IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DAMPING AND CONDITIONING ALL KINDS OF WOVEN FABRICS AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Mather, of the Firm of Mather and Platt, of
Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DAMPING AND CONDITIONING ALL KINDS
OF WOVEN FABRICS AND OTHER MATERIALS."
Sealed the 25th April 1879, and dated the 13th February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Mather at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th February 1879.
WILLIAM MATHER, of the Firm of Mather and Platt, of Salford, in the County of
Lancaster, Machine Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DAMPING AND
CONDITIONING ALL KINDS OF WOVEN FABRICS AND OTHER MATERIALS."
This improved apparatus consists of a series of rollers and bars to guide the fabric
or other material to the damping roller, which is made by preference of metal with
an engraved pin point or other surface; the damping roller revolves in a trough
containing the water or other damping or conditioning fluid, and a doctor of india
rubber or other suitable material is applied to the damping roller to remove the
excess of moisture.
The fabric or other material'is pressed against the damping roller by a roller or
rollers supported in a swing frame.
After leaving the swing frame the fabric or other material is taken between two
friction rollers, one of which is driven, and then it is wound on a batch roller, or it
is otherwise disposed of.

page_text: 1
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Mather in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
August 1879.
WILLIAM MATHER, of the Firm of Mather and Platt, of Salford, in the County of
Lancaster, Machine Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DAMPING AND
CONDITIONING ALL KINDS OF WOVEN FABRICS AND OTHER MATERIALS."
This improved apparatus is intended to supercede all the hitherto known pro-
cesses of damping by means of a spray or sprinkling of water upon the fabric after.
starching or stiffening, and consists of a damping roller, which is made by pre-
ference of metal with an engraved pin point or other surface; the damping roller
revolves in a trough containing the water and a doctor of india rubber or other
suitable material is applied to the damping roller to remove the excess of moisture.
The fabric or other material is pressed against the damping roller by a roller or
rollers supported in a swing frame.
After leaving the swing frame the fabric or other material is taken between two
friction rollers, one of which is driven, and then it is wound on a batch roller or it
is otherwise disposed of.
The damping roller may be attached to the drying machine which dries
the fabrics after stiffening so as to make one continuous process of stiffening,
drying, and damping.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to
describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
a, b, c, d, and e are guide bars around which the fabric or other material passes
to the damping roller f, which is made by preference of metal, and the surface of
which is engraved in pin point or other fine pattern.
The damping roller revolves in the trough g, containing water, which is supplied
by the pipe h, and kept to the desired level by the adjustable pipe i; the damping
roller is also provided with a doctor j made of india rubber or other suitable
material; the object of the doctor is to remove the excess of moisture from the
surface of the damping roller, and to leave the required supply in the recesses of
the engraved surface.
The damping roller is turned round in the direction of the arrow, and conse-
quently it moves in the opposite direction to the fabric or other material passing
over it.
Above the damping roller is the swing frame k, supporting the two rollers l, m; the
position of the swing frame can be regulated by the screw and hand wheel n to vary
the amount of contact of the fabric or other material on the surface of the damping
roller, so that the friction of the damping roller against the fabric can be increased
to any extent, and the requisite amount of moisture forced into the fabric.
After leaving the roller m the fabric or other material is taken over the guide
roller o, and then around the friction roller p, above which is the pressure roller q;
'the roller P is turned round by steam or other power to draw the fabric or other
material through the machine, and deliver it to the batch roller r, or it may bo
plaited down or otherwise disposed of.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described a convenient manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to
the details given, as the number of guide rollers and guide bars may be varied,
and the damping roller instead of moving in the contrary direction to that of the
fabric or other material may move in the same direction, but at a greater or less
speed.
I claim the general arrangement of the whole machine, and particularly the