IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR DRESSING LACE AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Francis Bottom, of Nottingham, Lace Dresser,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR DRESSING
LACE AND OTHER FABRICS."
Sealed the 31st July 1863, and dated the 10th February 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Francis Bottom
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th February 1863.
I, JOHN FRANCIS BOTTOM, of Nottingham, Lace Dresser, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for." IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR Apparatus
FOR DRESSING LACE AND OTHER FABRICS," to be as follows:--
In the dressing of lace, apparatus has been used to a limited extent in
which several troughs are arranged, one or more, with a sizing roller therein,
others with clearing rollers, and others with brushes adapted to act on the
surface of the fabric passed over them, and the fabric so operated upon is then
dried by the action of heat from a steam cylinder, and in such apparatus as
heretofore arranged the fabric to be operated upon has been temporarily
affixed to a quadrangular frame, which, with the fabric thereon, has been caused
to travel to and fro to be acted upon as above stated; but such method of
holding and conducting the fabric is found very inconvenient by limiting the
extent of surface capable of being operated upon at any one time, besides the
additional room occupied by the traverse of the frame over either end of
the machine. And my improvements consist in substituting for such frame
endless bands, straps, or chains with pins as the means of holding the fabric
to be dressed by giving sideway tension to it; such bands, straps, or chains

page_text: being supported and guided in moving along the opposite sides of the appa-
ratus, whilst at the ends of the apparatus they pass over suitable guide pulleys
or rollers, so that having passed over the pulleys or rollers of one end, they pass
underneath to the opposite end, and they may be of lengths adapted to the
longest length of fabric required to be treated, and the fabric in place of
moving to and fro will be constantly moving in one direction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Francis Bottom in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FRANCIS BOTTOM, of Nottingham, Lace Dresser, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Francis Bottom, Her special licence that I the said John Francis Bottom,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Francis Bottom, 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 MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR DRESSING LACE AND OTHER FABRICS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Francis Bottom, my executors 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 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 Francis Bottom, 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, that is to say :-
In the dressing of lace apparatus has been used to a limited extent in
which several troughs are arranged one or more with a sizing roller

page_text: therein, others with clearing rollers, and others with brushes adapted to act
on the surface of the fabric passed over them, and the fabric so operated upon
is then dried by the action of heat from a steam cylinder, and in such appa-
ratus as heretofore arranged the fabric to be operated upon has been tem-
porarily affixed to a quadrangular frame, which, with the fabric thereon, has
been caused to travel to and fro to be acted upon as above stated; but such
method of holding and conducting the fabric is found very inconvenient by
limiting the extent of surface capable of being operated upon at any one time,
besides the additional room occupied by the traverse of the frame over either
end of the machine. And my improvements consist in substituting for such
frame endless bands, straps, or chains with pins as the means of holding the
fabric to be dressed, by giving sideway tension to it, such bands, straps, or
chains being supported and guided in moving along the opposite sides of the
apparatus, whilst at the ends of the apparatus they pass over suitable guide
pulleys or rollers, so that having passed over the pulleys or rollers of one end,
they pass underneath to the opposite end, and they may be of lengths adapted
to the longest length of fabric required to be treated; and the fabric, in place
of moving to and fro, will be constantly moving in one direction.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of parts arranged according to my
Invention; Figure 2, an end view of the same; and Figures 3 and 4, a section
and a plan view of parts on a larger scale. In each of the views the same
Jetters indicate corresponding parts.
a, a, represents the endless bands of leather or other suitable material,
having pins 6 therein, which stand up from the surface of the bands, and are
the means of holding the lace to be dressed. The bands a are supported on
chains c, which may be of the form shown, or otherwise; these chains c, with
their bands a, are supported by passing over pulleys d, d, e, e.
The pulleys
d, d, have teeth or projections which pass into the links of the chains c the
more readily to draw upon and insure the progressive motion of those chains.
These pulleys d are affixed to the axis d', upon which is affixed the drum or
pulley d, which receives motion by a strap or band acting thereon from a
steam engine or other suitable power. The red lines f indicate the fabric
under operation. The straps or bands a, a, with their supporting chains c, c,
are supported and guided in moving along the opposite sides of the apparatus
in the following manner :-g is a bed plate, which may be of brass or other
suitable material; h is a flange, which rising up passes partly over a band a
to prevent that band from being drawn inwards by the pull of the fabric
under operation; i is a plate laying over the band a on the opposite side to
prevent the band a from being drawn upwards in that direction.

page_text: I have not thought it necessary to indicate in the Drawing any particular
method of dressing lace or other fabric, as this may be varied, and taken by
itself forms no part of my present improvements.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and means which
I adopt in carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise details shown and described, as these may be
varied; but what I do claim is the system or method of supporting and giving
motion to lace or other fabrics during the process of dressing, substantially as
explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Francis Bottom, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JOHN FRANCIS BOTTOM. (L.B.)