Apparatus for producing elongated felts

Claim 1

FELTING APPARATUS COMPRISING WALL MEANS FORMING A REGION CLOSED FROM THE ATMOSPHERE, AIR-EXHAUSTING MEANS FOR PRODUCING SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IN SAID REGION, SAID WALL MEANS INCLUDING A CHAMBER WALL WITH AN OPENING THEREIN, A DOOR MOVABLE INTO POSITION SURROUNDING AND SEALING SAID OPENING, SAID DOOR PROVIDING SPACE THEREIN EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID OPENING, SAID CHAMBER HAVING A SECOND CHAMBER WALL OPPOSITE SAID FRIST-MENTIONED CHAMBER WALL WITH AN OPENING THEREIN ALINED WITH SAID OPENING IN THE FIRST CHAMBER WALL, TRACK MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID TWO CHAMBER WALLS FROM AROUND THE OPENINGS THEREOF, A TUBULAR PLUNGER OPEN AT BOTH ENDS AND MOVABLE IN SAID TRACK MEANS AND IN SEALED RELATION THROUGH THE OPENINGS OF THE SECOND CHAMBER WALL INTO AND OUT OF SEALED RELATION WITH THE FIRST CHAMBER WALL AROUND THE SAID OPENING THEREIN, A FORAMIOUS MOLD OF SIZE TO PASS THROUGH THE OPENING IN SAID FIRST CHAMBER WALL AND TO FIT IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE INNER WALL OF SAID TUBULAR PLUNGER, SAID MOLD HAVING AN ELONGATED TUBULAR MOLD SPACE COMPRISING A FORAMINOUS OUTER SHELL, A PARALLEL INNER FORAMINOUS SHELL, AND A WALL AT BUT ONE END, SAID INNER SHELL BEING OPEN AT ITS END OPPOSITE SAID END WALL, A PLATE CLOSING THE OTHER END OF SAID INNER SHELL AND HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN REGISTERING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID INNER SHELL, SAID OUTER SHELL HAVING SAID END WALL ADJACENT AND OVERLAPPING SAID PLATE AND HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN REGISTERING WITH THE OPENING IN SAID PLATE, SAID OUTER SHELL EXTENDING BEYOND SAID END WALL, A SECOND PLATE CLOSING THE EXTENDED END OF SAID OUTER SHELL AND HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN ALINED WITH THE OPENINGS OF SAID FIRST PLATE AND SAID END WALL, A TUBULAR MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID FIRST PLATE AND PASSING THROUGH THE OPENINGS OF SAID END WALL AND SAID SECOND END PLATE, MEANS REMOVABLY SECURED TO THE END OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER BEYOND SAID SECOND END PLATE FOR MOVING THE INNER SHELL WITH SAID SECOND END PLATE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PROJECTING TUBULAR MEMBER, SAID OUTER SHELL BEING FORMED IN TWO COMPLEMENTARY PARTS ADAPTED FOR SEPARATION TO REMOVE A FELT FORMED IN THE MOLD SPACE, SAID END WALL AND SAID SECOND PLATE BEING SECURED EACH TO BUT ONE OF SAID PARTS, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND OF SAID SECOND END PLATE BEING PERFORATE FOR THE PASSAGE OF AIR FROM WITHIN THE INNER SHELL TO THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID END WALL OF THE MOLD SPACE AND SAID SECOND PLATE, SAID TUBULAR PLUNGER AT ITS END ADJACENT THE SECOND CHAMBER WALL CARYING A CORE PROJECTING INTO AND FILLING THE INNER FORAMINOUS SHELL WHEN SAID TUBULAR PLUNGER IS IN SEALED RELATION WITH SAID FIRST CHAMBER WALL, FEEDING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OPEN END OF SAID TUBULAR PLUNGER WHICH ENTENDS FROM SAID CHAMBER, SAID FEEDING MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO FEED AIR CONTAINING SUSPENDED FELTABLE FIBER, AND MEANS TO WITHDRAW THE TUBULAR PLUNGER FROM SAID CHAMBER PROGRESSIVELY AS FIBER FELTS IN SAID MOLD DURING SAID FEEDING.