IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF FELTS AND LIKE PRODUCTS OR MATERIALS, AND MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lloyd Wise, of 7, Whitehall Place, in the City
of Westminster, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OR PRODUCTION OF FELTS AND LIKE PRODUCTS OR MATERIALS, AND
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN." A communication from
abroad by Ambrosius Marthaus, of Oschatz, and Aurel Polster, of Dresden,
both in the Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lloyd Wise at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th November 1881.
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of 7, Whitehall Place, in the City of Westminster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF FELTS AND LIKE
PRODUCTS OR MATERIALS, AND MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
A communication from abroad by Ambrosius Marthaus, of Oschatz, and Aurel
Polster, of Dresden, both in the Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire.
According to this Invention felts and such like products or articles are manu-
factured or produced from wool, hair, or fibrous material in one process and in a
continuous manner by a combined or compound machine, to which the material to
be treated is fed, and wherein it is torn, reduced, divided, or separated, and formed
into a fleece upon a revolving apron by the air evacuating action of an exhauster,
after which such fleece is subjected to the condensing action of rotating rollers, to
some of which end wise reciprocating motion is imparted; and finally, the condensed
fleece is subjected to the felting action of other rotating rollers, whereof some have
endwise reciprocating motion between endless cloth, while pressure, heat, and
moisture are imparted to the fleece under treatment, so that the material fed to the
machine at one end leaves the machine at the other end as an endless condensed
felt product.
The combined or compound machine comprises a fleece producing machine, a
condensing machine, and a felting machine. This compound machine will produce
fleece or felts in the desired form or size from wool, hair, or fibrous material, so
that the fleece or felt having left the machine will only need fulling.

page_text: The fibrous material is placed on a feeding table or apron, whereby it is carried
between feeding rollers; then it is seized by a cylinder, which tears, reduces, or
divides it, and throws it upon a second feeding table which has a somewhat quicker
motion than the first, and leads the material to a second set of feeding rollers.
A second cylinder, which is of greater diameter than the first, and revolves at a
higher speed, seizes the material, and further tears, reduces, or divides it; thence
the material proceeds to a third feeding table, and between a third set of feeding
rollers to a third cylinder, whereby it is still further prepared by tearing, reduction,
or division. The last named feeding table, rollers, and cylinder have a higher
speed than the preceding ones, and the cylinder is larger in diameter than those
preceding it. The peripheries of the three cylinders are provided with square pins
or projections, the points of which are of conical shape. The fibrous material
having left the third cylinder is carried on by a "beating" or "scutching" roller,
and transferred to a willow cylinder or opening cylinder constructed as hereinafter
described. This cylinder takes the torn, separated, or divided material, and all
tufts still contained therein, and lifts the same or throws them in an upward
direction, and the tearing, separation, or division of the material is continued by
the action of a revolving roller or brush, and afterwards by a second roller or
brush. In this part of the machine so much draught is created by the revolving
opening cylinders, etcetera, that the finely divided or separated material continues
to fly or float, whereas all tufts fall back and come under the operation of the
opening cylinders so as to undergo a second opening operation; when these tufts
have assumed a flakey character they fly or float to an incline, where they are
seized by the next opening cylinder. Here the process is the same as with the
cylinder already described, and the last flake is divided or separated by a third
opening cylinder. The well divided or separated material is caused, by means of
revolving brush" rollers to fly or float, and by one such "brush" roller trans-
ferred to another brush roller, which revolves at a higher speed than the preceding
ones, and thence the material drops upon a perforated surface called the exhausting
surface. Brush rollers are provided that serve as reserve rollers for further lifting
and dividing the material under treatment if necessary. Air is evacuated through
the so called exhausting surface by an exhaustor. This exhausting surface is formed
by an endless revolving apron of gauze, by which the fleece is carried underneath
a pressing roller and into the condensing apparatus, whence the fleece proceeds to
be acted upon by the felting machine or apparatus.
