IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR TENTERING OR STRETCHING WOOLLEN AND
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Whiteley, of Lockwood, near Huddersfield,
in the County of York, Cloth Dresser, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR TENTERING OR STRETCHING WOOLLEN AND
Sealed the 11th April 1854, and dated the 10th February 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Whiteley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
February 1854.
I, WILLIAM WHITELEY, of Lockwood, near Huddersfield, in-the County of
York, Cloth Dresser, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR TENTERING OR STRETCHING
WOOLLEN AND OTHER FABRICS" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement of mechanism for effecting
the stretching or finishing of fabrics, and consists in the employment of links
or chains fitted with hooks, upon which the fabric is to be hooked and stretched.
The links or chains pass over or through grooved or fluted rails or rollers in
their passage through the machine, as applied to either tentering and drying,
cutting or raising woollen and other fabrics.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Whiteley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th August 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WHITELEY, of Lockwood, near Iluddersfield, in the County of York, Cloth
Dresser, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Whiteley, Her special license that I, the said William Whiteley,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Whiteley, my executors, administrators, or 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 MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR TENTERING OR STRETCHING WOOLLEN AND OTHER FABRICS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Whiteley, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Whiteley, 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,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
mechanism for effecting the stretching or finishing of fabrics, and consists in
the employment of links or chains or bands fitted with hooks, upon which the
fabric is to be hooked and stretched. The links or chains pass over or
through grooved or fluted rails or rollers in their passage through the machine,
as applied to either tentering and drying, cutting or raising woollen and other
fabrics.
And in order that my said Invention may be more readily understood, I shall

page_text: now proceed to describe the several Figures on the sheets of Drawings hereunto
annexed.
Fig. 1 on Sheet 1 of my Drawings represents a side elevation of my im-
proved tentering or stretching machine in which the cloth is dried; and Fig. 2
is a corresponding transverse section of the same taken along the line a, b, in
Fig. 1, shewing the carrying rollers and grooved rails without the chains. The
rest of the Figures on this Sheet of Drawings are separate details of the chains,
chain-actuating mechanism, and grooved rails, which will be hercin-after more
particularly referred to. A, A, are cast iron standards or supports, which are
connected by the transverse bars B, B, bolted thereto by flanges at their
extremities, as shewn in Fig. 2, where two of the bars only are represented.
Fig. 3 is a detail of one of the bars B, fitted with a right and left screw spindle
C. These screw spindles serve to regulate the distance between the grooved
rails D, one of which is represented in perspective at Fig. 4. Each rail is
connected by a joint E to its neighbour, and is fitted with a wrought iron plate
F, which is screwed to its under side by screws passed through side lugs G, G,
as shewn in the detail, Fig. 4. A lug H is formed on the under side of each
plate, through which lug is passed one end of the screw spindle C, so that by
simply turning the several screw spindles more or less in one direction or the
other the apparatus may be adjusted to suit any width of cloth, and the amount
of transverse tension regulated accordingly. A square shank I, is formed on
one or both ends of each screw spindle, on to which shank may be fitted a
winch handle or key for turning the spindles when requisite. The grooved
rails D, with their under plates F, are supported by the transverse bars B, as
shewn in Fig. 2. The tenter hooks J, J, on to which are hooked the selvages
of the fabric to be stretched and dried, are carried by a pair of endless chains
J', shewn in detail at Figs. 6 and 7. Figs. 5, 8, and 9, represent various
shapes and modifications of links and tenter hooks, which I also propose to
employ. The chains are carried and propellod by the several rollers K, K,
which work in suitable bearings in the two end standards of the machine. The
ends of these rollers are connected with the grooved rails by the plates K', as.
shewn in detail at Fig. 10; the plates K' being fitted into a grooved boss K",
on the ends of the rollers, as shewn at Fig. 11. A detail side elevation of one
of the rollers with its cover removed is shewn at Fig. 11. The shaft or axis of
each roller consists of a rectangular bar L, which carries the two end discs
M, M, and intermediate discs N, N. The end discs M, and intermediate discs
N and N', are fitted on to the square boss L. The discs M are furnished with
projecting pins, as shewn in the Drawing, for the purpose of more effectually
carrying the chains. The square bosses L', with their discs M, M, N and N',

