IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEAMING TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Bennett, of the Firm of John Bennett and Sons,
of Birch Vale, in the County of Derby, Calico Printers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEAMING TEXTILE FABRICS."
Sealed the 26th July 1878, and dated the 28th January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Bennett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th January 1878.
FREDERICK BENNETT, of the Firm of John Bennett and Sons, of Birch Vale, in the
County of Derby, Calico Printers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEAMING
TEXTILE FABRICS."
The object of this Invention is to secure continuity and uniformity of action in
the complete fixation of colors on printed fabrics by the action of steam of 10 lbs.
pressure or higher.
Hitherto continuous steaming has not been successful except at very low
pressures.
An iron steaming chamber or cottage is constructed of rectangular form and of
sufficient length to ensure a successful result of the object in view.
The fabric is admitted into the chamber between two copper or other metallic
drawing rollers placed one above the other, and outside the chamber. The fabric
now travels over and under rollers placed at the top and bottom, and from end to
end of the chamber. On reaching the far end the cloth is discharged through a pair
of rollers and apparatus similar to the entering end.
In order to effectually seal the steam and prevent its escape from the chamber at
the points of entrance and exit of the cloth or fabric, two ordinary printing machine
doctors are fixed on a suitable cast-iron block, which is secured to the end of the
chamber, these doctors being in such a position that their sides rest. on the periphery
of the copper rollers above mentioned at an angle of about 45°, a space equal to about
half an inch being left between the inner edges of these doctors to admit of a free
passage for the fabric. A slit 1/" wide and a little longer than the width of the
D
1

page_text: cloth is made in the cast-iron block, through which the fabric passes into the
chamber.
In order to seal the space at the ends of the rollers, plates are fitted. into grooves
turned on the periphery, and close to the ends of the rollers, one of these plates
being secured to each side of the cast-iron block on which the doctors are fixed.
The ends of the doctors fitting close up to the inner sides of the plates, and that
portion of the plate that fits into the groove in the rollers extending to the centre
or point of contact of the rollers, steam is prevented from escaping.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederick Bennett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
July 1878.
FREDERICK BENNETT, of the Firm of John Bennett and Sons, of Birch Vale, in
the County of Derby, Calico Printers. “IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEAMING
TEXTILE FABRICS."
'
This Invention relates to the system of fixing colors printed on textile fabrics
by means of steam, and consists in certain improved arrangements and combinations
of apparatus for enabling steam to be used of much higher pressure and temperature
than has hitherto been employed for fixing colors.
The steaming chamber is preferably made of iron, and provided with the necessary
valves, cocks, and tie rods; and the fabric is admitted to the chamber between two
outside copper or other metallic drawing rollers placed one above the other, and
after travelling over and under rollers placed at the top and bottom, and from end
to end of the chamber, is discharged between a pair of rollers similar to those at the
entering end.
In order to effectually seal the steam and prevent its escape from the chamber at
the points of entrance and exit of the cloth or fabric, two spring blades or sheets,
commonly called printing machine doctors, are fixed on a suitable cast-iron block,
which is secured to each end of the chamber, these doctors being in such a position
that their sides rest on the peripheries of the before-mentioned copper rollers at an
angle of about 45°, a space equal to about half an inch being left between the inner
edges of the doctors to admit of a free passage for the fabric; and in the cast-iron
blocks there are slits a quarter of an inch wide and a little longer than the width of
the cloth, through which the fabric passes into and out of the chamber.
In order to seal the spaces at the ends of the rollers, packing plates are fitted into
grooves turned in the peripheries close to the ends of the rollers, one of these plates
being secured to each side of the cast-iron block on which the doctors are fixed,
the ends of the doctors fitting close up to the inner sides of the plates; and as that
portion of the plate that fits into the groove extends to the centre or point of contact
of the rollers, steam is prevented from escaping at either end of the chamber during
the entry and exit of the fabric.

page_text: On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical and longitudinal
section, drawn to a reduced scale, of a steam chamber having at each end outside
drawing rollers provided with my improved steam sealing apparatus; and Figs. 2,
3, and 4 are views of the rollers and sealing apparatus drawn about quarter size;
and in the Figures the fabric is marked a, the outside drawing rollers b, b', the
doctors c, the packing plates d, and the cast-iron blocks to which the doctors and
plates are fixed at e.
The shafts of the rollers b and b¹ work in suitable bearings, and are driven at any
required speed in the usual way; and the fabric a, after being drawn between the
rollers, passes through a narrow space between the inner ends of the doctors C, each
of which is shewn bolted at or about an angle of 45° with the horizontal line of the
fabric, there being a narrow slit f in the block e for the fabric to pass through and
onwards into the steam chamber, which is supplied with steam through the steam
pipe g, the chamber being provided with a safety valve h and a blow-off cock i, as
required; and the ends of the rollers are kept steam-tight, or nearly so, by the
packing plates & fitted into grooves k, Figs. 3 and 4, formed in the ends of the peri-
pheries of the rollers, and the longitudinal surfaces of rollers are kept steam-tight
by the packing action of the doctors c.
The fabric after its entry into the steam chamber travels onwards over and under
drawing and guide rollers to the exit end of the chamber, and then passes through
a narrow slit f in the cast-iron block e, and through a space between doctors to the
outside drawing rollers 61, having grooved ends with packing plates inserted in
them, the blocks, rollers, and sealing apparatus being precisely similar at both ends
of the steam chamber.
In order to maintain the fabric at its proper tension during its onward
course through the steam chamber, several of the drawing rollers are driven by
toothed or other gearing, the shafts of the rollers at one end passing through stuffing
boxes, and kept steam-tight; but I may here remark that these details, though
useful for enabling my improvements to be carried out with success, form no part of
my Invention, which consists, as before stated, in the employment of doctors acting
on the longitudinal surfaces of the outside drawing rollers, and the plates entered
into grooves in the ends of the peripheries of the rollers properly adjusted and fixed
to cast-iron blocks, one at each end of the steam chamber.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention, I desire
it to be understood that in apparatus for steaming textile fabrics I claim, the
employment at the ends of the steam chamber of the metal blocks e, the doctors c,
the packing plates d, and the grooves in the ends of the peripheries of the rollers,
arranged and combined for enabling steam at a pressure of more than ten pounds
to the inch to be used for steaming fabrics, as such improvements are herein described,
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Bennett, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the said Frederick Bennett in
the presence of
WILLIAM H. FLETCHER,'
35, York Street,
FREDERICK BENNETT. (L.S.)
Manchester.