IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ROOFING, SHEATHING, AND OTHER BITUMINOUS OR RESINOUS FELTS, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Barry Ritchie, of Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, Ireland, Felt Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF ROOFING, SHEATHING, AND OTHER BITUMINOUS OR
RESINOUS FELTS, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE.”
Sealed the 14th November 1879 and dated the 27th June 1879.
⋅
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Barry Ritchie at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th June 1879.
WILLIAM BARRY RITCHIE, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, Felt
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ROOFING, SHEATHING,
AND OTHER BITUMINOUS OR RESINOUS FELTS, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED
IN SUCH MANUFACTURE."
The object of this Invention is to produce a roofing or similar felt, which is
denser, more compact, and more impervious to moisture than the felt manufactured
in the ordinary manner.
The fibrous material havingbeen previously prepared in the ordinary manner, is
passed between a pair of heated rollers which rotate in contact with some bito-
minous or resinous substance in a molten state, which intermixes with the fibre,
and thus forms a web of felt.
Instead of conducting this web of felt at once to the finishing or gloss rollers in
the ordinary way, I pass it between a second pair of heated rollers where it receives
on both sides a second coating of the bituminous or resinous substance. The web
is then passed over one, two, or more cooling drums or rollers where the bituminous
substance is cooled and partially hardened, previous to the web being conducted to
the finishing or gloss rollers.
The bituminous or resinous substance to be applied, as the second coating on the
upper surface of the web of felt is contained in a suitable vessel, whence it is
allowed to drop in regulated quantities, by preference onto the top roller of the
second pair of rollers, which, as it revolves, lays the bituminous or resinous substance
evenly on the web of felt. This roller is made adjustable vertically, and thus I am
enabled to regulate the thickness of the coating on the web passing beneath it.
The lower roller of the second pair may rotate in a pan or vessel containing the
coating material. The vessel containing the bituminous or resinous substance to be
supplied to the upper roller, consists of an oblong trough or hopper which may be

page_text: provided with a steam pipe or other means to keep the contents of the trough hot.
Below this trough or hopper is a measuring apparatus, by which the flow of the
bituminous or resinous substance may be regulated, and consisting by preference of
a hollow fluted roller enclosed in cylindrical guides attached to the hopper.
This roller may be heated internally by steam or other means, and is driven in
any suitable manner at varying speeds, according to the quantity of the bituminous
substance to be applied to the web of felt.
Other forms of measuring apparatus may be employed, such for instance as a
skeleton wheel or a slide valve. Or a strap or band suitably mounted on rollers,
and provided with buckets or lifters to dip into a trough containing the bituminous
substance may be used.
The cooling rollers or drums are mounted in troughs containing water to moisten
the surface, and prevent the web of felt from adhering thereto as it passes over
them, and they may be kept cool by a stream of water passing through them, or by
other means.
The finishing or gloss rollers are of the usual construction, and the web of felt
after passing through them, is treated in the usual way.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Barry Ritchie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
December 1879.
WILLIAM BARRY RITCHIE, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, Felt
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF Roofing, SHEATHING,
AND OTHER BITUMINOUS OR RESINOUS FELTS, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED
IN SUCH MANUFACTURE.”
"
The object of this Invention is to produce a roofing or sheathing felt of a more
dense and compact quality than that manufactured in the ordinary manner, and
which will also be impervious to moisture.
This object is effected by incorporating a larger quantity than heretofore of the
bituminous or resinous substance with the ordinary felt, while the latter is in a
partially hardened state.
In manufacturing felt according to my Invention, the fibrous material is first
prepared in the ordinary manner. It is then in the form of a sheet passed between
a pair of heated pressing rollers which rotate in contact with the bituminous or
resinous substanco in a fluid state, and saturate the fibres with that material.
Instead of conducting the web of felt thus formed at once to the finishing or gloss
rollers in the ordinary way, I pass it between another pair of heated rollers where
it receives on the upper side only, or on both sides as may be desired, a coating of
the bituminous or resinous substance. The coating for the upper face is supplied in
'measured quantities as hereafter described.
From these rollers I pass the felt over one, two, or more cooling drums or

page_text: cylinders for the purpose of cooling the bituminous substance, and after this cooling
I conduct it to the ordinary finishing or gloss rollers.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents in diagram an apparatus as
arranged for the purposes of my Invention.
The sheet of fibrous material is passed between the pair of smooth metal rollers
A supplied from troughs A', with the bituminous or resinous substance in a fluid
state, and it is thus caused to take up such quantity of this substance as to effect
the adhesion of the loose fibres, and thereby convert these fibres into a web of felt.
The web is then passed between the second pair of rollers B to receive a coating
of the bituminous or resinous substance on its upper or both faces, and from thence
it passes over one, two, or more cooling rollers C, D, and E, after which it passes to
the finishing or gloss rollers F.
The coating material for the upper face of felt is applied in measured quantities..
For this purpose I employ a trough B' placed above the upper roller B. The
bottom of this trough is open to allow of the discharge of the fluid material onto a;
longitudinally grooved roller B³, which rotates within a cylindrical casing, having
an opening at bottom over the top roller B. This casing serves to retain the fluid
material in the flutes of the roller B³, until they come immediately over the upper
roller B, when their contents will be discharged onto the periphery of that roller,
or in front thereof. By adjusting the speed of rotation of the roller B', the supply.
of fluid material to the roller B may be regulated with accuracy.
The upper roller B is so mounted as to be capable of vertical adjustment to suit
the thickness of the coating desired to be imparted to the web of felt passing
between the rollers B.
The trough B', by preference hopper-shaped, is furnished with a steam pipe for
maintaining the temperature of the fluid contents of the trough. The temperature
of the fluted roller may also be maintained by steam or other means.
When it is desired to give the coating to the underside of the web of felt, as well
as to the upper face, the lower roller B is mounted in a trough B³ containing the
bituminous or resinous material, so that as the roller rotates, it will take up a
sufficient quantity for the purpose required.
The cooling cylinders or drums C, D, and E, are suitably mounted one behind the
other at convenient distances apart and from the rollers B, and the surfaces of these
cylinders or drums are moistened by rotating in water troughs, to prevent the web
of felt from adhering thereto while passing over them. The cylinders or drums
may also, if desired, be further cooled by passing water through them.
The cooling or setting of the bituminous coating may be hastened by allowing
the web of felt to hang down in loops between the cooling cylinders or drums.
The finishing or gloss rollers F are of the usual construction, and the web of felt
after passing through them is made up into rolls ready for the market.
Figures 2, 3, and 4, represent modifications of the apparatus for regulating the
supply of bituminous or resinous material to the top roller B. In the modification
shewn at Fig. 2, the hollow fluted roller B is dispensed with, and in place thereof
is a wheel having three or more radial blades arranged longitudinally so as to form
with end plates three or more troughs in which the coating material is measured
before it is allowed to drop onto the top roller B, or in front thereof. A recipro-
cating or rotary motion is given in any convenient manner to this wheel, the
troughs being brought successively into position to discharge their contents onto
the upper roller B.
In Fig. 3, the measuring apparatus consists of a sliding valve fitted to the
opening in the bottom of the trough. This valve slides between two guide plates
secured to the trough in any suitable manner. It is provided with a longitudinal
slot which forms a receptacle for a specific quantity of coating material to be
supplied to the top roller B. The lower plate which constitutes the bottom of this
receptacle, is made with an opening corresponding in size to the slot in the valve,
but in advance of the trough. Upon pushing the valve forward, its slot is brought

page_text: over the opening in the lower guide plate, and the contents will then be discharged
onto the top roller B, or in front thereof.
In the modification shown at Fig. 4, the bituminous coating material is contained
in a trough provided with a double bottom, so as to form a steam or air space into
which steam or hot air is introduced for the purpose of keeping the coating material
hot while in the trough. The coating material is taken from the trough by means
of an endless chain of buckets carried by rollers, to which rotary motion is given in
any convenient manner.
The coating material taken up by the buckets is discharged therefrom onto an
inclined ledge attached to the trough, and overlying the upper roller B. From this
ledge the material drops onto the top roller B. The measuring apparatus may, if
desired, be so arranged as to discharge the contents immediately in front of the top
roller B, instead of directly onto it.
The rollers A, B, and F, as well as the cooling cylinder C, D, and E, Fig. 1, may
be driven in any convenient manner.
Having now described the nature of my Invention for "Improvements in the
Manufacture of Roofing, Sheathing, and other Bituminous or Resinous Felts, and in
Apparatus to be Used in such Manufacture," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim,-
First. The manufacture of roofing, sheathing, and other bituminous or resinous
felts in the manner berein described, whereby a dense compact felt impervious to
moisture is obtained.
Secondly. The apparatus arranged as herein shewn and described for supplying
the additional bituminous or resinous coating material in measured quantities for
regulating the thickness of the coating, and for cooling the same before passing the
felt to the finishing or gloss rollers.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Barry Ritchie, have hereunto set my
band and seal, the Twenty seventh day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
TT TI
DIMATIN