IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GUIDING, OPENING, AND STRETCHING FABRICS DURING BLEACHING, PRINTING, OR OTHER MANIPULATIONS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Birch, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GUIDING,
OPENING, AND STRETCHING FABRICS DURING BLEACHING, PRINTING, OR OTHER
MANIPULATIONS."
Sealed the 7th May 1878, and dated the 21st November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Birch at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st November 1877.
WILLIAM BIRCH, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GUIDING, OPENING, AND STRETCHING FABRICS DURING
BLEACHING, PRINTING, OR OTHER MANIPULATIONS."
"
My Invention consists of improvements in the governor for which, as part of an
Invention, Letters Patent No. 2610, were granted to me under date the 1st Oct.
1870, in consequence of which in provements the said governor by itself becomes
applicable to the purpose of opening, stretching, and guiding fabrics, or either of
these processes independently of any other apparatus, mechanism, or machinery.
I employ as before a well-balanced frame pivoted in the central line of the
passing fabric, the pivot being as nearly as may be normal to the plane of the
fabric, and in certain cases answers best if placed more or less backward of the
frame, i.e., on that side on which the fabric passes first.
Instead of using friction bars only on the frame I now employ revolving rollers,
either alone or in conjunction with friction bars; these rollers may either be plain,
or they may be fluted, chased, or treated in any other known way, and they may
further form any angle with the normal position of the passing fabric; they may
also be parallel to each other, or some of them may be parallel and others may form
converging lines with them; there may be any number of them, and further, some
of them may be straight and others may be bent.
For simply guiding fabrics I usually apply the governor as described in my.
Specification before mentioned, with the addition of one or more straight rollers,

page_text: either with or without additional friction bars. These rollers have the effect of
drawing a fabric moving in contact with their surface towards that side on
which the direction of the fabric forms, when meeting the roller, an acute angle
with it, as this is always the side from which the fabric has passed away, and
has to be brought back to; the effect of the action is to guide the fabric in its
proper place.
If it is desired to spread or stretch the fabric at the same time I construct the
governor with rollers mounted on rods, which are bent in the centre, so as to form
two lines sloping from both sides forward in the direction of the movement of the
fabric and towards the centre line, and meeting there. To these I add as many
friction bars as may be desirable, and I also add one or more straight rollers, and
if necessary straight friction bars.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Birch in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th May
1878.
WILLIAM BIRCH, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, etc. " IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GUIDING, OPENING, AND STRETCHING FABRICS
DURING BLEACHING, PRINTING, OR OTHER MANIPULATIONS."
"
My Invention consists of improvements in the governor for which, as part of an
Invention, Letters Patent No. 2610, were granted to me under the date the 1st. of
October 1870, in consequence of which improvements the said governor by itself
becomes applicable to the purpose of guiding, opening, and stretching fabrics, or
any one of these processes independently of any other apparatus, mechanism, or
machinery.
I employ as before a well-balanced frame pivoted in the central line of the
passing fabric, the pivot being as nearly as may be normal to the plane of the
fabric, and in certain cases answers best if placed more or less backward of the
frame, i.e., on that side on which the fabric passes first.
Instead of using friction bars only on the frame I now employ revolving rollers,
either alone or in conjunction with friction bars; these rollers may be either plain,
or they may be fluted, chased, or treated in any other known way, and they may
further form any angle with the normal position of the passing fabric. They may
also be parallel to each other, or some of them may be parallel and others may form
converging lines with them; there may be any number of them, and further, some
of them may be straight and others may be bent.
When employing the governor as a guide only I use the same form as described
in my Specification above mentioned, but modified according to the new arrange-
ment, adding in some cases one or more bars or rollers. These rollers have the
effect of drawing a fabric moving in contact with their surface towards that side
on which the selvage of the fabric on meeting the roller, i.e., at the back of the
latter, forms an acute angle with its end on that side on which it meets, as this is

page_text: always the side from which the fabric has passed away and has to be brought back
to; the effect of the action is to guide the fabric in its proper place.
If it is desired to spread or stretch the fabric at the same time I construct the
governor with rollers mounted on rods, which are bent in the centre, so as to form
two lines sloping from both sides towards the centre forward in the direction of the
movement of the fabric, and meeting there. Or instead of the bent centres, with a
pair of rollers mounted upon it, the centre may be in two parts, each supported at
the outside and forming the same line as before. The supports of these may be
fixed, or they may be moveable and under the control of a governing mechanism..
To the converging rollers I add as many friction bars as may be desirable, and I
also add one or more straight rollers and straight friction bars if necessary.
the outside and forming the same line as before. The supports of these may be
fixed, or they may be moveable and under the control of a governing mechanism..
To the converging rollers I add as many friction bars as may be desirable, and I
also add one or more straight rollers and straight friction bars if necessary.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Sheet 1.—Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, show the simplest form of guide in longitudinal and
cross section, and in plan respectively, Fig. 4 illustrating its application to a
scutcher with spiral opening and stretching rollers, there being no connection
between the guide and the rollers.
Fig. 6 is a plan of a modification answering both as guide and stretcher.
Fig. 5 is a cross section of a modification having the two outer bars fixed and
the central one rotatory.
Sheet 2. Figs. 7 and 8 are elevation and cross section of a machine having
both a stretcher (further modified) and a guide attached seperately, the guide being
connected by levers with the stretcher and acting as governor.
Fig. 9 shows the joint of the moveable centre roller in the stretcher.
Fig. 10 represents part of a machine with a guide and stretcher separately,
without any connection with one another.
Sheet 3. Fig. 11 shows a side elevation; Fig. 12, a front elevation; and
Fig. 13, a partial plan of an opening machine, having the cloth guide attached to
govern the chains by which the machine operates.
The guide represented by Figs. 12 and 13 consists of a fixed centre-friction
bar B and a rotatory roller R on each side. The cloth or fabric F operated upon
being drawn in under one roller over the friction bar and under the second roller;
if thus drawn forward it will cause the rollers to rotate and will keep the guide
steadily at a right angle with itself as long as it is drawn centrally through the
guide; but when passing to one side or another the guide is drawn forward on that
side, and the cloth at the back will make an acute angle with that end of the guide
which it has left, and as the rollers rotate they draw the fabric in the direction of
their line of rotation (which is towards the vacated end). The direction of the
cloth on the rollers form a right-angled triangle, of which the former is the
hypothenuse, a line at right angle with the roller (being the line of rotation of a
point on the roller) forming the long side, while the third or short side falls in the
direction of the roller itself. If no slip took place the cloth would be moved
laterally the length of the short side during one revolution of the roller. P is the
pivot on which the frame is supported, this may be placed either in the centre
itself or it may be put back, so as to make its equilibrium more stable.
Numerous modifications of this apparatus may be used. The rollers may be
plain, chased or fluted, cylindrical or conical, etc.; the fixed bars are subject
to the same treatment, and under circumstances they may be dispensed with
altogether (as shown in the stretchers Figs. 7, 8, and 10).
The number of bars or rollers may further be multiplied to any convenient
number, and they may be straight or bent, or some may be straight and others 'may
be bent.
A few such modifications are shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 10. Fig. 5 has the
outside bars fixed and the central one rotatory, it being also carried in hinged arms,
so that it may be lifted parallel with itself out of its position; Fig. consists of
three bent bars, the central one B being fixed, the outer ones R being rotatory, the

page_text: latter being formed in two lengths and made like sleeves mounted on fixed bars
bent to the desired angle; one bar is represented in section. In this form the
apparatus acts as a stretcher. The effectiveness of the stretcher may be further
increased if used in combination with a guide connected by levers in the same way
as the chains or spiral rollers described in my previous Specifications. This form
is shown in Fig. 7, where G is the guide, and-S the stretcher. This latter, instead
of one bent bar with sleeves mounted on it, has two bars or arms, which are
pivoted at their ends, the ends carrying a short lever arm L", by which their
position can be varied and put more or less in gear with the passing fabric. This
is effected in the same way as described in my previous Specifications by means of
the levers L, L¹.
In Fig. 4 the guide is shown on a scutcher, with spiral rollers C, C¹, for opening
and stretching, the guide being unconnected with the spiral rollers.
Instead of running in fixed bearings one of the screw rollers may be mounted on
a balanced frame and connected with the cloth guide in a similar manner as
described in my Specification, No. 84, 8th January 1877.
The cloth may pass through the cloth guide or governor before it goes into the
opener or stretcher.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and particularly ascertained
the manner in which it may be performed, I declare that I do not confine myself
to the exact details and forms, but I claim particularly and substantially,
1. A balanced frame with one or more revolving rollers, with or without one or
more fixed bars for guiding fabrics.
2. The application of the same combination to the purpose of opening, smoothing,
or stretching fabrics, the bars or rollers being either straight or angular, with or
without moveable arms.
3. The combination of the guide and the stretcher.
And, 4. The application of the guide as a governor to act upon chains, rollers,
and similar appliances by suitable mechanism.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Birch, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-eight.
Witness,
C. WETTER,
Clerk to A. Hildebrandt,
Patent Agent,
55, Cross St.,
Manchester.
WILLIAM BIRCH. (L.S.)