IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Hillam, of Baildon, near Leeds, in the
County of York, Mechanic, and Richard Renner Wilson, of Halifax, in
the same County. Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS."
Scaled the 17th October 1860, and dated the 24th April 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Hillam and
Richard Renner Wilson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 24th April 1860.
We, EDWARD HILLAM, of Baildon, near Leeds, in the County of York,
Mechanic, and RICHARD RENNER WILSON, of Halifax, in the same County,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to that part or process in the finishing of textile
fabrics, known as hot-pressing, and in which process or for which purpose
hollow metal plates heated by steam or other heating media are used; and our
improvements consist in making the connections or the pipes for the passage
or supply of steam or other heating media thereto telescopical, or with one
part to slide within the other, after the manner of a cylinder and piston, the
one part connected to the supply chamber and the other to the hollow plates,
the piston being packed to slide freely, yet steam-tight, within the cylinder,
the piston, and piston rod being also hollow, so that the steam passes through
to the press plates.
Also our improvements consist in making the chains for suspending the said

page_text: press plates in links jointed together betwixt each connection so as to fold up
as the plates are raised, and open as the plates are lowered.
Also in suspending such plates by having projections formed on the ends
thereof, resting betwixt two adjustable inclined arms, or guide bars attached
at their top ends to the press beads on each side at suitable distance apart, and 5
their bottom ends being connected by adjusting screws.
Also in constructing such press plates with double lines of passages running
parallel with each other in a serpentine or zig-zag manner throughout the
plate, but united into one inlet and one outlet.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Hillam and Richard Renner Wilson in the Great
Scal Patent Office on the 23rd October 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWARD
HILLAM, of Baildon, near Leeds, in the County of York, Mechanic, and
RICHARD RENNER WILSON, of Halifax, in the same County, Gentleman, send
greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Edward Ilillam and Richard Renner Wilson, Her special licence that w'C, the
said Edward Hillain and Richard Renner Wilson, our executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Edward Hillam and Richard
Renner Wilson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
nsc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said Edward Hillam and Richard
Renner Wilson, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Edward Hillam and Richard Renner
Wilson, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to that part or process in the finishing of textile
fabrics, known as hot-pressing, and in which process or for which purpose
hollow metal plates heated by steam or other heating media are used, and our
improvements consist, firstly, in making the connections or the pipes for the
passage or supply of steam or other heating media thereto telescopical, or with
one part to slide within the other after the manner of a cylinder and piston, the
one part being connected to the supply chamber, and the other to the hollow
plates, the piston being packed to slide freely, yet steam-tight, within the
cylinder, the piston and piston rod being hollow, so that the steam passes
through to the press plates.
Secondly, in making the chains for suspending the said press plates in links
jointed together betwixt each connection so as to fold up as the plates are
raised, and open as the plates are lowered.
:
Thirdly, in suspending such plates by having projections formed on the ends
thereof, resting betwixt two adjustable inclined arms, guide bars, or bearers
attached at their top ends to the press head on each side at suitable distance
apart, their bottom ends being connected by adjusting screws.
Fourthly, in constructing such press plates with double lines of passages
running parallel with each other in a serpentine or zig-zag manner throughout
the plate, but united in one inlet and one outlet.
In order that this our said Invention may be clearly understood we have
given reference to an accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a
vertical section, drawn full size, of one of the connections or pipes for the
passage of steam to and from the plates for beating, also of water for cooling
them. C is a cylinder or tube, of suitable length, bored out true for a piston
to slide freely and steam-tight therein open at each end, and one end formed
into a nut c with a screw part c¹ to fix it in the steam chanber; D is a piston
and rod, which is formed of a tubo d of suitable length with two bosses d'
and d² screwed theroon, and a ring of india-rubber or other flexible substance
d³ placed betwixt, which can be compressed by the screwing up of the boss d³,
causing it to expand laterally to fit the cylinder; E is a boss or nut, which
forms a valve seat at e, fixed on the piston rod and screwed into a tee coupling
F, in which is another boss or bush G, which also forms a valve seat at 9; E
is a double plug or stop valve, screwed into the bush G, and passing through a
stuffing box 9', has a wheel h fixed thereon, by which it can be turned. round

page_text: and made to plug one or other of the valve seats e or g. The tee coupling F
is screwed for attaching it to a projecting pipe of the press plate. It will be
observed that the valve II is now raised off the seat e and closed to the seat g,
so that the steam or water may pass through the piston rod or tube d into the
press plate, and which is prevented from escaping at the valve spindle during
the time of travel, or of opening and closing the said valve by means of the
stuffing box 9', or the stop valve may be dispensed with in these connections,
by applying an ordinary elbow instead of the tee coupling, as shewn in
Figs. 2 and 9, And it will be evident that the piston rod may oscillate or
diverge from the central line of the cylinder to accommodate itself to the
expansion and contraction of the press plate by the heating and cooling thereof.
We will now proceed to shew the application of this improvement.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a steam press; Fig. 8 a back elevation; and
Fig. 4 a plan or horizontal section, taken through the line A, B, in Figs. 1
and 2. I are pillars fixed to the press bottom on suitable foundations, sup-
porting the press top; J and K are the press plates, all placed as in ordinary
use; L and L' are steam chambers, into which a series of cylinders or tubes
Care fixed, each tube being of suitable length according to the required travel
of the plate it is connected with, and the chambers are formed in steps, or in
a variety of depths to suit the various lengths of cylinders, and have portable
plugs 1, which can be removed to admit of the pistons boing re-packed or
tightened up. The tee couplings F of the pistons are screwed on to the pipes
M and M', which project from the press plates, and thus connections are
formed between each plate and tho chambers L and L'. Steam is introduced
at N to the chamber L, which passes through the series of connections to the
plates K at the inlet M, circulates therein and passes out at M', through
the other series of connections to the chamber L', and out at N¹, and the
water for cooling is admitted at N, and after circulating through the plates
passes out at N. Figs. 5 and 6 are front and edge views of the suspending
chains, which are formed of links jointed at O, betwixt each connection P of
the plates, so as to fold as the plates are pressed up or brought nearer to each
other, and when lowered are suspended thereby in proper position. The
manner in which these chains are applied is shewn at O, P, in Fig. 2. We
also suspend press plates betwixt inclined arms or bearers R (seen in Fig. 2),
which are attached by studs 71 to the press lead, and connected at their
bottom ends by a screw 2, which by turning in one direction expands and in
the other collapses the said bearers. Bearing blocks or chocks S are attached
to the plates at suitable distances apart and capable of adjustment, which rest
betwixt the inclined boarers when the the plates are lowered, thus suspending tho

page_text: said plates in position, which position may be varied or regulated by the adjust-
ing screw being turned right or left. The plates are constructed with double
lines of passages in a serpentine or zig-zag manner, as shewn in dotted lines
at Fig. 4, by which a quicker beating and cooling thereof is obtained.
Having thus fully described the nature of this our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is or may bo performed, we would have it distinctly
understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details of construc-
tion or arrangement as herein set forth, nor do we claim the use of telescopic
connections, or suspending chains, or serpentine or zig-zag passages in plates,
as we are aware such are not new; but what we do claim and which we believe
to be new is,
Firstly, the construction, application, and use of connections for steam press
plates capable of working in the manner of a piston and cylinder; also the
application thereto of a stop valve, as herein described.
Secondly, the application and use of folding chains, as herein shewn, for
suspending steam press plates.
Thirdly, suspeuding steam press plates betwixt two adjustablo inclined
bearers.
And, fourthly, the use of double lines of passages in steam press plates, as
hercin described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings or
any modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edward Hillam and Richard Renner
Wilson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
EDWARD HILLAM.
(L.S.)
RICH RENNER WILSON. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Edward Hillam
and Richard Renner Wilson in
the presence of
W. TASKER, Patent Agent,
Halifax.