IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bywater, of Sweet Street Foundry, Holbeck,
Leeds, in the County of York, Machine Maker, for an Invention of
"
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FELT."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bywater at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd June 1880.
WILLIAM BYWATER, of Sweet Street Foundry, Holbeck, Leeds, in the County of
York, Machine Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF FELT."
In apparatus employed to operate on batts in the manufacture of felt, the sheets
carrying the batts are conducted between tables or plates, the upper one of which
has to be raised at intervals for the forward motion of the sheets of batts, and then
brought down again for its action on the batts for the desired felting, and these
intervals have to be varied according to the purpose to which the felt produced has
to be applied.
The object of these improvements is to effect automatically the required rising
and falling of the moveable table, and also the distance and time of motion of the
sheets carrying forward the batts.
The rising and falling motion to the moveable table is effected by screw or
other suitable lifting motion brought into operation at the times desired by tappets
and levers acting on suitable clutch or such like motion, whilst the intervals of
motion are regulated by change gear.
The time and extent of traverse of the sheets is regulated by the times of rising
and lowering of the moveable table.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Bywater in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
November 1880.
WILLIAM BYWATER, of Sweet Street Foundry, Holbeck, Leeds, in the County of
York, Machine Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE 5
OF FELT."
In apparatus employed to operate on batts in the manufacture of felt, the sheets
carrying the batts are conducted between tables or plates, the upper one of which
has to be raised at intervals for the forward motion of the sheets of batts, and then
brought down again for its action on the batts for the desired felting, and these 1
intervals have to be varied according to the purpose to which the felt produced has
to be applied.
The object of these improvements is to effect automatically the required rising
and falling of the moveable table, and also the distance and time of motion of the
sheets carrying forward the batts.
The rising and falling motion to the moveable table is effected by screw or other
suitable lifting motion brought into operation at the times desired by tappets and
levers acting on suitable clutch or such like motion, whilst the intervals of motion
are regulated by change gear.
The time and extent of traverse of the sheets is regulated by the times of rising
and lowering of the moveable table.
But that the Invention may be the better understood I will, by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, proceed to describe the same more in detail.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation; Figure 2, an end elevation; Figure 3, a plan;
Figure 4 shows separately an elevation of the lifting clutches, showing throwing in
and drawing out motions; Figure 5 shows separately an elevation of the winding
or traversing clutches, showing throwing in and drawing out motions; Figure 6
represents separately an elevation of the lowering clutches, showing throwing in
and part of drawing out motions.
A is the framing; B represents a steam heated box, upon which the batts and
sheets to be operated upon are placed; and C is the top plate which rests on the
batts and box B, and is made to oscillate by means of levers and excentrice for a
certain length of time until the material between them is felted. In apparatus of
this character it is required, 1st, that the times of oscillation be capable of being
varied from, say, 2 to 15 or more minutes; 2nd, that at the expiration of such
time as is required in order to felt the material the top plate shall be capable of
being raised to a sufficient height from the steam box B to allow a fresh supply of
batt to be moved between them; 3rd, that when the top plate C is raised a motion
shall be given to the rollers on which the batts are placed, and that they shall give
off the required length to be hardened, and also to roll up the length already
hardened; 4th, that when a fresh supply has been placed between the plates the
top plate C shall descend on to the batts and bottom plate B, and when in its place
shall set on the oscillating motion for another length of time, when the same
operation is repeated until the whole, batts are hardened.
D indicates the driving shaft of the self acting motion; D', the clutch and
wheels to raise the table c; D2, the clutch and wheels to lower the table C; D³, the
clutch and worm to traverse the batts; D1, D2, D3, are clutch levers and bars;
and D is a catch which holds the bar D" and lever out of gear; D22 is a catch

page_text: which holds the bar D" and levers out of gear; D 333 is a catch which holds the
bar D and levers out of gear; E, E¹, E2, E3, are shafts, screws, nuts, and balls
which raise the top plate C; H are change wheels to give the time required for the
hardening effect; H³ is a worm connected with the wheels H; H' is a worm wheel
fast upon a shaft, on which are the releasing cams H3 and H*; J are worm wheels
actuated by clutch worm D³; J¹ and J' are gearing wheels connected with the
wheels J which (whilst the clutch D³ is in gear) gives motion to the cams K¹
and K; K' is a cam to release the catch D222 and let the clutches D* into gear in
order to lower the top plate; K2 is a cam which revolves when the clutches D³ are
in gear, and in so doing comes in contact with the catch D3, and pushing it
forward draws the clutches D³ apart, thus stopping the traversing motion; L, worm
and worm wheel, which are forced into gear by means of the adjustable incline on
the bar L, being thrust between the fixing L³ and lever L'; L' is a cam which
draws the lever D" and its clutch out of gear; L'is a bar with its incline connected
to the top plate C; M, M', M2, are the levers and connecting rod connected with
the lowering bar, levers, and clutches D2, and are used to throw them out of gear;
N, N¹, are shaft and rollers connected with the batts; P, P1, P2, P3, P4, P³, are
levers, weight, and shaft to stop or set on the oscillating motion when the top
plate C rises and lowers; R is a water trough in which the sheet S runs in order
to moisten the batts when being hardened.
The driving pulley, shafts, excentrics, and the levers for oscillating the table aro
not figured, but are shewn at Figures 1, and 2, and 3.
worm
I will now proceed more particularly to describe the parts represented by
Figure 4. The top plate C being down in operating position and oscillating, and
the shaft D revolving it gives motion to the wheels H, shaft and worm H',
wheel H, and cams H³ and H. These cams revolving slowly in their revolution
the first cam H³ comes in contact with the catch D, lifting it up, releases the
bar D and lever D"; these, by means of weights shewn, throw the clutches D¹
into gear, which being set in motion the shafts E and screws E¹ revolve, and the
nuts E rising up the screws come in contact with the underside of the top plate C
and lift it to the desired height. During the rising of the nuts E the rod P³ is at
liberty to rise, and because of the weight P² it rises and throws the belt from the
fast on to the loose pulley, thus stopping the oscillation. When the top plate C is
being raised the bar L, with the incline, is forced between the fixing L³ and the
lever L²; this sets the worm and worm wheel L in gear. The wheel L then
revolves, and carries with it the cams L¹; these cains press upon one end of the
lever D, and draw the clutches D¹ out of gear, thus stopping the rising motion,
and the catch D"" falls into its place and holds the bar D" and lever D" until
again released.
The rollers on which the batts to be hardened are placed, and the hardened batts,
are not shewn, but they are all similar to the roller N¹, and are all geared to the
shaft N, shewn broken off.
Before the top plate C has risen to the top the cams H3 and H' (more clearly
shown at Figure 5) still revolving, the cam H³ comes in contact with the catch Dass,
raises it until it is clear of the cam K, when it falls forward and throws the
clutches D³ into gear. These, by means of gearing (worm wheel J and gearing
and roller N), roll up the batt already hardened and unroll the length required.
During this motion the cam K, from which the catch D833 has been released, is
made to revolve by means of gearing J2; in its revolution it again comes in contact
with the catch D338, which it presses back and draws the clutches D³ out of gear;
this stops both the cam K³ and the motion together.
Before the cam K³ (more particularly shewn at Figure 6) has made a complete
revolution the cam K', which is fixed to K, comes in contact with the catch D2,
which it raises when it falls forward and throws the clutches (D" into gear; these
lower the top plate C to its former place. When this top plate C is at rest the
nuts E still continue to descend until one of them comes into contact with the
lever M, shewn in Figure 1, and the nut pressing upon one end of it, the other

page_text: end is raised, and by means of connecting rod M' and lever M the clutches D'
are thrown out of gear; the catch D222 then falls into its place until again
released.
During the time that one nut is pressing upon the lever M another is pressing
upon the rod P³, which, descending, causes (by means of levers and weight
P1, P2, P3) the belt to resume its place upon the fast pulley, thus setting on the
oscillating motion.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in carrying
the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim as the
improvements in apparatus employed in the manufacture of felt is the arranging
or combining parts whereby in flat hardeners automatic motions operate to raise
and lower the moveable plate required to felt the material and to wind and
unwind the batts at the desired intervals, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bywater, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty seventh day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and eighty.
WILLIAM BYWATER. (L.S.)