IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FIGURED WOOLLEN FABRICS OR OTHER FABRICS CAPABLE OF BEING FIGURED
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Dunnill Clapham, of Batley, in the County
of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR
PRODUCING FIGURED WOOLLEN FABRICS OR OTHER FABRICS CAPABLE OF
BEING FIGURED."
Sealed the 30th April 1867, and dated the 5th November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Dunnill Clapham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th November 1866.
I, THOMAS DUNNILL CLAPHAM, of Batley, in the County of York, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS
FOR PRODUCING FIGURED WOOLLEN FABRICS OR OTHER FABRICS CAPABLE OF BEING
FIGURED," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to produce a figured fabric by other means
than are commonly employed. For this purpose I use, firstly, a machine
very similar in ordinary appearance to a washing or wringing machine. On
Suitable side frames I mount a couple of rollers, the lower one smooth and
the upper one embossed to the desired pattern. In front of the machine I
place an ordinary pile-raising machine, and at the back of the machine an
ordinary rotary cutter. I introduce pressure to the rollers in the customary
manner, viz., by means of a spring such as is used on ordinary washing machines.
I introduce also to the upper roller of my apparatus (which is the roller before

page_text: mentioned cut according to the pattern required) steam or hot air by means
of pipes in any convenient manner.
My Invention is chiefly applicable to goods of a "pilot" nature, and its
operation is as follows:-The two rollers before named, the lower one smooth,
and the upper one embossed in a manner similar to printing rollers used in
the cotton trade, according to any desired pattern, and ordinary driving pulleys
being employed on the shaft of the lower roller, the fabric under operation
being passed. between the rollers (which are driven by means of pinion
gearing) is impressed by the "proud".part of the embossed top roller. On
leaving the rollers the said fabric in the embossed part requires cutting, and
is cut by the rotary cutter before named. I am enabled, however, to
accomplish the same object by means of an arrangement similar in many
respects to the aforenamed, but in this case employing an upper cylinder
and a bottom roller. I make the top cylinder of suitable thin metal and
hollow, such top or upper cylinder having the desired pattern cut through the
metal; I then place the rotary cutter within this upper cylinder, and upon
the fabric under operation passing between the rollers the rotary cutter
coming in contact with the portions of fabric pressed through the cut portions
of the upper cylinder, the same result as by my first-named arrangement is
attained; I am therefore enabled to dispense with many portions of detail
that are necessary in my first arrangement, also to dispense with the steam
or hot-air arrangement therein named, a slight modification of gearing for
driving the respective upper cylinder and the rotary cutter being needful,
varying speeds being of course requisite. After the fabric passes through
the apparatus, whether on my first or second plan, the sames requires to
be subjected to a "setting-up" machine to render it fit for the market.
2
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Dunnill Clapham in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,, I, THOMAS
DUNNIL CLAPHAM, of Batley, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Dunnill Clapham, Her.special licence that I, the said, Thomas

page_text: ...R
· .0.1.4i
I
7.
Dunnill Clapham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Thomas Dunnill Clapham, 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
"IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FIGURED WOOLLEN FABRICS
OR OTHER FABRICS CAPABLE OF BRING FIGURED," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Dunnill Clapham, my executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument in writing under my,, or their, or one
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 Thomas Dunnill Clapham, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say: "
ךי י ד
וד..
"
3
1.
't..
The object of my Invention is to produce a figured fabric by other means
thau
u are commonly employed. For this purpose I use, firstly, a machine
very similar in ordinary appearance to a washing or wringing machine. On
suitable side frames Imount a couple of rollers, the lower one smooth and the
upper one embossed to the desired pattern. In front of the machine'I' place
an ordinary pile-raising machine, and at the back of the machine an ordinary
rotary cutter. I introduce pres
'pressure to the rollers in the customary manner,
viz., by means of a 'spring 'such-as is used on ordinary washing machines,
I introduce also to the upper roller of my apparatus (which is the roller before
mentioned cut according to the pattern required) steam or hot air by means
of pipes in any convenient manner.
I
. t
My Invention is chiefly applicable to goods of a "pilot" nature, and its
operation is as follows:-The two rollers before named, the lower one smooth,
and the upper one embossed in a manner similar to printing rollers used in
the cotton trade, according to any desired pattern, and ordinary driving pulleys
being employed on the shaft of the lower roller, the fabric under operation
being passed between the rollers(which are driven by means of pinion gearing)
is impressed by the "proud" part of the embossed top roller. On leaving the
rollers the said fabric in the "proud" part requires cutting, and is cut by the
rotary cutter before named. Iam enabled, however, to accomplish the same

page_text: object by meansof an arrangementsimilar in many respects to the afore-named,
but in this case employing an upper cylinder and bottom roller. I make the
cylinder of suitable thin metal, and hollow such top or upper cylinder having
the desired pattern cut through the metal; I then place the rotary. cutter
within this upper cylinder, and upon the fabric under operation passing
between the rollers the rotary cutter coming in contact with the portions of
fabric pressed through the cut portions of the upper cylinder the same result
as by my first-named arrangement is attained; I am therefore enabled to
dispense with many portions of detail that are necessary in my first arrange-
ment, also to dispense with the steam or hot-air arrangement therein named,
a slight modification of gearing for driving the respective upper cylinder and
the rotary cutter being needful (varying speeds being of course requisite).
After the fabric passes through the apparatus, whether on my first or second
plan, the same requires to be subjected to a "setting-up" machine to render
it fit for the market; or in some cases I use a top and bottom roller plain, and
put the embossing roller between, and I can pass the cloth to be embossed
between either top or bottom roller..
Having now described the nature of any Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that what I claim is
the principle or process of figuring fabrics by means of first embossing or
stamping the fabric, and then passing it through an ordinary rotary cutter,
whereby the "proud" part or part left standing is cut off, after which process
the pressed or embossed part is raised by steam or otherwise.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Dunnill Clapham, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
PHILIP JER. SHARP,
Patent Agent,
Leeds.
THOMAS DUNNILL CLAPHAM. (L.S.)