IMPROVE-. MENTS IN THE TREATMENT OR FINISHING OF TEXTILE FABRICS AND MATERIALS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Campbell, of Bowfield, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Bleacher, for the Invention of IMPROVE-
.
MENTS IN THE TREATMENT OR FINISHING OF TEXTILE FABRICS AND
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 13th April 1853, and dated the 5th February 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Campbell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th February 1853..
I, JOHN CAMPBELL, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OR FINISHING OF TEXTILE FABRICS
AND MATERIALS" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates.to the treatment of fabrics of the muslin and
other classes by what is technically known as the "grassing machine"
for the purpose of singeing off the loose fibres, and giving the threads
of the goods a cleaned finished appearance. Instead of simply passing
the fabric through the flames of a row of gas burners, or over a heated
metal plate, as in the usual way, the two principles of the gas flame and

page_text: gas
heated metal surface are combined according to these improvements.
The fabric is led down from above in a perpendicular direction through
a slotted guide, and it is then passed beneath a copper tube, either
fixed or revolving, stretching across the machine immediately over
the row of gas flames. To aid the singeing action it is also proposed
to pass gas into the heated singeing tube, so that by supplying atmo-
spheric air the gas may be consumed in the tube to create a great addi-
tional singeing power. And this tube may also be made of a helical or
spiral form, with a sharp edge to act, somewhat like a spiral cutting
knife, so that as the fabric passes over it the edges act as strong
clearers of thic singing fibres, and produce a cleaner fabric. The, is
supplied to the tube, with an air pipe attached to give the necessary
amount of air to the lights, the air being made to act directly on each
flame. By this means the fabric is effectively singed on both sides, the
lower side being done by the flames direct, whilst the upper side is
done by the radiating heat derived, in the first instance, from the flames
beneath. Previous to passing through the flame the loose pile or fibres
are raised so as to stand up free of the main body of the goods, by
passing the latter. over or between a series of revolving brushes
arranged so as to give a drag to the surface, and present the loose
fibres in the best condition for being singed clear off. Or, instead of
this arrangement, the cloth or other fabric under treatment may be
passed over or round a series of sharp edges to effect the same purpose,
of raising the fibres which are to be removed. After passing through
the actual singeing process, a sucking or blowing action, produced by a
fan or other suitable means, is employed to carry off the loose singed
particles as they are detached from the body of the goods. Or a
shaking action may be employed to disengage these loose particles by
applying a revolving dasher beneath the passing fabric to give the
latter a rapid rise and fall, so that the singed particles may be easily
carried off by the usual sucking action of a funnel overhead. Or currents
may be created on both sides of the run of the goods so as to suck off
the dust and loose matter in the dry heated state, the essential object
of the whole plan being, first, the presenting the fibres to the burning
action in the best possible condition, then the combined rise of the

page_text: flame and heated metal surface in duplex singeing, and, finally, the
shaking free and driving effectually off the loose singed matter. By
this means great economy in the singing heat is secured, whilst the
singeing operation is more effectually accomplished and at a quicker rate
than by the existing systems. It is obvious that this system of gassing
or finishing is applicable to yarns, lace, and other articles requiring the
removal of the loose fibres..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Campbell in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 4th August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN CAMPBELL, of Bowfield, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Bleacher, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Campbell, Her special license
that I, the said John Campbell, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Campbell, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the terin
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make; use, exercise,
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE TREATMENT OR FINISHING OF TEXTILE FABRICS AND MATERIALS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Campbell, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
mantier 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 I, the said John Campbell, do hereby de-

