IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING WOOLLEN CLOTH
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Fulcran Peyre and Michel Dolques, of
Lodéve, Department of L'Herault, in France, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING WOOLLEN CLOTH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Fulcran Peyre
and Michel Dolques at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 24th December 1852.
We, FULCRAN PEYRE & MICHEL DOLQUES, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR DRESSING WOOLLEN CLOTH" to be as follows:-
Our improvements in machinery for dressing woollen cloth
consist, first, in constructing the teasling or carding machine
employed for raising the nap with two cylinders (instead of a
single one as at present constructed), which cylinders, by means of
suitable gearing, may be caused to revolve at pleasure in the same
or in opposite directions, according to the nature of the cloth
operated opon and the degree of dressing required. When the
cylinders revolve in opposite directions, they raise the
taneously in opposite directions, without its being necessary to
nap simul-

page_text: turn the cloth for that purpose, whereby much time and labor are
saved, and the cloth is less worn. Our improvements consist,
further, in combining together a machine for raising the nap with a
shearing machine (each of any construction which may be pre-
ferred), so that the two operations of raising the nap and shearing
the cloth may be performed simultaneously in the same machine,
instead of removing the cloth from the one machine to the other,
and also in adapting to the shearing machine the means of suspend-
ing its action when the workman deems it requisite.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Fulcran Peyre and Michel Dolques
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd June 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
FULCRAN PEYRE and MICHEL DOLQUES, of Lodéve, Department of
L'Herault, in France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Fulcran Peyre and Michel
Dolques, Her special licence that we, the said Fulcran Peyre and
Michel Dolques, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Fulcran Peyre and Michel Dolques, our
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 FOR DRESSING WOOLLEN CLOTH," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Fulcran Peyre
and Michel Dolques, or one of us, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of
us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the

page_text: 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 immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the Fulcran Peyre and Michel Dol-
ques, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon, observing that the same letters
indicate the same parts in each figure.
Our improvements in machinery for dressing woollen cloth
consist, firstly, in combining together a machine for raising the
nap with a shearing machine, each of any construction which may
be preferred, so that the two operations of raising the nap and
shearing the cloth may be performed simultaneously in the same
machine, instead of removing the cloth from the one machine to
the other; and in adapting to the shearing machine the means of
suspending its action when the workman deems it requisite.
Secondly, in constructing the teasling or carding machine
employed for raising the nap with two cylinders (instead of a
single one as at present constructed), which cylinders, by means of
suitable gearing, may be caused to revolve at pleasure in opposite
or in the same directions, according to the nature of the cloth
operated upon and the degree of dressing required. When the
cylinders revolve in opposite directions, they raise the nap simul-
taneously in opposite directions, without its being necessary to
turn the cloth for that purpose, whereby much time and labor arc
saved, and the cloth is less worn.
Thirdly (in connection with our combined teasling and shearing
machine), the introduction of apparatus whereby the water may be
expressed from the cloth, when, as in the ordinary carding or
teasling machines, a moistening apparatus is employed; and, lastly,
the heating of the dressing cylinders by steam or hot air.
Figure 1, is an elevation, and Figure 2, a. ground plan, of our

page_text: improved machinery. The red circles denote spur wheels at the pitch
line. A, is the frame. B, drawing rollers covered with felt for
advancing the cloth. C, a screw for regulating the pressure of the
upper drawing roller against the two lower rollers to draw forward
the cloth D (colored blue), submitted to the operation. E, guide
rollers, regulated at pleasure by the handle g, and holding the cloth
at a greater or less distance from the carding drums. E¹, a roller,
whose position is regulated by the handle d, to bring the cloth
towards the carding drum F¹. F, F¹, drums for raising the nap
covered with teasles or cards, and revolving at pleasure, either in
the same or in opposite directions to one another. When both.
drums are required to move in the same direction, the wheel G" is
to be placed upon its axis fixed in the frame of the machine, the
plummer blocks, and the wheel G¹, which they support, being at
the same time withdrawn, by means of the screws a, moved by the
handle b, fixed upon the shaft of the bevilled wheel c.
To cause
the drums to revolve in opposite directions to each other, the wheel
G¹¹ must be removed, and the wheel G¹ brought into gear with the
wheel G, by means of the screws a, a. G, G¹, spur wheels com-
municating the motion from the first drum to the second G, being
fixed upon the drum F, and G¹ upon the drum F¹. (Note, each
of these wheels carries a pulley which commands, by means of a
strap, the one the shearing cylinder P, and the other the "turning
up roller" U). H, spur wheels transmitting motion from the drum
F, to the first of the drawing rollers B. I, I, spur wheels com-
municating the motion of the first drawing roller to the second.
J, J, spur wheels driving the endless web, K, which carries the
cloth. L, L, supporting rollers for the endless web. M, M, con-
ducting rollers to the piece of cloth. N, a brake, to arrest or retard
at pleasure the motion of the wheels M. O, O, bearings of the shearing
cylinder. P, the shearing cylinder fitted with helical steel cutters.
Q, a fixed steel blade, with which the shearing cylinder comes in
contact. R, bearings or supports of the fixed blade. S, the driving
pulley of the shearing cylinder. T, an angular table upon which
the shearing cylinder is adjusted to shear the nap of the piece of

page_text: cloth submitted to the operation. V, a roller fitted with brushes
or cards, turning in an opposite direction to the nap, and raising it
or turning it back to be shorn. V, a roller over which the piece of
cloth passes, and serving to stretch it between the roller X, and the
piece of wood with rounded edges Y. X, roller under which the
piece of cloth passes to rise up again over the piece of wood Y,
which unfolds the piece of cloth. Z, the mechanism for raising or
lowering the shearing cylinder, in order to bring it into or throw it
out of action by pressing with the foot upon the lever attached to it.
R¹, R', cones to facilitate the carding of the lists, and which may be
raised or lowered by means of the adjustable bearings in which they
revolve. T, watering tube for moistening the cloth when requisite.
a, screw for throwing the wheels G, and G¹, into or out of gear;
b, handle for throwing the bevilled wheel c, into or out of gear;
c, bevilled wheel for turning the screws a; d, handle for advancing
or withdrawing the roller E', towards or from the cloth, to raise the
nap by the drum F¹; g, handle to move the rollers E, E, towards
or from the carding cylinders; e, e, two squeezing rollers, or hollow
cylinders covered with felt and perfectly cylindrical, for pressing
the water from the cloth. They are placed one above the other,
and press with more or less force against each other by means of a
regulating screw, which raises or lowers the upper cylinder, the
lower cylinder revolving in stationary bearings.
When the squeezing rollers are comprized in the construction of
the machine, the roller X, is replaced by the lower squeezing roller,
the cloth passing between the squeezing rollers (as denoted by
dotted blue lines), instead of passing under the roller X, as above
described.
In addition to these squeezing rollers, we sometimes construct
our improved dressing machines with a provision for heating the
cylinders by steam or hot air to help to dry the cloth, so as to
facilitate the shearing of the cloth.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the
manner of carrying the same into effect, we would observe, that we
do not confine ourselves to the precise forms and arrangements

page_text: described, as they may be variously modified without departing
from the principle of our Invention; but we claim as our improve-
ments in machinery for dressing woollen cloth,―
Firstly, the combination in one machine of an apparatus for
teasling or raising the nap on cloth with a shearing machine; also
the means of suspending the action of the shearing cylinder.
Secondly, the combination of two dressing cylinders of any
suitable construction, and capable of moving in opposite directions
the one to the other, so as to raise the nap simultaneously in
opposite directions.
Thirdly, the employment of an apparatus (in conjunction with a
combined dressing and shearing machine) for expressing the water
from the cloth when a moistening apparatus is employed; and,
Lastly, the heating the dressing cylinders by steam or hot air.
In witness, whereof, we, the said Fulcran Peyre and Michel
Dolques, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thir-
teenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
RENÉ FOURNIER.
FULCRAN PEYRE.
(L.S.)
MICHEL DOLQUES. (L.S.)