IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FELTING OR STUMPING HAT BODIES AND IN THE METHOD OF OPERATING WITH THE SAME
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Giles Atherton of Stockport in the County of Chester
Hat Manufacturer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
FELTING OR STUMPING HAT BODIES AND IN THE METHOD OF OPERATING
WITH THE SAME-partly a communication from George Yule of Newark in
the State of New Jersey one of the United States of America and partly his
own invention
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Giles Atherton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th September 1883.
"
GILES ATHERTON of Stockport in the County of Chester, Hat Manufacturer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FELTING OR STUMPING HAT BODIES AND IN
THE METHOD OF OPERATING WITH THE SAME (partly a communication from
George Yule of Newark in the State of New Jersey one of the United States of
America" and partly my own Invention)
The Invention relates to the machines wherein hat bodies are subjected to the
action of rollers provided with inclined rings or with ribs or rubbing appliances
and has for its object to render such machines more efficient. In the machine
constructed in accordance with the said invention only two rollers of comparatively
small diameter are used in conjunction with one plain roller. The felting rollers
are formed or provided with inclined rings the bearings of the back roller being
preferably higher than those of the front roller. The third roller is mounted in a
lever frame which is weighted or balanced to rise so as to lift the said roller away
from the felting rollers instead of being weighted to press on the work as is usual
A treadle at the front of the machine is carried by levers extending to the back
and connected by rods or links with the said lever frame. The third roller is
brought down by pressing with the foot upon the treadle. By pressing upon the
treadle with more or less force the operator is able to control the operation of the
machine. The lever frame also carries a small wringing roller which by preference
is covered with vulcanised caoutchouc
adjustable springs into contact with the
This roller is pressed by means of
plain roller. By passing the bodies

page_text: upwards between the two rollers the excess of water is pressed out.
The machine
is adapted for use in the complete felting or planking of the bodies or in the
stumping or completing of the felting process when operating upon bodies which
have been partly felted in other machines. In operating with the machine the
bodies are introduced singly or two together without being wrapped in a cloth as
is usual when felting by the aid of machinery. By being able to dispense with the
cloth and to operate upon each body singly or upon a fewer number at once the
felting is more quickly and regularly effected and the kemp is worked out more
effectually so that the work is done with the machine as well or even better than
when done by hand and the finest materials can be worked. In some or in all
cases the water in the cistern or in a special compartment is at such a level as to
touch or partly immerse the felting rollers or the lower roller of the two. In case
of the use of such special compartment water may be lifted into it by means of an
injector or by other suitable means. Other forms of felting rollers may be used.
Pots for water are preferably let into the plank.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Giles Atherton in the Patent Office on the 5th March 1884.
">
GILES ATHERTON of Stockport in the County of Chester, Hat Manufacturer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FELTING OR STUMPING HAT BODIES AND IN
THE METHOD OF OPERATING WITH THE SAME (partly a communication from
George Yule of Newark in the State of New Jersey one of the United States of
America, and partly my own Invention)
The Invention relates to the machines wherein hat bodies are subjected to the
action of rollers provided with inclined rings or with ribs or rubbing appliances
and has for its object to render such machines more efficient. In the machine
constructed in accordance with the said invention only two rollers of comparatively
small diameter are used in conjunction with one plain roller. The felting rollers
are formed or provided with inclined rings the bearings of the back roller being
preferably higher that those of the front roller. The third roller is mounted in a
binged lever frame and a treadle at the front of the machine is connected by rods
or links with the said lever frame. The lever frame also carries a small wringing
roller which by preference is covered with vulcanised caoutchouc. This roller is
pressed by means of adjustable springs into contact with the plain roller. By
passing the bodies upwards between the two rollers the excess of water is pressed
out. The machine is adapted for use in the complete felting or planking of the
bodies or in the stumping or completing of the felting process when operating upon
bodies which have been partly felted in other machines. In operating with the
machine the bodies are introduced singly or two together without being wrapped
in a cloth as is usual when felting by the aid of machinery. In some or in all cases
I immerse or partly immerse the felting rollers or the lower roller of the two, or
water is lifted to the rollers by means of an injector.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I have attached hereto a
sheet of drawings to which I will proceed to refer in this place. In the said
drawings Fig: 1 drawn to a scale of about two and three quarter inches to the
foot represents a vertical cross section of a felting machine constructed in accordance
with my invention. In the said Figs a, a, are two felting rollers which are
provided with journals which revolve in bearings in the two side frames of the
machine one of these frames being represented by b. Between the two side frames
is the usual cistern or tank c for hot water and brackets projecting from the frame
carry a plank d which projects beyond the frame at each side of the machine these
projecting ends of the plank carrying two earthenware pots which fit in holes in
the plank so that the upper margins project only a short distance above the plank.
One of these pots is seen at c. The said pots are supplied with cold water into
which the operator can dip his hands at intervals.
The shaft of the roller a¹ is
extended on one side of the machine to receive fast and loose driving pullies and
the two rollers are connected together by means of spur wheels fixed on the
projecting ends of the shafts or journals of the rollers at the other side of the
machine so that the two rollers revolve in opposite directions as indicated by
the arrows.
A third roller fƒ preferably made of lignum vitae is mounted to
revolve in a lever frame g which is hinged upon the axis of the shaft a¹ so that the
said roller may be caused to approach to or recede from the roller a whilst
maintaining is distance from the roller a¹. A spur wheel upon the projecting
shaft of the roller is connected by an intermediate wheel with the spur wheel
which is fixed upon the shaft of the roller a¹ the movement of the roller f not
interfering with the gearing together of the wheels. The.frame may turn upon
the shaft of the roller a¹ or upon turned bosses projecting from the bearings as
will be well understood. The rollers a and a' are provided with inclined rings of
vulcanite or other suitable material as indicated in Fig: 1°. This construction of.