page_text: clare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner, the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
:
My said Invention relates to the treatment of fabrics of the muslin
and other classes by what is technically. known as the "gassing
machine," for the purpose of. singeing off-the loose fibres, and giving
the threads of the goods. a clean finished appearance. Instead of
simp'y passing the fabric through the flames of a row of gas burners,
crver a heated metal plate, as in the usual way, the two principles of
the gas flame and heated metal surface are combined according to
these improvements. The fabric is led down from above in or near a
perpendicular direction through a slotted or other guide, and it is then
passed beneath a copper tube, either fixed or revolving, stretching
across the machine immediately over the row of gas flames. To aid
the singeing action it is also proposed to pass gas into the heated
singeing tube, so that by supplying atmospheric air the gas may be
consumed in the tube to create a great additional singeing power, and
this tube may also be made of a helical or spiral.form, with a sharp
edge to act somewhat like a spiral cutting. knife, so that as the fabric
passes over it the edges act as strong clearers of the singeing fibres,
and produce a cleaner fabric. The gas is supplied to the tube, with an
air pipe attached to give the necessary amount of air to the lights, the
air being made to act directly on each flame. By this means the
fabric is effectively singed on both sides, the lower side being done by
the flames direct, whilst the upper side is done by the radiating heat
derived in the first instance from the flames beneath. Previous to
passing through the flame the loose pile or fibres are raised so as to
stand up free of the main body of the goods, by passing the latter over
or between a series of revolving brushes or roughened surfaces arranged
so as to give a drag to the surface, and present the loose fibres in the
best condition for being singed clear off; or, instead of this arrange-
ment, the cloth or other fabric under treatment may be passed over or
round a series of sharp edges to effect the same purpose of raising the

page_text: fibres which are to be removed; after passing through the actual
singeing process a "sucking or blowing. action, produced by a fan or
other suitable micans, is employed to carry off the loose singed particles
as they are detached from the body of the goods, or a shaking action
may he employed, to disengage these loose particles, by applying a
revolving dasher beneath the passing fabric to give the latter a rapid
rise and fall, so that the singed particles may be easily carried off' by the
usual sucking action of a funnel overhead; or currents may be created
on both sides of the ruin of the goods so as to suck off the dust and
loose-matter in the dry heated state, the essential object of the whole
plan being, first, tlie presenting the fibres to the burning-action in ther
best possible condition, then the combined rise of the flame and heated
metal surface in duplex singeing, and, finally, the shaking free and
driving effectually off the loose singel matter. By this means great
economy in the singeing. heat is secured, whilst, the singeing operation
is more effectually accomplished, and at a quicker rate than by the
existing systems. It is obvious that this system of gassing
finishing is applicable to yarns, lace, and other articles requiring the
removal of the loose fibres. **
or
Figure 1, on my Sheet of Drawings is a complete front or end
elevation of one modification of my improved gassing machine; Figure
2, is a side view of the machine; and Figure 3, is a plan of the same.
corresponding. The framing of this machine consists of the parallel
standards A, connected together in the usual manner by transverse
tic rods, and contrived to carry the whole of the mechanism which is
actuated by the cross shaft B, carrying the fast and loose band pulley's
C, and revolving in end bearings on the top of the framing. The
opposite end of this shaft carries a spur wheel D, which gears
with the small spur pinnion E, fast on the outer projecting end of
the large drum or roller beam F, covered with flannel or rough
cloth to give frictional adhesion to the passing fabric G. The two ends
of the shaft of the beam F,,rest in the bottoms of the slotted standards
II, and the upward continuation of the slots in these standards affords.
a guide for the spindle ends of the upper pressing roller I, which also
has a rough surface, and hears by its weight upon the cloth as the

page_text: latter passes through the machine. The arrows indicate the course of
the fabric undergoing the singeing operation. It first passes through
or between a series of roughened rollers or rotatory brushes J; K, the
number of which may be extended to any desired amount. These
rollers or rougheners are carried in fixed bearings upon or close to the
machine, and their acting surfaces are made rough by a coating of
emery or in any other convenient manner. The fabric entering at L,
passes, first, beneath one roller K, so that its upper side may be acted
upon by the roughened surface, and then over the top of the roller J, in
order that its under or reverse side may be similarly disintegrated. It then
proceeds onward over the upper side of another roughening roller m,
also revolving in bearings in the fixed standards in the framing, and
then descends beneath the first hot cylinder or rod N; acting in connec-
tion with the first row of gas burners O. By this arrangement the upper
side of the fabric is subjected to the direct action of the gas flames O,
whilst the opposite side is exposed to the heat of the roller or bar N.
From this point the piece proceeds over the top of the next roughening
roller P, carried in stationary bearings like the preceding ones, so that
the gas singed side of the piece is further cleared by this rough action.
The fabric now further descends and passes beneath this rough roller Q,
and then ascends over the next rough roller R, from which point it
passes beneath the second heated cylinder or bar S, whilst its lower
surface is subjected to the action of the gas flames T, beneath. In this
way the actions are alternated, so that each side of the fabric is equally
signed and acted on by the corresponding overhead heater. The
singeing gas is supplied by a vertical side pipe U, terminating at its
upper end in a short horizontal pipe V, fitted with stop cocks W, for
regulating the flow of gas to the two lines of burners or gas jets O, T,
which may be arranged in any convenient and ordinary manner. The
main pipe U, has also a stop cock X, fitted in it for the regulation of
the main gas supply accordingly as the overhead heated bars are
elevated or depressed, the lever of this stop cock being linked by the
piece Y, to the cross head Z, of the overhead bars. In the present
instance the overhead heaters N, S, are supposed to be hollow rotatory
tubes or cylinders of copper contrived to revolve with the passing fabric,

