IMPROVEMENTS IN ADRADAMING POR FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henderson, of the Firm of Walker,
Henderson, and Company, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ADRADAMING POR FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS"
Sealed the 2nd November 1869, and dated the 8th May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henderson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th May 1869.
I, WILLIAM HENDERSON, of the Firm of Walker, Henderson, and
Company, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS," to be as follows, that is to
say:
This Invention relates to improved apparatus for finishing woven
fabrics, and comprises various modifications in the general construction
of the machine, together with an improved mode of holding the
selvedges of the woven fabric whilst passing through the apparatus.

page_text: One modification of the improved apparatus is for imparting what is
known as the "elastic finish" to the fabric whilst being dried, and in
it the two endless chains which hold the selvedges by means of stenter
pins or clips are passed round pitch wheels at each end of the machine,
and along grooved guides which are formed or fixed along the top and
bottom edges of vertical side plates extending horizontally from end to
end of the machine, and about as broad vertically as the diameter of the
pitch wheels. The fabric is entered at one end, passes along the top
to the other end, and returns along the bottom to within a short distance
of the entering end, and is thence led away. An enclosed space is thus
formed having the fabric for its top and bottom, whilst the vertical
plates form its sides, and heated air is blown into this space for the
purpose of drying the fabric. The side plates are carried by means of
swivel joints on transverse horizontal spindles held in bearers arranged
to oscillate horizontally on central pivot pedestals, and the spindles are
formed with right-handed and left-handed screw threads for the purpose
of adjusting the side plates to different widths of fabric. The move-
ments are imparted by means of a transverse horizontal shaft at one end
of the machine, which has on it an eccentric for giving the oscillating
motion to the bearers by a connecting rod, and which by bevil wheels
actuates a short central vertical shaft. A bevil wheel on the upper end
of the vertical shaft is in gear with a bevil wheel on a transverse
horizontal shaft which is carried by end frames extending out from the
side plates, and which consequently oscillates along with the bearers
carrying those plates. The end pitch wheels for the endless chains are
carried on studs fixed to the same end frames, and have fixed to or
formed in one piece with them spur wheels, which are in gear with
pinions on the transverse horizontal shaft, by which means the pro-
gressive motion is imparted to the endless chains, and through them to
the fabric. If preferred the side plates with the guide grooves may be
kept stationary and the oscillating motion be imparted to the chains
only.
In a second modification the apparatus is in the form of a large
cylinder on a horizontal shaft. At the ends of the cylinder there are
discs or wheels, on the rims of which the selvedges of the fabric are
held, the fabric thus forming the outer cylindrical surface. There is an
inner cylindrical metal shell made in two pieces, so that one can slide
within the other, and one attached to each disc, whilst a central screw
spindle is provided for adjusting the discs more or less apart to suit

