IMPROVEMENTS IN FELTING MACHINES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 58, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FELTING MACHINES."-A communication from abroad
by Moses Allen Johnson and John Henry Bloodgood, Manufacturers,
both of Lowell, in the State of Massachusetts, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
June 1864.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FELTING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
The nature of this Invention and its peculiar advantages will be readily
understood from the following description, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings forming part of this Specification, in which Fig. 1 is an.
end elevation of a machine upon which I have chosen to illustrate this
Invention, the cylinder E being shown with its heads removed; Fig. 2 is an

page_text: elevation of the same, as seen from the other end of the machine; Fig. 3 is a
front elevation of the same; Fig. 4 is a,plan view of a vertical section of the
felting cylinder taken through the centre of its shaft; Fig. 5 is a full-sized
sectional detailed view of a portion of the periphery of the felting cylinder, to
show a mode of constructing it; Fig. 6 is a full-sized sectional view of the
hollow bearing of the cylinder, through which steam is admitted to it; Fig.
7 is a diagram (full-sized) of the eccentric vibrating bar and its rolls, showing
how the form of the cam is laid out. Similar letters of reference indicate like
parts. A is the framing of the machine, strongly built and bolted together;
B, B, B¹, B; are the rollers which carry the endless apron C of canvas, or
other suitable material; D, D, are the rolls for tightening the apron, and
arranged so that they not only can be drawn back to tighten it, but also so
that one end can be elevated or depressed, in order to guide the apron and
prevent it from running to one side or the other; E is the felting cylinder
represented in detail in Figs. 4, 5, and 6; Fig. 4 represents a horizontal
section through the diameter of the felting cylinder and yoke, in which T, T,
is a tube perforated at intervals as shown, and serving both for the shaft upon
which the cylinder turns and for introducing steam into its interior. Upon
this shaft or tube are keyed a suitable number of spiders S, made as tight as
is consistent with the requisite strength. Secured to the outside rims or
surface of these spiders is the perforated cylindrical metallic case M, made as
tight as is consistent with the requisite stiffness, this case being intended to
allow the steam admitted within it to escape freely through it, that it may
come in direct contact with the material to be felted. The ends of the
cylinder are of course closed up tightly to prevent the steam passing out,
except through the case as described. Outside of the perforated case a series
of rings R of wire or its equivalent are secured in those machines which are
designed for felting yarn. Outside of these wires is a second covering of wire
cloth W or its equivalent, firmly secured by soldering or other suitable
methods, which covering is designed for the rubbing or friction surface. The
wire cloth covering W will form slight channels or grooves between the wire
rings upon which it is laid; and the object of this is to provide a channel for
each yarn, and thus give them a tendency to pass through the machine each
in its own path or channel. Y is the frame or yoke which encompasses the
cylinder, and to which its bearings are attached at X, X'. One of these
bearings is made hollow, and connected with the steam pipe for the
admission of steam within the cylinder. The other bearing is tight, and so
arranged by screw and nut as to admit of adjustment to prevent play endwise.
This yoke is of wood, well braced and secured at the corners, and moving

page_text: freely endwise in the guides G, G. At the driving end this yoke has connected
to it the driving bar H, to which are secured the small rolls W', W¹, rigidly
fastened to the bar, which is kept in a direct horizontal position by the yoke
at one end and by the guide I in the other. J is the driving shaft, which
should be large enough to prevent all spring, and is hung in long bearings,
and so situated that its centre of motion shall be accurately within the hori-
zontal line which passes through the centres of the two rolls W' of the driving
bar. Upon this shaft, besides the driving pullies P, are the eccentric
cams K, K, K (one or more, as may be desired), which act directly upon the
rolls W, W¹, and are so formed as to remain in perfect contact with the
latter at all points of their revolution, giving at the same time the requisite
throw or endwise movement to the yoke and cylinder for the process of
felting, say from three-fourths of an inch to one and one-fourth inches, and
affording a comparatively frictionless and noiseless means of producing
the rapid vibrating movement. This cam is formed upon the following
principle-It is first determined what size will be desirable or convenient for
the cam and rolls; in this case I have generally selected about six inches
for the former and four for the latter. Next I fix the amount of eccentricity
required, and as it is the condition of this arrangement that the centres of
the rolls or wheels W₁, W, and the centre of the shaft of the eccentric shall
always be in the same straight line, it follows that if the cam were a true circle
when the centre of the eccentric is vertically above the centre of motion or
below it the wheels must be nearer together than when the two centres are
upon the same horizontal line by an amount proportionate to the throw.
Now, as it is impossible to have the rolls at the same time perfectly rigid
and yet adjustable to this variable distance, I change the form of the curve of
the cam to one in which the several diameters through the centre of motion
shall be of such length as to obviate all necessity for such adjustment. This I
do by shortening all the diameters, except that from which I start, when the
two centres are vertically above or below each other. For simplicity in the
formation and for ease in the construction of the cam I proceed as follows:-
Having determined the eccentricity, I proceed mathematically to ascertain
how much nearer the centres of the wheels would be (if they could move)
when the long side of the eccentric is vertical than when horizontal, in order
that I may by additional eccentricity compensate for the loss of throw conse-
quent upon the shortening of the several diameters of the eccentric. This is
a simple problem, it being only necessary to calculate the difference between
the lines forming the base A, B, Fig. 7, and the hypothenuse C, B, of the
right angled triangle formed by connecting the centre of motion A and the

