IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY, APPARATUS, OR MEANS FOR HEATING, DRYING, AND FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS, DRYING YARKS, FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Weems and William Weems, of Johnstone,
in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineers, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY, APPARATUS, OR MEANS FOR
HEATING, DRYING, AND FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS, DRYING YARKS, FIBROUS
MATERIALS, AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 30th May 1871, and dated the 2nd December 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Weems and
William Weems at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 2nd December 1870.
We, JOHN WEEMS and WILLIAM WEEMS, of Johnstone, in the County
of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY, APPARATUS, OR MEANS
FOR HEATING, DRYING, AND FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS, DRYING YARNS, FIBROUS
MATERIALS, AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to apparatus for heating air, wherein a
current of cold air is forced by a fan or blowing machine through the

page_text: interior of tubes surrounded externally with steam, and consists in
placing a thin diaphragm, straight or curved, screwed or partially
screwed, or made of thin plate in the form of an archimedean screw
blado in the end of the tubes where the air is admitted; this has the
effect of giving the air a swirling or screw motion during its passage
through the tubes, and causing a more efficient exposure of the air to
the action of the heated surfaces. When higher temperatures of air are
required than that derived from steam, after the air has passed through
the steam heating apparatus (with or without the diaphragm screws) we
continue the heating by passing the air through tubes or flues heated by
fire, and by this means we have a combined steam and fire-heated air.
Heated air of high temperatures can in this way be economically pro-
duced, the steam after having expended its power in driving the fan or
blowing machine being utilised by passing into the tubular heating
apparatus and giving up its heat to the air previous to the air passing
through the fire heater.
Where fans or blowing machines are used for producing forced
combustion in smithy fires or furnaces it forms a very economical
arrangement to use the waste steam for heating the air on its passage to
the fire or furnace. In all these cases steam direct from a boiler may
be conveyed to the heating apparatus if desired for heating the air.
The second part of this Invention relates to machines at present in
use for drying and tentering woven fabrics, and imparting to them what
is known in the trade as an "elastic finish," chains or ropes are employed
for moving the details for holding the selvedges of the fabric and
adjusting the various widths. The chains are attached to sliding blocks
arranged to slide on tranverse horizontal brackets, having at their outer
ends a pulley round which the chains pass. The chains also pass over
pulleys or chain wheels, or fixed at one end to a barrell or drum, at or
near the middle of the bracket, and motion communicated to them, either
direct or through gear by a longitudinal shaft. The sliding blocks carry
the rails on which are fixed the details for holding the selvedges of the
fabric and the "elastic finish" is produced by a swinging motion im-
parted to the tranverse horizontal brackets. Great difficulty has been
experienced in the working of these machines owing to the straining or
stretching of the chains or ropes during the operation of the swinging
motion. This arises chiefly from the chains or ropes having a fixed point
at or near the middle of the bearer, while the outer end of the chain

page_text: oscillates with the bracket. We overcome this difficulty by having the
chain wheels, pulleys, or drums at or near the centre of the bearers,
fitted on to the bearers and moving with them during the swinging
motion, instead of their being stationary as arranged hitherto. It will
be obvious to the practical man this may be arranged for in a variety of
ways. It can be very simply managed by countersinking the bore of the
chain wheel, pulley, or drum, from the two ends gradually tapering
towards the diameter of the shaft in the centre, and this will allow free
oscillation without coming into contact with the shaft and still connected
to it by means of a key or catches. In lieu of this a ball-and-socket joint
or a rolling joint may be fitted on to the shaft, or any accomodating
motion. The same object may be attained by a toothed wheel or worm
on the longitudinal shaft working into a toothed wheel on the chain
wheels, pulleys, or drums, the teeth being so formed that they will
work clear of each other during the swinging motion.
To reduce the friction on the swinging brackets and give facilities for
casy adjustment, we employ a screwed centre pin, by preference stcel
pointed, on which the brackets rest and freely oscillate. To enable the
operator to rapidly adjust the various breadths of the fabric we attach a
measuring indicator to the shaft.
These improvements are applicable to progressive or non-progressive
tentering machines for imparting the elastic finish to woven fabrics
whero chains, wire ropes, cords, bands, or similar appliances are employed.
They are also applicable to machines working with toothed rack and
pinion.
To facilitate the drying of woven fabrics on non-progressive tentering
machines, with or without the elastic motion, we enclose the sides of the
machine by preference of cloth and force or draw a current of cold air,
or steam heated air, or steam and fire heated air combined through the
fabric. When the machine is driven by a steam engine we convey the
exhaust steam through steam pipes placed under the fabric for drying,
being a very economical arrangement.
Another modification of this Invention for drying yarns and fibrous
materials consists in having two or more endless chains, ropes, or bands
arranged to travel through a hot air chamber, they travel along guide
rails fixed to the sides of the chamber or supported by pillars or framing,
and pass over wheels, 'drums, or pulleys, at each end of the chamber.

page_text: The hanks of yarns or fibrous material to be dried are suspended on
poles, rods, or similar appliances, resting or attached at each end to the
moving chains and conveyed through the hot air chamber, and delivered
dry at the opposite end or partially dry. The wet material may be fed
and delivered dry at the same end, or it may be arranged to travel any
number of times through the hot air chamber before being delivered. It
is of advantage to temper the yarns by subjecting them to the action of
a current of cold air as they leave the drying machine.
The machine by preference is worked horizontally but may be con-
structed to work vertically or obliquely, and motion is given to the
machine by suitable gearing. Hot or cold air may be forced or drawn
through the chamber or radiation heat employed. When we use a
current of steam heated air, or combined steam and fire heated air, we
prefer to distribute it throughout the chamber by regulating openings.
In lieu of the travelling chains the guide rails may be set with a.
declivity, and the rods or poles furnished at their ends with wheels or
pulleys and caused to travel, or travel with their own gravity from one.
end of the chamber to the other, or carriages mounted on wheels and
carrying the yarns may be used.
"
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Weems and William Weems in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 2nd June 1871.
L
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
WEEMS and WILLIAM WEEMS, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Engineers, send greeting.
. WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the year.
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said John Weems and William Weems, Her special
licence that we, the said John Weems and William Weems, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Weems
and William Weems, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should

page_text: 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 MACHINERY, APPARATUS, OR MEANS FOR HEATING, DRYING,
AND FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS, DRYING YARNS, FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND OTHER
SIMILAR SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said John Weems and William Weems, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said John Weems and William Weems,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings and to the figures marked thereon, that is to say:-,
This Invention relates, firstly, to apparatus for heating air wherein a
current of cold air is forced by a fan or blowing machine through the
interior of tubes surrounded externally with steam, and consists in
placing a thin diaphragm, straight or curved, screwed or partially
screwed, or made of thin plate in the form of an archimedean screw
blade in the end of the tubes where the air is admitted, which has the
effect of giving the air a swirling or screw motion during its passages
through the tubes and causing a more efficient exposure of the air to the
action of the heated surfaces.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a sectional elevation
of one of the modifications of the tube 1 with a thin bladed screw 2
inserted in its interior, and Figure 2 shows an end view; this has the
effect of rifling or screwing the air as it enters the tube, and continuing
this motion a more efficient exposure to the heated surface is effected
and consequently a higher temperature obtained. When higher tem-
peratures of air are required than that derived from steam after the
air has passed through the steam heating apparatus (with or without the
diaphragm screw) we continue the heating by passing the air through

