CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN DRESSING WOOLLEN CLOTHS
Year: 1829

page_text: GETHEN'S
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
GETIEN, late of Eurnival's Inn, in the County of. Middlesex, but now of
Dursley, in the County of Gloucester, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-first day of November, in the tenth year of His
reign, did for Himself, His heirs.and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Gethen, His especial licence, that I, the said Thomas Gethen,
my.executors, administrators, and assigns, or such,others as I, the said Thomas
Gethen, my executors, administrators, 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 mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, with England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN DRESSING WOOLLEN CLOTHS;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Thomas
Gethen, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to.
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Gethen, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say):-
The nature and intention of my Invention is to submit or place the cloths
to be operated upon by the process of boiling, scalding, or steaming, in such form
and manner as is herein-after described, that it may receive during either of the
above processes a continued equal and undisturbed pressure. The machinery
and apparatus necessary for the purpose are made and used in the following
manner (videlizet):-I first provide a vat or cistern of such length and breadth
as the goods or cloth to be operated upon may require; thus, for instance, if I
wish to operate upon woollen cloths of the customary trade lengths of twenty-
one yards long, and sixty-three inches wide, I provide a vat or cistern about
twenty-two yards long and eight feet wide, upon which a lid made steam-tight
is fitted, which, with the whole of the apparatus, is represented in the Drawing
hereto annexed, and shewn in several Figures, of which Fig. 1 is an end view
of the vat; a, a, a, a, being in section; Fig. 2, a side view of the same; and
Fig. 3, a top view; the similar letters referring to corresponding parts of the
apparatus in all the three Figures. I provide long planks A, A, of about three
inches thick and eleven inches deep, or several planks connected together at
their ends so as to constitute a sufficient length when placed edgeway's along the
bottom of the vat or cisterns to reach or extend the whole length of the vat or
cistern. These planks are to stand in parallel rows at the distance of from two
to three feet apart, and have mortice holes cut through them in the manner
described in the Drawing, in order to receive the bottom press bars, as herein-
after described. The bars which communicate the pressure are made and used
in the following manner, and are distinguished by the following names, viz',
the main bottom bars B, B; the main top screw bars C, C; the bottom cross
bars D, D; the top cross bars E, E; the top saddle bars F, F; and the
bottom saddle bars K, K; and the sister bars G, G. The main bottom
bars B, B, are placed across the vat or cistern through the mortice holes H, II,
in the planks A, A; the bottom cross bars D, D, are placed in like manner
across the vat or cistern and rest in the notches I, I, I, I; 'the bottom saddle
bars K, K, are placed lengthways of the vat or cistern, each of them resting
or laying upon one of the main bottom bars B, at about the middle or center
of each main bottom bar; and the ends of the bottom saddle bars K press
under the middle of the bottom cross bars; the sister bars G, G, are placed in

page_text: notches made in each end of the main bottom bars B; a pin is then passed.
through holes made in the main bottom bars and through the sister bars G, G,
by which pin they are connected together; I then provide boards, which I
call press boards, for the purpose of pressing the cloth.. In making these press
boards, I take a supposed given length of twenty-one yards long and sixty-
three inches wide, as enabling me to give a more clear and distinct description
both of making, the apparatus as well as of carrying on the process, but
I claim the right of employing the same kind of apparatus to cloths of all
lengths and breadths. For this purpose I saw out beech or other suitable
boards of about three-quarters of an inch thick, and about nine feet long, and
as wide as the timber will permit, which I recommend to be placed transversely
or diagonally upon and across the edges of the planks A, A. The beech or
other suitable boards are carefully jointed to each other and dowelled together,
and their ends are then sawed off to make the press boards of the required
breadth. In order to keep the joints of the beech or other suitable boards
firmly together thin brass or other plates are screwed or otherwise fastened
across the joints upon the ends of the boards; the whole surface of the press
board is then made smooth. In or upon these thin brass or other plates small
studs or hooks are fixed, to which the chains and the irons L, L, are to be attached
in order to move the press boards when required. At the height of about ten
feet from the bottom of the vat, beams are placed across the building in which
the vat is situated for the purpose of supporting the machinery by which the
press
boards are to be drawn up and let down and remove:l from or brought to
the vat. This machine for raising and carrying the press boards is intended to
be moved on the beams by toothed pinions P, taking into racks Q, fixed to the
beams. The method of moving a press board to or from the vat or cistern is
by attaching the chains and irons to the hooks or studs, when by turning the
wheels M, M, the shafts N, N, with the sheaves 0, 0, upon them are put in
motion, whereby the chains L, L, are wound round the sheaves O, O, and the
press board is thereby raised up or let down. In order to move the press
board sideways after, it is wound up, the shafts with the sheaves O, O, are
mounted in the carriages R, R; these carriages are moved along the beams
by turning the handle of the pinion shaft P, which pinion taking into the
rack Q, causes the machinery to travel along the beam, observing that on the
top of each of the beams grooves are made to guide antifriction rollers placed
under the carriages R. In order to place the cloth in the vat ready to be
operated upon (it having been previously raised or rowd at the gig mill, it is
laid flat upon a press board, care being taken not to disturb the face of the

