CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING THE NAP OR PILE ON WOOLLEN, COTTON, OR OTHER CLOTHS, ALSO FOR BRUSHING
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we.
NATHAN WHITELEY, junior, of Stoney Bank, Huddersfield, in the
County of York, Manufacturer, and JOSEPH HOPKINSON, junior, of
Huddersfield aforesaid, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of January, in
the eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself. Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Nathan Whiteley and Joseph Hopkin-
son, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
we, the said Nathan Whiteley and Joseph Hopkinson, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, and such others as we, the said Nathan
Whiteley and Joseph Hopkinson, our executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within Eng-
land, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, our Invention of
CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING THE
NAP OR PILE ON WOOLLEN, COTTON, OR OTHER CLOTHS, ALSO FOR BRUSHING

page_text: AND CLEANING THE SAME; in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso, obliging us, the said Nathan Whiteley and Joseph Hopkin-
son, by an instrument in writing under our hands and scals, or under
the hand and seal of one of us, particularly to describe and ascertain
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in Her Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and
at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE. that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Nathan Whiteley, on behalf of myself and the said Joseph Hop-
kinson, do hereby declare that the nature of our said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
Our Invention of certain improvements in machinery or apparatus
for raising the nap or pile on woollen, cotton, or other cloths, also for
brushing and cleaning the same, consists, in the first place, in a new
combination and arrangement of the parts of a machine (hereafter
to be described) whereby the cloth is kept more evenly distended and
operated upon in a more uniform manner than heretofore; also the
application thereto of plates or stretchers, herein-after described.
Our Invention consists, secondly, in a novel construction of machine,
in which the nap or pile may be raised longitudinally or transversely of
the piece of cloth by the use of hand cards, teasles, or bristles, the cloth
being kept distended both longitudinally and from selvage to selvage
during the operation. This machine consists of a frame suspended
upon a pivot on the upper end of a fixed pillar, and kept at any
desired angle of elevation by a balance weight on the reverse end
of the arm of suspension. This frame is also capable of being turned
on an axis formed upon the end of the suspending arm or lever, so as
to enable the workman to operate in all directions upon the surface of
the cloth as it is distended over the frame.

page_text: And our Invention consists, thirdly, in the application of plates or
stretchers placed under the ordinary cylinder covered with wire cards,
teasles, or bristles, and used in machines generally for raising the
nap or pile on woollen, cotton, or other cloths, and also in the appli-
cation of the said plates to machines for brushing and cleaning the
same. These plates are so formed and placed as to be capable of
stretching the cloth from selvage to selvage at the same time that
they regulate the degree of action of the cards, teasles, or brushes upon
the surface of the cloth. One of the plates is screwed to the frame-
work of the machine, and the other is mounted on the end of two
levers by which it is raised or lowered, and thus brought nearer to
or farther from the under surface of the cylinder, as required; or the
plates may be both stationary for some of the machines to which
they are applied. The cloth, while undergoing the process of either
raising," brushing, or cleaning, is kept distended from selvage to
selvage by pressing against the under surface of the plates, on which
are formed diagonal grooves diverging from the centre of the width of
the cloth towards each selvage.
63
In order, however, the more fully to describe and ascertain these
several features of improvement, we refer to the accompanying Draw-
ings, in which Figs. 1 to 4 represent the peculiar construction of
machinery contained under the first head; Figs. 6 and 7 represent
the machine or frame which forms the second head; and Fig. 5 is a
detached representation of the plates or stretchers constituting the third
head of our improvements.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine, in which some of the
parts are omitted for the sake of perspicuity. Fig. 2 represents
the right hand end of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 the left hand end of the
same; Fig. 4 is a detached section of some of the upper portions of
the machine. In all these Figures the same letters of reference indi-
cate corresponding parts. a, a, represents the framework or standards
of the machine; b, the ordinary cylinder, covered with wire cards,
teasles, or bristles for raising the nap or pile. This cylinder is mounted
c is a second cylinder or
and turns in suitable bearings in the frame.
roller turning on an axis in the frame, covered also with cards, teasles,