page_text: centre of the eccentric C with the centre B of one of the wheels, and to add
this difference to the original eccentricity, which, although not mathematically
a perfect compensation, is practically all that is required. Thus for one and
one quarter inches throw I make the eccentric centre 100% +1080 or 665
of an inch away from the centre of motion, and for one and one half inches
throw 827 of an inch, instead of 10. From this centre of the cam I draw a
semicircle 1, 2, 3, 4, below or above the horizontal line, corresponding with
the original design, say in this case with a three inch radius; then upon
said horizontal line I take two points B, B¹, outside of the circle as centres
for the wheels (which I have assumed to be four inches), so that the
circumference of the latter shall exactly touch that of the semicircle; next
I proceed to lay off any number of radii h from the centre of motion, the
more the better, and from points outside of the eccentric on each of these
draw the curves corresponding with the semicircle, and from these points with
the distance B, B¹, as established on the horizontal line, lay off on each upper
or opposite radius the centre points x, x, for corresponding circles of wheels,
and describe a portion of the latter next the eccentric. The curve shown,
which exactly touches all these sections of circles, will be the form of the
upper half of the eccentric cam, and will be such that at all points of the
revolution the cam will be in perfect contact with both rolls, thereby enabling
me to obtain a rapid vibratory motion with but little noise and friction. The
gears 0, 0, 0, 0, give motion to the apron rolls, and the cylinder itself is
turned by the action of the aprons against its surface; N is the spool drum
as in ordinary jacks for spinning (which is dispensed with of course in
machines for felting cloth), and Q is the spool of roving. The reel upon
which the finished yarn is wound is not shown. The operation of the machine
is quite simple. The roving spool is placed upon the drum, as shown, and the
ends of roving entered through suitable guides to be fixed at L between the
first apron and felting cylinder. The steam being admitted to the latter and
the machine started, the roving is drawn in, and as it passes along is felted by
the rapid vibrating or alternate end wise motion of the cylinder, and passing
across the vacancy V at the lower side, made to allow the escape of condensed
steam, the yarns come next between the cylinder and the second apron, where
they are still further felted, and finally delivered at the top roll and wound
upon a reel, or, if desired, they may be wound directly upon the bobbins for
the shuttle. In some cases it may be desirable to have the interior case
steam-tight, and so introduce the steam between this and the wire cloth
from some point outside of the cylinder; when this is desired the rings
R, R, Figs. 4 and 5 must be larger to afford sufficient space for the pene-