page_text: different widths of fabric. The fabric externally and the metal shell
internally enclose between them an annular cylindrical space, into
which hot air is blown being led thereto by passages in one of the discs
communicating by a hollow journal with a hollow standard. The
fabric is entered upon and led off from the cylinder round guide rollers
placed near together, so that it makes an almost complete circuit of the
cylinder, which is made to revolve slowly so as to carry it round. The
selvedges may be held on the disc rims in various ways, but it is pre-
ferred to adopt for that purpose the appliances herein-after described,
and which are also suitable for finishing machines of various kinds.
The "elastic finish" may be imparted by making the discs reciprocate
relatively to each other. Two or more of the cylinders may be com-
bined, and the fabric may pass round one after the other so as to have
a longer traverse and more time for drying. The improved mode of
holding the selvedges of the fabric consists in employing endless cords
or bands for that purpose, such cords or bands being stretched and
guided so as to nip the selvedges against holding surfaces on the other
side thereof. Various kinds of cord or band may be used, but it is
considered that a cord or small rope of fine copper wire will be the best.
In applying the holding cords in the cylindrical machine last herein-
before described they are simply led round so as to nip the selvedges of
the fabric against the rims of the discs, and these rims may if desirable
be roughened in any convenient way to increase the holding power.
In the case of endless chain machines, such as the one first herein-before
described, the holding cords are led round guide pulleys so that (in the
absence of the fabric) they would run in contact with the endless chains
along that part of the latter's course where the fabric has to pass. The
surfaces of the chain links which touch the fabric may be smooth, or
more or less roughened, or endless flexible bands of copper wire or other
suitable material may be substituted for the linked chains. The guide
grooves (in the side plates of the machine first hercin-before described,
or in the corresponding parts of other machines), should not be made
straight as hitherto, as a sufficient nipping pressure of the holding cords
could not in that case be maintained by mere tension, but such grooves
should be made with a slight convex curvature longitudinally, with.
which the necessary nip will be easily got by simply tightening the
cords.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henderson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th November 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENDERSON, of the Firm of Walker, Henderson, and Company, of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Henderson, Her special licence
that I, the said William Henderson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henderson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thercafter 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 APPARATUS FOR FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Henderson, my executors or adminis
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 per-
formed, 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 William Henderson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say :—
My said Invention relates to improved apparatus for finishing woven
fabrics, and comprises various modifications in the general construction
of the machinery together with an improved mode of holding the
selvedges of the woven fabric
fabric whilst passing through the apparatus.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended thrce Sheets
of explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to and representing by
way of example some of the modifications of my improved finishing
apparatus.
One modification of my improved apparatus is for imparting what is
known as the "elastic finish" to the fabric whilst being dried, and is
shown in plan in Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the Drawings, in side elevation
in Figure 2, and in transverse vertical section in Figure 3. The two
endless chains 1 used in such machines for holding the selvedges of the
fabric by means of stenter pins or clips are as usual passed round pitch
wheels 3, 4, at each end of the machine, and along grooved guides.
These guides are according to my Invention formed or fitted along the
top and bottom edges of vertical side plates 5, extending horizontally
from end to end of the machine, and made about as broad vertically
as the diameter of the pitch wheels 3, 4. The fabric 2 indicated
by blue lines is entered at one end as shown by the arrows, passes
along the top to the other end, and returns along the bottom to
within a short distance of the entering end, being thence led away
in a downward direction; an enclosed space is thus formed having
the fabric 2 for its top and bottom, whilst the vertical plates 5 form
its sides, and heated air is by means of a pipe 6 blown into this space
for the purpose of drying the fabric. The side plates 5 are carried by
means of swivel joints 7 on transverse horizontal spindles 8 held in
bearers 9, arranged to oscillate horizontally on central pivot pedestals 10,
and the spindles 8 are formed with right-hand and left-hand screw
threads for the purpose of adjusting the side plates 5 to different widths
of fabric. The swivel joint blocks 7 are screw tapped to suit the spindles 8,
which, latter are fitted with hand wheels 11 at the ends, by means of
which to effect the adjustment for width. The side plates 5 being thus
carried by the oscillating bearers 9 partake of the movement of those
bearers. These movements are imparted by means of a transverse
horizontal shaft 12 at one end of the machine, which has on it an
eccentric 13 for giving the oscillating motion to the bearers by means
of a connecting rod 14 and which by bevil wheels 15 actuates a short
central vertical shaft 16. A bevil wheel on the upper end of the vertical
shaft is in gear with a bevil wheel 17 on a transverse horizontal shaft 18,
which is carried by end frames or brackets 19, extending out from the
side plates 5 and which consequently oscillate along with the bearers 9

page_text: carrying those plates. The end pitch wheels 3 for the endless chains
are carried on studs fixed to the same end frames 19, and have fixed to
or formed in one piece with them spur wheels 20, which are in gear with
pinions on the transverse horizontal shaft 18, by which means the pro-
gressive motion is imparted to the endless chains, and through them to the
fabric. If preferred the side plates 5 may be kept stationary and the
oscillating motion be imparted to the chains only; or the machine may be
made to work without any oscillating motion as in the second modification
which is shown in transverse vertical section in Figure 4, in plan in
Figure 5, and in side elevation in Figure 6. In this example instead of the
oscillating bearers (9) there are a series of fixed standards 21, and a
transverse bar 22 forming part of each standard is made to serve as a rail
for supporting the vertical side plates 5, these plates being fitted with
brackets and wheels 23 to rest on the rail. In this example provision is
made for adjusting the width apart of the side plates 5 simultaneously at
all the standards 21. Each spindle 8 is turned by a boss 24 connected
to it by a key and groove and formed in one piece with a worm wheel 25,
and the several worm wheels are acted upon by worms on a longitudinal
shaft 26, carried by bracket bearings attached to the plates 5. The
bosses 24 are connected to the plates 5 by tongue pieces which enter
grooves turned on the bosses so that whilst the bosses are free to turn
they move with the plates inwards or outwards along the spindle 8.
The worm shaft 26 may be arranged to be turned by hand; or it may be
connected with the driving gearing at the end of the machine as shown
with appliances for putting it into gear to rotate in either direction, the
adjustment being thus effected rapidly by the power of the machine itself.
In this as well as in other modifications the pitch wheels 3 at the end
where the fabric is carried round to return below are fitted with hollow.
telescopic rollers to support the fabric in passing round when it is of a
comparatively heavy kind.
Figures 7 to 10 on Sheet 2 of the Drawings show the application of
the same improved mode of constructing and arranging the apparatus
to suit cases in which it is desired to make the fabric travel more than
twice the length of the machine. Figure 7 is a plan, and Figure 8 a
side elevation, whilst Figure 9 is an enlarged side elevation of a part of
the apparatus, and Figure 10 a corresponding transverse vertical section.
The machine is provided with two sets of side plates 5, arranged one
above the other, and connected and carried by vertical brackets 30,
which are adjusted for width by the screwed spindles 8. The brackets

