CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR. SHEARING AND DRESSING WOOLLEN AND OTHER CLOTHS REQUIRING SUCH PROCESS
Year: 1823

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
DAVIS, of Bourne, in the County of Gloucester, and of Leeds in the County
of York; Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did, by
His Letters Patent under, the Great Seal of His United Kingdom, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of July 1823; in the fourth
year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said William Davis; my.
exors, admors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said William Davis, my exors, admors," and
assigns, during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within. England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR. SHEARING AND DRESSING WOOLLEN AND OTHER CLOTHS REQUIRING SUCH
PROCESS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that if I,
the said William Davis, shall not particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the
same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months. next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all libertics and advantages
whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become void,
as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had) will-more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Davis, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say):-
My said improvements consist, first, in machinery used in that department
of cloth-dressing known by the name of shearing or croping in the modification
of the shearing machine with rotative cutters, whereby clothes can be drawn
over the bed or supporting bar in the direction of the length or bredth when
cutting, by means of the following construction or shape of the end frames or
castings of the machine, which is made to project from the lower part upward
in two branches, one of which support one end of the cutters and the other
one end of the bed or bar which support the cloth when cutting). By
means of the above-described construction of the end frames or castings of
the shearing machine, which admit of a portion of the cloth into each, and
also a portion to lay outside of the machine at one or both ends, together with
the other parts, as represented at Figs. IV. & V. of the Drawings, the broadest
cloth that is made can be drawn over in the direction of the bredth and shorn
without requiring more room than narrow cloth.
And my Invention do further consist in the mode of makeing and in the
application of thin helical cutters hardened nearly in the working shape;
viz., I take sheet or thin steel, or steel and iron welded, a little broader and
longer than the intended cutter, and form it into a circle by hammering or
rolling to a diamiter that will cause a immaginary line passing through the
centre across from one edge of cutter to the other nearly to coincide with
the radial line of the cylinder at aney part of the whole length of the cutter
when the cutter is extended to the required cutting angle. I next insert these
cutters into grooves cut in a cylindrical bar or tube of mettal, or else formed
by bars or ribs put on a cylindrical bar or tube at the required cutting angle,
then heat and immerse bar or tube and cutters into hardening fluid.
And my improvements do further consist in grooveing cylinders with
rotative cutters to receive helical cutters, and in fixing helical cutters with
wire or small slips of mettal driven into the grooves with the cutters, which
enables mee to fix helical cutters in grooves, the depth of which exceeds the
bredth; hence a expeditious and permanent fastening is obtained, olso more
strength in the cylinder.
And my improvements do further consist in the construction of beds, which
I apply to the diagonal shearing machine, for which I obtained a Patent in
the year 1821, to prevent shearing the headings and list of cloth (headings

page_text: is a portion at the ends of clothes fabricated with coarser weft than the prin-
cipal part of the cloth), and to other machines to protect the list.
And my improvements do further consist in the construction or modification
of the shearing machine, for which the late Stephen Price, of Stroudwater,
obtained a Patent, which Patent right I have bought) and the application
of excentric lifters or wipers to raise or depress the bed, as represented by the
Drawings Fig. VII.
Secondly, my improvement consists in machinery used in that department of
cloth-dressing known by the name of raising. Whereas I apply instead of the
present method) viz., a cylinder or gig barrel covered with tazle or other
points, revolving rapidly on a fixed centre against the cloth, which moves slowly),
aney number of cylinders covered with mettallic or other proper points revolving
on centres or pivots, and at the same time carried round a circle somewhat
similar to a planetarie motion). The cylinders may be driven on their centres
or pivots by wheelwork, or else retarded by friction in the later case the
resistance of the cloth when in contact with the points at the time the cylinders
are revolving round their common centre will cause them to move on their
respective centres, provided to much friction or retarding power is not
applyed.
And my improvements do further consist in produceing a similer effect.to
that produced by the above on cloth, by a cylinder or cylinders covered with
projecting points drawing the retarded cloth, which is prevented coiling round"
the delivering cylinder by a bar driven by a crank similar to that applyed to
the delivering cylinder of a carding engine, or else by a drawing cylinder or
cylinders, as in the common Yorkshire gig); olso in giving motion to retarded
cylinder or cylinders by drawing the cloth over and in contact with the points
of retarded cylinder or cylinders, for the purpose of raiseing the pile or wool on
cloth); but as the two last-described methods operate more tardy, I prefer the
two former, which is represented by the Drawings Fig. 1 & 2, and explaina-
tion thereof.
And my improvements do further consist in the application of circler plates
of mettal formed into pointed teeth on the outward edge. Thse plates have
each a hole through the midle to receive a bar with collers, projecting rings,
or nuts at each end to confine the pointed plates. Fig. 3 represents one of
these plates. I apply them in raiscing the wool on cloth with the points
pressing against the cloth in the direction reverse to that of the arrow; but
for laying and smootheing the pile or face, I apply them in the direction of the
arrow, and cause them to be driven with great velocity against the cloth. The
bar should be completely covered between the collers with the pointed plates.

