IMPROVEMENTS IN FELTING MACHINERY
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edwin Powley Alexander at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th April 1878. A communication
from abroad by the Felting and Felt Hat Company (Incorporated), of Brussels,
in the Kingdoir of Belgium, and Paris, in the French Republic.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 14, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FELTING
MACHINERY." A communication from abroad by the Felting and Felt Hat
Company (Incorporated), of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, and Paris, in
the French Republic.
This Invention consists in machinery for making hat shapes for the manufacture
of felt hats, in a more effectual and cheaper manner than heretofore.
It is well known that in making hat shapes the principal object is to obtain
thickness at the edges, and thinness in the centre or top of the said hat shape. The
operation performed by this machinery is effected in a regular manner by causing
the hat shape to pass between two series of cylinders, to which continuous rotary
and alternate motions are given. The operation is repeated as often as required,
or the cone may be worked in another machine placed close to the first.
The machine can be made double or triple, that is to say furnished with the same
cylinders (arranged on one bed), to which motion is given by the same motivo
organs. The hat shape felted in the first machine is taken up by the second, and so
on until completed.
The machinery constructed according to this Invention is as follows:-A first
series of horizontal rollers is held in a suitable frame suspended ou spindles, so that
a slight lengthwise to-and-fro motion may be given to the said rollers.
A second series of rollers is placed beneath the first series, and is also held in a
frame suspended on spindles.
The rollers are made of wood or such like suitable material, and are furnished
with axles working in bearings and pinions, gearing into each other. The cylinders
are covered with compressed felt made of animal hair, or of any other felting
substance.
The second or lower frame also receives a to-and-fro motion, in a contrary direc-
tion to the top one, in such a way that when the first series of rollers are working

page_text: in one direction, the others shall work in a contrary' one, and vice versa. This
double alternate motion is obtained as follows:-
On each of the frames above described are hinged links, united at their other
ends to double levers worked by connecting rods fixed eccentrically on the driving
shaft of the machine. This arrangement gives the alternate motion to the frames
and rollers, the said rollers also receiving a rotary motion by means of a worm and
worm wheel keyed on a shaft furnished with a toothed wheel, which gears with
another toothed wheel fitted on parallel shafts, which communicate their motion
to the rollers.
On the first of the above shafts is koyed a toothed wheel, over which passes a
chain, giving motion to an endless band working on rollers. A trough is moved up
and down by means of an eccentric, in such a manner that when the said trough is
down it plunges into warın water, and when up empties itself on the felting rollers.
This water can be used over again, and kept at the same temperature by means
of steam.
The hat shape having been previously built up, is brought in front of the bed of
the machine where it is taken up by the rollers, which act as rolling mills carrying
them through.
The shape when taken up is not only compressed by the rotary motion, but also
crumpled by the to-and-fro motion of the two series of rollers, between which it is
forced to pass. This continual crumpling taking place crosswise during the forward
motion, forms the felting by pressing the hairs one against the other in combination
with the slightly heated acidulated warm water above referred to.
The hat shape after having passed through the rollers as often as will be found
necessary, comes out with an increase of thickness on the edges, when it is carried
away by the aforesaid endless band.