribs forming
a means of uniformly distributing the steam or vapour over the whole surface to
be heated. The steam or vapour is introduced through the vertical pipe i, which
is connected with a horizontal pipe ; having two outlets 2 and 3 in the direction
of the length of the table (Fig. 3), and it afterwards escapes through the pipe **
(Fig. 4); B is an endless cloth, so manufactured as to adapt it for holding the
moisture and producing the more vapour over the table A. The course of this
cloth in the reservoir R and its direction are clearly shewn in Fig. 3. The two
reciprocating longitudinal and transverse motions are imparted to the upper table A¹
by the levers land 1, worked respectively by the excentrics L and L' fixed on the
shafts n and n', placed at right angles to each other and connected together by
bevil gearing.
At the back of the table is arranged a mechanism composed of four pairs of
guide rollers q, q', adapted to carry four continuous fleeces z, z1, 22, 23, and which
are put in motion by a series of spur and bevil gearing in order to convey the
fleeces on to the felting table with a cloth placed between each of them. The upper
table A, with longitudinal and transverse motions, is intended to work at a speed
of about four hundred evolutions per minute, is of metal and perfectly smooth, and
of the same dimensions as the stationary lower table A.
The raising of the table A¹ is effected by means of chains h, and a system of
pulleys H worked by the prime mover at the will of the attendant, who has only
to act upon the cord k communicating with the right angle lever carrying the parts
shewn at K and the cord / connected to the lever K¹ of the brake. This brake
allows the attendant to cause the table A¹ to descend as gently as if he placed it
by hand. Between the tables A and A' are brought the layers of wool or fleece to
be felted; the first layer is placed on the endless moistened cloth, which produces
the necessary vapour; then a cloth, second layer; third cloth, third layer; fourth
cloth, fourth layer, and, finally, on the top a felt of about from eight to twelve
"millemètres" in thickness. The upper table A' is lowered, to which table is given
longitudinal and transverse motions by means of the excentrics L and L' and the
fork levers connected therewith. The felts as they leave the machine are rolled on
the cores or rollers j, the axes of which are placed in the forked supports j', and
which receive their motion by friction by the aid of the rollers u driven by bevil
gear u¹.
The improvements in felting machines in the form of carding apparatus are shewn
in Figures to 8, and consist in substituting for clicks acting intermittently &
regular and continuous motion obtained by an excentric; Fig. 6 shews a longitudinal
section in the line 1-2 of Fig. 7, which is a transverse section; Fig. 8 is a longi-
tudinal elevation at the side where are the excentrics which serve to raise the
twelve cylinders which work on the principal drum.
Steam is introduced into the interior of the large drum or cylinder A through
the pipet placed on one side, and it escapes by the pipe t¹ at the opposite side;
B shews the endless cloth, which passes over the large heated drum after having
been moistened in the reservoir R. The coupling bar or spindle which gives the
continuous motion is divided into two parts, and carries in the middle of its length
an elongated nut or female screw having a right and left handed thread, which
allows of its length being adjusted very exactly in order to give suitable tension to
the chain M.
By means of this machine two pieces of material can be felted simultaneously
with a second cloth on the second piece, and over which the twelve cylinders work.
Hence eight pieces can be felted in ten hours, of a length of about three hundred
and thirty six "mètres" ready to be fulled by any fulling apparatus.
It is to be observed that when the machine is topped it is important for the
cylinders not to touch the material to be felted which rest on the large drum heated
by steam, as that would cause imperfections. It is sufficient to raise the cylinders a
short distance by simple mechanism in order to separate them from the drum A.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention communicated to me from

page_text: abroad as aforesaid, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby
declare that what I claim as of the said Invention is,-
First. The apparatus represented in Figures 1 and 2, and described.
Secondly. The apparatus represented in Fig. 5, and described.
Thirdly. The apparatus represented in Figures 3 and 4, and described.
And, lastly. The apparatus represented in Figures 6, 7, and 8, and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Spence, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Nineteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
FRANK REDMAN,
8, Quality Court,
Chancery Lane, W.C.
WILLIAM SPENCE. (L.S.)