An Improved Method of Finishing and Pressing all kinds of Cloth and like Materials.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1899
Complete Specification Lett, 30th Jan., 1900--Accepted, 14th July, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Finishing and Pressing all kinds of Cloth and
like Materials.
TOM PRATT, Engineer, 20, Hollings Street, Hollings Road, Bradford, York-
shire, CHARLES KING, Publican, "City Hotel," City Road, Bradford, Yorkshire,
and JAMES EZRA HAMMOND, of Fairfield, Baildon aforesaid, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This is a device for the finishing of cloths & like materials of any & every
description by means of hydraulic, or mechanical pressure, acting on rotary
cylinders, heated by steam, hot air, gas, or electricity. After the application
of said pressure under heated conditions as above, on one or more central cylin-.
ders, and any number of smaller cylinders heated in like manner and
acting in conjunction therewith. The cloth under treatment to be cooled,
and finish set, with like cylinders to aforc mentioned said cloth
to be kept tight as between hot cylinders and cold cylinders by com-
pensating roller or rollers and said cylinders to be kept cool by a constant,
or intermittent flow of cold water, or compressed air. If need be said water to
be cooled after using by a refrigerator or like suitable process. During the
period of travel of cloth, through the heating and cooling processess while under
pressure said cloth to be carried between two or more sheets of vegetable fibre,
ordinary press paper, felt, flannel or any similar suitable material. Or by the
use of rollers covered with compressed paper, wood-fibre, cotton, or woollen.
Said vegetable fibre, press paper, felt, flannel, or similar material to be in end-
less belt form, or loose ended and in batch form as may seem most suitable.
The method of applying pressure to material under treatment, between central
and outer cylinders, to be by screws and springs, acting independently, or
in unison coupled by sprocket wheels and chains, or by bevil or spur gear, or
by levers and weights, levers and springs, or springs direct, or by dead weight
direct, or by hydraulic pressure, applied to each nip separateley, or preferably
by the use of compound levers and straps or chains, with concentric bearings
for each small cylinder, so that the whole of the outer cylinders, may give the
material under treatment one uniform nip, at an uniform pressure. Or the
outer cylinders may be fixed rigidley and the central cylinders moved by
hydraulic or screw pressure at will. It being advisable to have all material
treated by this process perfectley clean, we deem it necessary to insert two rotary
brushes in front of said machine; said brushes to act spirally from centre to
both outer edges, so as to insure absolutely clean surfaces on face, as well as
back of material under treatment.
We claim that with the various processess to which this apparatus can be
applied, with the use of felt, cloth's, or similar suitable material's. Or with
the use of engraved rollers therewith, we may more readily obtain either a per-
manent or electric finish than by any other at present known means.
The term "electric finish" means to the trade, a brilliant lustrous finish.
Dated this 26th day of July 1899.
TOM PRATT.
CHARLES KING.
JAMES EZRA HAMMOND.

page_text: An Improved Method of Finishing and Pressing all kinds of Cloth and
like Materials.
We, TOM PRATT, late of 20, Hollings Street, Hollings Road, Bradford, in the
County of York, now of 28, Westgate, Shipley aforesaid, CILARLES KING, City
Hotel, City Road, Bradford aforesaid, Publican, and JAMES EZRA HAMMOND, of
Fairfield, Baildon aforesaid, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to the class of machinery used for imparting a finish
of various kinds to manufactured goods of a textile nature by means of pres-
sure combined with the application of heat at a convenient temperature.
It has for its object a readier and quicker method of handling and finishing
goods by the adoption of a continuous mechanical process as compared with the
slower and intermittent manual method in vogue at the present time together
with the hydraulic press and papers usual in the finishing of stuff cloth goods
and similar materials.
By our improved method it will be seen that we avoid the disadvantages of
frequent handling and other changes in the hand process rendered necessary
by the use of numbers of press plates and paper sheets of limited dimensions
as in the older methods: whilst other advantages such as the saving of time
in dealing with raw cuttling and sleeping processes will be apparent at once to
anyone accustomed to finishing by the older process.
