IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND FOR MIXING AND FORMING FUR OR MATERIALS FOR FELT HAT BODIES."
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Charles Edwards and John Taft, both of
the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machinists, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND
WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND FOR MIXING AND
FORMING FUR OR MATERIALS FOR FELT HAT BODIES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Charles Edwards
and John Taft at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 21st November 1870.
We, JOHN CHARLES EDWARDS and JOHN TAFT, both of the City of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machinists, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
PREPARING AND WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND FOR MIXING
AND FORMING FUR OR MATERIALS FOR FELT HAT BODIES," to be as follows:-
Firstly. Our improvements consist in combining an opening machine
or "picker" with one or more wool washing machines in such manner

page_text: that the wool from the opener will be delivered or conveyed directly into
or on to the feeder of the washing machine or machines.
The opening machine which we prefer to use is one with a beater
similar to that described in the Specification of our Patent, No. 2995,
dated Fourteenth October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-nine. Also in placing a beater in wool washing
machines to act upon the wool before it passes through the squeezing
rollers.
Secondly. Our improvements consist in feeding machines for preparing
fibrous materials by means of a roller and shell made concave, and
formed of thin steel plate, and bent to a slight curve at the delivery
edge.
Thirdly. Our improvements relate more particularly to machines for
mixing and forming fur or other materials for felt hat bodies, and
consist of arrangements described as follows:-We prefer to feed the
machine by the means described under the second head, and to operate
upon the fur and wool or other mixed material by a series of thin steel
straight edged plates or steel combs or serrated plates. The tecth or
serrations being formed on both edges of the plate so that they may be
turned when worn or damaged. These combs are secured upon a
suitable cylinder with their flat sides in a radial line with the axis. The
fur is received into a delivery pipe or channel which is arranged to be
raised or lowered or moved sideways to spread the fur evenly upon the
"form or shape" as required, or a swivel director may be used in a fixed
channel or pipe. The form is arranged with its axis either vertical or
horizontal, and a damper or valve is provided to cut off the exhaust
draught from the "form" when the fur has been spread upon it to
facilitate the removal of the formed fur without removing the “form,"
and further to assist this removal a blast of air may be caused to enter
the "form" while this operation is being performed.
66
form,"
Our Invention also consists in dividing the machine so that the fur
may be directed upon two or more forms at the same time, and also
in arranging two or more "forms" in a frame or on a table to be rotated
on an axis, so that when the fur has been spread upon one
the frame or table may be rotated to take away the "form
" which
has been filled, and bring an empty one to take its place, the move-
ment if required cutting off the draught from the one removed and
opening it to the empty one. Two or more." forms may be made
"

page_text: .
to reciprocate, or the delivery pipe may be made to swivel; so that
while one form is receiving fur the formed fur upon the other may be
removed. A given weight of fur may be spread over a given length
of the feeding lattice, which may be made to stop feeding when
the given length has been fed, until the forms are changed, the re-
versing or changing of the forms putting the feeding lattice into gear
again.
Our Invention also consists in combining the mixer so as to deliver to
the former, and in combining and arranging the parts of the former
all on the same frame (instead of upon separate frames as hitherto), and
with the exhaust fan under-the framing.
Fourthly. Our Invention relates to an arrangement to be applied to
the grid bars of openers and like machines for varying the angle of the
bars as required, and consists in mounting each bar on pivots so as to
swivel, and connecting each bar by a pin with a plate, so that all can be
moved together and then secured..
SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Charles Edwards and John Taft in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 19th May 1871..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
CHARLES EDWARDS and JOHN TAFT, both of the City of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Machinists, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Charles Edwards and John Taft,
Her special license that we, the said John Charles Edwards and John
Taft, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we;.
the said John Charles Edwards and John. Taft, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY

