Improvements in Machinery for Hardening or Felting Fur Hat Bodies.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1894-Accepted, 2nd June, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Hardening or Felting Fur Hat
Bodies.
We, HENRY HERBERT TURNER, ALBERT TURNER and ARNOLD TURNER,
all of Denton, near Manchester, Engineers, 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 :-
Our improvements refer to machinery for felting fur hat bodies and relate more
particularly to the type of felting machine for which Letters Patent No. 2553 were
granted to William Robert Lake on the 11th day of June 1881, and our
improvements consist, first in imparting a to and fro movement to the bearings of
the rollers instead of the rollers only so that the wearing on the shafts shall be
considerably minimised, secondly in utilising the upper travelling apron or creeper
for conveying the fur bodies back again from the rear or delivery end of the
machine to the front or inlet end instead of carrying such hat bodies by hand, and
thirdly in general improvements for the more effectual working of the machine and
the felting of the hat bodies.
And in order that our said invention shall be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect we have hereunto annexed two sheets of drawings and
will now proceed to describe the same with the assistance of the various figures
and letters of reference marked thereon.
On Sheet One, Fig. 1 is a left hand side view, and Fig. 2 a plan of our improved
felting machine. Fig. 3 is a detail view.
On Sheet Two, Fig. 4 is a front view and Fig. 5 a right hand side view of our
improved machine. Fig. 6 is a detail view.
In accordance with the first part of our invention (A), (A') are the bearings of
the upper and lower sets of rollers respectively, which, instead of being formed
more or less as part of the frames of the machine as heretofore and as one bearing
are formed separate as illustrated so that they may move with the rollers (B).
Both bearings are supported through the links (C) and levers (D) by the
brackets (E) bolted to the frame sides. The lower bearing (A') is additionally
supported by a swivel rod (F) (see Fig. 3) which is linked to the bearing by a pin
or bolt (G) and being formed with a spherical or ball extremity fits into a socket
in the frame. This swivel rod whilst helping to support the lower bearing permits
of the to and fro movement of the bearing. The upper bearing (A) is also
additionally supported by the links (H) and rods (I).
By means of the shaft (J), eccentrics (K), "anchor" levers (D) and links (C),
the bearings (A), (A') are caused to slide to and fro in opposite directions
respectively, the upper bearing and its rollers moving to the right when the lower
bearing and its rollers move to the left thus producing the desired rubbing action
ou the hat bodies. To guide the lower bearing in its movement and prevent its
falling to one side we provide the rods L with india-rubber runners (L') against
which the sides of the bearing may rub in moving to and fro. The upper bearing
is sustained at either side by the brackets (M).
The rollers (C) are driven from the shaft (J) by the worm (K) and worm
wheel (J), chain wheel (M), chain (N) and wheel (O) upon the. central roller of
the lower bearing. On the shaft or spindle of this roller a broad faced toothed
pinion is keyed which gears with a similar pinion on the spindle of the ceutral
roller of the upper bearing immediately above. Motion being thus communicated
to the two central rollers such motion is imparted to all the other rollers by toothed
pinions at the opposite side of the machine in Figs. 2 and 5.

page_text: Referring now to the second part of our improvements, we employ the creeper or
endless blankets (P) and (Q), hereinafter called the upper and lower creepers
respectively. Beneath the returning half of the upper creeper we fix boards or
tables (R), (R) which are held in position by the side bars (S) at either side of the
machine the surface of which coming against the creeper prevents its giving way
when the hat bodies are placed upon it. In this way the creeper is enabled to
carry the hat bodies along in a flat condition, hence when a series of hat bodies are
being felted and such hat bodies reach the exit or delivery end of the machine, the
attendant or operative stationed at that end has simply to lift them off the lower
creeper onto the upper creeper which carries them back to the inlet end to be passed
once more through the machine. This arrangement avoids the carrying of the hat
bodies by hand. The operative at the delivery end of the machine may employ
his time in opening the hat bodies out to prevent "crose" marks and relieve the
operative at the feeding in end, and enable such operative to place the bodies into
the machine much quicker, an important consideration to both master and servant.
Instead of lifting the hat bodies onto the upper creeper by hand we may lift
them on automatically by employing the arrangement shewn in Fig. 6 in which the
lower creeper is taken up into close proximity with the upper creeper as shewn, and
an additional creeper (S) is employed, the position of which causes the hat bodies
to travel onto the upper creeper automatically. To cause the hat bodies to more
surely follow the creeper we provide the "filling" (S') which fills the angle between
the creeper rollers. Instead of the additional creeper (S¹) a series of rollers may
be employed arranged radially around the upper creeper roller.
The upper creeper is driven by the chain (T) and chain wheels (U) and (U)
from the end roller of the upper bearings and the lower creeper is driven by the
chains (V) and (V') from the wheels (W) and (W') which rotate at the same
surface speed. The upper creeper is provided with the screw (X) for increasing or
decreasing its tension.
To assist the operation of felting a "baker" or copper casing (Y) is employed
heated by steam or hot water and located at the entrance end of the machine
beneath the advancing portion of the lower creeper. The water required for
felting is supplied through the pipe (Z) extending across the machine and having
holes or perforations in its underside. Any excess of water is caught in a trough
beneath the lower creeper from whence it is lifted again by an ejector (Z¹).
During the felting operation lumps of fur adhere to the upper creeper and as
these are injurious to the hat bodies it is necessary to remove them. This we do
by means of a brush, by preference, set diagonally as shewn in dotted lines in
Fig. 2 and which is driven from any suitable source and is capable of being lowered
into contact with the surface of the upper creeper when it is desired to clean away
the particles of fur and of being afterwards raised clear of the creeper.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we wish it to be understood
that we make no claim to the use of rollers having a revolving and sliding action
in the felting or hardening of fur hat bodies, but what we do claim and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is :-
1st. In felting machinery of the type hereinbefore described the use and
employment of oscillating or moving bearings (A) (A'), carrying the felting or
hardening rollers and mounted and operating substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In felting machinery of the type hereinbefore described utilising the upper
creeper by means of supports placed beneath the returning half for conveying hat
bodies from back to front of the machine substantially as set forth and indicated.
3rd. The means and method of lifting the hat bodies off the lower creeper
automatically onto the upper creeper substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

page_text: 4th. The combination and arrangement of parts comprising our improved felting
or hardening machine substantially as herein before described and illustrated on
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1et dex of 1004
JOHN G. WILSON & Co.,
Agents.