IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ingham, of Bradford, and Edward Ingham, of
the same Place, and Benjamin Ingham, of Halifax, in the County of
York, Dyers and Finishers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
"
Sealed the 3rd July 1857, and dated the 5th January 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ingham, Edward
Ingham, and Benjamin Ingham at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 5th January 1857.
We, JoпN INGHAM, of Bradford, and EDWARD INGHAM, of the same Place,
and BENJAMIN INGHAM, of Halifax, in the County of York, Dyers & Finishers,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS," to be as follows:→
Our Invention relates to that part or process in finishing known as "pres-
sing," and consists in constructing the hollow press plates employed: in. this
process by means of welding or forging together two sheets or plates of
wrought or malleable iron, with an intermediate marginal piece or rim of
similar material, thus forming a cavity or space betwixt. the two plates, and
by placing blocks or pillars at intervals within the space: for support, we obtain

page_text: a strong yet light hollow "press plate" which will be quickly heated or
cooled by the admission therein of any suitable heating or cooling media.
We also construct similar hollow press plates by introducing a cast-iron rim
between two sheets or plates of wrought iron, which we secure together by
means of cement and revits or screws, with the intermediate blocks, which
may be of cast iron; and for supplying the heating or cooling media to these
plates, we employ wrought-iron tubing or gas piping of sufficient length to be
capable of deflecting to allow for the variation of place or position of the
press plates when in use, which we either apply in straight lengths, or we bend
to the form of a syphon, one end of which we secure to the press plate by any
ordinary or suitable means, and the other we fix to the main pipe or vessel,
from which the heating or cooling media is obtained. By these improvements
we diminish the cost of apparatus and facilitate the process of press finishing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Ingham, Edward Ingham, and Benjamin Ingham in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
INGHAM, of Bradford, and EDWARD INGHAM, of the same Place, and BENJAMIN
INGHAM, of Halifax, in the County of York, Dyers and Finishers, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Ingham, and Edward Ingham, and Benjamin Ingham, Her special
licence that we, the said John Ingham, and Edward Ingham, and Benjamin
Ingham, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
the said John Ingham, and Edward Ingham, and Benjamin Ingham, 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 APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN
FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said John Ingham, and Edward Ingham, and Benjamin Ingham, by an

page_text: 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 I, the said John Ingham, for and on behalf of
myself and the said Edward Ingham and Benjamin Ingham, 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 (that is to say):-
Our Invention relates to that part or process in finishing textile fabrics
known as "pressing," and consists in constructing the hollow press plates
employed in this process by means of welding or forging together two sheets
or plates of wrought or malleable iron, either with or without an intermediate
marginal piece or rim of similar material, thus forming a cavity or space
betwixt the two plates, and by placing blocks or pillars at intervals within the
space for support, we obtain a strong yet light hollow press plate, which will
be quickly heated or cooled by the admission of any suitable heating or cooling
media. We also construct similar hollow press plates by introducing a cast-
iron rim or marginal piece between two such sheets or plates of wrought iron,
which we secure together by means of cement, and rivets or screws, with the
intermediate blocks or pillars, which may be either of cast or wrought iron;
and for supplying the heating or cooling media to these plates we employ
wrought-iron tubing or gas piping, of sufficient length or in suflicient lengths,
so as to be capable of deflecting or bending to allow for the variation of place
or position of such press plates when in use in the press, which, we either
apply in straight lengths or bend them to the form of a syphon, one end of
which we secure to the press plate by any ordinary or suitable means, and the
other we secure to the main pipe or vessel, from which we obtain the heating
or cooling media. By these improvements we diminish the cost of apparatus,
and facilitate the process of press finishing fabrics.
But in order that our said Invention may be clearly understood, we will
explain the mode or manner in which we carry the same into practical
effect.
We take two plates or sheets of "boiler plate" of suitable dimensions in
length and breadth, and about five-sixteenths of an inch in thickness; a
number of holes are drilled through both plates together at suitable distances
apart, say, about six inches; we then introduce blocks or pieces of either cast

page_text: or wrought iron, of the thickness we intend the space betwixt the plates to be,
or the cavity to be formed therein; we then pass rivets or screws through all,
and thus secure the two plates together, with the blocks or pillars betwixt; we
then introduce a marginal piece or rim of wrought iron round the edge and
betwixt the plates; a portion of the edge is then placed in a fire, and when of
suitable heat is taken out and welded; another portion of the edge adjoining
is then heated and welded in like manner, and so on, until the whole edge or
edges of the plate are thus welded together. Or, instead of introducing a
marginal piece or rim betwixt the plates, we sometimes turn or bend aside,
and "jump" the edges of both plates (previously to fixing them together), so
that the two plates touch each other at the edges, leaving a cavity or space in
the interior, which we then weld as previously described.
We also construct hollow press plates by introducing a marginal piece or
rim of cast iron instead of the wrought iron, and laying a coating of cement in
and betwixt the said rim and plates, we secure the said plates together. by
means of rivets or screws.
For the purpose of supplying such press plates witli the heating or cooling
media, namely, steam for heating and cold water for cooling, we employ
wrought-iron tubing or gas piping, say, of one-fourth of an inch bore, which
we find is capable of deflecting or bending sufficiently to allow for the greatest
variation in the position of the plates in the press, if a ten feet length. is used
for the bottom plate, and proportionably shorter lengths for the other plates,
according to the distance they have to move respectively, which we either
bend into a double in the form of a syphon, or we use two short lengths, and
couple them together by means of a double elbow. We then affix one end of
such pipe to the plate, and the other to the supply pipe by any ordinary means,
as by a coupling or boss with right and left hand threads.
By these our improvements we obtain a strong yet light press plate that is
quickly heated and cooled; it is also durable and not liable to get out of order
by stopping up in the passages, as the whole interior is one space or cavity,
and by the use of iron piping, with permanently fixed connections or attach-
ments, we avoid the leakage attendant upon the use of temporary or portable
attachments, and the wear and tear of swivel joints, and we also greatly
diminish the cost of producing such apparatus, and facilitate the process of
pressing.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we would have it dis-
tinctly understood that we claim as our Invention, and which to the best of

page_text: our knowledge and belief is new within the realm, the construction of press
plates by welding, riveting, or screwing the plates together, and the use of
iron tubing or gas piping to supply the heating and cooling media to them, as
such improvements are herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ingham, for and on behalf of
myself and the said Edward Ingham and Benjamin Ingham, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named John Ingham, in the presence of
JOHN INGHAM. (L.S.)
WTASKER, Patent Agent,
Halifax.