IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PRESSING OR CALENDERING FABRICS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Antoine Passet, of Paris, in the Empire of
France, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR PRESSING OR CALENDERING FABRICS."
Sealed the 16th March 1855, and dated the 21st September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Antoine Passet
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st September 1854.
I, JEAN ANTOINE PASSET, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Machinist, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR PRESSING OR CALENDERING FABRICS" to be as follows:-
In pressing fabrics by the old process, the fabric is first folded up with sheets
of glazed pasteboard intermingled, so as to bring every part of both surfaces
into contact with the glazed surface of the pasteboard, and then the fabric with
the boards between the folds is submitted to very heavy pressure in a screw or
other press, with the application sometimes of heat, which is supplied from
heated cast iron or other metal plates. The operations of intermingling the
glazed boards with the folds of the fabric and placing the pieces in the press,
and subsequently removing the glazed boards from the piece of goods after it
has been pressed, are laborious and troublesome, and require considerable time.

page_text: The object of the present Invention is to perform the operations of pressing
or calendering fabrics with more facility, greater expedition, and in a more
complete and perfect manner, than by the old process of screw presses. This
object is effected by means of a machine of a peculiar construction, in which
the fabric to be operated upon is fed in at one part of the machine, and
after passing between cylindrical pressing surfaces is taken out finished at
another part.
The fabric is first to be wound on a roller,. from which it is drawn off, and
after passing over and under guide rollers is brought in contact with the surface
of a heated cylinder or roller, whereby it is drawn forward, and its surfaces
rubbed against the surfaces of a pair of concave blocks, which may or may not
be heated, as may be thought desirable. These blocks are adjustable, so as to
admit of a certain amount of pressure or friction being brought to bear against
the fabric as it passes through the machine. -
From the concave rubbing surfaces the fabric passes over guide rollers to a
horizontal plank or table, and from them between two pressing rollers, on the
upper one of which it is wound; but before passing between these rollers glazed
papers or boards are placed on the surface of the fabric, and are carried into
the machine therewith, so that when the whole length of the fabric is wound
on the cloth roller, together with the glazed boards, both the surfaces of the
fabric, as in the old process, may be brought in contact with the glazed surface
of the boards.
The axle of the cloth roller on which the fabric is wound, is made to rise and
fall in guides in the framing as its diameter increases by the enveloping of the
fabric, and pressure is given by means of an additional roller, which is mounted
in the guides above the cloth roller, and is made to bear on the surface thereof
by means of weighted levers or otherwise. Previous to the fabric being fed
into the machine it may be damped, by the application of water or steam; or
this operation may be performed while in the machine. The machine may be
driven either by hand labour or steam power.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jean Antoine Passet in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th March 1855.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEAN
ANTOINE PASSET, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Jean Antoine Passet, Her special licence that I, the said Jean Antoine
Passet, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Jean Antoine Passet, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVED MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR PRESSING OR CALENDERING FABRICS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Jean Antoine Passet, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jean Antoine Passet, 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 Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
In pressing fabrics by the old process, the fabric is first folded up with sheets
of glazed pasteboard intermingled, so as to bring every part of both surfaces
into contact with the glazed surface of the pasteboard, and then the fabric with
the boards between the folds is submitted to very heavy pressure in a screw or
other press, with the application sometimes of heat, which is supplied from
heated cast iron or other metal plates. The operations of intermingling the
glazed boards with the folds of the fabric and placing the pieces in the press,
and subsequently removing the glazed boards from the piece of goods after the
latter has been pressed, are laborious and troublesome operations, and require
considerable time.

page_text: The object of the present Invention is to perform the operations of pressing
or calendering fabrics with more facility, greater expedition, and in a more
complete and perfect manner, than by the old process of screw presses. This
object is effected by means of a machine of a peculiar construction, in which
the fabric to be operated upon is fed in at one part of the machine, and
after passing between cylindrical pressing surfaces is taken out finished at
another part.
The fabric is first to be wound on a roller, from which it is drawn off, and
after passing over and under guide rollers is brought in contact with the surface
of a heated cylinder or roller, whereby it is drawn forward, and its surface is
rubbed against the surfaces of a pair of concave blocks, which may or may not
be heated, as may be thought desirable. These blocks are adjustable, so as to
admit of a certain amount of pressure or friction being brought to bear against
the fabric as it passes through the machine. From the concave rubbing
surfaces the fabric passes over guide rollers to a horizontal plank or table, and
from thence between two pressing rollers, on the upper one of which it is
wound; but before passing between these rollers glazed papers or boards are
placed on the surface of the fabric, and are carried into the machine therewith,
so that when the whole length of the fabric is wound on the cloth roller, toge-
ther with the glazed boards, both the surfaces of the fabric, as in the old process,
are brought in contact with the glazed surface of the boards.
The axle of the cloth roller on which tho fabric is wound, is made to rise and
fall in guides in the framing as its diameter increases by the enveloping of the
fabric, and pressure is given to the fabric by means of an additional roller,
which is mounted in the guides above the cloth roller, and is made to bear on
the surface thereof by means of weighted levers or otherwise. Previous to the
fabric being fed into the machine it may be damped, by the application of water
or steam; or this operation may be performed while in the machine. The
machine may be driven either by hand labor or steam power.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of
the machine taken through the cylinders in the direction of their length, and
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. a is the main framing; b, b, are the
bearings for the lower cylinder; c, c, the bearings for the upper cylinder, and
which are capable of moving up and down therewith in the framing. An
intermediate wooden cylinder N, which is also capable of moving up and down
in the framing, is mounted in moveable bearings d, d; e is the standard, on
which the driving parts are mounted; g, the driving pullies; i, the driving
gear; and j, gearing for transmitting motion to the other parts; k, are concave
smoothing irons, mounted on supports or brackets l, and to which a transverse

