CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR RAISING WOOLLEN CLOTH
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jacob Dockray, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Machine Maker, and John Dawson, of Holbeck, in the Parish of Leeds,
in the said County, Machine Maker, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
Sealed the 30th March 1855, and dated the 17th October 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jacob Dockray and
John Dawson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 17th October 1854.
We, JACOB DOCKRAY, of Leeds, in the County of York, Machine Maker,
and JOHN DAWSON, of Holbeck, in the Parish of Lecds, in the said County,
Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR RAISING WOOLLEN CLOTH" to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists in the mode of arranging the working parts of a
machine used for raising the nap of woollen cloth by means of wire cards. It
has hitherto been the practice in raising machines to bring the cloth in contact
with the under side of an horizontal cylinder, which is covered with wire cards.
by means of rollers, placed on each side and parallel with the card cylinder.
These rollers are adjusted at each end by screws, which have to be turned
separately by the attendant on each end of the machine, according to the
degree of raising found desirable. This mode of adjustment frequently leads
to uneven work, and could not be applied to what is termed broad cloth;

page_text: also the passing of the cloth underneath the card cylinder is found to work
inconveniently.
Our improvement consists in placing two cast-iron shields or guards, which
partially cover the upper side or surface of the card cylinder, leaving an
opening between them at the top, so that as the cloth is drawn over these
shields, a part of the surface of the card cylinder projects above them, and
comes in contact with the cloth. We also apply an excentric of peculiar con-
struction for raising and lowering these shields, so as to bring the cloth with
more or less force against the card surface. This excentric is so arranged that
it can be worked from one end of the machine.
Our next improvement consists in adapting this machine for what is termed
"cross raising," and for this purpose we use two endless leather sheets or
bands. Upon these sheets, corresponding to the width of the cloth, are placed
suitable pieces of wire cards, intended to operate upon the cloth. The sheets
move in contrary directions upon horizontal rollers. Parallel with the upper
surface of these sheets are two plates, placed so as to support the cloth as it is
drawn in a direction parallel with the axis of the sheet rollers. These plates
are raised and depressed by means of an excentric, similar to the one above
mentioned, so as to enable the attendant to give the required amount of work
to the cloth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jacob Dockray and John Dawson in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 17th April 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, JACOB
DOCKRAY, of Leeds, in the County of York, Machine Maker, and JOHN
DAWSON, of Holbeck, in the Parish of Leeds, in the said County, Machine
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of October, 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 us, the said
Jacob Dockray and John Dawson, Her special license that we, the said Jacob
Dockray and John Dawson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Jacob Dockray and John Dawson, our executors, admi-
nistrators, 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

page_text: Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR RAISING
WOOLLEN CLOTH," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Jacob
Dockray and John Dawson, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 Jacob Dockray and John Dawson, 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 Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention consists in an improved arrangement of machinery for raising
the nap of woollen cloth by means of wire cards or teazles. It has hitherto
been the practice in raising machines to bring the cloth in contact with the
under side of an horizontal card cylinder by means of rollers placed on each
side and parallel with the card cylinder. These rollers are adjusted at their
opposite ends by screws, which are turned separately by the attendant, accord-
ing to the degree of raising found desirable. This mode of adjustment
frequently leads to uneven work, and could not be applied to what is termed
broad cloth; the passing also of the cloth underneath the card cylinder is found
to work inconveniently.
In our improved machinery, the cloth is caused to pass under a stretching
roller and over a pair of shields or guards. These shields or guards partially
cover the upper side or surface of the card cylinder, leaving a portion of the
surface exposed between them, so that as the cloth is drawn over the shields,
a part of the surface of the card cylinder projecting above the shields
comes in contact with the cloth. This improvement has reference to what
is termed straight raising, that is, raising the nap in the direction of the warp
threads.
Our Invention relates also to improved machinery for effecting what is
termed cross raising, that is, raising the nap in the direction of the weft
threads. For this purpose we employ two endless bands of wire cards for
operating upon the cloth at right angles to its progress through the machine.
Parallel with the upper surface of these bands of cards are two plates, so
placed as to support the cloth as it is drawn over the cards. After passing
the cards, it is drawn by the drawing rollers, and carried by other rollers

