IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING TEXTILE FABRICS AND MATERIALS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Leck, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Bleacher, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING
TEXTILE FABRICS AND MATERIALS."
Sealed the 25th February 1859, and dated the 28th December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Leck at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
December 1858.
I, JAMES LECK, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Bleacher, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN DRYING TEXTILE FABRICS AND MATERIALS," to be as follows, that is
to say:-
This Invention relates to the drying of various classes of goods, but in par-
ticular Turkey red fabrics, in such manner as to impart a superior finish and
effect to the goods, and reduce the time ordinarily employed in the operation.
The fabric to be dried according to these improvements is first passed over a
steam can or heated cylinder, or over or in contact with any other heater, and
it is then directed clear of the cylinder or can, and passed up and over a roller
of triangular section. In this way the piece is conveyed through the air,
agitated in it prior to descending and passing over a second steam can or
heater. This routine is followed throughout the entire arrangement, the fabric

page_text: being passed over a steam can or cylinder and then through the air alter-
nately. The upper guide rollers by means of which the fabric is conveyed
through the air may be of various sections or forms. For instance, open
sparred cylinders may be used for the purpose with fan blowers in the
interior, the object always being to expose the goods thoroughly to the air
between each application of heat or between any desired series of such
applications.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Leck in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
June 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
LECK, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Bleacher, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said James Leck, Her special license that I, the said
James Leck, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Leck, my executors, administrators, or 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING TEXTILE FABRICS AND MATERIALS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said James Leck, 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
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Leck, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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:

page_text: My said Invention relates to the drying of various classes of goods, but in
particular Turkey red fabrics, in such manner as to impart a superior finish
and effect to the goods, and reduce the time ordinarily employed in the
operation. The fabric to be dried according to these improvements is first
passed over a steam can or heated cylinder, or over or in contact with any
other heater, and it is then directed clear of the cylinder or can, and passed up
and over a roller of triangular section. In this way the piece is conveyed
through the air, and agitated in it prior to descending and passing over a second
steam can or heater. This routine is followed throughout the entire arrange-
ment, the fabric being passed over a steam can or cylinder, and then through
the air alternately. The upper guide rollers, by means of which the fabric is
conveyed through the air, may be of various sections or forms; for instance,
open sparred cylinders may be used for the purpose with fan blowers in their
interior, the object always being to expose the goods thoroughly to the air
between each application of heat, or between any desired series of such
applications.
And in order that my Invention may be properly understood, I shall now
proceed to describe more particularly the details of one system or mode under
which my improvements may be judiciously carried out in practice, that is to
say-One modification under which my Invention may be practised consists in
passing the printed "goods" or fabrics through an ordinary drying machine, in
connection with which my improvements for rapidly cooling and drying the
fabrics are arranged. The "goods" or continuous lengths of textile fabric
formed by joining several pieces together are in the first instance passed
between the smoothing or stretching rollers of the drying machine, and from
these rollers pass under the first steam cylinder or "can" of the machine. There
are two series or rows of these "cams" arranged one above the other, the lower
row intervening or being arranged between the two upper and contiguous
"cans."
The several cylinders comprised in the two series being arranged in
this manner, they are driven at one end by means of gearing, and the steam
is admitted to the interior of the cylinders through hollow or tubular journals
which are arranged in connection with a steam pipe extending from end to
end of the machine. In passing off from the periphery of the first "can," the
cloth comes in contact with an open barred polygonal roller arranged across
the machine above the upper series of "cans," and running loosely in end
standards projecting above the side frames of the machine. From the first
"can" the cloth is carried upwards to a height of ten or fifteen feet above the
can," where the cloth is passed over a polygonal roller or agitator arranged

