IMPROVEMENTS IN PROCESSES AND THE MEANS FOR CARRYING THE SAME INTO PRACTICAL EFFECT FOR MANUFACTURING ARTICLES HAVING A FUR NAP, SUCH AS HATS, ET CETERA
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Orth, of the City of Washington, in the District
of Columbia, and United States of America, Patent Solicitor, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROCESSES AND THE MEANS FOR CARRYING THE
SAME INTO PRACTICAL EFFECT FOR MANUFACTURING ARTICLES HAVING A
FUR NAP, SUCH AS HATS, ET CETERA."-A communication by William
Edward Doubleday, of the City, County, and State of New York, and United
States of America,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henry Orth at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patnut Je 24th February 1882.
111
HENRY ORTH of the City of Washington in the District of Columbia, and United
States of America, Patent Solicitor. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROCESSES AND THE
MEANS FOR CARRYING THE SAME INTO PRACTICAL EFFECT FOR MANUFACTURING
ARTICLES HAVING A FUR NAP, SUCH AS HATS, ET CETERA." A communi-
cation by William Edward Doubleday, of the City, County and State of New
York, United States of America.
The said invention relates to the manufacture of fur napped articles such as
hats, caps, collars, muffs &c. The first part of the invention relates to the forming
of a fur bat, adapted to be attached to a base either felted or woven and composed
either in whole or in part of feltable fibres; the structure of the bat being varied
according to the form of the fabric to which it is to be applied. The second part
of the invention relates to a novel method of "sticking the fur to the body
or base, either felted or woven; and the third part relates to the method of
scalding" by which the fur which has been "stuck" to the base is subsequently
united more firmly thereto.
27
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a machine for making fur bats.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of one part of the machine slightly modified. Figure 3
is a top view of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a bottom view of a bat before it is applied
to the fabric. Figure 5 is an edge view. Figure 6 is a side view partly in section of
a modified form of the machine. Figure 7 is an elevation partly in section of a

page_text: machine used in the formation of bats for the making of hats. Figure 8 shows a
modification of Figure 7. Figure 9 is a section of a bat formed on the machine
shown in Figure 7. Figure 10 shows the bat applied to a hat body. Figure 11 is a
vertical section of a machine employed by me in sticking the fur bat to its felted
or woven base. Figure 12 is a top or plan view of another machine employed by
me for the same purpose. Figure 13 is a vertical section taken on line x, y.
Figure 14 is a vertical section of a machine employed by me in the manufacture of
fur faced fabrics according to my invention. Figure 15 is a vertical section of a
machine employed by me in "scalding" of hats. Figure 10 a plan view of a
machine by me used in beating up the fur after scalding. Figure 17 a section of
Fig. 16.
I will first describe that part of the machine which is arranged upon one side of
the receiving roller-, it being a duplicate of the devices upon the opposite side of
said roller. Referring to Fig. 1. A, A', A², represent respectively the feeding apron,
the blower, and fur upon the apron. But, as these parts of the machine may be of
any usual or approved construction adapted for blowing fur upon an exhausted
cone, they need not be specifically described.
B represents a flat perforated or reticulated surface placed above an exhausting
chamber B', which is connected with an exhaust fan B2, whereby a current of air is
caused to pass downward through the surface B. C, is a roller connected by a
train of gearing and belt, or belts and pulleys alone, c, c¹, c³ with the shaft of fan B*,
whereby a slow rotary motion is imparted to roller C, in the direction indicated
by arrow 1. D is a supply roller, both rollers being mounted in suitable bearings
upon the frame work of the machine. D¹ is a supply roller having a sheet of
felted or woven fabric formed in whole or in part of suitable feltable fibers arranged
in such relation to the perforated, surface that the fur bats can be delivered in
contact with both sides of the felted or woven fabric, and the three delivered to the
receiving roller, C; d, d, d, are guiding rollers. This machine may be operated sub-
stantially as follows:-Strips of mosquito netting or millinet being wound upon the
supply rollers D are passed thence over the perforated surfaces B, B, thence to the
receiving roller C to which it is connected in such manner that by the rotation
thereof, it (the mosquito netting) is drawn slowly over the perforated surface.
