IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OR FINISHING OF WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hamilton, of Blackland Mill, Paisley, in
the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Bleacher, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OR FINISHING OF WOVEN FABRICS."
Sealed the 25th September 1857, and dated the 31st March 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hamilton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st March 1857.
I, GEORGE HAMILTON, of Blackland Mill, Paisley, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Bleacher, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OR FINISHING OF WOVEN FABRICS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to improved mechanical arrangements or means for
imparting to woven fabrics what is known as the "elastic" or "soft finish,"
and has for object increased efficiency, whilst the arrangements are more par-
ticularly designed for application to classes of goods hitherto not advan-
tageously operated upon by existing mechanical finishing apparatus.
The elastic or soft effect is produced by working the threads of the fabric
over each other, whilst in the act of drying, after treatment with starch or other
stiffening matter.
In practically carrying out the present Invention, the fabric, extended
horizontally, is nipped at one point between a pair of rollers disposed trans-

page_text: versely one above and one below the fabric, a second pair of similarly disposed
rollers nipping it at a point conveniently distant from the first point. The ends
of these two pairs of rollers are carried upon the ends of two horizontal levers,
one on each side of the fabric, the rollers and levers forming a parallelogram
in plan, and being connected by swivelling joints. A simultaneous oscillatory
movement about their centres is imparted to the levers in any convenient
manner, so that the two pairs of nipping rollers are made to reciprocate trans-
versely, the movements of each pair being in opposite directions, and in this
manner, the threads of the fabric are worked angularly over each other so
as to produce the desired finish. The entire machine may comprehend one,
two, or more of the parallelograms of rollers and levers just described, and the
fabric may be drawn through the machine either continuously or intermittently
by means of nipping rollers placed at the delivery end only, or at intervals
between the parallelograms. On entering the machine the fabric is stretched
to its full width by means of any suitable breadthening mechanism, so that the
finishing action may take effect uniformly throughout its entire width.
The oscillatory movement may be imparted to the levers carrying the
angling nipping rollers, either by self-acting gearing or by hand, through the
intervention of suitable mechanism, the operator in the latter case being able
to watch the action on the fabric, and to regulate it with nicety, as circum-
stances may require.
The details of the arrangements may be modified in various ways, but the
Invention consists essentially in nipping the fabric across its width and in
working the threads angularly over each other by means of this transverse
hold or nip.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Hamilton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HAMILTON, of Blackland Mill, Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Bleacher, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent,. bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Hamilton, Her special licence that I, the said George

page_text: Hamilton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Hamilton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OR FINISHING OF WOVEN FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Hamilton, my exccutors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Hamilton, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to improved mechanical arrangements or means
for imparting to woven fabrics what is known as the "elastic" or "soft finish,"
and has for object increased efficiency, whilst the arrangements are more
particularly designed for application to classes of goods hitherto not advan-
tageously operated upon by mechanical finishing apparatus. The elastic or
soft effect is produced by working the threads of the fabric over each other
whilst in the act of drying after treatment with starch or other stiffening
matter.
In practically carrying out the present Invention, the fabric, extended
horizontally, and either in a dry condition or in the act of drying, is nipped or
held transversely, according to one modification, between a pair of rollers
disposed transversely one above and one below the fabric, a second pair of
similarly disposed rollers nipping it at a place conveniently distant from the
first place. Or instead of a pair of nipping rollers, a single grooved roller may
be used at each place, the grooves having in most cases a sufficient hold upon
the fabric. The ends of these two pairs of rollers or of the single grooved
rollers are carried upon the ends of two horizontal levers, one on each side of
the fabric, the rollers and levers forming a parallelogram in plan, and being
connected by swivelling joints. A simultaneous oscillatory movement about
their centres is imparted to the levers in any convenient manner, so that the
nipping or holding rollers are made to reciprocate transversely, the movements