page_text: It is scarsely necessary to say, that the length of that part of the bar covered
with pointed plates should exceed the bredth of the cloth to be raised or
polished, provided the clothes are narrow, and that two or more lengths can
be advantageously applyed to broadcloth, as the cylinders with points perform
best when the diamiter is small, and increase in strength by shortening. The
ends of the bar or cylinder is formed into pivots, or else steel pivots
inserted.
Thirdly, my improvements consists in the application and use of a recipro-
cating motion in the direction of the length to cylinder or cylinders, gig barrel
or barrels, circler brush or brushes, or other surface or substances driven in a
circle or eliptical direction for raising the pile on cloth, or for polishing or
compressing the same. Its use is to distribute the action of points or polishing
surfaces more equally over the surface of cloth when dressing than have
hitherto been effected by the old machinery used in cloth dressing. Fig. VIII.
& IX. represents the manner the above may be effected.
EXPLAINATION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an end view of the raising machine; Fig. 2, front view of the same.
A, the frame; B, plates bushed with hardened steel to receive the pivots of
the cylinders ; C, a drawing roller or cylinder; D, rollers or cylinders to
press the cloth against C; E, a brush to clear the flock from the cylinders / ;
F, a wheel fixed on the axel of C; G, a pinnion working into the teeth of F;
H, strap wheels to communicate motion from the main axle Q by means of a
strap; I, strap wheels to communicate motion from the main axle to the
brush E; J, K, retarding rollers between which the cloth pass; these are
retarded by a break and screw n; L, pinnions; M, a stop wheel fixed on the
axis of L; N, a winch or handle; O, a wheel with teeth on the iner edge of
its rim, into which pinnions take, which are fixed on the pivot ends of the
cylinders ; P, circler pieces of mettal moveable in grooves in the frames to
support J, K; these have teeth on one edge into which the pinnions L take;
Q, the main axel, on which are fixed one of the strap wheels I & H & the
plates B. The wheel O is made fast by a stop or pin in the frame when the
machine is working, but may be driven with a strap to grind the points; 1,
cylinders covered with card or plates, Fig. 3. When cards is used, the wires
should be much more bent than usual. m, screws to adjust the brush E). The
cloth to be raised is passed over J, under K, over l, under C, between C, D,
and back over D, may fall to the floar or be carried over rollers as the
common gig. The internal wheel O and pinnions is proportioned so that a
change of one or two teeth is effected every revolution on the common centre.)

