Year: 1887

page_text: We GEORGE AINSWORTH, SAMUEL THOMAS AINSWORTH and GEORGE ROBERT
AINSWORTH all of Oak Bank Works Hooley Hill, near Manchester Fur and Mixed
Hat Body Formers do hereby declare the nature of our invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of cylinder to
be employed for covering unproofed or proofed wool, mixed fur or other felt hat bodies
with short fur or fine wool and consists in constructing the said cylinder of by
preference hexagonal form in cross-section-or of any other form which will present
à series of flat surfaces on the inside of the cylinder.
Across or projecting from each of these flat surfaces I also form a ledge or shelf.
This improved cylinder is mounted to revolve horizontally and is designed to contain
the proofed or unproofed felt hat bodies-which are inserted therein along with hot
water or other liquid-in which the short fur or fine wool has been previously mixed
and heated to a temperature of about 175° Fareinheit..
The cylinder being then slowly revolved for a few revolutions in one direction and
then in the opposite direction and so on continuously-the hat bodies are carried
forward by the ledges and by constantly falling from one flat on to another so cause
the fine fur or wool to adhere and knit into and to cover the said felt hat bodies-and
so to coat the same to the desired thickness with such fine fur or wool.
Tidak 20th dox of Catalon 1887
JOHN G. WILSON,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus wherewith to Cover Felt
Hat Bodies with Short Fur or Wool.
We GEORGE AINSWORTH, SAMUEL THOMAS AINSWORTH and GEORGE ROBERT
AINSWORTH all of Oak Bank Works Hooley Hill near Manchester Fur and mixed
hat body formers do hereby declare the nature of our said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of cylinder to
be employed for covering unproofed or proofed wool, mixed fur or other felt hat
bodies with short fur or fine wool and consists in constructing the said cylinder of by
preference hexagonal form in cross section-or of any other form which will present
a series of flat surfaces on the inside of the cylinder. Across or projecting from each
of these flat surfaces we also form a ledge or shelf.
This improved cylinder is mounted to revolve horizontally and is designed to
contain the proofed or unproofed felt hat bodies which are inserted therein along
with hot water or other liquid in which the short fur or wool has been previously
mixed and heated to a temperature of about 175° Farenheit.
The cylinder being then slowly revolved for a few revolutions in one direction and
then in the opposite direction and so on continuously the hat bodies are carried
round by the ledges and by constantly falling from one flat on to another so cause
the fine fur or wool to adhere and knit into and to cover the said felt hat bodies-
and so to coat the same to the desired thickness-with such fine fur or wool.
And in order that this our said invention may be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect we have hereunto annexed a drawing illustrative of our
improved covering machine and will now proceed to describe the same with the
assistance of the various Figures and letters of reference marked thereon.
Fig. 1. is a front view Fig. 2 an end view and Fig. 3. a plan view of our improved
machine and Fig. 4 is a cross section of the cylinder in Fig. 1. upon the line a-b.
The framework for supporting our improved cylinder consists of the two cast iron
end pieces a braced together at the back by the bar b. In bearings c e affixed upon
the top of the two end pieces a is mounted our improved cylinder d which is
constructed by preference of wood with metallic ends d' from which extend the axes e.
One of these axles carries a spur wheel which gears into a pinion upon a driving
shaft g and, thus by means of a pair of belts passing round the fast and loose
pulleys g from any convenient motor we are enabled to revolve the cylinder at a slow
speed. It will be observed that we employ three pulleys g³ the centre one of which
only is fast upon its shaft and thus by crossing one of the belts as illustrated we are
enabled to revolve the cylinder in either direction from a single pulley on the line
shaft or motor by passing either the one belt or the other on to the fast pulley.

page_text: or
The cylinder d is of hexagonal form in cross section or of any other form which
will present a series of flat surfaces on the inside of the cylinder and across
projecting from each of these flat surfaces is secured a projecting ledge or shelf h.
We provide in one of the flat surfaces an opening for the introduction and with-
drawal of the hat bodies and which opening is covered by a removable door or lid j
which is clamped in position by a pair of clamp bolts or set screws k.
In this manner the cylinder is rendered water tight and so forms an enclosed vessel
for containing the felt hat bodies and the fur or wool mixture.
The action of our improved machine may be described as follows:-The cylinder
being supplied with the hot water or other liquid in which the short, fur or wool has
been previously mixed and heated to a temperature of about 175° Farenheit the
proofed or unproofed felt hat bodies are then introduced into the cylinder and the door
or lid closed and screwed up tight.
The cylinder is now set in motion and after turning a few revolutions in one direction
the other strap is passed on to the fast driving pulley and so the cylinder is caused to
revolve for a similar period in the contrary direction and thus by alternately turning
the cylinder in one direction and the other the hat bodies are carried round by the
ledges inside the cylinder and by constantly falling from one flat on to another the
fine fur or wool is caused to adhere and knit into and to cover the surface of the said
hat bodies and thus we are enabled to coat the same to the desired thickness with the
fine fur or wool.
In some cases we effect the mixture of the fine fur or wool inside the cylinder itself
and heat the liquid therein by a perforated steam pipe.
We do not confine ourselves to the materials of construction hereinbefore described
as it will be apparent that the framework might be constructed of wood or other
suitable material and the cylinder of sheet copper or other suitable metal or material
nor do we confine ourselves to the precise mode of gearing and driving the cylinder
hereinbefore described as it will be obvious that the same may be driven in alternate
directions by other equivalent arrangements of mechanism without departing from the
principle of our invention.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this our
said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that
what we claim is :-
1st. The improved construction and arrangement of cylinder formed with flat
internal surfaces and provided with projecting ledges or shelves when mounted and
operated substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated
on the accompanying drawing.
2nd. In the covering of felt hat bodies with short fur or wool the employment of an
enclosed cylinder internally arranged and operated substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Office,
55, Market Street, Manchester,
Agent for Applicants.