page_text: motion may be communicated by means of toothed wheels m and chains n';
9, 1, 8, are bevil wheels and pinions for working the racks ; t are two cast-
iron cylinders furnished with packing at y (Fig. 1); are collars, which may
bo fixed on the shaft of the roller N by screws, for the purpose of fastening the
same. B are the standards, upon which is mounted the necessary gearing for
acting upon the break lever R; C is one of two bearings for the roller, upon
which the fabric is wound after being operated upon by the smoothing irons;
D are stop pullies for the break gearing; E is the framing of the cranes or
raising apparatus; G, the ratchet pinion of the same; H, vertical racks of the
same; N is a wooden roller, mounted upon an iron shaft to receive the cloth
and glazed boards; O are small iron rollers for conducting the fabric to be
operated upon to the smoothing irons k, k. Arms or bracket bearings Pare
adapted to each side of the framing for carrying guide rollers P*, for the fabric
to pass over when being wound on the cylinder N. n' is a chain passing over
chain wheels for regulating the pressure of the calendering irons; p (Fig. 1)
are the bearings for the shaft, upon which are mounted the pinions for actuating
the racks u, u.
The following is the operation of my machine, which will be understood by
referring to the letters marked upon corresponding parts in both the Figures.
a' (Fig. 2) is a series of bars, under which is placed the fabric to be operated
upon, and to which the required tension is given; from thence it passes over tho
small iron roller O, and between the lower cylinder w, and the two smoothing
irons k, both of which are heated by means of steam; the fabric thence passes
over a second small roller O, and round another roller P, at the side of the
machine, where the fabric is pulled out straight by the workman.
The object of this preliminary operation is to submit the fabric to friction
round the lower cylinder, and also to bring it in contact with the heat of tho
smoothing irons, which are adjusted at a greater or less distance from the
cylinder w, according to the nature of the fabric to be operated upon;
the requisite pressure being given to these irons by means of a small fly
wheel E (Fig. 1), which communicates a backward and forward motion to
the chain wheels and chains n', and through them to the endless screws, by
which means the irons are caused to approach or recede from the cylinder w,
the fabric having been damped either previously to its introduction to the
bars a', or by means of a perforated steam pipe placed between them; and the
first smoothing iron is then drawn through the machine, and wound upon
the roller P, by means of winch handles, or by suitable differential gearing,
where the workman straightens it out laterally, and lays it straight upon the
sroller P.

page_text: The lower cylinder w may (if the nature of the fabric to be operated upon
requires it) be furnished with a thick piled woollen stuff, which will give it a
certain amount of elasticity; it may also be covered with several layers of
calico, thus forming a circular table, against which the two smoothing irons k
are pressed with greater or less force, according to the degree of lustre required.
The fabric may, on passing from the second iron, be wound on to the roller P*,
as above mentioned, if it be desired to grain or water it; or it may be drawn off
in folds, especially if it be a piled fabric.
The operation of calendering with irons, which I have just described, is very
different from that of the press with sheets of glazed boards, which I am about
to describe; and although I have united the two in one machine, it may some-
times be found advantageous, as regards expedition in working, to effect the two
operations in two separate machines working simultaneously, rollers P⚫ being
adapted to both machines.
The fabrics having been operated upon by the irons, by which lustre and
softness have been imparted to them, will retain a certain amount of humidity
when wound upon rollers mounted in place of the roller P. These rollers as
they are filled are successively brought down upon the bracket C (Fig. 2) of
the tension apparatus, and the requisite amount of drag is thereby put upon the
fabric to allow of its being unwound. Another wooden roller is then placed
at P, on a level with the table c', which extends to both extremities of the
framing, and the fabric from C passes over the roller at P*, and is wound upon
the roller N, which is put in motion by the machine. A rod or guide, placed
straight upon the table c', at the breadth of the glazed boards, but a little
exceeding that of the fabrics, allows of the glazed boards, on one side of them
being pressed against the guide, sliding straight and following the fabric, which
it will be understood carries forward the glazed boards, and rolls them with
itself upon the roller N. The attendant must take care to feed the glazed
boards continuously, leaving no interval between them. It will be understood
that each length or piece of fabric which is intended to fill one of the rollers N
is provided at each extremity with canvas or cloth sewn flat on to it, in order to
preserve it during the operation.
The upper roller w, also heated by means of steam, is raised or lowered when
necessary by means of the vertical shaft q, to which rotary motion is com-
municated by means of the winch handle q' and bevil gearing, which motion
is transmitted to the bevil gearing s, and thereby raises or lowers the racks.
The upper cylinder w is thus forcibly pressed upon the roller N by means of
the two large levers R, which are connected by means of strong cords h to the
two tension drums D, round which the cords are wound to the required tension