page_text: are made to slide longitudinally along the bar L, to suit the width of the fabric.
The intermediate discs N, N', serve to support and carry the laths or strips O,
(Fig. 2) which constitute the covering of the roller. These strips are attached
alternately to the discs N and N1, and interlap each other in the manner shewn
in the Drawing. They rest upon the peripherys of these dises, and are secured
thereto by pins or screws. On one end of the axis of each of the carrying
drums or rollers K' is fitted a small spur wheel P, and in the intermediate space
between such spur wheels is fitted a carrier wheel Q, of a similar size to the
wheels P. These carrier wheels gear into the wheels P, and thereby cause all
the rollers at one end of the machine to revolve in the same direction; the
rollers are actuated by the longitudinal shaft R, which works in the bearings
S, S, carried by the stau lards of the machine. On to this shaft are keyed two
bevel or mitre wheels T, T, which gear with the corresponding mitre wheels
U, U, fast on the axes of the centre rollers at each end of the machine. A
rotatory motion is transmitted to the rest of the rollers K, by the carrier wheels
Q, and spur wheels P, as I have herein-before described. The shaft R receives
its motion from the main driving or actuating shaft V, which works in the
bearings W, W, carried by the standards A. This shaft carries the cone pulley
X, and has keyed on to it the spur pinion Y, which gears into the spur wheel
Z, fast on the second motion shaft R. The bevel wheel T', on the other end
of the shaft R, gears into and gives motion to the rollers at the back end of the
machine; the movement being transmitted throughout the series by the carrier
wheels Q, in the manner I have herein-before described. A third bevel or
mitre wheel a is fitted on to the end of the shaft R, and gears with the mitre
wheel b, fast on to the vertical shaft c. This shaft works in suitable bearings
at d, d, d, and carries at each extremity a bevel or mitre wheel e, f. The upper
bevel wheel e gears into the corresponding wheel g, on the end of the axis of
the roller h, and the lower bevel wheel ƒ gives motion to the roller i in a
similar manner. j, j, are a pair of drawing rollers, which serve to remove the
fabric from the chains J. These rollers are actuated by the band k, which
passes over a pulley on the end of the roller i, and over a second pulley on the
shaft of the lower drawing roller j. A pair of twitch rollers 7, 1, are fitted to
work in bearings in the front end standard of the machine, and by passing the
fabric through these rollers it may be stretched to any required length by the
person attending the machine. m is a rotatory brush, which is actuated from
a pulley on the roller by the band n. This brush serves to clean and brush
the face of the cloth previous to its entering the machine. The lever handle o
is for the purpose of adjusting the width between the chains to suit the width
of cloth. It consists merely of a forked lever, which embraces a grooved

page_text: boss on one end of the chain roller; this end of the roller being made to slide
on its axis, and thereby constitutes an expansive roller, which may be adjusted
with facility. In order to protect the attendant and the gearing at the end of
the machine from the action of the heat, I employ a screen p. of plate iron or
other suitable material, which may be secured by screws or otherwise to the
cross bars q, q. In operating by this machine the attendant is seated at 1, and
the fabric to be operated upon is placed upon the board or table s, which is
situated underneath the operator. The fabric is hooked on to the chains at
the roller , and is pressed thereon by passing underneath the small pressing
roller t. The chains then traverse slowly through the machine in the direction
of the arrows, and pass round the several carrying rollers, and along the
grooved rails D, in a serpentine or zig-zag course from the top to the bottom
of the machine. In order to facilitate the moving of such a length of chain
the grooved rails are slightly inclined in the direction of movement, as shewn in
the Drawing. As fast as the material arrives at the roller i, it is removed from
or drawn off the hooks in the chains by passing through the rollers j, j, whilst
the endless chains continue their course in a vertical direction, and pass over
the upper pulley h, at which point fresh cloth is being continually supplied
by the attendant. The finished or dried cloth after passing through the drawing
rollers, falls upon the lower table or board u, whence it is removed, when
the whole length has been passed through the machine. In using a chain or
hooks of the form shewn at Figs. 8 and 9, in place of a pressing roller, a tappet
or hammer, not shewn in the Drawing, is employed, which descends and presses
the hook into the cloth, as shewn at Fig. 9.
The hook u works on a centre u; in the link at v¹, w', is a loop or guard,
through which is passed a pin to prevent the hook from getting out of its
place in the link.
65
Fig. 1, on Sheet 2 of my Drawings, represents a side elevation of a "raising"
machine fitted with my arrangement of chains and grooved rails. Fig. 2 is
an elevation of the opposite side of the same machine. Fig. 3 is a corre-
sponding end elevation of the same, and Fig. 4 is a detail of one of the
raising" rollers or cylinders with the bars for pressing the fabric against the
under side or top side of such roller. A, A, are the main standards or supports
of the machine of cast iron or wood. These standards carry by the aid of
transverse bars or bearers, the grooved rails B, B, which are similar in con-
struction to those described with reference to Sheet 1 of my Drawings
Through these rails are traversed the two endless chains C, C, which are fitted
with tenter hooks, as shewn in the detail, Fig. 6, on Sheet 1 of my Drawings.
D, D', are the carrying drums or rollers (constructed as herein-before described

page_text: and shewn on Sheet 1) over which the chains Care passed. One of the drums
D is actuated from the main driving shaft E which is fitted with a fast and
loose driving pulley F, and is actuated by a belt from any suitable prime
mover. Gis a smaller pulley fast on the shaft E, and over this pulley is
passed the driving belt H, which gives motion to the shaft I, by passing ver
the second pulley J. A small pinion K, fast on the shaft I, gives motion to
the spur wheel L, and pinion M, which latter gears into the spur wheel N,
fast on the end of the shaft of the roller D'. The grooved rails B, B, are
connected with the carrying drums D, D', in a similar manner to that described
with reference to my stretching machine, which is illustrated on Sheet 1 of the
Drawings. 0, 0, are lever handles which serve to expand or contract the
chain roller D to suit the width of cloth to be passed through the machine.
The ends of these levers are forked and fit into grooved bosses on the ends of
the roller D. P is the fixed centre on which the levers turn. The grooved
rails are adjusted in width at the opposite end of the machine, and near the
centre thereof by the cross-bars or spindles Q, Q, which are formed with a
right and left handed screw at each end, as shown by the detail, Fig. 3, en
Sheet 1 of my Drawings, the screwed ends of the spindles or bars Q, passing
through lugs attached to the upper sides of the rails. R, R', R", are the
"raising" rollers or cylinders which are covered with cards or teazles, or other
suitable raising materials. These rollers work in the fixed bearings S, S,
attached to the framework of the machine, and are actuated by the two belts
T and U, which are passed over the large pulley V on the driving shaft and
over small pulleys W, W, on the ends of the roller shafts. The two outside
rollers R and R" are both driven in the same direction by the band T, as
shewn by the arrows, but as the centre roller R' requires to rotate in an
opposite direction to the other two rollers, a second twisted band U is employed.
X, X, X, are revolving brushes working in suitable bearings and actuated
from the rollers R, R, R", by the separate bands Y, Y, which pass over
small pulleys on the shafts of the brushes and rollers. These brushes are for
the purpose of keeping the surfaces of the raising rollers clean, by removing
therefrom the flocks or dust taken up from the cloth. Beneath each raising
roller, and carried in vertical slides, are fitted two cloth supporting bars or
rollers Z, Z, Fig. 4, having their upper edges bevelled to suit the contour of
the raising roller. These bars serve to keep the cloth which is passed over
them in close contact with the under sides or top sides of the raising rollers,
as shewn by the red line in Fig. 4. The bars Z, Z, are elevated to any desired
height so as to give more or less pressure to the cloth (according to the nature
of the material to be treated) by the aid of the small pinions a, which gear

page_text: into the racks b, attached to vertical slides which carry the rollers or bars Z, Z.
The pinions a, a, are fast on the ends of transverse weighted spindles which
keep the bars and cloth pressed against the "raising" rollers. These spindles
work in bearings on the under side of the top rail of the framing A, and at one
end is fitted a short lever a¹, connected by a rod b¹ to a suitable lever handle c',
conveniently situated to the hand of the attendant, each set of bars or rollers
having a separate depressing lever handle of its own. But as this arrange-
ment forms no part of my present Invention, I do not consider it necessary to
enter more into detail. In operating by this machine the fabric is passed
between the ordinary twitch rollers and over the table d, where it is hooked on
to the chains C, C, by the attendant and passes beneath the pressing roller e,
which presses it down on to the tenters or points in the chains.
This pressing roller is grooved circumferentially where the tenter points
pass under, so that the cloth is pressed entirely down to the bottom of the
points.
The cloth is then passed successively under the several raising rollers
R, R, R; the bars Z being successively lowered to allow the end to pass
through by the lever handles c'.
The cloth having passed through the machine and partly round the drum D,
proceeds to the striping roller f, which removes it from the tenter hooks in
the chains. From this striping roller it finally passes between the drawing
rollers
9. which are driven by a twisted band h, from the main driving shaft E,
or by spur wheels, as shewn by the red dotted lines h', thus completing the
operation of "raising" the nap.
Fig. 5 on the same Sheet of Drawings represents a plan of a portion of a
cross cutting machine fitted with my improved self-hooking apparatus. Fig. 6
is a vertical section of the machine, shewing the position of the cloth and
grooved rails, and tenter hooks. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are enlarged details of the
grooved rails and chain, and Fig. 10 is an enlarged longitudinal section of a
portion of one of the chains or bands detached. I may here observe that I have
merely shown shown so much of a cross cutting machine as will illustrate clearly
the application thereto of my endless chains, grooved rails, and rollers, the
mechanical arrangements for actuating the various parts being omitted as
not forming a part of my present Invention, and tending to produce unnecessary
complication in the Drawings. A, A, are two expanding chain rollers or drums
of a precisely similar construction to those herein-before described, with
reference to the drying and raising" machines. These drums are carried
in suitable bearings at each side of the main framing B, of the machine.
C, C, are two grooved rails of a slightly different construction to those

