IMPROVE- MENTS IN FLOORCLOTHS AND SIMILAR COMPOSITION FABRICS, IN THE MANUFAC- TURE OF SUCH FABRICS. AND IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Howard Kidd and James Chadwick Mather,
both of "The Patent Floorcloth Company's" Works, Bradford, near
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FLOORCLOTHS AND SIMILAR COMPOSITION FABRICS, IN THE MANUFAC-
TURE OF SUCH FABRICS. AND IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Howard Kidd and
James Chadwick Mather at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 29th December 1865.
We, JOHN HOWARD KIDD and JAMES CHADWICK MATHER, both of "The
Palent Floorcloth Company's" Works, Bradford, near Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
** IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOORCLOTHS AND SIMILAR COMPOSITION FABRICS, IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF SUCH FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as
follows:-
Firstly, our improvements in floorcloths and similar composition fabrics
relate to such fabrics as are formed by coating both sides of a fabric of linen
or other material with any of the compositions used for the purpose capable
of being made to adhere to the said fabric by a rolling process, and consist in
rolling upon one side of the fabric composition of a different color to that on
the other side of the fabric, so that the cloth may be used with either face

page_text: upwards; our improvements also consist in producing a mixed, mottled, or
marbled effect, by causing part of the composition from one side to pass
through the fabric to the other side of the fabric when the composition is of
different color on each side, and is simultaneously rolled upon both sides of
the fabric according to the second part of our Invention.
Secondly, our improvements relate to the manufacture of cloths having
composition upon both sides of the fabric, and consist in rolling the com-
position simultaneously on both sides of the fabric at one operation by passing
the fabric between the rollers, and feeding the composition to be rolled upon
it evenly upon both sides, as herein-after described under the third head of
our improvements.
Thirdly, our improvements relate to the machinery to be employed for
rolling the composition upon both sides of a fabric simultaneously. If the
rollers in the machine employed are arranged with their axes one above the
other in a vertical plane we employ two endless feeding apparatus, and pass
the cloth to be coated between them, and then, through a slit in a guide which
conducts it between the rollers, this guide being shaped to fit in the space
betweeen the peripheries of the rollers, but so as to leave a space between the
periphery of each roller and the guide for the composition to pass through,
which space begins wide and gradually diminishes in width towards the "nip"
of the rollers. We prefer to employ for this purpose rollers with their axes
arranged in a horizontal plane, in which case the fabric to be coated is made
to pass through the machine in a vertical plane, the composition being fed
from each side by two endless bands or cloths in a horizontal position, one
passing round or partly round each of the two rollers pressing the composition
upon the fabric, the endless cloths or bands being kept wet to prevent the
composition from adhering to them. The guide for conducting the fabric
and composition to the rollers is used in this arrangement as in the arrange-
ment of rollers having their axes in a vertical plane herein-before described.,
Fourthly, our improvements relate to machinery for. breaking up or
reducing to fine particles the material forming the composition, or the com-
position itself, which is to be rolled upon the fabric, and consist in arranging
two shafts parallel to each other, and in placing upon these shafts rings of
malleable, cast, or other metal with ratchet or saw teeth V-shaped. upon the
edge, and arranged so that the point of the rings on one shaft: will come
between the spaces between the rings on the other shaft, the ratchet or saw
teeth being set in opposite directions on each shaft. The rings upon each
shaft are placed side by side and secured together at the end of the shaft, and
à hopper is placed over one shaft to supply it with material, and the shaft is

page_text: *rotated slowly in one direction and the other shaft is turned quickly in the
opposite direction, so that its teeth separate and reduce the material fed and
held by the teeth of the slow moving shaft. The material is discharged from
the teeth of the quick rotating shaft-by centrifugal force.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Howard Kidd and James Chadwick Mather in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th June 1866. -
:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
HOWARD KIDD and JAMES CHADWICK MATHER, both of "The Patent Floor;
cloth Company's," Works, Bradford, near Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, send greeting.
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of December, 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 John Howard Kidd and James Chadwick Mather, Her special
license that we, the said John Howard Kidd and James Chadwick Mather,
our exécutors, administrators, and assigns, or. such others as we, the said
John Howard Kidd and James Chadwick Mather, our executors, adminis-
trators; 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 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 FLOORCLOTHS AND SIMILAR COMPOSITION FABRICS,
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUCH FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Howard Kidd
and James Chadwick Mather, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals (or under the hand and seal of one of us), 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 John Howard Kidd and James
Chadwick Mather, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described

page_text: and ascertained in and by the following statement (and accompanying
Drawings), that is to say:―
Firstly, our improvements in floorcloths and similar composition fabrics
relate to such fabrics as are formed by coating both sides of a fabric of linen
or other material with any of the compositions used for the purpose capable of
being made to adhere to the said fabric by a rolling process, and it consists in
rolling upon one side of the fabric composition of a different color to that on
the other side of the fabric, so that the cloth can be reversed and may be used
either side upwards. The composition may either be first rolled upon one
side, and then when partly dry rolled upon the other side, or the composition
may be rolled simultaneously on both sides," according to the second head of
our Invention. Our improvements in composition cloths also consist in pro-
ducing mottled or marbled effect by causing part of the composition from one
side to pass through the fabric to the other side of the fabric (the fabric being
open and not too closely woven), when the compositions are simultaneously
rolled upon both sides of the fabric, according to the second head of our
Invention.
.
Secondly, our improvements relate to the manufacture of cloths having
composition upon both sides of the fabric, and consist in rolling the com-
position simultaneously on both sides of the fabric at one operation by passing
the fabric between the rollers, and feeding the composition to be rolled upon
it evenly on both sides, as herein-before described under the third head of our
improvements.
Thirdly, our improvements relate to machinery to be employed for rolling
composition on both sides of a fabric simultaneously. If the rollers in the
machine employed are arranged with their axis on above the other in a ver-
tical plane we employ two endless feeding apparatus, and pass the cloth to be
coated between them, and then through guides which conduct it to the rollers.
This part of our improvements is illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings by Fig. 1, a diagramatic section. The rolling machine supposed to
be represented is our patented four or more roller machine, but this part of
our improvements is equally applicable to two roller or bowl machines.
"
A is the end frame of the rollers or bowls; a and a' the bowls which press
the material upon the fabric; 6 and 6¹ their supporting bowls; c, the ordinary
"doctors or scrapers for removing adhering material; d, ordinary lubricators,
the screws to push the lower lubricator (d) upward against its bowl (a¹)
acting upon sufficiently powerful springs attached to the backs of the lubri-
cator bars to give elasticity; or the springs may be dispensed with if the pad of
the lubricator is made sufficiently elastic. The fabric to be coated is repre-

page_text: sented. by peculiar dotted line, and is supposed to be drawn from a roller (e)
to pass over or partly round the rollers e¹, es, es, e, e, all placed in suitable
bearings; then, over and under a double guide bar (f) and between the rollerş
or bowls a and a'. The material or composition for the upper side of the
fabric is fed upon the endless feeder (9), of, ordinary arrangement, passing
between ordinary steam-chest heaters (9¹ and g³), and discharging the material
upon a roller (9), which delivers it to another roller (9), both rollers turning
in the same direction, transferring the material to the upper side of the guide
plate or bar (f) to the nip of the rollers (a and a¹). The material or composi
tion for the under surface of the fabric, if fed by similar means to those employed
for the upper surface of the fabric, the endless apron (9) passing likewise
between steam chests or heaters (91 and 9), and delivering the material over a
plate or surface (9) against the lower bowl (a¹); of course the thickness of the
material is regulated by the space left between the bowls (a and a¹), as is well
understood, and the mode of gearing the bowls and rollers and other details
or ordinary and well known. Though the machinery illustrated by Fig. 1
may be employed for carrying our improvements into effect, we prefer to
employ rollers with their axis.in a horizontal plane, in which case the fabric
to be coated is made to pass through the machine in a vertical plane, the
composition being fed from each side by two endless bands or .cloths in a
borizontal, position, as illustrated by the diagramatic section Fig. 2. The
machine may be placed where there is a room or platform above and another
below it, when the cloth may be supplied to it from the room or platform
above, and pass away from it to the room or platform below. If worked in
one room, as intended by the illustration Fig. 2, the fabric to be coated, is
supposed to be drawn from a roller at e, and then pass over the rollers,e¹, e*,
to the guide bars. (f), between the rollers or bowls (a and a¹), under the
roller (e), passing under a cover or platform (e), under the roller (e³), to other
rullers to be wound in a roll in the ordinary manner; g are the endless
feeding aprons for conveying materials, and (9 and g³) the steam chests or
beaters for heating the same. The other parts of the machine,not referred
to will be readily understood, having the same letters of reference as are
employed for corresponding parts in Fig. 1, and herein-before described.
Fourthly, our improvements relate to machinery for breaking up or reducing
to fine particles the material to form the composition, or the composition itself,.
which is to be rolled upon the fabric, which machinery is illustrated upon the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings by Fig. 3, a front elevation, partly in sec-
tion, Fig. 4 an end elevation, partly in section, and by Figs. 5 and 6, detached

page_text: The improvements consist in arranging two shafts (a and b) parallel to each
other in suitable bearings (a¹ and 6¹), so that one shaft (6) can be adjusted to
any required distance from the other shaft (a) by screwing and unscrewing
the caps (c) holding the bearings or slide blocks (a and b), as shown. Upon
the shafts (a and b) a. series of rings (d) are placed side by side, each ring
having a key groove in it to fit the key (d') placed lengthway of each shaft;
the rings (d) come against a fixed washer (d³) at one end of each shaft, and
against a moveable washer (d) at the other end, being secured firmly against
each other by cotters passing through the shaft or screws (d'), as shewn. Only
a few of the rings (d) are shewn upon the shafts (a and b) in Fig. 1. The
rings are made of malleable cast iron or other suitable metal; they are
V-shaped upon the edge, as shewn, and arranged so that the points of the
rings upon one shaft will come between the spaces between the rings upon the
other shaft, as shown in Fig. 6. The edges of the rings are made with ratchet
teeth, set as shown in Fig. 5; the shafts (a and b) are rotated in the direc-
tions pointed by the arrows in Fig. 5. The shaft (a) is driven by a belt
working on a pulley (a*) at a speed of about 1,000 revolutions per minute,
and the shaft (6) is driven by a worm (6) upon the shaft (a) gearing with a
worm wheel (63) on a short shaft (6), carried by a bracket (65), having a
bevel wheel (66) gearing with one (67) on the shaft (b), the speed of which is:
about 30 or 40 revolutions per minute. The material is fed into a hopper (c³)
placed above the shafts (a and b). Thus it will be seen that the teeth of the
rings upon the shaft (6) will slowly feed and hold the material, and those of
the rings upon the other shaft (a) will reduce the material fed, and discharge
it from the teeth by centrifugal force arising from the quick rotation.
We have now particularly described the nature of our Invention, and the
mode of carrying the same into effect, and claim as our Invention,-
Firstly, the improved composition fabric formed by rolling composition upon
one side of different color to that on the other side of the fabric, and also the
improved marbled or mottled composition fabric formed by simultaneously
rolling the composition on both sides of a woven fabric, as herein-before
described under the first head of our Invention.
Secondly, the improvements in the manufacture of composition fabrics
having material on both sides, by rolling such material simultaneously upon
both sides of the fabric, as therein-before described under the second head of S
our Invention.
Thirdly, the arrangement and combination of machinery for simultaneously
rolling material upon both sides of a fabric, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Fourthly, the combination, arrangement, and construction of machinery for
educing material used in making composition or the composition itself to be
olled upon fabrics, as herein-before described and shown by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Howard Kidd and James Chadwick
.Mather, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth day of
June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-six.
JOHN HOWARD KIDD.
(LS.)
JAMES CHADWICK MATHER. (LS.)