IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robertson and James Guthrie Orchar, of
Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS."
Sealed the 3rd April 1866, and dated the 13th October 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robertson and
James Guthrie Orchar at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 13th October 1865.
We, WILLIAM ROBERTSON and JAMES GUTHRIE ORCHAR, of Dundee, in
the County of Forfar, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FINISHING TEXTILA
FABRICS," to be as follows, that is to say:
This Invention, which has for its object certain improvements in
apparatus used for calendering textile fabrics, consists essentially in the
addition to the ordinary calendering machine of certain new parts of
apparatus by which the said machine is rendered capable of effecting, in
addition to its ordinary work, the mangle finish hitherto imparted to goods
by the ordinary mangle, thus the use of the ordinary mangle is dispensed
with.
According to one arrangement of apparatus by which these improve.
ments are carried out there is placed below the ordinary calendering

page_text: machine a system of levers fitted with adjustable weights, the use of which
is to impart to the calendering rollers a pressure sufficient to produce the
"mangle finish" on the cloth. It is to be understood that this lower
system of levers is used as well as the top system employed in ordinary
calendering machines. Under one modification of this Invention for
bringing the lower system of levers to operate upon the calender rollers
there are attached near to the fulcrum of the lower levers a pair of long
straps, which pass up through the framing and embrace.the whole of the
rollers (any number of which may be used); these straps are situated
preferably on the inner side of the framing. As it is necessary to use less
.pressure for calendering than mangling, it is an important point of this
Invention that the lower system of levers may be taken out of action
upon the rollers when the former operation only has to be conducted.
The lower levers then are disengaged from the rollers by means of snails
or cams, which are driven in such a manner as to lift the levers, thus the
pressure. on the straps is taken off. The snails or cams may be driven by
. means of a.screw and tangent wheel, or in any other suitable manner, and
it is to be understood that any other suitable apparatus may be employed
for lifting the lower set of levers. As some cloths require greater pressure
for producing on them a certain amount of mangle finish than other cloths
do, it becomes necessary to employ means for adjusting the weights on the
lower set of levers; it is preferred to effect this by means of a screw or
.screws gearing into the adjustable weights of the lower set of levers; by
means of these screws the weights can easily be shifted to any part of the
levers, and the pressure on the rollers modified accordingly. The screws
for adjusting the weights are by preference actuated by a cross shaft driven
'from a central-shaft by means of a pulley, the shafts actuating each other
by bevil gearing. At the end of the first shaft for adjusting the position of
the weights a counting apparatus is attached for indicating the number
of turns that have been imparted to the adjusting screws, thus the number
of turns of the screws being known and their pitch, the position of the
'weights on the levers is also known. By means of this arrangement the
apparatus may at once be re-adjusted for imparting any specific mangle
finish upon the cloths.
Another part of this Invention consists in the addition to the ordinary
or calendering machine of an apparatus for compensating the action of the
lever on the position of the weights; it is to be understood that any
ordinary compensating apparatus may be used, this part of the Invention
not consisting in improvements in the apparatus, but merely, in the com-

page_text: bining of apparatus for preventing the usual rising and falling of the
weights. It is to be understood that the lower set of levers herein-before
referred to may be employed for calendering or mangling, in which case
the upper set may be dispensed with; or, instead of placing the levers
below, they may be placed above, with apparatus necessary for moving
the weights into such position that the pressure may be produced for
calendering or mangling.
Although preference is given to the lever arrangement herein-before
mentioned for obtaining the requisite pressure to bring out the "mangle
finish," this can also be accomplished by employing screws, eccentrics,
or cams wrought by means of wheel gearing or otherwise to give the
pressure direct in the vertical line of roller centres or otherwise, and in
connection with this means of pressure it is preferred to have a powerful
friction apparatus capable of indicating any required pressure by means of
an adjusted lever with weight, the pressure to be brought up by said
screws, eccentrics, or cams to whatever degree the friction apparatus
might be set for. By these means the ordinary calendering pressure or
the extra pressure for mangling can be obtained at pleasure, whilst the
heavily weighted levers herein-before referred to are dispensed with.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robertson and James Guthrie Orchar in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
ROBERTSON and JAMES GUTHRIE ORCHAR, of Dundee, in the County of
Forfar, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said William Robertson and James Guthrie Orchar, Her special
license that we, the said William Robertson and James Guthrie Orchar,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
William Robertson and James Guthrie Orchar, our executors, adminis-
trators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,