54
At both sides of the casing of the above described dividing and fleece forming
apparatus, apertures with slides are provided which serve to regulate the draught
within the machine, and thereby to regulate the direction of the flying or floating
material. Underneath the "exhausting" surface slides are provided with suitable
holes, and which slides serve to regulate the deposition of the finely divided
material on that surface, so that such material may either be equally distributed
over the whole surface, or be deposited in a thicker layer in the middle and thinner
at the sides, or in any desired variation.
The condensing apparatus is composed of upper and lower rollers; each hori-
zontal series of rollers being provided with an apron of suitable material. To
these rollers, or one series thereof, there is imparted reciprocating endwise move-
ment. By the rotating and reciprocating end wise movement of these rollers the
condensing action is produced on the fleece, which passes through the apparatus
between the abovementioned aprons. The fleece thereafter passes through two
large aprons of the felting apparatus, whence the fleece issues as felt. This apparatus
is composed of series of horizontal rollers, of which some are heated by steam;
these rollers have a rotary motion only, whereas other rollers have a rotary and a
reciprocating endwise movement. The aprons are led by suitably arranged guide
rollers through the vessels that contain water, so that moisture is conveyed by
the aprons to the fleece in order to aid the felting process and to increase the
density of the felt.
In the above described felting apparatus each horizontal series of rollers is

page_text: provided with an apron. The fleece passing between the entire series of rollers is
converted into felt by the action of the rollers, the heat, the moisture, and the
pressure on the fleece, which increases towards the lower part of the vertically
arranged apparatus. In leaving this apparatus the felt is wound up by means of
rollers revolving in the same direction.
In one arrangement of gearing for the felting apparatus, screw spindles are
rotated by toothed wheels. Into these screw spindles take wheels fixed or keyed
upon some of the rollers which communicate rotary motion to others by suitable
gearing. Rods impart rocking motion to T shaped levers, whereby through
suitable connections the necessary endwise reciprocating motion is imparted to the
rollers requiring to be so operated.
The apparatus is so arranged that the condensing or felting action of the rollers
shall not commence at the beginning, but that the requisite motion is imparted as
it may be required.
In some cases, especially if the material to be used is mixed, instead of the
feeding apron at the front of the machine, a feeding box may be used wherein the
material to be fed is seized between two aprons covered with laths or slats pro-
vided with pins or points, the material fed between them being transported to the
first feeding rollers and cylinder.
The cylinders hereinabove referred to as the opening cylinders are provided
with ribs or projections on their peripheries which serve to create draught while
the cylinders are revolving, and there are pins on these ribs that serve for dividing
the material under treatment.
In some cases between two rows of pins a string is drawn parallel to the axis
of the cylinder, which string will strike against a pin fixed to the casing, and will
in vibrating strike against a board or piece of wood fixed to the cylinder. The
strings are stretched by screws at one end, and a rubber cushion or coiled spring
is arranged at this end to provide elasticity to the string.
The brush rollers may be made with either steel, whalebone, or other suitable
material, and the rows on the roller may be arranged in curved or spiral lines, or
in straight lines parallel to the axis of the body of the roller.
Instead of using the machine as a compound machine, it may be divided into
three separate machines, viz., a fleece producing machine, comprising the parts
commencing with the feeding table or feeding box and ending with presser roller;
a condensing machine, comprising the series of condensing rollers with its aprons,
and actuating mechanism; and a felting machine, comprising the series of felting
rollers with aprons, vessels, steampipes, and means for moving such rollers, the
products of these three machines being wound or rolled up separately, and the
material being fed to the first machine in the manner described, and to the two
others, viz., the condensing and the felting machine as fleece, rolled or wound up.
This separation will become necessary if it be intended not to produce continuous
felt, but to manufacture single products of felt. In this case the gauzy surface or
apron hereinabove referred to as the exhausting surface is replaced by frames, the
gauzy surface of which is in the form of the article to be produced.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Lloyd Wise in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th May 1882.
