IMPROVEMENTS IN A
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wharton and George Yule, both of Newark,
in the County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, in the United
States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN A
Scaled the 19th February 1875, and dated the 30th December 1874.

page_text: to grant unto us, our executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal
Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that wo
are the true and first Inventors thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that wo, the said John Wharton and Georgo
Yule, do hereby declare that the following Complete Specification,
under our hands and scals, fully describes and ascertains the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming a part of
this Specification, that is to say :-

page_text: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying our Invention,
Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of a modification of the deflector, and
Figures 4 and 5 are detailed views of parts of the apparatus.
In the Drawings similar letters of reference are employed to indicate
corresponding parts wherever they may occur.
A is the frame of the apparatus, and instead of the feeding devices
ordinarily used we employ an adjustable carriage B to which the fur is
fed by means of the feed belt C, and which also contains the com-
pressing rollers and the picker or pickers. The carriage B is adjustable,
that is to say, it can be moved nearer to or farther from the deflector
casing, according to the parts of the cone to which it is desired to direct
the fur or fibre. The carriage B is adjusted by means of the toothed
rack b, into which gears a pinion to the shaft of which a hand wheel b¹
is affixed, or a screw rod may be used instead.
In order to retain a uniform tension of the driving belt D, either
whon the same is lengthened in moving the carriage nearer to the appa-
ratus or to take up the slack of said belt when the carriago B is
moved from the apparatus we employ the following novel means. To
the axle of the belt pulley c we pivot a bell-crank lever c¹ carrying at
its angle a pulley c², and another pulley c³ is affixed to the extremity of
the horizontal arm of the bell-crank lever c', a compensating weight
being attached to the horizontal arm of the bell-crank lever c¹ near its
extremity, as shown by Figure 1. The belt D passing from the driving
pulley d over the pulley c, thence under the pulley c³, and over the
pulley back under the driving pulley, it is evident that as the carriage
is advanced towards the apparatus the weight is carried up, conse-
quently the belt lengthened without increasing its tension, and as the
carriage is moved back the horizontal arm of the bell-crank lever drops
or lowers the pulleys and c³, taking up the slack without lessening the
tension of the driving belt D. It is obvious therefore that the fur may
be directed at will to any part of the cone where it is desired to deposit
it, and hence the feed controlled. E, Figure 2, is the cone upon which
the hat body is formed, and F is the deflector or case. This case is con.

page_text: structed in the form of an inverted frustum of a cone with its upper
edge curved inward, as shown by Figures 1 and 2, its lower portion '
being tubular in form with its extreme lower part perforated. Around
this tubular portion we arrange an annular slide or collar, by the
raising or lowering of which the perforations in the tubular portion t
may be opened or closed at will.
Upon the interior of the case F, about midway of its inclined sides,
we hinge a series of plates which are arranged so that their edges
overlap each other, as shown by Figure 4, whereby they are loft free to
slide or move one upon another, thus enabling their inner ends to be 1
drawn down, as shown by Figure 2, in which case the central opening
is enlarged or left of nearly or quite the full size of the interior of the
case F, or by which they may have their inner edge raised, thereby
reducing the central opening, as shown by Figure 4. The plates aro
adjusted in any desired position by means of the ring G arranged within 1
the case Funder the plates f³, as shown by Figure 2, from which
arms g extend vertically downward, projecting through tubes g' on the
case F, and terminating with a pulley at their lower ends, as shown by
Figures 1 and 2. Around the outside of the case F we arrange another
ring II, which is suspended loosely in hooks or supports h, allowing it 2
to move freely therein, and being provided with a handle h'. A scries
of cords I are attached to the outside of the case F near where the rods
or arms g pass through it; these cords pass under the pulleys carried by
said rods g, their other end being attached to the rings H.
It is obvious that by rotating the ring H by means of the handle h¹ 2
the cords I will be drawn up, thereby raising the ring Gand the platesƒ³.
The outer ring H being provided with a ratchet h³ into which engages a
pawl, as shown by Figure 1, so as to lock the ring H in position.
It is obvious that by the peculiar arrangement of the plates f³ an
adjustable guide is provided by means of which the fur is guided in its.
descent and may be directed to those parts of the body, forming on the
cone technically termed the "band" and the "crown." In order to
remove the case F from the cone E a cross bar is affixed thereto,
this cross bar carries a tube ƒ' at its centre; this tubo ƒ³ has a flango
at is upper end which is arranged to turn freely in a clutch or yokeƒª 3
attached to a cord running over a pulley, carried by a horizontal
arm of the upright K to which another pulley is affixed, over

page_text: which the cord runs; and to the extremity of this cord a counter-
weight is attached, as shown by Figure 1. Through the tube f* passes
a rod L, to the lower extremity of which a disc is affixed; this disc
is provided with an annular slit or opening . The rod L carrying. the
disc can be raised or lowered and held in the desired position by moans
of the set screw P. By adjusting the disc higher or lower the fur can
be thrown upon the tip and square of the hat as desired.
In order to further control the currents of air in the upper portion of
the case F, openings may be made in its side, as shown at X, Figure 1,
said openings being covered with perforated slicet metal, and provided
with a slide for opening and closing the same at pleasure. The caso Fis
so arranged as to revolve in a direction opposite to that of the cone E,
for the purpose of more effectually crossing and mixing the fibre or fur
as it is deposited. This is accomplished by providing two turntables,
the inner one L' for supporting the conc E, and the outer one M
carrying the case F, as shown by Figure 2, the two being revolved in
opposite directions by means of the shaft N carrying a pinion n, gearing
into a rack on the under side of the concentric turntable M, and another
pinion gearing into a toothed rack on the upper side of the flange ľ
of the turntable L. By these devices the deposit of the fur or fibro
upon the cone E is under perfect control and may be made thicker or
thinner at any desired point; the fur or fibro is crossed or mixed more
effectually and thus better suited for the subsequent operation of felting.
In the modification of the apparatus, as shown by Figure 3, the
hinged flaps or plates form the lower part of the casing F, and in
order to adjust them to the desired angle with the cone E, we provide a
flat ring larger than the circumference of the overlapping hinged
plates fs, and to each plate we affix a slotted bar or arm o extending
outward, and over the flat ring 0, and the plates are adjusted in position
by means of set screws o', as shown by Figure 3. In this case the
plates are hinged immediately to and on the under face of the upper
part of the case F.
It is obvious that by these means the space between the inner surface
of the overlapping deflector plates and the outer surface of the forming
cone E can be regulated at will, and thereby effectually control the
distribution of the fur or fibre upon the coue E. Currents of air may
thus be admitted or excluded in any or as many places as desired, since

page_text: those currents may be established by opening more or less, or closing
one or more of the hinged plates f³, thereby further controlling the
deposit of the fur or fibre. The disc may be dispensed with, as the feeding
of the fur or fibre, by means of the moveable picker, and feed carriage,
is under perfect control, and may be fed to any part of the cone E.
Instead of raising and lowering the deflector from off the cono, as
horcin-before described, we provide one or more rings P encircling the
deflector, as shown by Figure 3, which in conjunction with the flat
ring O are cach provided with arms p having each two sleeves; the outer
sleeves slido up and down two rods Q affixed to the frame A in any
convenient manner. These uprights carry a pulley over which travels a
cord, one end of which is attached to a rod p', which passes through the
inner sleeves of the arms and is held fast by a nut or in any other
convenient manner; on the under side of the flat ring O to the other
end of the cord a counterweight is attached; by these means the
deflector can be readily raised from off the conc E whenever desired.
From what has been said above, it is obvious that the case F may be
used either with or without the hinged plates, or the hinged plates f
may be used by themselves; but it is essential in a machine or apparatus
of the kind that the casing, or the casing and the deflector plates, or
the deflector plates when used separately or in combination, should
have the form of an inverted frustum of a conc, as by this form the best
results are obtained. When the apparatus is arranged, as shown by
Figure 3, the cone E only revolves, as by this arrangement the deposit
of the fur or fibre is under perfect control.
Having described our Invention we would have it understood that we
do not confine ourselves to the exact details shown and described, as the
same may vary without departing from the peculiar nature of the said
Invention, but what we do claim is,—
Firstly. In a machine or apparatus for forming hat bodics, the manner
of controlling the feed of the fur or fibro by means of an adjustable carriago
carrying the feed mechanism and picker operated substantially as decribed
and shown in the Drawings.
Secondly. The lengthening and taking up of the slack of the driving
belt by means of the crank lever c', and pulleys c², c³, in conibination

page_text: Thirdly. A hat body forming machine constructed and arranged sub-
stantially as described and shown by Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings.
Fourthly. The expansible or adjustable deflector arranged and opera-
ting substantially as described and shown by Figures 1 and 2 of the
Drawings.
Fifthly. The expansible or adjustable deflector arranged and operating
substantially as shown and described with reference to Figure 3 of the
Drawings.
Sixthly. The case and deflector arranged with capability of being
lifted from off the forming conc E, substantially as described and
shown by Figures 1, 2, and 3, of the Drawings.
Seventhly. An inverted conical deflector in combination with the
cone E, substantially as described.
Eighthly. The combination of the case F and conc E provided with
gearing, substantially as described, whereby the case and cone aro made
to rotate in opposite directions, substantially as set forth.
Ninthly. The combination of the cone E, caso F, deflector plates ƒ³,
and disc 1, substantially as set forth.
Tenthly. The combination of the case F, having its lower portion
provided with perforations, the slide or collar f, the conc E, the expan-
sible deflector and the adjustable disc , all arranged and operating
substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Wharton and George Yule,
have hereunto set our hands and scals, this 16th day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.