IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of the Firm of
Harris and Mills, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS."-A commu-
nication from abroad by Messieurs F. Klein and Company, of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph
Barnard Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 21st February 1874.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and
5 Mills, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS," a com-
munication to me from abroad by Messieurs F. Klein and Company, of
Liegnitz, Silesia, in the Kingdom of Prussia, to be as follows:-
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0
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The Invention has for its object improvements in that class of
machinery employed in the manufacture of felt hats known as "planking

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 21st August 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23, South-
ampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in tho
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills,
Her special license, that I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS," a communication to me from abroad by
Messieurs F. Klein and Company, of Licgnitz, Silesia, in the Kingdom
of Prussia, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin
Joseph Barnard Mills, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, 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 thereof, that is to say :—
The Invention bas for its object improvements in that class of
machinery employed in the manufacture of felt hats known as "planking
machines." For this purpose a number of cones (preferably three) are

page_text: are mounted loosely on horizontal shafts or axes 6, keyed or otherwise
fixed on other horizontal shafts or axes c at right angles thereto. The
cones a, a, a, are suitably counterbalanced by weights 'd, and the shafts c
are geared together by toothed segments c', so that when required the
cones a, a, a, may be simultaneously raised to the vertical position, or
lowered to the horizontal: The bodics or hats are drawn over the
cones a, a, a, when the latter are in a vertical position. The cones a, a, a,
are then lowered to the horizontal position, and the hats or bodies thereon
aré acted upon by two drums or cones e, f, mounted on a vertical shaft g.
The lower drum or cone e is keyed or otherwise fixed upon the shaft g,
whilst the upper one f is mounted loosely on such shaft in such manner
that it can be freely raised and lowered thereon. On the shaft g is fixed
a bevilled toothed wheel h, which takes into and receives motion from à
bevilled pinion fixed on the main or driving shaft i, which receives
motion by a strap or band from a steam engine or other power acting.
upon a pulley. The upper drum or cone fis provided with trunnions.f¹,
which work in blocks j. These blocks j are fitted into slots A¹ formed in
one end of a lever k, with capability of sliding therein. The lever k is
mounted on an axis of motion ³, and has formed or fixed on the other
end thereof a segmental toothed wheel ³, which is taken into by and
receives motion from the toothed pinion / fixed on the shaft or axis
which receives motion when required by means of a handle &, also fixed
ón such shaft or axis ; and in order that the cones a may be raised to
the vertical position simultaneously with the raising of the drum or
cone fa segmental toothed wheel c* is fixed on one of the shafts or axes c,
which is taken into by and receives motion from a toothed pinion & fixed
on the shaft or axis ; and in order to retain the cones a and the drum or
cone fin such raised position without requiring the workman to keep
his hand on the lever handle a hook m is fixed to the framing of the
machine, so that the lever handle can be placed in such hook and there
held for any desired time.
1
The upper drum or cone f is hollow, and has openings f" formed
therein. Hot water is supplied to this drum, which finds its way through
the openings f³, and saturates the bodies or hats on the cones a, a, a.
A cylinder or vessel n, forming part of the framing of the machine,
and situated under the cones a, a, a, receives the superfluous water,
which is conducted away therefrom to any suitable receiver by a
tube n¹.

page_text: The action of the machine is as follows:-By means of the lever
handle the upper drum or cone f is raised on its shaft g, and the
cones a, a, a, are simultaneously therewith raised to the vertical position
in order to enable the bodies or hats to be drawn over the cones a, a, a.
The drum or cone fand the cones a, a, a, are then lowered to the position
shown in the Drawings, and rotary motion is given to the apparatus.
In the revolution of the lower drum or cone e rotary motion will be
communicated therefrom by friction to the cones a, a, a, having the
bodies or hats thereon, and they in turn will give rotary motion to the
upper drum or cone f, but in a contrary direction to the lower drum or
cone e, and the "planking" or smoothing of the felt hats or bodies is
effected by the pressure and rotation of the drums or cones e, f, on both
sides of the cones a, a, a.
By means of this machine felt bodies or hats are completely
"planked" without the necessity for finishing them afterwards by hand,
whilst the bodies or hats are in the process of "planking" produced and
retained in the correct conical shape.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the mode
in which the same is carried into effect, I would have it understood that
I do not confine myself to the precise arrangement of gearing for raising
and lowering the cones a, a, a, and drum or cone f, nor to the number
of cones a, a, a, employed, as such may be varied without departing
from the peculiar character of the said Invention; but what I do claim
is, the employment of a series of cones a, a, a, in combination with cones
or drums e, f, and parts acting therewith in manner and for the purpose
substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-