page_text: or bristles, which operate upon the surface of the cloth after it has
passed under the cylinder b. This cylinder c is frequently dispensed
with, but is here shewn as its use is sometimes preferred. d is a brass
rail, over which the cloth is conducted in its passage towards the
cylinder b. This rail may be moved nearer to or farther from the
cylinder by the horizontal screws e, e, working through nuts or collars
on the end of the rail, or one end only of the rail may be thus moved,
as may be required, when the cloth is longer on one selvage than the
other. ff, are two plates of metal, one of which is fixed to the
frame by adjusting screws, as shewn, and the other f is attached at
each end to the levers y, g; the cloth is drawn tightly against the
under surface of these plates as it passes to the cylinder b, and is thus
kept in the situation required for the due operation of the cards, teasles,
or bristles upon its surface. It will be seen on reference to Fig. 1,
that the undor surface of the plates has diagonal grooves formed' upon
it diverging from the centre in the direction of each selvage of the cloth,
so that as the cloth passes under the plates, by pressing tightly against
their under surface it will be stretched out from selvage to selvage in a
degree proportioned to the angle of inclination of the grooves. The
edge of the plates nearest the cylinder is left plain in order that the
cloth may be smooth and even, without groove marks in it, immediately
before it comes under the operation of the cards, teasles, or bristles on
that cylinder; the reverse edge is also plain. One of the plates f, as
before observed, is fixed to one end of the levers g, which turn on a
fulcrum at ; the other end of which levers is raised or lowered by
turning the vertical screws i, i, passing through nuts or collars on the
end of the levers, and also similar nuts or collars in the upper part of
the frame of the machine. By this means the reverse end of the levers,
and with it the plate affixed thereto, may be regulated as to its distance
from the cylinder b, and consequently the extent of action of the wire
cards, teasles, or bristles upon the surface of the cloth may be thereby
regulated. It should be observed also that in some cases it is desirable
slightly to clevate or depress only one of the levers g, by turning one of
the vertical screws i, in order to accommodate the cloth to any irregu-
larities in the wire cards or other raising surface on the cylinder. The

page_text: object of these arrangements being to suitably adjust the relative
position of the raising surface on the cylinder and the surface of the
cloth at the time of operation, we would here remark that the move-
ment of the cylinder, instead of one of the plates or stretchers, would
constitute no material difference in the working of the machine, but we
prefer the movement of one of the plates or stretchers as described for
effecting the
purpose. We proceed now to describe the action of the
machine. On the shaft or axis of the cylinder b, are mounted a fast
and loose pulley and I, with the ordinary catch lever for throwing the
machinery into and out of gear with the prime mover. A strap passing
over the fast pulley : communicates motion to it and hence to the
cylinder ; on the other end of its shaft is mounted a pulley m, which,
by means of an endless strap. gives motion to another pulley on the
axis of the cylinder c; by this means the two cylinders and c, receive
a motion direct from the first mover. The means by which the cloth
receives its slower motion is now to be described. On the shaft or axis
of the cylinder is fixed a pinion n taking into the wheel o; this wheel
o has on its axis another pinion p, taking into the wheel 7, on the axis
of which is mounted a roller r, for conducting the cloth through the
machine this roller is covered with wire cards or other rough surface,
which, while the machine is in motion, holds the cloth which has been
previously placed against it by the attendant and. draws it forward
through the machine. Hence it will appear that the roller r, through
the train of gearing just referred to, has a considerably slower motion
than the cylinders b and c, and that the cloth will be drawn through the
machine at a much slower rate than that at which the cylinders turn on
their axes. The course which the cloth takes may be seen on reference
to Fig 3 and 4, where it is shewn by a red line. It will be perceived
that on entering the machine at the right hand of the Figures it passes
between the pair of bars or guides s, s, thence over the rail d, and under
the stationary plate f*, on its advancing beyond which it becomes
operated upon by the wire cards, teasles, or bristles on the cylinder b,
thence it passes under the moveable plate f, over the conducting roller
1, (mounted, as shewn, in the framework) and being being still drawn
forward by the roller, becomes operated by the wire cards, teasles, or

page_text: bristles on the cylinder c, in its passage to the roller r, whence it is
stripped off or discharged by the endless straps round that roller and
the smaller roller u, shewn in Fig. 1, and passes into any convenient
receptacle placed at the bottom of the machine. It should be observed
that the tension of the cloth may be increased or diminished by turning
the plate of metal at the end of the bars or guides s, s, on its axis
s, and so increasing or diminishing the friction of the cloth upon
the bars or guides s, s, which are kept in their required position by
the catch wheel and click v. w is a lever working on a joint at
its end fastened to the upper part of the frame, on which lever
is formed the cap over the bearings in which the shaft of the
cylinder turns. By raising the handle on the end of this lever the
cylinder is free to be moved out of its bearings when required. The
lever is held in its place by a string catch a, which has to be moved on
one side to allow of the lever being raised.
We proceed now to describe the second head of our improvements,
which is represented at Figs 6 and 7 of the accompanying Drawings,
Fig. 6 being a side elevation, and Fig. 7 a front view of the machine or
frame. A is an upright iron pillar to support the frame; B is an arm
or lever, having its fulcrum at B in the upper part of the pillar, carrying
at its shorter end the wooden frame C, over the front surface of which
the cloth is to be stretched, the longer end of this arm or lever having a
weight D attached to it for the purpose of balancing the weight of the
frame C. The upper end of the arm or lever B is formed round, and
fits into a metal collar or socket E, so that the frame C may be turned
round upon it to suit the workman's convenience, as will be herein-after
described. F, F, are rollers, mounted on axes or studs as shewn, upon
which the cloth is wound by the handles F. These rollers have
ratchet wheels G, G, on their ends, which are held by palls H, H, for
the purpose of producing and retaining any required amount of tension
on the cloth in a longitudinal direction. The ratchets must be released
from the palls whenever the workman desires to wind the cloth from
one roller to the other. I, I, are rollers mounted on axes or studs at
each end of the frame C for the cloth to pass over, that it may be flat
on the face of the frame. The tension of the cloth from selvage to

