A New or Improved Method or Process of Pressing and Finishing Cloth and other Textile Fabrics.
Year: 1898

page_text: A New or Improved Method or Process of Pressing and Finishing
Cloth and other Textile Fabrics.
We, GEORGE HENRY NUSSEY, of Boar Lane, Woollen Manufacturer, and WILLIAM
BRADSHAW LEACHMAN, of Excel Works, Great Wilson Street, Engineer, both of
Leeds, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention refers to a new or improved method or process, for pressing and
finishing cloth, and other textile fabrics, which is simpler and less expensive than
the methods or processes hitherto employed and which gives an improved result
or product.
According to our invention we press the cloth, and other textile fabrics, hereafter
called "cloth," in a wet state, as distinguished from the dry method or process,
or the dewed or damp method or process hitherto used, the cloth" being, accord-
ing to our invention, fed direct from the washing machines, to the pressing machine,
so dispensing with any tentering and drying of the cloth before pressing it..
The pressing machine which we employ is, or may be, similar in construction
to those described in the Specifications of Patents Nos. 242, A.1). 1876 and 4815
A.D. 1880.
We produce our improved result or product by the use of plates of zinc, tin, or
other metal, not liable to damage by the action of heat or moisture, such metallic
plates being in contact with the face surface of the cloth, while absorbent elastic
pads made of some material un-affected by heat or moisture, such as cotton, or a
mixture of cotton and wool, known as fustian' or other equivalent material, are
located at the back of the cloth to be pressed, in the process of pressing, the face
of the said cloth being, as previously stated, in direct contact with the metallic
plates before described.
"
"
Each of the metallic plates aforesaid may be composed of a compound structure,
two thinner metal plates being used with a layer of some more or less soft or
resilient material, such as india rubber, or the padding material before mentioned,
the exterior thin plates of metal and the interposed thickness of material being
secured together, and when so constructed we employ such plates as and for the
purposes previously described, with reference to the metallic plates.
As above stated, the cloth is fed direct from the washing machine to the press,
where it is subjected to a series of direct pressures, with a force of 400 to 500 tons,
the table and head of the press being maintained at a temperature of 240° Fahren-
heit. This severe pressure in conjunction with the wet state of the cloth, the high
temperature maintained during the successive pressings, and the presence of the
intervening metallic plates and elastic absorbent pads as aforesaid, imparts a per-
manent lustre-like surface to the cloth, which it has hitherto been impossible to
obtain, by the pressing processes hitherto in use.
In treating thicker cloths, we find it possible to dispense with the elastic absorbent
pads before mentioned, because the backs of the adjacent thicker cloths, as they

page_text: come into contact with each other, form of themselves, and constitute, a sufficient.
elastic and absorbent pad.
The cloth having been pressed by a wet process, we are able to dispense with the
subsequent process of boiling or blowing, which had the effect of making the cloth
tender, and so damaging it.
Dahi 95th day of Natalian 1909
BREWER & SON,
London & Leeds, Agents for the Applicants.
A New or Improved Method or Process of Pressing and Finishing
Cloth and other Textile Fabrics.
We, GEORGE HENRY NUSSEY, of Boar Lane, Woollen Manufacturer, and WILLIAM
BRADSHAW LEACHMAN, of Excel Works, Great Wilson Street, Engineer, both of
Leeds, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement: —
This invention refers to pressing and finishing cloth, and other textile fabrics,
by a new or improved method or process as hereafter described which is simpler,
speedier, and less expensive than the methods or processes hitherto employed, and
gives a greatly improved result or product.
According to our invention we press the cloth or other textile fabrics, hereafter
referred to as "cloth," in a completely saturated state, as distinguished from the
dry method or process, or the dewed or damped method or process hitherto used,
while the table and head of the press are maintained at a temperature of over
212° Fahrenheit and preferably at about 240° Fahrenheit in place of the temper-
ature of about 140° Fahrenheit hitherto used and an increased pressure of about
380 to 480 lbs. to the square inch is employed the result of such wet pressing at
such higher temperature and with such increased pressure being to impart a
permanent, glossy and lustre-like surface to the "cloth" far superior to anything
that has been hitherto obtained in mechanical pressing, and to enable us to dis-
pense with the old process of tentering and drying the cloth before pressing it
and to dispense also with the process of boiling or blowing the cloth after pressing
it, a superior result to that of the old boiling operation being now obtained by
means of the said higher temperature acting upon the larger quantity of moisture
contained in the cloth. According to our invention the cloth is fed direct from the
washing machine to the pressing machine, the tentering and drying of the cloth be-
fore pressing being now dispensed with. In the press we employ plates or sheets of
zinc, tin, or other metal, not liable to corrosion by the action of heat or moisture,
hereinafter termed "metal plates," and we arrange such metal plates so that the
face surfaces of the cloth are in direct contact therewith, during the pressing oper-
ations, while we employ absorbent elastic pads, hereinafter termed "pads
posed of some material unaffected by heat, or moisture, such as cotton or a mixture
of cotton and wool known as fustian which are located at the back of the cloth
during the said pressing operations. During the pressing operation the table and
the head of the press, or those parts of the press acting on the cloth, are maintained
in a heated condition.
com-
The press which we employ is or may be similar in general construction to those
described in the Specifications of British Patents Nos. 242 A.D. 1876 and 4815,
A.D. 1880, and an example of the arrangement of the metal plates and elastic or

