IMPROVEMENTS IN STRETCHING FABRICS
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
MORAND, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Second day of November, in the third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, tho
said Samuel Morand, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Samuel Morand, my exors. adñiors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Samuel Morand, my exors, adiñiors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-.
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STRETCHING FABRICS ;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Samuel
Morand, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled
in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto bad, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Morand, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and

page_text: ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say) -
It is well known to manufacturers or others, that various fabrics run up or
decrease in width when subjected to the operation of dying, bleaching, or
other processes, and that even when taken from the loom the weft or trans-
verse sheet is not accurately stretched or placed in a straight line across the
piece, and consequently a loss of width as well as a want of uniformity
exists, unless such goods are tentered or have some widening or stretching
process performed thereon. I would remark that I have already obtained
Letters Patent for various improvements in machinery for stretching fabrics,
bearing date at Westminster, the Fourteenth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-one, and other Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster,
the Twelfth day of April, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four, to
which Specifications were duly inrolled. Reference being thereunto had,
will enable a workman more readily to understand the present improvements,
and apply them to such machines.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, represents a sectional elevation and Figure 2 a plan
of the principal parts of my former machinery to which my present improve-
ments are applicable. In Figure 1, A represents the cloth or goods in the
state in which they are brought to the machine; and B, B, B, B; B, B, a
series of cylinders over which the cloth or goods are passed till they arrive
at the bars C, C, C,,C, C, C, whence it proceeds to the point D in a flat and
extended state. d, d, d, d, d, d, d, d represent two endless chains of a peculiar
construction, which are kept in a state of tension by passing over the wheels
E, E, E, E, from which they receive a uniform motion. imparted from
any adequate moving power to the shaft F; and the mode of constructing
such chains d, which constitutes one part of the present Invention. The
direction in which these chains move is indicated by arrows at Figures 1 and 2;
and it will be seen, Figure 2, that the two chains proceed parallel to each other
from the point D to G, and then gradually diverge to the point H, where they
again become and run parallel for some length, but at a greater width than at
D to G, and continue so till they arrive at the point I. These two chains
d, d, are provided with a series of sharp points, as best seen at Figure 1,
on to which the cloth is placed by hand at the point D, each row of
points taking into the opposite selvage of the cloth, the distance of
the two chains at the point D being first adjusted to correspond with the
cloth to be operated on.
This adjustment of the distance between the two

page_text: chains with the points which carry the goods or cloth is governed by the
rotation of the shafts K. K, K, K, which are severally provided with reverse
threads or screws taking into muts attached to the rails or guides on which the
chains traverse. Thus it is obvious that the cloth or goods passing forward on
the points from the point D to II must be stretched or widened according to
the set of the chains at H, and held in the extended or stretched state till it
is delivered at the point I.
Having thus called attention to the general arrangement of the machine,
which is similar to my former Patents, I will now particularly describe my
present improvements.
My first improvement is in the construction of the chains d, d, in which the
points are placed. Figure 1, Sheet 2, is a side elevation of one link of the
chain, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 an end elevation of the same. These
links are provided with a slot or cut, for the purpose of receiving the small
comb or series of points represented in end and side elevation at Figures
4 and 5, which, when placed in the link, assume the position shewn at Figures
6 and 7. A sufficient number of these links are then connected together by
pins, which pass through both the link and the comb, securing the whole, as
represented in elevation and plan at Figures 6 and 7, while the projecting
pins, being at accurate and uniform distances, are received into the spaces on
the periphery of the carrier wheels E, E, as represented in the front and side
clevation at Figures 8 and 9. These carrier wheels are placed on the shaft
F and F', as best seen in an enlarged plan at Figure 10, Sheet 2, when they
partake of the rotary motion of the shaft by means of a midfeather or rib,
but are allowed to slide or vary their distances according to the width of the
cloth or fabric to be stretched. Figures 11, 12, and 13 represent external,
internal, and end elevations of one of the supports in which the shafts F
revolve, and which are traversed by the rotation of the screws K, K, for
increasing or diminishing the distance of the parallel portions of the chains.
My second improvement consists in the addition of an apparatus for keeping
the two chains in a parallel position at the point I (see Figure 2, Sheet I),
similar to that applied at the point D, and shewn on an enlarged scale at
Figure 10, Sheet 2; and here I would remark that the delivery of the cloth
or goods at the point I (see Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 1), in a finished state, is
greatly facilitated by slightly diminishing the distance of the chains at the
point I, which I am enabled to do by the addition of the apparatus for regu-
lating the distance of the parallel chains at this point. The present addition
of a parallel apparatus at the point I will be best seen at Figure 2, Sheet 1,
where supposing the distance of the chains at D, at H, and at I, to be adjusted