page_text: 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 APPARATUS FOR FINISHING TEXTILE
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William
Robertson and James Guthrie Orchar, by an instrument in writing under
our 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 we, the said William Robertson and James
Guthrie Orchar, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to
the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say :-
Our said Invention, which has for its object certain improvements in
apparatus used for calendering textile fabrics, consists essentially in the
.addition to the ordinary calendering machine of certain new parts of
apparatus by which the said machine is rendered capable of effecting, in
addition to its ordinary work, the finish hitherto imparted to goods by the
ordinary mangle, thus the use of the ordinary mangle is dispensed with.
According to one arrangement of apparatus by which these improvements
are carried out there is placed below the ordinary calendering machine a
system of levers fitted with adjustable weights, the use of which is to
impart to the calendering rollers a pressure sufficient to produce the
"mangle finish" on the cloth. It is to be understood that this lower
system of levers is used as well as the top system employed in ordinary
calendering machines. Under one modification of this Invention for
bringing the lower system of levers to operate upon the calender rollers,
there are attached near to the fulcrum of the lower levers a pair of long
straps, which
pass up through the framing and embrace the whole of the
rollers (any number of which may be used); these straps are situated pre-
ferably on the inner side of the framing. As it is necessary to use less
pressure for calendering than mangling, it is an important point in this
Invention that the lower system of levers may be taken out of action upon
the rollers when the former operation only has to be conducted. The
Hower levers then are disengaged from the rollers by means of snails or
cams, which are driven in such a manner as to lift the levers, thus the

page_text: pressure on the straps is taken off.. The snails or cams may be driven by
means of a screw and tangent wheel, or in any other suitable manner, and
it is to be understood that any other apparatus may be employed for lifting
the lower set of levers. As some cloths require greater pressure for producing
on them a certain amount of mangle finish than other cloths do, it becomes
necessary to employ means for adjusting, the weights on the lower set of
levers; it is preferred. to effect this by means of a screw or screws gearing
into the adjustable weight of the lower set of levers; by means of these
screws the weights can easily be shifted to any part of the levers, and the
pressure on the rollers modified accordingly. The screws for adjusting the
weights are by preference actuated: by a cross shaft driven from a central.
shaft by means of a pulley, the shafts actuating each other.by. bevil.gearing..
At the end of the first shaft for adjusting the position. of the weights a
counting apparatus is attached for indicating the number of turns that have:
been imparted to the adjusting: screws, thus the number of turns of the-
screws being known and their pitch, the position of the weights on the
levers is also known. By means of this arrangement the apparatus may
at once be re-adjusted. for imparting any specific mangle finish upon the
cloths..
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood, we
now proceed to describe more particularly the system, mode, or manner in
or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, reference being had to the Figures upon the two explanatory Sheets
of Drawings which we have hereunto appended, and in which similar
parts are indicated by corresponding letters of reference, that is to say:―
The Figure on Sheet is a complete side elevation of a combined
calendering and mangling machine as constructed in accordance with
this Invention. The Figure on Sheet 2 is a plan of the under side of the
machine, showing the arrangement of levers, adjustable weights, and the
mode of adjusting them, and is herein-after more fully referred.
In Sheet I the part marked A is one of the main standards of the framing
to which the principal parts of the mechanism are attached,, a similar
standard being employed opposite to the one seen for carrying the other
end of the rollers and parts affixed thereto. The framing. A has formed in
it a vertical parallel central opening B, in which the bushes or bearing
blocks C for carrying the several rollers D, D¹, D, D³, D*, are fitted so as
to move up and down therein in accordance with the thickness of the layers
of the cloth on the rollers. The rollers are put in motion by means of
spur gearing actuated by belts E and F respectively operating upon the

