IMPROVE- MENTS IN FINISHING CLOTH AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jonathan Tindal, of the Firm of Tindal, Son, and
Company, Cloth Finishers, both of the City of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FINISHING CLOTH AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jonathan Tindal at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th May 1873.
I, JONATHAN TINDAL, of the Firm of Tindal, Son, and Company,
Cloth Finishers, both of the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
** IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING CLOTH AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This said Invention has reference to new or improved modes and
means of pressing and finishing cloth in long lengths, webs, or pieces

page_text: all so as to thus finish and prepare the cloth without folds, in a better
and more regular and expeditious manner than this has heretofore been
done.
And the nature of this Invention consists in first laying or rolling the
long lengths of cloth in a great number of layers or thicknesses with a
layer or thickness of millboard or pasteboard between the layers of cloth,
all upon a pressing table formed of long rectangular shallow close steam-
heated boxes, planed smooth on top, and of such a width and number,
laid close, end to end, as to suit the full width and length of the pieces
(or a great part thereof), to be so laid down and pressed, as, say for
ordinary cloth, about thirty-two inches wide, and sixty yards long.
These lower hot bed plates or boxes are all laid solidly on a low strong
frame or compact bed or foundation, preferably along the side of the
wall of the long finishing room, so that strong transverse frames of wood
or iron may be secured to the wall at the one side, and to a strong
longitudinal frame and front standards on the other side, secured to tho
foundation. These transverse frames being put at such a distance apart
that they can each carry a screw, a lever, or other equivalent press, all
sufficient to sustain the proportion of the strain required to press the
goods ranged between them, and at such a height after the desired
number of alternate layers of cloth and millboard have been laid down
over each other upon the upper flat surface of the said heating bed
plates, and other ordinary thin solid hot top plates, heated in or on an
adjacent convenient heating stove for the purpose, have been laid on
along the whole top surface covered with the flat wood pressers and
longitudinal and transverse strain-receiving blocks, that the men will be
conveniently able to work the presses either from the lower floor bed or
from a platform or floor above the framing.
The steam boiler and boiler house may be conveniently placed outside
the said wall, and the steam led in from it to a length of pipes ranged
longitudinally between the wall and the edge of the steam-heating boxes
with a branch pipe leading to each; having also a long small pipe
below, with a branch pipe leading into this from the lowest corner of
each hollow box or plate to draw off the water of the condensed steam;
while each steam and condensed water branch may, if found desirable,
have a controlling or regulating tap or cock fitted to it.

page_text: The webs or lengths of cloth and pasteboard are laid down by the
traversing to and fro of an improved arrangement of rolling-down
carriage, formed of two side frames and transverse stays or lateral
frames, carrying, in journal bearings, at the lower edges of the front
and back of the said frames a running and bearing roller, which carries
the whole weight of the carriage, running over and upon the last
layers of pasteboard and cloth which they have laid down. The upper
part of the side frame carries the roll or rolls of pasteboard and cloth on
and by their spindles, revolving freely in convenient bearings or slots in
the frame, resting by their own weight on the taking off and serving, or
bearing and carrying rollers before named, below which the webs
respectively pass while being wound off, when the spindles are then
removed at one or both ends of the table and replaced by other full
rolls for the next traverse. These spindles and rolls being filled and
wound full for that purpose in ordinary rolling machines.
The new carriage may be guided along the edges of the bed plates
either by collars or flanges at the outer edges of the bearing and laying
down rollers, or by vertical anti-friction rollers or spindles attached to
the side frames of the carriage.
It will be understood that any number of webs or parts, webs or
pieces may be so laid down over each other and heated and pressed
inversely, more or less, according to the heat and pressure required and
to be given to them, as from twenty to eighty thicknesses; and when so
pressed and finished both the cloth and the pasteboard webs may be
wound on to their spindles again in the same manner as they were
wound down, by the traversing of the carriage to and fro over the long
heap until they are all wound up, removing the full rolls and putting
in fresh winding boards, spits, or spindles, at the end before each new
traverse. And although the rolls of cloth and pasteboard have been
described as resting and rolling on the surface of the carrying rollers it
will be evident that they might also roll on the surface of the pile laid
down in the same manner as the bearing rollers.
And by another arrangement the laying down carriage may run on
wheels in grooved wood or other rails placed alongside the steam
plates, and nearly allow the cloth and millboard to roll off their spindles,
running in ordinary bearings at the top of the carriage, the ends of the
pieces being held as laid down by weights or otherwise, while the

page_text: carriage was traversing and laying down the webs; and instead of the
alternate webs of millboard between the cloth to be pressed, paper or a
union of paper and linen or cotton cloth, or linen or cotton cloth might
be used themselves, or other equivalent material.
Although the lower plates have been described as hollow and heated
by steam they might be plain solid plates, and heated by gas or other
means, and by hollow spaces below them.
Instead of screw or lever presses, hydraulic presses might be used, or
the pressure might be given simply by heavy weights in some cases.
A single set of rails may be placed longitudinally on the lower floor,
close to the front standards of the framing carrying the presses, for
light trucks to pass along, both for carrying the rolls of cloth to and
from this long finishing press and room, and for bringing and removing
the top plates to and from the heating stove; and although these top
plates have been described as solid plates, it will be evident that they
may be made in the form of long shallow boxes of cast iron, and heated
by steam, as described in reference to the lower ones, and made portable
so as to be turned up or traversed laterally with or on their branch
steam pipes, so jointed as to enable that to be done for the removal and
relaying of the piles of cloth and millboard.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jonathan Tindal in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JONATHAN
TINDAL, of the Firm of Tindal, Son, and Company, Cloth Finishers, both 2
of the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the 3
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Jonathan Tindal, Her special licence
that I, the said Jonathan Tindal, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: assigns, or such others as I, the said Jonathan Tindal, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, 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, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FINISHING CLOTH AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jonathan Tindal, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in 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 immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jonathan Tindal, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the several
figures and reference letters on the Sheet of Drawings which I have
hereunto appended for the purpose of showing the best modes and means
I am at present aware of for practically carrying out or performing my
said Invention, the same reference letters indicating the same or like
parts in all the Figures :-
-
My said Invention has reference to new or improved modes and
means of pressing and finishing cloth in long lengths, webs, or pieces
(and then rolling them on boards, spits, or spindles in a usual manner),
all so as to thus finish and prepare the cloth without folds in a better
and more regular and expeditious manner than this has heretofore been
done.
Figures 1 and 2 on the said Sheet of Drawings are a front elevation
and a plan respectively to a large scale of a part of one modification or
construction and arrangement of the parts of a machine or apparatus
and mechanism for pressing and finishing cloth or woven fabrics in long
lengths, in accordance with and illustrative of the modes of performing
or carrying out my said Invention, and Figure 3 is an end view of the
traversing carriage, shown in this and the two former Figures in the act
of laying down the webs or pieces of cloth, and the separating webs of

page_text: millboard or other equivalent for compressing and smoothing or finishing
the cloth between them.
Figure 4 is an end elevation of the said apparatus, shown as corre-
sponding to Figure 1, but as in the act of pressing a whole pile of cloth
by the top screws, after it has been laid or built up by the said carriage,
as shown in the former Figures; and Figure 5 is a plan to a small scale
of the whole apparatus or press, showing the lower hollow bed plates A,
all as set along one side of the pressing or finishing house 1, with their
heating supply steam boiler 2 and its furnace 3 outside, and conducting
steam pipes B, B', leading down to and along the one side of the
plates A, which are each supplied by a small branch pipe B", and a
smaller condensed water escape pipe C, fitted at the other side with
conducting branches C" from each, which small branches B and C
may be controlled by taps at B and C", shown in Figure 4, as well as
one large admission or stop steam valve or cock near the boiler 2 at B³,
and a large cock or trap on the escape pipe C for the whole at C³, when
desired.
Figure 6 is a plan of an ordinary spit or spindle Z for winding or
rolling up the pieces or webs of cloth on, but they might be made of flat
boards or rollers for these with journals Z' to suit the bearings d or
slots d¹ of the carriage a for receiving them.
Figure 7 is a side elevation of the new traversing or laying down
carriage a, somewhat different from that shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3,
in which the spindles Z work in deep slots & in the side frames of tho
carriage a, so that the rolls of cloth and millboard rest on the top surface
of the serving or laying down carrying rollers c, c, of the carriage, so as
to be wound off or up again into rolls by the motion of these and the
traversing of the carriage; while Figures 8 and 9 are respectively a side
elevation and a plan of the new carriage a, somewhat different from that
shown in the former Figures, and in which the spindles Z work in deep
slots d¹¹ near the ends of the frames of the carriage a, so that the rolls
of cloth and millboard rest on the surface or plane they are to be rolled
down upon or rolled up again from, and so are either rolled down or up
direct by the mere traversing of the carriage on guiding wheels f, not
requiring laying down carrying rollers c, as in the two former modi- ;
fications, Figures 1, 2, and 3, and Figure 7.
Referring to these Figures 1 to 5, the nature of my said Invention
and the mode of performing the same, consist in first laying or rolling

