AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STEAMING WOVEN FABRICS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis William Ashton, of Hyde, in the County of
Chester, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS
FOR STEAMING WOVEN FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis William Ashton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th July 1880.
FRANCIS WILLIAM ASHTON, of Hyde, in the County of Chester.
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STEAMING WOVEN FABRICS."
"AN IMPROVED
My Invention consists, firstly, in the construction of the steaming chamber of
such form and shape, and with a small opening for entering the fabric, so that I
can steam a great length of fabric at once, and at any pressure from 2lbs. to 40lbs.
per square inch. I make the chamber of a circular, or, by preference, of an oval
section, and from 25 feet to 30 feet in height, or other desired height; near the
top I make an opening of the necessary width for entering the cloth. Level with
the bottom of the opening and extending from it to the opposite side of the chamber
I place two bars formed of steam pipe, joined together at the ends furthest from
the opening by a cross pipe; about two inches above these bars or pipes, and a
little to one side of them, I place two other pipes to servo as guides for the rollers
or rails, which are put in the chamber to carry the folds of fabric. I cause steam
to circulate through these pipes to prevent condensation, and I also mako use of a
stean cavity or coils at the top of the chamber and steam coils down the sides,
and in any parts where the fabric would be liable to come in contact with the sides
of the chamber.
The vessel may also be constructed with steam cavities or jackets at the sides to
prevent condensation. Steam is admitted to the fabric to be steamed at the bottom
of the vessel in the usual manner. In order to enter the fabric into the steaming
chamber I place at a convenient distance from the opening a frame carrying twelve
or other number of rolls of fabric. I connect the ends of all these rolls together
ו...

page_text: by sowing or otherwise, and attach them to one end of a short blanket, the other
ond of which is attached to the cross pipe at the back of the steaming chamber, the
blanket having been passed between a pair of rollers between the steaming
chamber and the roll frame; on one of these rollers is a measuring wheel to measure
the length of the folds of fabric entered into the steaming chamber, when the
desired length has been entered, being such length as will reach to within a short
distance of the bottom of the chamber. I insert a steaming roller or rail to carry
the fold of fabrics, and this operation is repeated until the rolls of fabric are run off
and the steaming chamber filled; the opening is then closed, and steam is admitted
into the chamber.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Francis William Ashton'in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th January 1881.
FRANCIS WILLIAM ASHTON, of Hyde, in the County of Chester. "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STEAMING WOVEN FABRICS."
My Invention consists, firstly, in the construction of the steaming chamber of
such form and shape, and with a small opening for entering the fabric, so that I
can steam a great longth of fabric at once and at any pressure from two pounds to
forty pounds per square inch. I make the chamber of a circular, or, by preference,
of an oval section, and from twenty five feet to thirty feet in height, or other
dosired height; near the top I make an opening of the necessary width for ontering
the cloth. Level with the bottom of the opening and extending from it to tho
opposite side of the chamber I place two bars formed of steam pipo joined together
at the ends furthest from the opening by a cross pipe; about two inches above these
bars or pipes and a little to one side of them I place two other pipes to serve as
guides for the rollers or rails, which are put in the chamber to carry the folds of
fabric. I cause steam to circulate through these pipes to prevent condensation,
and I also make use of a steam cavity or coils at the top of the chamber, and
steam coils down the sides, and in any parts where the fabric would be liable to
come in contact with the sides of the chamber. The vessel may also be constructed
with steam cavities, or jackets, or coils at the sides to prevent condensation. Steam
is admitted to the fabric to be steamed at the bottom of the vessel in the usual
manner. In order to enter the fabric into the steaming chamber I place at a
convenient distance from the opening a frame carrying twelve or other number of
rolls of fabric. I connect the ends of all these rolls together by sewing or otherwise,
and attach them to one end of a short blanket, the other end of which is attached
to the cross pipo at the back of the steaming chamber, the blanket having been
passed between a pair of rollers between the steaming chamber and the roll frame.
On one of these rollers is a measuring wheel to measure the length of the folds of
fabric entered into the steaming chamber when the desired length has been entered
bring such length as will reach to within a short distance of the bottom of the
chamber; I insert a steaming roller or rail to carry the fold of fabrics, and this
operation is repeated until the rolls of fabric are run off and the steaming chamber
filled; the opening is then closed and steam is admitted into the chamber. When
desired mechanism may be used to fill the steaming chamber automatically, I
surround my improved steaming chamber with brick work, leaving a space between
it and the brickwork, and this space is in connection with the furnace flue and the
chimney, so that the waste heat from the furnace keeps the chamber warm. And
in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect,
I will describe the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings, reference being had to
the figures and letters marked thereon. On Sheet one, Figure 1 is an elevation in
section of a steaming chamber constructed according to my Invention, and of the
rollers and apparatus used in entering the fabric into the steaming chamber;
Figure 2 shows the fabric being removed from the steaming chamber after it has
been steamed. On Sheet two Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1. a is the steaming
chamber;
a¹ is a steam chest at the top of the chamber; b is the opening through
which the fabric is entered, and c is the door; d, d, are the supports formed of
steam pipe and connected at the back by a cross pipe, on which rest the rollers or
rails e on which the fabric is suspended; f, f, are guides formed of steam pipe to
prevent the rails e from moving endwise; g, g, are coils to keep the fabric from
swinging against the sides of the chamber; h is a perforated pipe, through which
steam is admitted into the chamber in the usual manner; o is a blow off pipe, on

page_text: The
which is a weighted valve placed near the top of the chamber, which may be easily
regulated by the attendant so that the acid vapours may be carried off as usual.
The batch rollers on which the fabric to be steamed is wound are marked i, and
they are carried by suitable bearings on the frame ; the guido rollers are
marked j, and , k, are a pair of driven rollers which draw the fabric from the
batch rollers. An index or measuring wheel is connected to one of the rollers k,
so that the attendant can see when the requisite length of fabric has been entered
into the chamber; l, l, are winces over which the fabric passes when drawn out
of the steaming chamber after it has been steamed; n is the space round the
chamber through which the waste heat from the furnace passes on its way to the
chimney. The arrows indicate the direction in which the fabric travels.
mode of operation is as follows:-When the number of batches required have been
placed on the frame ¹, one end of each roll of fabric is attached to-a-short piece of
blanket which has been previously fastened to the cross pipo connecting the
supports &, and passed between the drawing rollers ; the rollers are then set in
motion by power, and the fabric is at first guided into the chamber through the
opening b, and when the indicator shows that a sufficient length of fabric has passed
into the chamber the attendant stops the rollers and places a rail e on the
supports d, d, and pushes it to the further end of the supports, the fabric hangs on
the rail; the rollers k, k, are again set in motion, and the above described operations
are repeated until the chamber is filled with the fabric suspended on the rails.c;
the door is then closed, and steam is admitted into the chamber through the pipe h.
When the fabric has been sufficiently steamed the door is opened, the drawing
rollers, are thrown into gear with a reversed motion, and the fabric, and with
it the rails e, are drawn out of the steaming chamber; the rails-are-removed by
the attendant and carefully placed on one side. The fabric is all drawn out on to
the floor or on to a stillage, and divided into two portions by hand and passed over
two winces, thus separating the fabric into two lots, say, of eight pieces each;
these lots are again passed over winces, and again divided into four lots of four
pieces cach; these are again divided into lots of two pieces, the fabric is then
plaited down separately by the two plaiters. The construction of the steaming
chamber and the small size of the door enable me to use steam at a high pressure,
two atmospheres or more, if desired, which is a much higher pressure than can
with safety be used in steaming chambers of the ordinary construction.
Having stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner of
performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the
details given, as the construction of the chamber may be modified and the number
of batches may be varied, and what I claim is,―
Steaming numerous webs of fabric in folds of great length at a comparatively
high pressure, and the vertical steaming chamber wherein a large quantity of fabric
may be contained in a comparatively small space, erected and constructed
substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis William Ashton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and aighty one.
FRANCIS WILLIAM ASHTON. (L.S.)