page_text: illustrated in Sheet 1 of my Drawings, inasmuch as the plate F, is dispensed
with, the rails being merely in the form of an open trough, as will be clearly
seen by the enlarged transverse sections, Figs. 8 and 9. These rails are
connected to and supported by the drums A, in the manner herein-before
described, and are passed through the opening in the cutter frame D, as shewn
in Fig. 6. By this arrangement the cutter frame with its ordinary cutter is
free to traverse backwards and forwards along the rails E, on the top of the
main standards B, of the machine, without interfering with the rails C. The
cloth, which is colored red in the Drawing, is hooked at the lists on to the
tenter hooks F, which are carried by the endless chains or bands of leather
or other suitable material G, as shewn by the sectional detail, Fig. 10. The
tenter hooks F, are fitted to small pieces of wood H, which are secured by
pins or otherwise to the band G, and the shanks of the hooks are free to turn
freely in their bearings, so that the point of the hook may be made to assume
either a vertical or horizontal position. This motion is given, as will be
herein-after described, to each of the hooks during their passage through the
machine by the two projecting arms J, K, on the shanks which slide along the
vertical sides of the grooved rails, and come in contact with certain fixed
catches which cause the shanks of the hooks to rotate partly in their bearings.
This movement is for the purpose of rendering the machine self-hooking and
unhooking. Previous to the hooks entering the grooved rails, they are in a
vertical position, as shewn by the hooks F', in Figs. 8 and 9, the latter of
which represents the entrance end of the rails; when in this position the
cloth is pressed on to the hooks by a grooved pressing roller similar to the
pressing rollers in the drying and "raising" machines, but so soon as the arm J
strikes the end of the rail, the shank of the hook will turn partially round and
cause it to assume a horizontal position as shewn at F, at Figs. 5 and 7,
thereby effectually preventing the cloth from becoming detached therefrom,
until they are again brought into a vertical position at the delivery end of the
rails by the vertical arms K coming in contact with the small catch or
bracket L (Figs. 7 and 8), which presses them down on passing under it,
thereby bringing the hook into a vertical position again and leaving the cloth
free to be removed by a stripping roller, in the manner I have herein-before
described. The chains or belts are held down in the rails C by the rods L',
which run from end to end of the rails. The cutter frame carrying the
ordinary cylinder and cutter, traverses slowly forward over the cloth from list
to list in the direction of the arrow, the movement of the frame being obtained
from self-acting reversing gear connected by means of a cord attached to the
ends of the frame. The cylinder of the cutter is driven by the cord M, whick

page_text: is passed round the grooved pulley N. on the end of such cylinder. O, is the
ordinary bed, which traverses with the frame underneath the cloth and bears-it
up against the knife. The cutter having traversed over the cloth from one
list to the other is thrown out of gear by self-acting mechanism, and returns to
its original position again on the other edge of the cloth. Whilst this move-
ment is going ou, the cloth, which has been stationary during the cutting
action, is caused to traverse across the machine by throwing into gear the
mechanism which drives the carrying drums A, whereby a fresh length of
cloth is presented to the knife by the time it is ready for another cut. The
link represented in detail at Fig. 5, on Sheet 1 of my Drawings, is another
modification of chain which may be used with this machine, the hooks in
this case being carried in metal links with suitable lugs as bearings cast upon
them in place of being carried by wooden blocks secured to a leather or other
belt, as in the arrangement shewn at Fig. 10, on Sheet 2 of my Drawings.
By employing hooks with long over-hanging shanks it will be obvious to the
practical man that they may be used with facility in machines fitted with
elastic beds. Although I have only described and shewn the application of
my endless chains, grooved rails, and expanding rollers to cross-cutting
machines, I may here observe that I propose applying them also to continuous
cutting machines, for which they are equally well adapted, the movement of
the chains in this case being continuous.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention. But
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the herein-before described general constructions, arrangements, and
combinations of chains and tenter hooks, grooved rails, and rollers or drums,
as applied to either tentering and drying, cutting or raising woollen and other
fabrics.
Second, the application and use, in drying, raising, and cutting machines, of
endless chains or bands fitted with tenter hooks, for the purpose herein-before
described.
Third, the application and use of expansive rollers or drums, for the
purposes herein-before described, as applied to drying, raising, and cutting
machines.

page_text: Fourth, the application and use of the grooved rails in drying, raising, and
cutting machines, for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Whiteley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eighth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-four.
WILLIAM WHITELEY. (L.S.)

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WHITELEY, of Lockwood, near Huddersfield, in the County of York, Ma-
chinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Whiteley, Her special license that I, the said William Whiteley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Whiteley, my executors, administrators, or 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 the Isle of Man, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR TENTERING OR STRETCHING WOOLLEN AND OTHER FABRICS," upon
the condition (amongst others), that I, the said William Whiteley, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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.
And whereas I, the said William Whiteley, in pursuance of the said
condition in the said Letters Patent contained, did by a Specification, being.an

page_text: instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, and did cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within the time in that behalf prescribed by the said proviso. And whereas
I have been advised that the claims contained in the said Specification are
too general, and may possibly be deemed to extend to things which I did not
intend to claim, and I am therefore desirous of restricting the said claims by
means of the Disclaimer and Alteration herein-after contained, so as to include
those things only to which it was intended to apply.
NOW KNOW YE, THEREFORE, that I, the said William Whiteley, by
and with the leave of Her Majesty's Solicitor General, do hereby disclaim all
the mechanical elements of which the machinery or apparatus described in my
said Specification are respectively composed, as being separately or apart from
the use or application of such elements to form the combinations constituting
such machinery or apparatus respectively any part of the Invention comprised
in the said herein-before recited Letters Patent; and do also disclaim
every construction and arrangement of machinery or apparatus for tentering
or stretching woollen and other fabrics, except machinery or apparatus com-
prised in the said Specification, and the claim therein contained as herein-after
altered. And for the reasons aforesaid, and with the leave aforesaid, I dis-
claim the words "a peculiar construction and "in place of which I insert the
word "an." I also disclaim the words "or finishing," and insert the words
"a peculiar arrangement of," and the words "for stretching the cloth therein,"
and the words "arrangement of." I also disclaim the words "I do not con-
"fine or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have
had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made there-
"from without deviating from the principles or main features of my said
Invention," and in lieu thereof I insert the words "I am aware that endless
chains or bands fitted with tenter pins, and travelling over pullies and along
grooved guide rails, are well known as applied to the tentering or stretching
"woollen and other fabrics, and therefore I lay no claim to such parts when
"not arranged in the manner herein-before described." I also disclaim the
words "First" and "general constructions" and "and combinations" and
the whole of the second, third, and fourth claims in the said Specification
contained. And for the reasons aforesaid, and in order to cause the effect of
the Disclaimer and Alteration hereby made to be more easily understood, I
hereby alter the said Specification and the description therein contained, so
that the same shall henceforth with the aid of the said Drawings describe the
said Invention as follows, that is to say:
66
$6

page_text: My said Invention relates to an arrangement of mechanism for effecting
the stretching of fabrics, and consists in the employment of a peculiar arrange-
ment of links or chains or bands fitted with hooks, upon which the fabric is to
be hooked and stretched. The links or chains pass over or through grooved
or fluted rails or rollers in their passage through the machine, as applied to
either tentering and drying, cutting, or raising woollen and other fabrics.
And in order that my said Invention may be more readily understood, I
shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on the Sheets of Drawings
hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of my Drawings represents a side elevation of my
improved tentering or stretching machine in which the cloth is dried, and
Figure 2 is a corresponding transverse section of the same taken along the
line a, b, in Figure 1, shewing the carrying rollers and grooved rails without
the chains. The rest of the Figures on this Sheet of Drawings are separate
details of the chains, chain actuating mechanism, and grooved rails which will
be herein-after more particularly referred to. A, A, are cast-iron standards or
supports which are connected by the transverse bars B, B, bolted thereto by
flanges at their extremities, as shewn in Figure 2, where two of the bars only
are represented. Figure 3 is a detail of one of the bars B fitted with a right
and left screw spindle C. These screw spindles serve to regulate the distance
between the grooved rails D, one of which is represented in perspective at
Figure 4. Each rail is connected by a joint E to its neighbour, and is fitted
with a wrought-iron plate F which is screwed to its under side by screws
passed through side lugs G, G, as shewn in the detail Figure 4. A lug H is
formed on the under side of each plate, through which lug is passed one end
of the screw spindle C, so that by simply turning the several screw spindles
more or less in one direction or the other, the apparatus may be adjusted
to suit any width of cloth, and the amount of transverse tension regulated
accordingly. A square shank I is formed on one or both ends of each screw
spindle, on to which shank may be fitted a winch handle or key for turning the
spindles when requisite. The grooved rails D with their under plates F are
supported by the transverse bars B, as shewn in Figure 2. The tenter hooks
J, J, on to which are hooked the selvages of the fabric to be stretched and
dried, are carried by a pair of endless chains J', shewn in detail at Figures 6
and 7.
Figures 5, 8, and 9, represent various shapes and modifications of links and
tenter hooks, which I also propose to employ. The chains are carried and pro-
pelled by the several rollers K, K, which work in suitable bearings in the two.
end standards of the machine. The ends of these rollers are connected with

