IMPROVEMENTS IN FULLING OR MILLING MACHINERY
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John William Crawford and William Mellor, both of
Leeds, in the County of York, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FULLING OR MILLING MACHINERY.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John William Crawford
and William Mellor at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
6th February 1882.
JOHN WILLIAM CRAWFORD and William Mellor both of Leeds in the County
of York. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FULLING OR MILLING MACHINERY
"
This Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for fulling or milling woollen
and other woven fabrics and our improvements relate to apparatus for reducing tho
friction between the guide board and the cloth at the same time keeping the piece
straight in its passage through the machine.
In carrying out our Invention we employ the ordinary knocking off board with
a rectangular aperture for the passage of the piece which aperture may be divided
by means of wooden bars for the purpose of keeping the folds of the fabric separate
until the tension thereon has become equalized.
Upon the knocking off board we mount a pair of rollers of small diameter between
which the fabric passes the rollers being placed so close together as to be in contact
with the fabric without exerting any pressure thereon.
As soon as the tension upon each fold of the fabric is equal the division bars
may be removed and thus all friction upon the piece is removed thereby avoiding
the formation of flocks which are produced in great quantity upon machines to
which our improvements have not been applied.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John William Crawford and William Mellor in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th August 1882.
JOHN WILLIAM CRAWFORD and WILLIAM MELLOR both of Leeds in the County
of York "IMPROVEMENTS IN FULLING OR MILLING MACHINERY."
This Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for fulling or milling woollen
and other woven fabrics and our improvements relate to apparatus for reducing
the friction between the guide board and the cloth at the samo time keeping the
piece straight in its passage through the machine.
In carrying out our Invention we employ the ordinary knocking off board with
a rectangular aperature for the passage of the piece which aperture may be divided
by means of wooden bars for the purpose of keeping the folds of the fabric seperate
until the tension thercon has become equalized. Upon the knocking off board we
mount a pair of rollers of small diameter between which the fabric passes, the
rollers being placed so close together as to be in contact with the fabric without
exerting any pressure thereon.
As soon as the tension upon each fold of tho fabric is equal the division bars
may be removed and thus all friction upon the piece is removed thereby avoiding
the formation of "flocks" which are produced in great quantity upon machines to
which our improvements have not been applied.
In order that our Invention may be more clearly understood we have hereto
annexed two Sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof.
Fig 1 is a back elevation of the machine shewing also the interior thereof.
Fig 2 is a partial cross section, and Fig 3 a detail of the knocking off board.
The knocking off board A is mounted in the usual manner for the purpose of
throwing the clutch or friction box B in or out of gear. The cloth passes through
a rectangular aperture C-the-folds-being-seperated by incans of wooden bars D
placed in dovetailed slots E so that they may be readily withdrawn whenever it is
found convenient to dispense with them. Upon the upper side of the board A wo
mount a pair of antifriction rollers F sufficiently far apart to allow the piece to
pass between them when not knotted. In starting the machine with a new piece
of cloth we uso the bars D until the tension on the different folds becomes equal
when we remove them and the friction upon the cloth is removed without in any
way diminishing the efficacy of the knocking off apparatus.
By the use of our Invention we avoid the formation of "flocks"; the cloth runs
without "rolling" at the edges; the machine "knocks off" less frequently and
requires much less driving power and performs its work altogether with greater
delicacy.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and shewn by Drawings how
the same may be performed or carried into practice we would have it understood
that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein shewn and described
but what we claim as our Invention and consider to be new is-
The use of rollers F in combination with a knocking off board constructed in
manner substantially as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof we the said John William Crawford and William Mellor
have hereunto set our hands and seals this 2nd day of August in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.