IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NAPPED AND FELT HATS
Year: 1882

page_text: "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Honoré Héraud and William Harrison
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th May 1882.
HONORÉ HÉRAUD and WILLIAM HARRISON both of Stockport in the County of
Chester "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NAPPED AND FELT HATS
"
This invention is chiefly applicable to the manufacture of what are known as
"napped" hats and has reference to those processes in the manufacture known as
'rolling" "scalding" and "shaking," the object being to construct an improved
apparatus to effect what has hitherto been more generally done by hand.
The first part of our invention is an apparatus for rolling and scalding the hats
after the nap has been applied to the hat body in order to cause the fur to adhere
thereto.
For this purpose we employ a long rocking table so situated above a water
trough as to be capable of being partially immersed in the water at certain
intervals. The centre of motion of the table is in the centre of its longitudinal
plane so that as one side rises the other side falls, and both sides are provided with
light curved wires or other similar projections forming stops to the motion of a
sliding "rolling" cage hereafter described, and suitable slides are formed at either
end of the table to guide the said cage.
This is a long sliding bar on either side of which are mounted a number of
almost semicircular skeleton frames or cages hinged to the bar in such a way that
when in work they fall sufficiently near to the bottom to enclose the hats, previously
rolled up in a cloth in the usual manner.
As the table rocks the hats will be rolled over and over, as the sliding cage moves
down the inclined plane thereof, and thus the required motion is obtained for causing
the fur to adhere to the felt body in the form of a nap.
The ordinary rocking motion of the table does not cause either side thereof to
dip into the trough, but we employ two wheels beneath the said table provided
with a projection or projections and driven at a certain speed so as to give one
side of the table a greater lift at certain intervals and immerse the other side (with
one side of the rolling cage and the hats contained therein) in the water.
The rocking table may be heated by a steam chest beneath if preferred.

page_text: The sliding bar may be provided with rollers running on rails to facilitate its
motion and small spring buffers may be fixed on the table or on the bar to prevent
shocks.
With slight modifications this apparatus may be made to work as a settling and
planking machine for other felt hats.
After the rolling and scalding processes the cotton which was mixed with the
fur nap when first applied to the hat body has to be removed by shaking the hat
in water and for this purpose we employ the apparatus which forms the second part
of our invention.
cam.
Between two troughs of water we fix a shaft upon which is mounted a grooved
In the groove or grooves of this cam work bowls at the ends of two levers
the other ends of which are provided with suitable clips for holding the hats in
the water the fulcra being between the shaft and the troughs.
The grooved cam gives a horizontal to and fro motion to the ends of the levers,
which impart a shaking motion to the hats and wash off the cotton therefrom.