page_text: "
to run loosely in bearers pendant from the roof of the building, or supported
in any other convenient manner. These rollers consist merely of open frames of
wood, which are made of a triangular or polygonal figure, or in the form of
an open blade revolving on a central longitudinal axis or spindle. As the
cloth passes round the first "can in its wet state as it comes from the washing
operation, the heat of the "can" would dry it with great rapidity and injure
the fibre, but for the velocity of its passage through the machine. Under any
circumstances the heat is prejudicial to the beauty and delicacy of the finer
.colours which are used in printing textile fabrics; and the special object of my
present Invention is to avoid the injurious effect of heat by cooling the
fabric the instant it leaves the "can." To this end the moment the cloth
leaves the periphery of the first "can" it comes in contact with the first
polygonal roller, the rotation of which, by the frictional contact of the cloth,
causes it to be moved to and from the surface of the heated "can," so that it nó
sooner receives the influence of the heat which causes the steam to rise from
the surface of the cloth, than both steam and beat are dissipated by the clotli
being agitated in the air. From the first "can" the fabric is carried over the
elevated polygonal roller above, the ten or fifteen feet length of cloth being
rapidly agitated in the air by the rotation of the roller, the air being meanwhile
allowed to flow in an uninterrupted current through the building in which the
drying machinery is placed. From the upper polygonal roller the cloth passes
downwards between the first pair of "cans" of the upper series round the first
of the lower series, from which it passes to the second of the upper row.
From the heated surface of the second upper "can" the cloth is carried over a
second polygonal roller arranged parallel to the first, and in manner similar.
This roller alternately shakes or agitates the ascending and descending length
of cloth which then passes under the second "can" of the lower series, and
partially round the third "can of the upper series. In this manner the length
of cloth is carried successively round the "cans" or heated cylinders, and over
the polygonal rollers or open frames until it reaches the last of the series of
"cans," whence it is drawn off in the usual manner by a pair of reciprocating
frictional rollers. In the passage of the cloth through the machine, each
portion of the cloth is in contact with the heated cylinder only for a very short
space of time, and it no sooner leaves the upper cylinder than it is imme-
diately cooled, and the steam is dissipated by the shaking motion imparted to
the cloth. The result of this treatment is, that the goods are dried with great
rapidity and ease, and being quickly cooled as the fabric passes off from the
beated cylinders, the delicate bloom of the most brilliant colours is brought
"

page_text: out with a freshness and brilliancy far superior to the effect produced by the
ordinary mode of drying.
Another mode of effecting this rapid cooling process consists in arranging a
series of wire cloth cylinders alternately with the upper row of steam "cans."
These wire cloth cylinders are similar to those ordinarily used in the manu-
facture of paper, and instead of employing wire cloth for the purpose, the
cylinders may be composed of segmental plates, each plate having a great
number of slots or narrow elongated openings made therein. The wire cloth
or open cylinders are mounted and driven in the same manner as the con-
tiguous steam "cans." Inside each of the open cylinders is arranged a fanner
or air wheel, the spindle of which is connected with external gearing so as to
drive the fanner at a high velocity. The fanners are kept in motion during
the passage of the goods through the machine; the rotation of the vanes or
blades of the fanners puts the air into rapid motion, and causes it to impinge
upon and agitate the contiguous lengths of cloth, so as to produce a rapid and
effective drying action, and at the same time preserve the brilliancy of the
colours unimpaired.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery or apparatus
for rapidly cooling and drying textile fabrics and materials as herein-before
described.
Second, the system or mode of drying textile fabrics and materials by means
of machinery or apparatus in which the goods are rapidly shaken or agitated
in the air so as to cool the fabric as it leaves the steam cylinders or cans, and
dissipate the steam as it is thrown off from the surface, with a view of increasing
or preserving to the utmost extent the brightness of the printed colours, as
herein before described.
Third, the use of polygonal rollers or flat oblong blades or vanes in the
process or operation of drying textile fabrics and materials, and the application
of the said rollers, vanes, or blades to drying machinery, as herein-before
described.

page_text: Fourth, the system or mode of drying textile fabrics and materials by means
of an arrangement of open cylinders, each having a fanner or air wheel fitted
within it for the purpose, when put in motion, of agitating the air and causing
it to impinge upon and circulate quickly over the surface of the goods under
operation, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Leck, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
JAMES LECK. (L.S.)