page_text: the grooved rails by the plates K as shewn in detail at Figure 10, the
plates K being fitted into a grooved boss K" on the ends of the rollers as
shewn at Figure 11. A detail side elevation of one of the rollers, with its
cover removed, is shewn at Figure 11. The shaft or axis of each roller consists
of a rectangular bar L, which carries the two end discs M, M, and intermediate
discs N, N¹. The end discs M and intermediate discs N and N¹, are fitted on
to the square boss L'. The discs M are furnished with projecting pins as
shewn in the Drawing, for the purpose of more effectually carrying the chains.
The square bosses L', with their discs M, M, N and N', are made to slide longi-
tudinally along the bar L to suit the width of the fabric. The intermediate
discs N, N¹, serve to support and carry the laths or strips O (Figure 2), which
constitute the covering of the roller. These strips are attached alternately to
the discs N and N¹, and interlap each other in the manner shewn in the
Drawing. They rest upon the peripherys of these discs, and are secured
thereto by pins or screws. On one end of the axis of each of the carrying
drums or rollers K' is fitted a small spur wheel P, and in the intermediate
space between such spur wheels is fitted a carrier wheel Q of a similar size to
the wheels P. These carrier wheels gear into the wheels P, and thereby cause
all the rollers at one end of the machine to revolve in the same direction. The
rollers are actuated by the longitudinal shaft R, which works in the bearings
S, S, carried by the standars of the machine. On to this shaft are keyed two
bevel or mitre wheels T, T', which gear with the corresponding mitre wheels
U, U, fast on the axes of the centre rollers at each end of the machine. A
rotatory motion is transmitted to the rest of the rollers K by the carrier wheels
Q and spur wheels P, as I have herein-before described. The shaft R receives
its motion from the main driving or actuating shaft V, which works in the
bearings W, W, carried by the standards A. This shaft carries the cone
pulley X, and has keyed on to it the spur pinion Y, which gears into the spur
wheel Z fast on the second motion shaft R. The bevel wheel T¹ on the other
end of the shaft R gears into and gives motion to the rollers at the back end
of the machine, the movement being transmitted throughout the series by the
carrier wheels Q, in the manner I have herein-before described. A third
bevel or mitre wheel a is fitted on to the end of the shaft R and gears with the
mitre wheel 6 fast on to the vertical shaft c. This shaft works in suitable
bearings at d, d, d, and carries at each extremity a bevel or mitre wheel e, f.
The upper bevel wheel e gears into the corresponding wheel g on the end
of the axis of the roller h, and the lower bevel wheelf gives motion to
the roller in a similar manner; j, j, are a pair of drawing rollers, which
serve to remove the fabric from the chains J'. These rollers are actuated by

page_text: screen p
the band which passes over a pulley on the end of the roller i and over a second
pulley on the shaft of the lower drawing roller j. A pair of twitch rollers
1, 1, are fitted to work in bearings in the front end standard of the machine,
and by passing the fabric. through these rollers, it may be stretched to any
required length by the person attending the machine; m is a rotatary brush,
This brush
which is actuated from a pulley on the roller h by the band n.
serves to clean and brush the face of the cloth previous to its entering the
machine. The lever handle o is for the purpose of adjusting the width between
the chains to suit the width of cloth; it consists merely of a forked lever, which
embraces a grooved boss on one end of the chain roller, this end of the roller
being made to slide on its axis, and thereby constitutes an expansive roller,
which may be adjusted with facility. In order to protect the attendant and
the gearing at the end of the machine from the action of the heat, I employ a
of plate iron or other suitable material, which may be secured by
screws or otherwise to the cross bars q, q. In operating by this machine, the
attendant is seated at r, and the fabric to be operated upon is placed upon the
board or tables, which is situated underneath the operator. The fabric is
hooked on to the chains at the roller h, and is pressed thereon by passing
underneath the small pressing roller t. The chains then traverse slowly
through the machine in the direction of the arrows, and pass round the several
carrying rollers k, and along the grooved rails D in a serpentine or zig-zag
course from the top to the bottom of the machine. In order to facilitate the
moving of such a length of chain, the grooved rails are slightly inclined in
the direction of movement, as shewn in the Drawing. As fast as the material
arrives at the roller i it is removed from or drawn off the hooks in the chains
by passing through the rollers j, j, whilst the endless chains continue their
course in a vertical direction, and pass over the upper pulley h, at which point
fresh cloth is being continually supplied by the attendant. The finished or
dried cloth after passing through the drawing rollers j, j, falls upon the lower
table or board u, whence it is removed when the whole length has been
passed through the machine. In using a chain or hooks of the form shewn
at Figures 8 and 9 in place of a pressing roller a tappet or hammer not
shewn in the Drawing is employed, which descends and presses the hook into
the cloth, as shewn at Figure 9. The hook w' works on a centre u"; in the
link at v', w', is a loop or guard, through which is passed a pin to prevent the
hook from getting out of its place in the link.
Figure 1, on Sheet 2 of my Drawings, represents a side elevation of a
raising" machine fitted with my arrangement of chains and grooved rails
for stretching the cloth therein; Figure 2 is an elevation of the opposite side of