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of 7, Whitehall Place, in the City of Westminster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF FELTS AND LIKE
PRODUCTS OR MATERIALS, AND MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
(A communication from abroad by Ambrosius Marthaus, of Oschatz, and Aurel
Polster, of Dresden, both in the Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire.)
According to this Invention felts and such like products or articles are manu-
factured or produced from wool, hair, or fibrous material in one process and in a
continuous manner by a combined or compound machine, to which the material to
be treated is fed, and wherein it is torn, reduced, divided, or separated, and formed
into a fleece upon a revolving apron by the air evacuating action of an exhaustor,
after which such fleece is subjected to the condensing action of rotating rollers, to
some of which endwise reciprocating motion is imparted, and finally the condensed
fleece is subjected to the felting action of other rotating rollers, whereof some have
end wise reciprocating motion between endless cloth, while pressure, heat, and
moisture are imparted to the fleece under treatment, so that the material fed to
the machine at one end leaves the machine at the other end as an endless condensed
felt product.
The combined or compound machine comprises a fleece producing machine, a
condensing machine, and a felting machine. This compound machine will produce
fleece or felts in the desired form or size from wool, hair, or fibrous material, so
that the fleece or felt having left the machine will only need fulling.
Referring to the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings, Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a
longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 is a plan of a compound machine according to this
Invention.
The fibrous material is placed on the feeding table or apron a', whereby it is
carried between the feeding rollers e', e¹, which deliver it to the cylinder t¹. This
cylinder tears, reduces, or divides it and throws it upon the second feeding table a³,
which has a somewhat quicker motion than the first, and leads the material to a
second set of feeding rollers e², e³. A second cylinder 2, which is of greater
diameter than the first and revolves at a higher speed, seizes the material, and
further tears, reduces, or divides it; thence the material proceeds to a third feeding
table a and between a third set of feeding rollers e³, e³, to a third cylinder t³,
whereby it is still further prepared by tearing, reduction, or division. The last
named feeding table a³, rollers e³, and cylinder have a higher speed than the
preceding ones, and the cylinder is larger in diameter than the cylinders t¹ and t".
The peripheries of the three cylinders are provided with square pins or projections,
the points of which are of conical shape. The fibrous material having left the
third cylinder is carried on by a "beating" or "scutching" roller and transferred
to a willow cylinder or opening cylinder c¹ constructed as hereinafter described.
This cylinder takes the torn, separated, or divided material, and all tufts still
contained therein, and lifts the same or throws them in an upward direction, and
the tearing, separation, or division of the material is continued by the action of a 4
revolving roller or brush f', and afterwards by a second roller or brush f. In
this part of the machine so much draught is created by the revolving opening
cylinders, etcetera, that the finely divided or separated material continues to fly or
float, whereas all tufts fall back and come under the operation of the opening
cylinders so as to undergo a second opening operation; when these tufts have 5

page_text: 12
assumed a flakey character they fly or float to an incline i, where they are seized
by the next opening cylinder c. Here the process is the same as with the
cylinder c¹ already described, and the last flake is divided or separated by a third
opening cylinder c³. The well divided or separated material is caused by means of
revolving "brush rollers f, fs, and f, f, to fly or float, and is by one such
"brush roller f transferred to another brush roller f which revolves at a
higher speed than the preceding ones, and thence the material drops upon a
perforated surface g called the exhausting surface. Brush rollers f° and 10 are
provided that serve as reserve rollers for further lifting and dividing the material
under treatment if necessary. Air is evacuated through the so-called exhausting
surface g by an exhaustor v. This exhausting surface is formed by an endless
revolving apron of gauze (indicated by dotted lines in the Drawings) by which the
fleece is carried underneath the pressing roller d and into the condensing apparatus,
whence the fleece proceeds to be acted upon by the felting machine or apparatus.