page_text: pulleys G & H. The belt F is a cross belt, and drives the pully H in a
direction opposite to that in which the pully G revolves. There is a
friction clutch of the ordinary or other construction (not shown in the
Drawings) fitted on the shaft carrying the pulleys G & H, so that the
machine may be readily caused to revolve backwards and forwards as may
be required. The power transmitted to the pulleys G & H is multiplied by
means of the pinion I acting on the spur wheel K, which again carries the
pinion L gearing into the spur wheel M keyed to the end of the roller D.
When it is desired to produce on goods that known as the calender finish,
this may be effected in the ordinary manner by the pressure produced
through the weights on the upper or top levers N; but when the "mangle
finish" is required, the calendering machine, as constructed under this
Invention, is rendered capable of producing it by means of the additional
pressure produced by the effect of the weighted levers P below. The
levers P are moveable about their fulcra O, fixed into the brackets Q, which
are bolted or otherwise fixed to the main under framing R. At the
point S in each of the levers P an eye-bolt, link, or strap T is secured,
which passes up through the framing R to the strap U, to which it is
secured, as shown on Sheet 1. This strap extends upwards, preferably on
the inner side of the framing, although it may be otherwise arranged, and
embraces at its upper end the top roller D; thus any additional pressure
is imparted to the several rollers D, D1, D2, etc., over and above that which
is effected by the top levers above; in this way a higher quality of finish
is produced than can be effected by calendering machines as ordinarily
constructed. As certain kinds or classes of goods will require different
degrees of pressure to produce the "mangle finish" on them, it is necessary
that the additional weight or pressure capable of being put on by
the lower set of levers P should be capable of ready adjustment to the
qualities of goods being or to be treated. This adjustment is effected as
follows, and for the sake of rendering this part of our Invention better
understood, reference is now made to Sheet 2 in conjunction with the
lower part of the Figure on Sheet 1. The levers P are furnished with pro-
jecting pieces or brackets that carry bearings, in which the screws V revolve.
The upper faces or edges of the levers P are planed flat, and on this edge
of each lever the weight carriages W are travelled. The carriages W are
provided with antifriction rollers u, so that they may the more easily be
moved on the levers P; straps X are also hung over them, from which
any weights necessary for producing the pressure on the rollers may
be suspended. At the back or inner end of the weight carriages W

page_text: brackets are formed, to which the bar Y is bolted, and by means of this
bar the carriages are connected. The bar Y has two openings formed in
it, into which nuts a, a, are secured, and by the action of the screws V
turning therein the weights are readily adjusted to any position on the
levers P, so as to produce the pressure corresponding to the finish required.
The adjusting of the position of the weights is made self-acting, or capable
of being performed at the will of the attendant, by putting the screws in-
gear with the driving apparatus, either in a right or left hand direction, as
may be necessary. At any convenient distance in front of the machine a
vertical shaft bis placed, which is driven off any prime motion shaft by.
any of the systems of mechanism in ordinary use for producing circular
motion; at its lower end the bevil pinion c is keyed, which gears into and
actuates a similar bevil pinion on the horizontal shaft d. On referring to
Sheet 2 especially, it will be observed that this horizontal shaft d extends
completely under the central part of the machine, and at its inner end actuates
by bevil gearing the cross shaft e, which in turn and in a similar manner
also drives at each end one of the screws V. An apparatus for indicating
the exact pressure on the rollers is used in conjunction with the mechanism
for adjusting the position of the weights on the levers. One kind of
apparatus that may be employed for indicating this pressure consists of a
train of wheelwork, which revolves a hand or pointer on a dial. This hand
is caused to move through a certain number of degrees or parts of a
degree for each revolution of the screws V, and on the several divisions of
the dial the pressure in tons and parts of a ton are marked, so that the
pressure on the rollers is known by looking at the position of the pointer on
the dial. It is to be understood that when an indicating apparatus of the
kind just referred to is used it may be driven either off the horizontal
shaft which actuates the screws, or off one end of the screws themselves,
as may be found most convenient; and it is further to be understood that
we consider as part of our Invention the use of apparatus for indicating the
pressure produced by the weighted levers in calendering or mangling
machines, or in machines which are combined or arranged to produce a
calender or mangle finish at will. On noting the pressure corresponding to
any particular finish for any particular class of goods, the machine can at
any time be adjusted for producing the same finish by merely turning the
screws until the pointer arrives at the position of the pressure indicated
upon the dial.
In preparing the machine to enable the cloth after it is finished to be
taken off the winding-on roller D³, it is necessary that all the levers are

page_text: lifted and the roller D left out of contact with any of the others, and
in order that the whole of the levers may be lifted with as much ease as
possible, the screws are put in motion in a left-hand direction, when the
weights are carried to their extreme inner ends, as near their fulcra as
possible. When this is effected, the vertical shaft / carrying the tangent
screws is put in motion, which in turn actuates the worm wheel k
keyed on the cross shaft l, which has also keyed on to it at either end the
snails or cams m; these being actuated by means of the tangent screw and
wheel acting upon the turned-up ends of the levers P, as more particularly
seen at Figure 1, cause these to be lifted, and thus all weight produced by
the levers on the straps, and from them to the rollers, is for the time
suspended. When this lower set of levers are thus taken out of action the
gearing n is put in motion by the belt o; the pinion p gearing into the
rack ", the top levers are raised to an extent necessary to lift the top
roller a sufficient distance from the second one, and by means of the links s
and drop bearing t to bring the second roller on which the cloth is wound
out of contact with the third, thus leaving the second roller free for the
cloth to be unwound therefrom. It is to be understood that the calender
finish may be produced with the machine herein-before described by using
the upper set of levers only and by disengaging the lower set whilst the
operation of calendering is going on. In lieu of producing the pressure on
the rollers (when the machine, as herein-before described, is used for
mangling) by means of the long straps embracing the rollers, as shown on
Sheet 1, this pressure may be produced in an upward direction by making
the under levers moveable on their centre and connecting the extremity of
the short end of these levers to a stiff bar or strut passing up through the
framing and pressing against the bearing blocks of the lower roller. In
arranging the machine for the pressure to be thus produced upwards it is
preferred to provide blocks to fit between the bearing block of the top
roller and the under side of the framing head, so that no undue crushing
strain may be put upon the pins or bars connecting these bearing blocks to
the top set of levers. It is also to be understood as part of this Invention,
the constructing of machines or apparatus for producing the mangle finish
only, in which case the paper roller used in calendering machines is dis-
pensed with, and the pressure may be produced by levers placed below or
above the rollers, so as to produce the necessary pressure, in either case in
an upward or downward direction.
Another part of this Invention consists in placing the levers of calen-
dering machines (hitherto situated above) below, in a manner similar to

page_text: the arrangement of the lower set of levers in the combined calendering and
mangling machine herein-before described.
Another part of this Invention consists in constructing combined
calendering and mangling machines in which an upper set of levers only
are employed, which set of levers are made strong enough to carry the
weights necessary for producing the mangle finish, and which are fitted
with screws or other apparatus for adjusting the position of the weights
and consequent pressure, as herein-before described.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is or may be used or carried into practical effect, we
would observe, in conclusion, that what we consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general arrangement, construction, and combination of parts
constituting the machinery or apparatus as herein-before described, or any
mere modification thereof.
Second, the addition to calendering machines of a lower set of levers to
which adjustable weights are fitted, and the machinery or apparatus for
producing the adjustment of the weights by which a mangle finish may be
produced on the cloths treated, and the manner of communicating such
pressure to the rollers, as herein-before described, or any mere modification
thereof.
Third, the construction and arrangement of machinery or apparatus for
finishing goods in the manner' herein-before referred to, in which the
pressure upon the rollers is produced by levers and their connections acting
either in an upward or downward direction, as herein-before described, or
any mere modification thereof.
Fourth, the construction and arrangement of machinery or apparatus for
producing the mangle finish only, as herein-before described, or any mere
modification thereof.
Fifth, the arrangement by which the ordinary upper levers of calen-
dering machines are fitted with adjustable weights, so that a mangle finish
may be produced thereby, as herein-before described, or any mere modifi-
cation thereof.
Sixth, the attaching to calendering or mangling machines, or to combined
calendering and mangling machines, indicating apparatus for the purpose
of showing the pressure on the rollers.
Seventh, the mode of lifting and disengaging the lower set of levers in
combined calendering and mangling machines, constructed for effecting

page_text: one of these operations only, as herein-before described, or any mere
modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Robertson and James
Guthrie Orchar, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Eleventh day of April, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
WILLIAM ROBERTSON.
(L.S.)
JAMES GUTHRIE ORCHAR. (L.s.)