During the passage of the mosquito netting over this perforated surface there is
deposited upon it a thin layer of fur by means of the parts A, A', A. Thus there
will be produced a bat consisting of a felted or woven fibrous base of cloth in
combination with two bats of fur, one on each side of the cloth adapted to be
removed from the receiving roller C, and subjected to any process for sticking fur,
either by hand or by machinery, whereby there may be produced cloth fur napped
upon both sides.
As the work progresses and the size of the roll of bats upon the receiving
roller C increases, the speed at which the mosquito netting is drawn over the
perforated surfaces B, B, will be correspondingly increased, unless provision be made
for slowing the speed of the receiving roller relative to the other parts of the
machine as the diameter of the roller bat increases. Hence in order to insure a
uniformity in the thickness of the fur bat I propose to use any of the well known
mechanisms for regulating the speed of the receiving roller relative to the other
parts of the machine in such manner as to insure that the mosquito netting shall
travel over the perforated surfaces B, B, at a uniform speed relative to the
movement of the parts, A, A', A2, and the rate at which the fur is blown upon the
mosquito netting. Or substantially the same result may be accomplished by
permitting the rate of travel of the netting over the surfaces B, B, to increase as
the diameter of the roll of the bats increase and at the same time a corresponding
variation in the thickness of the layer of fur upon the feeding aprons. Referring
to Fig. 6, the perforated surface is shown in the form of a cylinder, from which the
air is partially exhausted and over which the mosquito netting and fur constituting
the bat pass. The other part of the mechanism may be substantially the same as
those shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that instead of the enclosed chamber (the

page_text: exhaust chamber) being square or rectangular in form, I propose in this instance to
employ a circular jacket E, which conforms substantially to the outer surface of
the cylinder E, exhausting the air from the ends of the cylinder through trunks e,
one on each side of the machine. The cylinder may be rotated either by the
friction of the mosquito netting, or by a train gearing and belts, a cogged riin e³,
at one end of the cylinder, the speed of the cylinder, if it has the positive movement,
being regulated to correspond with the speed of the bat which is being wound
upon the receiving roller. Or, instead of using two sets of mechanisms for
applying for to the mosquito netting, I may use a single mechanism with a
receiving roller located as indicated in dotted lines 2, upon which may be wound a
sheet or strip of woven or felted fabric having a bat of fur applied to one side
thereof. Thus I am enabled to produce as a new and merchantable article a com-
pound bat consisting of fur inade in a continuous sheet of any desired width and
length applied to a correspondingly sized sheet of felted or woven fabric which is
ready for the subsequent operation of "sticking" and " scalding" by the use of
any machines or processes adapted therefor; such new article of manufacture being
in convenient shape for transportation and sale. Or, a cloth composed wholly or
in part of feltable fibre and of comparatively loose open texture may be wound
upon the supply roller D, and caused to move over the perforated surface, and a
sheet or bat of fur deposited thereon and caused to adhere thereto by the action of
a downward current of air passing through the cloth and through the perforated
surface, after which the cloth with the fur bat thus applied may be either trans-
ferred directly to a jigger, or wound upon a receiving roller. Or instead of
delivering the fur upon the exhausted flat or circular surface shown in Figs. 1, 2,
and G, I may deliver it upon an exhausted reticulated cone, F-Fig. 7, and after a
sufficient thickness of fur has been deposited, I then deposit upon the outside
thereof a thin layer of raw cotton, preferably by the same appliances, distributing
the cotton upon the carrying apron which delivered the fur to the picker or blower.
