Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Pressing and Finishing Textile Fabrics..
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1890
Complete Specification Left,, 23rd Feb., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
TRUVIDIONALETICATION,
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Pressing and
Finishing Textile Fabrics..
I, GEORGE DOUGLAS, of Bowling near Bradford in the County of York,
Dyer and Finisher, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in that class of machinery for finishing
textile fabrics in which the fabric is pressed in sections and of which Nussey and
Leachman's finishing machine is a well known example. A part of said improve-
ments is also applicable to other pressing or finishing machines in which the fabric
is traversed between two endless flexible cloths or between an endless flexible cloth
and a cylinder or press plate..
The said improvements consist in employing feeding apparatus arranged and
operated in the manner hereinafter described, and also in the use with finishing
machinery of endless flexible cloths or belts having smooth faces of india rubber or
analogous material.
I employ two endless cloths or belts having a smooth face preferably of india-
rubber and made without perceptible seam. Such cloths are arranged to pass one
above the other between the pressing plates of the apparatus with the lower face of
the upper cloth closely in contact with the upper face of the lower cloth. At the
front or feed end of the apparatus the said cloths pass round two rollers provided
with an arrangement for adjusting the tension of the cloths. And at the other or
delivery end of the apparatus the cloths pass round driving rollers operated
interinittently, as usual in this class of machinery, so as to traverse the cloths a
suitable distance each time the pressure is removed from the press, and leave them
stationary when the press is in operation. A light smooth metal plate is introduced
between the upper and lower folds of each cloth to allow such folds to slip easily
past each other. Both cloths are heated particularly on the face as they are held
in contact with the heated plates of the press during each nip.
The fabric to be pressed is fed in between the heated faces of the cloths and
is carried along by these cloths between the plates of the press and is pressed
between them without exposing the fabric to longitudinal tension or drag, instead
of being drawn as in the ordinary process under more or less tension between the
press plates.
A similar arrangement may be used in combination with duplicate machines..
The said endless cloths may be guided by suitably arranged rollers so as to pass
two, three or more times through the press.
The above mentioned driving and tension rollers may be heated by steam as an
an additional means of heating said endless cloths.
Dated this 19th day of May 1890.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Pressing and
Finishing Textile Fabrics.
I, GEORGE DOUGLAS, of Bowling near Bradford in the County of York,
Dyer and Finisher 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 improvements in that class of machinery for finishing

page_text: textile fabrics in which the fabric is pressed in sections and of which the finishing
machine patented by Nussey and Leachman on the 9th of August 1872 and
numbered 2370 is a well known example. A part of said improvements is also
applicable to other pressing or finishing machines in which the fabric is traversed
between two endless flexible cloths or between an endless flexible cloth and a cylinder
or press plate.
The said improvements consist in employing feeding apparatus arranged and
operated in the manner hereinafter described, and also in the use with finishing
machinery of endless flexible cloths or belts having smooth faces of india-rubber or
analogous material.
To describe my invention reference is made to the accompanying sheet of
drawings forming a part of this Specification.
Figure 1, represents a longitudinal section of my improved feeding apparatus
arranged between the press plates of an intermittent nip pressing machine:
Figure 2, is a side view of the endless feeding cloths (hereinafter referred to)
with the folds relaxed to clearly illustrate the manner they are arranged to enfold
each other in order to allow three sections of the fabric to be simultaneously passed
through the press.
Figure 3, is a cross section of a cylindrical pressing or finishing machine illus-
trating the application of one of my improved india-rubber faced endless cloths
thereto.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2. The two endless cloths or belts a and a¹ shown by
the thick lines have smooth faces preferably of india-rubber and are made without
perceptible seam. They are arranged to pass to and fro between the pressing
plates b, b of the press with the smooth face of the one cloth closely in contact with
the smooth face of the other cloth. At the front or feed end of the apparatus the
cloths pass round two rollers c, c, mounted in adjustable bearings provided to
regulate the tension of the cloths. Automatic mechanism may be provided to
adjust the bearings of the rollers'c to check lateral motion of the endless cloths a
and a similar to the mechanism commonly employed for this purpose in the
manufacture of paper.
A suitable arrangement was patented by James Park on the 2nd March 1865
numbered 581. At the opposite or delivery end of the apparatus the cloths pass
round driving rollers d and d¹ operated intermittently, as usual in this class of
machinery so as to traverse the cloths a regular distance each time the pressure
is removed from the press and leave them stationary when the press is in
operation..
In the drawing; roller d is the driving roller and d' is driven by friction there-
from: The guide roller e is provided to guide the cloth a closely round the roller d
and in between the pressing plates. And the guide rollers e¹ el carry the
intermediate folds of the cloths. Light smooth metal or other plates or sheets f
are introduced between the several folds of each cloth to allow such folds to slip
more easily past each other. Said plates or sheets are held in position in a similar
manner to the sheets shown in Nussey and Leachman's Specification. No: 242 of the
21st January 1876. Both cloths are heated particularly on the face as they are
held in contact with the heated plates of the press during each nip. In Figure 1
the pressing plates are shown separated considerably more than is required in
practice and the spaces between the several folds are exaggerated as well as the
thickness of the plates f to show the arrangement more clearly.
The fabric to be pressed is fed in at g between the heated faces of the cloths, it
passes to and fro between the plates of the press as shown by the broken line /
and is pressed between them without exposing the fabric to longitudinal' tension or
drag, instead of being drawn as in the ordinary process under more or less tensión
between the press-plates.
It is obvious that a similar arrangement may be used in duplicate in combination
with duplicate machines. Or that the said cloths instead of being: passed to and
fro between the pressing plates may be simply passed once between them.
1

page_text: The above mentioned driving and tension rollers may be heated by steam but I
find it is no material advantage.
It is a considerable improvement to use the herein mentioned india-rubber faced
cloth with the finishing apparatus for which I have obtained Letters Patent
No. 18,772 of 1889 and also in other pressing or finishing machinery such as the
cylinder press Figure 3 now referred to.
.
The india-rubber cloth a² is passed between the cylinder i and the press
plate in the same manner as an ordinary "felt" frequently employed with these
machines. The cloth. a² is guided by the guide rollers e² round the copper heating
cylinder j so that its smooth outer face is heated immediately before it passes into
the machine and comes in contact with the fabric '..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what I
claim is :
1. The feeding apparatus for an intermittent press consisting of two endless cloths
operated intermittently and arranged to traverse the fabric between the pressing
plates, substantially as herein shown and described.
2. The use of an endless india-rubber faced cloth or cloths with pressing finishing
machinery, substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 21st day of Wahrun 1801
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.