IMPROVE- MENTS IN FINISHING OR TREATING WOVEN FABRICS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Holmes Houston, of Greenock, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Woollen Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FINISHING OR TREATING WOVEN FABRICS AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR."
Sealed the 21st May 1878, and dated the 6th December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Holmes Houston at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th December 1877.
ROBERT HOLMES HOUSTON, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Woollen Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING OR TREATING WOVEN
FABRICS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
"
.
This Invention has for its object the finishing or treating of woven fabrics in an
improved manner, and so as to obtain effects like or superior to those at present
obtained by pressing the fabrics in a folded condition, with or without the aid of
heat and with interposed plates, millboards, or papers.
The Invention consists in winding the woven fabric on a roller or cylinder along
with a continuous length or web of thin sheet metal or of millboard or similar
material, or of paper, or of any other suitable web-form material, or a combination
of any of them.
When, as in treating woollen fabrics, great pressure is not required, the necessary
pressure may be secured by applying tension to the interposed metal or other sheet,
and if desirable to the woven fabric also, whilst the woven fabric and metal sheet
are being wound upon the roller. The metal or other sheet to be interposed in
winding on the woven fabric is in one modification of the apparatus drawn off a
roller, the turning of which is retarded by frictional or other adjustable appliances,
so as to impart the necessary tension, and either instead of or along with the use

page_text: of a retarded roller off which the metal or other sheet is drawn, such sheet may pass
upon the roller on which it is being wound along with the woven fabric, between
that roller and a separate roller, which either runs loosely or is driven, and which
by exerting pressure causes the winding to be done in a tight and compact
manner.
When heat is to be applied this may be done by passing the metal or other sheet,
and, if desirable, the woven fabric also, in contact with or near a metal box or plate,
or between two metal boxes or plates, heated by steam, or by hot liquid, or by
means of gas. The roller on which the woven fabric and interposed metal or other
sheet are wound may be heated internally by steam, or hot liquid, or by means
of gas.
When increased pressure is required, the roller on which the woven fabric and
interposed metal or other sheet are wound may be made in segments, so that it
can be expanded by means of screws, eccentrics, or wedges after the woven fabric
and sheet have been wound upon it.
In ordinary cases the roller on which the woven fabric and interposed sheet are
wound will remain stationary without any external application of pressure during
the period considered necessary for obtaining the desired finished effect; but when
it is wished to apply considerable pressure, the roller may be arranged like the cloth
oller of a mangling or calendering machine, and be kept rotating whilst subjected
to the pressure of one or more other rollers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Holmes Houston in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th June 1878.
ROBERT HOLMES HOUSTON, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Woollen Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING OR TREATING WOVEN
FABRICS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
My said Invention has for its object the finishing or treating of woven fabrics in
an improved manner, and so as to obtain effects like or superior to those at present
obtained by pressing the fabric in a folded condition with or without the aid of
heat, and with interposed plates, millboards, or papers.
My Invention consists in winding the woven fabric on a roller or cylinder along
with a continuous length or web of thin sheet metal or of millboard, or similar
material, or of any other suitable web-form material, or a combination of two or
more of them.
When, as in treating woollen fabrics, for example, very great pressure is not
required, the necessary pressure may be secured by applying tension to the inter-
posed metal or other sheet, and, if desirable, to the woven fabric also, whilst the
woven fabric and metal or other sheet or sheets are being wound upon the
roller.
When heat is to be applied, this may be done by passing the metal or other sheet,
and, if desirable, the woven fabric also, in contact with or near a metal box or plate,
or between two metal boxes or plates, heated by steam, or by hot liquid, or by
means of gas. The roller on which the woven fabric and interposed metal or other
sheet or sheets are wound may be heated internally by steam or hot liquid, or by
means of gas; and the metal or other sheet or sheets may be heated sufficiently by
a similar internal application of heat to the roller or rollers off which it or they are
drawn when being wound on another roller along with the woven fabric to be
treated or finished.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing the same,
may be properly understood, I hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings,
to be herein-after referred to, and representing a modification of apparatus, which I
believe to be simple in construction, convenient in use, and well adapted for the
purpose in view. In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark
the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
Figures 1 and 2 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings are elevations as at
right angles to each other of a machine for finishing or treating woven fabrics,
according to my improved system. In this machine two cylinders or rollers 3, 4,
are carried in bearings upon a pair of frame standards; the upper cylinder 3 being
the ono on which the endless sheet 6, of metal or other material, is wound when not
combined with the woven fabric; whilst the metal or other sheet 6 and the woven
fabric 7 are wound together upon the lower roller 4 for the finishing operation.
The gearing of the machine comprises a first-motion shaft 8, having on it a fast
pulley 9, and two loose pulleys 10, 11, for open and crossed belts from pulleys on a
driving shaft, which is not shown; and the shaft 8 has on it a worm 12, which
gears with a worm wheel 13 on a second-motion shaft 14, having on it two pinions
15, 16, gearing respectively with spur wheels 17, 18, on the cylinders 3, 4. The
pinions 15, 16, are loose on the shaft 14, and clutches 19, 20, are provided for putting
either of them into gear as required, such clutches being moved by hand levers in
the ordinary way, but not shown in the Drawings. The cylinders 3, 4, have formed
or fixed on them pulley rims 21, 22, for friction straps 23, 24, each of which can be
tightened or loosened by means of a lever 25 in the ordinary way. The cylinders
3, 4, are both hollow and their journals 26 are made tubular and fitted with stuffing
boxes for connecting to them pipes for steam or water, this arrangement being
found the most convenient for applying the requisite heat.

