Improvements in Apparatus for Drying and Pressing Domestic Linen or other Textile Fabrics.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 30th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 5th Oct., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drying and Pressing Domestic Linen
or other Textile Fabrics.
THOMAS BRADFORD of the Crescent Iron Works Salford in the County of
Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
These improvements consist in the first place of a large drum of suitable diameter
and of the construction hereinafter described fixed upon a central shaft which may be
either hollow or solid as required according to the work to be done.
This shaft is turned at its ends and is mounted horizontally in bearings upon a
suitable framework made of wood or metal so that it can revolve when actuated by
hand or by steam or other power.
The drum is constructed as follows:-
I secure by keys upon the shaft two metal flanged discs which are built up of two
or more parts, one dise at each end of the drum, and two or more intermediate discs
between them according to the length of the drum that is required.
I bolt upon the flanged peripheries of these discs a series of wooden lags extending
the whole length of the proposed drum and parallel to the axis thereof, each lag being
(by preference) of greater depth than it is wide on the face.
These lags I propose to secure at a certain distance apart from each other (say a
quarter of an inch or more) according to the class of fabric to be operated upon,
being kept parallel and true with each other by dowels and distance rings or tubes.
This hollow lagged roller or drum is now to be turned up to a true cylindrical
surface to the diameter required and it is then covered with flannel or feli or other
suitable porous fabric or material in one or more folds, and I prefer such covering to
be laid on in a spiral form.
Immediately over this drum I now fix in the framework a series of hollow irons
connected together by pipes or passages and by preference (but not necessarily) in a
diagonal or spiral form similar to those described in the Specification of former Letters
Patent granted to me bearing date June 2nd 1886 No. 7366, but instead of having
them (as described in such Specification) rigidly fixed in the framework I now secure

page_text: them on one side only in two journals, leaving the other side (preferably the front
or working side) perfectly free, so that they can be raised or lowered off or onto the
drum.
This raising or lowering of the irons may be accomplished by any suitable mechanical
means but I prefer to use ordinary differential pulley blocks and chains or ropes for
this purpose.
I propose to heat the irons by steam the inlet for the same being by preference
through the journal on the right or left hand side, and the exhaust or outlet, on the
opposite side but the inlet may be at the centre of the upper side of the connecting
beam to which the irons are attached and the outlet on the under side thereof.
I propose however sometimes to heat the irons by gas, whenever steam may not be
available, or whenever gas may be more desirable.
I also further propose in this case to utilize the lower beam to which the irons are
connected, and which is hollow, as a chamber for the distribution and partial mixing
of the gas with atmospheric air so as to obtain the mixture most suitable for heating
purposes.
For this I provide a small fan fixed in the framework, and I fit the same with
suitable valves.
This fan may also be further utilized for extracting and disposing of the moisture
evaporated outwards by the heated irons, and also for extracting from the interior of
the drum the steam or moisture which is driven thereinto through the felt or other
covering and between the wooden lags thereof.
Dated this 29th day of November 1887.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Drying and Pressing Domestic Linen
or other Textile Fabrics.
I THOMAS BRADFORD of the Crescent Iron Works Salford in the County of Lancaster
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to the construction of apparatus for drying and pressing
domestic linen or textile fabrics and will be readily understood from the following
description upon reference to the two accompanying sheets of drawings.
Fig. 1. sheet 1 showing a transverse sectional elevation of a machine made according
to my invention and Fig. 2. sheet 2 a back view of the said machine.
The improvements consist in the first place of a large drum a of suitable diameter
and of the construction herein after described fixed upon a central shaft which may
be either hollow or solid as required according to the work to be done.
This shaft is turned at its ends and is mounted horizontally in bearings upon a
suitable framework c made of wood or metal, so that it can revolve when actuated by
hand or by steam or other power.
The drum a is constructed as follows:-
I secure by keys upon the shaft b two metal flanged dises a* which are built up of
two or more parts (see sheet 1.) one disc at each end of the drum a and two or
more intermediate discs between them according to the length of the drum that is
required.
