IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANU- FACTURE OF FABRICS FOR OVERCOATINGS, SHIRTINGS, SKIRTINGS, HORSE CLOTHING AND OTHER GOODS to be as follows:
Year: 1885

page_text: and other Goods.
I JAMES BROADHEAD of Cornwall Orange County State of New York United
States of America but at present residing at 41 Abbey Gardens St Johns Wood in
the County of Middlesex Woollen Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of
my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF FABRICS FOR OVERCOATINGS, SHIRTINGS, SKIRTINGS, HORSE CLOTHING
AND OTHER GOODS to be as follows:-
"
My Invention has for its object to provide an improved machine or apparatus
by means of which wool or other fibre without its being made into yarn can be
incorporated with jute cotton or other fabric so as to form virtually part thereof
and give the appearance and in great measure the utility of woollen goods made in
the ordinary way.
According to my Invention I provide means whereby the fabric to be treated is
conveyed by carriers in proximity to a series of needles or piercers and upon this
fabric loose wool or other fibre is placed, it preferably being led in a continuous
layer along with the cloth. The frame carrying the needles has a reciprocating up
and down and side to side movement imparted to it so that the needles penetrate
a great number of times but at different places through the layer of wool or other
fibre and the fabric beneath; the said needles being of such a construction as
hereinafter explained that they take down at each downward movement some
of the woollen or other fibres so that they are passed partly through the fabric
beneath of which they then form part, the ends of the fibres projecting from -each
side of the fabric whereby when the fabric is completed a cloth having the appear-
ance of a good woollen cloth is produced. The needles are preferably operated to
and fro by a cam with a number of throws, preferably three, so that they penetrate
the cloth a great number of times and give a very complete amalgamation of the
fibres with the fabric. The needles are made so that they effectually take down

page_text: the fibres into the fabric but so that on their return movement they do not dis-
engage the fibres so taken down into the fabric. This I effect by cutting out of
the substance of the needle, preferably at the angles of a needle triangular in cross
section, gaps so as to form ledges or barbs presented downwards towards the point
of the needle, these ledges or barbs engaging with the fibres and carrying them
into the fabric as the needles perforate it, but on the return motion the fibres are
not acted upon by the ledges or barbs, they having on their opposite parts inclined
surfaces which allow of the needles leaving the fabric without interfering with.
the fibres.

page_text: Improvements in Means or Apparatus for the Manufacture
of Fabrics for Over Coatings, Shirtings, Skirtings, Horse
Clothing, and other Goods.
JAMES BROADHEAD of Cornwall Orange County State of New York United
States of America but at present residing at 41 Abbey Gardens St John's Wood in
the County of Middlesex Woollen Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My Invention has for its object to provide an improved machine or apparatus by
means of which wool or other fibre without its being made into yarn can be
incorporated with jute cotton or other fabric so as to form virtually part thereof
and give the appearance and in great measure the utility of woollen goods made
in the ordinary way.
According to my Invention I provide means whereby the fabric to be treated is
conveyed by carriers so as to impart the requisite tension thereto in proximity to a
Beries of needles or piercers and upon this fabric loose wool or other fibre is placed
it preferably being led in a continuous layer along with the cloth. The frame
carrying the needles has a reciprocating up and down and side to side movement
imparted to it so that the needles penetrate a great number of times but at different
places through the layer of wool or other fibre and the fabric beneath, the said
needles being of such a construction as hereinafter explained that they take down
at each downward movement some of the woollen or other fibres so that they are
passed partly through the fabric beneath of which they then form part, the ends of
the fibres projecting from each side of the fabric whereby when the fabric is com-
pleted a cloth having the appearance of a good woollen cloth is produced. The
needles are preferably operated to and fro laterally by a cam with a number of
throws preferably three so that the said needles penetrate the cloth a great number
of times and give a very complete incorporation of the fibres with the fabric.
needles are made in an improved manner, so that they effectually take down the
fibres into the fabric but so that on their return movement they do not disengage
the fibres so taken down into the fabric. This I effect by cutting out of the
substance of the needle triangular in cross section gaps so as to form ledges or barbs
(preferably three at each angle) presented downwards towards the point of the
needle these ledges or barbs engaging with the fibres and carrying them into the
fabric as the needles penetrate it but on the return motion the fibres are not acted
upon by the ledges or barbs they having on their opposite parts inclined surfaces
which allow of the needles leaving the fabric without interfering with the fibres or
injuring the threads of the fabric owing to there being no projections from the
general longitudinal lines of the outside of the needle.
The
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several