The but may then be wrapped with a wet cloth and removed from the cone, or
when preferred I may use the pipe F', having a series of perforations f, through
which jets of water are discharged upon the bat on the cone, such wetting or
siturating of the bat facilitating its removal from the cone. The surplus water
will be collected by the flange f¹ and conducted to the inside of the exhaust
chamber B whence it can be discharged through the drain pipe or stop cock out of
the chamber.
In Figure 8 I employ a separate funnel G having a supporting flange g, to receive
the base of the exhausted cone, which with the fur bat, may be removed from the
exhaust chamber and placed upon the flange y, and afterward saturated with water
from pipe, F. In Fig. 9. H indicates the inner layer of fur, and H' the outer layer
of loose cotton. In Fig. 10, I is a hat body, composed in whole or in part of
feltable fibres and having applied thereto the fur bat fig. 9. the bat being of greater
size than the liat body so that its lower edge is turned up within the hat body to
form the lining of the brim. In Fig. 11, J J J is a frame upon which is mounted
a bed plate K above which is a jigger or platen K', to which a rapid vibratory
motion is imparted by means of lever and link k¹, from crank shaft j, the platen
being lifted at intervals by means of lever L and an arm 7, of rock shaft which is
actuated by a cam not shown, upon the opposite side of the gear wheel L' which
drives the crank. An apron or endless belt L2 is caused to pass between the bed
plate and the platen by means of feed rollers 1, 1.
The hats with fur bats applied are flattened out and placed upon this traveling
apron L, and subjected to the action of the trigger as they are moved under it by
the apron, whereby the fur is "stuck" to the hat body. In figs. 12 and 13, I
have shown a different construction of devices for sticking the fur to the hat body;
in which M is a dome shaped shell secured to bed plate M', mounted on a suitable
framework, and N is a similar shell of greater diameter provided with the T
piece N, which is connected by pitman n, n, with a double crank_shaft N²,
suitably supported from the frame work and having a rapid motion. In Fig. 13

page_text: O represents a hat body with fur nap applied and placed in the annular space
between the shells, and from an examination of these figures it will be seen that
the reciprocating movement of the outer shell N will operate to stick the fur bat
to the hat body in substantially the same manner as is done by the jigger in
Fig. 11. In Fig. 14 the platen or jigger is arranged in such relation to a bat
forming mechanism substantially like that shown in Fig. 6 that the material is fed
directly to a sticking mechanisin substantially like that shown in fig. 11 whereby
the bat or fur is stuck to tho woven or felted fabric immediately after leaving the
bat forming mechanism, thus dispensing with the necessity for uniting the bat
upon a roller. After the bat has been stuck to the fabric it is then subjected to the
operation of scalding, which of course may be done by hand, but in practice I
prefer to use for this purpose the machine shown in fig. 15 which consists,
essentially of a vibrating platen or jigger arranged about a bed plate, these parts
being substantially the same as those shown in figs. 11 & 14 for the scalding
operation, except that there is a steam chamber, or hot air chamber P, connected
with the underside of the bed plate into which steam may be introduced for the
purpose of heating the bed plate, platen, and the fabric and fur which are being
scalded. By preference I perforate the bed plate, as at o, through which steam or
hot air may pass to the material being acted upon, heat being supplied when
necessary either by a water pipe Q-or when steam is employed its condensation
in chamber P will be sufficient to moisten the material being treated.
"
The invention may be worked in two ways: first in the scalding of fur faced
fabrics which are formed in a continuous sheet or strip by having had the fur "stuck"
to a suitable piece of felted or woven fibrous material. In such case I prefer to
feed the material between the platen and its bed plate, and saturate the same
thoroughly with boiling water, the machine having by preference added to it an
arrangement for keeping the bed plate and platen hot by the use of either steam
or gas jets; but this heating may not be found essential. The fabric thus saturated
being placed under the platen, a rapid vibratory motion, preferably about six
hundred strokes per minute, is imparted to said platen which rests upon the fabric:
with a slight pressure.
