IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELTED ARTICLES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Henry James and Alfred Jamos
Hamilton, of Old Change, in the City of London, Commission
Agents, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF FELTED ARTICLES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN."-A communication from abroad by Albert Keller, of
Lennep, in the Kingdom of Prussia.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Henry James
and Alfred James Hamilton at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 12th April 1875.
WC, CHARLES HENRY JAMES and ALFRED JAMES HAMILTON, of Old
Change, in the City of London, Commission Agents, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF FELTED ARTICLES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
a communication to us from abroad by Albert Keller, of Lennep, in the
Kingdom of Prussia, to be as follows:―
'This Invention relates more particularly to the manufacture of skirts
and simular articles of wearing apparel composed of fell, but is also

page_text: applicable to the production of other felted articles, and it consists of a
peculiar mode of joining or connecting together two ends or edges of a
garment or other article, or two or more pieces of a felted fabric and of
improved machinery or apparatus to be employed for performing that
operation in an expeditious and efficient manner.
In carrying out this Invention as applied to the manufacture of felt
skirts for example it is proposed to make the skirt either of one piece of
felt by bringing the two outer edges together and felting them as
herein-after described, or of two or more pieces of felt so brought
together and felted. In uniting two edges together a portion (say about
one-third) of the thickness of each edge to the distance of say about
4 inches is first removed by splitting, after which the two edges thus
reduced in thickness arc laid the one over the other so as to overlap, and
are joined or connected by felting by means of the apparatus herein-after
described.
The apparatus is constructed and arranged in the following manner,
viz. :-A frame or table is provided, composed by preference of wood,
and presenting a perfectly level surface, which is lined with linen or other
suitable material. Over this table there is suspended by means of cords
and pullies a metal plate or frame which is lined or weighted with wood
or other suitablo substance (the whole forming a pressing block) and so
arranged as to be capable of being raised from or lowered on to the table
by a windlass or similar means The pressing block is provided at one
end with a rod or bar which is free to slide through a guide or support
fixed at one end of the table, whilst the opposite end of such pressing
block is fitted with means for connecting it with a crank mounted on a
shaft which is supported in bearings in the table, and carries pullies or
other means for receiving motion either by manual power or from any
suitable prime mover. The connection between the pressing block and
the crank is formed by means of a shackle or connecting link similar to
those employed in felt hardeners on the clasp principle, and so arranged
as to admit of such shackle or link being readily turned up or dis-
connected when it is required to elevate the pressing block.
The apparatus is operated in the following manner:-The pressing
plock is first disconnected from the crank and from its guide or support,
and is then clevated by means of the windlass and cords, after which the
two halves of a skirt (for example) are placed upon the top of the table,
with the two edges to be joined laid exactly the one upon the other, and

page_text: the pressing block is lowered on to the same. The projecting rod or bar
on the pressing block having then been caused to engage in its guide or
support, and the shackle or link secured, the apparatus is started and a
reciprocating motion is thus imparted to the pressing block, whereby the
two edges are firmly united, thus forming a seam. The motion of the
apparatus is then arrested, the pressing block is again clevated as before
mentioned, and a strip of linen or other suitable material having been
laid upon the newly joined edges, the other two edges forming the
second seam of the intended skirt are placed together immediately above
the linen, after which the pressing block, having been relowered and
connected, the apparatus is re-started and the second two edges are
united. The apparatus is then again stopped and the pressing block
clevated, when the skirt, which is then complete, may be removed from
the apparatus to be subjected to the operations of milling and finishing
by any of the usual or suitable processes.
It is obvious that the apparatus is also applicable to the joining or
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Henry James and Alfred James Hamilton
in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 11th October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
HENRY JAMES and ALFRED JAMES HAMILTON, of Old Change, in the
City of London, Commission Agents, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
38th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Charles Henry James and Alfred James
Hamilton, Her special license that we, the said Charles Henry James
and Alfred James Hamilton, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Charles Henry James and Alfred James
Hamilton, our executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-