page_text: figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an apparatus constructed according to my
Invention Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same the section being taken
along the line 1, 2 in Figure 1. Figure 3 is an enlarged view of one of the
improved needles used in the machine and Figure 4 a face view of the cam for
imparting the lateral to and fro motions to the needle frame.
The fabric A to be treated is wound onto a beam or roller A' and passes there-
from through a tension device or brake B to a pair of rollers C, C, arranged in
rear of and in proximity to the needling mechanism hereinafter more particularly
described. The tension device B consists of two rollers D, D¹, fitted to rotate in a
frame a mounted on an axle E,, fitted to turn in the frame of the machine and
having fast on one end thereof a worm wheel F gearing with a worm G by means
of which the angle of the frame a may be varied according to the amount of
tension required to be put on the fabric A.
The batt of fibre K to be incorporated with the fabric A is passed from a
roller H to the rollers C, C¹, over a creeper or endless band of battens I the upper
roller C¹ being a compressing roller pressing the fibre onto the fabric A-The fabric A
in conjunction with the batt of fibre K passes from between the rollers C. C¹, over
a grid frame L where the combined fabric and fibre is operated upon by the
improved needles N one of which is shewn drawn to an enlarged scale in
Figure 3.
These needles are carried by a frame M to which a reciprocating up and down
motion is given by means of eccentrics O fast on the driving shaft P causing the
said needles to penetrate the fabric A and carry with them the fibre from the
batt K.
In addition to the vertical reciprocating motion imparted to the needle frame by
the eccentrics O the said needle frame. also receives by means of the three throw
cam Q, shewn in Figure 4, and levers R and S a to and fro lateral motion whereby
the needles are caused to move in different vertical planes to penetrate the batt and
fabric The cam Q is operated by a worm z on the driving shaft P in gear with a
worm wheel y fast on the cam shaft x.
My improved needle is shewn in elevation and cross section in Fig. 3-It is
illustrated as being triangular in cross section the angles being equally and
positively cut away at intervals along the length of the needle or a portion
thereof so as to forin equal ledges or recesses b which when the needles descend
engage the fibres K and carry them equally through the fabric A. but which as the
needles rise disengage themselves from the fibre leaving it projecting from the
underside of the fabric, the needles rising out of the fabric without disengaging
the fibre from the fabric, or injuring the fabric-After the fabric has had the fibres
incorporated therewith by being acted upon by the needles as described, it passes
beneath a roller T and over a roller U thence to the take up roller or work beam V
upon which it is wound the ordinary take up mechanism being employed to rotate
the beam V at the necessary speed required to wind the finished fabric as it passes
from the needling mechanism.
The roller U by means of which the feeding of the fabric through the machine
is effected, and over which the finished fabric passes, is preferably covered with
card filleting c which effects the withdrawal of the finished fabric evenly and
without dragging and consequently without weakening the fabric The roller U is
operated to draw the fabric from the machine by means of a ratchet wheel 1 on a
shaft 2 furnished with tooth wheel gearing with another wheel on the axis of the
roller U. At each movement of the eccentrics O the pawls 3 carried on arms +
actuate the wheel 1 and moves it partly round to move the roller U.
To ensure the uniform and simultaneous feeding of the fabric A and the batt of
fibre K at the same speed as the finished fabric is drawn from the needling
mechanism by the roller U, the creeper or endless band of battens I by which the

page_text: batt of fibre is conducted to the needling mechanism, is driven by a band Y
directly from a pulley 5 on the same shaft 6 as that of the roller 7 on which the
cloth on the roller V bears the said shaft, pulley, and roller 5, 6. and 7 being
driven at the same speed as the roller U by gearing from the axis 2 the gearing
and driving parts being all so relatively arranged and proportioned that the feeding
and withdrawing operations are simultaneously conducted at equal speeds without
straining or sagging the material.
The distance to which the needles are caused to penetrate the fabric may be
regulated as required by means of adjusting screws W operated by the hand
wheels X whereby the bar M to which the needles are fixed is adjusted nearer to or
further from the grid frame L through which the needles pass in their descent
through the fabric.
n are rods or bars over the batt and fabric to retain them in
place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. In apparatus for the manufacture as hereinbefore described of over-
coatings shirtings horse clothing and other analogous goods the means for feeding
and withdrawing the materials into and from the machine with uniformity and
with proper tension substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Second. A needle formed in the improved manner and for the purpose herein-
before described.
Third. A needle triangular in cross section with ledges or barbs cut in each
angle as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawing.
Fourth. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the machine
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this 5th day of December 1885