CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OR PROCESS OF DRYING AND FINISHING WOVEN AND OTHER FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PER- FORMING THE SAME, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO STRETCHING WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GRATRIX, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Bleacher and Dyer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourteenth day of
March, One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, in the twelfth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Gratrix, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William Gratrix, my
exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Gratrix,
my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OR PROCESS OF DRYING AND FINISHING
WOVEN AND OTHER FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PER-
FORMING THE SAME, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO STRETCHING
WOVEN FABRICS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said William Gratrix, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and im-
mediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and
by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
017

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascertained in
and by the present Specification thereof (that is to say) :-
My Invention consists, firstly, of certain improvements in the method or
process and machinery or apparatus employed in producing upon piece goods,
woven and other fabrics, the sort of finish which is termed in Scotland "the
book-muslin finish," and elsewhere the "elastic finish," and which has been
long held in high estimation for the springy feel and smooth and straight appear-
ance which it imparts to the goods. I employ four several machines or com-
binations of machines for this purpose, which are respectively represented in
Sheets I., II., III., and IV. of the Drawings annexed.
The first of these machines I denominate "the serpentine and rectilineal
machine," from the partly sinuous and partly rectilineal course which the web,
piece, or fabric is made to take. Figure 1 (Sheet I.) is a plan of this
machine; Figure 2, a side elevation; Figure 3, an elevation of the end at
which the web, piece, or fabric enters; and Figure 4, a cross section. The
machine is represented as working in connection with a mangle. a is the
driving shaft, to which a rotary motion is imparted by spur wheels from any
convenient first mover; b, b¹, are bevil wheels keyed on the shaft a, which is
grooved, and allows the wheel 6¹ to slide freely on it, as required when the
position of the frame Z is altered; c, ct, are corresponding wheels driven by
b, 61, and keyed on the vertical shafts d, d, which work in bearings attached
to the framing of the machine. The grooved pullies e, e', are fixed on the
shafts d, d¹, and impart motion, in the directions indicated by the arrows, to
belts or straps f, f¹. The upper edges of these belts or straps are furnished
with sharp steel points for taking hold of the piece, web, or fabric, and the
selvages are pressed upon these points by attendants as the web comes from
the mangle. On their lower edges are narrow welts of leather which pass
beneath the edges of the guiding pulleys g, gl, or in grooves which may be
formed in all or some of them, and thus prevent the belts or straps from rising,
these pullies g, g', rising on studs which are adjustable in slots made for the
purpose in the framing of the machine. These pullies (g, gl,) are so arranged
as, with the assistance of fixed grooved longitudinal supports g2 of hard wood
or other suitable materials, to guide the straps or belts /, f, for some distance
in straight lines diverging from each other, but afterwards in a sinuous
course, which is continued to any extent, according to the finish desired. On
the finish being attained the straps or belts proceed in a straight direction, and
nearly parallel with each other, to the pullies h and h¹, which are keyed on
vertical shafts i, i¹, and work in bearings similarly with the shafts d and d¹
then, passing round and imparting motion to the pullies h and h¹, the straps

