An improved method and apparatus for felting covers on tennis and like play balls

摘要

668,746. Felt. TUGEN, R. G. Nov. 17, 1949, No. 29485/49. Class 42 (ii). [Also in Group XV] Tennis and like playballs are covered by coating the ball centre with a layer of fibres and slightly felting them, the felting then being completed in a hot, damp atmosphere by rolling the balls between a casing wall 14 and a rotary drum 6 having conical projections 12 which penetrate the fibres and put pressure on the lower layers to promote felting and cam members 13 on division plates 11 for changing the axis of rotation of the balls. The balls are fed into the machine through an upper hopper and, when the felting has reduced their size, they pass between the drum and the casing to a lower collecting channel 19. The projections 12 are formed on a rubber band 17 encircling the drum 6. Specification 639,607 is referred to.