page_text: and carried in end bearings in the two cross heads Z. These cross
heads are supported by the two opposite links or rods a, hinged at their
upper ends to the centres of the cross heads, whilst their lower ends are
similarly jointed to the free ends of the horizontal levers b, fast on thic
projecting ends of the cross shaft c. This shaft also carries a weighted
lever d, to counterbalance the weight of the details resting on the
levers ; and a lever handle e, is also fitted upon it, so that on drawing
the upper end of this. lever back or forward in its segmental guide f
the heated rollers N, S, may be set up or down at a greater or less
distance from the level of the lines of gas flames at pleasure, being
guided by traversing in the vertical slots of the fixed standards g. By
making the parts N, S, revolve with the frictional contact of the fabric
the heat is most effectively applied to the fibrous surface, whilst injurious
friction is avoided, and the cylinders or rollers are made to wear
evenly. And instead of having these cylinders of solid metal, I propose
as well to make them of some porous, open, or pervious material, such
as wire gauze, so that the exhaustion from the upper side which carries
off the loose particles of the singed matters may act directly through
the porous substance and drag up the gas flaines, bringing them 'well
into contact with the goods and against the cylinders above them. The
exhaustion is effected by fans or other apparatus in the usual way,
fan being supposed to be placed overhead, whilst from its case an
exhaust pipe l, passes down and opens at i, into the horizontal open
rectangular casing j, k. This casing consists of two parallel chambers.
j, k, joined together at their ends by short cross pipes 7, the lower
sides of the parallel chambers being formed with open bottomed
pendant troughs m, for carrying the exhaustion right down to the
singeing level. The ends of these troughs are slotted vertically to
allow the of play of the cylinders N, S, or their spindles therein, and
thus the exhaustion is kept unimpaired, however the details may be
adjusted. The lever e, allows of the fabric being brought right clear
out of contact with the gas flames, because, when its handle is drawn
forward, the piece follows the rise of cylinders N, S, until stopped by
the bottom of the exhaust casc. And with this adjustment the gas
the
supply is also simultaneously regulated, for the further the cross head'
Z, rises upwards, the more does the link Y, close the stop cock X,

page_text: until at the highest position of the cross head the cock X, is entirely
closed. After the piece has thus been well singed and cleared on both
sides, and through its mass or thickness, it passes over the guide roller n,
and thence through or between the rollers F, I, by the contact of which
it is drawn through all the details already described. This brings the
stream of cloth over the fixed guide board o, whence it passes over the
revolving dasher board p, which is carried on end spindle bearings q,
being driven by the band pulley p, over which an endless straps, passes
from the pulley t¹, on the end of the beam or large roller F. By this
treatment the fabric is well cleansed and agitated so as to dislodge all
loose particles still clinging to it. It is then delivered in its clean
singed state at .
...
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I may observe, in conclusion; that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangement which I have
had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made
therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features of my
Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery for
singeing or finishing piece goods and other fabrics, as herein-before
described.
Second, the system or mode of singeing textile fabrics by the
combined use of gas flames and metallic heaters, as hercin-before
described.
Third, the application and use in singeing machines of gas flames
placed on one side of the fabric, and metallic cylinders or heaters
on the other, the two working in combination, as herein-before
described.
Fourth, the application and use in singeing machines of rotatory
or revolving metallic heaters for the purpose herein-before described.
Fifth, the system or mode of constructing singeing machines with
pervious or porous metallic heaters through which the exhaustion
may.act.

page_text: Sixth, the application and use of a roughening or disintegrating
process for raising and loosening the fibres of the goods either before
singeing or at an intermediate stage therein.
Seventh, the application and use in singeing machines of a shaking
or agitating process for disengaging the loose or singed fibres.
Eighth, the system or mode of additionally heating the overhead
singeing tube or heater by means of gas introduced therein.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Campbell, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
JOHN CAMPBELL. (L.S.)