page_text: roller is not novel but previously to my invention the rollers have been large in
diameter and three or four have been used so as to leave a large space between the
rollers to receive a bundle of about six or more hat bodies wrapped in a cloth. In
my improved machine rollers of small diameter are used so that I am enabled to
act upon a single hat body. The lever frame g also carries a small roller h and
the bearings of this roller are fitted to slide in slots in the projecting arms g¹ of the
frame and are pressed inwards towards the roller ƒ by springs and the pressure of
these springs is regulated by means of screws i there being one such screw acting
upon each of the springs which press upon the two bearings of the roller. The
roller is by preference covered with vulcanised caoutchouc. The ends of the
arms g¹ on each side of the machine are connected by means of links k with side
levers on which is fixed a foot treadle . By pressing upon the said treadle the
puter ends of the lever frame are raised whereby the roller f is caused to recede
from the roller a moving around the roller a¹ in the direction indicated by the
arrow. When the foot is removed from the treadle the roller f moves towards the
roller by reason of the weight of the lever frame and the rollers and connected
parts. Screws m on each side of the machine limit the movement of the one roller
towards the other or a single screw or a suitable stop may be used for the purpose.
When operating with the machine two hat bodies are usually rolled up and placed
in position whilst the roller f is held up and back by means of the treadle. The
hat bodies are placed between the rollers without being rolled in a cloth as has
been before mentioned. When the foot is removed from from the treadle the
roller moves towards the roller a and presses lightly upon the hat bodies which
are subjected to the action of the rollers for a suitable length of time. In some
cases I operate upon a single hat body. By being able to dispense with the cloth
and to operate upon each body singly or upon a fewer number at once the felting
is more quickly and regularly effected and the kemp is worked out more effectually
so that the work is done with the machine as well as or even better than when
done by hand and the finest materials can be worked. When the bodies are
removed from between the rollers each body is straightened out and passed between
the rollers f, and h, which press out the excess of water. In my provisional
specification I mentioned that I brought down the roller f upon the work by
pressing upon the treadle and this arrangement acted very well in practice but
necessitated the operator keeping one foot upon the treadle during the felting
operation.
Fig: 2 illustrates an arrangement which I have adopted for the purpose of
immersing the felting rollers in the water. The felting rollers a, a¹ are carried
by a lever frame n which is hinged at o and the upper roller f is carried by a
second lever frame p which is also hinged at o. The frame n is provided with a
balance weight which tends to raise the rollers out of the water but during the
felting operation the weight of the roller f and of the frame p or a portion of such
weight not counterbalanced keeps down the rollers a and also furnishes the
necessary pressure upon the work. When the frame p is lifted by means of the
treadle all the rollers rise until the frame n comes against a stop x when the
roller continuing to rise moves away from the roller a so as to give room for
the admission of the work as indicated by the dotted lines. This arrangement is
illustrated by way of example but I may employ any suitable means for obtaining
the immersion or partial immersion of the felting rollers a, a¹ and may simply
raise the water level in the machine illustrated by Fig: 1. Fig 3 illustrates the
application of an injector a to raise water for the purpose of keeping the work
saturated with water the injector also serving to heat the water.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said invention and
the manner in which I carry the same into practical effect I would have it to be
understood that I claim :-
First, The machine for felting hat bodies constructed and acting substantially as
set forth and indicated herein before. with reference to Figs 1 and 1ª of the

page_text: Secondly. In a felting machine for hat bodies the employment of two felting
rollers of small diameter provided with rings in combination with a third plain
roller which is movable for the insertion of the work the whole proportioned to
act upon one or two hat bodies at once substantially as set forth and indicated.
Thirdly. Introducing into a felting machine substantially of the construction
described and indicated of one or two hat bodies at once without an enwrapping
cloth and subjecting the hat body or bodies so introduced to the felting action of
the rollers a, a¹ and f
Fourthly, Causing the rollers a, a¹ or one of them to be immersed or partly
immersed in the hot water.
And lastly. The use of an injector to raise water to keep the hat body or bodies
saturated with water during the operation of the machine
In witness whereof I the said Giles Atherton have hereunto set my hand and
seal this fourth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and eighty-four
Signed, sealed and
delivered in the
presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON
41 John Dalton St, Manchester.
GILES ATHERTON (L.S.)