I bolt upon the flanged peripheries of these discs a* a series of wooden lags
extending the whole length of the proposed drum and parallel to the axis thereof,
each lag being (by preference) of greater depth than it is wide on the face.
These lags I propose to secure at a certain distance apart from each other (say a
quarter of an inch or more) according to the class of fabric to be operated upon,
being kept parallel and true with each other if found necessary by dowels and distance
rings or tubes.
This hollow lagged roller or drum a is now to be turned up to a true cylindrical
surface to the diameter required and it is then covered with flannel or felt or other
suitable porous
fabric or material in one or more folds.
The covering is (by preference) stretched over the roller or drum in the following
manner. I provide a space a², preferably at the joint, of the flanged discs a* as shown
at Fig. 1. and the edges of the flannel, felt, or other fabric are made with loops or
otherwise so that rods or bars a³ may be attached thereto.
Eyelets are formed along cach of the edges of the flannel, felt, or other fabric inside the
said rods a³, and thus the fabric may be drawn by a lacing or cord through the said
eyelets and round the shaft b and thus the fabric is tightened round the roller or
drum a.
If preferred the said rods a³ may be connected to right and left-hand screws, and
winged nuts or other means for drawing or tightening up the ends or edges of the
fabric towards the centre of the roller or drum a.

page_text: Immediately over this drum a I now fix in the framework a series of hollow irons d
connected together by pipes or passages e, f by preference (but not necessarily) in a
diagonal or spiral form (see sheet 2) similar to those described in the Specification of
former Letters Patent granted to me bearing date June 2nd 1886, No. 7366, but
instead of having them (as described in such Specification) rigidly fixed in frame-
work I now secure them on one side only by the pipe, or passage e in two journals g, I
leaving the other side (preferably the front or working side) perfectly free so that they
can be raised or lowered off or onto the drum a.
This raising or lowering of the irons & may be accomplished by any suitable mechanical
means but I prefer to use for this purpose ordinary pulley blocks h and chains h¹, or
ropes, actuated by the worm wheel i, worm k pulley and chain * as shown.
I propose to heat the irons d by steam, the inlet for the same being by preference
through the journal on the right or left hand side say at e¹ and the exhaust or
outlet on the opposite side say at e², but the inlet may be at the centre of the upper
side of the connecting beam or passage e to which the irons d are attached and the
outlet on the under side thereof.
I
propose however sometimes to heat the irons by gas, whenever steam may not be
available or whenever gas may be more durable.
In this case perforated gas pipes are fitted into the irons d which are trough-
shaped in section as shewn at Fig. 3. sheet 2. the gas flames being directed to either
side of the said iron, and I also further propose to utilize the lower beam to which the
irons are connected, and which is hollow, as a chamber for the distribution and
partial mixing of the gas with atmospheric air so as to obtain the mixture most suitable
for heating purposes.
For this purpose I provide a small fan fixed in the framework and 1 fit the same
with suitable valves.
This fan may also be further utilized for extracting and disposing of the moisture
evaporated outwards by the heated irons.
Or instead of utilizing the lower beam of the irons for the mixture of air and
gas I may use a separate pipe or passage to which the pipes d× are all connected
and which is hinged or otherwise fixed so that the said pipes dx can be removed from
the irons which in this case may be fixed (as described in the Specification of the
before named Letters Patent No. 7366 A.D. 1886).
I may
also employ a fan for extracting from the interior of the drum the steam
or moisture which is driven thereinto through the felt or other covering and between
the wooden lags thereof, as shown by dotted lines at m on Sheet 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
The combination with a revolving roller or drum formed by preference substantially
as herein before described, and mounted in fixed bearings of a series of irons con-
nected together by suitable beams or passages and hinged (preferably as shown)
so that they can all be simultaneously lifted or lowered out of or into contact with
the said cylinder the said irons being heated by steam or gas, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 29th day of August 1888.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.