Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 4th Oct., 1887.
I, EDWARD JAMES, of No. 137 King Street, Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria,
tailor, 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 an improved machine for shrinking and drying cloth
through the agency of steam. It also serves to remove superfluous gloss from the
surface of the cloth.
My improved machine consists of the combination and arrangement of a perforated
tubular cylinder or roller with a plain or unperforated tubular cylinder or roller, both
arranged horizontally to revolve in bearings in suitable standards or pillars springing
from a bed-plate. Steam is admitted to the centre of each of these cylinders and the
cloth to be shrunk is wound upon the perforated cylinder, where the steam percolates
through it and so damps or moistens it, then the damp cloth is unwound from the
perforated roller and wound upon the plain or unperforated one so that it may be
dried by it. If so desired, two or more drying rollers may be employed.
Referring now to the drawings hereto attached,-
Figure 1 shews a front elevation of my machine attached to a steam boiler.
Figure 2 a vertical section thereof at the line a, a, in Figure 1.
Figure 3 a similar section shewing it furnished with two drying rollers.
Figure 4 a sectional view of the end part of the perforated roller showing the
distributing plate in it.
A is the perforated roller or cylinder furnished with solid end flanges A', which
have at one end the tubular spindle A' and at the other end the solid spindle A', the
end of which is furnished with a suitable stem to receive a crank-handle. The body
of this cylinder is constructed preferably of perforated zinc although gauze cloth of
other materials would also serve the purpose. A* are strengthening rings arranged at
intervals within the cylinder and A' is a solid distributing plate arranged at a distance
of about three inches from the end of cylinder to cause the steam to spread therein.
B is the drying roller or cylinder constructed of sheet metal and having flanges B¹
at its ends B is its end tubular spindle and Bits solid spindle which is shewn
furnshed with a crank-handle B'. B are short pointed pins projecting from the

page_text: body of the roller to engage with the cloth to be dried. C are the standards or pillars
carrying the bearings for the end spindles of the rollers such pillars springing from
the bed-plate C, seating on which is also a small steam boiler D having pipes D¹
and D' leading from its crown to the tubular spindles A and B' of the rollers, a
swivelling coupling forming the connecting medium between such steam pipes. The
boiler D is furnished with safety and feed valves and all other necessary accessories
and is heated preferably with a gas flame. In Figure 3, two drying cylinders are
shewn supported on the pillars C.
The mode of operation is as follows:-I first place two or three layers of common
tweed on the perforated roller A as a shield. Around this I roll about twenty or
thirty thicknesses of the cloth to be shrunk affixing the end of the first thickness to
the shield with common pins and allowing it to remain thereon for about five minutes
during which time it is subjected to the action of the steam at a pressure of about
seven or eight pounds to the square inch inside the cylinder. The cloth which is now
damp is unwound from the perforated cylinder A and wound upon the plain unper-
forated cylinder B which is also heated with the steam at a similar pressure. Here it
is allowed to remain for about two or three minutes to dry when it is unwound ready
for use, having been shrunk and dried during its passage over the perforated and
unperforated cylinders.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In machines for shrinking and drying cloth, the combination with a perforated
tubular or wire gauze cylinder of one or more plain or unperforated cylinders, all of
which are supported in a manner which enables them to be revolved in bearings in a
suitable frame and to have steam under pressure admitted to them, substantially as
herein described and explained and as illustrated in my drawings.
2. The combination in a perforated cylinder, as above claimed, of an interior plate
for spreading the steam, substantially as herein described and explained and as
illustrated in my drawings.
.