page_text: cloth; another press board is then placed upon the cloth, and then another
cloth is laid upon the second press board, and again anotlier press board is
placed upon the cloth, and so on, a cloth and a press board may be placed
alternately until so many cloths as may be convenient be laid or placed in the
press: When the required number of cloths are placed in press (á préss board
being the last at top); the top cross bars E are placed across the upper press
board; the top saddle bars F, F, are then placed or laid lengthways of the vat
of cistern and made to lay or rest upon the top cross bars; the main top screw
bar C is then placed across the top saddle bars F, and the sister bars G; G,
being attached to the top main screw bars C in the same manner as they are
described to have been attached to the main bottom bars; the screws S; S; as
shewn in the main top screw bars C; are then turned so as to press the top
saddle bars F; F; by which means the top cross bars E are pressed down, and
at the same time the sister bars G, G; by drawing up the main bottom bars B;
force or raise up the bottom saddle bars K, K, and also the bottom cross bars;
whereby an equal degree of pressure is given and received at the top and
bottom of the press boards:
I wish it to be observed that, though I have heré described the pressure as
being obtained by means of tlie screws S, yet I do not intend to confine myself
to the use of screws under all circumstances, as an effective pressure. might be
obtained by the application of levers with weights, or by the immediate force of
gravitation, or by some other contrivances. The press being screwed tight and
the lid of the vat or cistern placed tliereon; steam from a boiler is conducted
along the bottom of the vat or cistern by a pipe, which pipe; having small holes
nádé in it at regular distances, will permit the steam to pass into the cistern
whereby a regular heat is produced therein. When it may be preferred to
boil or scald the cloth in water, the vat or cistern is to be filled with water
sufficiently high to cover the press boards and the cloth, and the water to be
inade liot by any of the methods usually adopted for such purpose. The degrees
of heat must be regulated according to tlie colors of the cloths under opération;
cloths in a white state may receive ás high as two hundred and twelve degrees
of heat Fahrenheit, but above one hundred and sixty degrees will endanger the
colors of blues; black and brown colors will bear one hundred and sixty degrees,
or some of the best dyed black and brown colors will not be injured
at 'one hundred and eighty degrees, or even higher; the more delicate colors
will not bear so high a heat, but they are to be regulated in regard to
the degrees of heat in the same manner and in the same proportions as
the heat is increased or decreased upon colored cloths when they are sub-

page_text: mitted to the usual practice of boiling, scalding, or steaming colored cloths
when rolled upon rollers. The time allowed for the process should be
about six hours after the heat is up to the degrees stated above (that
is to say), for black cloth when the steam or water has acquired about one
hundred and sixty degrees of heat, that heat should be continued about six
hours; and the same rule should be observed in regard to the heat required for
other colors, that is, reckoning six hours from the time at which the heat
necessary for each color is up to the degrees stated above. The operation may
be repeated one, two, or môro timës, or even oftener when it be wished to
obtain a higher lustre; or when the cloth has been submitted to the operation
one or more times it may with advantage be rolled and boiled or scalded
in the usual manner. The cloth should be taken out of press between each
time of performing the operation, allowing it first to have become perfectly
cold, and after being taken out it is to be run up at the gig mill with plenty
of wauter.
The above, described methods of placing a board .between each cloth will
give a particular style of face to the cloth, which may also be done in a manner
nearly as advantageous by placing two cloths between each press board in the
following manner, that is, by laying or placing a cloth with its face side down-
wards upon the press board, and a second cloth being laid or placed with its back
upon the back of the former; both of these cloths will, upon a press board being
laid or placed upon them, receive the pressure of a press board upon their face
sides. Two cloths and one press board may thus be continued alternately in
the same manner as with cloths laid or placed singly between the press boards,
as described above. Instead of laying or placing the cloths in press in either
of the above described modes or methods a cloth may be laid upon the lower
press board, a second cloth may then be laid or placed upon the first, and
then a third upon the second, and so on, cloths may be placed or placed in
succession upon each other till the required number be in press, when a press
board being laid or placed upon them, and the press being set and screwed,
they may receive the process of boiling, scalding, or steaming.
And, lastly, I consider that inasmuch as this my improved machinery or
apparatus, when employed as above described, affords the means of effecting an
improvement in the dressing of woollen cloths, and avoids the creases or fold
marks produced by the short presses hitherto in use, and that, as this my
Invention is an improvement upon the process of dressing of woollen cloths (as
hitherto carried on or effected by the said short presses), I am entitled to all
the priviledges and advantages which may accrue or arise from the exclusive

page_text: use of this my apparatus or machinery, which I claim as new in its con-
structions and application to the purpose of pressing cloth while: under the
operation of boiling, scalding, or steaming.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Gethen, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this-Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty..
THOMAS (L.s.) GETHEN.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-first day of May, in
the eleventh year of the reign of His Majesty King George the Fourth, the
said Thomas Gethen came before our said Lord the King, in His Chancery,
and acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the
fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Twenty-first day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty.