IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS BY FELTING
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MOSES
POOLE, of the Patent Office, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Sixth day of May, in the fourth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Moses Poole, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Moses Poole, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Moses Poole, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS
BY FELTING," communicated to me by a certain Foreigner residing abroad; in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Moses
Poole, shall cause a particular description of the nature of the Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and

page_text: immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto bad, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Moses Poole, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the Figures and Letters marked thercon
(that is to say):
The Invention consists of producing fabrics by felting by machinery, which
is so combined and arranged that the fibres in being felted are caused to
pass under, and are acted on by a series of bars or surfaces which have a
curved and alternating motion communicated to them, as will be hereafter
explained; and it should be stated that the Invention does not include any
mode of preparing fibres in sheets and other forms in order that the process
of felting them may be performed thereon; and such preparing fibres in sheets
or other forms ready for. felting may be performed by any suitable means.
And in order that the Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to explain the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and the various figures and letters marked thereon.
..
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
A represents the driving pulleys which give motion to all the parts of the
machine by means of straps. B represents the first driver pulley of the felting
machine that gives motion to a horizontal cross. shaft C; on the shaft C are
affixed two bevil wheels D, which give motion to two bevil wheels E and F,
mounted on the two side shafts G; on each side shaft G is fixed two bevil
wheels H, which drive four bevil pinions I, fixed to the four short upright
shafts J. There are four brackets & attached to the framing of the machine
through which the four upright shafts J pass, and are thus supported. On
the top of the four upright shafts J are fixed four excentrics L; the four
excentrics are set to give eccentric motion of one quarter of an inch, more or
less, to the two side connecting bars M, on which are fixed pins to receive the
top surface bars and plates. Each surface bar and plate has a hole at one
end to fit a pin, and a slot at the other end to allow a pin to traverse.
surface bars and plates being thus attached to the pins on the connecting
bars, they receive a curved and alternating motion, so that the succeeding
surface bar and plate moves in an opposite direction (on the surface of the
steam chest). This motion gives to the fibres, as they pass between the steam
The

page_text: chest and the surface bars and plates, a motion which causes them to unite, to
adhere, and interlay, intermat, and felt. The steam chest should have a cover
of woollen cloth or other soft substance on its top side; the surface bars and
plates should also have a cover of linen cloth on that part of the bars and
plates which present their surface to the fibrous material, which thus offers
to the fibres an easy, soft, and uniform motion. The taking-in roller N
is moved by the pinion O on the shaft C, which drives the spur wheel P
fixed on the axle. Qis the top taking-in roller. R is a roller for tightening
the endless cloth. 1, 2, 3, represent three small rollers for guiding the
endless cloth. The top endless cloth passes round the rollers Q and R
between the surface bars and steam chest and round the roller (1). The
bottom endless cloth passes round the taking-in roller, between the surface
bars and steam chest, round the rollers (2) and (3), and under the steam
chest. S represents a card roller covered with emery, or spirally fluted, for.
taking out the plaits of the endless cloth, and guiding it parallel. T repre-
sents the steam chest, on the top side of which are cut five grooves about
one twentieth of an inch in width, nearly the whole length of the chest, and
six inches asunder, to allow the steam to act upon the felting material as it
passes between the chest and the bars. a represents the fibrous material
delivered from any suitable machinery to form the bat, or the bat may be
formed and then brought to the machine to be felted. I represents the first
driving pulley of the lapping-up motion, which gives motion to the cross
shaft m.
On the shaft m is fixed a wheel n, which drives the two wheels o
on the axles of the steam cylinders p. q is a steam box perforated with small
holes on the top, and placed immediately under the two steam cylinders p, to
throw its steam direct upon the felted cloth as it is passing under the milling
roller r, which lays. parallel with the steam cylinders. The milling roller r is
raised by means of the excentrics s fixed on the shaft m or u, which act upon
the friction rollers t; when raised up it will fall down by its own weight, and
beat upon the felted cloth in a plaited state as passing beneath the milling
roller, so as to perform a similar operation on the felted cloth as the milling
stocks used in the old system of making woollen cloth. is a driver pulley
on the shaft u, on which are two excentrics s, which will also raise the milling.
roller. This motion is for having the speed slower or faster, as needful.
w are two pressure rollers. a is an intermediate wheel which gives motion to:
the two wheels y fixed on the axle of the two steam cylinders z. L, R, repre-
sents the receiving roller on which the felted and milled cloth is lapped-up.
All levers, rods, &c., marked X, pertain to the lapping-up motion. Figure a.
is another method of raising the fulling or milling roller by means of a small

