IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRESSING, SMOOTHING, AND FINISHING GARMENTS, OR PARTS OF GARMENTS; ALSO FOR PRESSING WOOLLEN OR OTHER WOVEN OR FELTED FARRICS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Barran and John Barran, the younger, both
of Leeds, in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR PRESSING, SMOOTHING, AND FINISHING GARMENTS, OR PARTS
OF GARMENTS; ALSO FOR PRESSING WOOLLEN OR OTHER WOVEN OR FELTED
FARRICS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Barran and John
Barran, the younger, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 15th February 1871.
We, JOHN BARRAN and JOHN BARRAN, the younger, both of Leeds,
in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRESSING, SMOOTHING, AND
FINISHING GARMENTS, OR PARTS OF GARMENTS; ALSO FOR PRESSING WOOLLEN OR
OTHER WOVEN OR FELTED FABRICS," to be as follows:-
We provide a table mounted on suitable framework. The smoothing
iron is mounted on an arm resembling in appearance and motion the
human arm. The parts forming it are so coupled together that it
may be moved backwards and forwards at the shoulder and elbow; a
universal joint is provided at the wrist which carries the smoothing iron,
and allows it to be moved by the attendant in any required direction.

page_text: At the shoulder is arranged an adjusting screw whereby the arm may
be raised or lowered to suit the various thicknesses of work or material
to be operated upon. The arm is suspended at the shoulder on a lever
which is mounted in suitable bearings on a bracket fitted on the table
and framework; one end of the lever is carried under the table, and is
by means of a connecting rod attached to a treadle placed in a suitable
position to be worked by the foot of the attendant. On the table is
mounted a pillar, into which is inserted a pin on which is fitted loosely
one end of the sleeve board. The sleeve board by this means may be
swivelled round clear of the table at the will of the attendant, and also
lifted a suitable height clear of the moveable rest for the purpose of
putting on the work. The moveable rest is provided as a support for
the sleeve board during the pressing operation. The work to be operated
upon is placed on the sleeve board. The arm carrying the smoothing
iron is brought down to it, and pressure given by the attendant from the
treadle through the connecting rod to the lever carrying the arm, thence
to the arm, which is raised again by means of springs, weights, or other
suitable mechanical means. When the apparatus is used for pressing
or smoothing woollen or other woven fabrics the sleeve board and pillar
may be dispensed with, the table only being used in this case.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Barran and John Barran, the younger, in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
BARRAN and JOHN BARRAN, the younger, both of Leeds, in the County
of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Barran and John Barran, the
younger, Her special licence that we, the said John Barran and John
Barran, the younger, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said John Barran and John Barran, the younger,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: 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 APPARATUS FOR PRESSING, SMOOTHING, AND FINISHING GAR-
MENTS, OR PARTS OF GARMENTS; ALSO FOR PRESSING WOOLLEN OR OTHER WOVEN
OR FELTED FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said John Barran and John Barran, the younger, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, 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
performed, 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 we, the said John Barran and John Barran,
the younger, 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, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings and to the letters of reference marked
thereon, that is to say :-
We provide a table mounted on suitable framework. The smoothing
iron is mounted on an arm resembling in appearance and motion the
human arm. The parts forming it are so coupled together that it may
be moved backwards and forwards at the shoulder and elbow, a
5 universal joint is provided at the wrist which carries the smoothing
iron and allows it to be moved by the attendant in any required direction.
At the shoulder is arranged an adjusting screw, whereby the arm may
be raised or lowered to suit the various thicknesses of work or material
to be operated upon. The arm is suspended at the shoulder on a lever
O which is mounted in suitable bearings on a bracket fitted on the table
and framework; one end of the lever is carried under the table, and is
by means of a connecting rod attached to a treadle placed in a suitable
position to be worked by the foot of the attendant. On the table is
mounted a pillar into which is inserted a pin on which is fitted loosely
one end of the sleeve board. The sleeve board by this means may be
swivelled round clear of the table at the will of the attendant and also
lifted a suitable height clear of the moveable rest for the purpose of
putting on the work. The moveable rest is provided as a support for

page_text: the sleeve board during the pressing operation. The work to be operated
upon is placed on the sleeve board. The arm carrying the smoothing
iron is brought down to it and pressure given by the attendant from
the treadle through the connecting rod to the lever carrying the arm;
thence to the arm which is raised again by means of springs, weights;
or other suitable mechanical means. When the apparatus is used for
pressing or smoothing woollen or other woven or felted fabrics the
sleeve board and pillar may be dispensed with, the table only being used
in this case.
And in order that our Invention may be more completely understood
we annex and proceed to describe the accompanying two Sheets of
Drawings.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, represents a front elevation; Fig. 2, a side elevation
of our apparatus; Figs. 3 and 4 are detailed views illustrating the
mode of attaching the smoothing iron to the arm; Fig. 5, Sheet 2,
represents a plan of the machine.
a is the table mounted on suitable framework b, which framework by
preference is made of cast iron. The smoothing iron C, which may be
of the ordinary construction used on pressing, smoothing, and finishing
machines is mounted on an arm d, resembling in appearance and motion
the human arm, it is provided with a universal joint at the wrist e which
we have shewn on a larger scale at Fig. 3; the iron c may by this
arrangement be turned or twisted by the operator in any desired direction.
The parts forming the arm are coupled at points ƒ and g as shewn on
Fig. 5, Sheet 2, so that they may be moved backwards and forwards as
desired. At the shoulder or point 9 is arranged an adjusting screw h,
whereby the arm d may be raised or lowered to suit the various
thicknesses of work or material to be operated upon.
This adjusting
operation is performed by the attendant by means of the crank handle i.
The arm d is suspended at the shoulder or point 9 on the lever j, which
is mounted in bearings k on a bracket 1, fitted and fixed on the table a
and framework 6 as shewn. One end of the lever j is carried under
the table a and is by means of a connecting rod m attached to a treadle n
which is carried on the framework by the bracket o and placed in a
_suitable position to be worked by the foot of the attendant as shewn.
On the table a is mounted a pillar or bracket p, into which is inserted a
pin or swivel q; on the upper portion we mount a vicer in which the
sleeve board s is held. To prevent the sleeve board from being damaged
8

page_text: by the jaws of the aforesaid vice, we place between them and the sleeve
board some soft material such as leather. The sleeve board by this
means may be swivelled round clear of the table at the will of the
attendant, and also lifted a suitable height clear of the moveable bracket
for the purpose of putting on the work; t is a bracket in connection
with the pillar p, whereby support is given to the sleeve board 8; u is a
sliding support arranged so that it may be moved backwards or forwards
on the guide plate v. The adjustable bracket u is used as a support for
the sleeve board during the pressing operation. The work or material
to be operated upon is placed on the sleeve board 8. The arm d carrying
the smoothing iron c is brought down to it, and pressure given by the
attendant from the treadle n through the connecting rod m to the lever j
and thence to the arm d. When the pressure is taken off the treadle
the arm is raised again by the spiral springs w or by weights or other
suitable mechanical means. When the apparatus is used for pressing
or smoothing woollen or other woven or felted fabrics, the sleeve board 8,
pillar p, and rest u with their various working parts are not required on
the table, which itself forms the necessary support.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, we would remark in
conclusion that we do not limit ourselves to the exact details and
configuration of parts we have explained and shewn, as the same may
of course be varied or modified without in any way departing from the
nature and principle of our Invention but what we do claim and
desire to be secured to us by Letters Patent is, the combination and
arrangement of parts forming a machine or apparatus for pressing,
smoothing, and finishing garments or parts of garments, also for pressing
woollen or other woven or felted fabrics as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Barran and John Barran, the
younger, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighth day
of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-one.