IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN HOT-PRESSING WOVEN
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Collier, of Halifax, and James William
Crossley, of Brighouse, both in the County of York, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN HOT-PRESSING WOVEN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Collier and James
William Crossley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 17th November 1855.
We, GEORGE COLLIER, of Halifax, and JAMES WILLIAM CROSSLEY, of
Brighouse, both in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN HOT-
PRESSING WOVEN FABRICS AND OTHER SURFACES" to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to forming press plates (to receive steam, hot water,
or hot air) of cast iron. We form the chambers or passages within such
plates by first bending a length of wrought pipe, so that the parts of it may
lie in parallel lines or other forms to produce an extended circulation in a
plane surface, and then enclosing such pipe by casting the metal thereon, or
we form such plates with passages therein by means of sand cores, taking care
to leave sufficient metal to serve as pillars to prevent the collapsing of the
plate by the pressure applied; we also form such in two parts, which, when

page_text: brought together and held by cementing and rivetting or otherwise, will
produce like channels or passages; and to prevent disturbance of the pipes or
of the cores during the pouring of the metal, we prefer that the moulds be
formed so that in casting the plates they may be standing on edge. Also to
employing, intermediate of such hollow press plates, and between the fabrics
to be pressed, sheets of thin polished tin or other metal in place of the press
papers now used, by which greater durability. is obtained, and a finer surface
is given to the fabric pressed. Such sheets of; metal may also be used when
other heating plates or pressing means are employed. Also to supplying such
hollow press plates with the heating medium through pipes or tubes of
vulcanized or prepared india-rubber, covered with strong cloth or other flexible
material tightly bound thereon..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Collier and James William Crossley in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 16th May 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
COLLIER, of Halifax, and JAMES WILLIAM CROSSLEY, of Brighouse, both in the
County of York, send greeting.
.
year of
our executors,
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said George Collier and James William Crossley, Her special licence
that we, the said George Collier and James William Crossley,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said George Collier
and James William Crossley, 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 law-
fully 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 EMPLOYED IN HOT-
PRESSING WOVEN FABRICS AND OTHER SURFACES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said George Collier and James William Crossley, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their
bands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should

page_text: 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 George Collier and James William
Crossley, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say) :-
The improvements relate to forming press plates of cast iron to receive
steam, hot water, or hot air, for the purpose of heating them; and which may
also, when desired, receive cold water for the purpose of cooling them. We
form the chambers or passages within such plates by first bending a length of
wrought pipe, so that the parts of it may lie in parallel lines or other forms to
produce an extended circulation in a plane surface, and we then enclose such
pipe by casting the metal thereon, or we form such plates with passages
therein by means of sand cores, taking care to leave sufficient metal to serve as
pillars to prevent the collapsing of the plate by the pressure applied thereto in
use; we also form such plates of cast metal in two parts, which, when brought
together and held by cementing and rivetting or otherwise, will produce like
channels or passages for the steam, hot water, or hot air employed as the
heating media; and to prevent disturbance of the pipes or of the cores during
the pouring of the metal, we prefer that the moulds be formed so that in
casting the plates they may be standing on edge. Also the improvements
relate to supplying such hollow press plates with the heating medium by means
of tubes or pipes of vulcanized or prepared india-rubber, strengthened by
strong cloth or other flexible material, so as to render the same capable of
resisting the pressure of the heating media. Also the improvements relate to
employing, intermediate of such hollow press plates, and between the fabrics
to be pressed, sheets of thin polished tin or other metal in place of the press
papers now used for that purpose, by which greater durability is obtained
whilst a finer surface or better finish is given to the fabric pressed. Such
sheets of metal may also be used when other heating plates or pressing means
are employed.
Figure 1 shows a plan of the pipes as we prefer to arrange them previous
to their being enclosed in the metal to form a plate; we do not, however,
confine ourselves to such arrangement. The dotted line indicates the extent
of a plate to be cast thereon.
Figure 2 shows a side view, Figure 3 a section, and Figure 4 an end
view, of one of the plates complete. It will be seen that the ends of the

page_text: enclosed pipe project at a, a, beyond the edge of the plate. These are to
facilitate the attachment thereto of pipes of the flexible tubing, for the passage
of the steam or other heating medium into and from the plates, as also of the
cold water, or it may be cold air, when they are desired to be cooled. b', b', are
parts projecting to serve as handles to the plates b.
Figure 5 shews one of the plates formed by casting the passages therein;
Figure 6 shows a front view, and Figure 7 an end view, of a press, with the
plates according to our improvements applied thereto and supposed to be in
operation. c is a main pipe to receive the steam, hot water, or other heating
media from the generator of such media, in order to distribute it by the pipes
d, d, to the several plates 6 employed. The pipes d are of vulcanized india-
rubber or other suitable flexible material, strengthened, when desired, by cotton
or other suitable flexible material, and they are at one end connected as shown
to the plates 6 by the connection e, and at the other end by taps f to the supply
pipe c. By the use of pipes formed of such flexible material as the means of
conducting the heating media to the plates, facility is given to the movement
of those plates up and down in the press. When it is desired to cool the
plates the steam or other heating media is shut off from the pipe c, and cold
water is allowed to flow therein, and thence by the pipes & to the plates b, and
there are other pipes similar to the pipe c to receive the steam or other heating
media from the plates 6 after it has served to heat the plates, and such pipe
is in communication with a bath of cold water, by which, when steam is used,
the same may be condensed. In order to raise the plates as may be desired
without the aid of the press, we employ hooks g, g, of which there are four
shewn, but this number may be varied; their hooked ends are passed one
under each handle b', so as to support it, and the two at each end of the frame
are connected together, so as to be raised by a chain or cord ; and that these
cords or chains may raise or lower the plates simultaneously, they are passed
one over and the other under cach pulley i; affixed to the axis ', which is
supported in bearings carried by the framing, and has affixed to it a worm
wheel j, which is taken into by a worm & affixed upon the shaft l, upon which
is affixed the handle m, by which the same may be turned as desired; n, n, are
racks, of which there are two to each side of the press; these are to receive
bars or rods o by which to support the plates, if desired, when raised by the
hooks 9, 9, and when not in use.
Having thus described the nature of our said improvements, we would have
it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein
shewn and described, as these may be varied; but what we claim is,―
First, the constructing press plates used in hot-pressing woven fabrics and

page_text: other surfaces, as explained. Also, we claim the forming press plates used in
hot-pressing woven fabrics and other surfaces, with the passages therein for
the flow of the heating media employed, of wrought iron pipes bent so as to
obtain an extended circulation within such plates, as explained.
Secondly, the supplying such press plates with steam, hot water, or hot air,
through tubes of vulcanized or prepared india-rubber (caoutchouc), strengthened
by cloth or other suitable material, as explained.
And, thirdly, we claim the employment, in connection with suitable press
plates, and in substitution of the ordinary press papers used in press-finishing
fabrics, plates formed of thin polished tin or other metal.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Collier and James William
Crossley, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twelfth day of
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
JOHN CROSSLEY.
GEORGE COLLIER.
(L.S.)
JAMES WILLIAM CROSSLEY. (L.s.)