IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN MACHINERY FOR STRETCHING AND GLOSSING SILE, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lewis Leigh, of Seymour, Connecticut, United States
of America, now residing at Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN MACHINERY FOR STRETCHING
AND GLOSSING SILE, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lewis Leigh at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th September 1862.
I, LEWIS LEIGH, of Seymour, Connecticut, United States of America, now
residing at Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN MACHINERY FOR
STRETCHING AND GLOSSING SILK, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to the machine for stretching and glossing silk, for
which Letters Patent were granted unto William Skinner, A.D. 1860,
4th July, No. 1613, and my improvements consist, firstly, in giving a re-
volving motion to the banks during the process of stretching and glossing;
this is affected by using caps or hose, which are made to revolve on the hooks

page_text: of
on which the hanks aro stretched and glossed, and are put in motion by means
any suitable gearing from the outside of the steaming and stretching box.
Secondly, in such cases where the hanks do not require steaming, I sub-
stitute for the steaming box a suitable frame with hooks, or other apparatus
for holding, and when necessary, revolving the hanks whilst being stretched
and these improvements enable me to apply the machine for stretching and
glossing silk, wool, cotton, flax, and other fibrous materials.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Lewis Leigh in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th March 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LEWIS
LEIGH, of Seymour, Connecticut, United States of America, now residing at
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Lewis Leigh, Her special licence, that I, the said Lewis Leigh,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Lewis
Leigh, 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 CERTAIN
MACHINERY FOR STRETCHING AND GLOSSING SILK, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Lewis
Leigh, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describo 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 I, the said Lewis Leigh, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is
to say:-
This Invention relates to the machine for stretching and glossing silk, for
which Letters Patent were granted unto William Skinner, A.D. 1860,
4th July, No. 1613, and my improvements consist, firstly, in giving a re-
volving motion to the banks during the process of stretching and glossing;
this is effected by using revolving caps or hose on the books or pins used in
the aforesaid Skinner's Patent, on which the banks are stretched and glossed,
and they are put in motion by means of any suitable gearing from the outside
of the steaming and stretching box.
Secondly, in such cases where the hanks do not require steaming, I sub-
stitute for the steaming box a suitable frame with hooks, and other apparatus
for holding, and when necessary, revolving the banks whilst being stretched ;
and these improvements enable me to apply the machine for stretching and.
glossing silk, wool, cotton, flax, and other fibrous materials.
And that the Invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and forming part of
this Specification.
Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of a stretching and glossing machine-
constructed according to my Invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation of a machine-
for stretching and glossing silk or yarn not requiring steaming; and Fig. 3 shows
a similar machine to that shewn in Fig. 2, excepting that the banks are made
to revolve. The several parts of these machines not described are exactly.
similar in construction to the aforesaid Skinner's machine.
Fig. 1 is a double machine, having two sets of revolving hose or caps, viz.,
G, H, and G', '; to the lower hose or caps a rotatory motion is given from
outside the box R, as follows:-Upon the driving shaft A are fast and loose
pulleys S and S', and on the opposite extremity of the shaft is fixed a bevel
wheel C gearing with the bevel wheel D fixed on the upright worm or screw
shaft B; this gives motion to the wheel E in gear with a similar wheel F;
the driving shaft A passes through a stuffing box V fixed to the side of the
box R, and thus keeps the bearing of the driving shaft steam-tight. The two
loose upper hose or caps H, H', are carried round by the movement of the
banks, motive power being only required to the lower hose or caps. In
machines where the bank is stationary whilst stretching, it was found that the
part passing round the hooks did not receive as much stretch and gloss as the
intermediate part between the hooks, by making the bank revolve this objection

page_text: is entirely obviated, as every part is subjected to the same amount of strain or
stretch, and receives a uniform gloss.
In the machine shewn at Fig. 2 the hanks A, A, A, are passed round and
beld by the round bars B, B', covered with brass or copper, placed in the
hooks C, C, and C, C'; in this machine no box is used to steam the silk or
yarn as in that shewn in Fig. 1. The upper hooks C', C', are fixed to the
cross frame D, which is guided by the upright bars F, F; this frame D is
worked up and down in a similar manner to those in the ordinary machines.
The lower hooks C, C, are fastened to the cross frame E, which is also guided
by the upright bars F, F, and receiving motion in a similar manner to the
ordinary machines. Fig. 3 represents the machine without a steaming box,
but with revolving and heated hose or caps. A, A, are the lower, and A', A',
the upper hose or caps. Instead of the worm and wheel to rotate the lower
caps, I prefer to use spur gearing, and drive the upper caps. B, B', are the
fast and loose pulleys, which receive motion from the motive power, and
transmits it through the shaft C, on the extremity of which is the spur wheel D
in gear with the intermediate wheel E, which gives motion to the wheel F to
which the hose or cap is fastened. To rise or lower the upper cap in this
machine, I prefer to use the arrangement shewn of two screws G, G', which
carry bearings at the bottom for the caps to revolve in; these screws arc
raised or lowered by the mechanism indicated, namely, H is the hand wheel,
to which is fixed a bevel wheel K in gear with another similar wheel L fixed
on the shaft M; at each end of this shaft is a bevel wheel N in gear with
another bevel wheel O or O', having an eye cut to receive the screw G;
therefore, on turning the hand wheel II to the right or left, the cap A
is raised or lowered accordingly. Also instead of using solid hoso or caps I
use hollow ones, and insert an arrangement of steam piping within to heat the
caps, the steam pipes being indicated in the Drawing by the letter P, and the
direction of the passage of the steam by the arrows. The intermediate
wheel E is moveable, so as to allow for the rise and fall of the wheel on the
hoso or cap, S being the handle of a screw to tighten it when in place. The
hanks are dried as well as stretched in this machine.
What I claim is, firstly, the application of revolving hose or caps to the
stretching machine described in William Skinner's Specification, and for which
he obtained Letters Patent, dated Fourth of July, A.D. 1860, No. 1613.
Secondly, the application of the aforesaid William Skinner's machine for
the purpose of stretching wool or other fibrous material, in the manner
described in reference to Fig. 2.

page_text: Thirdly, the general arrangement and construction of the mechanical parts
of the machines, herein described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lewis Leigh, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
JOSEPH WILLCOCK,
Firm of Willcock & Brewer,
24, Market Place, Manchester.
LEWIS LEIGH. (Ls.)