IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF FINISHING PILED FABRICS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH PROCESS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Davies, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn,
in the County of Middlesex, and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the City
of Glasgow, Civil Engineer, and Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF FINISHING PILED FABRICS, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH PROCESS."-A communication.
Sealed the 12th May 1859, and dated the 15th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th November 1858..
I, GEORGE DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of
Middlesex, and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the City of Glasgow, Civil
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF FINISHING PILED FABRICS, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH PROCESS," (a communication from a foreigner
residing abroad,) to be as follows:-
These improvements relate principally to the finishing of piled fabrics,
whether woven or felted, called "Astracan cloths," and consists of two parts,
firstly, the machine for friezing the pile or nap; and, secondly, the process of
fixing and pressing the "curl," dyeing, embossing, and finishing the fabric.
The construction of the friezing machine is as follows:-The main driving
shaft carries a spur pinion, which by gearing with a similar wheel drives a
shaft carrying a drum or band pulley, which actuates two sets of spindles by
Price 8d1

page_text: means of endless bands.
The end of the drum shaft carries a bevil wheel,
which by means of a vertical shaft and other similar wheels drives another
drum or band pulley at the upper part of the machine, which being furnished
also with endless bands, actuates a third set of spindles. The vertical shaft
communicates motion by gearing to a transverse shaft carrying cams or
excentrics at its ends. Four of these cams are for the purpose of giving an
alternate oscillating motion to the spindle frames, and the fifth, by means of a
ratchet and ratchet wheel, communicates an intermittent motion to a roller
furnished with points, which draws the fabric through the machine. Each of
the spindles carries at one end a brush of metallic wire, which acts upon the
pile or nap of the fabric, the back of the same being supported, and the fabric
pressed against the spindles by means of a fixed brush provided with springs.
The fabric passes from a vessel of water over guide rollers and between the
fixed brushes and the ends of the spindles, which effect the required friezing
or curling of the pile or nap. The fixing of the "curl" is effected by rolling
the fabric round a perforated cylinder, into which steam is admitted, the
roller and fabric being placed in a closed vessel for about an hour; the picce
is then unrolled, dried, and pressed; the "curl" is thus permanently fixed.
The piece is next submitted a second time to the action of the perforated
steam roller, and then immediately dyed the color and shade required. The
piece is then dried and again submitted to the action of the press. It will be
evident that (if preferred) the dyeing operation may precede the friezing or
curling. If it be desired to emboss or impress a pattern or design on the
curled fabric, it is again rolled on to the perforated roller, placing between
each layer cards or pasteboards perforated with the required pattern, and
enveloped in calico. The fabric thus prepared is then submitted to the action
of steam in a closed vessel, which will have the effect of embossing or
impressing the design on to the curled pile or nap of the fabric. The piece is
then unrolled, extended to its full length, and finally dried.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th May 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, 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 George Davies Her special licence that I, the said George Davies, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Davies, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PROCESS OF FINISHING PILED FABRICS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH
PROCESS," being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Davies, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
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
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.
or
NOW KNOW YE that 1, the said George Davies, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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, and on reference to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say:
These improvements relate principally to the finishing of piled fabrics,
whether woven or felted, called "Astracan cloths," and consists of two parts,
firstly, the machine for friezing or curling the pile or nap; and, secondly, the
process of fixing and pressing the "curl," dyeing, embossing, and finishing the
fabric.
The construction of the friezing machine is as follows:-The main driving
shaft carries a spur pinion, which by gearing with a similar wheel drives a
shaft carrying a drum or band pulley, which actuates two sets of spindles by
means of endless bands. The end of the drum shaft carries a bevil wheel,
which by means of a vertical shaft and other similar wheels drives another
drum or band pulley at the upper part of the machine, which being furnished
also with endless bands, actuates a third set of spindles. The vertical shaft
communicates motion by gearing to a transverse shaft carrying cams or
excentrics at its ends. Four of these cams are for the purpose of giving an