page_text: according to the nature of the fabrics to be operated on, or stretched, the
distance of the chains at each of the points D, H, and I may be increased or
diminished by revolving the shaft M, which is provided with the three small
bevil wheels m, m, m, by which the shafts K are revolved, and the action of
the several threads with which the are provided brought into operation on
the rails or guides on which the chains are supported; and further, supposing
any one of the points D, H, or I, to require separate adjustment, either of the
wheels m can be taken out of gear and the K shaft revolved independent of
the shaft M.
My third improvement consists in the addition of the shaft N (see Figure 2,
Sheet 1), which gears, by means of the bevils n, n, the two shafts F and F
together, and effects a similar and uniform rotation in each of the carrier
wheels E, E, E, E, thereby relieving the chains, which in my former machines
received motion from the wheels E, E, on the shaft F only, the carrier wheels
at the point D being driven by the movement of the chains, the chains,
having by this improvement no work to perform further than carrying the
cloth or goods in its transit from the point D to I, are more easily kept in
repair, and perform their work in every way with greater accuracy and in a
more perfect manner.
My fourth improvement consists in a variation in the construction and
position of the joints in the rails or guides by which the two chains are sup-
ported. In Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 1, these joints are seen at h, h, h, on each
rail, one at the termination of the parallel portions of the chains at each
end of the machine, and one at the point H. In the original machine the
joints were placed a few inches from the screw K, by which they are opened
or shut.
But I find by experience that the adjustment of the rails or guides,
which necessarily open or shut these joints more or less, is effected with
greater accuracy and less force by placing the joints respectively perpendicular
to the centre of the screws K by which they are moved, in addition to which
the distance from G to H (see Figure 2, Sheet 1), in which the stretch takes
place, is materially increased thereby, rendering the same amount of stretch
more gradual than in the original machine. The separate parts of which my
improved joint is constructed are shewn on an enlarged scale at Sheet 2, where
Figures 14 and 15 represent end and side elevations of the nut or part through
which the screw K passes, and Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19 elevation and
plans of the separate parts of the joint the centre of which is placed perpen-
dicularly over the centre of the shaft K. This joint is attached to the rail or
guide along which the chain passes, and a sectional view of the rail at
Figure 20 will sufficiently explain the construction of this part.

page_text: My fifth improvement consists in a provision for the longitudinal expansion
of the rails or guides for carrying the chains, as well as the variation of the.
distance from the point I to the point G, which will always take place as the
distance of the two chains of the point II is increased or diminished. This I
effect by mounting the parallel apparatus at D, consisting of the screw shafts
K, K, and their gearing, together with the revolving shaft F', on the same.
bar or sliding carriage. This carriage e, e, e, e, moves free in the direction of
the chains, and is supported on the main framing of the machine; and it will
be remarked that the small bevil wheel n which gears into the bevil wheel on
the shaft F is also carried along with the carriage e, e, e, e, by means of a small
arm e', the shaft N being connected with the bevil wheel by means of a rib
or midfeather, which imparts the rotation of the shaft, without impeding the
sliding motion required to accommodate the varying distance of the points
I and G. It will be also remarked that a small bevil wheel m is also con-
nected with the moving carriage e, e, e, e, as well as the remaining bevil m,
which is connected with the K shaft at II, which is also supported on a sliding
pedestal, to allow for the expansion.
Having now described my five improvements in machinery for stretching
fabrics, together with such parts of the original machine as was required to
make the application of my improvements understood, I hereby declare that
I do not claim any separate or well known part of such apparatus or ma-
chinery herein-before set forth and described; but what I claim as my
Invention is,
First, the mode of constructing chains for stretching machines, as above
described.
Secondly, I claim the mode of applying additional parallel apparatus at or
near the end I of the machine, whereby the point of delivery may be slightly
narrowed, and thus free the fabric from the points more readily, as above
described.
Thirdly, I claim the application of a shaft N to cause the motion of the
shafts or axes F, F', to be geared together, as above described.
Fourthly, I claim the application of the joints perpendicularly over the
screws K, as above described. And,
Lastly, I claim the mode of arranging the guides of the chains and the
bearings of the shafts or axes F', K, K, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Morand, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 15th day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty.
SAMUEL (L.S.) MORAND.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifteenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord 1840, the aforesaid Samuel Morand came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty.