IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING WOVEN FABRICS.
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Madely Hartwell, James William Gladwin,
and Henry Gladwin, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Stretchers and Finishers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING WOVEN FABRICS.
Sealed the 9th January 1857, and dated the 12th July 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Madely Hartwell,
James William Gladwin, and Henry Gladwin, at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 12th July 1856.
We, THOMAS MADELY HARTWELL, JAMES WILLIAM GLADWIN, and HENRY
GLADWIN, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Stretchers
and Finishers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING WOVEN FABRICS,"
to be as follows:-
Instead of the usual method of employing pins in the machine, which
penetrate the edges of the cloth and keep it to the full stretch in width as it
passes through the stretching machine, we employ clamps, which are connected
to or form part of an endless chain, the said clamps and chain passing over
guide pullies, and between a race or guide on each side of the machine, taking.

page_text: or passing the material to be stretched along with them; the space between
both pullies and guides being extended or contracted by right and left handed
screws in the usual manner. The clamps are made to close upon the cloth or
material as it advances, and, remain firmly shut during their course with the
cloth to the end of the machine, after which they are opened by a self-acting
apparatus at the extreme end of the machine, remaining so as they pass under
it, and then closing again on the cloth in succession as it passes by another
self-acting apparatus at the front end or beginning of the machine.
The nature of our said improvements will be clearly understood by reference
to the accompanying outline Drawing, in which Figs. 1 and 2 are side views
of the clamps, and Fig. 3, a side elevation of part of the machine with the
clamps attached.
In Fig. 3, a shews the main framing; b, the wheel handles, which act upon
the right and left-handed screws; c, the guide pullies; d, the race or guide
for the clamps e, which are led by a finger guide to the bowl or pulley f, acting
as a cam, which raises the lever spring of each clamp, and allows the catch to
be forced by a strong spring or bowl into the rack, and be thereby held fast.
At the other end of the machine is another bowl or pulley g, also acting as a
cam, which lifts each lever spring, thereby releasing the catch from the rack,
and opening the chaps of each clamp successively; as it advances onwards, we
employ a safety guard or guide to lead the catches and lever springs on to the
bowl g, in case one or more clamps should be open.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Madely Hartwell, James William Gladwin, and
Henry Gladwin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th January
1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
MADELY HARTWELL, JAMES WILLIAM GLADWIN, and HENRY GLADWIN, of the
City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Stretchers and Finishers, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said

page_text: Thomas Madely Hartwell, James William Gladwin, and Henry Gladwin, Her
special licence, that we, the said Thomas Madely Hartwell, James William
Gladwin, and Henry Gladwin, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Thomas Madely Hartwell, James William
Gladwin, and Henry Gladwin, our 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING WOVEN FABRICS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Madely
Hartwell, James William Gladwin, and Henry Gladwin, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Thomas Madely Hartwell, James
William Gladwin, and Henry Gladwin, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is
to say):―
Instead of the usual methods of employing pins in the machine, which
penetrate the edges of the cloth and keep it to the full stretch in width as it
passes through the stretching machine, we employ clamps, which are connected
to or form part of an endless chain, the said clamps and chain passing over
guide pullies, and between a race or guide on each side of the machine, taking
or passing the material to be stretched along with them; the space between both
pullies and guides being extended or contracted by right and left-handed
screws in the usual manner. By means of a self-acting apparatus placed at
the front end or beginning of the machine, the clamps are made to close upon
the cloth or material as it advances, and remain firmly shut with the cloth
during their course to the end of the machine, where they are opened by
another self-acting apparatus, remaining open whilst they pass under the
machine, and after passing the front guide pully closing again as before, thus
carrying the cloth onwards at any desired speed; or a pully or friction roller
on a part of each clamp may come in contact with a bar or plate, to maintain

page_text: the tightness of the clamps during the progress of the cloth, the slackening or
releasing taking place after the bar is passed.
These improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, with the figures and letters of reference thereon;
in which Fig. 1 is part of a stretching machine with the clamps and self-acting
apparatus attached; Fig. 2 is an end view of the main parts of the machine;
Fig. 3 is part of a machine, shewing the application of a bar or plate for
keeping the clamps closed; Figs. 4 and 5 are views of clamps, which are
adapted for the arrangement shewn in Fig. 1; and Fig. 6, a view of the clamps
to be applied when a bar or plate is employed, as shewn in Fig. 3, the said
clamps being drawn to an enlarged scale.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a shews the main framing of the machine; b, the races
or guides for the clamps; c, the guide pulleys, which with the races or guides
are extended or contracted by the right and left-handed screws d, acted upon
by the wheel handles e. The clamps adapted for this arrangement of the
machine are represented at Figs. 4 and 5, the lower chap is shewn at f, and
the upper at g, fixed to which is a lever spring h, furnished with a rack i.
To the lower chap is attached the catch k, which is forced into the rack when
required, by coming in contact with a bowl or a strong spring, at the same
time the lever spring is also raised, so as to tighten the chaps by its end being
pressed as it passes over a bowl or pulley. In Fig. 1, 7 represents one of the
guide fingers, employed for leading the catches and lever springs to the bowls
or bars which tighten the clamps. One of the springs for raising the catches,
is shewn by the dotted lines m, and one of the bowls or pullies for tightening
the clamps at n; and at the extreme end of the machine is another bowl or
pulley o, either of larger diameter or placed higher, for slackening or releasing
the same.
At Fig. 6 is shewn a clamp, suitable for a machine where a bar or
plate is employed for maintaining the tightness of the clamps. In this case
no catch or rack is required, the lever spring h being simply furnished with
a friction pulley p, which after being acted upon by a bowl or pulley, passes to
the bar g, thereby keeping the chaps of the clamps closed until the end of the
course; or the bar may be used without the addition of the bowl, if required.
In Fig. 3, the bar q, for maintaining the tightness of the clamps, is shewn in
its place, and the friction pullies which press on it at p.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of our said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, we desire it to be
distinctly understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact details
herein set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the

page_text: principle thereof; but we claim, the various opening and closing motions
of the clamps, as herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Madely Hartwell, James
William Gladwin, and Henry Gladwin, have hereunto set our hands
and seals, this Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
THOMAS MADELY HARTWELL. (L.S.)
JAMES WILLIAM GLADWIN.
HENRY GLADWIN.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Thomas Madely Hartwell, James
William Gladwin, and Henry Gladwin
in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,