page_text: FOR PREPARING AND WASHING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND FOR
MIXING AND FORMING FUR OR MATERIALS FOR FELT HẠT BODIES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Charles Edwards
and John Taft, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly 5
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 we, the said John Charles Edwards and John 1
Taft, 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 and accompanying
Drawings (that is to say):-
Firstly. Our improvements consist in combining an opening machine or 1
picker with one or more wool washing machines, in such manner that
the wool from the opener will be delivered or conveyed directly on to,
the feeder of or into the washing machine,
The opening machine which we prefer to use is one with a beater
similar to that described in the Specification of our Patent, No. 2995, 2
dated the Fourteenth of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-nine.
This part of our Invention is illustrated by Fig. 1, a side elevation of
our opening machine applied and combined with a wool washing machine
part of which is shown in section. a is the feeding lattice; b, the feed 2
rollers; c, the beater; d is the perforated or wirework dust cylinder;
e, the delivery lattice which is extended to come over the end of the
washing machine f; g the fixed grid of the washing machine which
causes the wool to be immersed when taken by the swivel rake h. The
opening machine may be arranged to deliver on to the ordinary feeding 3
lattice or rollers of the washing machine if desired. If two washing
machines are to be fed by the same opener at the same time, this is
accomplished by dividing the beater and forming two channels by a
partition in the centre as described in the Specification of our aforesaid
Patent, this partition extends from the beater to and around the per- 3
forated dust cylinder, and the opened wool is delivered on to two cross
lattices just below the delivery lattice of the opener, which convey it to
the feeding lattices of the washing machines.
"

page_text: Secondly. Our improvements consist in feeding machines for preparing
fibrous materials by means of a roller and shell made concave and formed
of thin steel plate, and bent to a slight curve at the delivery edge, and
in combining a cylinder having thin steel plates either plain or with
teeth or serrations on the edge arranged with their flat sides in a radial
line with a roller and shell feed for opening or preparing hard waste
and other fibrous materials. This part of our improvements is illus-
trated by Fig. 2, a section; 6 is the fluted feed roller; ', the steel shell
against which the feed roller is weighted; c is part of the segment of
a cylinder with steel combs or toothed plates c¹, applied as shown. The
projecting lip 6 of the shell is of greater or less extent according to
the length of the fibre to be operated upon. The application of the
combs will be explained more fully in reference to the third part of our
Invention.
Thirdly. Our improvements relate more particularly to machines for
mixing and forming fur or other materials for felt hat bodies, and consists
of combinations and arrangements described as follows:-The machine
may be fed by a roller and shell, and the fur and wool or other mixed
material is operated upon by a series of thin steel straight edged plates
or steel combs or serrated plates, the teeth or serrations being formed
on both edges of the plates, so that they may be turned when worn or
damaged. These combs are secured upon a suitable cylinder with their
flat sides in a radial line with the axis of the cylinder. The fur or fibre
is received into a delivery pipe or channel which is arranged to be raised
or lowered or moved sideways to spread the fur evenly upon the form or
shape as required, or a swivel director may be used in a fixed pipe or
channel. The form is arranged with its axis either vertical or hori-
zontal, and a damper or valve is provided to cut off the exhaust draught
from the "form" when the fur has been spread upon it to facilitate the
removal of the former fur without removing the "form" if required.
The former with the fan for exhausting are all combined together on the
same frame instead of separate frames as hitherto.
Our Invention also consists in dividing the machine when required so
that the fur may be directed on two or more forms at the same time.
Our Invention also consists in combining a "mixer" with a "former"
so as to deliver directly to the latter machine. This part of our Invention
is illustrated by Fig. 3, a longitudinal section; A, the framing; a repre-
sents the feeding lattice; b, a pair of ordinary fluted feed rollers, but in