page_text: down the long lengths of cloth y to be pressed and finished in a great
number of layers or thicknesses, with a layer or thickness of millboard
or pasteboard z (or other equivalent hard smooth substance) between the
layers of cloth, all as shown partially laid in Figures 1 and 3, and
completely laid in a pile in Figure 4, upon a long pressing table A, A,
A, A, formed preferably of a number of rectangular shallow close steam
heated boxes A planed smooth on the top, and of such a width and number
laid close end to end, as shown in Figure 5, to suit the full width and
length of the pieces (or a great part thereof) to be so laid down and
pressed, as say for ordinary cloth about thirty-two inches wide, and from
twenty-four to sixty yards long. These lower hot bed plates or boxes A
are all laid level on a low strong frame or compact bed or foundation,
preferably along the side of the walls 1' of the finishing room 1, so that
two strong transverse frames as D, D, of wood or iron may be secured
to the wall 1 at the one side, or to each side of the post E, fixed close
to it between the floor sill E¹ and ceiling or joists of the floor above, and
to a similar front standard E" on the other or front side, secured to the
strong longitudinal frame or foundation sill E². These transverse
frames D, D, are preferably made in two, with a screw nut or bush D¹
fixed between them over the centre of each plate A, or at such a
distance or number of these apart that each nut D¹ and beam D, D,
carry a screw spindle and its levers D", D³, as a press (or it might be
other lever or equivalent press), all sufficient to screw down, press, and
sustain the proportion of the strain required to press the goods ranged
on the long bed A, A, A, between them below the beams D, D, at such
a height above the whole pile, or after the desired number of alternate
layers of cloth and millboard y, z, have been laid down over each other
upon the upper flat surface of the said heating bed plates A, that the
ordinary thin solid hot top plates as G (heated in or on any adjacent
convenient heating stove 4, Figure 5, for the purpose as for other usual
modes of hot plate pressing) may be laid transversely on and along the
whole top surface of the pile of cloth, and covered with the large flat
wood boards or "plateaux" H, surmounted by the longitudinal and
transverse strain-receiving blocks I, I, I", and top iron or brass cup I³
for the lower end of each pressing screw D", D², and so that the men
will be conveniently able to work the levers D³ and pressing screws D",
either from the lower floor bed as at A³ (or it might be from a platform
or floor below or above the framing D, D,) all as more particularly
shown thus screwed and pressed at Figure 4.

page_text: The steam boiler and its furnace 2, 3, and boiler house may be con-
veniently placed outside the said finishing house 1, 1, and the steam led
in from it down to a length of pipes B', ranged longitudinally between
the wall 1' and the edge of the steam heating boxes A, with a branch
pipe B leading to each; having also a long small pipe C below with a
branch pipe Cu leading into this from the lowest corner of each hollow
box or plate A to draw off the water or condensed steam therefrom;
while each steam and condensed water branch may if found desirable
have a controlling and regulating tap or cock fitted to it as indicated at
Oin Figure 4. The webs or lengths of cloth y and pasteboard z are laid
down by the traversing to and fro of an improved arrangement of rolling
down carriage a, which is formed of two side frames a, a, secured by
transverse stays or lateral frames a¹, and carried in journal bearings 6 at
the lower edges of the front and back of the side frames a upon running
and bearing rollers c, which carry the whole weight of the carriage
running over and upon the last layer of pasteboard and cloth which
they have laid down, or it may be by their guide wheels b' on the edge
of the bed plates A, as seen in Figures 1, 2, and 3. The upper part of
the side frames a, a, near the ends of the carriage carries the roll or rolls
of the pasteboard z and cloth y at 2¹ and y¹ respectively, as seen in
Figure 1, on and by their spindles Z, revolving freely in convenient
bearings & above and in front of the laying down and carrying rollers
c, c, (of the carriage) before named, below which these webs y and z are
respectively led and passed so as to be wound off and laid down auto-
matically by the movement and pressure of the rollers c and carriage a,
as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, the ends of each roll being first
fixed at the near end of the pile by a clip or weight before starting the
traverse of the carriage a from each end. After each traverse and laying
down of the webs the empty spindles Z are then removed (at one or both
ends of the table A¹, A², Figure 5) and replaced by other full spindles
or rolls z¹, y¹, for the next traverse from the same end. The spindle Z
(one of which is shown in detached plan, Figure 6) may be of any
ordinary construction of winding spindle, spit, or board used for winding
webs of cloth on, and they are previously filled or wound up in full
rolls y¹ by any ordinary rolling up machine or mechanism in use, all in
readiness for the said purpose of being rolled down by the carriage a.
The new carriage a may be guided along one or both edges of the bed

