AN IMPROVED APPA- RATUS FOR SHRINKING COTTON, WOOLLEN, AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1865

page_text: at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th November 1865.
I, SAMUEL COLLEY SALTER, of Market Drayton, in the County of Salop, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPA-
RATUS FOR SHRINKING COTTON, WOOLLEN, AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists of a hollow vessel, which may be made either round
as a cylinder or of any other convenient shape, and composed of tin, zinc, iron,
or other suitable material. The same is perforated with several small holes
for the purpose herein-after explained. At one or both ends of the said
vessel is an aperture through which steam may be admitted from a boiler or
other steam generator. The cloth or other fabric to be shrunk is wound or
folded round the vessel above mentioned. and steam being admitted at one or
both ends as stated, the steam percolates through the innumerable small holes
[Price 6d.]

page_text: in the side or sides of the vessel, and so pervades the fabric to be shrunk. The
steam being thus driven through the fabric in such minute division, the cloth
or fabric is more equally damped, and on being removed from the cylinder or
other shaped vessel is sufficiently dry to admit of being cut up or otherwise
used.
Another form in which I propose to carry out my Invention would be to
have a hollow vessel, the bottom of which might be perforated as above
described and have an aperture for the admission of steam. The cloth or
fabric to be shrunk on being enclosed in the said hollow vessel and the steam
being admitted would become damped as above described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Colley Salter in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th May 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
COLLEY SALTER, of Market Drayton, in the County of Salop, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her Most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of November, 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 me,
the said Samuel Colley Salter, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel
Colley Salter, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Samuel Colley Salter, my 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 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
"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SHRINKING COTTON, WOOLLEN, AND OTHER TEXTILE
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Colley
Salter, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their 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 1, the said Samuel Colley Salter. do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained m and by une
following statement:-
My invention consists of a hollow vessel. which may be made either round
as a cylinder or of any other convenient shape, and composed of tin, zinc, iron.
or other suitable material. The same is perforated with several small holes
for the purpose herein-after explained. At one or both ends of the said
vessel is an aperture through which steam may be admitted from a boiler or
other steam generator. The cloth or other fabric to be shrunk is wound or
folded round the vessel above mentioned, and steam being admitted at one or
both ends as stated, the steam percolates through the innumerable small holes
in the side or sides of the vessel, and so pervades the fabric to be shrunk.
The steam being thus driven through the fabric in such minute division the
cloth or fabric is more equally damped, and on being removed from the
cylinder or other shaped vessel is sufficiently dry to admit of being cut up or
otherwise used.
Another form in which I propose to carry out my Invention would be to have
a hollow vessel, the bottom of which might be perforated as above described,
and have an aperture for the admission of steam. The cloth or fabric to be
shrunk on being enclosed in the said hollow vessel and the steam being admitted
would become damped as above described.
Having thus far explained the nature and object of my said Invention, I
shall now proceed to describe the same more minutely, and in order to do this
as completely as possible I shall refer to the accompanying Drawing and to
the letters and figures of reference marked thereon. Thus A represents a
vessel perforated with holes marked a, b, c, d, e, &c. The shape of this vessel
I prefer to make round as a cylinder, its length being apportioned to the
width of the cloth or fabric to be shrunk, and its diameter according to
circumstances. The holes should be small and numerous. The said vessel
may be constructed of any suitable material, as sheet iron, copper, or zinc.
It is mounted for convenience on two supports marked B, B, in the bearings
D, D. The journal at one end C consists of a pipe, which enters the cylinder
A, and conducts steam thereto from any steam boiler or other steam
generator. The other end E of the said cylinder may be made in the same
manner if desired, or it may be solid as shown. The cloth or other
fabric to be shrunk is rolled upon the cylinder A, and steam being admitted
from a boiler or other steam generator through the axles C or E. or through
both, it is more evenly damped than by any other process, and on being
unrolled from the cylinder is ready to be cut up or otherwise used. This is
the method prefer for carrying my invention into effect, but this may be

page_text: done in another way by simply placing the cloth in the interior of a hollow
cylinder or other shaped vessel and admitting steam in the manner above
described through perforations in the bottonis or sides.
Having now fully described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical operation, I would observe that many modifications and alterations
may be made in details of construction of my Invention without departing
from the principle contained therein; but what I wish to claim as secured to
me by Her Majesty's Letters Patent is,-
Firstly, the use of steam in the manner and for the purpose herein-before
described.
And, secondly, the mechanical apparatus herein described. illustrated, or
referred to for the purposes herein mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Colley Salter, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
EDWIN HAZLEDINE HARPER,
Professor of Music,
Market Drayton.
SAMUEL COLLEY SALTER. (L.S.)