CERTAIN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS ADAPTED TO FACILITATE THE OPERATION OF DRYING CALICOES, MUSLINS, LINENS, OR OTHER SIMILAR FABRICS
Year: 1823

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SOUTHWORTH, of Sharples in the County of Lancaster, Bleacher, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Nineteenth day of April, in the fourth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heir and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Southworth, His especial licence that I, the said William South-
worth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Southworth, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS ADAPTED
TO FACILITATE THE OPERATION OF DRYING CALICOES, MUSLINS, LINENS, OR OTHER
SIMILAR FABRICS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso
that if I, the said William Southworth, shall not particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within two calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and

page_text: advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and
become void, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Southworth, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
by the following description thereof, reference being thereunto had, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed and carried into effect, by
the two Sheets of Drawings or Plans which are hereunto annexed, and to the
particular explanations thereof, reference being thereunto had.
My Invention consists in the application of certain machinery or apparatus
adapted to perform the operation of hanging or suspending damp or wet
calicoes, muslins, linens, or other similar fabrics (over a series of rails or staves
situated in a stove or drying house), for the purpose of drying the same; the
said machinery being also adapted to perform the operation of taking down or
removing the said calicoes, muslins, linens, or other similar fabrics (from off
the said rails or staves) after they have been sufficiently dried, by means of
which Invention a considerable saving of labor and expence may be effected
in the operation of drying. I construct the stove or drying house in a manner
nearly similar to those which are at present in use, and I arrange the rails or
staves (over which the cloth or fabric is intended to be hung or suspended) near
the upper part of the said stove or drying house. I then, construct a frame or
carriage in such a manner as to be capable of moving freely upon guides or
supports from one end of the drying house to the other, the said carriage being
situated immediately above the range of rails or staves, but so as not to bear
upon them. This carriage is furnished with proper supports for receiving
certain rollers or boxes, upon the circumference of which rollers or boxes the
wet cloth or fabric has been previously wound. The carriage is also furnished
with certain cylinders or drums, which are caused to revolve in such a manner
as to draw or wind the wet cloth or fabric from off the aforesaid rollers or
boxes in a regular manner. Thus, if the frame or carriage, with its append-
ages, be slowly moved along upon its guides above the rails or staves, at
the same time that the wet cloth or fabric is in the act of being drawn off
the circumference of the rollers. or boxes by the operation of the revolving
cylinders or drums before mentioned, the wet cloth or fabric will descend in
the vacancies between the rails or staves, and will hang down in loops or folds,
so as effectually to expose its surface to the action of the dry or heated air.
And, in order to suit the depth or height of the stove or drying house, the
depth or length of the said loops or folds may be regulated or determined by
the length of cloth or fabric which would be given out by the revolving

page_text: cylinders or drums during the passage of the frame or carriage from one stave
to the next. When the cloth or fabric has been hanging a sufficient length
of time to become dry, it may be taken up again, or drawn off the rails or
staves, and wound again upon the circumference of the rollers or boxes. This
operation I perform by simply causing the frame or carriage, with its append-
ages of rollers and cylinders, to traverse slowly along the drying house in the
contrary direction to what it moved during the operation of hanging the cloth,
at the same time that the cylinders or drums are caused to revolve in a
suitable direction for taking or winding up the cloth or fabric upon the
circumference of the rollers or boxes. By this means the dry cloth may be
wound evenly upon the circumference of the rollers or boxes, and removed
from the machine.
In some situations I find it adviseable to vary the mode of arrangement,
by causing the rails or staves (over which the cloth or fabric is intended
to be hung) to be connected together by chains or ropes, somewhat in
the manner of a rope ladder, being connected by endless chains or ropes with
a train of wheels or other well-known machinery, so as to be moved slowly
along upon guides from one end of the stove or drying house to the other. In
this last-mentioned arrangement the frame or carriage, containing the revolving
cylinders or drums for giving out and taking up the cloth, remains stationary
at one part of the stove or drying house. The operation of this machinery
would be similar to the one before described with the traversing carriage.
For if the cylinders or drums are caused to revolve and give out the cloth or
fabric, at the same time that the chain of rails or staves were moving slowly,
beneath the cylinder or drum, the cloth or fabric would descend between the
staves, and hang down in loops or folds in a manner similar to the machine
with the moving carriage.
In order to explain clearly the manner of carrying my Invention into effect,
and to enable persons conversant with works of a similar nature to put it in
practice, I have hereunto annexed two Sheets of Drawing or Plans, marked
Sheet I, and II.
Figure 1st, Sheet Ist, represents an horizontal plan of the interior of the
stove or drying house, supposed to be heated by steam after the method
usually adopted, being furnished with my machinery or apparatus for the
hanging and taking down of the cloth or fabric.
Figure 2nd represents a longitudinal section of the same.
Figure 3rd represents a transverse section of the stove and machinery. This
stove is represented as furnished with two independant sets of machinery, so
that one set may be employed in hanging one side of the stove whilst the

page_text: other is employed in taking down; or they may be employed to hang and take
down both together, as circumstances may require. Note, the same characters
or letters of reference are use to denote corresponding parts upon the Figures
whenever they occur. A represents the exterior walls of the building. B, the
steam boiler for heating the stove. C, the range of steam pipes situated near
the lower part of the stove. D represents the principal frames of the roof,
and E the ventilators or openings for the escape of the steam and vapours
which arise from the cloth or fabric during the operation of drying. F repre-
sents strong rails or guides, which are firmly secured to the side walls, as
seen in Figures 1st and 3rd; they extend nearly the whole length of the
building, and form the guides for the small wheels at the outermost ends of the
travelling carriages G, G, to run upon. H, H, represent two strong timbers,
which extend the entire length of the building, and lie in the masonry of the
end walls. These timbers are placed at about twelve inches distant asunder,
and are firmly supported throughout their length by vertical columns I, which
rise up from the ground. The timbers H, H, are furnished with rails or metal
guides upon their upper edges, upon which guides the small wheels at the
innermost ends of the carriages G, G, are adapted to run. K represents the
rails or staves over which the cloth or fabric is intended to be hung or
suspended; these staves are placed parallel to each other, and at equal
distances asunder, as seen in the Plan, Figure. 1st being supported at each end
upon the rails F and timbers H, H.
Figure 5th, Sheet IInd, represents a section of one of the travelling carriages,
with its appendages upon a larger scale, in order to explain the manner in
which it is constructed; and Figure 6, Sheet II., represents a transverse
section of part of the carriage, supposed to be divided in the length, in order
to shew the manner in which it is supported at both ends. The carriage is
composed of three strong bars of metal G, G, and L, which extend between
the two frames or standards b, forming the sides of the carriage, and serving
as supports for the various cylinders or drums. The carriage is mounted upon
four small wheels (a), which are adapted to run upon the guide rails herein-
before mentioned. K represents the staves over which the cloth or fabric is
intended to be hung. N represents one of the rollers or boxes upon which
the cloth or fabric is first wound. The pivots at one end of these rollers are
adapted to bear upon inclined planes formed upon the end frames (b) of the
carriages, and the pivots at their other ends are supported upon inclined
planes (c), which are clamped fast to the cross bar L, as seen in Figure 5
and 6. The inclined planes (c) are adapted to be secured at any part upon
the cross bar L, for the purpose of supporting the pivots of the roller or boxes

page_text: of any required length. P represents the main cylinder or drum; it is
mounted upon an axis turning in stationary bearings in the end frames (b)
of the carriage. Beneath this cylinder or drum a lesser cylinder Q is repre-
sented, the pivots of which are supported in bearings formed in the ends
of two levers (d), moving on centre pins fixed to the end frames at (e).
The other extremity of these levers have weights (h) suspended from them,
which weights operate to press the circumference of the cylinder Q into close
contact with the circumference of the main cylinder or drum P. The
pivots of the rollers or boxes N, by resting upon the inclined planes as
before mentioned, have a tendency to descend, and thereby keep the cloth or
fabric which is wound upon their circumferences always in contact with the
circumference of the main drum P, so that when the main drum is caused
to revolve upon its axis, it will give motion to the rollers or boxes N, and also
to the cylinder Q; and if the end of the piece of cloth or fabric is conducted
beneath the main drum P, and passed through between the under surface of
the said drum and over the cylinder Q, the cloth or fabric would be wound off
from the rollers or boxes N, and would continue to descend in a right line
between the spaces of the staves K, as represented by the line (k) in Figure 5;
but as the carriage, with the whole of the drums and machinery, is caused to
advance or move along slowly upon its wheels (a) at the same time that the
cloth or fabric is descending in the spaces between the staves, the cloth or
fabric will be hung down in loops or folds, as represented at (K) in Figure 2,
Sheet I.; and, in order to prevent the weight of the cloth or fabric from
drawing the last formed loop or fold over the staves, small cylinder rollers R
are applied, which turn upon pivots supported in brackets projecting from the
cross bar L of the frame, as seen in Figures 5 and 6. These rollers have
liberty of rising and falling slightly in their bearings, so that when the carriage
is moved along upon its guides, the rollers R come in contact with the upper
edges of the staves K, and, by pressing the cloth or fabric against the said
staves, they cause the loop or fold to descend in the space between the stave
with which the rollers R are in contact, and the succeeding stave, and so on
throughout the length of the stove. The upper edges of the staves are formed
in angular shapes, and, as the rollers R are only borne down by their own
weight, they have liberty of rising up sufficiently to pass over the top edge of
the staves. In some cases I do not permit the surface of the cloth or fabric
which is wound upon the rollers or boxes N to hear against the circumference
of the main drum during the operation of hanging the cloth or fabric, but I
support the pivots of the said rollers or boxes against small projections which
rise from the inclined planes (c), and simply cause the cloth or fabric to be