The essential features of our invention consist in passing the cloth in a con-
tinuous manner between heated paper aprons or conveyors revolving upon or
between heated rollers and cylinders the surfaces of which may be pressed
together by suitable means and setting the finish on another and similar
arrangement of rollers and cylinders which may be artificially cooled with that
object in view and which are placed behind the first set of cylinders so as to
keep the cloth moving in a direct course under proper tension all the way
through. For carrying this purpose into effect we use a central cylinder or
drum heated or otherwise which is revolved in bearings fixed to a frame or
supported on hydraulic rams; a system of smaller cylinders or rollers fixed
adjustably so as to work upon or in connection with the central drum and set
in a circular manner concentrically with it so as to partially enclose or envelope
its upper surface and which are likewise heated or not as the case may be;
two endless paper bands, carriers or aprons stretched over or between suitable
supporting cylinders or rollers which may be also heated or not, and passing
between the concentric system of small cylinders and central drum in such a
way as to carry the cloth to be treated between their surfaces and out of contact
with the metallic surfaces of the enveloping small cylinders or the central drum;
means for pressing the enveloping cylinders or rollers upon the central drum
against the enveloping rollers; botching apparatus and spiral brushes for feed-
ing, cleaning and straightening the cloth; a duplicate and similar set of enve-
loping rollers and central drum for cooling and fixing the finish with a suitable
tension roller between for taking out the slack; also a suitable base plate upon
which the frame work is conveniently arranged and carried.
The accompanying drawings clearly illustrate our invention and show in
what manner it may be constructed. Like letters of reference apply to similar
parts in all the figures.
Fig. 1, is a side elevation on which is represented the cloth batched ready

page_text: to be treated at the left hand on entering end of the machine which will be seen
to consist of two similar portions hot and cold, to be described later.
Fig. 2, is a general plan of the machine.
Fig. 3, is a front elevation of the entering or front end of the machine.
Fig. 4, is a sectional elevation through X, Y, Figs. 1 & 2.
With reference first to Fig. 1 A are the central drums or cylinders resting
in the bearings E of the hydraulic rams C, mounted on the base or bed plate .J.
the said rams C being operated by pumps or other suitable means.
Dare the
smaller cylinders fixed in the adjustable bearings 13 which bearings are them-
selves fixed to a suitable frame BI bolted to the base plate J. The said rollers D
are caused to revolve with the central drum A by means of spur wheels D¹,
Figs. 2, 3, & 4 gearing into a larger spur wheel A' Figs. 3 & 4 fixed to the
central drum A. are the two endless paper aprons which pass between the
surfaces of the small cylinders D) and the central cylinders A of both sets and
over the stretching rollers K and K' which revolve in adjustable bearings fixed
to the framework M and which are driven by means of straps or bands from any
convenient part of the machine such as (Figs. 2, 3 & 4. Tension rollers N
revolving in steady brackets N' keep the upper aprons at a suitable degree of
working stretch. H are the batches fixed at either end of the machine for
letting off and collecting the peices on their passage through the machine which
are driven, in the usual way from some convenient part such as the pulley El
Figs. 2, 3 & 4. A tension roller (Figs. 1 and 2 revolving in brackets fixed
to the framework M between the two main parts of the machine keeps the cloth
suitably stretched in its passage from the first or hot finishing portion of the
machine to its second or cold setting portion. G is the cloth to be finished and
is distinctly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as it appears in the machine when being
operated upon. P is a set of spiral brushes through which the cloth passes from
the first batch to the hot cylinders, the said brushes P are revolved in adjustable
brackets fixed to the frame work M and are driven in a suitable manner by
means of a strap, band or otherwise from some convenient part such as pi
Figs. 2 and 3. The bristles of the said rollers P are set specially on the rollers
so as to work the cloth in opposite directions from their centres towards the outer
sides. Cylinders A, 1), K and K' of the primary finishing or hot portion of
the machine are heated by means of steami, gas or other suitable medium in
such convenient manner as to allow of a proper regulation of the temperature
necessary for the particular finish required at the time. While cylinders A, 1),
K, K¹, of the secondary setting or cold portion of the machine are cooled by
air, water or other suitable refrigeratory medium under pressure or otherwise
and internally or externally as may be found most convenient for the purpose.
R, Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are pulleys fixed on the axes of the central drums A for driv-
ing the two portions together by means of a strap S. The machine is driven
by steam power or other suitable means by attachment to the extended bosses,
shafts, or axes of the central drums A in any usual or convenient manner.
Referring again to the drawings we will now proceed to describe the process
of finishing cloth by means of our invention. The cloth G to be treated is first
of all rigged and batched in the usual way and is then fixed in the front end
of the machine at H. The machine is then set in motion and the end of the
peice is inserted between the spiral brushes P where it is cleaned and straight-
ened by their action upon its surfaces while being passed forward so as to be
taken between the surfaces of the paper carriers Fat T. Meanwhile a slight
pressure has been brought to bear on the rollers D by the cylinder A and rams C
so as to cause sufficient nip between them to draw the cloth in when presented
at T. The necessary heat also having been applied suitable pressure is then
further brought to bear and the cloth is passed forward until it has gone between
all the rollers of that set and is delivered at V. Continued under the tension
roller and enter the second set of rollers at X and where it is again subjected
to further pressure between the paper aprons while passing through the rollers,

page_text: during which passage it is also subjected to the cooling action of the rollers,
after which it is delivered at % and collected on the batch H at the rear of the
machine.
By this means we first of all finish the goods by the application of heat and
pressure in the first set of rollers and then set the finish by the application of
cold and pressure in the second set of rollers the whole method being a con-
tinuous process by which peices of cloth are finished from end to end without
a change or rehandling taking place and in a quick and expeditious, manner.
It must be understood that we do not bind ourselves to the details and parti-
culars of arrangement herein before described. For instance during the period
of the travel of the cloth through the heating and cooling processes while under
pressure, the cloth may be carried between two or more sheets of vegetable fibre,
ordinary press paper, felt, flannel or other similar and suitable material which
may be loose ended and in batch form as may be most convenient. Or instead
of the endless paper aprons we may cover the rollers with compressed paper,
wood fibre, cotton or woollen or other similar suitable material.
Or we may
use engraved rollers and other like means in connection with our invention for
the production of a permanent or electric finish as usually understood by the
cloth finishing trade.
Again we may dispense with the particular of applying pressure to the cylin-
ders herein before described and use instead screws and springs acting indepen-
dently or in unison coupled by chains, levers and weights, levers and springs:
or by dead weights direct; or by hydraulic pressure applied to each nip sepa-
rately; or by the use of compound levers, straps or chains, with concentric
bearings for each small cylinder; or any other suitable mechanical method
whereby the cylinders may give the material under treatement uniformity of
nip and pressure.
Having now 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:-
1. The continuous process of finishing cloth by passing it between hot and
cold rollers more or less under pressure as herein described.
2. The combination of a system of hot and cold rollers with or without end-
less paper bands or aprons together with means for exerting pressure between
their surfaces hydraulically or otherwise substantially as and for the purpose
herein described.
3. The arrangement of a series of small cylinders encircling or resting on
one or more cylinders all capable of being heated and pressed together with more
or less pressure for the continuous finishing of stuff cloth goods as hereinbefore
described.
4. The arrangement of a series of small cylinders encircling or resting on one
or more cylinders all capable of being artificially cooled and pressed together with
more or less pressure for setting the finish of stuff cloth goods in a continuous
manner as herein before described.
5. The general arrangement, construction and combination of parts compris-
ing the hereinbefore described improvements in finishing machinery substan-
tially as described and shown with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1899.
TAYLOR & FIRTH,
Osborne Chambers, 48, Sunbridge Road, Bradford,
Agents for the Applicants.