IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPARTING LUSTRE TO AND IN DRYING WOVEN FABRICS AND PIECE GOODS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Nesham Kirkham, of West Brompton,
Vernon Francis Ensom, of Highgate, both in the County of Middlesex,
and Hiram Brook, of Austin Friars, in the City of London, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPARTING LUSTRE TO AND IN DRYING
WOVEN FABRICS AND PIECE GOODS."
Sealed the 19th April 1865, and dated the 4th November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Nesham Kirkham,
Vernon Francis Ensom, and Hiram Brook, at the Office of the Commis-
sioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 4th November 1864.
We, THOMAS NESHAM KIRKHAM, of West Brompton, VERNON FRANCIS
ENSON, of Highgate, both in the County of Middlesex, and HIRAM BROOK, of
Austin, Friars, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPARTING LUSTRE TO AND IN DRYING WOVEN
FABRICS AND PIECE GOODS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in imparting lustre to and
in drying woven fabrics and piece goods; for the purpose of imparting-lustre
to those classes of woven fabrics or piece goods which are capable of receiving
lustre by the action of hot water or steam, we employ.apparatus by means of
which the hot water or steam is alternately pumped or forced first in one
direction and theu in the other through several layers of the fabrics or goods,
which are wound on perforated hollow cylinders.or laid between or piled on
perforated surfaces of other forms. And in regard to drying woven fabrics or

page_text: piece goods the Invention consists in pumping or forcing dry atmospheric air
alternately through the same first in one direction and then in the other, the
fabrics or goods being wound on to perforated cylinders or laid between or
piled on perforated surfaces as before mentioned. The atmospheric air is
more or less heated as occasion may require. Apparatus such as above men-
tioned has before been employed in cleansing, bleaching, and dyeing yarns
and woven fabrics to force the cleansing, bleaching, and dyeing liquids to and
fro through the yarns or woven fabrics.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Nesham Kirkham, Vernon Francis Ensom, and
Hiram Brook in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
NESHAM KIRKHAM, of West Brompton, VERNON FRANCIS ENSOM, of Highgate,
both in the County of Middlesex, and HIRAM BROOK, of Austin Friars, in the
City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Thomas Nesham Kirkham, Vernon Francis Ensom, and liram
Brook, Her special licence that we, the said Thomas Nesham Kirkham,
Vernon Francis Ensom, and Hiram Brook, our exécutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we the said Thomas Nesham Kirkham, Vernon
Francis Ensom, and Hiram Brook, our 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 IMPARTING LUSTRE TO AND IN DRYING WOVEN FABRICS AND
PIECE GOODS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas
Nesham Kirkham, Vernon Francis Ensom, and Hiram Brook, our exécutors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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

page_text: .
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Nesham Kirkham, and Hiram
Brook, on behalf of ourselves and the said Vernon Francis Ensom,. do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in imparting lustre to and
in drying woven fabrics and piece goods; for the purpose of imparting lustre
to those classes of woven fabrics or piece goods which are capable of receiving
lustre by the action of hot water or steam; we employ apparatus by means
of which the hot water or steam is alternately pumped or forced first in one
direction then in the other through several layers of the fabrics or goods
which are wound on perforated hollow cylinders, or laid between or piled on
perforated surfaces of other forms. And in regard to drying woven fabrics or
piece goods, the Invention consists in pumping or forcing dry atmospheric air
alternately through the same, first in one direction and then in the other, the
fabrics or goods being wound on to perforated cylinders or laid between or
piled on perforated surfaces as before-mentioned. The atmospheric air is
more or less heated as occasion may require.. Apparatus such as above men-
tioned has before been employed in cleansing, bleaching, and dyeing yarns
and woven fabrics to force the cleansing, bleaching, and dyeing liquids to and
fro through the yarns or woven fabrics.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will procced. more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section, and Figure 2 a transverse section of
a cylinder such as is preferred to be used in carrying out our Invention,
which is like what has before been used. This perforated cylinder a, a, when
used is placed within a cylindrical or other formed vessel of strength suitable
for sustaining pressure internally and externally according to the maximum
degree of pressure at which it is intended at any time to subject fabrics to in
the process of lustring and drying, but generally we would state that we
employ a pressure of from about thirty to forty pounds on the square inch when
Justring. The vessel into which the perforated cylinder a is placed is to be
arranged with one of its ends capable of being removed in order that the
perforated cylinder may be readily introduced into and taken from the.
interior of the vessel; or the exterior vessel may be otherwise formed and yet

page_text: admit of the cylinder a, a, being readily introduced and removed. a, a is the
perforated cylinder having within a second cylinder with conducting pipes or
passages b, b, for the steam, hot water, or atmospheric air to pass from or. to
the central hollow axis d, which alternately forms the induction and eduction
passage for the fluid which is for the time being used. In carrying on the-
process of lustring the fabric is wound evenly on. the perforated cylinder a
and the selvages are secured by clamping bands c, c. The cylinder a, a is
then introduced into the external case or vessel which is arranged with an
inlet and an outlet passage together with valves in order that the steam may
be alternately introduced into the external vessel and into the hollow axis d of
the perforated cylinder a. The steam from a suitable boiler, say at from thirty
to forty pounds on the square inch, is by preference first allowed to flow into
the hollow axis d, so that it may flow through the fabric into the external
vessel or case, there being provision made by a suitable valve or valves for
the passage away of the atmospheric air therein; then after a short time, say
a minute, the valves are to be reversed when the steam from the boiler will
flow into the outer vessel and thence into and through the hollow axis d of tlie
cylinder a, a. Then again the direction of the passage of the steam will be
changed, and so on till the process of lustring is completed, which generally
requires only a few minutes. If hot water be employed in place of steam
then the apparatus above described is combined with a pump or pumps or
forcing apparatus to force the water alternately into the axis d and the outer
vessel, and the direction of the flow of the water through the fabric wound
on the cylinder a, a, is to be changed from time to time in a similar manner
to that above described in respect to the steam, but the time occupied is
longer.
When the lustring has been accomplished by the use of steam or hot water
passed alternately in opposite directions through the fabric, and the water in
the outer vessel has been drawn off, the drying process is to be next per
formed, for which purpose it is preferred to employ a fan or rotating air pump,
though other suitable apparatus may be employed for withdrawing, or forcing
the air alternately from or to the hollow axis d, d, and from or to the outer
vessel or case, the air when fans or exhausting apparatus is used being
admitted alternately into the axis d, d, and into the outer vessel or case. The
atmospheric air is preferred to be heated to from 150° to 200° of Fahrenheit,
and if desired for any special purposes the air so used for drying may be
rendered dry by chemical means as is well understood; the working of the
valves when the drying process is being performed is to be such that when
the air is being introduced into the outer vessel or case, then the fan or

page_text: exhausting apparatus is to withdraw the air from the hollow axis d, d, then
this is to be changed, and the air is to be admitted for a time into the hollow
axis d, d, and withdrawn from the outer vessel or case, and so on alternately
till the drying process is completed.
From the above description of our Invention it will be understood that
the lustring and drying of fabrics will be completed whilst the fabric is on the
roller a, a.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Nesham Kirkham, and Hiram
Brook have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth day of May,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.