page_text: or belts lead round the tightening and nipping pullies j and back to the
pullies e and e¹. In order to avoid the possibility of any slip occurring
between the straps or belts f, ft, and pullies e, e¹, it may be necessary to make
use of pins projecting at equal distances from the circumference of the pullies
e, e¹, and taking into corresponding holes in the straps or belts f, 11, as shewn
by red lines. A thin board interposed between the lower edges of the pullies
g, gl, and the upper surface of the framing prevents any injurious communi-
cation of heat from the latter to the straps. The guide pullies g', which work
beneath the web or piece or fabric are made in the form of inverted frustrums
of cones, in order that when their outer sides are placed, that is, in coincidence
with the strap, their upper surfaces shall not rub against the under side of
the web or piece or fabric. The bevil wheel j2 is keyed on the vertical shaft i
and gears into a corresponding bevil wheel in the shaft k, to which it imparts
motion. The wheel Z is also keyed on the shaft k, and gears into a wheel n
made fast to the vertical shaft n. The wheel o, fixed on the upper end of the
vertical shaft n, imparts motion to the cylinder P by means of the wheel q
fixed on its axis. The cylinder P may either be heated by the introduction
of steam in the ordinary manner, or otherwise as convenient. The pulley r,
which is also keyed on the axis of the cylinder P, imparts motion by means of
a strap and pulley 8 to a wooden drum t, above which, and resting on the
cylinder t, is the roller u2; on which the piece is wound when finished. The
roller 3, which is weighted in the ordinary manner, and resting on the upper
part of the cylinder t, causes the rotary motion of the latter to be communi-
cated to the former for winding on the web or piece or fabric. The slots »
allow the roller u² to rise as the web or piece or fabric is wound on. u, u',
are guide rollers, which guide it into contact with the cylinder P. The lower
side of the roller u is placed somewhat higher than the level of the steel
points, in order that the web or piece or fabric may be raised clear of them
before it arrives opposite the centre of the shafts i. To ensure a perfectly
simultaneous movement of the pullies p and pl, they are connected with each
other by the shaft w (which, like the shaft a, is grooved and keyed to admit
of the sliding movement needful in adjusting the frame for various widths of
cloth to be operated upon) and bevil wheels x. The machine is made adjust-
able to snit fabrics of various widths by means of the screwsy, which work into
nuts attached to the moveable frame z, which is furnished with wheels A,
which rest on the fixed standards B. The motion of the screws x is rendered
simultaneous by means of the bevil wheels c, which are keyed on to them, "
and take into corresponding wheels D, which are keyed on to the longitudinal
shaft E. The requisite amount of heat is supplied by steam, hot-air or hot-

page_text: water pipes. The red lines in the Drawing represent the web or piece or
fabric, which is lettered F, as passing through and from the mangle,and shew
the relative position of the warp and weft threads during its passage through
the machine. It will be observed that both edges of the piece are made to
travel simultaneously by and continuously forward. The weft threads are
consequently kept throughout in a parallel position to that in which they
enter the machine, while those of the warp are carried for the most part in a
sinuous or serpentine course.
The improvements which I claim in respect of the machine or machinery
which has been thus described are the giving of a combined serpentine and
rectilineal motion to the web or piece or fabric while in the course of being
dried and finished; that is to say, a continuous serpentine motion to the
warp threads, while the weft threads are kept parallel throughout, and so
many of the parts of the said machine or machinery as are necessary to
produce such combined serpentine and rectilineal motion.
The second combination of machinery which I employ for the before-
mentioned purpose I denominate, from the manner of its action, "the
segmental curvilineal machine," is represented in Sheet II. of the Drawings
annexed. In this machine the web piece is conveyed along with a steady
continuous motion for the length of the framing by means of strap belts or
chains having pius at their edges by which the piece is held. The distance of
the straps from each other is made less than the width of the web piece or
fabric, in order that it may sag or hang in a curved or bellied form between
them, and a number of segments are made to revolve in the plane of the
centre of the web or piece or fabric, so as to carry it forward in a gradually
decreasing proportion from the centre towards each edge by intermittent
movements, and with three or four times the velocity at which the continuous
motion is proceeding at the edges. After being thus carried forward in
advance, the centre of the piece remains stationary, or nearly so, until the
edges have overtaken it, at which time the segments again catch the centre
and carry it forward as before. This action is repeated until the stretching,
drying, and finishing are accomplished. Figure I., Sheet II., is a side elevation
of this machine; Figure 2, a plan; and Figure 3, a cross section. The web
or piece is represented as wound upon the roller at a; from this it is carried
forward and the selvages pressed by attendants at each side upon the points
on the endless straps b, b, at the point C. The piece is farther pressed upon
the points by small rollers d, d. The piece being freely suspended by its two
edges from the straps b, b, is carried. regularly and continuously forward by
them, while at short intervals it is caught up by the revolving segments e,

