IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR PRESSING OR FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adolphe Drevelle, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRESSES FOR PRESSING OR FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS."
Sealed the 12th September 1861, and dated the 16th March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adolphe Drevelle at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th March 1861.
I, ADOLPHE DREVELLE, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR PRESSING OR FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS,"
to be as follows:-
To the ordinary press I fix on each side thereof a moveable frame, technically
called a Jacob's ladder, to support the press plates, and raise or lower them at
pleasure, by which operation they are opened or closed simultaneously to allow
the goods to be put on the plates, pressed, and removed therefrom, the same as-
putting books on the shelves of a book-case without one piece interfering with
another. The simultaneous self-acting up-and-down motion of all the plates
at the same time dispenses with the tedious labour of removing them separately
by hand, and secures the advantage of heating and coating the goods very
quickly, on account of the space left between each piece, either before or after
using the press. To supply steam or hot air and water to to the plates I fix a

page_text: spiral feed tube inside a hollow pillar, to which feed tube I fix at equal
distances the ends of each plate's pipe sliding out and along a groove in the
hollow pillar. Or instead of a spiral tube I use a folding apparatus of any
-suitable shape, acting as elbows for expanding or contracting with the up-and-
down motion of the plates. I make the plates of any suitable metal, but
instead of being hollow to admit the steam, as hitherto adopted, which causes
them either to break, or the steam to escape on account of the pressure
exercised on them. I fix pipes all round the edges of the plates and cross-ways
in the middle of the large ones, which pipes communicating the heat to the
plates, spread it underneath and above as well as all round the goods, in a
more efficient manner than can be obtained by the mode hitherto adopted.
In conjunction with my improved plates, and the self-acting frame to move
them up or down, I fix round or inside the press a folding enclosure of any
suitable material, in order to retain the heat, which enclosure allows me also
to dispense with, if necessary, the hot plates, or to use them conjointly with a
series of pipes surrounding the goods. The principal advantage of this folding
enclosure besides retaining the heat is cooling the goods much quicker by
leaving it wide open, and passing cold water through the pipes. I may also
observe, that in order to quicken the heating operation, I make or manufacture
cards or pasteboards with a mixture of any suitable metallic powder, or a thin
metallic plate covered with paper, as it is a better heat conductor.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Adolphe Drevelle in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th September 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ADOLPHE.
DREVELLE, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant,,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her.
rǝign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Adolphe Drevelle, Her special licence that I, the said Adolphe Drevelle,"
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Adolphe Drevelle, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-.
after during the term. therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,

page_text: use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PRESSES FOR PRESSING OR FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Adolphe: Drevelle,. 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 Adolphe Drevelle; do hereby declare the
nature of my 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 (that is to say):-
To the ordinary press I place on each side thereof a moveable frame,
technically called a Jacob's ladder, to support the press plates, and raise or
lower them at pleasure, by which. operation they are opened or closed
simultaneously to allow the goods to be put on the plates, pressed, and
removed therefrom, the same as putting books on the shelves of a. book-case
without one piece interfering with another. The simultaneous self-acting up-
and-down motion of all the plates at the same time dispenses with the tedious
labor of removing them separately by hand, and secures the advantage of
heating and cooling the goods very quickly, on account of the space left
between each piece, either before or after using the press. To supply steam
or hot air and water to the plates I employ two spiral feed tubes inside two
hollow pillars, to which feed tubes I fix. at equal distances the ends of each
plate's pipe extending out and sliding along a groove in each hollow pillar,
which spiral tubes dispense with the ordinary sockets and joints. Or instead.
of the spiral tubes I use a folding apparatus of any suitable shape, acting as
bellows for expanding or contracting with the up-and-down motion of the
plates; and in one arrangement, when joints and elbows are employed, I
enclose them in a pliable casing or covering, which follows the motions of the
plate, so that if any steam should escape from the joints it cannot damage the
goods, as is often the case in the old mode of operation; or instead of a pliable
case I use a stationary box having a groove, in which the joints move up and
down, there being suitable packing for keeping them air-tight. I make the
plates of any suitable metal, but instead of being cast hollow, or rivetting two
sheets together, or forming the plates with plain surfaces, I use perforated plates
on both sides with pipes between them, which mode causes the heating and, .

