IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING WOOLLEN, WORSTED, SILK, AND OTHER WOVEN FABRICS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Firth, Machine Maker, of Huddersfield, and
John Wilson, Finisher, of Mirfield, in the West Riding of the County
of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING WOOLLEN,
WORSTED, SILK, AND OTHER WOVEN FABRICS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN."
Sealed the 16th January 1855, and dated the 22nd July 1854..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Firth and John
Wilson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 22nd July 1854.
We, THOMAS FIRTH, of Huddersfield, and JOHN WILSON, of Mirfield, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING
WOOLLEN, WORSTED, SILK, AND OTHER WOVEN FABRICS, AND IN THE APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to that part or process in "finishing". commonly
known as "pressing," and consists of heating the "papers" used for that
purpose previous to "papering," in a box or vessel, provided with perforated
partitions, for holding the papers and separating them from coils or serpentine
steam pipes, which circulate alternately betwixt the partitions, for the
of heating the papers.
purpose

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Firth and John Wilson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd.January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
FIRTH, Machine Maker, of Huddersfield, and JOHN WILSON, Finisher, of
Mirfield, in the West Riding of the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Thomas Firth and John Wilson, Her special licence that we, the said
Thomas Firth and John Wilson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Thomas Firth and John Wilson, 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 FINISHING WOOLLEN, WORSTED,
SILK, AND OTHER WOVEN FABRICS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Firth and
John Wilson, 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 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 Royal
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Firth and John Wilson, 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):-
Our said Invention relates to that part or process of finishing woven fabrics
generally called "pressing," and consists of heating the papers used in that
process (as well as the metal plates), and placing or introducing them in or
between the foldings of the fabric, by which we obtain a better and more equal
finish than is obtained by the present method, as well as economising both
time and fuel. Heretofore the metal plates only have been heated in an oven
by means of fire, and the papers being used in a cold state, the plates required.
to be heated to a great temperature to diffuse sufficient heat throughout the
entire mass of papers and fabrics after being placed in the press, by which they

page_text: were sometimes so burnt or over heated as to render the papers useless, and
reduce the value of the fabrics. By our Invention, we heat the papers by
placing them in a box or vessel, so constructed that steam can circulate
through pipes or hollow apparatus, forming compartments for holding the
papers, by which contrivance they are heated without danger of being burnt or
injured. By this plan the metal plates will not require to be heated to so great
a temperature, therefore they can be heated in the same apparatus, and thus
dispense with the use of a press oven.
This our Invention will be clearly understood by reference to the accompany-
ing Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of the
heating box or vessel; Fig. 2, an end elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a front
view with the doors open, shewing the steam apparatus, which in this case
consists of hollow plates or tanks for steam; Fig. 4 is a sectional plan with
serpentine pipes; Fig. 5, a perforated partition plate placed on the steam
pipes to hold the papers; and Fig. 6 is a sectional plan, taken through one of
the hollow plates or tanks in Fig. 3.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of our said Invention,
we desire it to be distinctly understood that we do not confine ourselves to the
precise details thereof, as such may be varied or modified without departing
from the principle of the same; but we claim as our Invention, and which, to
the best of our knowledge and belief, has not been hitherto used within this
realm,―
Firstly, the use of hot papers (heated by steam, as herein described,)
between the folds of the fabric to be pressed, in conjunction with hot plates.
And, secondly, the general arrangement and construction of the steam
apparatus for heating the same, as such improvements are herein described,
and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Firth and John Wilson, have
hereunto set our bands and seals, this Twentieth day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
TE
FIRIH. (L.B.).
JOHN WILSON. (L.B.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-named
Thomas Firth and John Wilson, in the presence of
WM TASKEB,
Patent Agent, Halifax.