page_text: selvage is now to be described. J, J, are pairs of wooden jaws working
on hinges as shown, and which are opened and shut by the handles or
levers K, K. These jaws have pointed wires or hooks set in them as
represented in the Drawing, and are moved backwards and forwards in
grooves formed on the inside of the frame C by means of the horizontal
screws L, L, working through nuts or collars in the uprights of the
frame C, so that the selvage of the cloth being fixed over the hooks, the
jaws J, J, may be drawn outwards by turning the screws K, K, and
thus keep the cloth distended from selvage to selvage. Hence it will
be seen that by the use of this machine or frame the cloth will be kept
distended both longitudinally and from selvage to selvage, while the
workman proceeds to raise the nap or pile by means of wire cards,
teasles, or bristles, set in a frame as usual for hand work. It will also
be seen that he has the convenience of setting the frame at any required
angle of elevation, and likewise of turning it round so as easily to get
at every portion of the cloth's surface, and to raise the nap or pile upon
it in any direction he may desire.
We come now to describe the third head of our improvements,
which consists in the application of the plates or stretchers before
described, and represented detached on an enlarged scale at Fig. 5,
to the various kinds of machinery for raising the nap or pile on
woollen, cotton, or other cloths, as well as for brushing and clean-
ing the same. We prefer that these plates or stretchers should
be made of brass, but they may be made of other materials, pro-
vided they are formed in the way described, so as to stretch the
cloth from selvage to selvage while under operation. In applying
them to the machines called " gig machines," we substitute one of
these plates for the present moveable breast roller," and we fix one
or more in any convenient manner on the other side of that portion of
the gig cylinder where the wire cards, teasles, or bristles are operating
upon the surface of the cloth, by which means the stretching of the
cloth from selvage to selvage at the point of operation is secured. We
would here remark that the plates may be either stationary or moveable
as found desirable. In applying these plates or stretchers to machines
for brushing, we arrange them in a similar manner to that represented

page_text: in Fig. 4, wherein, by removing the wire card cylinder and substituting
one covered with brushes, an efficient brushing machine is produced; or
one plate only may be substituted for the present rail over which the
cloth passes in brushing machines of the ordinary construction. Again,
these plates or stretchers may be applied to the apparatus for cleaning,
which are usually termed "rolling on" machines, in which case one or
more of them may be suitably fixed in front of the roller over which
the cloth is rolled previous to its being steamed or boiled in the ordinary
process of steaming, or boiling, or cleansing, so that the cloth at such
periods may be kept tight from selvage to selvage. The manner of
adapting these plates or stretefiers to the different machinery or appa-
ratus above referred to will be readily understood by any competent
workman, and therefore requires no more particular directions in order
to ensure their useful application thereto.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, we would remark that we lo
not mean or intend to confine ourselves to the precise forms and
arrangements of all the parts shown and described, nor in all cases to
the exact materials employed in their construction. But what we
claim as essential features of our Invention are,―
Firstly, the general arrangement and construction of the machine
represented at Figs. 1 to 4, and described above, whether wire cards,
teasles, or bristles be used, either separately or in combination, for the
purpose of raising the nap or pile on woollen, cotton, or other cloths;
also the application to such machine of the plates f and f*, (shewn
likewise detached at Fig. 5,) whereof one is stationary and the other
moveable, for the double purpose of protecting the surface of the cloth
from injury by the cards, and keeping the cloth distended from selvage
to selvage while under operation. In making this claim, we would
observe that we are aware a Patent has been obtained for adapting
guard rails or protectors to "raising" machines, in which both were
moved simultaneously without having any provision for stretching the
cloth from selvage to selvage; but this arrangement in practice is not
found to answer the purpose, the action of the wire cards having a
strong tendency to draw in the cloth between the cylinder and the

page_text: guard or protector. By the employment, however, of one plate, as
fixed with its front edge close to the points of the cards, as shewn, and
the other moveable, as described, together with the lateral stretching
of the cloth, the object is attained.
Secondly, we claim the general arrangement and construction of the
machine represented at Figures 6 and 7, by which the nap or pile may
be raised by hand in any required direction without either unhooking or
unrolling the cloth, which is kept tightly distended both longitudinally
and from selvage to selvage while under operation.
And, thirdly, we claim the application of two or more of the before
described plates or stretchers to "gig machines," so placed as to keep
the cloth distended from selvage to selvage on each side of that
portion of the periphery of the gig cylinder where the wire cards,
teasles, or bristles operate upon the cloth; also the application of
one or more of the same plates or stretchers to brushing machines;
also the application of the same to the rollers employed in the sub-
sequent process of cleaning the cloth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathan Whiteley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
NATHAN (L.s.) WHITELEY.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-eighth day
of July, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Nathan Whiteley
came before our Lady the Queen, in Her Chancery, and acknow-
ledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein con-
tained, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute in that case made and
provided.
Inrolled the same Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year above
written.