IMPROVEMENTS IN THE. MANUFACTURE OF FELT
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Richardson, of Lowdham, in the County
of Nottingham, Miller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE.
MANUFACTURE OF FELT."
Sealed the 2nd June 1865, and dated the 6th December 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Richardson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th December 1864.
I, RICHARD RICHARDSON, of Lowdham, in the County of Nottingham,
Miller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the manufacture of felt from rags and other
textile and fibrous materials. I first reduce the rags or other materials to
pulp by a rag engine or other reducing machine in a manner similar to
that used in the preparation of rags for the manufacture of paper. When a
requisite degree of fineness has been obtained, the pulp (by which must be
understood the fibre of the material used and held in suspension by water or -
other fluid) is conveyed upon an endless wire gauze or equivalent contrivance
when a continuous length is required, or upon a a framework covered with wire
gauze or equivalent material when the felt is to be produced in sheets; or
upon a model of the shape which the felt is required to assume, the same
being perforated or otherwise conveniently adapted to allow the water or other
fluid of the pulp to escape; the greater portion of the water or other moisture

page_text: or fluid is then extracted by compression or exhaustion, or by both. When
the requisite density has been obtained by compression or otherwise, the felt
may be used for various applications, or the remaining moisture may be
evaporated by heat or other drying process.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Richardson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th June 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
RICHARDSON, of Lowdham, in the County of Nottingham, Miller, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors; give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Richardson, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Richardson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Richard Richardson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Richard Richardson, 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 Richard Richardson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:
My Invention has for its object the manufacture of felt from rags and
other textile and fibrous materials. I first reduce the rags or other materials
to pulp by a "rag engine" or other reducing machine in a manner similar to
When a
that used in the preparation of rags for the manufacture of paper.

page_text: requisite degree of fineness has been obtained, the pulp (by which must be
understood the fibre of the material used and held in suspension by water or
other fluid) is conveyed upon an endless wire gauze or equivalent contrivance
when a continuous length is required; or upon a framework covered with
wire gauze or equivalent material when the felt is to be produced in sheets ;
or upon a model of the shape which the felt is required to assume, the same
being perforated or otherwise conveniently adapted to allow the water or
other fluid of the pulp to escape; the greater portion of the water or other
moisture or fluid is then extracted by compression or exhaustion, or by both.
When the requisite density has been obtained by compression or otherwise
the felt may be used for various applications, or the remaining moisture may
be evaporated by heat or other drying process.
Having thus set forth the nature of my said Invention, I now proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
In the manufacture of felt the method adopted hitherto has been the com-
bination of animal hair, wool, and other loose fibres in their dry or natural
state by the process known as "felting."
Now my Invention consists (as before stated) in the production of felt from
rags and other textile and fibrous materials, as follows:-
Firstly, the rags or other materials are subjected to the action of a rag
engine as used in the preparation of rags in the manufacture of paper, or any
other suitable machine may be employed, and the material reduced to a coarse
pulp, by which must be understood the fibre of the material used, held in
suspension by water or other fluid.
Secondly, the pulp thus obtained is conveyed upon an endless wire gauze or
other similar equivalent material when a continuous length of thin felt is
required to be made, or when the felt is required to be made in sheets of
greater thickness the pulp is spread upon a framework covered with wire
gauze, or having other suitable perforated surface, or the pulp may be spread
upon a model or mould of the shape the felt is required to assume, the same
being perforated or otherwise suitably adapted to allow the water or fluid of
the pulp to escape.
Thirdly, in either or all cases the pulp after being conveyed or spread upon
the wire gauze framework or mould respectively, is passed between rollers or
subjected to compression by a screw or hydraulic press, or to other suitable or
convenient pressure in order to express the water or fluid from the pulp and
cause the cohesion of the fibre, or the fluid of the pulp may be wholly or
partially extracted by exhaustion, the use of vacuum rollers, or vacuum boxes,
or by other suitable means.

page_text: Fourthly, or lastly, the compressed pulp is submitted to the heat of a kiln
or any other suitable drying process to evaporate the moisture remaining after
the compression of the pulp (on the wire gauze framework or mould,) and the
process is complete.
A felt so produced, when made from materials of a non-conducting cha-
racter, is especially suitable for application to the covering of steam boilers,
pipes, cylinders, and other heated surfaces for the purpose of diminishing
the radiation of heat therefrom.
By combining with the pulp a suitable adhesive, glutinous, or resinous com-
position, and proceeding, as above-mentioned, a very strong, durable, and
light material will be produced applicable to the manufacture of picture
frames, cornices, mouldings, and other similar purposes.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim the improved
manufacture of felt from rags and other fibrous and textile materials, in the
manner and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Richardson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
GEO. JON. ROBINSON,
Patent Office,
Nottingham.
RICHARD RICHARDSON. (L.S.)