Improvements in the Method of and in Machinery for Hardening and Milling Felt, and other Fabrics requiring similar Treatment.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 20th Nov., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATIUN.
Improvements in the Method of and in Machinery for Hardening and
Milling Felt, and other Fabrics requiring similar Treatment.
We, WILLIAM BRADSHAW LEACHMAN, of Excel Works, Great Wilson Street,
Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer, and ROBERT JOIN CHADWICK MITCHELL
of the Firm of Mitchell Brothers of Waterfoot, Limited, of Albert Works, Water-
foot, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Felt Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to so improve the method of and machinery for
hardening and milling felt, and other fabrics requiring similar treatment, that
the same may be produced in a more even and perfect state than heretofore.
It has hitherto been customary to pass the sliver through hardening rollers,
where it is subjected to a rubbing action which causes the serrated edges of the
It is
fibres to fit into each other and to become matted together in a close mass.
however, necessary to pass the material several times through the hardening
rollers before it is sufficiently hardened to be suitable for passing through the
milling process, and the continual action of the hardening rollers raises lumps
and causes other uneven places to be formed in the material under treatment.
According to our invention, we employ the hardening rollers hitherto employed,
and we pass the sliver through the said rollers a single time, so as to harden the
said sliver and matt the fibres, without raising lumps or making the texture of
same uneven. The material is then fed to a press, where it receives a series of
direct pressures, at the same time being heated and provided with a supply of
moisture. The press in which these direct pressures are applied is provided
with a hollow press head and a hollow rising table, which enables them to be
brought to the required heat by means of steam or other heating fluid.
Perforated or porous plates are provided on the press head and on the rising
table; outlets being provided in the edges of the said plates for allowing the
moisture collected on the surface, to escape at the sides. Between the press head
and the rising table, one or more intermediate plates are provided, the said plates
being hollow so as to enable them to be heated by steam, in a similar manner to
that employed for the table and press head. Above the endless table, we provide
an endless travelling band, which passes over two rollers at the outside of the
piess, and a third roller is provided which turns in contact with one of the rollers
carrying the endless travelling band, the lower part of the said third roller rotating
in a trough carrying a supply of water. Similar endless travelling bands are
provided between the intermediate hollow plates, if required, and to all these
endless bands are given an intermittent travelling action, through the medium of
the rollers on which they travel.
The sliver after it has passed through the hardening rollers, is fed through the
press over the endless travelling bands, being damped on entering the press by its
contact with the first endless band. The rollers rotate for a few turns and then
stop, and whilst the bands and sliver are at rest, the table rises and presses the

page_text: several thickness of felted material. On the table descending, the bands and the
sliver again travel for a short distance, so as to bring the parts of the material
which were outside the press to the centre of same, and on the brands stopping the
pressure is again applied. This action continues, thus causing the material to
eceive a number of pressures whilst the water or moisture contained in the felt,
is enabled to escape through the perforations in the porous plates, thereby pre-
venting the material from becoming disintegrated by the compressed moisture.
Although we have referred to the sliver as being passed through the hardening
rollers once only, it may if desired be passed through a second time, provided that
the second passage through the said rollers does not raise the lumps or form the
unevenness hitherto referred to, as the object of the rollers in the above process is
simply to slightly harden the sliver, the actual felting and milling being per-
formed in a succession of direct pressures received in its passage through the press.
It will be readily seen, that the sliver is subjected to a succession of severe
direct pressures, which being done when the sliver is in a moist and heated con-
dition, causes the material to be pressed in an even and homogeneous manner,
which cannot be done where the sliver is subjected to repeated rubbing operations.
For fabrics which are (say) woven before being felted or milled, the passage
between the hardening rollers will or may be dispensed with.
Dated 41 14h the afT.... 1907
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in the Method of and in Machinery for Hardening and
Milling Felt, and other Fabrics requiring similar Treatment.
We, WILLIAM BRADSHAW LEACHMAN, of Excel Works, Great Wilson Street,
Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer, and ROBERT JOHN CHADWICK MITCHELL
of the Firm of Mitchell Brothers of Waterfoot, Limited, of Albert Works, Water-
foot, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Felt Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of our invention is to so improve the method of and machinery for
hardening and milling felt, and other fabrics requiring similar treatment, that
the same may be produced in a more even and perfect state than heretofore.
It has hitherto been customary to pass the sliver through hardening rollers,
where it is subjected to a rubbing action which causes the serrated edges of the
fibres to fit into each other and to become matted together in a close mass. It is
however, necessary to pass the material several times through the hardening
rollers before it is sufficiently hardened to be suitable for passing through the
milling process, and the continual action of the hardening rollers raises lumps
and causes other uneven places to be formed in the material under treatment.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood we will proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying sectional drawing, on which
the letters refer to the various parts.
According to our invention we employ the hardening rollers hitherto employed,
and we pass the sliver through the said rollers a single time, so as to harden the
said sliver and matt the fibres, without raising lumps or making the texture of
same uneven. The material is then fed to a press, where it receives a series of