page_text: alternate oscillating motion to the spindle frames, and the fifth, by means of a
ratchet and ratchet wheel, communicates an intermittent motion to a roller
furnished with points, which draws the fabric through the machine. Each of
the spindles carries at one end a brush of metallic wire, which acts upon the
pile or nap of the fabric, the back of the same being supported and the fabric
pressed against the spindles by means of a fixed brush provided with springs.
The fabric passes from a vessel of water over guide rollers and between the
fixed brushes and the ends of the spindles which effect the required friezing
or curling of the pile or nap.
In order that this part of the Invention may be more fully explained and
perfectly understood, I have annexed hereto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative
thereof, and drawn about one-fifth the actual size, and have marked the same
with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof.
Figure represents a side elevation, and Figure 2 a front elevation of the
friezing or curling machine.
On the main driving shaft A, which carries the fast and loose driving
pulleys B, is keyed a spur pinion r, driving a similar wheel R, the axle of
which carries a cylinder or drum, intended to give motion to the endless bands
(represented by blue lines) driving the spindles of the spindle rails E and F.
At the extremity of the axis of this cylinder is keyed a mitre wheel a, driving
a similar wheel a', fixed on the vertical shaft D, which, by means of a similar
pair of wheels z, z, at its upper end, communicates motion to a second drum
or cylinder C, situated at the upper part of the machine, round which drum
pass the endless bands (also shewn by blue lines) driving the spindles of a third
spindle rail G. The same shaft D carries at its lower extremity a spur pinion b,
which by means of the spur wheel b¹ drives a second a second vertical shaft H;
this shaft communicates motion by the mitre wheels c, c', to an horizontal
shaft I, carrying at its extremities the grooved cams or excentrics m, n, m¹, n¹,
and p. The first four cams m, n, m, n', are intended, by means of the four
levers Poscillating on their fulcra v, to communicate a traversing or recipro-
caling motion to the spindle rails E, F, G. The fifth cam p acts intermittently
on a system of levers P¹ (oscillating on their fulcra v¹), to the upper extremity
of which is fixed the click h, the effect of which is at each oscillation of the
levers to take up one tooth of the ratchet wheel K fixed on the axle of the
roller K, which is armed with pins or points to draw the fabric through
the machine, as hereafter explained, the click k fixed to the frame holding the
ratchet wheel whilst the click k moves to take up a fresh tooth. The spindles 1,
arranged in several rows differently combined, turn freely in bolsters in the

page_text: direction respectively given to them by the endless bands passing round the
drums C and C¹; each of these bands may serve for several spindles, for
instance, as shown in Figure 2, the band No. 1, proceeding from the drum C.
passes round the first three spindles. and returns by the opposite side of the
drum; the other bands are similarly arranged. Each of the spindles 1 (see
Figure 1) carries at one of its extremities a small metallic brush g, which
constitutes the friezing tool, and is destined to give a twist or curl to the pile
in the manner hereafter explained.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The piled fabric, represented
by the red line L, is taken wet from the cistern S. and is conducted by means
of the guide rollers (loose on their axes) to the first spindle rail E: arrived
at this point, the fabric presents its piled surface to the action of brushes g of
the first range of spindles 1. which by their continued rotation act upon the
pile intermittently at each oscillation of the levers P. taking small portions
thereof (according to their diameters) and twisting or curling the pile into
spiral or helical forms extending over the whole surface of the fabric in
consequence of the particular disposition or combination of the spindles. In
order to cause the fabric to present to the brushes a certain resistance necessary
to their efficient action, there are placed at the back of the fabric, fixed or
stationary brushes u, of bristles or other similar substance. opposite to the
spindle frames, and extending across the whole width of the machine. The
flexibility or elasticity of these brushes is increased by means of springs, on
which they are mounted. The fabric drawn by the roller K¹ passes suc-
cessively between the fixed brushes and the revolving brushes q of the
spindle rails E, F, and G, where it receives the requisite amount of freizing or
curling. and it thence passes to the fixing and finishing operations hereafter
described.
It will be evident that (if preferred) the fabric may undergo more than
three curlings, and that the spindles and brushes may be arranged and
disposed in a variety of forms or combinations.
The fixing of the "curl" is effected by rolling the fabric round a perforated"
cylinder, into which steam is admitted, the roller and fabric being placed in a
closed vessel for about an hour; the piece is then unrolled, dried, and pressed;
he curl is thus permanently fixed. The piece is next submitted a second
ime to the. action of the perforated steam roller, and then immediately dyed
he color and shade required; the piece is then dried and again submitted to
he action of the press. It will be evident that (if preferred) the dyeing
peration may precede the friezing or curling. If it be desired to emboss or
mpress a pattern or design on the curled fabric, it is again rolled on to the

page_text: perforated roller, placing between each layer cards or pasteboards perforated
with the required pattern and enveloped in calico. The fabric thus prepared
is then submitted to the action of steam in a closed vessel, which will have the
effect of embossing or impressing the design on to the curled pile or nap of
the fabric: the piece is then unrolled, extended to its full length, and finally
dried.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention for
"Improvements in the Process of Finishing Piled Fabrics, and in Apparatus
employed in such Process," together with the manner of carrying the same
into practical effect, I. would remark, in conclusion, that I claim as the Inven-
tion communicated to me,-
Firstly, the general construction and arrangement of the machine for
friezing or curling the nap, as shown in the Drawings, and above described.
And, secondly, the process herein-before described of curling, fixing, dyeing,
and. embossing such fabrics, more especially the application of steam for fixing
the curl, and of designs cut out or perforated in paper, pasteboard, or card, for
embossing or impressing patterns on the curled or friezed pile or nap of the
fabrics.
In witness whereof, T, the said George Davies, have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Fourteenth day of May in the year of our Lord One
GEORGE DAVIES. (..s.)