page_text: back to where the operation was begun, and the operation is then repeated
and so continued until the required amount of "raising" has been obtained.
In the accompanying Drawing we have shewn our improvements in several
views. Figure 1 is a side elevation of our machine for cross raising; Figure 2
is a front elevation; and Figure 3 is a plan view of the same; Figure 4 is a
section of the roller for expanding or stretching the cloth; Figure 5 is an end
view of the same roller; Figure 6, an end view of the support plates or
guides, shewing their position with respect to the cards, which in the general
views are not represented as applied to the machine; Figure 7 is a detached
side elevation of our improved arrangement of mechanism for effecting straight
raising; and Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the card cylinder and shields
or guards detached.
We will first describe our improvements as they relate to "cross raising."
In Figures 1, 2, and 3, A, A, is the main framing of the cloth-dressing
machine; B is a roller for expanding or stretching the cloth as it passes
forward to be "raised;" C is a guide or support plate (for an end view of
which, see Figure 6,) over which the cloth passes after leaving the expanding
roller B to be presented to the action of the cards or teazles. The cloth is
kept straight and even by being drawn over a second guide or supporting
plate C*, on the opposite side of, and parallel to, the cards. These guide plates
are carried by a movable cross bar D. E, E, are two sets of carriers for
holding the cards employed for raising the cloth. The cards are clipped by the
turned-up edges of the carriers, and are capable of being slidden into and out
of their seats, as required. Teazles contained in suitable frames may also be
inserted in lieu of wire cards in the carriers E, if found desirable. The two
sets of cards have a travelling motion given them in opposite directions by their
carriers, being respectively attached to a pair of endless chains G, G, as shewn
at Figure 3. These chains are supported by chain pulleys H, H, and I, I,
and they are driven by the chain pulleys H, H, (two on either side of the
machine,) which receive their motion through bevilled gearing direct from the
main driving shaft; the progress of the cloth over the cards and the progress
of the cards beneath the cloth are simultaneous in operation, but the cloth has
a slower motion given it than the bands of cards.
The traverse of each of the endless bands of cards terminates in the centre
of the machine over the pulleys I, I, and the direction of their traverse is
indicated by the arrows marked thereon. The axles of the pulleys I, I, turn
in plummer boxes K, (see Figure 2,) which are supported in their position
by being fixed to two plates N, connected together by a pin M, crossing
between them. This pin M passes through an excentric slot in a rocking

page_text: lever O, which is keyed to a rock shaft O*, having its bearings in brackets
attached to the main framing. If it be found desirable to raise the position
of the travelling cards, the pin M, (which is affixed to the plates N that carry
the plummer boxes of the pulleys I, I,) is moved within the excentric slot
of the lever O by means of a hand lever P, also keyed to the rock shaft O*,
and thus a raised or lowered position is given to the plummer boxes and the
pulleys I, I, round which the cards travel. To retain the pulleys in this
position, we pass a pin through the hand lever, and through one of a series of
holes made in a quadrant plate Q, provided for that purpose on the main
framing A.
The guide plates or supports C and C are also. provided with a similar
arrangement of adjusting apparatus for changing their elevation with respect
to the endless bands of cards. Beneath this cross bar D, which carries the
guide plates C, C*, a rock shaft R, extending across the machine, is mounted
in suitable bearings. To each end of this shaft a lever S, with an excentric
slot, similar to that of the lever O, is keyed, and into the slot of each lever a
pin t from the cross bar D projects, for transmitting motion from the rock
shaft R to the bar D. Keyed to one end of the shaft R is a hand lever T,
which when raised or lowered will rock the shaft, and consequently the slotted
levers S, S, and, through the pins t, cause the rise or depression of the bar D
and the guide plates C, C, which it carries. These guide plates are retained
in any required position by means of a stop pin and quadrant plate, as explained
with respect to the chain pulleys I, I.
After the cloth has been operated upon by the cards, it is drawn round the
drawing rollers U, U, and carried thence to the supporting rollers V and V*,
and so to the delivering roller W; it then falls to the receiving board or scray,
from which it is lifted by the taking-up rollers X, X, and passed by them again
to the expanding roller B, to undergo afresh the process of cross raising, which
operation is continued as long as it is thought necessary. From this explana-
tion it will be understood that the cloth is formed into an endless web to admit
of its travelling again and again continuously through the machine. The
arrangement of gearing for transmitting motion from the main driving shaft
to the drawing rollers U, U, delivering roller W, and taking-up rollers X, X,
being clearly shewn in the Drawing, a detailed description thereof will be
unnecessary.
We will now describe the mode of constructing our stretching rollers, which
are used in pairs, as shewn in Figure 2, each roller being employed to act upon
one-half breadth of the cloth.
The shaft a, Figure 4, runs entirely through both rollers, and is supported in

