IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR THE STRETCHING AND DRYING OF WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Collier, of Halifax, in the County of York,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR THE
STRETCHING AND DRYING OF WOVEN FABRICS."
Sealed the 21st December 1858, and dated the 24th June 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Collier at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th June 1858.
I, GEORGE COLLIER, of Halifax, in the County of York, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS
FOR THE STRETCHING AND DRYING OF WOVEN FABRICS," to be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object the adaptation of means by which woven
fabrics may be stretched breadthwise, and held distended whilst passing over a
drying cylinder or drying cylinders.
cylinders. For this purpose, the fabric to be
operated upon, is, whilst in a damp state, conducted to-stretching means, by
which it is extended breadthwise to about the extent desired, and by which it
is fed on to a revolving cylinder, or the first of a series of them, heated by
steam or other suitable means, the surface or surfaces of which cylinder or
cylinders, towards the ends thereof especially, are roughened by the application
thereto of suitable grit, or by being cut or punched, so as to form holding
means adapted to hold the fabric when distended, and as it is carried forward
by the rotation of the cylinder or cylinders. And in order that the roughened

page_text: surface of the cylinder or cylinders may the more effectually prevent the fabric
from shrinking breadthwise after having been stretched to the desired width
and fed on to the drying means, I apply tension lengthwise of the fabric,
which causes it to press closely upon the roughened surface of the cylinder
or cylinders. The tension thus employed will also stretch the fabric in the
way of its length.
Where a series of cylinders are employed, I place them as close to each
other as circumstances will admit, for the purpose of preventing the fabric
from shrinking, or to any material extent, as it is delivered by one cylinder to
another.
An arrangement of stretching means which I have employed to extend the
fabric breadthwise, and to conduct it on to a drying cylinder consists of small
parallel rollers and a conical one, with roughened surfaces at each selvage of
the fabric, and at an angle thereto, so placed that whilst the action of the
parallel rollers in their rotation is to draw the fabric breadthwise, that of the
conical roller is also to conduct the fabric correctly on to the surface of a
drying cylinder.
I also employ at each selvage of the fabric, as the stretching means to
conduct a fabric on to a heated cylinder, a series of nipping surfaces moving
round an axis, or in such manner as by their successive action to pull out the
fabric at the edges.
I do not, however, confine myself to the stretching and feeding means
referred to, so long as fabric stretched is fed on to a cylinder or cylinders, the
surface or surfaces of which are roughened by suitable means, so as thereby
to hold the fabric distended till dried; and in some cases I feed the fabric
by hand.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Collier in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th December 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL KOME, I, GEORGE
COLLIER, of Halifax, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of June in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Collier, Her special licence that I, the said George Collier, my

page_text: executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Collier, 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 MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR THE STRETCHING AND DRYING OF WOVEN FABRICS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Collier, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said George Collier, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say :-
.
The Invention has for its object the adaptation of means by which woven'
fabrics may be stretched breadthwise and held distended whilst passing over a
drying cylinder or drying cylinders. For this purpose, the fabric to be
operated upon is, whilst in a damp state, conducted to stretching means, by
which it is extended breadthwise to about the extent desired, and by which it
is fed on to a revolving cylinder, or the first of a series of them, heated by
steam or other suitable means, the surface or surfaces of which cylinder or
cylinders, towards the ends thereof especially, are roughened by the application
thereto of suitable grit, or by being cut or punched or otherwise, so as to form
holding means adapted to hold the fabric when distended, and as it is carried
forward by the rotation of the cylinder or cylinders. And in order that the
holding surface of the cylinder or cylinders may the more effectually prevent
the fabric from shrinking breadthwise after having been stretched to the
desired width and fed on to the drying means, I apply tension lengthwise of
the fabric, which causes it to press closely upon the holding surface of the
cylinder or cylinders. The tension thus employed will also stretch the fabric
in the way of its length.
Where a series of cylinders are employed, I by preference place them as
close to each other as circumstances will admit, for the purpose of preventing
the fabric from shrinking, or to any material extent, as it is delivered by one
cylinder to another.

