IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS, AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
and Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS,
AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES.” A communication from abroad by Coronet
Pons Marin, of Barcelona, Spain.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th June 1881.
28
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS, AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES." [A communication
from abroad by Coronet Pons Marin, of Barcelona, Spain.]
This Invention relates to an improved machine chiefly designed for use in the
manufacture of felt hats, which machine is so constructed and arranged that it will
harden or felt the hat body or mat which has been made upon the cone or
otherwise, this hardening or felting having the effect of causing the fibres to
penetrate within one another, as in the operations performed by hand for the same
purpose. According to my said Invention this result is obtained by means of two
endless aprons made of flannel, which, whilst travelling over rollers or cylinders
carrying them, have imparted to them a to-and-fro or reciprocating motion, this
double motion effecting the penetration or consolidation of the fibres to form the
felt.
The hat body or mat on leaving the drying apparatus is placed by an attendant
upon one of two flannel endless aprons. This apron causes the hat body to pass
these
under the rollers of the machine, which are likewise covered with flannel;
rollers are heated by two steam pipes, and the heat acts to ensure and maintain the
penetration of the fibres. The hat body then passes to a second endless apron
which carries it to a second attendant, from whom it goes to a third, this operation
being repeated until the hat bodies have been brought to the desired condition.
The movements of this machine being more regular than those of the band, the
hat bodies will be much superior.

page_text: The said machine is provided with gearing for changing its direction of move-
ment, which allows the work to be effected at either side of the said machine.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide two series of cylinders or
rollers to which are imparted two simultaneous motions, one rotary and the other
to and fro or reciprocating. The cylinders are connected by bars, in which they
are free to rotate. The first cylinder of cach series receives its rotary motion from
the main shaft of the machine by means of a belt and toothed-wheels; at the end
of the said main or driving shaft there is an eccentric. On each of the aforesaid
connecting bars are fitted hinges or jointed pieces connected in pairs (upper and
lower) to levers solidly fixed upon a shaft. A journal on this shaft is connected
with the aforesaid eccentric by means of a connecting rod which imparts to the
shaft a reciprocating rotary motion, which, by means of the aforesaid levers,
imparts a to-and-fro motion to the rollers or cylinders.
Over each of the series of cylinders an endless flannel apron is rolled, which as
it moves rubs against copper tubes which are heated by steam, whereby it receives
a certain degree of heat. These flannel aprons, between which the hat bodies to
be treated pass, are thus continually maintained at a certain degree of heat, and
they are animated by a continuous forward movement at the same time as they
have a to-and-fro movement, and thus the penetration of the fibres hardening or
felting is effected.
Set-screws fixed at the ends of the said tubes allow the same to be brought
nearer to or removed further from each other, so that the flannel aprons may
always be maintained properly stretched, the hat bodies being operated upon pass
between these two aprons.
An endless apron placed at the feeding end of the machine carries the hat bodies
to the cylinders, and another endless apron placed at the delivery end of the
machine receives the same, when they leave the rollers or cylinders and brings
them to the attendant who has then to take them.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th December 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR The
MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS, AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES." A communication
from abroad by Coronet Pons Marin, of Barcelona, Spain.
This Invention relates to an improved machine chiefly designed for use in the
manufacture of felt hats, which machine is so constructed and arranged that it will
harden or felt a hat body or mat which has been made upon the cone or otherwise,
this hardening or felting having the effect of causing the fibres to penetrate and
combine with one another, as in the operations performed by hand for the same
purpose. According to the said Invention this result is obtained by means of two
endless flannel aprons, which, whilst travelling or moving around their carrying:
rollers or cylinders, have also imparted to them a to-and-fro or reciprocating motion,
this double motion effecting the penetration or consolidation of the fibres to form
the felt. The hat body or mat on leaving the hydro-extractor or drying apparatus
is placed by an attendant upon one of two flannel endless aprons in the machine.
This apron causes the hat body to pass under the rollers of the machine, which are
likewise covered with flannel; these rollers are heated by two steam pipes, and
the heat serves to ensure and maintain the penetration of the fibres. The hat body
then passes to a second endless apron, which carries it to a second attendant, froin
whom it passes to a third attendant, these operations being repeated until the hat
bodies have been brought to the desired condition. The movements of the machine
being more regular than those of the hand, the hat bodies made by the said machine
will be found to be greatly superior to hand mado bodies. The said machino is
provided with gearing, whereby its direction of movement may be changed to.
permit the work to be effected at either side of the said machine.
My Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved machine, and
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a front elevation partly in section, and drawn to an enlarged scale of
the principal details of the said machine, and
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the same.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide my improved machine
with two series of cylinders or rollers C, C³, to which are imparted two simultaneous
motions, one motion being rotary and the other to-and-fro or reciprocating. These
cylinders are connected by bars e, e¹, in which they are free to rotate. The first
cylinder of each series receives its rotary motion from the main or driving shaft of
the machine by means of a belt b and the toothed wheels c, c¹, c¹¹, c. The cylinders
or rollers may be connected by means of chains, as in Figure 4, but I prefer to
connect the said cylinders by means of toothed wheels a, a, (see Figure 2), as a
more perfect control of the said cylinders is thereby ensured.
On each of the bars e, e', are fitted the hinges or joints ƒ, ƒ, ƒ³, ƒ³, connected in
pairs to the levers q, q', securely fixed upon the shaft. The driving_shaft A
carries a bevel-wheel B which gears with the pinion D upon the shaft E. This
shaft carries two crank discs m, m, which actuate the rods l, l, connected to the
levers F, F; these levers oscillate upon the shaft or pivot K, and communicate to
the cylinders or rollers a to-and-fro or reciprocating movement, the extent of
which may be varied by altering the point of connection of the rods 7, 7, with the
levers F, F.

page_text: Over each of the series of cylinders or rollers is rolled an endless flannel apron o,
which in its motion passes over the copper tubes or receptacles h, h, heated by
steam, and thus receives the required degree of heat. A perforated pipet is also
provided, into which stoam enters so as to heat the flannel and moisten it, thereby
improving the work effected on the machine.
The flannel aprons o, o, between which the hat bodies pass are thus continually
maintained at a certain degree of heat, and they receive a continuous forward
movement and at the same time a to-and-fro movement, and thus the penetration
of the fibres hardening or felting is effected.
Set-scrows fixed at the ends of the said tubes permit the samo to be moved
nearer to or farther from each other, so that the flannel aprons may be always
kept properly stretched. The hat bodies being operated upon pass between these
two aprons.
An endless apron O placed at the feeding end of the machino carries the hat
bodies to the cylinders, and another endless apron so placed at the delivery end of
the machine receives the said hat bodies when they leave the rollers or cylinders,
and conducts them to an attendant who has then to take them from the machine.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
The improvements in machinery for the manufacture of felt hats, and for similar
purposes represented in the accompanying Drawing, and embodying the following
characteristics, namely :-
First. The use of two endless aprons made of flannel or other similar material,
between which pass the hat bodies to be treated, the said flannel aprons being
heated and moistened by steam, and having imparted to them a double movement,
that is to say, a rotary movement and a to-and-fro or reciprocating movement for
the purpose specified.
Second. The combination of two series of cylinders around which pass the endless
flannel aprons whereon the hat bodies are placed, which cylinders receive a double
motion, as above described.
Third. The devices for imparting the to-and-fro or reciprocating movement to
the cylinders or rollers.
Fourth. The machine consisting of the parts constructed and combined, substan-
tially as shewn in the Drawing, and operating as set forth for the purposes
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Tenth day of December, in tho year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
WWM PORT LAKE Gol
WWM PORT LAKE
(10)