page_text: the same machine; Figure 3 is a corresponding end elevation of the same,
and Figure 4 is a detail of one of the "raising" rollers or cylinders, with the
bars for pressing the fabric against the under side or top side of such roller; A,
A, are the main standards or supports of the machine, of cast iron or wood.
These standards carry, by the aid of transverse bars or bearers, the grooved
rails B, B, (which are similar in construction to those described with reference to
Sheet 1, of my Drawings. Through these rails are transversed the two endless
chains C, C, which are fitted with tenter hooks, as shewn in the detail,
Figure 6, on Sheet 1 of my Drawings; D, D¹, are the carrying drums or rollers,
(constructed as herein-before described and shewn on Sheet 1,) over which the
chains C are passed; One of the drums D', is actuated from the main driving
shaft E, which is fitted with a fast and loose driving pulley F, and is actuated
by a belt from any suitable prime mover. G is a smaller pulley fast on the
shaft E, and over this pulley is passed the driving belt H, which gives motion
to the shaft I, by passing over the second pulley J. A small pinion K, fast
on the shaft I, gives motion to the spur wheel L, and pinion M, which latter
gears into the spur wheel N, fast on the end of the shaft of the roller D'.
The grooved rails B, B, are connected with the carrying drums D, D¹, in a
similar manner to that described with reference to my stretching machine,
which is illustrated on Sheet 1 of the Drawings. O, o, are lever handles
which serve to expand or contract the chain roller D, to suit the width of
cloth to be passed through the machine. The ends of these levers are forked
and fit into grooved bosses, on the ends of the roller D; P is the fixed
centre on which the levers turn. The grooved rails are adjusted in width at
the opposite end of the machine, and near the centre thereof by the cross bars
or spindles Q, Q, which are formed with a right and left handed screw at each
end, as shewn by the detail, Figure 3, on Sheet 1 of my Drawings, the screwed
ends of the spindles or bars Q passing through lugs attached to the upper
sides of the rails; R, R¹, R", are the "raising" rollers or cylinders which are
covered with cards or teazles, or other suitable raising materials. These rollers
work in the fixed bearings S, S, attached to the framework of the machine,
and are actuated by the two belts T and U, which are passed over the large
pulley V, on the driving shaft and over small pulleys W, W, on the ends of
the roller shafts. The two outside rollers R and R", are both driven in the
same direction by the band T, as shewn by the arrows, but as the centre roller
R', requires to rotate in an opposite direction to the other two rollers, a second
twisted band U is employed; X, X, X, are revolving brushes, working in
suitable bearings and actuated from the rollers R, R, R", by the separate
bands Y, Y, which pass over small pulleys on the shafts of the brushes

page_text: and rollers. These brushes are for the purpose of keeping the surfaces of
the raising rollers clean, by removing therefrom the flocks or dust taken up from
the cloth. Beneath each raising roller and carried in vertical slides are fitted
two cloth supporting bars or rollers Z, Z, Figure 4 having their upper edges bevel-
led to suit the contour of the raising roller. These bars. serve to keep the
cloth which is passed over them in close contact with the under sides or top
sides of the raising rollers, as shewn by the red line in Figure 4. The bars
Z, Z, are elevated to any desired height so as to give more or less pressure to
the cloth (according to the nature of the material to be treated) by the aid of
the small pinions a, which gear into the racks 6 attached to vertical slides
which carry the rollers or bars Z, Z. The pinions a, a, are fast on the ends
of transverse weighted spindles which keep the bars and cloth pressed against
the "raising" rollers. These spindles work in bearings on the under side of
the top rail of the framing A, and at one end is fitted a short lever a' con-
nected by a rod b¹ to a suitable lever handle c' conveniently situated to the
hand of the attendant, each set of bars or rollers having a separate depressing
lever handle of its own. But as this arrangement forms no part of my present
Invention, I do not consider it necessary to enter more into detail. In operating
by this machine the fabric is passed between the ordinary twitch rollers and
over the table d, where it is hooked on to the chain C, C, by the attendant,
and passes beneath the pressing roller e which presses it down on to the tenters
or points in the chains. This pressing roller is grooved circumferentially
where the tenter points pass under, so that the cloth is pressed entirely
down to the bottom of the points. The cloth is then passed successively under
the several raising rollers R", R, R, the bars Z being successively lowered to
allow the end to pass through by the lever handles c¹.
The cloth having passed through the machine and partly round the drum D
proceeds to the striping roller f, which removes it from the tenter hooks in the
chains. From this striping roller it finally passes between the drawing rollers
g, which are driven by a twisted band h from the main driving shaft E or by
spur wheels, as shewn by the red dotted lines h', thus completing the operation
of "raising" the nap.
Figure 5 on the same Sheet of Drawings represents a plan of a portion of
a cross cutting machine fitted with my improved self-hooking apparatus.
Figure 6 is a vertical section of the machine, shewing the position of the cloth
and grooved rails and tenter hooks. Figures 7, 8, and 9, are enlarged details
of the grooved rails and chain; and Figure 10 is an enlarged longitudinal
section of a portion of one of the chains or bands detached. I may here
observe that I have merely shewn so much of a cross cutting machine as will

