Improvements in and appertaining to Machines for Steaming and Pressing Fabrics.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 26th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and appertaining to Machines for Steaming
and Pressing Fabrics.
We, EZRA SYKES,. of Turnbridge, Huddersfield, in the County of York, Machine
Maker, ENOCH HEPPENSTALL, of Turnbridge, Huddersfield, aforesaid, Dyer, and
EDWIN SYKES, of Turnbridge, Huddersfield, aforesaid, Machine Maker, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to those machines for steaming and pressing fabrics in
which a runner cloth or travelling apron is caused to join the piece of fabric
before it reaches the steaming cylinder and travel round the latter and on to
the pressing roller jointly with same, and on being unwound therefrom to join
another piece of fabric and travel with it in a reverse direction around the steam-
ing cylinder and on to a second pressing roller, such a machine being described
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to Alexander Theodor Sarfert on
the 29th day of June A.D. 1893 No. 12757, and on the 31st day of December
A.D. 1892 No. 24156.
Our invention comprises improvements in the method of operating on the fabric
to steam and press it at one operation and in the arrangement of and system of
driving the essential parts of the machine.
For the purpose of our invention we employ two steam pressing cylinders
arranged one on each side of a hollow heated cylinder, and mounted in bearings
or sliding blocks adapted to slide laterally from the said hot cylinder as the
diameter of the runner cloth or travelling apron and fabric wound. thereon
increases, the said bearings being also adjustable laterally by means of racks
and pinions or the like to bring the steam pressing cylinders whenever required
into close contact with the central cylinder, pressure being brought to bear to
press the fabric between the two surfaces by mechanical hydraulic or steam
power. The two said steaming and pressing cylinders are driven by chains
passing round friction pulleys over which they are capable of slipping as and
when required by the variation in speed resulting from variation in diameter in
winding on and off said cylinders or rollers. Each steam pressing cylinder is
supplied with steam which passes through perforations to steam the fabric the
joints in the steam supply pipes being telescopic to allow for lateral adjustment
of the cylinders.
The central cylinder is fixed in its position and we give to it positive motion
whereby the machine is rendered more efficient and all friction is avoided.
"
"
The fabric is unwound from a roller or cuttle at one side of the machine
and passes to the adjacent steam pressing cylinder where it is joined by the runner
cloth or travelling apron and travels with same partially around the said steam
pressing cylinder where it is steamed and pressed. After thus being steamed
and pressed on one steam pressing cylinder the machine is reversed and the fabric
and runner cloth are unwound from said cylinder and pass round the central
cylinder to the second steam pressing cylinder upon which they are wound.

page_text: When the whole of the fabric has been wound on said cylinder and steamed
and pressed a second time it is removed from the machine and as it runs off
another fabric runs into the machine.
By this means and method no time is lost in passing piece after piece through
the machine from one side to the other while we are enabled to steam and press
the fabric twice in once passing through the machine, or to steam it once and
press it twice or steam it twice and press it once, or to steam it once or twice
only.
Dat 1
1000
Improvements in and appertaining to Machines for Steaming
and Pressing Fabrics.
We, EZRA SYKES, of Turnbridge, Huddersfield, in the County of York, Machine
Maker, ENOCH HEPPENSTALL, of Turnbridge, Huddersfield, aforesaid, Dyer, and
EDWIN SYKES, of Turnbridge, Huddersfield, aforesaid, Machine Maker, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to those machines for steaming and pressing fabrics in
which a runner cloth or travelling apron is caused to join the piece of fabric
before it reaches the steaming cylinder and travel round the latter and on to
the pressing roller jointly with same, and on being unwound therefrom, to join
another piece of fabric and travel with it in a reverse direction around the steam-
ing cylinder and on to a second pressing roller, such a machine being shewn and
described in the Specifications of Letters Patents granted to Alexander Theodor
Sarfert on the 31st day of December A.D. 1892, No. 24156, and on the 29th day
of June A.D. 1893, No. 12757.
Our invention comprises improvements in the method of operating on the fabric
to steam and press it at one operation or in once passing through the machine,
and in the arrangement of and system of driving the essential parts of the
machine.
For the purpose of our invention, we employ two steam pressing cylinders
arranged one on each side of a hollow heated cylinder and mounted in bearings
on sliding blocks adapted to slide laterally from said hot cylinder as the diameter
of the runner cloth or travelling apron and fabric wound thereon increases, the
said bearings being also adjustable laterally by means of racks and pinions or
the like to bring the steam pressing cylinders, whenever required, into close
contact with the hot cylinder, pressure being brought to bear to press the fabric
between the two cylinders by mechanical, hydraulic or steam power. Each steam
pressing cylinder is supplied with steam which passes through perforations to
steam the fabric wound on the roller, the joints in the steam supply pipes being
telescopic to allow for lateral adjustment of the cylinders.
