IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF FLOORCLOTHS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Barker Nairn, of Kirkcaldy, in the County
of Fife, North Britain, Floorcloth Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF FLOORCLOTHS."
Sealed the 22nd August 1865, and dated the 27th February 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Barker Nairn
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th February 1865.
I, MICHAEL BARKER NAIRN, of Kirkcaldy, in the County of Fife, North
Britain, Floorcloth Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF FLOOR-
CLOTHS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object, by improving the manufacture or treatment
of floorcloths, to render them, when dried by artificial heat, generally superior
in quality and durability and less liable to distortion or stretching.
The Invention consists in introducing moisture into the drying chambers or
stoves to compensate to some extent for the volatile oils driven off from the
paint, and to prevent the goods from shrinking to too great an extent.

page_text: A convenient way of applying the moisture is by introducing one or more
jets of steam into the drying chamber or stove so as to mingle with the air
therein; and this plan may be adopted whether the stove be heated by flues
or steam pipes, or by hot air blown into the stove. When hot air is used the
steam, or some of it, may be introduced into the air current before it reaches
the stove.
In the process of drying, the goods are put successively into different stoves,
arranged and worked to suit the different stages of the drying process; the
steam may be introduced into two or more of these stoves, or only into the
last or finishing stove; and it is preferred to introduce some steam without
heated air at the end of the operation so as to insure sufficient moisture being
taken up by the goods. The air may be charged with moisture otherwise
than by means of a steam jet; thus the heated air might be blown through
water or across a continuous shower of water, but the steam jet is the most
convenient in application.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Michael Barker Nairn in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM, THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
BARKER NAIRN, of Kirkcaldy, in the County of Fife, North Britain, Floor-
cloth Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Michael Barker Nairn, Her special licence that I, the said
Michael Barker Nairn, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Michael Barker Nairn, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF FLOORCLOTHS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Michael Barker Nairn, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,

page_text: or one of their hands and seals; should particularly describe. and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within:
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters:
Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said. Michael Barker Nairn; do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object, by improving the manufacture or
treatment of floorcloths, to render them when dried by artificial heat generally
superior in quality and durability, and less liable to distortion or stretching.
My Invention consists in introducing moisture into the drying chambers or
stoves, to compensate to some extent for the volatile oils driven off from the
paint, and to prevent the goods from shrinking or stretching.
In practising my Invention according to one convenient and efficient
modification, I apply the moisture by introducing jets of steam into the drying
chamber or stove so as to mingle with the air therein; and this plan may be
adopted whether the stove be heated by flues or steam pipes, or by hot air
blown into the stove. I prefer to arrange steam pipes at or near the bottom of
the stove and to fit such steam pipes with nozzles, situated so as to throw up jets
of steam between or amongst the pieces of floorcloth hanging loosely and sepa-
rately from rails or rods above. The proportion of steam introduced in this
way is regulated according to the judgment of those superintending the
operation, but very slight experience enables them to obtain the best possible
results. When the stove is heated by means of hot air blown in, the steam
or some of it may be introduced into the air current before it reaches the
stove.
The application of the steam or moisture may be varied; it may be
introduced into the stove or stoves during more or less of the time when the
goods are drying; or it may be introduced only at the finishing stage, and I
prefer to introduce some steam without heated air at the end of the operation
so as to insure sufficient moisture being taken up by the goods.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be efficiently performed, I have to state that I do
not restrict myself to the precise details herein-before described or indicated,
nor to the use of steam alone for the purpose of charging the air with
moisture, as that might be done, although perhaps not so conveniently, by
blowing the heated air through water, or across a continuous shower of

page_text: water or otherwise; but that what I believe to be novel and original, and
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the applying of moisture in the artificial drying and
finishing of floorcloths, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Barker Nairn, have hereunto
set my hand and seal; this Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
MICHAEL B. NAIRN. (L.S.)