IMPROVEMENTS IN STRETCHING OR TENTERING AND IN DRESSING OR FINISHING LACE OR OTHER FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Bryan Baker and Leonard Lindley, Lace
Dyers and Dressers, both of Sherwood Street, Nottingham, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STRETCHING OR TENTERING AND IN DRESSING
OR FINISHING LACE OR OTHER FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 10th December 1867, and dated the 18th June 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Bryan Baker and
Leonard Lindley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 13th June 1867.
We, FRANCIS BRYAN BAKER and LEONARD LINDLEY, Lace Dyers and
Dressers, both of Sherwood Street, Nottingham, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STRETCHING OR TENTERING, AND IN
DRESSING OR FINISHING LACK OR OTHER FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in stretching or tentering and
in dressing or finishing lace or other fabrics, and in machinery or apparatus
employed therein, and relates, firstly, to improved means of stretching
or tentering lace or other fabrics in dressing frames. For this purpose
we mount one or more of the pins or hooks upon which the fabric is
fixed upon separate bars working upon rods or bars running the length
and breadth of the frame at the sides and ends thereof. Or we attach

page_text: the pins or hooks to bands of vulcanized india-rubber, corrugated steel, or other
suitable elastic material. Thus by stretching the bands to which the pins or
hooks are attached the fabric fixed upon such pins or hooks is regularly and
evenly distended.
Secondly, the Invention relates to improved means of distributing the dressing
or stiffening material upon the fabrics to be dressed or stiffened, and for this
purpose we employ a box in which the dressing or stiffening material is placed;
this box is provided with a roller working in the dressing or stiffening material
and other rollers fixed one underneath the box and one at each side thereof.
Around these rollers an endless sheet or cloth is passed, and on the ends of the
two outside rollers are fixed flanged or grooved pulleys, which run upon and
are supported by a suitable tramway formed by preference of wire stretched
between suitable framing formed on or fixed to the dressing frame, such flanged
or grooved pulleys serving to support the distributing apparatus and at the same
time to give motion to the endless sheet or cloth carried thereby. The roller
working within the box supplies the dressing or stiffening material to the
endless sheet or cloth, which passing around the other rollers supplies the
dressing or stiffening material to the lace or other fabric to be stiffened in
the passage of the apparatus over such fabric. The endless sheet or cloth may
be of canvas, horsehair, or other suitable material. Instead, however, of
employing an endless sheet or cloth as described, a series of rollers may be
employed to convey the dressing or stiffening material from the box to the lace
or other fabric to be dressed or stiffened.
The Invention relates, thirdly, to an improvement upon a Patent granted to
Francis Bryan Baker, dated December 20th, 1860, No. 3131, and consists in
breaking up the dressing or stiffening material applied to the silk or other
threads before they are worked up into lace or other fabrics; this we effect by
stringing, or calendering, or other suitable means, as will be well understood.
By these means facility is afforded for working the threads into lace or other
fabrics, the dressing or stiffening being afterwards revived by steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Bryan Baker and Leonard Lindley in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 13th December 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FRANCIS
BRYAN BAKER and LEONARD LINDLEY, Lace Dyers and Dressers, both of
Sherwood Street, Nottingham, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Francis Bryan Baker and Leonard Lindley, Her special licence
that we, the said Francis Bryan Baker and Leonard Lindley, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Francis Bryan
Baker and Leonard Lindley, 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 "In-
PROVEMENTS IN STRETCHING OR TENTERING AND IN DRESSING OR FINISHING LACE OR
OTHER FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Francis Bryan Baker and
Leonard Lindley, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Francis Bryan Baker and Leonard
Lindley, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The Invention has for its object improvements in stretching or tentering
and in dressing or finishing lace or other fabrics, and in machinery or apparatus
employed therein, and relates, firstly, to improved means of stretching or
tentering lace or other fabrics in dressing frames. For this purpose we mount
one or more of the pins or books upon which the fabric is fixed upon separate
bars working upon rods or bars running the length and breadth of the frame
at the sides and ends thereof. Or we attach the pins or hooks to bands of
vulcanized india-rubber, corrugated steel, or other suitable elastic material.
Thus by stretching the bands to which the pins or hooks are attached the
fabric fixed upon such pins or books is regularly and evenly distended.
Secondly, the Invention relates to improved means of distributing the
dressing or stiffening material upon the fabrics to be dressed or stiffened; and:
for this purpose we employ a box in which the dressing or stiffening material
is placed; this box is provided with a roller working in the dressing or stiffening

page_text: or hooks c are fixed, such. pins or points being formed as shewn in the separate
view, Figure 5, so as to fit the rod d upon which they are capable of sliding,
and at their ends to be capable of holding on to the band or length of india-
rubber as shewn, the india-rubber being considerably stretched to enable the
pins or hooks to be threaded on to it. The band of india-rubber at the points
of contact of the pins or hooks may be covered with waxed thread to preserve
the india-rubber from injury. This arrangement will be used in a similar
manner to that previously described, one end of each band or length of india-
rubber 6 being fixed, and the other moveable, but capable of being fixed at any
desired position by means of a loop or cord attached thereto and passing over
suitable studs or other suitable means.
Figure 6 is a sectional side view, and Figure 7 is a plan of apparatus constructed
according to our Invention for distributing the dressing or stiffening material
upon fabrics to be dressed or stiffened, and Figure 8 is a section of some of the
parts. a, a, is a box or reservoir in which the dressing or stiffening material is
held, and 6 is a roller which dips into such dressing or stiffening material, and
conveys it to the endless web or cloth c, which thence passes partly around the
guide rollers d, d, and partly around the roller e; the apparatus is supported
upon the wires f, f, by the grooved rollers d³, d, fixed to the axes of the guide
rollers d, d, such wires being stretched between the ends of the frame 9, 9, as
shewn, such frame g, g, being supported upon the side framings of a dressing
frame and capable of sliding thereon, so that when the distributing apparatus
has passed over a certain portion of the material to be dressed it is pushed
along the tentering or dressing frame and another portion of the material is
supplied with the dressing or stiffening material, and so on. The roller b
supplies the dressing or stiffening material to the endless sheet or web c, which
passing partly around the guide rollers d, d, and roller e supplies the dressing
or stiffening material to the lace or other fabric to be stiffened. And in order
to keep the endless web or cloth evenly distended over the rollers b, d, d, and e,
we apply pins or points by preferance to the rollers d, d, as will be well under-
stood, and one of the guide rollers d is capable of adjustment, as shewn, in
order to keep the endless web or cloth properly stretched around the rollers.
Instead, however, of employing an endless sheet or cloth c as described, such
endless cloth or web c may be dispensed with, and a series of rollers may be
employed to convey the dressing or stiffening material from the box to the
lace or other fabric to be dressed or stiffened.
The Invention relates, thirdly, to an improvement upon a Patent granted
to Francis Bryan Baker, dated December 20th, 1860, No. 3131, and consists
in breaking up the dressing or stiffening material applied to the silk or other

page_text: threads before they are worked up into lace or other fabrics; this we effect by
stringing, or calendering, or other suitable means as will be well understood.
By these means facility is afforded for working the threads into lace or other
fabrics, the dressing or stiffening being afterwards revived by steaming, for
which purpose the lace or other fabric will be stretched in a dressing frame,
and steam will be applied thereto by means of perforated steam pipes or other
suitable means until such fabric is thoroughly damped and the stiffening
material held therein sufficiently softened; the steam is then turned off and
the fabric allowed to dry in the usual manner.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the mode in
which we carry the same into effect, we would have it understood that we
do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein shewn and described;
but what we do claim is,-
Firstly, the means substantially as herein shewn and described for stretching
or tentering lace or other fabrics.
Secondly, we claim the means, substantially as herein shewn and described,
of distributing the dressing or stiffening material to lace or other fabrics.
And, thirdly, we claim the breaking up of the dressing or stiffening material
applied to the silk or other threads before they are worked up into lace or
other fabrics, and afterwards reviving the stiffening by steaming, substantially
in the manner and for the purpose herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Francis Bryan Baker and Leonard
Lindley, have hereunto set our hands and seals, tbis Eleventh day of
December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-seven.
F. B. BAKER.
(L.S.)
LEONARD LINDLEY. (L.B.)