IM- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FINISHING LINEN AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Bragg, the younger, of Belfast, in the County
of Antrim, in Ireland, Commission Agent, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FINISHING LINEN AND OTHER
FABRICS"
Sealed the 1st November 1856, and dated the 14th May 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Bragg at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th May
1856.
I, HENRY BRAGG, the younger, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, in Ireland,
Commission Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FINISHING LINEN AND OTHER
FABRICS, to be as follows:-
This improved machinery or apparatus consists of two rams furnished with
heads or tables. These rams fit in cylinders, which are in communication with
each other by means of a horizontal pipe supplied with two pairs of valves.
Above each head or table is a weight, guided by supports, and sufficiently heavy
to impart the requisite finish to the fabric, which passes between the upper
surface of the head or table and the under surface of the weight. It may be
desirable to heat one or both of these surfaces by a steam chest or otherwise,
and to place a layer of vulcanized india-rubber or other suitable yielding
material on one of or both the surfaces. A layer of some partially yielding
material, such as gutta percha, must in some cases be introduced between the
fabric to be operated upon and the vulcanized india-rubber or other yielding
material, in order to give the requisite polish to the fabric. In some cases an
intermediate table may be used between the head or table of the ram and the
weight;
when this is the case, two, portions of fabric may be finished by one
upward pressure of the ram. When the machine is in a state of rest, both

page_text: pairs of valves are open, and both the 'weights, tables, and valves are on the
same level, being held in equilibrium by the water in the pipe between the two
ram cylinders. When it is desired to bring a fresh portion of fabric to be
operated upon, one of the tables and weights is slightly raised by a ram and
force pump, or other means; the other table and weight descend at the same
time, and in descending facilitate the ascent of the rising ram until the
descending weight comes against shoulders in the supports; one of the valves
in the connecting pipe is then closed, and the table is then allowed to descend
a little more than the weight by opening a second valve, thereby leaving the
fabric at liberty to be moved forward so as to bring a fresh portion between
the pressing surfaces at the next ascent of the ram that had been lowered.
The rains are raised and lowered'alternately, and two pieces of fabric can thus
be operated upon at the same time. A single acting apparatus 'may be formed
by passing the fabric between two tables, that are compressed together when
required by clanips, screws, or other agents, and:liberated with facility, to allow
a fresh portion of the fabric to be drawn between the tables.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Bragg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
November 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY.
BRAGG, 'the younger, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, in .Ireland, .Com-
mission Agent, send greeting.
'WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her: Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six,'in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, 'for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give' and 'grant 'unto me, the said
Henry Bragg, Her special license that I, the said Henry Bragg, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Bragg, 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 terin 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 OR APPARATUS +FOR
FINISHING LINEN AND OTHER FABRICS, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Henry Bragg, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their bands and seals, should.;par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the sanie was to be performed, and. cause the same, to be filed in the
Great Seal Patenti Office within: six calendar, months next and immediately,
after the date of the said Letters Patent:
NOW KNOW YE, that I; the said Henry Bragg, do hereby declare the
nature of my saidi 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)':
The nature of my said. Invention consists in so, arranging double-acting
machinery or apparatus for finishing fabrics. by the compression of flat surfaces,
that the weight of one descending portion of the machinery is made available;
for elevating another portion of the machinery, the said portions of machinery
ascending and descending alternately.
Secondly, in the application of an intermediate table between the compressing.
flat surfaces above referred to, for the purpose of finishing two folds of different
fabrics at one-operation, or for imparting the same finish to both surfaces of
the same fabric, by bringing each surface in contact with opposite sides of the
intermediate table!
Thirdly; in an improved single-acting combination of machinery or apparatus
for-finishing fabrics by the application.of pressure.
And, lastly, in supplying and removing fabrics in continuous lengths to and
from machines for finishing by the compression of flat-surfaces.
And in order that my. Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
reference being had to the figures aud letters marked thereon:
Figure 1 is a front elevation of one mode of constructing my double-acting
machinery or apparatus for finishing fabrics; Figure 2 is,a side elevation; and
Figure 3 a plan of the same..
a and bare two cylinders, each of which is furnished with a ram, marked
respectively a' and b'. The heads or tables a² and b² are fixed to these rams,
and they a
are guided by the pillars a and b, as in hydraulic presses of the
usual construction. Above the tables a² and 63 are the blocks a and b, which
are also guided by the pillars a³ and I prefer to make these blocks of
hollow cast iron, and to regulate their weight by filling the interior with stones
or any other materials, but other modes, such as columns of water. (with
inverted rams, either loose or fixed,) or levers, may be adopted for obtaining
the desired weight. The lower surface of the block and the upper surface of
the table, or either of them, is furnished with a layer. of vulcanized india-
rubber, or other suitable material, to prevent the fabric being injured by the
pressing together of the table and block, and to equalize the pressure. A layer

page_text: of some partially yielding material, such as gutta percha, must in some cases
be introduced between the fabric and the vulcanized india-rubber or other
yielding material, in order to give the requisite polish to the fabric.. The
blocks and tables, or either of them, may be heated, by steam or otherwise,.to
improve the finish, if necessary. The cylinders a and b are in communication
with each other by the pipes a. and 65 and the cylinder c, which is provided
with a piston c', fixed on the piston rod c³, passing at each end thro' a stuffing
box in the lids of the cylinder c. The valves d and d' are situated respectively
in the pipes a³ and 6. The ram in the cylinder a is raised for the purpose of
bringing the table a' in contact with the under surface of the block a' by the
force pump e, and the ram in the cylinder b is actuated in the same manner
by the force pump f. The small force pumps ġ and h are to supply the
cylinders a and b with water, to compensate for the loss by leakage or evapora-
tion. A safety valve is applied in the pipes, between the small force pumps g
and h and the pipes a and b, leading from the pumps e and f to the cylinders a
and 6; these safety valves are placed between the pumps 9 and h, and a valve
opening towards the pipes leading to the cylinders a and b, by which means
the extra water may be supplied to the said pipes when requisite, and the
safety valves are prevented blowing off when the final pressure is given by the
action of the piston c. The force pumps are worked by cranks or cams' on
the shaft i, to which rotary motion is given by steam or other power. On this
shaft are also fixed excentrics or cams for working the force pumps g and h,
and for opening and closing the valves d and d. The piston c¹ is moved to
and fro in the cylinder by the excentric or cam j³, on the vertical shaft j,
which is driven by the mitre wheels fixed on the said shafts i and j. The
fabrics to be finished, after having been compressed between the tables and
blocks above described, are wound on a lap by the friction of the rollers k
and k, both of which are turned round by the pulleys and on the
shaft i; the strap from the pulley & drives the pulley 1, see the left-hand side of
the plan view; from this pulley 1 projects a stud, taking into the slots of the
intermittent wheel m, into which is fixed the wheel m¹, gearing into the pinion
on the shaft of the roller k. Instead of forming the fabric into a lap, it may
be plaited down, or otherwise disposed of. The mechanism for driving the
roller is shewn clearly in Figure 2, but it is omitted on the right-hand side
of Figure 8. The mode of operating is as follows:-The Drawing represents
the various parts in the positions they occupy when the blocks a and b are in
a state of equilibrium, each block resting on its respective table and free of the
shoulders a and ; the force pumps e, f, g, and h being all at the bottom of
their stroke, the valves d and d' are both open to allow the water from the

page_text: cylinders a and b to act equally on each side of the piston c¹; the piston cl. is
then moved towards the cylinder a, thereby raising the table a and block a',
being assisted in. their rise by the corresponding descent of the block b', until
the block & rests upon the shoulders be projecting from the guiding columns b³.