page_text: absorbent pads in the press, in relation to the cloth under treatment, is shewn in
vertical section at Fig. 1, of the drawing accompanying this specification.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a construction of compound metal surfaced plate,
the drawing being shewn to an enlarged scale.
Referring to Fig. 1, A is the table of the press and B the head, both being so con-
structed that they may be maintained in a heated condition during the pressing
operations, say by being internally chambered and formed with apertures to admit
steam as shewn, C is the cloth to be pressed, the latter being carried between
rollers which are revolvably supported in suitable stationary bearings in the
frame of the machine.
The metal plates E are supported from stationary rods E¹ carried in the frame-
work of the machine or from the stationary head B, and the elastic absorbent pads G
are carried from similar rods G¹. In all cases the arrangement is such that each
portion of the length of "cloth" C, when in position to be submitted to pressure,
has its face surface contiguous to a metal plate E, while the back surface is con-
tiguous to a pad G.
In the example shewn at Fig. 1, where a considerable number of plies of cloth
are in position to be pressed, or two separate lengths of cloth are to be simul-
taneously acted upon, we may provide an intermediate metal plate J fitted with
steam pipes or passages by which it can be maintained in a heated condition
during the pressing operations.
The pieces of cloth CC entering the press, travel in the direction of the arrows,
being fed directly from the washing machine to the press, where, upon the table A
of the press being forced upwards by hydraulic or other pressure, the cloth is sub-
jected to direct pressure, with a force of about 350 lbs. to 480 lbs. to the square
inch which pressure may be repeated one or several times if required, and during
this pressure or pressures, the table A and the head B of the press are maintained
at a temperature of 240° Fahrenheit as is also the intermediate plate J. In the
press shewn as an example two separate pieces of cloth are simultaneously treated,
the pieces being divided by the intermediate plate J. When the table A of the
press is lifted, the plate J rises and the pieces of cloth are pressed between the
table and head of the press and the intermediate plate J and a permanent lustre-like
surface is so imparted to the "cloth."
When only one piece of cloth is treated the intermediate plate J, could be dis-
pensed with.
Each of the metallic plates E aforesaid may be composed of a compound structure
as shewn in section at Fig. 2, two thin metal plates E being used with a layer of
some more or less soft or resilient material E such as india-rubber, or the padding
material before mentioned, the exterior thin plates of metal E and the interposed
thickness of soft or resilient material E being secured together, and when so con-
structed we employ such plates as and for the purposes previously described with
reference to the metal plates E of Fig. 1.
In treating thick cloths such as heavy coatings we find it possible to dispense with
the elastic absorbent pads G before mentioned, because when the backs of the
adjacent thicker cloths come into contact with each other the two layers of thick
cloth form of themselves and constitute a sufficient elastic and absorbent pad.
The cloth having been pressed by a wet process as before stated we are able to
dispense with the subsequent process of boiling or blowing hitherto commonly used
which had the effect of making the cloth tender and so damaging it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The method or process of pressing and finishing cloth consisting in delivering
the cloth in a completely saturated state from the washing machine to the press
which is provided with a zinc, tin, or other metal plate, or plates, to come in con-
tact with the face surface or surfaces of the "cloth" and with an absorbent elastic

page_text: "
pad or pads located at the back of the "cloth" to be pressed, the table and head
of the press being maintained at a temperature of about 240° Fahrenheit during
the pressing operations and the cloth being subjected to a pressure or series of
pressures with a force of about 380 lbs. to 480 lbs. to the square inch, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2. The method or process of pressing and finishing "cloth" consisting in deliver-
ing the cloth to the press in a completely saturated state and maintaining the table
and head of the press at a temperature of about 240° Fahrenheit during the press-
ing operation; and subjecting the "cloth" to a pressure or series of pressures with
a force of about 380 lbs. to 480 lbs. to the square inch substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1898
BREWER & SON,
London & Leeds, Agents for the Applicants.