The motion is continued for such time as is found
necessary and when required, hot water may be added untill a satisfactory scalding
is effected. The feeding forward of the fabric may be done either by winding it
upon one of the rollers, or by means of a separate strip or sheet of woven fabric
which is wound upon one of the rollers, the fur faced fabric to be scalded being
wound separately upon a roller shown at C. Another way of operating the
invention may be as follows: hats composed of a body of previously felted or woven
material, and which have a coating of fur "stuck" to them, may be placed side by
side upon a belt or carrier apron adapted to be wound upon or drawn forward by
the feeding rollers, which hats are saturated with hot water and acted upon by the
jigger for such length of time as shall be found necessary either with or without
alternate saturations with hot water. Figure 16 is a top or plan view and
Figure 17 is a vertical section of a conveniently arranged mechanism for beating
up the nap of fur faced articles and in these Figures R indicates the bed plate,
SS the whippers, T T¹ a water pipe, the part T¹ of which extends horizontally
and transversely across the sheet of fur faced material, and is provided with small
apertures, through which there may be discharged, either continuously or
intermittently, a supply of hot water directly upon the fur which is being whipped.
The bed plate may be provided with small openings. R' is a steam chamber below
the bed plate, into which steam is introduced through a pipe R³, and passes thence
through the openings, and into and through the fabric, its facing of fur, and the
superimposed packing or layer of cotton fiber, wben such is used. The chamber U
with its curtains u retains the steam in contact with the material and the whipping
mechanism. U¹ is a feeding belt, passing around the rollers, to which motion is
imparted by a train of gearing connecting said rollers with the cam shaft S' which
actuates the whippers. In order to facilitate the passage of the steam through the
belt, I prefer to make it of some coarsely woven fabric having interstices of such

page_text: size as will permit a free passage of the steam. When preferred, however, I may
use hot air, instead of steam, either with or without the water supply which I have
described; but in practice I prefer to employ steam. I do not wish to be limited
to the use of the machine which I have described, because I may use any of those
which are commonly employed for similar purposes without departing from the
spirit of the invention.
Of course the steam passing through the bed plate and coming in contact with
the cold material to be whipped will be condensed to such an extent as to moisten
it, and thus facilitate the operation of the whippers, the result being that the
superfluous fur and the cotton backing (when used) are readily detached, leaving
the fur in a desirable flowing condition when the same has not been too long
under the action of a jigger. I am aware that in beating up machines a
combination of a traveling apron, whippers, and means for wetting the fur faced
article with hot water has been used. Hence I do not claim such construction
broadly. Having now described my invention what I claim is:
1st. The herein described method of producing fur bats for the manufacture of
fur faced fabrics which consists in applying a layer of fur to a sheet of non feltable
fabric and subsequently applying the bat thus produced to a sheet of feltable
material. 2nd. The herein described method of making fur bats that is to say by
depositing upon a reticulated surface through which a current of air is caused to
pass a layer of fur, and afterward depositing upon the layer of fur a layer of.
cotton. 3rd. The herein described method of making a fur bat in a continuous
flat sheet, that is to say, by depositing a layer of loose fur upon a travelling fabric
of substantially non feltable fibrous material and attaching the fur to the fabric
by means of an air current which passes through the fur and the fibrous material,
substantially as set forth. 4th. In a machine for making fur bate, the combination
of the following elements, namely: a perforated surface, means for moving a fabric
over said surface, means for depositing fur upon the fabric, and means for causing
the fur to adhere to the fabric, substantially as set forth. 5th. In a machine for
making fur faced articles, the combination of the following elements, namely:
means adapted to move a continuous non feltable fabric over a perforated surface,
means adapted to deposit fur on said fabric, means for causing the fur to adhere
to said fabric, means for supplying a feltable fabric to the fur bat thus produced,
and mechanism adapted to stick the fur bat to the feltable fabric. 6th. The
herein described process of making a continuous fur bat, that is to say, by
depositing a layer or surface of fur by means of the practically continuously feeding
mechanism upon a continuously fibrous base, substantially as set forth. 7th. The
herein described fur bat, consisting of a layer of loose fur, in combination with a
supporting fabric of substantially non feltable fibrous material. 8th. The com-
bination of the following elements, namely: means adapted to move a continuous
non feltable fabric over a perforated surface, means a lapted to deposit fur upon
said fabric, means for causing the fur to adhere to said fabric, and means for
supplying a feltable fabric to the layer of fur thus produced substantially as set
forth. 9th. The combination of the following elements, namely: means adapted
for moving a sheet of c'oth composed wholly or in part of feltable fibre in com-
bination with mechanisms, substantially as described, adapted to apply to each side
of the cloth a fur bat substantially as described for the purpose specified.