page_text: cam, there being a guide for the upright rod S. P represents the main
steam pipes.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of another felting machine. Figure 5 is a
ground plan; and Figure 6 is an end elevation of the said machine. A
represents the first driver pulley that gives motion to a horizontal cross
shaft B. On the shaft B is mounted a bevil wheel C, which drives a
bevil wheel D on a side shaft E. On the shaft E are four excentrics a, b, c, d,
which give motion to four connecting bars e, e, and f, f. On the two ends of
the connecting rods e is placed a side connecting bar g, and on the two
ends of the connecting rod f is placed another side connecting bar g. The
two side connecting bars have each fifteen pins, about three eighths of an
inch thick, and length sufficient to hold the two surface bars upon each other.
Upon these pins are placed fifteen under surface bars, with a round hole at
one end to fit the pins, and a slot at the other end to allow the bar to traverse.
Upon the fifteen under surface bars are placed fifteen more top surface bars,
with a hole at one.end to fit the pins, and a slot at the other. The top surface
bars can have a groove in that part which presents its surface to the fibrous
material, in which groove should pass a cord of hemp, cotton, woollen, or
- other soft material, stretched tight in the groove by a screw, or by any other
means; this will answer the same purpose as covering the bars with cloth.
The adhering machine can have longitudinal and transversal bars instead of
transversal only; they can be driven by means of excentrics, as in Figures 1, 2,
and 3, or by excentrics, as in Figures 4, 5, and 6. The two excentrics a and b,
being set in an opposite direction to the two excentrics c and d, will give to
the top and bottom surface bars an excentrical and alternating motion. On
the end of the shaft E is fixed a worm V, which drives a worm wheel W on
the cross shaft F. On the other end of the shaft F is fixed a pinion G, which
drives a wheel H fixed on a stud. On the bos of the wheel H is fixed a
pinion J, which drives a wheel K fixed on the axle of the taking-up roller
No. 2. No. 1 represents the delivering roller, on which the bat is placed to
pass through the machine. No. 3 and No. 4 are two top rollers. No. 5 is
a roller for tightening the endless cloth. A spur wheel can be placed at the
axle of the roller No. 2, inside the framing, which drives two intermediate
spur wheels on the axles of the intermediate rollers, which will drive another
spur. wheel on the axle of the roller No. 3. The top endless cloth passes
round the two rollers Nos. 4 and 5, between the surface bars and round the
roller No. 3. The bottom endless cloth passes round the lower delivering
roller No. 1, between the surface bars, round the roller No. 2 and under the
steam chest. L represents the top surface bars. M represents the bottom

page_text: surface bars. N represents the steam chest, the top surface of which is full of
small holes, half an inch asunder, lengthways of the chest and opposite the
space between every bar, to emit steam on the bat as it passes between the
top and bottom surface bars. O represents the main steam pipes. Pare
small pipes for supplying the steam chest, and for taking away the condensed
water. Qrepresents the framing of the machine. The bat, being placed upon
the delivering roller No. 1, is conducted between the top and bottom surface
bars, by means of the two endless cloths, to the taking-up roller, ready to take
to the delivering roller again, if to pass a second time or more through the
machine.
Figure 7 represents a side elevation of a circular felting machine..
Figure 8 is a plan, and Figure 9 is an end elevation, of the said machine.
A represents the first driver pulley, which gives motion to the side shaft B.
On the end of the shaft B is fixed a worm C, which drives a worm wheel D,
which gives motion to the principal drum or cylinder E, on which the bat is to
be placed, so as to pass under the surface bars b. F is a crank pulley, to
which is attached a connecting rod G, which gives motion to the lever H.
The lever H is attached to the half circle J, round which there is a series of
small inclines, marked K. At the end of each surface bar there is a groove
for the incline to traverse in. The bearings of the surface bar being fixed to
the framing of the machine, the motion of the half circle causes the inclines to
give to the surface bars an alternate and transverse motion; this gives a
motion to the fibre of the material as it passes between the steam cylinder and
the surface bars, which motion causes them to unite, to adhere, and interlay or
intermat and felt one amongst another. This circular machine is particularly
applicable for making endless articles, the size of the cylinder and apparatus being
varied according to the diameter of the cylinder of felted fabrics to be produced.
L is a rope which passes over the two pulleys M and N, to be able to lift the
surface bars, &c. to place the bat upon the cylinder. 6 represents the surface
bars. O represents the steam pipes which supply the cylinder. P represents
the framing of the machine. It should be observed, that a bat or fleece of
wool may be made by passing the wool through any ordinary kind of carding
engine, and doffing it upon a lap or drum, or endless sheet, until it is of a
suitable thickness for the article.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the best means
I am acquainted with for performing the same, I would remark, that I lay
no claim to the various parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the precise
details of the machinery shewn, so long as the peculiar character of the
Invention be retained. And I would have it understood that what I claim is,

page_text: the mode herein described of manufacturing fabrics by felting, by causing
the bats of fibres to be operated on by bars or surfaces, having curved and
alternating motion as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Moses Poole, have hereunto set my
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