page_text: When friction or brakes is used instead of pinnions on the pivots of the
cylinders the straps on the strap wheels I & H are crosed, and the cylinders
driven in the reverse direction on the common centre to that represented by
the Drawings). Smoothing or polishing cylinders or surfaces may be applyed
to act alternately with the cylinders l, or before or after as the cloth is passing
over) which would require some of the parts larger), or the cloth may be
polished by a seperate machine after raising) or by the above-described
machine driven the reverse direction, the wheel O being fixed to the axel Q
by friction, or otherwise).
Figs. IV., V., end and front view of the shearing machine. A, the frame;
B, bed or bar over which the cloth is drawn when shearing; C, cylinder with
helical cutters working against the ledger blade); D, back, or piece of metta]
to which the ledger blade is fixed; E, F, bolts jointed to D, pasing through
eye bolts screwed to frame, and is adjustable with nuts); G, a guard to
retard the cloth a little); H, a roller covered with cards to draw the cloth over
B when cutting; I, a roller to prevent the cloth coiling round H, and is
driven by bands s); J, a brush used in cutting of woolens in the direction of
the length); K, a strap wheel fixed on the brush axel); L, hooks to support
the cloth, and a rod with hooks or habits when cloth is drawn over in the
direction of the bredth); M, strap wheel by which the machine is driven); N,
strap wheel fixed on the axis of M to drive O and helical cutters); P, a hollow
tube to be made hot by steam or hot irons when cutting cotton). The cylinder
His driven by a band passing over the pulley p, and giving motion to the
whorm & wheel; the whorm q can be disengaged from the wheel by forcing
the spring r, wich have a projection on it) out of a recess in a piece of mettal,
which is moveable on a pin in the frame; the whorin pivot revolves in the
other end of the moveable piece). The cutting edges is adjustable to the bed
by the screws and nuts y, and are lifted up when the cloth is to be placed in
the machine, and is retained by the catch ); t, a lever; v, a stop; u, a
forked spring connected with a clutch for disengaging the motion). To intro-
duce cloth in the direction of the bredth, a rod with hooks fixed to it, and
a piece of cloth sufficiant in length to reach from the bed to the card cylinder
(is applied). The brush and pipe is not shewn in the front view, and is not
required in cutting cloth drawn over in the direction of the bredth).
Fig. VI. a view of the internal part of a bed to protect heading and list.
The novel part is the compound slide A, worked by the screw B); C, pieces of
mettal that sink by their gravity as wedge part of the compound slide A
receed); D, part of the case).

page_text: Fig. X., ful size section across a bed differant to the above, is preferable,
but more expencive. 1, the caseing; 2, a projecting rib fixed to the caseing;
3, a roller; 4, a spring; 5, 5, pieces of mettal moveable on pins; 5 have a
projection on them as a stop in one direction, but will give way in the opposite
direction; 6, springs; 7, wipers or lifters; 8, a bar; 9, a bolt, over the end of
which the cloth pass to be shorn). The length of bed required is filed with
bolts, alowing a thin pecie of mettal between each as a partition inserted partly
into saw cuts in the caseing. The number of lifters is equal to the number of
bolts). That part of the lifter surrounding the bar 8 have a projection or
locking piece on one side, and a recipient on the other to receive the projection of
the next in succession; the space in one is not filed with the projection
of the other; the differance is about one fourth of the circle; one of the end
lifters is made fast to the bar, but the bar is alowed to move freely in all the
others. Thus it is clear if the bar be turned on beareings in one direction the
bolts will be driven in succession one way, and by turning the bar reverse the
bolts wil reverse in succession); or one lifter only performs by being allowed
to move on the bar in the direction of the length, but not round the end of the
lifter after moveing; a bolt pass through a space in concave plate, which directs
the lifter to the next bolt in succession. The bar 8 is driven by one of the
moving parts of the machine when the heading is passing). Two bars and
lifters are sometimes applyed to move the bolts in reverse directions).
Fig. VIII., IX., apperatus for reciprocating motion; 9, a brass, a portion of
a double-thread screw on the exterior surface; it is made hollow to receive
the end of the axis 10; it is worked in a fixed female screw, and worked by
the lever 11, crank 12, and connecting rod 13); 14, 15, a cap and screw fixed
to the axis 10), or the brass 9 may be attach'd to the connecting rod 13.
Fig. VII., end inward side view of improvements in Price's machine.
a, the frame; b, a slideing frame supporting the bed k; c, the lifter; d, a screw
to raise or lower the bed; e, a lever fixed to the lifter axis; f, a strap wheel;
g, a strap wheel fixed on the axis of one of the brushes h; i, the delivering
roller; j, drawing roller; 7, back to which the flat blade is fixed; m, the
bareing of rotative cutter; n, a wood rail over which the cloth is drawn; O,
a bar or rail under which the cloth is drawn; P, bolt-holes for fixing the two
end frames with coller bolts).
In witness whereof, I, the said William Davis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineth day of Januarey, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.
WILLIAM (L.S.) DAVIS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Ninth day of January, in
the year of our Lord. 1824, the aforesaid William Davis came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.