IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS USED FOR AND IN THE METHOD OF HOT-PRESSING OR FINISHING PLAIDS, SHAWLS, HANDKERCHIEFS, AND OTHER WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wilson, Hot-presser and Calenderer, in Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, for, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
APPARATUS USED FOR AND IN THE METHOD OF HOT-PRESSING OR FINISHING
PLAIDS, SHAWLS, HANDKERCHIEFS, AND OTHER WOVEN FABRICS."
Sealed the 20th May 1862, and dated the 26th March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his, Petition, on the 26th
March 1862.
I, JOHN WILSON, Hot-presser and Calenderer, in Glasgow, in the County, of
Lanark, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE APPARATUS USED FOR AND, IN THE METHOD OF HOT-PRESSING OR FINISHING
PLAIDS, SHAWLS, HANDKERCHIEFS, AND OTHER WOVEN FABRICS," to be as follows:-
The present mode adopted; in: the process of hot-pressing is to use Bramah
presses, of such dimensions between the columns, both in length and width, as
to admit freely the goods to be operated on. This gives rise to difficulties
wherever the goods to be operated on exceed the dimensions of the existing
presses, and hence extra cost is incurred in getting presses made of dimensions
sufficient to take in, for example, plaids when only twice folded, or shawls
when only once folded. The object of my Invention is to remedy this evil,
and to render smaller presses available, either (first) by using blocks of wood
or metal, or other suitable material to be laid across or along the press, and

page_text: project over the sides or ends, as the case may be, to an extent corresponding
to the width & lengths of the plaids, shawls, and other goods to be operated
upon. The number and dimensions of the blocks so to be used can be varied
according to circumstances, but generally three or four may be sufficient to be
placed on the platten, of the press, and a corresponding number above the
goods to be operated on. The necessary blocks being placed on the platten of
the press I next use heated plates, two, three, of more of which can be used
according to the space to be covered, above which heated plates the goods to
be operated on after being first rolled into the pressing papers in the ordinary
way, are then laid on in layers alternately with hot plates, the number of
plaids or other goods in each layer varying with the quality of the article, as
well known to the trade; or (second) in place of blocks, as above described, a
solid piece of timber or metal of the requisite dimensions might be substituted
either below in place of the platten, or as an extension of it beyond the pillars
of the press, or above in place of the blocks to be placed over the goods, or
both, and thereby the same practical result would be obtained. By such
means, and in the manner before described, the same or similar results can be
obtained as could be secured by the more expensive method of getting presses
of enlarged dimensions.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WILSON, Hot-pressser and Calenderer, in Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Wilson, Her special licence that I, the said John Wilson, 'my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Wilson, 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

page_text: THE APPARATUS USED. FOR AND IN THE METHOD OF HOT-PRESSING OR FINISHING
PLAIDS, SHAWLS, HANDKERCHIEFS, AND OTHER WOVEN FABRICS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Wilson, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 I, the said John Wilson, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
that is to say:
The present mode adopted in the process of hot-pressing or finishing is to
use Bramaḥ presses of such dimensions between the columns both in length
and width as to admit freely the pressing papers containing or between which
are placed the goods to be operated on. In other words the length and width
within the columns form the limit within which alone a pressure has hitherto
been imparted to goods after being placed in or between what are called
the pressing papers. In many cases, however, it happens that plaids, shawls,
handkerchiefs, and other broad goods are much wider and longer even when
once or twice folded than are the presses commonly in use; and wherever this
occurs such broader or longer goods require, according to the method hereto-
fore in use, to be doubled at least once if not oftener before being rolled into
the pressing papers in the manner well known to the trade; and as the
pressing papers in general use vary from twenty to thirty inches in width,
it takes in the case of plaids, for example, from four to six papers to every
plaid, thereby causing marks or creases wherever the plaid to be operated on
is turned over the edge of the pressing paper, in addition to the mark or
crease caused by the preliminary doubling of the plaid. The marks or creases
thereby produced have been found injurious to the appearance and prejudicial
to the sale of the goods so operated on; and to obviate the evil some manu-
facturers have been induced to incur the great expense of procuring Bramah
presses of a size sufficient to take in (for example) plaids when only twice
folded, or shawls when only once folded; the marks of such folds (two or one
as the case may be) being so arranged as to correspond with the folds
ultimately, and necessarily produced when the plaids or shawls are finally
folded, previous to being sent to market or to a warehouse for sale. The
object of my Invention is to remedy or obviate the evil of extra marks or
creases arising from the mode of using small or ordinary sized presses hitherto