"
"
The fabric to be steamed and pressed is unwound from a roller or cuttle at
one side of the machine and passes to the adjacent steam pressing cylinder where
it is joined by the runner cloth or travelling apron and travels with same around
the said steam pressing cylinder upon which they are jointly wound. After
being steamed and subsequently pressed on one steam pressing cylinder, the

page_text: time, the machine is again reversed, the finished fabric being led out of the
machine and a fresh piece of fabric at the same time wound upon the first steam
pressing cylinder.
By this means and method no time is lost in passing piece after piece through
the machine from side to side and allowing said pieces to be operated upon to
steam and press each fabric twice in once passing through the machine, or to
steam it once and press it twice, or to steam it twice and press it once or
to steam it once or twice only.
In order that our said invention may be fully understood, reference is herein-
after had to the annexed sheet of drawings forming a part of this specification,
in which:
Fig. 1 is end elevation of a cloth steaming and pressing machine embodying
our improvements.
Fig. 2 is plan of the upper portion of Fig. 1, part of same being in section.
Fig. 3 is longitudinal elevation of the machine looking in the direction of
arrow, Fig. 1.
Figs. 4 and 5, are sectional diagrams shewing the course of the fabric through
the machine.
to.
Fig. 6 is a similar sectional diagram shewing a modification hereafter referred
In the drawings a is the hollow heated cylinder or drum which is mounted in
fixed bearings in the framework 6 of the machine; d, e, are the steam pressing
cylinders arranged one on each side of the hollow heated cylinder a and journalled
in bearings in blocks d, e¹, adapted to slide laterally in rectangular openings b¹,
62, in the framework b, said steam pressing cylinders being driven from side
shafts f, g, by chains f¹, g¹ passing around chain wheels mounted on the respec-
tive axes; and, h, i, are the cloth winding-on rollers mounted in bearings at each
side of the machine and adapted to be driven, when required, from the shafts f, g,
by means of chains f, g, passing around chain wheels on the axes of said parts.
Motion is communicated to the side shafts f, g, from the main driving shaft c
by the train of gearing j.
"
The piece of fabric to be steamed and pressed is unwound from a roller or
cuttle" (not shewn) at one side of the machine and passes to the near steam
pressing cylinder where it lays itself upon the runner cloth or travelling apron,
the two jointly travelling forward between the heated cylinder a, which heats
the fabric, and the said steam pressing cylinder upon which the whole of the
fabric is wound. As the diameter of the fabric and runner cloth wound on the
steam pressing cylinder increases it causes said cylinder to be forced away from
the hollow cylinder a correspondingly, the sliding blocks in which the steam
pressing cylinders are journalled permitting such self adjustment to be made.
After the whole of the fabric has been wound on the steam pressing cylinder, and
steamed by the steam issuing from its perforated surface, pressure is brought
to hear either by mechanical, hydraulic or steam power to press the fabric between
the heated cylinder a and the cylinder on which it is wound. In the drawings
we have shewn mechanical means for giving the requisite pressure, said means
comprising pinions d, e, mounted loosely on the axes of the steam pressing
evlinders at each end thereof and gearing with racks . e. secured to the end
frames. To the pinions d, e, are secured chain wheels . e. around which pass
chains driven by chain wheels secured to spur wheels (see Fig. 3) mounted.
loosely on the side shafts f. g. The sour wheels gear with pinions 3 on
shafts which are provided with handles 5 hr which to rotate said shafts by
hand. To apply pressure to press the fabric. the attendant rotates one or other
of the shafts, as the case may be, whereby through the pinion ³, spur wheel,

page_text: and chain and chain wheels, motion is given to the pinion concerned which
travels over the rack and thus forces the steam pressing cylinder in the direction
of the cylinder a to press the fabric between the two surfaces.
After being pressed, the fabric and runner cloth are unwound from the steam
pressing cylinder then passed over the hollow heated cylinder and jointly wound
upon the second steam pressing cylinder to be steamed and pressed a second
time; or if once steaming and pressing is sufficient, the fabric is not wound
upon the second steam pressing cylinder but is led out of the machine as it is
wound off the first pressing cylinder. For once steaming and pressing the pieces
of fabric would be dealt with as illustrated in Fig. 1 where is the finished or
steamed and pressed fabric, which is represented as being unwound from the
steam pressing cylinder d and travelling either, as indicated in broken line in
the direction of the arrow to the ordinary delivery or folding apparatus (not
shewn) or as indicated in full line in the direction of the arrow to the roller h
on which it is wound, the runner cloth or travelling apron m which is unwound
from the cylinder d along with the fabric being passed over the cylinder a
and wound up with another piece of fabric on the steam pressing cylinder e
at the same time as the finished piece of fabric is unwinding from cylinder d
and leaving the machine, the piece of fabric being unwound from the roller i as
indicated, in full line or fed from
a cuttle" in the direction indicated by the
broken line. When the whole of the fresh piece of fabric has been wound
upon the cylinder e, it is pressed and the machine then reversed to wind off the
now finished piece of fabric and wind a fresh piece of fabric upon the cylinder d
the same cycle of operations being repeated each time the machine is reversed.
