A MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING OR 'DAMPING' WOOLLEN OR OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS FOR FINISHING
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Radcliffe, of Sowerby Bridge, in the County
of York, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "A MACHINE OR APPARATUS
FOR MOISTENING OR 'DAMPING' WOOLLEN OR OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS FOR
FINISHING."
Sealed the 15th January 1856, and dated the 29th August 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Radcliffe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
August 1855.
I, CHARLES RADCLIFFE, of Sowerby Bridge, in the County of York, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A MACHINE
OR APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING OR DAMPING' WOOLLEN OR OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS
FOR FINISHING" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a framework and rollers, constructed of wood or
other material, of suitable size and form, the rollers capable of being varied in
relative positions by rack and pinion or other contrivance, for the purpose of
woollen or other fabrics being drawn or travelled over at a suitable distance
from a cylindrical or other brush, revolving rapidly within a trough supplied
with water through a perforated bottom, the proper quantity being regulated

page_text: by a tap. Also in the use of another revolving brush closely applied to
the fabric, and in the employment in connection herewith of apparatus for
"cutling." The accompanying outline Drawing will more fully shew the
nature of my Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Radcliffe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th February 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
RADCLIFFE, of Sowerby Bridge, in the County of York, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Radcliffe, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Radcliffe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Charles Radcliffe, 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 "A
MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING OR DAMPING' WOOLLEN OR OTHER TEXTILE
FABRICS FOR FINISHING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charles Radcliffe, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Royal Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Radcliffe, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
My Invention consists of a framework and rollers, constructed of wood, iron,
or other metal or material, of suitable size and form, the rollers capable of
being varied in relative positions by rack and pinion or other contrivance, for
the purpose of woollen or other fabrics being drawn or travelled over at a suit-

page_text: able distance from a cylindrical or other brush, revolving rapidly within a
trough supplied with water through a perforated bottom, the proper quantity
being regulated by a tap. Also in the use of another revolving brush closely
applied to the fabric, and in the employment in connection herewith of appa-
ratus for cutling or folding the fabrics.
My said Invention will be clearly understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawing, which is an elevation of the machine, partly in
section, one side frame being broken away at a, a, a, in order to shew the brush,
&c. b, b, b, are wood rollers for carrying or travelling the fabrics over and
at a suitable distance from a cylindrical brush c, which is caused to revolve
rapidly by means of the cord d, receiving motion from the pulley e on the main
driving shaft e. f is a trough, with a perforated "false" or extra bottom g,
supplied with water by the pipe h; the quantity required is regulated by the
tap i. j is a roller or drum, receiving motion from the main shaft by the cord
k, which draws the fabric forward through the machine; are two arms or
levers, suspended loosely on each end of the drum shaft, and have an oscillating
motion given to them by connecting rods and cranks m, receiving motion from
the drum by the gear wheels n, n; o, o, are two rollers, driven by a cord from
the drum, to assist in delivering the fabrics in cutles or folds. It will be seen,
that as the fabric travels in the direction of the arrows, the cylindrical brush
as it revolves dips into the water, which percolates through the perforated
bottom, and throws off a fine spray of water or mist against the fabric, by
which means or contrivance I produce what is known as "dewing," "deging,"
or "damping." Heretofore the moistening or damping of woollen fabrics has
been effected by spreading such fabrics upon the grass in the open air when
the dew is on, or to await its coming, attendance being required to determine
when the fabrics had absorbed sufficient moisture. This process of "dewing,"
which had to be done during the night, was necessarily dependant upon the
state of the weather, tedious and expensive to the manufacture and uncom-
fortable to the workmen. But by my machine or apparatus such fabrics can
be "dewed" or "damped" in doors at any time when damping is required, by
simply passing them through the machine, which I can do at the rate of
one piece per minute, the quantity of moisture being regulated or adjusted
by turning the tap, which may be indexed to any given weight of moisture
per piece.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature and particulars of
my said Invention, and the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I
desire it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details
herein set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the

page_text: principle thereof; but I claim the construction, arrangement, and application
of a machine or apparatus for moistening or damping woollen or other textile
fabrics as herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Radcliffe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.
CHARLES RADCLIFFE. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Charles Radcliffe, in the presence of
W TASKER,
Patent Agent, Halifax.