IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR STRETCHING, DRYING, AND FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
BRIDSON, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Bleacher and Finisher, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the First day of May, in the fifteenth year of Her reign, and in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry
Bridson, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Henry Bridson, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, and such others
as I, the said Henry Bridson, my exors, admors, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England and Wales and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR STRETCHING,
DRYING, AND FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said Henry Bridson, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Bridson, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the

page_text: In Sheet 1, T
Side elevatio
finishing woven fabrics, usually called a vibrating stenter frame, to which my
improvements are applied. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan of
the same.
A, A, are standards fixed to the floor of the room, supporting the
swivel cross heads B, B, which are connected by slides and studs in the
ordinary manner to the longitudinal side rails C, C. These rails are of any
convenient length, and they are set to the required distance apart by the
shaft C, bevel wheels C, and screws C, which are shewn in the Drawing, and
similar to those in general use. In Figs. 1 and 8 some of the standards and cross-
heads are omitted, as the whole of the frame is not shewn on the Drawings. D, D,
are the driving pulleys, situated at the delivering end of the frame, revolving
with the shaft E, to which they are connected by the universal joints E',
consisting of a ball socket and side plates, as shewn detached in Fig. 4. In
order to retain the pulleys D parallel to the rails C, I employ a standard A',
placed in front of the pulleys D, furnished with a cross head B', connected to
to the front cross head B by the open links B, which fit on each side of the
pulleys, and are jointed at one end to studs fitting in a groove in the cross
head B', and at the other end to studs projecting from the slide on the first
cross head B. The shaft E is supported in a swivel bearing E, and near the
middle of it is keyed the bevel wheel E, which is turned round by the
pinion Es, fixed on an upright shaft Es, near the lower end of which is a worm
wheel F, put in motion by a worm F¹, fixed to the driving shaft F. By this
means the pulleys D receive a constant rotary motion, the velocity of which
can be varied at pleasure by increasing or diminishing the speed of the shaft F;
and as the chains or straps G, which are furnished with pins for holding the
selvages of the fabric in the usual manner are carried round the pullies D, it
it is evident that they and the fabric under operation receive a progressing

page_text: motion over the stenter frame equal to the velocity of the circumference of the
pulleys D. The chains or straps G are guided above in the side rails C, and
they are supported below at suitable intervals by the guide pulleys G¹ in the
usual manner. The pulleys H at the left hand or feeding end of the frame
are supported by brackets H', bolted to the side rails C, which are hinged to
the side rails C, for the purpose of being able to diminish the distance between
the selvages when the fabric is being hooked on to the pins projecting from
the endless chains G. The requisite vibrating motion for imparting the elastic
finish to the fabric is communicated to the swivel cross heads B, side rails C,
shaft E, and pulleys D and H, by the connecting link I, jointed at one end to
a swivel piece on the end of the shaft E, and at the other end to a pin fitting
in a slot in the disk I', fixed on an upright strap I, the velocity of which can
be increased or diminished to suit the number of vibrations required in a
given time. The mode of operation of this frame is as follows:-The pieces
of fabric to be stretched, dried, and finished having been previously stitched
together end to end, are placed on a table behind the pulleys H (or the fabric
may be brought on the batch roller from the stiffening mangle, or a stiffening
mangle may be placed behind the pulleys H, and the fabric run through it
and on to the frame), the attendants then hook the ends of the selvages of
the first piece on to the pins projecting from the straps or chains G, after
which the frame is set to work, and as the chains advance towards the deli-
vering end of the frame they carry the fabric with them until taken off
the frame at about the point J, the warp and weft threads of the fabric being
made to assume diagonal positions by the vibrating of the frame sides. The
red line in Fig. 1 indicates the fabric as it is conveyed to the batch roller or to
be otherwise disposed of. The hot air for drying is admitted at the delivering
end of the frame when convenient, or in any other way, and its tempera-
ture must be so regulated with regard to the speed of the pulleys and the
length of the frame that the fabric under operation shall be dry when it arrives
at the point J. The number and length of vibrations given to the cross
heads B by the pin in the slot of the disk I¹ can be regulated to suit the
fabric under operation, and according to the degree of elasticity required; but
I wish to point out particularly that, as the vibrating motion of the fabric is
independent of the progressing motion, it is evident that when the fabric under
operation is not sufficiently dry on arriving at the point J the progressing
motion can be stopped by stopping the shaft F, and the vibrating motion can
be continued as long as is necessary, in order to produce the elastic finish
during the drying of the fabric. This is of very great advantage in finishing
fabrics of every description, but more particularly so in treating fabrics having

page_text: some of the weft threads much thicker than the others. I would also remark,
that by increasing the temperature of the hot air, and the speed of the
vibrating motion, the length of the frame may be diminished, thereby econo-
mising space.
In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shewn another combination of machinery for
effecting the same object as the frame above described. In these views the
driving pulleys D revolve on short shafts supported in the brackets C³, instead
of being on the shaft E, as shewn in the foregoing Figures. The brackets C³
are bolted to the side rails C, which are hinged to the slides on the swivel cross
heads B in the usual way. To the pulleys D are fixed spur wheels D', gearing
into and turned round by the pinions E on the shaft E, which is supported by
the swivel bearing E', and caused to revolve by the bevel wheels E' and E³,
upright shaft E³, bevel wheels F, and driving shaft F. The shaft E is con-
nected to the shafts of the pulleys D by the links K, and to the rails C by the
links K', which are forked at one end to catch on the boss of the pinions E6.
The vibrating motion is given to the shaft E, or to the swivel cross head B, by
the link I and disk as before described, or by any other equivalent mechanism,
and the links K serve to maintain the proper distance between the centres of
the wheels D¹ and pinions E. The other parts of the frame are not shewn, as
they are similar to those before referred to in describing Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
On Sheet 2 I have shewn another modification of my Invention. Fig. 7 is
a side view, Fig. 8 a plan, and Fig. 9 an end elevation of the frame. As
many of the parts in this frame are similar to those herein-before described
they are marked with corresponding letters and figures of reference. The
driving pulleys D are in this instance furnished with ratchet wheels D², which
are made to revolve at the required speed in the following manner :-L, L,
are pillars, to which are fixed the bearings of the shaft M. On this shaft are
fitted loosely the palls or catches M³, which can be moved nearer to each
other or further apart, according to the width of the fabric. under operation;
they are also furnished with counterweights M to diminish the noise caused
by the palls or catches striking against the ratchet wheels D³. The counter-
weights M are attached to cords passing over pulleys O loose on the shaft O¹.
The shaft N, placed in bearings fixed to the bottom plates L', is also provided
with catches N¹, acting on the under sides of the ratchet wheels D. The
catches N¹ have counterweights N³, in the manner and for the purpose above
described with reference to M². The side rails C are made to vibrate by the
link I and disk 1', and the vibrations of the side rails impart a rotary motion to
the pulleys D by the catches M¹ and N acting on the ratchet wheels D; for
it is evident that when the pulleys D advance with the side rails the lower

page_text: catches N¹ remain in gear with the ratchet wheels, and the upper catches M¹
are lifted out of gear, whereas when the pulleys retrograde the upper catches M¹
remain in gear, and the lower ones are depressed out of gear; by this means
the speed of the rotary motion is regulated by the length of the vibration given
to the sides C. If the fabric is not sufficiently dry when it arrives at the
delivering end of this frame, it is necessary to disconnect the catches N¹ and M¹
from the ratchet wheels D'; by this means the progressing motion of the fabric
is stopped, but the vibrating motion may be continued as long as is required.
The length of the catches N¹ and M₁ can be adjusted with great accuracy
by the screws and tightening nuts, shewn in Fig. 7, in order to avoid the
injurious effect of back lash or play between the ends of the catches and the
teeth of the ratchet wheels.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my Invention, I wish
to observe, that various other combinations of machinery may be devised for
producing the same results. I therefore do not limit myself to the precise
mechanical details herein-before shewn and described, so long as the peculiar
character of the Invention be retained. But what I claim as of my Invention
is the combination of machinery employed in connection with vibrating stenter
frames, by which an equal and siniultaneous rotary motion, in addition to the
vibrating motion, is imparted to the driving pulleys, the vibrating motion of
the frame, sides, and pulleys acting independently of or in combination with
the rotary motion.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Bridson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.