IMPROVEMENTS IN FACING WOOLLEN CLOTH AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Snell, of Leeds, in the County of York, Cloth
Finisher, and William Renton, of Leeds, aforesaid, Cloth Finisher, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FACING WOOLLEN CLOTH AND OTHER
TEXTILE FABRICS."
Sealed the 9th June 1865, and dated the 20th January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Snell and William
Renton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 20th January 1865.
We, JOHN SNELL, of Leeds, in the County of York, Cloth Finisher, and
WILLIAM RENTON of Leeds, aforesaid, Cloth Finisher, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FACING WOOLLEN CLOTH
AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS," to be as follows:-
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to William Renton,
Thomas Renton, and William Binns, dated 6th Jan 1859 (No. 47), was
described the finishing woollen and other fabrics by subjecting them to
hydraulic pressure. Now, our Invention consists in improvements on the
apparatus described in the above-mentioned Specification for carrying out the
process of subjecting the woollen or other fabrics to hydraulic pressure. For
this purpose a cylindrical or other shaped vessel is employed, which is sur-
rounded by a steam jacket. Within the vessel, and near its lower end, is a
perforated bottom, and above these perforations are placed perforated tubes,
around which the woollen cloth or other fabric to be faced or finished is

page_text: wound, as in the arrangement described in the before-mentioned Specification.
opens
At the bottom of the vessel is an outlet, closed by a valve that inwards
into the vessel; this valve is for the purpose of letting off water from the
vessel; the stem of the valve passes down below the bottom of the vessel,
and is connected to a lever which at one end turns on a pin joint, and at its
other end is connected to a rod which passes up by the side of the vessel, and
at its upper end has a screw thread cut upon it, upon which a screw nut
supported by suitable bearings works, and by turning this nut the rod can be
raised or lowered, and thus open or close the valve. The top of the vessel is,
by preference, of a hemisperical or dome shape, in the top of which an
oval-shaped opening is formed, which is closed by a corresponding lid of
somewhat larger dimensions; this lid is inserted through the opening into the
interior of the vessel, and when turned into such a position as to cover the
opening, it is drawn up into its place by a screw which passes through a bar
placed above the top of the opening; by thus placing the lid in the interior
of the vessel the lid will, when the interior of the vessel is under pressure,
be pressed more firmly into its place, whereas if the lid is held down on to the
exterior of the vessel by bolts or otherwise, as heretofore, any pressure in the
interior of the vessel tends to lift the lid off its seat. At some distance above
the top of the vessel is placed a pulley, around which a chain passes, by
means of which the lid can, when released, be lifted away from the vessel.
The perforated tubes, with the cloth or fabric around them, can then be lifted
out of the vessel or inserted into it. The vessel is provided with an inlet
pipe, through which water can be forced into it, and on this pipe is a safety
valve and also an indicator, by which the pressure in the vessel may at all
times be known.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Snell and William Renton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
SNELL, of Leeds, in the County of York, Cloth Finisher, and WILLIAM RENTON,
of Leeds, aforesaid, Cloth Finisher, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto

page_text: us, the said John Snell and William Renton, Her special licence that we,
the said John Snell and William Renton, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Snell and William Renton, 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 FACING WOOLLEN CLOTH AND
OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said John Snell and William Renton, our executors 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 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 we, the said John Snell and William Renton, 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:-
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to William Renton, Thomas
Renton, and Williams Binns, dated 6th January 1859 (No. 47) was described
the finishing woollen and other fabrics by subjecting them to bydraulic pressure.
Now our Invention consists in improvements on the apparatus described in
the above-mentioned Specification for carrying out the process of subjecting
the woollen or other fabrics to hydraulic pressure. For this purpose a cylin-
drical or other shaped vessel is employed, which is surrounded by a steam
jacket, within the vessel and near its lower end is a perforated bottom, and
above these perforations are placed perforated tubes around which the woollen
cloth or other fabric to be faced or finished is wound, as in the arrangement
described in the before-mentioned Specification. At the bottom of the vessel
is an outlet closed by a valve that opens inwards into the vessel; this valve is
for the purpose of letting off water from the vessel; the stem of the valve
passes down below the bottom of the vessel and is connected to a lever which
t one end turns on a pin joint, and at its other end is connected to a rod
which passes up by the side of the vessel, and at its upper end has a screw
bread cut upon it upon which a screw nut supported by suitable bearings
works, and by turning this nut the rod can be raised or lowered, and thus
pen or close the valve. The top of the vessel is by preference of a hemi-

page_text: spherical or dome shape, in the top of which an oval-shaped opening is formed
which is closed by a corresponding lid of somewhat larger dimensions; this
lid is inserted through the opening into the interior of the vessel, and when
turned into such a position as to cover the opening it is drawn up into its
place by a screw which passes through a bar placed above the top of the
opening. By thus placing the lid in the interior of the vessel the lid will,
when the interior of the vessel is under pressure, be pressed more firmly into
its place, whereas if the lid is held down on to the exterior of the vessel by
bolts or otherwise, as heretofore, any pressure in the interior of the vessel
tends to lift the lid off its seat. At some distance above the top of the vessel
is placed a pulley around which a chain passes by means of which the lid can,
when released, be lifted away from the vessel. The perforated tubes with the
cloth or fabric around them can then be lifted out of the vessel or inserted
into it. The vessel is provided with an inlet pipe through which water can be
forced into it, and on this pipe is a safety valve and also an indicator by which
the pressure in the vessel may at all times be known.
Having thus stated the nature of the Invention we will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same,
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING,
which represents a vertical section of apparatus constructed according to our
Invention.
a, a, is a cylindrical vessel with hemispherical ends, there being an opening
at each end. The opening at the lower end is covered by a valve b which
opens inwards, so that the interior pressure tends to keep the valve closed
when the apparatus is in use. At the upper end is a manhole or opening c of
suitable dimensions and of an oblong shape, having an interior cover d which
is readily raised into position by the screw and nut e, e, but when the pressure
is raised in the interior of the apparatus the cover d will be pressed more
closely to its seat in place of depending on screw bolts, nuts, and flanges for
getting a closed joint at this end of the apparatus. h, h, are the rollers or
cylinders on which the cloth is wound, and they are such as heretofore
employed, and they may be perforated and hollow or they may be solid. The
vessel a, a, is surrounded by a steam jacket as before, and is supplied with
steam in the ordinary manner from a steam boiler; f is a pressure gauge,
and a safety valve on the supply pipe i. By thus employing a pressure
gauge the workman will at all times readily judge as to whether the apparatus
is being worked at the desired pressure. The valve at the lower part of the
apparatus is, when it is desired to run off the water, raised by a lever j acted

page_text: on by the connecting rod k, at the upper end of which is a screw nut and
crank handle 1, by turning which the lever and valve are raised.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would bave it understood that what we claim is, the
combined apparatus herein described, whereby the pressure in the interior of
he vessel (a) tends to keep the cover and valve closed, whilst the pressure
gauge indicates at all times the state of pressure in the vessel a.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Snell and William Renton,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighteenth day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
WILLIAM RENTON. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
said John Snell and William
Renton, in the presence of
B. CHEATLE, of Leeds,
Clerk to Payne, Eddison, & Ford,
Solicitors, Leeds.