page_text: place of these the feed, roller and shell shown by Fig. 2. may be used;
c is a cylinder having a series of angle pieces o secured across it parallel
to its axis, and to these angle pieces. steel combs c¹are secured by screws.
This is shown more clearly by full sized detached views, Fig. 4. being, an
end section, and Fig. 5 a front view of part of the comb which is toothed
on both edges, so that it can be reversed. The cylinder is enclosed in
a casing k, which is hinged at k³, so that the front upper part can open
like a door, and within the casing a pipe. 7 formed of tin. plate is fitted.
The outlet end of this pipe. corresponds in cross section to that of the
"form" or nearly so. The pipe is hinged, at , so that it can be adjusted
vertically at its outlet end, and it has two inner or false sides &, which
are each hinged at close to the side of the pipe or channel, so that the
outlet may be increased. or decreased in width as required. A¹ is a table
forming part of the framing which has a ring m secured to it turned to
fit the table or plate m¹ which carries the form. This plate has spur
teeth m³ cast upon it which gear with a wheel m³ on a short vertical
shaft m³, having bearings in the framing, upon the lower end of which
there is a bevil wheel that gears with, a bevil on a shaft m*, which.
gears by bevil wheels with a cross shaft n, having bearings in the side
frames; p is the shaft of an ordinary centrifugal fan placed in the centre
between the side frames with a tin plate branch pipe p' from each side,
forming a junction in one pipe p², joining a projection upon the under
side of the table as shewn; q is the ordinary "form" which receives
the fur, the perforations in it not being shown; p' is a sliding damper or
valve for shutting off the draught when, required. The fan shaft p, beater
shaft C, and the shaft n, are each driven at suitable speeds by separate
belts working upon pulleys on the projecting end of each shaft. The
feed rollers b are driven by a pinion on the shaft n and by an inter-
mediate wheel that works on a stud, which gears. with a wheel on the
end of the lower feed roller as shewn in peculiar dotted line, and at the
opposite end of the shaft n there is a pinion which drives an inter-
mediate wheel and pinion on a stud, which pinion gears with a wheel
upon the shaft of the feeding lattice nearest the feed rollers, these
wheels also being shown in peculiar dotted line. The pinion on the
shaft n for driving the feeding lattice is connected with the shaft n by a
clutch box, so that the feeding lattice can be stopped or started when
required. The machine may be made double to supply two forms at
the same time, by placing a dividing disc upon the beater shaft, as
described in the Specification of our aforesaid Fatent, and by having a

page_text: partition in the pipe or channel 1, and two rotating tables m¹ with the
wheel m³ placed to come between them, so as to drive both, the exhaust
pipe being formed into two branches, one going to each "former."
The mixing machine when combined with the former as shown by
Fig. 3 is a machine similar to the "opener" shown by Fig. 1, except that
the beater is like that shown in the "former," the delivery lattice of the
mixer being the feeding lattice of the former.
Fourthly. Our Invention relates to an arrangement to be applied to
the grid bars of openers and like machines for varying the angles of the
bars as required, and consists in mounting each bar on pivots so as to
swivel, and connecting it by a pin or pivot with a plate, so that all or
any required numbers of the bars can be moved or adjusted at the same
time, and then secured. This part of our Invention is illustrated by
Fig. 6. At each end of each grid bar there are two pins or pivots
projecting in the lengthway of the bars, one of these pivots ¹ at each
end fits a hole in a rib on a side piece t, the other pivot in a moveable
part u which is secured to the side piece and comes on, a level with
the rib. By moving the part the angle of the bars can be adjusted as
required, and then secured by the said screw t¹. Those grid bars are
all connected together which require to be set at about the same angle.
We have now particularly described the nature of our Invention
and the manner of carrying it into effect and claim as our Invention.
Firstly. The combination of an opening machine or picker with one
or more wool washing machines, so that the wool from the opener
will be delivered or conveyed directly on to the feeder of or into the
washing machine substantially as herein-before described.
Secondly. The combination of a fluted roller and shell of thin steel
for feeding machines for preparing fibrous materials, and the combination
of a fluted roller and shell feed with a cylinder, having thin steel plates
plain or with teeth or serrations on the edges for opening and preparing
hard waste or other fibrous materials substantially as described.
Thirdly. The combination and arrangement of the parts of a fur
former all upon the same frame and with beaters substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated by Figs. 3, 4, and 5, and the
feeding of two or more "forms" by the same machine as described, also
the combination of a "mixer" with the "former as described.
""
Fourthly. The mounting of the grid bars of preparing machines, so
that the angle of any required number of them may be simultaneously

page_text: adjusted and then secured substantially as described and illustrated by
Fig. 6 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Charles Edwards and John
Taft, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighteenth day
of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-one.