IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Owen, of Ardwick, near Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Stretcher and Finisher, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING WOVEN
FABRICS."
Sealed the 27th October 1857, and dated the 21st May 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Owen at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st May 1857.
I, WILLIAM OWEN, of Ardwick, near Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Stretcher and Finisher, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING
WOVEN FABRICS," to be as follows:-
To the endless chain of the stretching machine I fix or attach holders, to
hold firmly both sides or edges of the cloth whilst it is being stretched. The
said holders are made to open as they pass to and from the chain pullies by a
spring, from which they are released as they advance on and off the material to
be stretched, and closing by means of a spring attached to each of them, which
also causes the chaps of the holders to hold the cloth or material firmly until
it commences to stretch or tighten, when, from the peculiar position and form
of the chaps of the holder, the greater the pull or stretch of the material the

page_text: tighter it is held. I also give a curved or serpentine form to the race at each
end in order to receive and deliver the cloth.
The arrangement and construction of my said improvements will be clearly
understood by reference to the accompanying outline Drawing, in which Fig. 1
is a transverse view of one of the holders when it is open; and Fig. 2, a view
of the same when closed. a is the link or body of the chain, the part b
forming the lower chap, and also having pins c for the purpose of giving it
motion; to the link a is attached the frame or standard d, in which at e is a
pin or fulcrum for the bent lever f, the lower part of which at 9 forms the
g
upper chap. When the chaps are required to be open, the end h of the lever f
passes over a spring fixed to the race. When the material has passed between
the chaps they are closed by means of the small spring i, attached to the
frame d, and tightened by the pulling of the material, in consequence of the
lower arm of the lever f being longer than the distance from the fulcrum to
the under chap.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Owen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st November 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
OWEN, of Ardwick, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Stretcher
and Finisher, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Owen, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her special
licence that I, the said William Owen, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Owen, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at
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, éxercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING
WOVEN FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Owen, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in

page_text: 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Owen, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
To the endless chain of the stretching machine I fix or attach holders, to
hold firmly both sides or edges of the cloth whilst it is being stretched. The
said holders are made. to open as they pass to and from the chain pullies by a
spring, from which they are released as they advance on and off the material
to be stretched, and the holders close by means of a spring attached to each
of them, which also causes the chaps of the holders to hold the cloth or
material firmly until it commences to stretch or tighten it, when, from the
peculiar position and form of the chaps of the holder, the greater the pull or
stretch of the material the tighter it is held. I also give a curved or serpen-
tine form to the race at each end in order to receive and deliver the cloth.
The arrangement and construction of my said improvements will be clearly
understood by reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, with the
figures and letters of reference thereon, in which Fig. 1 is a tranverse view of
one of the holders when it is open; Fig. 2, a view of the same when closed.
Fig. 3 is a front view of the holder; and Fig. 4, an end or transverse view of
the same, shewing a plate to form the bottom chap instead of the body of the
link. Fig. 5 is a side view of the race with a few of the links in their place;
and Fig. 6, a plan of the race, shewing the curve on which the cloth is
received, the other end of the race being curved in a similar manner to
deliver the cloth from the holders.
a represents the link or body of the chain,
the part 6 forming the lower chap. The links are furnished with pins c, for the
purpose of giving them motion, and also for sliding on the race. To the
link a is attached the standard or frame d, in which at e is a pin or fulcrum
for the bent lever f, the lower part of which at 9 forms the upper chap.
When the chaps are required to be open, the end h of the lever f passes
over a spring i (shewn at Fig. 5), fixed to the race. When the material has
passed between the chaps they are closed by means of the small spring k,
attached to the frame d, and tightened by the pulling of the material, in con-
sequence of the lower arm of the lever f being longer than the distance from
the fulcrum to the under chap.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly understood

page_text: that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein set forth, as such
may be varied or modified without departing from the principle thereof; bu
I claim as my Invention, and which, to the best of my knowledge and belief
has not been hitherto used within the realm,-the construction and arrange
ment of the holder in conjunction with the curved or serpentine form of the
race, as applicable to stretching or holding all kinds of woven fabrics, as
herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Owen, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named William Owen, in the presence of
WILLIAM OWEN. (L.S.)
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.