page_text: illustrate clearly the application thereto of my endless chains, grooved rails,
and rollers, the mechanical arrangements for actuating the various parts being
omitted as not forming a part of my present Invention and tending to
produce unnecessary complication in the Drawings.
A, A, are two expanding chain rollers or drums of a precisely similar con-
struction to those herein-before described, with reference to the drying and
"raising" machines. These drums are carried in suitable bearings at each
side of the main framing B of the machine; C, C, are two grooved rails of a
slightly different construction to those illustrated in Sheet 1 of my Drawings,
inasmuch as the plate F is dispensed with, the rails being merely in the form
of an open trough, as will be clearly seen by the enlarged transverse sections,
Figures 8 and 9. These rails are connected to and supported by the
drums A in the manner herein-before described, and are passed through
the opening in the cutter frame D, as shewn in Figure 6. By this arrange-
ment the cutter frame with its ordinary cutter is free to traverse backwards
and forwards along the rails E on the top of the main standards B of the
machine, without interfering with the rails C. The cloth, which is colored red
in the Drawing, is hooked at the lists on to the tenter hooks F, which are
carried by the endless chains or bands of leather or other suitable material G,
as shewn by the sectional detail, Figure 10. The tenter hooks F are fitted to
small pieces of wood H, which are secured by pins or otherwise to the band G.
and the shanks of the hooks are free to turn freely in their bearings, so that
the point of the hook may be made to assume either a vertical or horizontal
position. This motion is given, as will be herein-after described, to each of
the hooks during their passage through the machine by the two projecting
arms J, K, on the shanks, which slide along the vertical sides of the grooved
rails, and come in contact with certain fixed catches, which cause the shanks
of the hooks to rotate partly in their bearings. This movement is for the
purpose of rendering the machine itself self-hooking and unhooking. Previous
to the hooks entering the grooved rails they are in a vertical position, as shewn
by the hooks F', in Figures 8 and 9, the latter of which represents the
entrance end of the rails; when in this position the cloth is pressed on to the
hooks by a grooved pressing roller, similar to the pressing rollers in the drying
and "raising" machines, but so soon as the arm J strikes the end of the rail
the shank of the hook will turn partially round, and cause it to assume a
horizontal position, as shewn at F, at Figures 5 and 7, thereby effectually
preventing the cloth from becoming detached therefrom until they are again
brought into a vertical position at the delivery end of the rails by the vertical
arms K coming in contact with the small catch or bracket L (Figures 7 and 8),
:

page_text: which presses them down on passing under it, thereby bringing the hook into
a vertical position again, and leaving the cloth free to be removed by a
stripping roller, in the manner I have herein-before described. The chains or
belts are held down in the rails C by the rods L', which run from end to end
of the rails. The cutter frame carrying the ordinary cylinder and cutter
traverses slowly forward over the cloth from list to list in the direction of the
arrow, the movement of the frame being obtained from self-acting reversing
gear, connected by means of a cord attached to the ends of the frame. The
cylinder of the cutter is driven by the cord M, which is passed round the
grooved pulley N on the end of such cylinder. O is the ordinary bed, which
traverses with the frame underneath the cloth, and bears it up against the
knife. The cutter having traversed over the cloth from one list to the other,
is thrown out of gear by self-acting mechanism, and returns to its original
position again on the other edge of the cloth. Whilst this movement is going
on, the cloth, which has been stationary during the cutting action, is caused
to traverse across the machine by throwing into gear the mechanism which
drives the carrying drums A, whereby a fresh length of cloth is presented to the
knife by the time it is ready for another cut. The link represented in detail
at Figure 5 on Sheet 1 of my Drawings is another modification of chain which
may be used with this machine, the hooks in this case being carried in metal
links, with suitable lugs as bearings cast upon them in place of being carried
by wooden blocks secured to a leather or other belt, as in the arrangement
shewn at Figure 10, on Sheet 2 of my Drawings. By employing hooks with
long overhanging shanks, it will be obvious to the practical man that they may
be used with facility in machines fitted with elastic beds. Although I have
only described and shewn the application of my arrangement of endless chains,
grooved rails, and expanding rollers to cross-cutting machines, I may here
observe that I propose applying them also to continuous cutting machines, for
which they are equally well adapted, the movement of the chains in this case
being continuous.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I am aware that endless chains or
bands fitted with tenter pins, and travelling over pullies and along grooved
guide rails, are well known as applied to the tentering or stretching woollen
and other fabrics, and therefore I lay no claim to such parts when not arranged
in the manner herein-before described; but what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the herein-before described arrange-

page_text: ments of chains and tenter hooks, grooved rails, and rollers or drums, as
applied to either tentering and drying, cutting or raising woollen and other
fabrics.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Whiteley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 10th day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
WM. ATHERTON, S. G.
Temple, 30th May 1860.