IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND STRETCHING WOOLLEN FABRICS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Albert Wydler, of the Belfield Printing Works, near
Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND STRETCHING WOOLLEN
FABRICS."
Sealed the 17th January 1865, and dated the 26th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION filed by the said Albert Wydler, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th July 1864.
I, ALBERT WYDLER, of the Belfield Printing Works, near Rochdale, in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND STRETCHING
WOOLLEN FABRICS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in causing the fabric to be operated upon to pass
between two or more sets of heated chambers placed under or forming part of
the stretching machine, the fabric when dry is taken over a perforated steam
pipe covered with flannel or other suitable material to distribute the steam
evenly and to prevent the passage of water, the action of the steam prepares
the fabric for being stretched both lengthwise and in width.

page_text: The stretching machinery consists of two endless chains or straps fur-
nished with needle points, the chains passing around toothed pulleys and
fitting in grooved side rails or otherwise, the distance between which is
governed by screws or other equivalents according to the intended width of the
fabric, and one or more perforated steam pipes are applied to the stretching
machine to heat and moisten the fabric previous to or when it has been stretched
to the desired width. The fabric is stretched lengthwise by applying more or
Jess friction to the shaft of the chain pulleys at the feeding end of the machine,
when the fabric is taken off the stretching machine it is plaited down or
otherwise disposed of.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Albert Wydler, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALBERT
WYDLER, of the Belfield Printing Works, near Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Albert Wydler, Her special license that I, the said Albert
Wydler, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Albert Wydler, 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 MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND STRETCHING WOOLLEN FABRICS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Albert Wydler, my ex-
ecutors 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 per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Albert Wydler, 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 (that is to say) :-
My Invention consists in causing the fabric to be operated upon to pass over
one or more heated chambers placed under or forming part of the stretching
machine, the fabric is taken over one or more perforated steam pipes covered
with flannel or other suitable material to distribute the steam evenly and to
prevent the passage of water, the action of the steam prepares the fabric for
being stretched both lengthwise and in width.
The stretching machinery consists of two endless chains or straps, furnished
with needle points, the chains passing around toothed pulleys, and fitting in
grooved side rails or otherwise, the distance between which is governed by screws
or other equivalents according to the intended width of the fabric. The fabric is
stretched lengthwise by applying more or less friction to the shaft of the chain
pulleys at the feeding end of the machine or otherwise. When the fabric is
taken off the stretching machine it is plaited down or otherwise disposed of. :
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily carried
into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation; and Figure 2 a plan of my improved machinery
and apparatus for drying and stretching fabrics. The fabric to be acted upon
is brought to the machine on the truck a, or it is placed on the floor or brought
on & roller if more convenient; it is then taken over and under the stretching
bars 6, 6, from the last of these it goes to the swivel bars C, which can be set
to give more or less drag to the fabric which then descends to the rollers d
and d', between which is the perforated steam pipe 6, covered with flannel or
other suitable material to prevent the escape of water, the fabric after passing
under the roller d ascends to the guide rod f; in this rod are two guide pins
against which the selvages are held by the attendants sitting on the bench g;
the fabric is then pressed on to the needle points of the chains h by the press
rollers; the chains h pass around the pulleys ; which are adjustable on the
shaft j', and the distance between the press rollers i is regulated by the right
and left handed screws 2. The chains h are supported in the grooved guide
rails k which are hinged together at intervals and capable of lateral adjustment
according to the width of the fabric, by right and left handed screws, as in
stretching machines of the ordinary construction. Between the guide rails k,
is placed the chamber which is heated by steam or otherwise. From the

page_text: chamber the steam is taken into the perforated pipe m which is covered with
flannel or other suitable material, the perforated pipe e is also supplied with
steam by a branch pipe from the pipé m.
I wish to remark here that the pressure of the steam must be regulated
according to the peculiar fabric under operation: A progressive motion is given
to the chains h, and consequently to the fabric, in the direction of the arrows,
by the toothed pulleys n, which are fixed by set screws or otherwise to the
shaft n', to this shaft is also fixed the toothed wheel n² which is driven by
the pinion o fixed to the driving shaft o', This shaft may be put in motion by
the direct action of a small steam engine, as shewn in Figure 1, or in any other
convenient manner.
When the fabric leaves the chains h it is taken over the
rod p and roller q to the plaiting down rollers r, supported in the swing frame¹
by which it is plaited down, or the fabric may be wound on a roller or other-
wise disposed of. Near the chain pulleys n is the roller & which is placed
above the chains to lift the fabric off the needle points in case the selvages
should catch upon them. In the present instance the side rails k are hinged
together in three places, the two first and two last pair of rails being tapered
towards each other at the ends of the machine to afford facility in putting the
selvages on and taking them off the needle points and the two intermediate
lengths of side rails are parallel to each other or nearly so. I wish to remark
here that the number and length of the side rails may be varied.
The mode of operation is as follows:-The fabric is first partially distended
and elongated by the action of the bars b and c, and it is softened and rendered
capable of being further elongated by the steam escaping from the pipe e.
When the fabric arrives at the guide rod f it is in a fit condition for being
secured to the needle points of the chains h. When the fabric passes over the
perforated pipe m, the heat and moisture escaping from it acting on the fabric
prepare it to receive its final expansion in width, as the fabric passes over the
steam chamber it is dried and stretched to its full extent, and then it is re-
moved from the machine and plaited down or otherwise disposed of as above
described.
I wish to observe that although I have shewn only two perforated steam
pipes e and m and one steam chest or other heating chamber I do not limit
myself to the particular number shewn, and I also wish to remark that the
steam escaping from the pipes e. and m, not only prepares the fabrics for being
elongated and widened, but also improves their colour, and imparts the
required finish.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention and described the manner

page_text: of performing the same I declare that I claim the general combination and
arrangement of the machinery and apparatus as shewn and described for drying
and stretching fabrics and particularly the application of perforated steam
pipes to machinery for stretching and finishing fabrics.
In witness whereof, I the said Albert Wydler, have hereto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-five.
ALBERT WYDLER. (L.S.)