10th. In a machine for making fur bats means substantially as described for
saturating the bat with water before its removal from the reticulated surface upon
which it is formed as described. 11th. The herein described process of manu-
facturing fur faced fabrics to wit, first preparing a base of animal fiber or animal
and vegetable fiber mixed of substantially the density and firmness which it is
desired that it shall have when the manufactured article is completed, next
placing thereon a layer of fur, and afterward subjecting the two materials to the
action of a jigger whereby the fur is stuck to the fibrous base and forms a surface
thereon, substantially as set forth. 12th. The herein described method of sticking
fur to a previously felted hat body; that is to say, by applying a layer of fur to

page_text: the felted hat body and then subjecting the material to the combined pressing and
rubbing action of a vibrating jigger, substantially as set forth. 13th. In a
machine for "sticking" fur to a previously woven or felted fabric the combination
of the dome M, and vibrating shell or hood N, substantially as set forth. 14th. The
herein described improvement in the art of making hats which have a flowing nap
of fur, the same consisting in applying a bat of fur to a hat body which has
previously been felted and shrunk to the size and density which it is desired that
it shall have when the hat is completed, next subjecting the fur bat and body to
the combined rubbing and pressing action of a vibrating plate whereby the fur is
stuck to the surface of the previously felted hat body, and subsequently scalding
the same, substantially as set forth. 15th. The herein described improvement in
the art of manufacturing fur faced fabrics, consisting in pressing and rubbing the
material while wet with hot water, between two flat parallel surfaces, after the fur
has been "stuck" to the fabric by any suitable means, substantially as set forth.
16th. In a machine for scalding fur faced fabrics, the combination of two flat
parallel surfaces adapted to press and rub the material with means, substantially
such as described for keeping the material in a wet and heated condition during
the pressing and rubbing operation. 17th. In a machine for whipping or beating
fur faced articles, the combination of a stationary bed, a traveling apron above the
bed, whippers, and means for imparting moisture to the fur faced fabric, sub-
stantially as set forth. 18th. In a machine for whipping or beating fur faced
fabrics, the combination of perforated stationary bed, a traveling apron above the
bed, whippers, and means for passing a heated current through the perforated bed,
substantially as set forth. 19th. In a machine for whipping or beating fur faced
fabrics, the combination of a stationary bed, a traveling apron above the bed,
whippers, means for imparting moisture to the fur faced fabric, and means for
passing heated currents upward through the perforated bed, substantially as set
forth. 20th. In a machine for whipping or beating fur faced fabric a support for
the fabric to be beaten, whippers, an inclosing chamber above the support for the
fur faced fabric, and means for imparting moisture to the material, substantially as
set forth. 21st. In a machine for whipping and beating fur faced fabric a support
for the fabric to be beaten, whippers, an inclosing chamber above the support for
the fur faced fabric, and means for imparting moisture and heat to the material,
substantially as set forth. 22nd. In a machine for whipping or beating fur faced
fabrics the combination, with the traveling apron and the whippers, of the water
pipe T, Tsubstantially as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Orth have hereunto set my hand
and seal this
in the year of our Lord one thousand
day of
eight hundred and eighty two.