page_text: "
adopted, and to attain the same or similar results as can be produced by
means of the larger and more expensive presses above referred to, and that by
rendering the smaller or ordinary presses available either, first, by using 'blocks
of wood or metal or other suitable material to be laid across or along the
platten of the press, of such a length as to project over the sides or ends, as
the case may be, of the platten, to an extent corresponding to the length and
width of the plaids, shawls, or other goods to be operated upon, as the same
shall have been rolled into pressing papers of p
proper dimensions preparatory to
being so operated on, the extent of projection of the blocks beyond the platten
being always somewhat greater than the length of the pressing papers with
the goods rolled in or between. The blocks should be so .placed that the
extent of projection beyond the platten should be as near as may be equal at
both ends or sides. The number and dimensions of the blocks so to be used
can be varied according to circumstances, but generally three or four may bé
sufficient to be placed on the platten of the press, and a corresponding
number above the goods to be operated upon. The necessary blocks being
placed on the platten of the press, I next use heated plates, one, two, three,
or more of which can be used to form one layer according to their size and
the space to be covered. Above the heated 'plate or plates, as the case may
be, the goods to be operated on (after being first rolled into pressing-papers
of sufficient size to take them in folded, as before mentioned, that is, for
example, folded twice in the case of plaids, and once in the case of shawls,)
are then laid on in "boards" or layers alternately with hot plates; a layer of
plates and a layer of goods being alternated, until the quantity of goods to be
operated on for the time being shall have been placed in the press as thus
extended. The number of plaids, shawls, or other goods in each "board." or
layer will vary with the quality of the article, as well known to the trade; and
if the plates used are not deemed of themselves to be of sufficient strength to
resist pressure, a layer of cross blocks of sufficient strength or thickness placed
close together so as to form an even surface, may be laid across the blocks
placed immediately over the platten, as well as across the uppermost layer of
plates, thereby preventing any risk of the blocks next the platten, below, or
next the top of the press above, marking the lowest or highest layers of the
goods by reason of the plates yielding to the pressure, as might otherwise
happen if not sufficiently strong without such cross blocks. I prefer to use
solid plates, properly heated before being used; in alternate layers with the goods,
but plates may be so constructed as to be heated by means of steam or other
heating media, and used for a similar purpose and with a similar effect; or,
second, in place of blocks as above described, a solid piece of timber or metal,

page_text: or other suitable substance of the requisite dimensions, might be substituted
either below, in place of, or over, or upon the platten, and so as to form in
either case an extension of the platten beyond the pillars of the press, or above
in place of the blocks to be placed above the goods; or both below and above,
and thereby the same practical result would be obtained. In other respects
the arrangements under this second method would be the same as under
the first..
2.
i
Having thus described the object and nature of my Invention generally, I.
would now refer by way of illustration to the Sheet of. iDrawings hereto
annexed, as shewing one of the methods by which the same may be:
operation.
:
put in
Thus Figure 1 represents a front view, and Figure 2 aside view, of the
upper part of a hydraulic press fitted 'up according to one method of putting
my Invention in operation. The 'same letters refer to the same parts in both
Figures.
.
The columns or pillars of the press whereby the top and bottom are: tied
together are marked A; the top of the plunger or piston B.; the platen C;
the lowest layer of blocks projecting beyond the platen are marked D; and
the corresponding layer above the goods H; a layer of cross blocks forming a
continuous surface below the goods is marked E, E; and the corresponding
layer above the goods G, G; F is the pile of goods laid in alternate layers
with heated plates; I, I, is a pile of blocks, consisting of as many or as few
layers as may be required to fill the space above the layers of blocks marked H.
The proportions of the blocks shewn in the Drawing are adapted to the use of
timber; should iron or other suitable material be used the proportions of the
blocks are to be adapted to the particular material, and to the strain upon it,
according to the known principles of the strength of materials.
By adopting my Invention as herein-before described, the smaller and less
expensive presses hitherto in general use can be used with all the benefits or
advantages which have hitherto been obtained only by means of enlarged and
more expensive presses, and that too (irrespective of the saving of expense)
without the inconvenience connected with the substitution of new and enlarged
for old and existing presses. I would have it understood that in so describing
my said Invention I do not limit myself to the precise details before given
as the same results could be arrived at or produced by different variations,
which will readily suggest themselves to any practical man acquainted with
the trade; for example, if a greater breadth be required than is attainable
with one press, two or more presses might be placed near to and in communi-
cation with each other, and the space between them bridged over by means of

page_text: blocks or beams, so as to give an enlarged area; and those blocks or beams
might also project beyond the platens of the presses at both ends, care being
taken in every such case to use presses with plungers of equal diameter, so
that those plungers shall rise precisely at the same speed. On the other hand
I would further have it understood that while I do not lay claim to the con-
struction or use of: blocks or plates, or of any of the articles or things herein-
before described or referred to as used by me, as being novel in themselves, or
as forming separately distinctive parts of my Invention, what I do claim as
constituting my Invention is the method or methods herein-before described of
rendering smaller or ordinary Bramah presses commonly in use for hot-
pressing or finishing purposes, available for hot-pressing or finishing goods of
the larger description before referred to, without leaving such marks or creases
as have resulted from the methods hitherto practised, and that by using the
combination of means or apparatus herein-before described and referred to, or
such part or parts or combinations thereof as circumstances may render
Texpedient.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wilson, have heretofore set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.