IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR FULLING FUR HATS OR FELT HATS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS
PATENT to Etienne Lucien Girard, of No. 18, Rue de
l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, Gentleman, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR FULLING FUR HATS OR FELT HATS."
-A communication from Onezippe Silvie, residing at 24, Rue du Mont
Thabor, in Paris, aforesaid.
Sealed the 31st October 1865, and dated the 12th May 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Etienne Lucien Girard
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th May 1865.
I, ETIENNE LUCIEN GIRARD, of No. 18, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the
Empire of France, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR FULLING FUR HATS OR FELT HATS," a
communication from Onezippe Silvie, a person resident at 24, Rue du
Monthabor, in Paris, aforesaid, to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to certain improvements in fulling machines, especially
applicable to those employed for fulling and dressing felt and stuff hats.
The arrangement I propose will readily be understood by the following
description, reference being made to the accompanying Drawings:-
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section following the line 1-2 of the plan,
Fig. 2; the fulling tub a serves to contain the acidulated water and hats
to be fulled; working within this are two mallets or fulling rods b, b'; c, c²,

page_text: represent a fast and a loose pulley, to which motion is given in the usual
The crank shaft d is so arranged as to give an alternate up and
down movement to the fulling rods b, b', being connected with them by the
rods e, e. The guide rods f, f¹, and 9, 9', respectively maintain the upper
and lower part of the fulling rods b, 61, in position; h represents the fly wheel.
Each of the fulling rods is furnished with wooden teeth j, for the purpose of
subjecting the hats more immediately to the fulling action, from which the
teeth prevent escape. The side of the fulling tub can be withdrawn to
permit of the removal and introduction of the hats. The acid liquid falls on
the hats luring the fulling process, being conducted from the pressing machine,
Figs. 3 and 4 by the tube m.
The pressing machine, of which Fig. 3 is a side view, and Fig. 4 a plan,
completes the operation of fulling, the hats being made to pass between the
rollers C and D. The frame A is either of iron or wood, and serves to con-
tain the bath B of acid liquid. The roller C is surrounded by felt, and about
half plunged in the liquid; D, is the pressing roller; E, the driving pullies;
and F, the bearings.
The accompanying Drawing indicates four rollers, placed two and two
above the other, but the number would depend on the size of the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, file
by the said Etienne Lucien Girard in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th November 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ETIENNE
LUCIEN GIRARD, of No. 18, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of
France, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Etienne Lucien Girard, Her special licence that I, the said
Etienne Lucien Girard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Etienne Lucien Girard, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,

page_text: an Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR FULLING FUR HATS OR FELT
HATS," a communication from Onezippe Silvie, a person resident at 24, Rue
du Mont Thabor, in Paris, aforesaid, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Etienne Lucien Girard, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Etienne Lucien Girard, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to certain improvements in fulling machines, especially
applicable to those employed for fulling and dressing felt and stuff hats. By
aid of the accompanying Drawings and following description, the action and
construction of my improved machinery will be readily understood:-
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section, following the line 1-2 of the plan,
Fig. 2; a being the fulling tub, opening at the top, and on one sider to y, and
serving to contain the acidulated water, and hats to be fulled; working
alternately within this are two fulling rods b, b₁; c, c¹, being fast and loose
pullies for communicating motion, and being governed by any suitable motive
power; d is a crank shaft so arranged as to give an alternate up and down
movement to the fulling rods b, b1, being connected with them by the rods e, e¹.
The upper guide rods f, f¹, and lower guide rods g, g', serve to maintain the
position of the fulling rods b, b; h, is the fly wheel. The dotted lines in
Fig. 1 show the position of the fulling stick when raised.
rods is furnished with wooden teeth j, placed in several
other, for the purpose of subjecting the hats more immediately to the fulling
action, from which the teeth k prevent escape.. Any similar arrangement can
be adopted, but I prefer, as the most suitable, that represented in detail on
a larger scale, Fig. 5, the teeth being rounded, by which any tearing of the
stuff is. guarded against. The side of the fulling tub can be withdrawn at
will to permit of the removal and introduction of the hats. A tube m con-
ducts the acidulated liquid from the pressing machine, Figs. 3 and 4, into
the fulling tub, during the process of fulling.
Each of the fulling
rows one above the
Fig. 3 is a front view, and Fig. 4 a side view of the pressing machine
which completes the operation of fulling, the hats being made to pass between

page_text: the cylinders or rollers A, A¹, of which there are four represented, but the
number is of course variable; they are superposed two and two, but each pair is
independent of the other, as shown in the Drawing. The cylinders rest on cast-
iron slide blocks, having brass bearings F; the slide blocks are supported on a
framework C, containing beneath the cylinders A, A¹, two wooden receivers
holding the acidulated liquid, maintained at boiling point. Round each of the
lower cylinders is a felt band on which the hats are placed, the rotatory motion
carrying them round the band, supporting them as they dip in the liquid,
whilst at the same time they are subjected to suitable pressure, the degree of
pressure being obtained by the levers K, K, and the weight L, which act on
the superior cylinders A, by means of the lever G; B, is a wooden table placed
in front of the cylinders on the frame C; H, is the fly wheel; I, I', fast and
loose pullies communicating movement.
The dotted lines in front view, Fig. 3, represent the arrangement of levers,
bearings, hooks, and weight; the same is also shown in full lines in the side
view, Fig. 4.
Having thus described my Invention, I wish it to be well understood that
I do not confine myself to the precise form and details of the various parts as
shown in the accompanying Drawings, and herein-above set forth, reserving
to myself the right of modifying the same to suit the various cases in which
my machines may be employed, as this may be done without departing from
the principle of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Etienne Lucien Girard, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
JOSEPH CLAËS,
Civil Engineer,
18, Rue de l'Echiquier,
Paris.
E. L. GIRARD. (L.S.)