Improvements relating to the Finishing of Woven Fabrics, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1894
ROVIDIONAL DI BOLTIVATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JULIUS SARFERT, of Reichenbach i. V., in the
Empire of Germany, Manufacturer.]
Improvements relating to the Finishing of Woven Fabrics, and
Apparatus therefor.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
.
This invention relates to the finishing of woven fabrics and to improved
apparatus for that purpose.
The finishing of woven fabrics by pressing and simultaneous heating has
heretofore been carried out in the following manner, that is to say,
Between successive layers of cloth, pressing boards were placed and a pile
of several such layers of cloth alternating with pressing boards was built to a total
thickness of about 8 inches more or less. On the top of the pile was placed a thick,
hollow iron plate adapted to be heated by steam. The hot plate was not allowed
to come in direct contact with the adjacent layers of woven fabric, but was
separated from them by pressing boards and between these pressing boards and the
heating plates were included layers of pasteboard in order to prevent the burning
of the pressing boards as much as possible. During the operation the heat was
gradually transmitted from these heating plates to the interior of the layers of cloth
and thus, in conjunction with the pressure which was exerted at the same time
This method
upon the layers of woven fabric, effected the finishing of the same.
of finishing has however numerous disadvantages, for in the first place the heat is
chiefly transmitted to the layers of cloth nearest to the heating plates, while the
layers in the middle of the pile between two adjacent heating plates are but
imperfectly heated and thus not properly finished. According to the old method
of finishing therefore a considerable quantity of refuse goods is obtained.
owing to the great thickness of the layer of cloth it is necessary to heat the plates
to a high temperature, the pressing boards therefore are very often burnt.
The operation also takes a long time, about six hours, on account of the bad
conductivity for heat of the woven fabric.
Moreover
All these inconveniences are obviated by the method which forms the subject of
the present invention. The heating plates formerly employed are dispensed with
and instead thereof the thin pressing boards are heated by an electric current.
By leaving out the heavy and thick heating plates it is possible to place a greater
quantity of material in the finishing press, also in consequence of each separate
pressing board being heated the distribution of the heat is rendered more uniform
throughout the entire mass of the woven fabric so that a much more rapid finishing
(that is to say taking about two hours) is achieved. Moreover the pressing boards
are protected against burning, as when the woven fabric is heated directly by the
pressing boards the latter need be heated only to the temperature suitable for
finishing the fabric and not overheated as was necessary with the heating plates
formerly used which were designed to act at a distance through several layers of
cloth or layers of fabric and pressing boards.
The heating boards adapted for use in this improved method of finishing
are preferably made of two sheets of paste-board placed one upon the other, a
zig-zag conducting wire of nickeline or the like being placed between the said
sheets. An electric current is introduced at oue end of the board thus formed and

page_text: conducted away at the other end or the current may be led in and conducted away
at two points which are close together.
The pressing boards may also be made in other ways, and the conductors, instead
of being made of wires may consist of sheet metal which, for example, in order to
increase the resistance, may be stamped out in a suitable zig-zag form the current
being led in at one end and out of the other.
Dated this 20th day of May 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements relating to the Finishing of Woven Fabrics, and
Apparatus therefor.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained, in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to the finishing of woven fabric and to improved apparatus
for that purpose.
The finishing of woven fabrics by pressing and simultaneous heating has
heretofore been carried out in the following manner, that is to say,
Between successive layers of cloth were placed pressing boards and a pile of
several such layers of cloth alternating with such boards was built up to a total
thickness of about 8 inches more or less. On the top of the pile was placed a
thick, hollow iron plate adapted to be heated by steam. The hot plate was not
allowed to come in direct contact with the adjacent layers of woven fabric, but was
separated from them by pressing boards, between which and the heating plates
were included layers of pasteboard in order to prevent the burning of the said
pressing boards as much as possible. During the operation the heat was gradually
transmitted from these heating plates to the interior of the layers of cloth and this,
in conjunction with the pressure which was exerted at the same time upon the
layers of woven fabric, effected the finishing of the same.
This method of finishing has, however, numerous disadvantages, for in the first
place the heat is chiefly transmitted to the layers of cloth nearest to the heating
plates, while the layers in the middle of the pile between two adjacent heating
plates are but imperfectly heated and thus not properly finished. According to
the old method of finishing therefore a considerable quantity of refuse goods was
obtained. Moreover owing to the great thickness of the layer of cloth it was
Decessary to heat the plates to a high temperature, which frequently resulted in
the burning of the boards. Moreover the operation takes a long time, lasting
about six hours, on account of the woven fabric being a bad conductor of heat.
All these inconveniences are obviated by the method which forms the subject of
the present invention. The heating plates formerly employed are dispensed with
and instead thereof electrically heated plates are employed which are preferably
made so thin, that they can be used instead of the pressing boards formerly used.
By omitting the heavy and thick heating plates and replacing them by thin
electrically heated plates it is possible to place a greater quantity of material in
the finishing press, also, in consequence of some or all of the sheets or plates being
heated the distribution of the heat is rendered more uniform throughout the entire
mass of the woven fabric so that the finishing is effected much more rapidly than
heretofore, that is to say, in about two hours. Moreover the burning of the sheets
or plates is obviated, as when the woven fabric is heated directly by the said

page_text: sheets or plates the latter need only be heated to the temperature suitable for
finishing the fabric and not overheated as was necessary with the heating plates
formerly used which were designed to act at a distance through several layers of
cloth or layers of fabric and pressing boards.
The heating sheets or plates adapted for use in this improved method of finishing
are preferably made of two sheets of pasteboard placed one upon the other, a
zig-zag conductor of nickeline or the like being placed between the said sheets.
An electric current is passed from one end of the board thus formed through
the conductor and out at the other end, or the current may be led into and
conducted out from the board at two points which are close together.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 represents by way of example a pressing board constructed according
to this invention, the upper layer of pasteboard being partly removed in order to
show the electric conductor used for the heating.
Figure 2 is an horizontal section of the same.
Figure 3 is a modified form of pressing board and
Figure is an horizontal section through the same.
-
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a is a zig-zag conductor of sheet metal placed upon
terminals at
the sheet or plate b of pasteboard and connected to the + and
opposite ends of the said sheet. A second sheet of pasteboard is laid over the
said conductor so that the latter is enclosed between the two sheets and b¹.
The sheets or plates may also be made in other ways, for instance, they may
form a single sheet such as that represented in Figures 3 and 4 where a is the
metal sheet and c are bars attached at each end thereof for distributing the
current.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
:-
First. The improved method of finishing woven fabrics, in which the sheets or
plates are so constructed as to form conductors of electricity, and are heated by an
electric current, substantially as described.
Second. A device for use in the finishing woven fabrics consisting of two parts
between which a conductor of electricity of suitable resistance is embedded,
substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Dated this 20th day of December 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.