At both sides of the casing of the above described dividing and fleece forming
apparatus, apertures 8, 83, with slides are provided (somewhat above t) which serve
to regulate the draught within the machine, and thereby to regulate the direction
of the flying or floating material. Underneath the "exhausting" surface g slides
h, h', are provided, which may be opened to a greater or less extent and serve to
regulate the deposition of the finely divided material on that surface, so that such
material may either be equally distributed over the whole surface or be deposited
in a thicker layer in the middle and thinner at the sides, or in any desired
variation.
The condensing apparatus is composed of upper rollers w, w¹, and lower rollers
k, k, each horizontal series of rollers being provided with an apron of suitable
material. To these rollers, or one series thereof, there is imparted (by means such
as hereinafter described with reference to the felting apparatus) reciprocating
end wise movement. By the rotating and reciprocating end wise movement of these
rollers the condensing action is produced on the fleece, which passes through the
apparatus between the above mentioned aprons. On emerging from these rollers
the Heece passes through two large aprons p, p, of the felting apparatus, whence
it issues as felt. This apparatus is composed of series of horizontal rollers, of
which those marked n, n¹, n², n³, are heated by steain; these rollers have a rotary
motion only, whereas the rollers m, m³, m³, m³, have a rotary and a reciprocating
endwise movement. The aprons p and p' are led by suitably arranged guide rollers
through the vessels q, q', which contain water, so that moisture is conveyed by the
aprons to the fleece in order to aid the felting process and to increase the density
of the felt.
In the above described felting apparatus each horizontal series of rollers n and m
is provided with an apron. The fleece passing between the entire series of rollers
is converted into felt by the action of the rollers, the heat, the moisture, and the
pressure, which increases towards the lower part of the vertically arranged apparatus.
In leaving this apparatus the felt is wound up by means of rollers x, x², revolving
in the same direction.
The
Fig. 6 shews part of a side view, and Fig. 7 an end view of the gearing for the
felting apparatus. The screw spindles y, y', are rotated by toothed wheels b, b'.
Into these screw spindles take wheels fixed or keyed upon the rollers n, n¹, n², n³,
which communicate rotary motion to the rollers m by suitable gearing.
rods o, o, impart rocking motion to T shaped levers a, a', by means of which and
the connecting rods B, B', and traverses 6, 6', the necessary end wise reciprocating
motion is imparted to the rollers m requiring to be so operated. The apparatus is
so arranged that the condensing or felting action of the rollers m shall not commence
at the beginning, but that the requisite motion is imparted to one to four trios of
rollers as it may be required.
In some cases, especially if the material to be used is mixed, instead of the feeding
apron a at the front of the machine a feeding box a, a section of which is shewa
in Fig. 3, may be used. The material to be fed is seized between two aprons

page_text: covered with laths or slats provided with pins or points, the material fed between
them being transported to the first feeding rollers e, e, and cylinder t. Figs. 5
represent a longitudinal and cross section of one of the opening cylinders c.
The ribs or projections on the periphery serve to create draught when the
cylinders are revolving, and the pins on these ribs serve for dividing the material
under treatment.
In some cases between two rows of pins a string r is drawn parallel to the axis
of the cylinder, which string will strike against a pin z fixed to the casing, and
will in vibrating strike against a board or piece of wood z¹ fixed to the
cylinder.
The strings are stretched by screws at one end, and a rubber cushion or coiled
spring is arranged at this end to give greater elasticity to the string. Such
strings may be employed or not, according as the material under treatment is of
finer or coarser quality.
Figs. 4 shew a side view and an end view of a brush roller f. The brush rollers
may be made with either steel, whale bone, or other suitable material, and the
rows on the roller may be arranged in curved or spiral lines, or in straight lines
parallel to the axis of the body of the roller.
In cases where the material to be converted into fleece and felt is short and loose
the modified machine illustrated on Sheet 2 may be made use of.