To steam and press a piece of fabric twice in once passing through the machine,
to accomplish which, the machine has been more particularly constructed, the
course of the fabric would be approximately as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.
66
A piece of fabric having been wound-say-upon the steam pressing cylinder e
and steamed and pressed is, by the reversal of the machine, unwound along
with the runner cloth m from the said cylinder e and caused to travel jointly
over the hollow heated cylinder a and finally wound upon the second steam
pressing cylinder d where the fabric is steamed and pressed a second time.
Subsequently the machine is again reversed, the finished fabric unwinding
from the cylinder d and being led out of the machine as indicated by arrow in
Fig. 5, while the runner cloth m travels back over the heated cylinder a and is
wound on the cylinder e, a fresh piece of fabric 1 (Fig. 5) joining said runner
cloth and being wound therewith upon the cylinder e as the finished fabric
unwinds off cylinder d, such fresh piece of fabric after steaming and pressing,
being subsequently wound upon the cylinder d to receive a second steaming and
pressing as previously described, the cycle of operations being repeated at each
reversal of the machine. The runner cloth m is of sufficient length to take the
whole length of fabric without unwinding completely off either cylinder d or e.
From the above it will be seen that the machine is adapted to operate on a
fresh piece of fabric while the finished piece is being wound off and that two
separate steamings and pressings are given to the fabric in once passing through
the machine. By turning off the steam supply to one of the steam pressing
cylinders, or omitting a pressing operation, we may steam the fabric once and
press twice, or steam it twice and press it once; or steam it once or twice only,
in passing through the machine.
For goods requiring to be steamed only, we may arrange the hollow heated
cylinder a and the steam cylinders d, e, approximately as illustrated in Fig 6,
the cylinder a being placed above and clear of the cylinders d, e.
The winding-on cloth rollers h, i are only driven to wind the fabrics thereon
when coming from the machine, a friction or slip drive being employed for this
purpose (see Fig. 3) comprising a friction disc o placed loosely on the shafts of
each roller h, i, and having secured thereto a chain wheel p each driven by
chain f, g, from the side shafts f, g. Secured rotatively to the axes of rollers h, i,

page_text: are opposing friction discs r which, when either of the rollers h, i, has to be
driven, are forced into frictional contact with the discs o by hand wheels s working
laterally along screw threads cut on the end of the shafts of rollers h, i, the
traverse of the hand wheels in the direction of the discs compressing strong
spiral springs t which act against the discs r and thus force them tightly against
the discs o which therefore give rotary motion to said rollers h, i, as and when
required. By turning the hand wheels s in the reverse direction, the friction
discs are disengaged and the rollers h, i, allowed to run loosely as the fabric is
unwound therefrom, tension or drag being given if required by adjusting the
hand wheels s.
Steam is supplied through pipe or hollow shaft to the cylinder a to heat
same, and through pipes v, w, to the steam pressing cylinders d, e, to steam the
fabric, said pipes v, w, being made in two sections v, v¹, and w, w₁ adapted to
telescope one into the other as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, to allow for the lateral
adjustment or movement of the cylinders d, e.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In machines for steaming and pressing fabrics, in which the fabric is
traversed through the machine jointly with a runner cloth or travelling apron,
a hollow heated cylinder or drum combined with, laterally adjustable perforated
steam pressing cylinders arranged one on each side of the hollow heated cylinder
and on which a piece of fabric can be wound, jointly with a runner cloth or
travelling apron, in contact with the hollow heated cylinder and after being
steamed and pressed thereon, unwound from said cylinder, passed over the hollow
heated cylinder and re-wound upon the second steam pressing cylinder and
steamed and pressed a second time and finally wound off and led out of the
machine while a fresh piece of fabric is being wound with the unwinding runner
cloth on to the first steam pressing cylinder, the machine being adapted either
to steam and press the fabric twice in passing through the machine or to steam
it once and press it twice or to steam it twice and press it once or to steam it
once or twice only or to steam and press it once only, substantially as herein
set forth.
2. In machines for steaming and pressing fabrics, the means and method
whereby a piece of fabric can, jointly with a runner cloth or travelling apron,
be wound upon a perforated steam pressing cylinder and steamed and pressed
at the same time, substantially as herein set forth.
3. In machines for steaming and pressing fabrics, the combined modified
arrangement of hollow heated drum or cylinder a and steam pressing cylinders d,
e, substantially as described and shewn at Fig. 6.
4. In machines for steaming and pressing fabrics, the combination, with
laterally adjustable steam pressing cylinders, of steam supply pipes to same each
made in two parts or sections and fitting telescopically one within the other,
in the manner and for the purposes substantially as herein shewn and described.
Dated this 25th day of October 1898.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Patent Agents, Huddersfield, Agents for Applicants.