page_text: tration of steam to all parts of the cylinder.. Steam may be introduced in
this way by a perforated pipe below the cylinder at the gap V. A casing
of some kind is needed to cover the exposed parts of said cylinder at top
and at V; one form of this is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the Drawing,
and is designed to avoid the excessive escape of steam; this not being an
essential point of the Invention it may be varied to.. suit the circumstances
or wishes of the manufacturer..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark. in the Great Seal Patent. Office. on the
27th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in. the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting..
WHEREAS Uer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
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 Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FELTING MACHINES," a communication to me from abroad by
Moses Allen Johnson and John Henry Bloodgood, Manufacturers, both of
Lowell, in the State of Massachusetts, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Clark, 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 William Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The nature of this Invention and its peculiar advantages will be readily
understood from the following description, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings forming part of this Specification, in which Fig. 1 is
an end elevation of a machine, upon which I have chosen to illustrate
this Invention, the cylinder E being shown with its heads removed; Fig. 2
is an elevation of the same as seen from the other end of the machine;
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 4 is a plan view of a vertical
section of the felting cylinder taken through the centre of its shaft; Fig. 5
is a full sized sectional detailed view of a portion of the periphery of the felting
cylinder, to show a mode of constructing it; Fig. 6 is a full sized sectional
view of the hollow bearing of the cylinder, through which steam is admitted
to it; Fig. 7 is a diagram (full size) of the eccentric vibrating bar and its
rolls, showing how the form of the cam is laid out. Similar letters of reference
indicate like parts.
A is the framing of the machine, strongly built and bolted together; B, B,
B', B', are the rollers which carry the endless apron C, of canvass or other
suitable material; D, D, are the rolls for tightening the apron and arranged
so that they not only can be drawn back to tighten it, but also so that one end
can be elevated or depressed in order to guide the apron and prevent it from
running to one side or the other; E is the felting cylinder, represented in
detail in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.
Fig. 4 represents a horizontal section through the diameter of the felting
cylinder and yoke, in which T, T, is a tube perforated at intervals, as shown,
and serving both for the shaft, upon which the cylinder turns, and for
introducing steam into its interior. Upon this shaft or tube are keyed a
suitable number of spiders s, made as tight as is consistent with the requisite
strength; secured to the outside rims or surfaces of these spiders is the per-
forated cylindrical metallic case M, made as tight as is consistent with the
requisite stiffness, this case being intended to allow the steam admitted within
it to escape freely through it, that it may come in direct contact with the
material to be felted. The ends of the cylinder are of course closed up
tightly to prevent the steam passing out, except through the case as described.
Outside of the perforated case a series of rings R, of wire or its equivalent,
are secured in those machines which are designed for felting yarn.
Outside
of these wires is a second covering of wire cloth W, or its equivalent, firmly
secured by soldering, or other suitable methods, which covering is designed for

page_text: the rubbing or friction surface. The wire cloth covering W will form slight
channels or grooves between the wire rings upon which it is laid, and the
object of this is to provide a channel for each yarn, and thus give them a
tendency to pass through the machine each in its own path or channel.
Y is the frame or yoke which encompasses the cylinder, and to which its
bearings are attached at x, a¹. One of these bearings is made hollow and
connected with the steam pipe for the admission of steam within the cylinder;
the other bearing is tight, and so arranged by screw and nut as to admit of
adjustment to prevent play endwise. This yoke is of wood, well braced and
secured at the corners, and moving freely endwise in the guides G, G;
at the driving end this yoke has connected to it the driving bar H, to which
are secured the small rolls W, W', rigidly fastened to the bar, which is kept
in a direct horizontal position by the yoke at one end, and by the guide I in
the other; J is the driving shaft, which should be large enough to prevent all
spring, and is hung in long bearings, and so situated that its centre of motion
shall be accurately within the horizontal line which passes through the centres
of the two rolls W₁ of the driving bar. Upon this shaft, besides the driving
pullies P, are the eccentric cams K, K, K, (one or more as may be desired)
which act directly upon the rolls W¹, W¹, and are so formed as to remain in
perfect contact with the latter at all points of the revolution, giving at the same
time the requisite throw or endwise movement to the yoke and cylinder for
the purpose of felting, say from three-fourths of an inch to one and one-fourth
inches, and affording a comparatively frictionless and noiseless means of pro-
ducing the rapid vibratory movement. This cam is formed upon the following
principle, it is first determined what size will be desirable or convenient for the
cam and rolls, in this case I have generally selected about six inches for the
former and four for the latter. Next, I fix the amount of eccentricity required,
and as it is the condition of this arrangement that the centres of the rolls or
wheels W¹, W', and the centre of the shaft of the eccentric shall always be in
the same straight line, it follows that if the cam were a true circle when the
centre of the eccentric is vertically above the centre of motion or below it, the
wheels must be nearer together than when the two centres are upon the same
horizontal line by an amount proportionate to the throw; now, as it is impos-
sible to have the rolls at the same time perfectly rigid, and yet adjustable to
this variable distance, I change the form of the curve of the cam to one in
which the several diameters through the centre of motion shall be of such
length as to obviate all necessity for such adjustment.
shortening all the diameters except that from which I
two centres are vertically above or below each other.
This I do by
start when the
For simplicity

