NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTIONS OF CLIPS OR TULDERS AND THEIR CHAINS FOR CLOTH PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Duncan Stewart, of the Firm of Duncan Stewart
and Company, Engineers, of (Dity of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, for Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTIONS OF CLIPS OR TULDERS AND THEIR CHAINS FOR CLOTH
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Duncan Stewart at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th January 1874.
I, DUNCAN STEWART, of the Firm of Duncan Stewart and Company,
Engineers, of the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " NEW
OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTIONS OF CLIPS OR HOLDERS AND THEIR CHAINS FOR CLOTH
STRETCHING AND FINISHING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to new or improved constructions and
arrangements of the parts of the endless carrying chains and their clips
for griping the selvages of woven fabrics in stretching and finishing

page_text: these while carrying them through "Bridson's " and other horizontal
and vertical cloth finishing machines; being also improvements upon
the Invention for which Royal Letters Patent were granted to John
Erskine Brown, dated 29th day of December 1866, and numbered
3415.
The nature and construction of each link and its new or improved
chain clip consist preferably of an open, deep, light rectangular link,
with a single and a double or forked joint at opposite ends, so that the
single end of each link enters and is jointed to the double end of its
adjacent or next link by a round joint pin passed through and riveted
on the outside of the said three jaws of each articulate joint of the whole
parallel endless chain of clips. The lower jaw of each clip is formed of
a narrow horizontal face piece formed or attached parallel to one side of
each link by light bent feathers or webs, to which the upper griping and
swivelling jaw is jointed by a long pin through these and two short.
drooping arms on its back and lower side, so as to open up and back-
wards on these (towards the link of the chain carrying the whole) by a
central finger or stud on the upper side against the power of a new
construction of spring acting on a short arm projecting down on the
lower side. The improved construction of each spring preferred for so
acting on the said lower arm of the upper jaw to make it gripe the
selvage of the cloth between it and the lower jaw consists of a spiral
spring mounted loosely on the long joint pin on which the oscillating
arms of the griping jaws work in between the carrying arms of the
lower jaw.
The spring is coiled out of fine hard drawn steel wire (such as used
for pianofortes) acting by its free ends as levers or holders in the radial
and circumferential direction (and not in the longitudinal direction of
the coil, as is more common with such springs) preferably formed in a
right and left hand spiral from the centre to about two inches long or so
out of one piece of wire towards the two free ends, which act as the
holding arms or any fixed part, while a doubled bow piece is left pro-
jecting out from the two coils at the centre as a lever to act on the said
lower arm of the upper griper to turn and actuate it so as to gripe the
cloth when not released to let the cloth in and out, which is done either
automatically or by hand by the upper projecting or thumb piece acting
on or within stationary cam pieces or grooves fixed at the proper part of
the finishing machine where this is required to take place, or it may be

page_text: by the attendant's hand where and when required for temporary
purposes.
The links of the chain and lower jaws are preferred to be formed of
malleable cast iron, with a brass face piece riveted on it at the griping part
flat on the surface, and the upper griper is preferred to be formed wholly
of brass, with a narrow face slightly angled, so as to bear or gripe with
its sharp edge nearest the selvage, roughened a little for some kinds of
smooth hard fabrics, both jaws being a very little shorter than from
centre to centre of the joint pins of each link, so as not to touch each
other during the motions or jigging of the chains will pass through or
along the usual guides in the frames of the machines, and while passing
over their chain wheel, the teeth of which enter the open rectangular
spaces formed in the links of the chain.
In the stretching and finishing machines, in which stentor pins are
used for holding the selvages of the cloth, these pins are inserted in the
brass plates secured on the under jaw in a usual manner, in which case
the upper griping jaws are dispensed with; and in finishing machines
made of drums or wheels without chains these gripers can be formed or
fixed on to the inner rims of these wheels in a similar or equivalent
manner to that described in reference to the links of the carrying
chains.
5
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Duncan Stewart in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DUNCAN
STEWART, of the Firm of Duncan Stewart and Company, Engineers, of
the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send
greeting.
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Duncan Stewart, Her special
licence that I, the said Duncan Stewart, my executors, administrators,

page_text: and assigns, or such others as I, the said Duncan Stewart, my executors,
administrators, and 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 "NEW OR IMPROVED CON-
STRUCTIONS OF CLIPS OR HOLDERS AND THEIR CHAINS FOR CLOTH STRETCHING
AND FINISHING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Duncan Stewart, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their 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 I, the said Duncan Stewart, 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 in writing, reference being had to the several
Figures on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, which I have hereunto
appended for the purpose of showing the best modes and means I am
at present aware of for performing or putting my Invention into effect
or practice, the same reference letters indicating the same or like parts in
all the Figures where shown:—
My said Invention has reference to new or improved constructions
and arrangements of the parts of the endless carrying chains and their
clips for griping the opposite selvages of the woven fabrics in stretching
and finishing these while carrying them through "Bridson's " and other
horizontal or vertical cloth finishing machines; being also improvements
upon the Invention for which Royal Letters Patent were granted to
John Erskine Brown, dated the 29th day of December 1866, and
Numbered 3415.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings are a front elevation
and a plan respectively of two coupled links A, A, and their clips
B, B', for catching the selvage of the cloth z (as indicated in the latter
Figure) while stretching and jigging it by an endless chain of these on
both sides of cloth finishing machines, and from which these two links
are shown as detached, drawn to half the full size, all in accordance with