page_text: In Figure 1, the spur wheel 17 of the upper cylinder 3 is supposed to be removed
so as show the cylinder plainly.
The several parts of the machine are shown in the positions in which they are
when the fabric 7 is being wound along the metal or other interposing sheet 6
upon the lower cylinder 4. I prefer to use a metal interposing sheet 6, and such
sheet may be of copper, bronze, brass, steel, or any metal that is conveniently obtain-
able in a sufficient length, and of a sufficiently and uniformly flexible character.
In some cases it will be desirable to tin the metal sheet to prevent injurions action
on the fabric Continuous or web millboard or the like material made from fibrous
pulp may also be used, if obtainable, of the requisite strength and smoothness of
surface; but paper is on account of its insufficient strength quite unsuitable
for use by itself, and can only be satisfactorily employed in combination with a
metal sheet.
When the machine is about to be used steam is admitted to the upper cylinder 3,
which has then all of tho metal sheet 6 wound upon it, and the metal sheet becomes
thereby heated as much as may be required Steam is also in some cases admitted
to the lower cylinder 4, and the metal 6 and woven fabric 7 are then wound together
on that cylinder the friction strap 23 of the upper cylinder 3, being tightened
sufficiently for the metal sheet to be wound with as much tension as will produce
the desired pressure on the woven fabric.
When the fabric 7 has all been wound on the cylinder 4, it may be allowed to
stand as long as may be considered necessary, and the steam may be shut off, and
the cylinder be allowed to cool; or if rapid cooling is thought desirable, either to
save time or for other purpose, cold water may be passed through the cylinder, and
thereby effect the desired object in a short time.
In some cases the heated metal sheet 6 imparts sufficient heat to the fabric, and
it is unnecessary to admit steam to the lower cylinder 4, whilst in other cases cold
water may be admitted to that cylinder, even whilst the fabric and metal sheet are
being wound upon it.
The combined metal sheet 6 and woven fabric 7 are then unwound from the
cylinder 4, and the metal sheet 6 is rewound on the upper cylinder 3, whilst the
woven fabric is folded down or led to and wound upon a benin. The ends of tho
metal sheet 6 are fixed one to the upper cylinder 3, and the other to the lower
cylinder 4, each being fixed to a bar or rod wedged in a groove in the cylinder,
or in any convenient way, but so as not to form a protuberance which might mark
the woven fabric.
The machine may be modified so as to admit of two or more motal sheets (0)
being wound with two or more lengths of woven fabric (7) upon one cylinder (4),
two or more cylinders (3) being provided for such separate metal sheets if
necessary.
My improved apparatus is advantageously applicable for treating woven fabrics
at any stage of their manufacture; and is well adapted for obliterating creases
or marks which woollen goods may have on leaving the fulling mill.
In cases in which the desired pressure is not given suitably or sufficiently by
applying tension to the metal sheet (6) as it is being wound along with the woven
fabric (7) on the cylinder (4), it may be led upon that cylinder between
it and a movable roller, which is pressed towards the cylinder by weighted
levers or otherwise, and causes the winding on to be done in a tight and compact
manner.
In my Provisional Specification relative hereto, I described or referred to the
imparting of increased pressure by using a cylinder made in segments, and capable
of being expanded, but I make no claim to such an arrangement, as I do not now
consider it to be requite or satisfactorily practicable
In ordinary cases the cylinder (4) on which the woven fabric (7) and interposed
sheet (6) are wound will remain stationary without any external application of
pressure during the period considered necessary for obtaining the desired finished
effect;
but when it is wished to apply very considerable pressure, the cylinder (4)

page_text: may be arranged like the cloth roller of a mangling or calendering machine, and be
kept rotating whilst subjected to the pressure of one or more other rollers. In this
case, of course, the end of the metal sheet (6) herein-before referred to as
fixed to the upper cylinder (3) must be made capable of being detached there-
from.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, 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 system or mode of finishing or treating woven fabrics, wherein the fabric
is wound on a cylinder or roller along with a continuous sheet or sheets of metal
or millboard, such sheet or sheets being subjected to strong tension whilst
being wound, and heat being applied, substantially in the manner berein-before
described.
2. The arranging or combining together of parts to form apparatus for finishing
or treating woven fabrics, substantially as herein-before described with reference to
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Holines Houston, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
ROB. H. HOUSTON. (L.S.)