Fig. 1 shows a side view, and Fig. 2 & plan of this modified machine, in which
the material is not subjected to the action of opening cylinders and a series of
brush-rollers, as in the above described machine, but has only to pass the two
beating rollers f, f', and two brush rollers f³,ƒ³, in order to pass over to the
gauzy or exhausting surface or apron g. The beating rollers f, fi, consist of arms,
as indicated in the Drawing. In this modification the feeding table and feeding
rollers in front of the cylinders t are dispensed with, and are replaced by beating
rollers e, el. The covers m above the cylinders t², ts, are provided with toothed
combs u, which keep back any accumulation or gathering of fibres, and allow such
fibres to pass in a divided condition only. In all other respects the machine works
in the same manner as the one described above.
Instead of using machines according to this Invention as compound machines,
they may be divided into three separate machines, viz., a fleece producing machine,
comprising the parts commencing with the feeding table a' or feeding box a, and
ending with the presser roller d, a condensing machine comprising the series of
condensing rollers wand k with the aprons and actuating mechanism, and a felting
machine comprising the series of felting rollers n and m, with aprons p, pl, vessels
q, q, steam pipes, and means for moving such rollers, the products of these three
machines being wound or rolled up separately, and the material being fed to the
first machine in the manner described, and to the two others, viz., the condensing
and the felting machine as fleece rolled or wound up. This separation will become
necessary if it be intended not to produce continuous felt, but to manufacture single
products of felt. In this case the gauzy surface or apron, hereinabove referred to
as the exhausting surface, is replaced by frames or strips, the gauzy surfaces of
which is or are in the form of the article to be produced.
In cases where the product of the felt making machine is to undergo a spinning
process the gauze or exhausting surface is not made continuous as regards its
width, but is divided into strips, so that the fibrous material is delivered in ribbons
or slivers. Fig. 3 shews a side view, and Fig. 4 a plan of the machine when so
moditied. In these the gauzy or exhausting apron is divided into strips g', g³,
which pass round and revolve with the drum and rollers e², es. At each side of
this drum v there are provided exhaustors, which by their action cause the hairs or
loose material to deposit on the gauzy strips. These latter run between rims or
ribs i, i, and are pressed between rollers e, e, e¹. The gauzy strips in their series
run alternately to the rollers e* or e³. The drum v is provided inside with a shield
or lining, which covers all the inside surface except the upper part, on which the
fibre is to deposit on the gauzy strips which travel over and with the said drum.

page_text: From the rollers e, e, the fleece ribbons or alivers pass through the pressing rollers
61, 62, (Fig. 5), which according to their form will press the ribbons or slivers either
round or flat. The succeeding rollers e and e serve for compressing and felting
the fleece, ribbons, or slivers, but these rollers are only used if long and woollen
material is under treatment. From these rollers the ribbons or slivers pass between
felt cloths or aprons w², w³, (see Fig. 6), which are provided with grooves according
to the form to be given to the material. These aprons, which travel in the direction
of the slivers, receive at the same time an endwise motion by means of an eccentric
or other well known device; by these combined motions the slivers are felted. The
felted slivers next travel to the wet rollers n³, n³, which are surrounded by cloth,
and moisten the slivers with liquid contained in q¹, q. After being damped the
slivers pass to the tables d', d, the surface of which is divided by rims or ribs in
the direction of the travelling material; these tables are heated inside by steam or
water. Each sliver passes between two rims or ribs c, cl, between each pair of
which a cloth apron p' or p² travels, running over the rollers O, O', and 0% 0%
Above these tables the plates 81, 82, are suspended in such manner that they may
be swung at right angles to the direction of the travelling material; these plates
may be suspended by chains and may be used either cold or heated by steam. These
swinging plates may in some instances be replaced by rollers, between which an
endless apron is applied. The swinging plates al above the tables d¹ are also
shewn in the end view, Fig. 7. By the action of these plates the felting the
material is continued; from them the ribbons or slivers pass or travel to the tables
d, d, which have an undulated surface of sheet iron or copper (Fig. 8). Between
the waves of these surfaces the felted ribbons or slivers are carried by cloth aprons
to which the ribbons or slivers are pressed by the press rollers 1, 1. From here
the ribbons or slivers may pass into the spindles of a spinning machine which twist
the ribbons or slivers into yarn.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me as aforesaid, I would have it
understood that what is considered to be novel and original, and is therefore
claimed as secured to me under the Letters Patent hereinbefore first in part recited
is,-
1. The method of producing felts and like products or articles from wool, hair,
or fibrous material in one process and in a continuous manner by the use of
machinery or apparatus so arranged that the material under treatment is torn,
reduced, divided, or separated and formed into a fleece upon a revolving apron by
the air evacuating action of an exhaustor, after which such fleece is subjected to
the condensing action of rotating rollers, to some of which an end wise reciprocating
motion is imparted; and finally, the condensed fleece is subjected to the felting
action of rotating rollers, whereof some have reciprocating end wise movement
between endless cloth, while pressure, heat, and moisture are imparted to the fleece
under treatment, so that the material fed to the machine at one end leaves the
machine at the other end as a continuous condensed felt product, substantially as
described.
2. The compound machine for producing felts and such like products or articles
in a continuous manner, constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 1 of the Drawings.
3. In a machine for producing felts and such like products or articles as above
set forth, the use of a feeding box, such as a, comprising two aprons revolving in
opposite directions, and each provided with laths or slats studded with points or
pins, substantially as described with reference to Fig. 3 on Sheet 1 of the
Drawings.
4. In a machine for producing felts and like products or articles as above set forth,
the use of opening cylinders, such as C1, C2, C3, provided with ribs carrying radial
points or pins, and strings, parallel to the axes of said cylinders, such strings being
stretched in an elastic manner, and arranged to strike against pins fastened to the

page_text: casing, and against pieces of wood or other material fastened to the respective
cylinders, substantially as described.
5. In a machine for producing felts and like products or articles as above set
forth, the use of brush-rollers with tufts mounted at their peripheries in spiral
lines, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
6. In a machine for producing felts and like products or articles as above set forth,
the use of rollers, to which endwise reciprocating motion is imparted, these rollers
being arranged in vertical series in such wise that the pressure on the felt under
treatment increases as it approaches the lower part of the machine, substantially as
described.
7. In a machine for producing felts and such like products or articles as above
set forth, regulating the thickness of the material deposited on the various parts of
the exhausting surface by means of slides or openings, substantially as described.
8. The use in the manufacture or production of felt and like products or
materials of a fleece producing machine, a fleece condensing machine, and a felting
machine, all substantially such as hereinabove described and illustrated, their
construction and arrangement being such that the three machines may be used in
conjunction as a compound machine, or may be employed as three distinct and
separate machines, as and for the purposes above set forth.
9. The combination of parts forming the improved fleece producing machine,
constructed, arranged, and operating, substantially as above described with
reference to Figs. 1 and 2.on Sheet 1 of the Drawings.
10. The combination of parts forming an improved felting machine, constructed,
arranged, and operating, substantially as above described.
11. In a machine for forming fibrous material into fleeces for the production of
single articles of felt by depositing flying or floating fibre on an exhausting
surface, the use of frames covered with gauze or its equivalent of the form of the
article to be produced, substantially as described.
12. The modified fleece making machine, substantially as described with reference
to Figs. 1 and 2 on Sheet 2 of the Drawings.
13. The modified fleece producing and felting machine, substantially as described
with reference to Figs. 3 and 4 on Sheet 2 of the Drawings.
14. The exhausting surface g formed of single gauzy strips g, g', which travel
over and with the drum v and rollers ez, es, the said drum and rollers being
provided with parallel ribs or rims for the guidance of said gauzy strips,
substantially as described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4 on Sheet 2 of the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lloyd Wise, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.