The valves d and d¹ are now closed by the action of the excentrics or cams 23
and on the shaft i, and the force pumpsf and h being raised, allow the
ram 6 to descend sufficiently, to allow the fabric between the table b² and
block b to be drawn forward and wound on to the roller m by the friction of
the roller k. As soon as the fabric is wound up, and consequently a fresh
portion of fabric drawn between the table 6 and block 6', the plunger of the
force
pump fin descending again raises the table 6 into contact with 6+; the
valves d and d are then opened to establish the communication between the
cylinders a and b, and the action of the piston c¹ in the contrary direction, aided
by the gravity of the descending block a', raises the table 62 and block * (which
is entirely supported by the table), consequently the fabric between the two
receives the pressure requisite for imparting the desired finish.
As soon as
the block a rests upon the shoulders a", the valves d and d¹ are closed by the
action of the excentrics and * on the shaft i. These operations are repeated
as often as requisite, every ascent and descent of the rams a¹ and effecting
the compression, and imparting the requisite finish to a certain length of each
piece of fabric. The length of fabric finished at each operation can be varied
by altering the relative diameters of the pulleys and wheels by which the
rollers and k¹ are actuated.
Fig. 4 represents a single-acting machine for finishing fabrics. In this
instance the block a' is stationary, the cylinder a, ram a', and table a³ are
similar to those before described, but, between the table a² and block a' is an
intermediate table n. The fabric to be operated upon passes over and under
the said intermediate table n, rollers being placed to guide the fabric when
required; consequently, when pressure is applied to the ram a', two lengths of
the fabric are compressed, and finished at the same time, and the same finish
can thus be obtained on both surfaces of the fabric. The Drawing represents
the parts in the positions they occupy when the fabric has been drawn into the
press. The plunger of the force pump e and of the compensation pump 9 are
now supposed to be raised, but as soon as they begin to descend, the ram a', in
rising, first brings the table a² in contact with the under side of the table n,
and then lifts the table n against the under side of the block a'; the pressure
being then continued, compresses and finishes the fabric in the manner before
described. When the plunger in the force pump e begins to rise, the ram a
descends, and the intermediate table n, after descending sufficiently to liberate

page_text: the upper fold of the fabric, rests upon. the shoulders a, and the table a² con-
tinues to descend until the lower fold of the fabric is liberated: The fabric is
then drawn forward and wound on a roller, in the manner before described, or
is otherwise disposed of, as may be found desirable. The pressure; instead of
being obtained by hydraulic pumps, may be obtained by clamps, cams; screws,
or other agents; and the block a; instead of being stationary, as described, may
be moveable, and act in the manner described in reference to Figures 1, 2,
and 3: The tables and block in Figure 4 may be heated by steam, or other-
wise, if requisite, but the mode of applying the heat does not require to be
particularly described, as it is well understood by persons conversant with the
operations of finishing fabrics.
I wish to remark, that intermediate tables; similar to the one marked nin
Figure 4, may be applied to the double-acting machinery shewn in Figures
1, 2, and 3, or the single-acting machine may be made without the inter-
mediate table.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it to be well understood that the details herein
set forth may be considerably varied without departing from the peculiar
character of my Invention; I do not, therefore, limit myself to these details;
but what I claim is,-.
First, the double-acting machinery or apparatus described, or any modifica-
tion thereof, whereby the force resulting from the descent of one portion of
the machinery is made available for raising the other portion.
Secondly, the intermediate table marked n, by means of which two lengths
of fabric may be operated upon at the same time, or the same finish imparted
to both surfaces of the same fabric.
Thirdly, the improved single-acting machine for finishing fabrics, as shewn,
and as described in reference to Figure 4.
And lastly, supplying and removing-fabrics in continuous lengths to and
from.machines for finishing by the compression of flat surfaces.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Bragg, the younger, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
HENRY BRAGG, JUN". (L.S.).
Witness,
H. B: BARLOW, Manchester.