IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR ADDADACIE O BE ENPLAYED FOR FINISHING TEXTILE OR OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Gilles Lowndes, of the Firm of James
Young & Sons, Bleachers and Finishers, of Auldhousefield and
Crofthead, both in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, and
Malcom M'Callum, of Barrhead, also in the County of Renfrew,
Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
ADDADACIE O BE ENPLAYED FOR FINISHING TEXTILE OR OTHER FABRICS."
Sealed the 23rd July 1869, and dated the 25th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Gilles Lowndes
and Malcom M'Callum at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the
We, ROBERT GILLES LOWNDES, of the Firm of James Young & Sons,
Bleachers and Finishers, of Auldhousefield and Crofthead, both in the
County of Renfrew, North Britain, and MALCOM M'CALLUM, of Barr-
head, also in the County of Renfrew, Machinist, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS

page_text: TO BE EMPLOYED FOR FINISHING TEXTILE OR OTHER FABRICS," to be as follows,
that is to say:-
This Invention relates to a new arrangement and construction of
certain parts of that class of machinery used for finishing textile fabrics
by the process known as stenting or stretching.
The object of the present improvements is to firmly hold the edges of
the cloth or web by means of a species of clamp instead of by pins or
other means hitherto used. The clamping apparatus consists of a
specially formed plate or bar of metal or other material, which con-
stitutes the lower jaw of the clamp. On it two or more brackets, each
constituting the lower eye or half of a hinge joint, are fixed. The upper
half of the clamp consists of a bar somewhat similar to the lower one,
and also provided with eyes corresponding to those in the lower bar or
plate. By means of a pin or pins passing through these eyes the two
bars or plates constituting the clamping jaws are coupled together. The
front part of the jaws is lined with wood, ebonite, metal, or other suitable
material, between which the fabric to be stretched, stented, or finished
is held. At the back of the bar or plate constituting the lower jaw a
vertical stud is situated, on which a moveable handle or lever is placed.
The part of the lever projecting beyond the handle passes over the upper
jaw, on which an inclined plane is formed, so that by turning the lever
horizontally round its front part passes on to and presses on the inclined
plane, thus causing the jaws to close and grip the fabric, and by turning
the handle in the opposite direction the pressure on the jaws is relieved.
The projecting part of the handle or lever, which acts on the inclined
plane, on being turned back acts upon a stud on the upper jaw and opens
the jaw, thus leaving the fabric free to be removed. In place of using
a horizontally moving handle or lever for producing the necessary
pressure on the jaws they may be acted upon by a screw, cam, eccentric,
or wedge for that purpose.
In the foregoing statement of this Invention the description refers to
one only of the special appliances. It is, however, to be understood that
several of them are to be employed by being fixed either to moveable,
stationary, or progressive stretching frames, being fastened to the upper
or under side of the former and the traversing and reciprocating chains;
of the latter.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Gillies Lowndes and Malcom M'Callum in
the Great Scal Patent Office on the 24th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
GILLIES LOWNDES, of the Firm of Janies Young and Sons, Bleachers and
Finishers, of Auldhousefield and Crofthead, both in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, and MALCOM M'CALLUM, of Barrhead, also in
the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Robert Gillies Lowndes and Malcom
M'Callum, Her special license that we, the said Robert Gillies Lowndes
and Malcom M'Callum, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Robert Gillies Lowndes and Malcom
M'Callum, our 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 TO BE EMPLOYED FOR FINISH <G
TEXTILE AND OTHER FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Robert Gillies Lowndes and Malcom M'Callum, by an instru-
ment in writing under our 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Robert Gillies Lowndes and
Malcom McCallum, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 :-
Our said Ivention relates to a new arrangement and construction of

page_text: certain parts of that class of machinery used for finishing textile fabrics
by the process known as stenting or stretching.
The object of the present improvements is to firmly hold the edges of
the cloth or web by means of a species of clamp instead of by pins or
other means hitherto used. The clamping apparatus consists of a
specially formed plate or bar of metal or other material, which con-
stitutes the lower jaw of the clamp. On it two or more brackets, each
constituting the lower eye or half of a hinge joint, are fixed. The upper
half of the clamp consists of a bar somewhat similar to the lower one,
and also provided with eyes corresponding to those in the lower bar or
plate. By means of a pin or pins passing through these eyes the two
bars or plates constituting the clamping jaws are coupled together. The
front part of the jaws is lined with wood, ebonite, metal, or other suitable
material, between which the fabric to be stretched, stented, or finished
is held. At the back of the bar or plate constituting the lower jaw a
vertical stud is situated, on which a moveable handle or lever is placed.
The part of the lever projecting beyond the handle passes over the upper
jaws, on which an inclined plane is formed, so that by turning the lever
horizontally round its front part passes on to and presses on the inclined
plane, thus causing the jaws to close and grip the fabric, and by turning
the handle in the opposite direction the pressure on the jaws is relieved.
The projecting part of the handle or lever, which acts on the inclined
plane, on being turned back acts upon a stud on the upper jaw and opens
the jaws, thus leaving the fabric free to be removed; or, in place of the
lever being made to act upon the top of the moveable jaw, it may act
upon the under side of an incline fixed to the back of the jaw. In
place of using a horizontally moving handle or lever for producing the
necessary pressure on the jaws they may be acted upon by a screw, cam,
eccentric, or wedge for that purpose.
In the foregoing statement of this Invention the description refers to
one only of the special appliances. It is, however, to be understood that
several of them are to be employed by being fixed either to moveable,
stationary, or progressive stretching frames, being fastened to the upper
or under side of the former and the traversing and reciprocating chains
of the latter, or forming part of the sides or of the links of the chains.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into