page_text: :
tubes or flues heated by fire, and by this means we have a combined
steam and fire-heated air. Heated air of high temperatures can in this
way be economically produced, the steam after having expended its
power in driving the fan or blowing machine being utilised by passing
into the tubular heating apparatus and giving up its heat to the air
previous to the air passing through the fire heater.
Figure 3 is a plan, and Figure 4 a sectional end elevation of one
, modification for producing a current of combined steam and fire-heated
air. The apparatus for the production of steam-heated air is shown at
Figure 3, and consists of a cylindrical or other shaped iron or metal
-case 3 having a number of tubes 4 passing through it and fixed in metal
ends. Steam is introduced at the inlet pipe 5, and the external surface
of the tubes being thus surrounded with heat cold air is forced by the
fan or blower 6 through the interior of the tubes, which on its passage.
becomes heated, and as indicated by the arrow 7 then passes through a ·
series of tubes 8 surrounded by fire heat, and escapes, as shown by the
arrow 9 at the required temperature. The tubes are drawn saddle shaped,
_but they may be formed otherwise; straight tubes or flues may be
employed, and the fire heater may be of any other suitable construction.
By this means the steam having expended its power in driving the
fan is economised in giving up its heat to the air previous to passing
through the fire heater, and if desired, high-pressure steam may be
introduced into the steam heater.
·
•
I
Where fans or blowing machines are used for producing forced
combustion in smitby fires or furnaces it forms a very economical
arrangement to use the waste steam for heating the air on its passage to
the fire or furnace.
According to this modification we employ the combined steam and
fire heater where high temperatures are desired, and where low tem-
peratures are preferred we use the steam heater only, economising waste
steam and supplying the fires or furnaces with a blast of steam-heated
air, thereby saving fuel and providing a superior heating medium.
In all these cases: steam direct from a boiler may be conveyed to the
heating apparatus if desired for heating the air.
The second part of this Invention relates to improvements in machines 3
at present in use for drying and tentering woven fabrics and imparting
.to them what is known in the trade as an "clastic finish." Chains or

page_text: ropes are employed for moving the details for holding the selvedges of
the fabric and adjusting the various widths. The chains are attached to
sliding blocks arranged to slide on transverse horizontal brackets or
bearers, having at their outer ends a pulley round which the chains pass.
The chains also pass over pulleys or chain wheels or fixed at one end to
a barrell or drum at or near the middle or centre of the bracket and
motion communicated to them either direct or through gear by a longi-
tudinal shaft. The sliding blocks carry the rails on which are fixed the
details for holding the selvedges of the fabric, and the elastic finish is.
produced by a swinging motion imparted to the transverse horizontal
brackets. Great difficulty has been experienced in the working of these
machines owing to the straining or stretching of the chains or ropes
during the operation of the swinging motion. This arises chiefly from the
chains or ropes having a fixed point at or near the centre of the bearer
while the outer end of the chain oscillates with the bearer. We overcome
this difficulty by having the chain wheels, pulleys, or drums at or near
the centre of the bearers fitted on to the bearers and moving with them
during the swinging motion instead of their being stationary as arranged
hitherto. It will be obvious to the practical man that this may bo
arranged for in a variety of ways. It can be very simply managed by
countersinking the bore of the chain wheel pulley or drum from the two
ends gradually tapering towards the diameter of the shaft in the centre,
and this will allow free oscillation with the bracket without coming into
contact with the shaft and still connected to it by means of keys or
catches. In lieu of this a ball-and-socket joint or a rolling joint may be
fitted on to the shaft or any accommodating motion. The same object
may be attained by a toothed wheel or worm on the longitudinal shaft
working into a toothed wheel on the chain wheels, pulleys, or drums, the
teeth being so formed that they will work clear of each other during the
swinging motion. To reduce the friction on the swinging bearers and
give facilities for easy adjustment we employ a screwed centre pin, by
preference steel pointed on which the bearers rest and freely oscillate,
To enable the operation to rapidly adjust the various breadths of the
fabric we attach a measuring indicator to the shaft.

