CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE OPERATIONS OF FULLING WOOLLEN CLOTH AND IMPROVEMENTS IN FULLING MILLS FOR THAT PURPOSE
Year: 1815

page_text: AUSTIN & DUTTON'S. SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL: TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
DUTTON the younger, of Hillsley, in the Parish of Hawkesbury, in the County
of Gloucester, Clothier, send greeting.
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3:3.
...WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-third day of November, and in the fifty-sixth year of His
reign, did give and grant unto GEORGE AUSTIN, of Wootton-under-Edge; in the
County of Gloucester,. Esquire, and the said James Dutton, the younger, of
Hillsley, in the Parish of Hawkesbury, in the said County, Clothier, their
executors, administrators; and assigns; His special licence, sole privilege and
-authority, that the, said George Austin and James Dutton, their, executors,
administrators, and assigns, during, the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully.might make, use, 'exercise, and vend, within that part of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the Dominion
of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, their said Inventions of CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE OPERATIONS OF FULLING WOOLLEN CLOTH, AND IMPROVEMENTS
IN FULLING MILLS FOR THAT PURPOSE;"; in, which Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso obliging the said George Austin and James Dutton,
under their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of them, to
cause a particular description of the nature of their said Inventions, and in
what manner the same are to be performed, to be inrolled in His, Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately

page_text: after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same (relation being thereunto had) may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Dutton, do hereby declare that the said Inventions, and the manner
in which they are to be performed, are described and ascertained (that is to
say):―
I adopt a substance or substances different to any hitherto in use, as surfaces,
linings, or casings for fulling mills, in those parts with which the cloth comes
in contact during the process or processes of fulling, by which the cloth has
the advantage of being particularly preserved from injury, and which constitutes
a decided improvement in the operation of fulling woollen cloth. Relative to
the improvements in fulling mills I make use of metallic surfaces, linings, or
casings, or surfaces, linings, or casings of any other suitable substance or
substances which can be rendered sufficiently hard and smooth, and which are
not hitherto in use, and apply to the whole or any part of that surface of a
wood or cast-iron fulling mill with which the cloth comes in contact during the
process or processes of fulling. For this purpose I take copper, zink, tin, lead,
or any other suitable metal or metals, or any suitable mixture of these or
other suitable metals, or any suitable mixture of metals or any other suitable
substance or substances, which can be rendered sufficiently hard and smooth,
and which are not hitherto in use, and apply to any part or the whole of that
surface by any suitable method or methods, some of which are hereafter
described. When my surfaces, linings, or casings are made use of which are
not of themselves of sufficient strength to resist the fall of the foot, I make use
of linings of the old material, and dress or case the fulling mill to its original
or any other convenient form and size, in the same manner as if it were to be
put to work on the old plan. I then take out the whole or any part or parts
to which my surfaces, linings, or casings are to be applied, and plane or other-
wise work off as much of their thickness as my surfaces, linings, or casings
require. I then fit pieces of my surfaces, linings, or casings to the form and
size of the wood linings (or if more convenient, those wood linings may be
substituted by cast iron or any other suitable substance or substances). I then
drill or otherwise make and countersink a sufficient number of holes, through
which I fasten them to these wood linings to which they are to be applied by
nails, rivets, screws, screw bolts, wood pins, or other fastenings; or I fit my sur-
faces, linings, or casings to those parts to which they are to be applied by turning
or lapping them, similar to flanches, and introducing them into the joints or other
cavities made for that purpose at pleasure. And I prefer the side surfaces,
linings, or casings in one piece. I make them sufficiently large for the breast,

page_text: head, and pannelling to fit in them; in this case I leave it to the discretion of
the workman to use those nails or other fastenings, or not, at pleasure. In
fitting in place my water-side surface, lining, or casing, together with its proper
supports, into its proper place, then fit in the pannelling, head, and breast, and
then fit in my land-side surface, lining, or casing, and drive in the first piece
of land-side wood lining tightly, as is usual in the old way. The whole to be
fitted in agreeable to the best practice of the workman. One or more screw
bolts to be used if required to keep the side linings, and my surfaces, linings,
or casings (with any other usual or convenient fastening) for the purpose of
keeping the whole of the inside of the fulling mill in its proper place; some
boards fastened to the waterwall and foreledge, so as to clear my surfaces,
linings, or casings; and the whole is complete. When my surfaces; linings, or
casings are of copper, and used as above described, I prefer them about one
sixteenth of an inch thick, or from that to a quarter of an inch. I prefer, when
my surfaces, linings, or casings are copper, that the screw bolts or other fas-
tenings be of the same metal. The wents (or pieces of wood or any other
suitable substance or substances, by which the size of the fulling mill is
regulated) may have my surfaces, linings, or casings fitted and fastened to
them by any of the above mentioned or by any other method or methods, at
the discretion of the workman; to prevent accidents my surfaces, linings, or
casings should be turned round the bottoms and tops of the wents. When my
surfaces, linings, or casings are of a greater thickness, which I find sufficient,
when of copper, to be about half an inch, grooves may be cut in the sides
about one eighth of an inch deep, and to follow the form of the inside of the
fulling mill, into which my head, breast, and pannelling surfaces, linings, or
casings, or any convenient part or parts of them, are to be fitted; then, with
screw bolts about half an inch each, and in any convenient number (at the
discretion of the workman), passing thro' my side surfaces, linings, or casings
under these parts, fitted into the grooves, the whole of those parts thus fitted
up I screw. together on the land side. Then, with pieces of wood, or other
suitable substance or substances, so much thinner than the old linings, as my
surfaces, linings, or casings require them to be, fitted in between the body of
the fulling mill and them on the water side, and the same on the land side,
and driven in tightly together with the usual and any other fastenings which
circumstances may require, and the pieces of wood on the foreledge and water-
wall as before, and the whole is complete; or I dispense with the whole of the
screw bolts; and the keeping my breast, head, and pannelling surfaces, linings,
or casings, or any part or parts of them, in their proper places in the grooves
may depend on the tightness with which the pieces of wood, as before directed,

page_text: are fitted in, and on the usual or any other fastenings. which circumstances may
require. I apply my surfaces, linings, or casings to any part or parts of the
foot at pleasure, and fasten them on with screw: bolts, wood pins, or any other
fastenings, or by any other method or methods, .as the workman shall find most
convenient. When steam is used for the purpose of conveying temperature to
the cloth while fulling, I leave proper cavities under my surfaces, linings, or
casings for its reception, and my metallic surfaces, linings, or casings afford an
easy opportunity of making use of this valuable. agent: by the facility witli
which they transmit temperature from the steam to the cloth, as well as the
superior durability of my surfaces, linings, or casings to any substance or
substances hitherto in use.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Dutton, junior, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and sixteen.
J5:8
Sealed and delivered in the presence of us,
JA BRACEY.
J. DUTTON, JUNE. (L.S.)
SAM.. CARY...
+35
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on, the Twentieth day of January; in
the fifty-sixth year of the reign of His Majesty, King George.the Third, the
said James Dutton the younger came before, our said Lord the King in
His Chancery, and acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every
thing therein contained and specified, in form above written. And also the
Instrument aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor, of the Statute made
in the fifty-fifth year of His said Majesty's reign.
Inrolled the Twenty-second day of January, One thousand eight hundred