page_text: drawn from off the rollers or boxes N by the action of the main drum P and
cylinder Q, between which the cloth or fabric is passed, and nipped tight by the
operation of the weight (h) as before described. In this arrangement the cloth
or fabric may be laid in plaits or flat folds upon a platform, and drawn off instead
of being wound upon a roller; but in taking down or removing the cloth or
fabric, after it has become dry, I always permit the rollers or boxes N to bear
against the circumference of the main drum, in order to cause the cloth or
fabric to wind regularly upon the circumference of the said rollers or boxes.
I will now describe the manner in which the main drum P is caused to
revolve upon its axis at every part of its course along the stove or drying
house, and also the manner in which the advancing motion of the carriage
with its drums and cylinders is effected :-
(m), Figure 2, represents an horizontal shaft, which is supposed to be
turned by a steam engine, water wheel, or other suitable moving power; this
shaft has bevelled wheels (n) fixed upon it, for giving motion to both the
carriages; but as their motions take place independently I will describe one of
them only. One of the bevelled wheels (n) communicates motion to another
bevelled wheel fixed upon the lower end of a small vertical shaft (o), upon
the upper end of which a small horizontal bevelled wheel is fixed, engaging.
with the teeth of two equal bevelled wheels (p and q), which are fitted upon
cylindrical parts of a small horizontal shaft. These wheels are engaged at the,
3. opposite diameters of the horizontal bevelled wheel, so that the*
are caused
to revolve in contrary directions, and by means of a clutch or catch box,
which is situated between them, either of the said bevelled wheels may be
locked fast to the shaft or relieved at pleasure, and thereby cause the hori-
zontal shaft to revolve in either direction or to remain stationary, if desired,
by sliding the clutch box into the middle, so as to remain clear of both the
wheels (p and 2). S represents a pulley, which is fixed fast upon the small
horizontal shaft, round the circumference of which pulley a cord or rope (7)
is supposed to pass; the uppermost part of this cord extends the entire length
of the stove or drying house, being supported or borne up by a number of
small rollers (t), which are fixed to the framing of the roof; the cord (r) then
passes over a pulley T, which is mounted upon an axis supported by stationary
brackets which project from the end wall of the building; from the under side
of the pulley T the cord (2) returns, and after performing an entire turn
round the pulley V, upon the end of the main drum P, it continues on to the
pulley S, and is united into an endless cord on bands, as represented in the
Figure 2. Now, if the pulley S be turned round so as to put the cord (2) in
motion, it will cause the pulley V and main drum P to revolve uniformly at