page_text: edges of the bearing and laying down rollers c; or it might be by
vertical anti-friction rollers 63 on the spindles 6', attached so as to slide
on the frames a of the carriage or by other equivalent, to allow it to
rise and yet guide it, as shown in Figure 7.
It will be understood that any number of webs or parts of webs or
pieces of the cloth y and intermediate webs of millboard z may be so
laid down over each other and be more or less heated or pressed, or
heated and pressed as desired within ordinary limits, according to the
heating and pressing power available with the machine and the finish to
be given to the cloth, as say from twenty to eighty thicknesses. When
so pressed and finished, and the screw D" released, and top blocks, boards,
and plates I, H, G, removed, both the cloth and the pasteboard webs
may be wound on to their said spindles (or their spindles Z or boards
with spindles or journals Z¹), as at Figure 6, working in the bearings d
or slots d¹, di³, of the carriages, Figures 1, 7, or 8 and 9, either by the
handles Z" or otherwise, substantially in the same or converse manner
that they were wound off or down, namely, by the traversing of the
carriage to and fro over the long pile until they were all wound up on
to separate spindles or rollers Z, placed in slots d³, Figure 7, over the
rollers c or in the slots du, Figures 8 and 9, and then removing the full
rolls and putting in fresh winding spits, spindles, or boards Z at the ends
A', A³, before each new traverse.
Although in reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 the rolls of cloth y¹ and
pasteboard 2 have been described as turned on, or by their spindles Z in
the journal bearings d of the frames of the carriage a for being wound
off and on, it is to be understood that they might revolve and be guided
in the deep slots d¹ of the frame a of the modification of carriage shown
in side elevation in Figure 7. In this case the rolls y¹ and z¹ rest by
their own weight and outer surface on the upper surface of the taking off
or serving and bearing rollers, termed laying down and guiding and
carrying rollers c, c, which would wind off the two webs at once and lay
them down on the surface of the pile previously laid down, otherwise,
in nearly the same manner as before described in reference to the bearing
rollers in Figures 1, 2, and 3, except that there would be no necessity
for guiding or carrying wheels b', as the flanges c¹ on the laying down
and carrying rollers c would guide the carriage on the sides of the bed
plates A at the beginning of the pile and afterwards on one or both sides
of the pile itself; or by the guiding rollers 6³, carried on the arms b* at

page_text: the side of the frame of the carriage a, and working on one or both
edges of the bed plate A before referred to and shown in Figure 7.
111
Referring to Figures 8 and 9 the carriage is formed of two side frames
a, a, secured by transverse stays a¹ above the height the pile or webs of
cloth and millboard y, z, is desired to be laid down, so that the carriage
can traverse freely on grooves or guides on the lower plates at A™ by its
four deep or large carrying and guiding wheels frevolving on stud
centres f¹ in the side frames a. The full rolls y¹ and z¹ are carried (as in
the other arrangements, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 7,) in the upper rests 9 in
the side frames so that two of them are put into position in the deep
vertical slots d" at either the rear or front end of the carriage in this
case, as shown and indicated by the arrows in Figure 8 at starting from
each end of the bed plate or pile, which in this case is built direct
from the rolls y¹, z¹, without the carrying rollers c requiring to roll the
pile, and may be rolled up again on their spindles in like manner after
fixing the ends in each case respectively at the end of the pile and to
the spindle for its first turn or so, all simply by the traversing of the
carriage to and fro on its wheels f, which may be done in any of the
cases described by hand pushing or drawing, or by having drawing ropes
or other equivalent passed over winding barrels at each, and which
might be turned by winch handles or by motive power when desired.
up
The bottom plates A, although described as heated by steam, could
be heated by hot air or by gas jets, or they might, like the cross top
plates G, be made portable and heated in an ordinary stove or oven for
the like purpose, as indicated at 4 in one end of the finishing room 1, and
these plates G could be conveniently conveyed to and from this oven by
a carriage for the purpose, traversed on the line of rails h in front of the
line of frame plates E³, A, so as to be laid close together along the whole
bed plate or in the middle part of the pile as well as at the top, as shown
in Figure 4. And although I have shown the webs of cloth and mill-
board as rolled down from the piles by carriages, it will be understood
that this may be done by other equivalent mechanism or even by hand;
and that although screw presses only have been shown in the
Drawing and described, it is to be understood that other presses so
ranged may be used, such as lever and hydrostatic presses.
Having thus described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider

page_text: novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The construction, arrangement, and use of machinery or
apparatus for heating and pressing or finishing cloth and woven fabrics
in long lengths and piles, substantially as herein described and shown in
the accompanying Drawings or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The laying down and heating and pressing or finishing of
cloth or woven fabrics in long lengths and piles, substantially as and by
the means or apparatus herein described.
Third. The construction and use of long heating and pressing bed
plates and ranges of presses over them for the purpose of finishing
cloth or woven fabrics in long lengths and piles, substantially as herein
described.
Fourth. The construction and use of carriages for laying down the
webs or long lengths of cloth or woven fabrics in long lengths and piles,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein described and
shown in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jonathan Tindal, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
threc.
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JONN. TINDAL. (L.S.)