Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Veneering, Roughing, or Felting Hat Bodies.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1887
Complete Left, 10th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 13th Dec., 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Veneering, Roughing,
or Felting Hat Bodies.
We JAMES EDWARD MILLS, Hat Manufacturer and THOMAS ASHWORTH, Manager
both of the Heapriding Hat Works, Stockport do hereby declare the nature of our
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of improved apparatus for imparting a
coating or veneering of fine fur to hat bodies or what is known as roughing or
felting hat bodies made of fur or wool either in the stiffened or unstiffened state-and
consists in enclosing such hat bodies in a cage or cylinder constructed of metal, wood
or other suitable material and which is caused to revolve in hot or boiling water in
which the fine fur is mixed. The hat bodies are thus tumbled about in the presence
of the fine fur and so take up the required coating of the same, and which operation
is continued until the desired thickness of coating is obtained. We also produce a
similar effect by revolving such hat bodies in a cylinder or other vessel containing the
hot water and fine fur mixed, this cylinder being in some cases surrounded by a
cavity containing hot air, hot water or other suitable heating medium.
JOHN G. WILSON,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Veneering, Roughing,
or Felting Hat Bodies.
We JAMES EDWARD MILLS Hat Manufacturer and THOMAS ASHWORTH, Manager
both of the Heapriding Hat Works, Stockport do hereby declare the nature of our
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 the construction of improved apparatus for imparting a
coating or veneering of fine fur to hat bodies or what is known as roughing or felting
hat bodies made of fur or wool either in the stiffened or unstiffened state and consists
in enclosing such hat bodies in a cage or cylinder constructed of metal, wood or other
suitable material and which is caused to revolve in hot or boiling water or other liquid
in which the fine fur is mixed.
The hat bodies are thus tumbled about in the presence of the fine fur and so take
up the required coating of the same and which operation is continued until the desired
thickness of coating is obtained.
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 mechanism 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 a side view and Fig. 3 a plan of a machine suitable
for veneering, roughing or felting hat bodies in accordance with our invention-and
Fig. 4 is a transverse section of Fig. 1 on the line a―b.
In all the views a is the cage or cylinder constructed by preference of perforated
metal say for instance of perforated sheet copper lead or zinc or which cage or
cylinder could be constructed of copper zinc or other suitable wire-mesh or of any
other suitable material.
This cage or cylinder a which may be of any convenient form in cross section
is supported at either end upon axes 6 mounted in bearings c upon the rectangular
frame d.
This frame d is hinged or pivoted to the top of the framework w of the machine in
such a manner as to allow of the cage being lowered at will into the liquid contained
in the trough e. In this lowered position revolving motion is imparted to the cage a
by a strap or belt passing round the driving pulley for the same may be revolved by
gearing or in any other convenient manner.
In order to facilitate the raising or lowering of the cage it is partially counter-
balanced by a weight d' secured to one extremity of a cord d³ the other extremity of
which after passing over the pulley d³ is secured to the cage frame d.
depth to which the cage is immersed in the trough e is adjustable by the set
screws gg.
The
The action of this machine may be described as follows:-The hat bodies to be
treated are introduced into the interior of the cage a when in its raised or highest

page_text: position (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4) through the hinged lid or cover hand
the trough e having been supplied with the water or other liquid in which the fine
fur is mixed, such water or other liquid being then heated or boiled the cage is lowered
into the same.
It will be apparent that the cage being partially immersed in the fur mixture
contained in the trough the same will find a ready access through the perforations or
interstices into the interior of the cage.
The hat bodies enclosed within it will be carried forward assisted by longitudinal
ribs ii running the length of the interior of the cage or by pegs arranged on the
inner surface of the cage and so lifted and tumbled about inside such cage in the
presence of the fine fur mixture. In practice it is found that this operation results
in the hat bodies becoming gradually coated with the fine fur suspended in the hot or
boiling water or other liquid and this is continued until the desired thickness of such
coating is obtained.
The liquid contained in the trough is kept suitably heated by a perforated steam
pipe or in any other suitable manner.
We prefer to employ the trough e constructed of lead or earthenware although other
suitable material may be used.
We also produce a similar coating effect by revolving hat bodies in a cylinder or
other vesssel containing the water or other liquid and fine fur mixture-this cylinder
being in some cases surrounded by a cavity containing steam, hot air, hot water or
other suitable heating medium.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. In the operation of veneering, roughing or felting of hat bodies the employment
of a perforated cage or cylinder mounted and operating substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
2nd. The improved combination and arrangement of machinery or apparatus for
veneering, roughing or felting hat bodies substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 4th day of November 1887.
JOHN G. WILSON,
Agent for the Applicants.