page_text: whatever part of the building the carriage with its drum might happen to be
situated. The manner of effecting the advancing or traversing motion of the
carriage along its guides will be better seen from inspection of the Figures
5 and 6, Sheet II.: the main drum P has the large pulley V fixed upon it's
axis, and this pulley is either moved by an endless cord passing entirely
round it, as before mentioned, or it may be moved by an endless strap (r)
passing under it, and over small guide wheels (s) affixed to the carriage, as
seen in Figure 5. The end of the main drum axis has a small pinion fixed
upon it which engages with the teeth of a large cog wheel W; this wheel is
adapted to turn freely upon a fixed stud projecting from one of the end
frames (6) of the carriage. The wheel W has a small pinion attached to it,
which engages with the teeth of an intermediate wheel X, which also turns
upon a stud projecting from the end of the frame (b); this intermediate wheel
engages with the teeth of the wheel Y, which is fixed upon the end of a small
axis (4) extending across the carriage and turning in collars or bearings
attached thereto. The opposite extremity of the axis (v) has a cog or toothed
wheel (y) fixed upon it, corresponding in diameter with the wheel Y. The cogs
or teeth of these two wheels are adapted to* worked into racks Z, formed
along the upper side of the guide rails F and H; by this arrangement of
wheelwork, when the pulley V and main drum P is set in motion by tho
cord or strap (r), it causes the wheels Y and (y) to revolve slowly, and by
their connection with the teeth of the stationary racks Z the carriage with its
appendages is moved slowly upon its wheels (a) along the guides or supports.
The relative proportion of these wheels and pinions will depend upon the
depth of the stove or drying house and the diameter of the main drum;
observing always, that the circumference of the main drum should move
through a space nearly equal to twice the depth of the stove or drying house,
during the passage of the carriage and drum from one stave to the next. The
workman who attends the machine is supposed to accompany the carriage in
its course along the guides, for which purpose he is to be provided with a small
light carriage mounted upon four wheels, which are adapted to run upon the
same guides as the machine carriage, and to be occasionally attached to the
said carriage by hooks or latches, so that the workman may disengage his
light carriage and wheel it backwards and forwards upon the guides, in order
to furnish rollers of cloth to the machine as fast as may be required, and to
carry away the rollers of cloth after they have been dried. The carriage is fur-
nished with a stage or platform, as seen at (9) in Figures 1, 5, and 6, for the
workman to stand upon in placing the rollers of cloth on the machine. It
will be requisite to have a rod which communicates with the clutch boxes

page_text: upon the horizontal shaft for reversing or suspending the motion of the
machine, as represented at (a) in the plan, Figure 1, Sheet I. This rod should
be continued from one end of the stove to the other, being supported by small
jointed rods from the roof, in order that the workman may have the power of
stopping or reversing the motion of the machine at any part of its course along
the guides.
Figure 4, upon the Sheet I., of the Drawings, is supposed to represent a
portion of the upper part of a stove or drying house. To explain another
manner of giving motion to the carriages, G, G, represent the carriages, which
are supposed to move upon the rails F and timbers H, H. P represents the
main drums, having pulleys V upon the end of their axis, for the purpose of
giving motion to them by the endless cords or straps, as herein-before
described; the main drums are intended to have a portion of a screw or worm
formed at each end, which worms are adapted to work into worm wheels
W, W, fixed upon the upper ends of small axes, which turn in collars or
bearings screwed to the end frames of the carriages; the lower end of these
small axes have pinions X and Y fixed upon them, which pinions engage with
the teeth of a side rack formed out of the guide rails for the carriage; by this
arrangement the slow movement of the carriages may be effected in a very
simple and convenient manner.
I have now described fully one mode of carrying my Invention into effect,
and I do hereby declare that I consider my claim of Invention to extend to
the application of the machinery or apparatus as herein-before described, for
the purpose of facilitating the operation of drying calico's, muslins, linens, or
other similar fabrics, which machinery or apparatus is adapted to operate by
means of a revolving and traversing cylinder or cylinders, situated over a series
of stationary rails or staves, arranged in a stove or drying house, in such a
manner that the pieces of calico, muslins, linens, or other similar fabrics, may
be previously wound upon the circumference of a roller or rollers, and then
introduced into the machine; and by the revolving and traversing motion of
the aforesaid cylinder or cylinders over the stationary rails or staves, or other-
wise, by the revolving motion of the cylinder or cylinders, and the traversing
movement of the rails or staves themselves, the said calicoes, muslins, linens,
or other similar fabrics, may be caused to descend in the spaces between the
said rails or staves, and hang down in long loops or folds, in order to spread
the pieces quickly and expose their surfaces so as to facilitate the operation of
drying the same. The said machinery or apparatus being also adapted to
perform the operation of taking up or removing the said calico's, muslins,
linens, or other similar fabrics, from off the said rails or staves, and winding or

page_text: rolling them upon the circumference of a roller or rollers, so that they may be
removed from the machine after being sufficiently dried. At the same time I
must observe that the form and proportion of the different parts may be varied
according to the situation, or according to the discretion of the workmen
employed in constructing the same. The materials of which the same may
be made may also be varied, according to the circumstances of the case, with-
out departing from the intent and object of my Invention, as above described
and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Southworth, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-three.
WILLIAM (L.S.) SOUTHWORTH.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named William Southworth,
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Tenth day of June, in the
year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Southworth came before our
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Eighteenth day of June, in the year above written.