IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF FINISHING HOSIERY AND OTHER GOODS
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BATES, of Leicester, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Eighth day of March, in the sixth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Bates, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and autho-
rity, that I, the said William Bates, my exors, adñors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Bates, my exors, adiñors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF FINISHING
HOSIERY AND OTHER GOODS ;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said William Bates, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
inrolled in His. said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Bates, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had

page_text: to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in submitting hosiery and similar goods made of
elastic stocking fabric, and known by the names of lamb's wool, worsted, and
angola, to the finishing process of a press heated by steam, hot water, or
other fluid, in the manner herein-after mentioned, whereby the surface is laid
smooth, and the color brightened, and have a far superior finish to the ironing
or other process to which such goods have heretofore been submitted.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Drawing marked Figure 1 is a plan of a cast-iron frame i, through which
passes the steam pipe c and the rammer of the hydraulic press; f, f, are iron
columns for supporting the steam box a. Figure 2, plan of the steam box b,
shewing the surface on which the goods are placed for the purpose of pressing
them. Figure 3, a is the section of a box of cast iron filled with steam from a
pipe c connected with a boiler. b is a similar box filled with steam from pipe
d, which works into a stuffing box e, rendered steam-tight by packing, and
communicating with a branch pipe from c, thus allowing the lower box 6 to
fall for the introduction of goods between the two heated surfaces; f, f, iron
columns firmly fixed to the under side of the steam box a, for the support of
the same; is the rammer of the press secured to the under side of the steam
box b; 9, 9, are taps to try the state of the steam. Figure 4, hydraulic pump;
A, pipe of communication. Any number of steam boxes may be attached, as
may be found convenient to be worked by the same pump. The machine may
be worked either by hydraulic power or by a screw.
Having thus described the description of the press I prefer for the p purpose of
my Invention, I would remark that it will be evident, that in place of the pressure
being obtained by hydraulic means, the hot boxes may be pressed together with
the goods between them by a screw or screws, or by other well known means,
and in place of steam, hot water or other fluid may be caused to circulate in
such boxes; and it will be desirable further to remark that I use steam of twelve
pounds pressure on the square inch. I will now proceed to describe the pro-
cess of applying the hot boxes to the purposes of my Invention, and I will
explain the same as being performed on stockings, the only difference in
applying the process to other goods made of a like description of fabric con-
sists in the shape or form put into the goods. Supposing the process is to be
performed on lamb's wool or on worsted stockings, I place each (inside out and
in a dry state) on a log or shape of wood, or other suitable material, about a
quarter of an inch thick. A number of stockings thus prepared are placed
between the hot boxes in a single layer. I then cause the boxes to press the

page_text: same between them for some minutes. Three minutes will generally be found
sufficient. If angola goods are to be submitted to the hot pressing process,
they are to be put on to the logs or shapes in a damp state; in other respects
the process is the same as that above described for lamb's wool and worsted.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would remark that I am aware that cloths made
of wool, but woven with warp and weft, have been heretofore pressed by boxes
or surfaces heated by steam or water; and I am also aware that stockings and
other goods made of a similar elastic or looped fabric have been placed
between plates of iron heated by fires or ovens. I do not therefore claim the
finishing of such goods by heat generally. But what I do claim is, the sub-
mitting hosiery, and similar goods made of elastic stocking fabric, to the pres-
sure of hot boxes, or surfaces heated by steam, water, or other fluid, as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bates, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.