IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ROLLERS USED IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF TEXTILE FABRICS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Edwards, of the Firm of Edwards
and Co., 38, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineers and Patent Agents, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ROLLERS USED IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF TEXTILE FABRICS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."-A communica-
tion from abroad by Ernest Edwards, of Boston, Massachusetts,
United States of America.
Scaled the 27th July 1875, and dated the 30th January 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Edwards at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th January 1875.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., 38, South-
ampton Buildings, Chancery Lanc, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineers and Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ROLLERS USED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE FABRICS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as
follows:
In the methods at present practised in the processes of drawing,

page_text: twisting, and spinning cotton or other fibres, rollers or cylinders are
used, having surfaces composed of various materials, such as leather,
cloth, calf skin; metal, or other material, and more or less injury is
found to arise from the use of such materials, in consequence of the
crushing and weakening of the cotton or other fibre.
E
This Invention has for its objects to avoid or materially lessen the
injury so caused to the cotton or other fibre operated upon, whilst the
manufacture of the rollers or cylinders is greatly facilitated. For this
purpose instead of the materials ordinarily used, as above described, for
the manufacture of the rollers or cylinders gelatine or gelatinous or other 1
analogous substance is substituted, preferably with the addition of
chromic acid and other substances tending to produce insolubility of
gelatine, sugar, oil, fibrous substances, one or more of them.
In order to carry this Invention into operation the roller or cylinder
which it is desired to clothe or cover is placed, properly centred, in a
mould of suitable size and shape. Into this mould is then poured a
mixture of gelatine or gelatinous substance dissolved in hot water, and
one or more of the substances above named. Or sometimes the gelatino
dissolved in water may be used alone without the admixture of other
substances. When the mixture is set the roller is removed from the 1
mould and its covering is hardened or dried to the requisite extent.
The clothing or coating of the rollers with gelatine may be effected in
any other convenient way, as well as in that above described, and when
the gelatine has not been rendered so insoluble as to prevent it the
material may be remelted or dissolved and used again from time to time
as desired.
Where it is desired to produce insolubility or partial insolubility of the
gelatine this may be effected by the addition of any of the substances
which are known to produce this result, such as chrome alum, or by the
action of a chromate or bichromate reduced by the action of light or
other suitable agent.
Rollers manufactured according to this Invention may be used for
other purposes where it is required that the material passed between
them shall not be injured, as well as for the preparation of cotton or
other fibres.
:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edmund Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th July 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMUND
EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., 38, Southampton Buildings,.
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineers and Patent
Agents, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Edmund Edwards, Her
special licence that I, the said Edmund Edwards, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edmund
Edwards, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ROLLERS USED IN THE MANU.
FACTURE OF TEXTILE FABRICS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES,' a communication
to me from abroad by Ernest Edwards, of Boston, Massachusetts;
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Edmund Edwards, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and scals, 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.
"
1
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edmund Edwards, 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 (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of rolls
used in the manufacture of textile fabrics and for other purposes.

page_text: In the methods ordinarily at present practised in the processes of
drawing, twisting, and spinning cotton or other fibres, rollers or cylinders
are used, having surfaces composed of various materials, such as leather,
´ cloth, calf skin, metal, or other material, and more or less injury is found
to arise from the use of such materials in consequence of the crushing
and weakening of the cotton or other fibre.
The rollers ordinarily heretofore used in machines for the purposes
described are constructed as follows:-Where they are used in drawing
cotton the lower one of each pair has been a fluted cylinder of metal,
and the upper rolls have been constructed in various ways. Sometimes
a smooth metal cylinder has been used, but more frequently a 'metal
cylinder covered first with a cot made of woollen cloth, which is again
covered with a cot made of leather, lias been employed.
In the use of rollers constructed in these methods great practical
inconvenience has been found. The metal cylinder as an upper roller 1
has practically fallen into disuse in the manufacture of cotton on
account of its hard surface and irregularity of operation. The cylinders
covered as described with cloth and leather, which are substantially the
only ones now in use (especially in cotton mills) are also open to various
objections. Unless the cloth and the leather to be used are each uniform a
in texture and thickness the rolls will prove uneven and will work
irregularly. And it is morcover a matter of great cost and experience.
to obtain such materials as are fit for the purpose. Rollers so covered
with cloth and leather are also hard, and unyielding and of varying
elasticity, requiring the use of heavy pressure to hold the upper and 2
lower ones in proper relation to cach other when running. The seams
too at the point of junction of the leather coating of such rollers cut the
fibre, and when running they generate electricity to an inconvenient
degree.
This Invention has for its objects to avoid or materially lessen the 3
injury so caused to the cotton or other fibre operated upon, whilst the
manufacture of the rollers or cylinders used is greatly facilitated. For
this purpose instead of the materials ordinarily used, as above described,
for the manufacture of or for covering the rollers, gelatine or gelatinous