page_text: employed, and are also applicable to machines working with toothed
racks and pinions.
One modification of this part of our Invention is shown at Figure 5 an
elevation and Figure 6 a plan. The longitudinal rails 10 for carrying
the details for holding the selvedges of the fabric are carried by slide |
blocks 11 on the transverse horizontal swinging bearers 12. The longi-
tudinal shaft with spur pinion 13 gear into the spur wheel 14, to which
the chain wheels 15 are attached. The dotted lines represent the chains
which are connected at one end to the rails 10, and the other end to the
sliding blocks 11 passing round the pulleys 16, and then round the chain
or pitch wheels 15. By giving motion to the longitudinal shaft 13 the
chain wheels revolve, and by means of the chains they expand or
contract the rails 10 to suit the desired width of the fabric to be tentered
and when a swinging motion is imparted to the transverse bearers 12 the
chain wheels 15 oscillate with the bearer, thereby preventing any
stretching or straining of the chains and maintaining a uniform adjust-
ment of the width of the tentered fabric.
.
Figures 7 and 8 represent a plan and elevation of another modification
of arrangement of applying the chain wheels to the swinging bearer
wherein the chain wheels 17 are placed in a vertical position and attached
to a worm wheel 18, motion being communicated to them by a worm 19
on the longitudinal shafts. The dotted lines show the chains.
Figures 9 and 10 is a plan and elevation of another modification of
the application of toothed rack and pinion to the swinging bearer; 20
and 21. are sliding toothed racks with gearing toothed pinion 22 and 2
worm wheel 23. Motion is given to the racks by the worm 24 on the
longitudinal shaft, and the racks, pinion, and worm wheel oscillate with
the bearer.
Figure 11 an elevation and Figure 12 an end view represents one.
modification of our Invention for driving or working non-progressive 3
tentering machines. It consists of an independent small steam engine 24
connected to the machine for the purpose of giving an oscillating
movement and overcoming the reaction of the swinging motions, the
steam in the cylinder at the end of the stroke acting as a cushion secures
an easy action and prevents vibration in the working of the machine. 3
The exhaust or waste steam is conveyed through the pipes 25, drying
the fabric and making an economical arrangement.

page_text: yang of Woven NOTICS ON On-progressive tentering
machines with or without the elastic motion we enclose the sides of the
machine by preference of cloth and force or' draw a current of cold air or
steam-heated air or steam and fire-heated air combined through the
fabric.
Another modification of this Invention for drying yarns and fibrous.
materials consists in having two or more endless chains, ropes, or bands
arranged to travel through a hot-air chamber; they travel along guido
rails fixed to the sides of the chamber or supported by pillars or framing,
and pass over wheels, drums, or pulleys at each end of the chamber. Tho
hanks of yarns or the fibrous material to be dried is suspended on poles,
rods, or similar appliances resting or attached at each end to the moving.
chains and conveyed through the hot-air chamber and delivered dry or par-
tially dry at the opposite end. The wet material may be fed and delivered
dry at the same end or it may be arranged to travel any number of times
through the hot-air chamber before being delivered. The yarns may be
tempered or cooled by subjećting them to a current of cold air as they.
leave the drying machine. The machine by prefence is worked hori-
zontally but may be constructed. to work vertically, obliquely, or
otherwise, and motion is given to it by suitable gearing. Hot or cold
air may be forced or drawn through the chamber, or radiation heat
employed. When we use a current of steam-heated air or combined
steam and fire-heated air we prefer to distribute it throughout the
chamber by regulating openings.
.
Figure 13 represents an elevation; and Figure 14 an end view of one
of the modifications of this machine. The wet yarns or fibrous materials
to be dried is suspended by rods and placed on to the endless chains 26
at A, and after having passed through the heated chamber 27 may be
removed at B or allowed to pass over the chain wheels 28, and be
delivered dry or partially dry at the outlet C, and if desired they may
be subjected to a current of cold air as they leave the machine by regu-
lating openings on the cold air pipe 29. Motion is given to the machine
by suitable gearing, and the hot air may be distributed as shown at 30,
or by regulating openings on the pipe. In lieu of the travelling chains
the guide rails may be set with a declivity and the rods or poles furnished
at their ends with wheels or pulleys, and caused to travel, or travel with

page_text: their own gravity from one end of the chamber to the other, or carriages
mounted on wheels and carrying the yarns may be used.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Weems and William Weems,
have to these Presents set our hands and seals, this First day of
June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-one.