page_text: of a two pairs of rollers or of the two single-grooved rollers being in opposite
directions, and in this manner the threads of the fabric are worked angularly
over each other, so as to produce the desired finish. The entire machine may
comprehend one, two, or more of the parallelograms of rollers and levers just
described, and the fabric may be drawn through the machine either con-
tinuously or intermittently by means of nipping rollers placed at the delivery
end only, or at intervals between the parallelograms. On entering the machine,
and at other points if necessary, the fabric is stretched to its full width by
means of any suitable breadthening mechanism, so that the finishing action
may take effect uniformly throughout its entire width. The oscillatory
movement may be imparted to the levers carrying the angling, nipping, or
holding rollers, either by self-acting gearing or by hand, through the inter-
vention of suitable mechanism, the operator in the latter case being able to
watch the action on the fabric, and to regulate it with nicety as circumstances
may require. The details of the arrangements may be modified in various
ways, but the Invention consists essentially in holding or nipping the fabric
across its width and in working the threads angularly over each other by
means of this transverse hold or nip.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I have
hereunto appended a Sheet of explanatory Drawings relating thereto, to which
Drawings the herein-after contained references apply, the like letters marking
the like parts on the two Figures thereof.
Figure 1 on the said Sheet of Drawings is a side elevation, and Figure 2 is
a plan, of a portion of a finishing machine constructed according to the best
mode with which I am acquainted for the practical application of my said
Invention. The framing of a complete machine consists of a number of side
standards, of which only a single pair A, carrying one of the parallelograms of
rollers and levers, is shown in the Drawings, these standards being connected
by transverse tie rods B. Two pillars Care bolted down upon the top flanges
of the side standards, one on each side, and directly opposite to each other;
and the upper ends of these pillars are turned to receive oscillating levers or
lever frames D, in the ends of which are carried small swivelling pillars or
spindles E, formed with bearings for rollers F extending across the machine
from one lever frame D to the other. The rollers F and lever frames D form
a jointed parallelogram, as seen in plan in Figure 2, this parallelogram being
capable of being set in various positions. In Figure 1 the lever frames D
are represented as parallel with the side standards A, whilst in Figure 2 the
parallelogram is represented as set obliquely in one direction by the black
lines and in the opposite direction by the red lines. In Figure 1 the fabric

page_text: which is being operated upon is represented by a red line, whilst in Figure 2
it is distinguished in one position by shading and in another by red lines.
The fabric is supposed to be moving continuously but slowly in the direction of
the arrow in both Figures, being passed through the machine by the frictional
action of several rollers, of which two, G, G¹, are shown in the Drawings,
these rollers being driven by means of bevil wheels H on the ends of their
spindles in gear with bevil wheels I, fast on a horizontal driving shaft J,
running along the side of the machine, and carried in bracket bearings K
bolted to the side standards A. The fabric, on reaching the portion of the
machine represented in the Drawings, passes over the roller G, thence under a
guide roller L, which is grooved like a common breadthener, but with a very
slight inclination of the grooves. From the roller L the fabric passes round a
roller M, carried in swivelling bearings in brackets N cast or fixed upon the
lever frames D in such a way as to carry the rollers M, M', at a level, the
distance of which below that of the rollers F is somewhat less than half the
distance between the spindles E. The fabric next passes over the transversely
reciprocating rollers F, thence under a roller M', carried like the roller M, and
onwards under the roller L' and over the roller G¹. At the same time that
the fabric is moving slowly along, the lever frames D are made to oscillate by
means of an eccentric O fast on the shaft J, the rod P of this eccentric passing
across to a lever Q turning on a pin at the other side of the machine, whence
a rod R returns to a joint stud S on one of the lever frames D. The rods P
and R can be adjusted on the lever Q so as to alter the extent of the actual
movement imparted to the lever frames D, and these frames D. are connected
by links T to insure their moving equably without causing any undue strain on
the journals of the rollers F. The rollers F and M, M¹, are grooved, the
grooves having a slight inclination in opposite directions on each side of the
rollers' longitudinal centre to hold the fabric transversely, that is, to prevent
it slipping along the roller to either side of the machine, whilst its gradual slow
motion the long way of the machine is not impeded. Instead of being grooved,
the rollers F and M, M', may have frictional holding surfaces formed upon
them in any other suitable way, or they may be smooth, in which last case the
fabric must be prevented from slipping to either side by nipping rollers placed
above the other rollers, as indicated by dotted lines at U in Figure 1. It will
be observed that in the machine represented in the Drawings the spindles E
are made with forks to receive the nipping rollers U should these have to be
employed at any time. The fabric being prevented from slipping to either side
along the rollers F, the reciprocation of these rollers, produced by the oscillation
of the lever frames D, has the effect of angling its threads over each other

page_text: alternately in opposite directions, and exerts a very efficient "finishing "
action. The fabric is made to return upon itself and pursue the zig-zag course
shown by the red line in Figure 1, to compensate for and avoid the alternate
slackening and tightening that would be produced by the movements of the
rollers F without some such arrangement, and the rollers M, M', by being
carried by the lever frames D, are made to reciprocate transversely, although
only to a slight extent, since they are very near the axis of motion of the
frames, this slight reciprocation producing an intermediate action on the fabric
between the points where there is no angling action and those where the
angling action is greatest.
Having now particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I must observe, in
conclusion, that I do not restrict myself to the precise details which I have
had occasion to describe or refer to, as the essential elements of my Invention
may be embodied under various forms and modifications; but what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the system or mode of producing mechanically upon woven fabrics
what is know as the "elastic" or "soft finish," wherein the threads are
angled over each other by means of a transverse hold or nip combined with a
transverse reciprocating movement, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of finishing woven fabrics, wherein the fabric
is passed round or over rollers to which transverse reciprocating movements
are imparted, whilst the fabric is prevented from slipping from side to side
along such rollers, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Hamilton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.