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

page_text: "
ETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WADDING, BATTING, AND
FELTED FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
-A communication from abroad by Lyman Welcome Whipple, of
the City of New York, State of New York, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd July 1875.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
5 of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WADDING, BATTING,
AND FELTED FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,'
a communication to me from abroad by Lyman Welcome Whipple, of
""

page_text: the City of New York, State of New York, United States of America,
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates more particularly to the system or mode of
condensing or compressing a web or sheet of batting which has passed
through the common card and been formed into a lap, or after the
cotton or other fibrous substance has been fed to a machine on an apron
and taken the form of a lap during its passage through feeding rollers,
and it consists mainly of a peculiar mode of interlacing or combining
the fibres of the lap, which process is carried out in such a manner as
to produce a strong and condensed web or sheet without the use of
paper, paste, or sewing.
The fabric is suitable for various purposes, and consists entirely of
the materials of which the batting operated upon is composed, a part of
the fibres being thrust through the fabric from one or both sides
thereof, thus binding or interlacing the materials It may be used in
the condition in which it leaves the machine, or it may be felted more
firmly by the ordinary process in hot water.
In carrying out this Invention power is applied to a pulley which is
mounted upon a horizontal shaft and through the intervention of inter-
mediate worms and worm wheels and other pullies and bands drives a
series of feeding rollers supported at the upper part of the frame of the
machine and two other rollers arranged below, upon one of which latter
the finished fabric is wound, the other roller of the lower series acting as
a compressor by means of spiral springs which are placed upon each side
of the machine. The upper series of rollers draw the bat or sheet which
passes between them at such a velocity as to allow needles herein-after
described sufficient time to interlace and combine the fibres.
The bat of fibre previously prepared on a carding engine passes over a
bar at one side of the machine, and thence approaches several series of
vertical pins or needles. These needles are slightly roughened or
barbed and also tapered, and are of sufficient length to pass freely
through the bat They are set in a horizontal top bar which is moved
up and down by pitmen or rods which are carried by cccentrics attached
to the shaft carrying the driving pulley, and which is situate at the
lower part of the machine, the needle bar being retained in its place by
vertical guides. The actuating rods are jointed to the ends of the
needle bar so that it may traverse freely in the vertical guides before

page_text: mentioned. The needles are to be set in vertical planes but diagonally
or quincuncially.
In order to assist in clearing the needles and to prevent the bat from
rising or falling too far when the needles are withdrawn, a perforated
plate is provided below the needle bar, and round bars are fixed hori-
zontally above the plate; the bat or sheet of fibre which is to be operated
upon passes between them and receives the thrust of the roughened
needles. The depth of their penetration into the bat may be regulatod
by adjusting the height of the bars.
At the end of a cross shaft there is attached an eccentric which
moves an upright lever (turning upon a fulcrum in the frame) to the
night and left. The top of the lever has a jointed connection with
the needle bar, which is thus moved back and forth. This lateral
movement combined with the onward motion of the bat causes the
needles to perforate every part of the surface. A separate series of
needles may be placed in a reverse direction and thrust upward through
the bat when a more firm and compact fabric is required.
When it is desired to produce a fabric which is condensed at one part
and light at another part the needles or pins may be placed in detached
groups
When these are moved to the right or left across the web by
the action of the cam or eccentric and lever curved or diagonal lines
are produced upon its surface.
By means of this Invention fibrous substances, such for example as
cotton, linen, jute, and the like, which are not capable of being felted,
are made into a firm and condensed fabric by the mechanical interlacing
of the fibres, this product being used for various purposes; the bat may
consist of felting and non-felting fibres, such for example as wool and
cotton (mixed in the carding or other process), and when this fabric is
treated in hot water the wool holds the cotton in place.
In lieu of mixing two kinds of fibres together, as above described,
a bat of wool and a bat of cotton may be laid one upon the other and
passed through the machine, thus giving to the fabric an excess of one
or the other material upon opposite sides.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 19th January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
39th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successois,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my exccutors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therem expressed, should and lawfully might make
usc, excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANufacture of WaDDING, BATTING, and Felted
FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," a commu-
nication to me from abroad by Lyman Welcome Whipple, of the City
of New York, State of New York, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
cxccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and scal, 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 John Henry Johnson, 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 figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
The said Invention relates more particularly to the system or mode

page_text: a, a.
The bat of fibre previously prepared on a carding machine passes over
the bar 1 and thence approaches several series of vertical pins or needles
These needles are slightly roughened or barbed and also tapered,
and are of sufficient length to pass freely through the bat. They are
set in the horizontal top bar M which is moved up and down by the t
attached
pitmen or rods L, L, which are carried by the eccentrics K, K,
to the bottom shaft C, the needle bar M being retained in its place by
the vertical guides 8, 8. The rods L, L, are jointed at R to the ends of
the needle bar M, so that it may traverse freely in the vertical guides 8.
The needles are to be set diagonally, as shown in Figure 2.
_ In order to assist in clearing the needles and to prevent the bat from
rising or falling too far when the needles are withdrawn, a perforated
plate O is provided below the needle bar, as shown clearly in Figure 5,
and a series of round bars 3, 3, 3, fixed above the plate O, the bat or
sheet of fibre which is to be operated upon passes between them and
receives the thrust of the roughened needles Q. The depth of their
penetration into the bat may be regulated by adjusting the height of
the bars.
At the end of the cross shaft 10, Figures 3 and 6, there is attached an
eccentric 11 which moves the upright lever 12, the fulcrum of which is
at 13, to the right and left. The top of the lever has a jointed con-
nection 14, 15, with the needle bar M, which is thus moved back
and forth. This lateral movement combined with the onward motion
of the bat causes the needles to perforate every part of the surface. A
separate series of needles may be placed in a reverse direction and
thrust upwards through the bat, when a more firm and compact fabric is
required.
When it is desired to produce a fabric which is condensed at one part
and light at another part, the needles or pins may be placed in detached
groups. When these are moved to the right or left across the web by
the action of the cam or eccentric 11 and lever 12, curved or diagonal
lines are produced upon its surface.
By means of this Invention fibrous substances, such for example as
cotton, linen, jute, and the like, which are not capable of being felted,
are made into a firm and condensed fabric by the mechanical interlacing
of the fibres, this product being used for various purposes. The bat
may consist of felting and non-felting fibres, such for example as wool

page_text: and cotton mixed in the carding or other process, and when this fabric
is treated in hot water the wool holds the cotton in place.
In lieu of mixing two kinds of fibres together, as above described, a
bat of wool and a bat of cotton may be laid one upon the other and
passed through the machine, thus giving to the fabric an excess of one
or the other materials upon opposite sides.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to
be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
Firstly. The series of needles or pins slightly roughened or barbed,
sot in a suitable frame or holder and made to traverse back and forth
through a bat or web of cotton or other fibrous substance for the
purpose of interlacing and condensing the fibres, substantially as hercin-
before described.
Secondly. The adjustable bars O by which the position of the bat
may be regulated in relation to the thrust of the needles.
Thirdly. The lateral motion of the bar M and the needles, as herein-
before described.
Thirdly. The lateral motion of the bar M and the needles, as herein-
before described.
Fourthly. As a new article of manufacture, a bat, web, or sheet
made as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and scal, the Nineteenth
day of January, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.