page_text: An arrangement of stretching means which I have employed to extend the
fabric breadthwise and to conduct it on to a drying cylinder consists of small
parallel rollers and a conical. one, with the surfaces thereof roughened, or
otherwise adapted to hold such fabric at each selvage; and these rollers are
placed at an angle to the fabric, in order that whilst the action of the parallel
rollers in their rotation is to draw the fabric breadthwise, that of the conical
rollers is also to conduct the fabric correctly on to the surface of a drying
cylinder.
I also employ at each selvage of the fabric, as the stretching means to
conduct a fabric on to a heated cylinder, a series of nipping surfaces moving
round an axis, or in such manner as by their successive action to pull out the
fabric at the edges.
I do not, however, confine myself to the stretching and feeding means
referred to, so long as fabric stretched is fed on to a cylinder or cylinders, the
surface or surfaces of which are roughened by suitable means, so as thereby
to hold the fabric distended till dried; and in some cases I feed the fabric
by hand.
But that the nature of these my improvements may be more fully under-
stood, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, to explain
arrangements by means which I have found to answer.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a plan, and Figure 2 an end view of apparatus arranged to
carry out my Invention. In each of these Figures the same letters indicate
like parts wherever they occur.
The fabric to be stretched and dried may be fed into the apparatus by
hand, but I prefer to have it previously wound on to a roller a, but in either
case it is conducted to between pairs of rollers b, b, of which there is one pair
shewn at each selvage of the fabric, though several pairs of them may be
employed if desired. These rollers are placed at an angle to the fabric, the
edges or selvages of which are passed between these rollers b, b, and are
thereby drawn out or stretched breadthwise; the fabric thence passes in
contact with the surface of the conical rollers c, c, of which there is one
at each selvage, and by which the fabric in a distended state is conducted on
to the surface of the first of a series of heating or drying cylinders d, d, d.
And in order that the rollers b and c may securely take hold of the fabric
to effect the stretching breadthwise, their surfaces are roughened by the
application thereto of fine teeth or grit, india-rubber, or otherwise, in such
manner that whilst a secure hold to the fabric may be obtained care is observed

page_text: not to injure the same. e, e, are small rollers or rods, for the purpose of
aiding to keep the fabric to be stretched in contact with the surface of the
rollers b, c. The surfaces of the cylinders d, d, towards the ends of them, are
roughened by the application thereto of suitable grit or by being cut or
punched, so as to form holding means adapted to hold the fabric in a distended
form when it has been distended by the rollers b, c.
I have shown a series of cylinders d, d, but the number may be varied, and
in some cases only one of them may be employed, and I heat them by means
of steam passed through their axes, or otherwise, as may be found most
convenient, but which being well understood, I have not thought it necessary
to enter more fully into the detail thereof here, nor have I thought it necessary
to show by the Drawings the framing and other matters of mere detail, well
understood by persons acquainted with machinery of this character. The two
rollers 6 at either side of the apparatus will be geared together, and the upper
of them will, by means of an intermediate wheel, give motion to the roller c,
so that they may travel at the same surface speed; but the cylinders d, d,
may, if desired, have the motions thereof so arranged that a progressively
increasing surface speed may be given to them progressively to stretch the
fabric in the direction of its length as it passes over the surface of such
cylinders, according to the Invention secured to me, in connection with John
Crossley and James William Crossley, by Her Majesty's Letters Patent, bearing
date the Seventeenth day of December, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-five, and when using only one of such cylinders d, I prefer to pass the
fabric on to another cylinder or roller; caused to rotate by a strap or band
speeded to put tension on the fabric, in order that the roughened surface
of such cylinder may more effectually hold the fabric from shrinking
breadthwise.
Figures 3 and 4 show a modification of means for the purpose of acting
upon the fabric at the selvages to distend the same breadthwise as it passes to
the heating or drying cylinder or cylinders. f. f, are a series of nipping
surfaces formed each on the end of a lever f¹, and these levers f¹ turn upon
axes of motion f carried by the revolving tables g. The upper surface of the
tables g and the under surfaces of the nippers f are roughened by the appli-
cation of grit, fine teeth, india-rubber, or otherwise, in order that when the
selvages of the fabric are brought between the surface of the respective plates
or tables g and the under side of any of the nippers f, with such nippers f
pressed tightly thereon, the fabric may thereby be tightly held. The nippers f
are held away from the tables g till they are required to come into operation,
by the upper ends of the levers f being held back by the band of india-

page_text: 'rubber h passed over them, or by other suitable elastic means; and in order
to their being pressed tightly on to the table g at the times desired, each
lever is provided with a roller or pulley f, which in the rotation of the
table g comes under the stationary bars i, which are of form adapted to cause
the surfaces to be pressed tightly on to the surfaces of the tables g as they
pass under the plate i. Rotary motion will be given to each table g by
toothed' wheels or other suitable gear.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein referred to, as these may be
varied; but what I do claim is the adaptation of mechanical means to act
upon woven fabrics, in order to distend the same breadthwise while such
fabrics are being fed to suitable drying cylinder or cylinders; and also I claini
the application of suitable roughened or holding surfaces to such cylinders for
the purpose of retaining such fabrics in a distended state during the process of
drying, as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Collier, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
W BROOKES, Patent Agent, .
73, Chancery Lane, London.
GEORGE COLLIER. (L.S.)