page_text: and illustrative of one modification of my said Invention or improve-
ments as applied thereto. Figure 3 is an under side horizontal view or
plan of the same two links A, A, and clips B, B¹, corresponding to
Figure 2, to show the arrangement and action of the new spring a more
clearly; and Figures 4 and 5 are transverse sections of the same, corres-
ponding to Figure 1, the former with the upper moving jaw B¹ as close
and griping one selvage of a piece of cloth (corresponding to Figure 2),
and the latter as open to receive or release the cloth; while Figure 6 is
a front view of one link A and clip B, B', shown open, corresponding to
Think

page_text: z
dated 29th December 1866, so as to open up and backwards on this joint
pin c (towards the inside of the link A of the chain carrying the whole)
by a central finger or stud C on the upper side against the power of a
new construction of spring a, a¹³, acting on the short arm C¹, or other
equivalent projecting down on the lower side towards the fulcrum c.
The improved construction of each spring a, a, preferred for so acting
on the said lower arm C¹ of the upper jaw B¹ to make it gripe the selvage
of the cloth between it and the upper face 6 of the lower jaw B consists,
as seen more particularly in Figures 1, 3, and 7, of a spiral spring a, a¹,
mounted loosely on the long joint pin c (on which the arms B² of the
upper griping jaw B¹ oscillate, so as to work or act spirally and radially
in between the carrying arms B¹ of the lower jaw B. For this purpose
the spring a, a' is coiled preferably in a right and left hand spiral
coil or form from the centre to about two inches or so in length
out of one piece of fine hard drawn steel wire (such as used for piano-
fortes) so as to act by its free ends a² and a¹¹, a¹¹, as a lever and holders
respectively in the radial or circumferential direction, and not in the
longitudinal direction of the coil, as is more common with such springs.
In forming or coiling the springs a, a¹, in the two directions from the
centre a², where a doubled or loop bow piece a³ is left projecting out
from the beginning of the two coils a, a¹, at the centre as a lever a² to
act on the said lower arm C¹ of the upper griper B to turn and actuate
it. The two free ends a¹¹, a", are left long enough for the purpose of
acting as the holding arms to the spring on any fixed part or pin as at
a³, Figure 8, or of the jaw B, or its arms B", all so as to gripe the cloth
by its sharp angled edge 6¹ pressing on the face 6 of the lower jaw B, as
shown in this position in Figures 1, 2, and 4, when not raised or released
against the power of this duplex coiled spring a, a¹, to let the cloth in
and out of this griping clip B, B', as shown in this open position in
Figures 5 and 6, and which is so opened by the upper projecting lever
or thumb piece C, either by the attendant's hand where and when
required for temporary purposes, or automatically, acting upon or within
stationary cam pieces or grooves fixed at the proper parts of the finishing
machine where the cloth is required to be entered and let off, in which
case an antifriction roller C², as shown in the modification Figures 8 to
11, might be mounted on this arm to act on the cam parts.
The links A of the chain and lower jawa B are preferred to be formed

page_text: griping part, made flat on the griping surface, and the upper griper B¹ is
preferred to be formed wholly of brass, with a narrow face b¹ slightly
angled, so as to bear or gripe with its sharp edge nearest the selvage,
and which may be roughened a little for the better catching and holding
of the smoother and harder kinds of fabrics. Both jaws B and B¹ are
made of the same length, a very little shorter than from centre to centre
of the joint pins A³ of each link A, so as not to touch each other during
the motions or jigging the chains while passing through and along the
usual guides in the frames of the machines, and while passing over their
chain wheel, the teeth of which enter the open rectangular spaces A*
formed in the solid link A of the chain.
Referring to Figures 8 to 11 these improved chain clips A, B, B¹ are
applicable to stretching and finishing machines in which the selvages of
the cloth are caught or held by tenter pins, as d, while being treated and
passing through the machine, and by this modification of my improve-
ments these pins d are inserted in the usual manner in the brass plate b
made broad for that purpose, secured to each under jaw B, or preferably
in a separate plate d', secured by the two screws & to the arms B" within
that plate 6 for ease of removal and insertion, or so that the pins d are
far enough over or within and under the upper griper B¹ to allow it and
the under jaw and face B, b, to be used for griping the cloth when
desired without removing the plate and tenter pins d, d', and when
these are used to hold the cloth, as shown at ¹, Figures 10 and 11, the
use of the upper griping jaws B is dispensed with, either by removing
them or by raising them up and fixing them back, as shown in red in
Figure 8, out of the way so that the cloth can be held by the pins d, as
shown in these Figures 10 and 11.
In finishing machines made of drums or wheels without chains, as
described in reference to the Figures on Sheet 2 of the Drawings accom-
panying the Final Specification of the said Patent No. 3415, 1866, either
of these improved gripers B, B¹, can be formed or fixed on the inner
rims of these wheels in a similar or equivalent manner to that in which
they have been described and shown as attached by the arms B" to the
links A of the carrying chains, as shown and distinguished in Figures
1 to 7 and 8 to 11 of the accompanying Drawings.
Having thus particularly described the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is or may be performed, I have to

page_text: state that I do not restrict myself to the precise details herein described
or delineated, but what I believe 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 construction and use of the two modifications of clips or
holders and their chains for cloth stretching and finishing machines,
substantially as herein described and distinguished in reference to and
shown in Figures 1 to 7 and 8 to 11 respectively of the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The construction and use of chain clips or gripers for cloth
finishing machines, with tenter pins to catch the selvages of the cloth
beyond the griping surfaces 6, 61, all substantially as herein described
in reference to and shown in Figures 8 to 11 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Third. The construction and use of steel wire springs acting radially
for closing the griper of clips for cloth stretching and finishing machines,
substantially as herein described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Duncan Stewart, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.