page_text: which by their revolution carry the centre of the piece forward with three or
four times the velocity at which the continuous motion is proceeding at the
edges. The rails k, k, act as guards to prevent the centre of the web or piece
from being too much raised by the revolving segments. Four or more of these
segments, at the close of the process, are diminished in size until the cloth is
brought by gradual extension at the edges to be straight across between the
two straps, ready for delivery to the taking-off apparatus, the two straps being
also at the same time proportionately extended. In the Drawing of this
taking-off apparatus, f represents a guide roller; g, a cylinder heated by
steam; h, a guide roller; and i, a batching or winding-off roller, similar to
that which has been described in connexion with the principal machine.
The improvements which I claim in respect of this segmental curvilineal
machine are the attaching of the carrying belts or straps to the web or piece
in such a manner as to cause it to sag or curve at the centre, and the employ-
ment of revolving segments to move the centre forward at intervals in advance
of the edges and while the edges are in continuous motion. I claim also the
application of the above movement to the stretching of woven fabrics.
The third combination of machinery which I employ for producing the finish
aforesaid, and which is represented in Sheet No. 3 of the Drawings, I deno-
minate "the longitudinal curvilineal machine." This, like the preceding
machines, acts continuously; the web, piece, or fabric is carried along by straps,
between which it hangs loosely, as in the segmental machine, while a longi-
tudinal rail or bar suspended from above is put in motion by a crank or cranks
in such manner as to propel the centre of the web or piece with intermitting
motion in a curvilineal and advancing direction, while the edges move con-
tinuously straight forward. Or by a different application of the movement,
the web or piece or fabric may be carried curvilineally backwards, while the
edges are continuously advancing as before. Or, again. the levers may be so
arranged as to impart by means of the rail or bar to the centre of the web or
piece both an advancing and receding curvilineal movement. At the deliver-
ing end the rail or bar is gradually sloped up, and the sides of the frame are
proportionately extended till the piece becomes expanded to its full width, and
freed from the rail or bar. Figure 1 (Sheet III.) is a side elevation and Figure
2 a plan of this machine. The web or piece enters at a, and is conveyed
regularly and continuously forward, being freely suspended by its two edges
from the straps b,b, until brought under the action of the moving bar or raile,
which imparts, according to the angle at which it is applied, a forward or a
backward or a forward and backward movement to the centre of the web
or piece intermittently, whilst the edges are carried continuously and progres-

page_text: 9,
sively forward. The bar or rail e is suspended by levers from shafts g. A
lever h which receives motion from the crank i, communicates the same to
the shaft and thence by the lever to the rail or bar e. (The speed of the
above movement is to be adjusted according to the degree of elasticity
required in the finish.) At the delivery end of the frame from, to K it is
gradually widened out (as in the segmental machine) and the depth of the
rail proportionately reduced until the web or piece becomes fully expanded and
prepared for the taking off apparatus, which is similar in its construction to
that connected to the preceding machine. A modification of this "longi-
tudinal curvilineal machine," that may be useful in some cases, is represented
in Sheet IV. of the annexed Drawings. Figure 1 is a side elevation and
Figure 2 a plan of the same. The oscillating frame a is suspended above the
machine,by links or bars cmoving on centres b,and connected with the frame a
at, the points d, d, which act as joints. The crank e acting in a slotf gives a
forward and backward motion to the frame a. On the centres d are cranks
g and gl connected with similar cranks h (which also have their bearings in
the frame a) by the levers, to the lever end of which is attached the bar
or rail which acts upon the web or piece. On the centre b, and driven by any
convenient means, is a pulley; which gives motion to the pulley 1,which, with.
the wheel K, is fixed on the shaft i, which latter takes into a corresponding
wheel m keyed on the shaft n. The bevil wheel o, also keyed on the shaft n,
gears into the wheel p fixed on the axis of the crank g¹; motion is commu-
nicated to the crank c from the shaft n by the bevil wheels
The.
crank e by its revolution sweeps the frame a alternately forward and backward
at the same time that the cranks g, g, move it into contact with and a way
from the web or piece while the same is in continuous motion and hanging
between the moving straps, as in the arrangement secondly herein-before
described. The novelty which I claim in respect of this "longitudinal curvi-
lineal machine," and of the modification of it before described, is the causing,
by means of the longitudinal rails and parts in connection therewith, the
centre of the web or piece to move intermittently in an advancing or receding
or advancing and receding curvilineal direction, while the edges are moving
continuously straightforward. The "longitudinal curvilineal movement" last
herein-before described, may be applied to the common clamp or tenter
frames now in use for the purpose of producing the ordinary rigid finish so as
to enable them to produce the elastic finish. A longitudinal rail of the length
of the tenter frame is suspended by levers fixed above it,one or more of which
are keyed upon shafts to which motion is imparted by any suitable first mover.
The piece or web or fabric is fastened by pins or clamps at each edge to the
9
and r.