page_text: bearings carried by the main framing. This shaft a is stationary when the
machine is in operation, but its position can be altered when necessary, being
held stationary simply by a screw, which is turned down upon it through the
cap of the bearer in which it rests. Upon this shaft are mounted the stretch-
ing rollers, which are composed of loose segment pieces (see Figure 5), to
which an independent shogging motion is imparted, the segment pieces moving
outwards when in contact with the cloth, and retaining that position until by
their rotation they severally leave the cloth; they then return to their former
position with respect to their shaft a.
By reference to Figure 4, it will be seen, that on the under side of each of
these segments, and at each end thereof, are fixed guide bars b, which work
within the annular grooves of the bosses c, which are fastened to the shaft a.
These guide bars and slots are so arranged as to leave a little space between
the bottom of the annular slots and the tip of the guide bars b; thus a
certain amount of endway traverse can be given to each of the segments.
In the centre of each roller, and fitted to and stationary with the shaft, are a
pair of cams e. On the under face of each segment a pin f is attached, which
enters into and works within the path formed between the cams. The direc-
tion of traverse of the segments composing the peripheries of the rollers at the
point where the cloth first comes in contact with the rollers is indicated by the
red arrows in Figure 2.
We so arrange the position of the cams e, e, (by shifting the position of the
shaft,) that the segments of the respective rollers shall have moved inwards
to their furthest extent by the time that they are brought round into contact
with the cloth. The forward movement of the cloth beneath these rollers
causes the segments to be carried round the shaft a by friction of contact,
and as the paths of the cams (which are stationary) widen out from that
point, the segments traverse outwards also; the cloth is necessarily stretched
out laterally, and the expanded portion of the cloth leaves the contact of the
rollers to undergo the process of raising before the segments have commenced
their return traverse. The different degrees of stretching required to be
imparted to the cloth may be regulated by simply altering the position of the
shaft and cams.
We will now proceed to describe our improved machinery for effecting the
straight raising, as exhibited at Figures 7 and 8, which machinery we propose
to add to the cross-raising machine, by connecting them at the parts respectively
marked h, h, and to take the motion for driving the card cylinder from the
shaft of one of the chain pulleys H, Figure 1. i is the stretching roller, under
which the cloth passes; jis the roller or cylinder, covered with wire cards;

page_text: k, k, are cast-iron shields or guards, which partially cover the upper side of the
card cylinder (see the larger view, Figure 8). In the space between these
shields a part of the surface of the card cylinder projects, and in its revolution
comes in contact with the cloth, which is then passing over the tips of the
shields. The shields are mounted upon a cross bar, similar to the cross bar D
in Figure 2, and the like arrangement of excentrically slotted levers (one of
which is shewn in Figure 7, marked 1,) is used for raising or lowering the
shields, as required. After the cloth has been raised, by passing over the
opening between the shields, it is drawn round the roller m, and thence
carried to the guide plates or supports C and C in Figure 1, where it under-
goes the process of cross raising, if necessary, and it is subsequently conducted
by the various rollers before mentioned to the scray or receiving board.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements in
Machinery for Raising Woollen Cloth," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent we claim,―
First, the application to the above-mentioned purpose of endless bands of
cards or teazles, operating as above described.
Secondly, the application to cloth-raising machinery of adjustable guide
plates, for presenting the cloth at a proper level to the action of the teazing or
carding surfaces.
Thirdly, constructing stretching rollers in the manner and for the purpose
above set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Jacob Dockray and John Dawson, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, the Fourteenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Signed and sealed in the presence of
J. B. WILKINSON,
JACOB DOCKKAY. (L.S.)
(L.S.)
JOHN DAWSON.
Clerk to Messrs. J. & H. Richardson & Gaunt,
Solicitors, Leeds.