page_text: 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELTED ARTICLES, AND IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," a communication to us from
abroad by Albert Keller, of Lennep, in the Kingdom of Prussia, upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Charles Henry James
and Alfred James Hamilton, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us, 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 we, the said Charles Henry James and Alfred
James Hamilton, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings and to the letters and figuies
marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates more particularly to the manufacture of
skirts and similar articles of wearing apparel composed of felt, but it is
also applicable to the production of other felted articles, and it consists
of a peculiar mode of joining or connecting together two ends or edges
of a garment or other article, or two or more pieces of a felted fabric
for producing an article, and of improved machinery or apparatus to be
employed for performing that operation in an expeditious and efficient
manner.
In carrying out the said Invention as applied to the manufacture of
felt skirts, for example, the skirt is made either of one piece of felt by
bringing the two outer edges together and felting them, as herein-after
described, or of two or more pieces of felt so brought together and
felted. In uniting two edges together, a portion, say about one-third of
the thickness of each edge, to the distance of say about four inches, is
first removed by splitting, after which the two edges thus reduced in 3
thickness are laid the one above the other so as to overlap, and are
joined or connected by felting by means of the apparatus herein-after

page_text: described and illustrated by the two Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a side clevation of
the improved felting apparatus, and Figure 2 is an end view of tho
5 same.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both tho
Figures.
b
A is a frame or table composed by preference of wood, and presenting
on its upper side a perfectly level surface, which is covered with linen or
other suitable material for the reception of the article a, the edges of
which are to be united. Over this tablo there is suspended by means of
cords a, a, and pulleys a metal plate or frame B, which is lined or
weighted with wood or other suitable substance, the whole forming a
pressing block, and so arranged as to be capable of being raised from or
lowered on to the table A by a windlass C, or similar means. The
pressing block B is provided at one end with a rod or bar c, which is
free to slide through a guide or support d situate at one end of the table
A, whilst the opposite end of the pressing block B is connected to a
crank e formed on a shaft f, which is supported in bearings g, g, on the
table A, and carries pulleys D for receiving motion from any suitable
prime mover or a handle or other means for working the apparatus.
The connection between the pressing block B and the crank e is formed
by means of a connecting link made in two parts h, i, the latter of
which is pivotted to the former, and so arranged as to clip the hooked
end of the pressing block B when the apparatus is in operation, whilst
admitting of such pivotted portion 2 being readily turned round or
disconnected when it is required to elevate the pressing block.
The apparatus is operated in the following manner :-The pressing
block B is first disconnected from the crank e by turning the pivotted
portion of the connecting link round upon its centre, after which the
whole of the link is turned up, and the pressing block B is moved
longitudinally to the left hand until the rod or bar c is clear of the guido
or support d. The pressing block B is then elevated by means of the
windlass C and cords a, a, into the position shewn by dotted lines, after
which the two halves of a skirt a for example are placed upon the top
of the table A, with the two edges to be joined laid exactly the one
upon the other, and the pressing block B is lowered on to the same. The

page_text: projecting rod or bar c on the pressing block B having then been caused
to engage in its guide or support d by moving the block longitudinally
in the right hand direction, and the link 7, 1, having been secured, the
apparatus is started, and a longitudinal reciprocating motion is thus
imparted to the pressing block B, whereby the two edges are firmly
united, thus forming a seam. The motion of the apparatus is then
arrested, the pressing block B is again elevated as before mentioned, and
a strip of linen or other suitable material having been laid upon the
newly joined edges, the other two edges forming the second seam of the
intended skirt are placed together immediately above the linen, after 1
which the pressing block B having been relowered and connected with
the link h, 2, the apparatus is re-started and the second two edges are
united. The apparatus is then again stopped and the pressing block B
elevated, when the skirt, which is then complete, may be removed from
the apparatus to be subjected to the operations of milling and finishing 1
by any of the usual or suitable processes.
It is obvious that the apparatus is also applicable to the joining or
connecting of the edges of felted fabrics generally, whether such edges
have been prepared or not in the manner before mentioned.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the 2
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what wo consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the uniting the
ends or edges of felted articles, substantially in the manner and by the 2
means herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Henry James and Alfred
James Hamilton, have to this our Specification set our hands
and seals, the Ninth day of October, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-five.
13|
and seventy-myc,
CHARLES HENRY JAMES. (L.S.)
ALFRED JAMES HAMILTON. (L.S.)