page_text: In order to carry the Invention into operation the roller or cylinder
which it is desired to clothe or cover is placed (properly centred) in a
mould of suitable size and shape. Into this mould is then poured a
mixture of gelatine or gelatinous substance dissolved in hot water, and
one or more of the substances above named. Or sometimes the gelatine
dissolved in water may be used without the admixture of other sub-
stances. When the mixture is set sufficiently hard the roller is removed
from the mould and its covering is hardened or dried to the requisité
extent.
The clothing or coating of the rollers with gelatine may be effected in
any convenient way as well as that described, and (when the gelatine
has not been rendered so insoluble as to prevent it) the material may
be remelted or dissolved and used again from time to time as desired.
When it is wished to produce insolubility or partial insolubility of the
gelatine this may be effected by the addition of any of the substances
which are known to produce this result, such as chrome alum, or by the
aid of a chromate or bichromate reduced by a suitable agent.
0
· Rollers manufactured according to this Invention may be used for
other purposes where it is required that the material passed between
them shall not be injured, as well as for the preparation of cotton or
other fibres.
By this Invention the difficulties and objections in rollers of the kind
ordinarily in use as above described are avoided, and a cheap and
practical substitute is provided for them.
The compound substance of which the improved rollers are formed
possesses great strength and tenacity. It generates electricity only in a
a slight degree, and the desired amount of elasticity may be given to it
by the employment of more or less glycerine. By the method of
preparation all seams or joints on the face of the rolls are avoided, and
adhesion of fibre to the rolls is substantially prevented, and a con-
siderable portion of the power required to drive rollers constructed in the
ordinary way may be dispensed with.
The proportions of the different materials used as above described to
form the rollers may be varied to suit varying circumstances, but the
following is found a convenient way of putting this Invention in
practice-Having dissolved two ounces of gelatine in six ounces of

page_text: warm water there is added thereto-one ounce of water containing in
solution thirty grains of bichromate of potash, and one-and-a-half ounces
of glycerine. This mixture is poured into a suitable oiled mould, in
which the shell or roll which is to be covered is properly centred: As
soon as the mixture is firmly set the shell or roll with its gelatinous
covering is removed, the ends are trimmed, and it is dried at a tempe-
rature of 65° to 68° Fahrenheit. The drying should proceed until the
water is evaporated, which will take from three to six days, and the roll
is then ready for use. When greater elasticity is required the amount
of glycerine is increased; for greater hardness it is diminished or entirely
omitted.
For gelatine may be substituted albumen, gum, fibrine, or other sub-
stances containing. gelatine in various forms, in substantially the same
proportions, and instead of using bichromate of potash, as described, the
formation of chromic acid in the gelatine may be effected by any of the
well-known means used for the purpose, or the gelatine may be treated
by any of the methods which render gelatine insoluble.
For glycerine may be substituted, or added, an equivalent body,
such as molasses, honey, or other analogous substance in suitable pro-
portion.
When it is desired to give a rougher surface to the roll so as to bite or
grip more readily the sliver or strand of cotton or other fibre and to give
greater toughness and tenacity a sufficient quantity of a suitable gum
or resin may be added to the gelatinous composition, for instance, gum
shellac, which may be dissolved in alcohol or in water with ammonia or
borax in the well-known way. The proportion may be varied to suit
different circumstances, but the following is a useful formula :-One
ounce of borax is dissolved in sixteen ounces of boiling water, and as
much shellac as the boiling solution will dissolve is added. This may
be added to thé gelatinous composition in the proportion of one ounce
to each four ounces of gelatine. Sometimes it is advantageous before
applying the gelatinous composition as described to cover the shells or
rolls with woollen or cotton cloth, paper, wood, india-rubber, flax, string,
or other suitable material. And sometimes the shells or rolls may be
grooved or fluted so as to give them a greater holding power for the
gelatinous composition.
Having now described the Invention and the manner in which it is to
be performed, I claim,--

page_text: First. As an article of manufacture a roll having a covering of
gelatinous matter, prepared by the means and in the manner described.
Second. In machinery for treating cotton and other fibres, the com-
bination of the fluted roll with the roll prepared substantially as
described for drawing the fibre.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund Edwards, have here--
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.