page_text: effect, reference being had, for the sake of more complete elucidation, to
the several Figures upon the explanatory Sheet of Drawings which I
have hereunto appended, that is to say :-
Figure 1 is a front elevation, Figure 2 a plan, and Figures 3 and 4
end elevations of one pair of jawa constituting the first modification of
the clamping apparatus herein-before referred to.
In these Figures the lower jaw is marked A and the upper jaw B, these
being connected together by the hinge joint C. On the top of the upper
jaw an inclined plane D is formed, and on the back of the lower jaw a
stud E is fixed carrying the moveable handle F. The front part of this
handle or lever is made flat, as shown at G, and it being kept firmly
down on the stud E by means of the nut H, when turned round into the
position shown at Figures 2, 3, and 4, comes in contact with the inclined
plane D, thereby forcing the upper jaw B against the lower jaw A, thus
firmly holding the edges of the cloth or web about to be stented or
stretched. When it is necessary to release the cloth or web from
between the jaws A and B the attendant pulls round the handle F in
the direction shown by the arrow in Figure 2, thus causing the part G
to be released from the inclined plane D, thereby relieving the pressure
by which the jaws are held together, and on pulling the handle far
enough back in the direction of the arrow, shown at Figure 2, the
part G comes in contact with the stud I fixed on to or forming part of
the upper jaw B, the effect of which contact is to throw the upper jaw
back, thereby opening the clamp.
Figure 5 is a plan, and Figure 6 an end elevation of a slightly
different arrangement for producing the necessary pressure on the
clamping jaws A and B, and this arrangement constitutes the second
modification of our Invention, wherein an eccentric is used for pro-
ducing the pressure between the jaws. The eccentric is fixed to and
forms part of the handle F, as shown at K, Figures 5 and 6; it bears
against the back of a flanch L fixed to the top of the upper jaw B, and
accordingly as the handle F is pushed round in the direction of the
arrow, shown at Figure 5, the eccentric K is forced against the flanch L,
thus forcing the upper jaw down upon the lower ono. On releasing the
jaws A and B the handle F is pulled in the opposite direction to that
shown in Figure 5; this releases the eccentric K from the flanch L, and
a part of the eccentric K being thus brought in contact with the stud M
fixed to the upper jaw B causes the upper jaw to be thrown back or

page_text: opened from the lower one, thus enabling the cloth or web to be
withdrawn and a new piece of cloth or web to be introduced. The jaws
in this arrangement are coupled together by a hinged joint as in the
preceding arrangement.
Figure 7 is a plan, and Figure 8 an end elevation of another arrange-
ment of clamping apparatus, in which the pressure on the jaws is pro-
duced by means of a screw, this constituting the third modification of
our Invention. In this arrangement the screw A passes through a
correspondingly cut bracket B fixed to or forming part of the lower
jaw C; this screw is mounted with a hand wheel D, through which it
is actuated by the attendant. On turning the screw A in one direction
its extremity bears against a projection E fixed to or forming part of
the upper jaw F, and thus produces the pressure on the clamping jaws
for the purpose of retaining or holding the cloth or web between them.
The back part of the upper jaw F is provided with counterweights G,
the purpose or utility of which is that on releasing the pressure on the
jaws by drawing back the screw A, their weight overbalances the upper
jaw, and causes it to be opened or released from the lower one.
Figure 9 is a plan, and Figure 10 an end elevation of another mode
for producing the pressure on the clamping jaws, this constituting the
fourth modification of our Invention. In the arrangement now referred
to in place of producing the pressure on the top of the upper jaw, as in
the first modification, or at the back of the upper jaw, as in second
and third modifications, it is under the present effected by forming an
inverted inclined plane A projecting out from the back of the upper
jaw B, so that the part marked C of the handle E by acting upon the
under side of the inclined plane causes the upper jaw B to be forced
down upon the lower jaw D. The handle E is also provided with a
tongue or tail piece F, which strikes against the stud G fixed to the top
of the upper jaw, thereby opening it when required, as in the first and
second modifications. In the two last modifications the jaws are held
together by a hinged joint, as in the first and second.
In all the Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings the upper and
lower jaws are shown provided with slips or strips marked a; these may
be made of wood, ebonite, vulcanite, or other material which will not
injure the fabric being stented or stretched. When the system of
clamps herein-before referred to and shown on the appended Sheet of
Drawings are employed on progressive stretching frames they may

page_text: oither be attached to the links, of the chains which constitute part of
such frames, or they may be formed with eyes or loops at either end, so
that they may be connected together, each clamp thus forming a link
of a chain, or when attached to stationary or moveablo non-progressive
stretching frames the frame itself may be made to constitute the lower
jaw by having the upper jaw fixed to it by binged joints.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the
system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be used
or practically carried into effect, we wish to observe in conclusion that wo
do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein-before set forth, as
variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the principles
or main features of our Invention; but what we do consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement and
construction of clamps or holding jaws of either moveable, stationary, or
progressive stretching frames in which one operation is caused to release
the pressure from and open the jaws, and a reverse operation causes the
jaws to be shut, and the pressure produced in any of the modes sub-.
stantially as herein-before described and shown in the annexed Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Gillies Lowndes, on behalf
of the said Malcom M'Callum and myself, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Twenty-second day of July One thousand
.eight hundred and sixty-nine.