page_text: before commencing the operation, by means of winches and suitable gearing
connected with the ratchet wheel 1 and pawle 1. It will be understood that
as the diameter of the roller N increases by the winding on of the fabric and
the glazed boards, it will gradually cause the upper cylinder w to rise in the
framing with its bearings c, c, to the required height, which will allow of the
winding on of from three to five hundred yards of stuff.
A great amount of pressure may be obtained by means of my improved
machine, by reason of the power of the drums D and lever L, and by the power
of the weight M, which may be increased to any required amount. The facility
of obtaining this large amount of pressure renders my apparatus applicable to
the calendering of fabrics, either in the hot or cold state, and either with or
without glazed boards; it is also capable of working by friction when necessary
by simply stopping the rotation of the upper cylinder w, by keys or any other
suitable means, so that this pressing cylinder may rise without rotating, which
will cause the roller N, on which the fabric is wound, to rub continually against
it. The roller N having been brought to its greatest diameter under this
pressure may be changed when required by the following means:-
The collars,, are fixed by means of screws on to the shaft of the roller N,
and this shaft, being divided into two parts, they serve when screwed up to
connect the roller with the machine. When the roller is full, it may be
detached by unscrewing these collars, and sliding them either to the right or
left, away from the point of junction on to the short shafts, carried by the
bearings d, d. The roller N being thus free, and the upper cylinder w released
from its pressure, and raised by the means above described, the roller N may
be removed and replaced by another, and so on, with any number required.
In order to facilitate the removal of the pressure upon the roller N, two
racks H, Fig. 2, are, by means of the winches G, made to act upon and raise
the weighted levers L; the cords h will by this means be slackened, and will
allow the upper cylinder w to be raised.
The rollers N are placed in a line upon a frame in front of the machine,
where the fabric may be unwound from them after cooling, by means of a small
winch, and allowed to fall into a basket; the glazed boards being collected for
a fresh operation, care being taken to turn them the reverse side upwards to
that employed in the preceding operation.
This machine may be employed for any kind of fabric, and possesses great
advantages for the dressing of woollen cloths. As regards the selvages, the
rollers N have grooves at each end, which are modified by means of sliding
rings, which are capable of sliding as far as the breadth of the cloth, the
selvages sinking into the said grooves. Circular brushes may also be mounted

page_text: between the table c' and roller P, and worked in the same manner as those of
shearing machines.
The table c', upon which the introduction of the glazed boards takes place,
should be of a basin-like form, with a perforated copper plate, through which
steam may be supplied in any quantity desired. This introduction of the steam
at the time that the glazed boards are introduced is very advantageous as
regards the swelling of the fabrics.
Having now described my Invention of Improved Machinery or Apparatus
for Pressing or Calendering Fabrics, and the means for carrying the same into
effect, I would observe that I am aware that rollers heated by steam have been
heretofore used for rolling or pressing; I do not therefore mean or intend to
claim separately the use of rollers heated by steam; but that which I consider
to be new in the above-described machine is,-
First, the general arrangement and combination of the parts, as shewn and
described, for rubbing, pressing, or calendering fabrics.
Second, the use of the concave iron surfaces k, k, against which the surface
of the fabric to be operated upon is rubbed, for the purpose of imparting a
lustre thereto.
Third, the method herein shewn and described, or any mere modification
thereof, of mounting the cloth roller and the upper pressing cylinder, so as to
admit of the pressure of the upper roller being maintained while the cylinder
rises in the standards, as the diameter of the cloth roller increases by the
gradual accumulation of the fabric thereon.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Antoine Passet, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
DR LOUIS CRUVEILTIER.
J. A. PASSET. (L.S.)