page_text: In con-
cooling to be more quickly performed than by the present mode.
junction with my improved plates, and the self-acting frame to move them up
or down, I place doors round or inside the press, forming a folding or sliding
enclosure of any suitable material, in order to retain the heat, which enclosure
may be entirely plain, or when desired, have pipes in its interior, and its inner
surface perforated. The principal advantage of this enclosure is to accelerate
the heating of the goods without interfering with the cooling when the doors
are opened or the enclosure removed. I.may also observe, that in order to
quicken the heating operation, I make or manufacture cards or pasteboards
with a mixture of any suitable metallic powder, or a thin metallic plate
covered with pulp, paper, or pasteboard, as it is a better heat conductor.
.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the Figures
and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figs. 1, 2, and 3,
are front, end, and back elevations of one of my improved arrangements for
pressing or finishing textile fabrics; Figs. 4 and 5 are views of one of the
press plates; Fig. 5ª represents the arms of the ladder in their contracted
positions when the ram is raised; Fig. 6, a view of the application of a
flexible tube as a substitute for the joints and elbow pipes; Fig. 7 represents
another improved mode of connecting the supply and discharge pipes with the
plates; and Fig. 8, a self-acting motion for working sliding doors instead of
folding doors.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the press plates are shewn at a; they are guided in
suitable standards b, and have at their sides pins or projections c, which rest
upon the arms d of the Jacob's ladder, which is maintained in a vertical posi-
tion by the rods e. The top arms are jointed to the press head:f, and the bottom
arms are supported by the bottom press g, which is connected by the ram h
with the moving power. When the plate g is raised the arms d and plates a
are moved simultaneously, and with the resistance obtained by the press head f
the goods are pressed as required, and as the plates are not bound, but simply
rest upon the arms of the ladder, the varied thickness of the pieces of goods
do not interfere with the pressing action. The front doors are shewn at i, and
the side doors at k. One of the front and one of the side doors turn upon the
same pin as'at 7, so that they may all turn backwards and forwards without
interfering with each other, and the doors have in the inside a pipe m, Fig..3,
placed in a serpentine direction, and covered with a perforated surface. The
élbow pipes for the supply of steam and water are shewn at n, and the elbow
pipes for taking off the condensed steam and water at o. Each set of pipes is
enclosed in a pliable casing or covering p, which moves up and down with the
elbow pipes, and protects the goods from damage by any escape of steam from

page_text: the joints. In Figs. 4 and 5, representing detached views of the press plates,
the inner perforated plate is shewn at q, and the serpentine internal pipe at r,
the ends s of which are jointed to the steam and condensing pipes.. In Fig. 6,
representing the application of a flexible tube for the supply of steam and
water, the tube is shewn at t, and has as many sockets or joints as there are
ends of the pipes. The tube expands and contracts as the plates move up and
down, and there is, therefore, no working of the joints, and no danger from
escape of steam. There are two tubes, one for the steam, and the other for
the condensation and escape of water, and each tube is enclosed in a vertical
hollow column or case, having a groove for guiding the tubes, so as to corre-
spond with the movement of the plates. .
..
In Fig. 7 I represent an arrangement for reducing to a great extent the
quantity of elbows required for connecting the supply and discharge pipes with
the plates, and for obtaining the advantage of enclosing the steam apparatus
within the doors or slides of the press. One of the supply or discharge pipes
is shewn at u; it is connected by links to one of the pillars or standards of
the press, as at w, so that it can be moved up and down with the plates
instead of being stationary, as at present adopted. The pipes move parallel
with the standards, and the links are all precisely the same length, and the
supply and discharge pipes are supported by the bottom press, and move
with it.
In Fig. 8 I represent a self-acting motion for working sliding doors instead
of the folding doors. One of the doors is shewn at ; it is connected at the
top to two levers y, z, both working on a fulcrum detached from the door.
To the other ends of the levers are attached the rods a', 6', which at their
lower ends rest upon the bottom press, and, therefore, rise and fall with it, so
that as the bottom press rises the door descends to its required position by the
action of the levers. Or instead of the levers, chains and balance weights, or
other suitable contrivances, may be employed.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood
that I claim in presses for pressing or finishing textile fabrics,―
First, the peculiar arrangement of jointed arms or links, technically called
Jacob's ladder, for giving simultaneous motion to the press plates.
Secondly, the perforated surfaces at one or both sides of the plates, for the
purpose of accelerating the operations of heating and cooling the goods.
Thirdly, the application to the press of folding or sliding doors, either with
or without pipes covered with perforated surfaces.

page_text: Fourthly, the employment of expanding tubes connected to the pipes in the
plates, for the purpose of supply and discharge.
Fifthly, the enclosing of elbow pipes and joints in a pliable case or covering.
Sixthly, the use of a stationary box having a groove, in which the joints
move up and down in suitable packing to keep the parts air-tight.
Seventhly, the employment of a parallel motion connected with the supply
and discharge pipes, for the purpose of reducing the number of elbow pipes
and joints.
And, eighthly, the manufacture and employment of metallic plates covered
with pulp, paper, or pasteboard, as all such improvements are herein described
and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adolphe Drevelle, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one:
Signed, sealed and delivered, by the
within-named Adolphe Drevelle,
in the presence of
G. SEPTIMUS HUGHES,
17, Cross Street, Manchester.
A. DREVELLE. (L.S.)