page_text: frame sides, and hang down freely between them. The rail or bar is let down
into contact with it, and a radial curvilineal motion imparted, by which, in
conjunction with the application of heat in the usual manner, the finishing is
effected.
I claim the application of the "longitudinal rail movement" to the common
clamp or tenter frame, as before described, for the purpose of producing the
elastic finish.
Secondly, my Invention consists of certain improvements in the method or
process of finishing pile goods, such as velvets,, velveteens, cords, &c., which
improvements are embodied in the machinery or apparatus represented in
Sheet V. of the Drawings annexed. Figure 1. is a front elevation of the
machinery; Figure 2 a side elevation; Figure 3 a section at right angles
to the main axis. Figure 4 a plan and Figure 5.a section taken parallel with
the main axis; a is the frame of the machine, 6 the bearing, and c. the axis of
a cylinder d to which a rotary motion is communicated through the medium
of a spur wheel e, which is moved by a pinion f keyed on the driving shaft g,
having on its outer end fast and loose pullies h andi driven by a strap. On the
shaft g there is also keyed a spur wheel j, which imparts motion to pinions k
and 7 keyed upon separate shafts m and n,.upon which shafts are also keyed
the pullieso and Pi which jointly give motion to an endles strap q which impels
a series of pulleys fixed on the axis of revolving tools 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 2*, and 17.
The strap q besides passing over the pullies 7, also passes equally over guide
pullies 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, and tightening pullies. The web or piece to be operated
upon having been first wound tightly upon a well-centred roller, one of the
ends of which is squared and fits into the end of a shaft upon which a retard-
ing pulley is placed, the end of the web or piece is conveyed through the
machine, between the revolving tools r and the moving cylinder d, by means of
an extra length of cloth which is firmly fastened upon the taking-off roller f,
which is also to be furnished with a square fitting into a shaft in connexion.
with the drawing cones u which are to receive motion from a pulley on the
driving shaft g. Before the machine is put in motion the revolving and
stationary tools r², ², 78, 74, 75, 76, and 77 must be nicely set and adjusted by
means of screws y provided for the purpose. ¹ is a brush formed of bristles
or of bristles and wire combined, which is intended to lay the pile in one
direction and to prepare it for the application of the wax; r in a roller pre-
pared with beds of wax; ³ is a roller composed of teak, logwood, or some
other hard wood (intended to serve as a substitute for the manual process called
pegging), cut or carved in a spiral or fluted form; r is a roller of wood turned
true and coated with glue and emery, or glue and gritstone finely powdered,

page_text: according to the texture and color of the fabric which is to be finished;
75, 76, and may be repetitions of any of the preceding tools. Or, instead of
any or some of the above revolving tools, stationary ones may be employed to
answer similar purposes; or the order in which any of these tools is directed
to be applied may be transposed.
What I claim more particularly in regard to this finishing machine is the
employment of the cylinder moving continuously in concert with or at a
greater or less speed than the web or piece, while tools revolving on different
axes are acting on the outer circumference of the web or piece, as before
described.
I claim also the application to the finishing of pile goods of the cylinder
and revolving tools, as before described, combined with stationary tools or
fixings which do not revolve, but are adjustable by suitable applied weights or
springs; also the revolving cylinder above alluded to combined with the non-
revolving tools only; also the employment of a cylinder not revolving, but
over the periphery of which the web or piece travels, and is at the same time
acted upon by revolving rollers or stationary tools, as before described.
I claim further as of my Invention the revolving tools and the peg or grit
and emery roller, in so far as regards the spiral form given to the same,
of whatsoever breadth or pitch the threads of the spiral or screw may be
used.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Gratrix, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine
WILLIAM (L.S.) GRATRIX.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourteenth day of September,
in the year of our Lord 1849, the aforesaid William Gratrix came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and speci-
fied, in form above written Andalso the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Eurofled the Fourteenth day of September,
TIT
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.
the
year of our Lord