page_text: in the formation and for ease in the construction of the cam I pro-
ceed as follows:-Having determined the eccentricity I proceed mathe-
matically to ascertain how much nearer the centres of the wheels would
be (if they could move) when the long side of the eccentric is vertical than
when horizontal, in order that I may by additional eccentricity compensate for
the loss of throw consequent upon the shortening of the several diameters of
the eccentric. This is a simple problem, it being only necessary to calculate
the difference between the lines forming the base A, B, Fig. 7, and the
hypothenuse C, B, of the right angled triangle formed by connecting the centre
of motion A' and the centre of the eccentric C with the centre B of one of the
wheels, and to add this difference to the original eccentricity, which although
not mathematically a perfect compensation, is practically all that is required.
Thus, for one and one quarter inches throw I make the eccentric centre
11 or 665 of an inch. away from the centre of motion, and for one
and one half inches throw 827 of an inch instead of 100, &c. From this
centre of the cam we draw a semicircle 1, 2, 3, 4, below or above the hori-
zontal line corresponding with the original design, say, in this case with a three-
inch radius, then upon said horizontal line I take two points B, B¹, outside of
the circle as centres for the wheels (which I have assumed to be four inches)
such that the circumference of the latter shall exactly touch that of the semi-
circle. Next I proceed to lay off any number of radii h from the centre of
motion, the more the better, and from points outside of the eccentric; on each
of these draw the curves corresponding with the semicircle, and from these
points with the distance B, B', as established on the horizontal line, lay off on
each upper or opposite radius the centre points x, x, for corresponding circles
of wheel, and describe a portion of the latter next the eccentric. The curve
shown dotted, which exactly touches all these sections of circles will be the
form of the upper half of the eccentric cam, and will be such that at all points
of the revolution the cam will be in perfect contact with both rolls, thereby
enabling me to obtain a rapid vibratory motion with but little noise and friction.
The gears 0, 0, 0, 0, give motion to the apron rolls, and the cylinder itself
is turned by the action of the aprons against its surface. N is the spool drum
as in ordinary jacks for spinning (which is dispensed with of course in machines
for felting cloth), and Q is the spool of roving. The reel upon which the
finished yarn is wound is not shown. The operation of the machine is quite
simple. The roving spool is placed upon the drum, as shown, and the ends of
roving entered through suitable guides to be fixed at L between the first apron
and felting cylinder. The steam being admitted to the latter and the machine
started, the roving is drawn in, and as it passes along is felted by the rapid

page_text: vibratory or alternate endwise motion of the cylinder, and passing across the
vacancy V at the lower side made to allow the escape of condensed steam. The
yarns come next between the cylinder and the second apron, where they are
still further felted and finally delivered at the top roll and wound upon a reel,
or if desired they may be wound directly upon the bobbins for the shuttle. In
some cases it may be desirable to have the interior case steam tight, and to
introduce the steam between this and the wire cloth from some point outside
of the cylinder. When this is desired the rings R, R, Figs. 4 and 5, must
be larger to afford sufficient space for the penetration of steam to all parts of
the cylinder, steam may be introduced in this way by a perforated pipe below
the cylinder at the gap V. A casing of some kind is needed to cover the
exposed parts of said cylinder at top and at V; one form of this is shown in
dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2 of the Drawing, and is designed to avoid the
excessive escape of steam; this not being an essential point of the Invention,
it may be varied to suit the circumstances or wishes of the manufacturer.
I do not claim here the use of endless aprons as a surface for felting, nor
do I claim the direct application of steam on all machines for felting, as that
has been in use in felting hat bodies and cloth on plain surfaces; nor do
I claim in itself the use of a wire cylinder for the mere purpose of condensation
independently of its use in combination with steam and heat, as applied in
felting.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, I claim the use of a friction or rubbing surface capable of being
readily permeated by steam when applied to machines for felting, in which a
continuous rotary motion is given to one or both of the surfaces.
Secondly, I also claim the use in machines for felting of a rubbing cylinder,
whose surface is so constituted that steam may readily pass through the same
from within or without, and act directly upon the material to be felted, whether
said cylinder be used in combination with an endless apron, as herein described,
or any other opposing surface.
Thirdly, I also claim the application of steam within the cylinders of felting
machines, whether the said cylinders be tight or perforated, as set forth.
Fourthly, I also claim the use of wire cloth as a surface for obtaining the
requisite friction in felting machines.
Fifthly, I also claim the combination of the frictionless cam herein described
with the felting cylinder for the purpose of giving the required rapid vibratory
motion to the latter.

page_text: Sixthly, I further claim the wire guides R, R, shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the
bject of which is to form suitable channels for guiding the jams.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Vitness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)