page_text: direct pressures, at the same time being heated and provided with a supply of
moisture.
A is the press head and B the rising table of the press in which the direct
pressures are applied, and the press head A is formed with chambers D within the
same which communicate with each other by means of the passages D. The
rising table B is formed with chambers E in the same which communicate together
by means of the passages E¹. F, F are intermediate plates having passages G in
the same, and the said passages G and the chambers D and E are all connected to
a suitable steam or other heat supply, whereby the press head A, rising table B
and intermediate plates F may be heated to any desired temperature. H, H are
porous or perforated plates, which allow of moisture collected on their surfaces to
pass through the said plates and escape at their sides. J, J and K, K are rollers,
which are mounted on the frame on the outside of the press, and endless bands L
and M are provided on the said rollers, the band L being moistened as it advances
by means of a roller N (revolving in a trough of water) with which it is in contact.
P and Rare revolving rollers, and S is a taking off roller for removing the finished
material from the machine. The rollers J, J, K, K, P and R are given a short
rotary action during the time the table B is in the down position as shown on
the drawing, and on the rollers stopping the table B rises and communicates
pressure to the travelling bands L and M and to the intermediate plates. On the
table B descending, the rollers again revolve and this intermittent action con-
tinues as long as the machine is at work.
The sliver, which is indicated at T by the dotted line, after it has passed through
the hardening rollers, is fed to the press over the band L and after
passing through the press between the table B and the intermediate
plate F, it passes over the band M and back through the machine. The sliver
now passes over the roller P' and beneath the press head A, whence it is guided by
the roller R to the taking off roller S.
on
As the sliver enters the machine it becomes damped by its contact with the
travelling and L, and when the rollers J, J stop it receives its first
pressure by the table B rising and pressing the intermediate plates
and bands against the press head A. On the table B descending, the
rollers J, J, and K, K, again revolve and the portion of the sliver which was
below the lower intermediate plate is carried along the band L and is placed on
the band M outside the press. A new portion of the sliver now receives its first
pressure and with the next feed the first portion of the sliver which was outside
the press at the second pressing operation is carried into the press
the travelling band M where it receives a second pressure on
the rising
of the table. The sliver is now fairly felted and is sufficiently strong to continue
through the machine without the assistance of a travelling band and it is thus
guided over the roller P and through the press, from whence it is removed under
the roller R by the taking off roller S. The press continues to give intermittent
pressures to the sliver which is fed forward step by step by the intermittently
travelling bands, and this action continues thus causing the material to receive a
number of pressures whilst the water or moisture contained in the felt, is enabled
to escape through the porous plates H, H, thereby preventing the material from
becoming disintegrated by the compressed moisture.
Although we have referred to the sliver as being passed through the hardening
rollers once only, it may if desired be passed through the rollers a second time, pro-
vided that the second rolling operation does not raise lumps or form the uneven-
ness hereinbefore referred to, as the object of the rollers in the above process is
simply to slightly harden the sliver, the actual felting and milling being per-
formed by a succession of direct pressures received in its passage through the press.
In some cases, where the silver is sufficiently homogeneous, the rolling operation
may be entirely dispensed with, which is also the case where the fabrics are (say)
woven before being felted or milled.
It will be readily seen, that the sliver is subjected to a succession of severe

page_text: direct pressures, which being done when the sliver is in a moist and heated con-
dition, causes the material to be pressed in an even and homogeneous manner,
which cannot be done where the sliver is subjected to repeated rubbing operations.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
-
1. The felting, hardening and milling of partially felted sliver and other fabrics
to be subjected to similar treatment by subjecting the same to a succession. of
pressures whilst in a heated and moistened state, substantially as set forth.
2. The employment of a press, having intermediate plates and intermittent
travelling bands therein, one or more of the bands being moistened' by contact
with a wet roller, and the pressing surfaces being heated by steam or other heating
fluid, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The combination of the press head A, rising table B, intermediate plates F, F,
perous plates H, H, rollers J, J, and K, K, endless bands L and M, water roller N,
rollers P and R and taking off roller S, all acting substantially as described and
for the purposes set forth.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicants.