IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY OR APPARATUS USED FOR THE TENTERING AND FINISHING OF FELT CARPETS AND OTHER FABRICS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Mitchell, of Waterfoot, and Matthew Charles
Cuttle, of Lumb, both in the County of Lancaster, for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
USED FOR THE TENTERING AND FINISHING OF FELT CARPETS AND OTHER
FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL, SPECIFICATION left by the said William Mitchell and Matthew
Charles Cuttle at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd June
1880.
WILLIAM MITCHELL, of Waterfoot, and MATTHEW CHARLES CUTTLE, of Lumb,
both in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS USED FOR THE TENTERING AND FINISHING OF FELT
CARPETS AND OTHER FABRICS."
In the ordinary method of tentering felt carpets by means of the tentering
machine, the stretching of the fabric in the direction of its length was effected by
passing it over and under tension bars, which were placed in front of the machine
and adjusted by a worm and wheel, and the result was that it was impossible to
stretch any piece to a required length, as everything had to be left to the discretion
of the tenterer. If, for instance, a light piece had to be tentered, the tension bars
had to be regulated with a lighter drag; and if the piece was heavy and strong,
the tension bars were prepared for a severer strain. By this simple process of
friction it was impossible to calculate beforehand what length could be drawn out
of a piece of any given length, whereas by our improvement we are enabled to
draw, say, one inch out of a yard, or more or less as required, equally through the
whole length of the piece.
To effect this purposo we dispense with the tension bars, and we stretch
each length of felt or other fabric separately and evenly as it passes onto the
tentering machine, by causing it to pass partly round a roller covered with card
teeth, which enter into the felt, and we drive this roller by power by the aid of
toothed wheels, a certain degree slower than the chains carrying the tenter pins
travel, so that as the card roller does not deliver the felt so fast as the tenter
pins carry it along, the felt consequently becomes stretched between the card roller

page_text: and where the tenter pins first catch hold of it, and this stretching is necessarily
perfectly even and regular from one end of the piece to the other. The relativo
speed of the card roller, with regard to that of the pins, is regulated by means of
chango wheels, so that any amount of stretch per yard can be given to the piece,
and the thin parts will not be stretched more than the thick parts.
Another part of our Invention relates to the construction of the expansion rollers
over which the fabric passes at each end of the machine. The rollers are in the
form of a skeleton roller or cage, composed of discs or blocks of metal and
longitudinal rods of a round section. These bars pass through holes drilled so
close to the edge of the discs or circular blocks that the sides of the bars are flush
with the edges of the discs or circular blocks, so that the felt in passing round the
same is thoroughly supported from one end of the roller to the other, and prevented
from "bagging" or sinking down in the centro.
The bars are so arranged that they can slide telescopically between each other, so
that the roller can be lengthened or shortened so as to adapt the distance apart of
the tenter pins to the width of the felt to be operated on.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Mitchell and Matthew Charles Cattle in the Great Seal.
Patent Office on the 23rd December 1880..
-
WILLIAM MITCHELL, of Waterfoot, and MATTHEW CHARLES CUTTLE, of Lumb,
both in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS USED FOR THE TENTERING AND FINISHING OF FELT
CARPETS AND OTHER FABRICS."
In the ordinary method of tentering felt carpets by means of the tentering
machine, the stretching of the fabric in the direction of its length was effected by
passing it over and under tension bars, which were placed in front of the machine
and adjusted by a worm and wheel, and the result was that it was impossible to
stretch any number of pieces to one uniform required length, as everything bad
to be left to the discretion of the tenterer and the uncertain action of friction
alone.
If, for instanco, a light piece had to be tentered, the tension bars had to be
regulated with a lighter drag; and if the piece was heavy and strong, the tension
bars were prepared for a severer strain.
It was, therefore, impossible to calculate beforehand what length, by this simple
process of friction, could be drawn out of a piece of any given length, whereas by
our improvement we are enabled to draw, say, one inch out of a yard, or moro or
less as required equally through the whole length of the piece.
To effect this purpose we dispense with the tension bars, and we stretch every
portion of the felt or other fabric continuously and evenly as it passes onto the
tentering machine by causing it to pass partly round a roller covered with card
teeth which enter into the felt; and we drive this roller by power, by the aid of
toothed wheels, a certain degree slower than the chains carrying the tenter pins
travel, so that as the card roller does not deliver the felt so fast as the tenter
pins carry it along, the felt consequently becomes stretched between the card roller
and where the tenter pins first catch hold of it, and this stretching is necessarily
perfectly even and regular from one end of the piece to the other.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention, we will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may bo performed or
carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be clearly understood,
wo have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawing illustrative thereof, and have marked
the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1, in the annexed Drawing, is a section taken vertically through the feeding
end of a tentering machine made according to our Invention; Fig. 2 is a plan viow
of one of our expanding rollers (hereinafter described), and Fig. 3 is a sectional
view of the same.
In Fig. 1, a, a, is part of the framework of the machine; b, b, is the roller covered
with card teeth, which (as before mentioned) is driven at a slower speed than the
tentor pins by means of the bevel gearing and inclined shaft c, c; d, d, is one of
the chains provided with tenter pins e, e, as usual, and moving in the direction of
the arrows.
The relative speeds of the card roller b, b, with regard to that of the pins e, e, is
regulated by means of change wheels, so so that any amount of stretch per yard can
bo given to the piece, and the thin parts will not be stretched more than the thick
parts.
4
Another part of our Invention relates to the construction of the expanding rollers
over which-the-fabric passes at-each-end-of-the-machine. The rollers (see Fig. 2)-
are in the form of a skeleton roller or cago, composed of two end discs ƒ, ƒ, and a

page_text: central block g, 9, of metal, and a series of longitudinal rods h, h, h, h, of a square,
round, or other convenient section. The ends of theso bars or rods h, h, h, h, are
fixed in holes drilled close to the edge of the end discs, their opposito ends resting
in the countersunk grooves of tho circular block; the outer surface of the bars is
therefore flush with the edges of the discs and circular block (see Figs. 1 and 3), BO
that the felt in passing round the same is thoroughly supported from one end of
the roller to the other, and prevented from "bagging or sinking down in tho
centre.
">
The bars are so arranged that they can slide telescopically between each other, so
that the roller can be lengthened or shortened (as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2),
so as to adapt the distance apart of tho tonter pins e, e, to the width of the felt to
be operated on.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention, together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our Invention,―
The combination, with a tentering machine, of a card roller or rollers, or other
equivalent devico driven by toothed gearing or other positivo motion, and so
arranged as to give out the felted or other cloth at a certain definite speed slower
than that of the tenter hooks, such gearing or other positive motion being capable
of adjustment, so as to regulate the amount of longitudinal stretch per yard to the
required degree, substantially as hereinbefore described; and, secondly, we claim
the construction and use in tentering machines of expanding rollers wherein
the longitudinal sliding rods are fixed into the end discs, so that their outer
surfaces are coincident with the circumference of the discs, and wherein the end
discs present a solid cylindrical surface to the cloth, thereby giving a firm and
continuous support to each selvedge or "list" close up to the tenter pins as it
passes round the chain rollers at each end of the machine, and the use at the central
portion thereof of a long block (in which also the rods are countersunk) to support
the free ends of the sliding rods or bars and prevent them from "bagging" or
deflecting in the middle, all substantially as herein before described and illustrated
by the Drawings annexed.
•
In witness whereof, I, tho said William Mitchell (on behalf of myself and the
said Matthew Charles Cuttle), have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Twenty first day of December, in the year of Our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty.