IM- PROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR FINISHING TEXTILE AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Dickinson Edleston, of the firm of Holmes and
Company, of Halifax, in the County of York, Dyer and Finisher, and
Henry Gledhill, of the same Place, Finisher, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR FINISHING TEXTILE AND OTHER
FABRICS"
Sealed the 22nd July 1862, and dated the 25th January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Dickinson Edleston and
Henry Gledhill at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 25th January 1862.
We, DICKINSON EDLESTON, of the firm of Holmes and Company, of Halifax,
in the County of York, Dyer and Finisher, and HENRY GLEDHILL, of the same
Place, Finisher, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR FINISHING TEXTILE AND OTHER FABRICS,"
to be as follows -
This Invention relates to that part or process in finishing textile and other
fabrics, known as singeing; which heretofore has been effected by passing them
over and in contact with a hot plate of iron or other metal, technically called.
a "singe plate;" or by passing such fabrics over and in contact with the flames
of gas, by which means the loose or projecting fibres are burnt off the surfaces. :
These improvements consist; in the employment of the flames arising from the >

page_text: combustion of coke or cinder, coal, wood, or other combustible matter or
material in such manner that fabrics may be passed over and in contact there-
with, whereby the singeing of fabrics is effected with great facility and at a
considerable reduction in the cost. A furnace for the combustion of the fuel
of suitable size and form, is provided with a slit or slits, or with perforations
in the top for the flames to pass through. Air is admitted to the furnace,
either with or without blast rollers, and suitable framing are provided for
traversing the fabrics over the flame, such parts being capable of adjustment
as may be required.
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Dickinson Edleston and Henry Gledhill, in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 23rd July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, DICK-
INSON.EDLESTON, of the firm of Holmes and Company, of Halifax, in the County
of York, Dyer and Finisher, and HENRY GLEDHILL, of the same Place, Finisher,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Dickinson Edleston and Henry Gledhill, Her special license that
we, the said Dickinson Edleston and Henry Gledhill, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as. we, the said Dickinson Edleston and
Henry Gledhill, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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
MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR FINISHING TEXTILE AND OTHER FABRICS," upon the
condition, amongst others, that we, the said Dickinson Edleston and Henry
Gledbill, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or their, or one of our or 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 immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Dickinson Edleston and Henry
Gledhill, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement (that is to say):-
. This Invention relates to that part or process, in finishing textile and other
fabrics, known as singeing, which heretofore has been effected by passing them
over and in contact with a hot plate of iron, or other metal, technically called
a singe plate, or by passing such fabrics over and, in contact with the flames
of gas, by which means the loose or projecting fibres are burnt off the surfaces.
These improvements consist in the employment of the flames arising from the
combustion of coke or cinder, coal, wood, or other combustible matter or
material, in such manner that fabrics may be passed over and in contact there-
with, whereby the singeing of fabrics is effected with great facility and at a
considerable reduction in the cost. A furnace for the combustion of the fuel
of suitable size and form is provided with a slit or slits, or with perforations
in the top for the flames to pass through. Air is admitted to the furnace
either with or without blast. Rollers and suitable framing are provided for
traversing the fabrics over the flame, such parts being capable of adjustment
as may be required.
By reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, the Invention will be
clearly understood. Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section of the apparatus shewing
the construction and the manner in which it is employed. A is the furnace
which is built of brick, in length sufficient for the widest fabrics, the interior
being of fire-brick so as to resist the intense heat of the fuel, B, which by
preference is coke or cinder; C is a slit along the top through which the
flames pass; and D is a fire-brick plate or cover, resting upon corbels or pro-
jections from the sides of furnace to prevent the small coke from passing out,
the flames passing out on each side thereof; E are loose covers placed over
the slit or aperture, capable of sliding endwise so as to make the opening in
length equal to the width of the fabrics to be singed; F are flues; and G are
branches therefrom to admit air to the fuel or fire, the outer ends being closed
by doors which can be removed for poking or stirring up the fire. The arrange-
ments of these flues will be seen at Fig. 2, which is a horizontal section of the
furnace, with a fan H, for forcing air into the fire, through the aperture I, and
the flues F, G. Fuel is fed to the furnace at the door J, and there is also
another door under it for removing the clinkers when required. The manner
of using the apparatus is as follows:-The fabrics to be singed are placed
upon the table K, one end passing over the roller L, under the roller M
over the rail N and scraper-rail O, betwixt the nipping rollers P, P, thence

page_text: over the rollers Q and R, betwixt the rollers S, S, which are suspended
in arms T, having an oscillatory motion given thereto which distributes the
fabrics in folds on the table again. It will be seen that as the fabric passes or
is caused to travel over the furnace, the flames issuing through the slit or
aperture in the top, will act on the surface of the fabric and singe or burn off
the loose fibres, and the scraper removes the singe dust or ashes from the
surface thereof. The rail N and scraper O may be adjusted or set to any
position on the stands U and V which support them, so as to place the fabric
.nearer to or further from the slit or aperture of the furnace, according to the
effect required to be produced.
In witness whereof, I, the said Dickinson Edleston, for and on behalf
of myself and the said Henry Gledhill, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-two.
DICKINSON EDLESTON. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the within-named Dickinson
Edleston, in the presence of
W. TASKER, Patent Agent,.
Halifax.