page_text: rest by means of wheels 23 on transverse frame bars 32, which are
entered through slots in the brackets, and subsequently fixed to the
standards 21. The course of the endless chains 1 is from the pitch
wheels 4 along the top to the left (of Figure 8), round upper pitch
wheels 3 at the left-hand end, thence back towards the right along the
bottom of the upper plates 5, round pitch wheels 33, indicated by a
dotted circle, and towards the left again along the top of the bottom
plates 5, passing finally round lower pitch wheels 3, and along the
bottom to the right and up to the pitch wheels 4 at the top. The
fabric may be entered and delivered as indicated by the blue lines and
arrows so as to make four longitudinal traverses, or it may make three
traverses and be delivered from the top of the lower plates 5 at the
left-hand end. Deep side plates 34 are fitted at the right-hand end, and
these with the upper and lower side plates 5 and the fabric 2 form two
long enclosed spaces extending from a single deeper space at the right-
hand end, at which latter part the hot air is blown in by the pipe 6.
When the fabric is not brought along the bottom of the lower plates 5 the
bottom of the lower space may be closed by plates or cloth fixed to the
side plates 5. The endless chains 1 are moved by means of the pitch
wheels 3 at the left-hand end, these wheels being on short shafts which
have fast on them spur wheels 20, indicated by red circles in Figure 8,
and driven by pinions on a shaft 18, which is itself driven in any con-
venient way.
Apparatus for giving the "elastic finish"
arranged in a similar way for more than two traverses of the fabric.
may be
The modification of my apparatus which I shall next describe is
shown in Figures 11 and 12 on Sheet 3 of the Drawings, these being
side and front elevations. In this example the apparatus takes the
form of a large cylinder with its axis disposed horizontally; and com-
prises a pair of large discs 35 with teeth on their outer edges to drive
them by, and mounted so as to turn on fixed journals or spindles 36, 37,
one, 36, of which is tubular for the admission of heated air. These
spindles are fixed to cast-iron side standards 38 forming the framing of
the machine. The discs 35 are formed with cylindrical rims 39 down
upon which the selvedges of the fabric 2 are held so that the fabric
forms the external cylindrical surface. The discs 35 are also formed
with or have attached to them inner cylindrical metal shells 40 which
can slide more or less over a middle cylindrical drum 41 fixed on the
spindles 36, 37, and having its interior in communication with the
hollow one 36. The fabric 2 externally, and the metal shells 40 and

page_text: drum 41 internally, enclose between them an annular space into which
the hot air entering by the tubular spindle 36 finds its way by openings
in the circumference of the drum 41. The fabric 2 is entered upon
and led off from the cylinder round guide rollers 42, 43, placed near
together, so that it makes an almost complete circuit of the cylinder,
which is made to revolve slowly to carry it round by means of pinions 44
on a horizontal shaft 45 below, and which gear with the teeth on the
edges of the discs 35. The discs 35 are adjusted more or less apart to
suit different widths of fabric by means of spindles 8 with right-hand
and left-hand screw threads upon them, and working in the ends of
brackets 46, which are adapted to grooves turned on the bosses of the
discs 35 so as without turning therewith to carry those discs nearer to
or further from each other. These brackets 46 rest and slide on
brackets 47 fixed to the main standards 38. The selvedges of the
fabric 2 may be held on the disc rims 39 in various ways, but I prefer
to adopt for that purpose the appliances herein-after described, and
which are also suitable for finishing machines of various kinds. The
"elastic finish" may be imparted by making the discs 35 reciprocate
relatively to each other; and this motion may be obtained by making
the driving shaft 45 oscillate to a small extent in the horizontal plane.
To admit of this it is carried by an oscillating bearer 48 on a pivot
pedestal 49 and is driven by the bevil gearing shown from a shaft 50
on which there is an eccentric connected to the shaft 45 above by a lever
and connecting rod as shown in red in Figure 11. Two or more of the
cylinders may be combined and the fabric may be passed round one after
the other so as to have a longer traverse and more time for drying.
My improved mode of holding the selvedges of the fabric consists in
employing endless cords or bands for that purpose, such cords or bands
being stretched and guided so as to nip the selvedges against holding
surfaces on the other side thereof. Various kinds of cord or band
may be used, but I consider that a cord or small rope of fine
copper wire will be the best. In applying the holding cords 51 in
the cylindrical machine shown on Sheet 3 of the Drawings they are
simply led round so as, to nip the selvedges of the fabric 2 against the
disc rims 39, and these rims may be roughened in any convenient way
to increase the holding power.
In the modification shown in Figures 11 and 12 each endless cord 51,
shown in red, makes nearly two circuits of the cylinder, being turned
and carried back over a scries of guide rollers 52 held by brackets 53

page_text: so as not to cross the part where the fabric enters and leaves the
cylinder. One, 54, of each set of guide rollers is carried by a block
which can be adjusted by a screw and handwheel 55 whereby the cord
can be tightened.
In Figure 13 a different arrangement is shown, a detached part thereof
being shown in plan edge view in Figure 41, and in this case each
cord 51 instead of being led round outside of the rollers 52 (which
are still retained to nip and guide, the cord where it bears upon the
fabric) is passed round four guide pulleys 56, carried by a slightly
inclined bracket 57 in such a way that where the cord crosses vertically
it is outside of the width of the fabric. The brackets 57 on opposite
sides of the machine are inclined in reversed directions.
Figures 15 and 16 are side and front elevations of a modified arrange-
ment of bracket 57 and pulleys 56, by which the same result can be
obtained, the outer pulleys being set at right angles to the inner ones.
In the case of long endless chain machines, such as the three modifica-
tions first herein-before described, the holding cords 51 are applied as
shown in the Diagrams, Figures 17 and 18 on Sheet 2 of the Drawings,
these Figures being a plan and a side elevation. They are led round
guide pulleys 58, 59, 60, so as (in the absence of the fabric) to run in
contact with the endless chains 1 along those parts of the latter's courses
where the fabric has to pass. The surfaces of the chain links which touch
the fabric may be smooth, or more or less roughened, or endless flexible
bands of copper wire or other suitable material may be substituted for
the linked chains. The guide grooves (in the side plates 5 of the
machines herein-before described, or in the corresponding parts of other
machines,) should not be made straight as hitherto, as a sufficient
pipping pressure of the holding cords could not in that case be main-
tained by mere tension, but such grooves should be made with a slight
convex curvature longitudinally, as shown in Figures 18 and 19, with which
the necessary nip will be easily got by simply tightening the cords.
The diagram, Figure 19, shows a different mode of arranging the guide
pulleys 58, so as to lead the nipping cords 51 clear of the selvedges of
the fabric where the latter enters and leaves the machine. Instead of
the chains and cords being guided along a single convex curve extending
the entire length, as shown in Figures 18 and 19, the guide grooves
may be shaped as shown in Figure 20, the length being made up of a

page_text: series of short cenvex lengths, whilst pulleys 61 are arranged to hold the
cords and chains in to the indentations or angles at the points connecting
each convex length.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but
that what I believe to be novel and original and claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The arranging or combining together of the parts of finishing
apparatus in any of the improved modes herein-before described.
2. The applying of vertical side plates (5) substantially as herein-before
described, and more particularly as shown in Figures 1 to 10 of the
accompanying Drawings, so as along with the fabric to form an enclosed
space for the introduction of the hot air.
3. The carrying of the vertical side plates (5) upon the oscillating
bearers in apparatus for giving the "elastic finish," substantially as
herein-before described.
4. The constructing and arranging of finishing apparatus of a
cylindrical form in the improved manner herein-before described, and as
shown on Sheet 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
5. The applying of cords or bands substantially in the manner
herein-before described for holding or nipping the selvedges of woven
fabrics whilst passing through finishing apparatus.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henderson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
W. HENDERSON. (L.S.)