IMPROVE- MENTS IN COMPRESSING AIR FOR BURNING IN COMBINATION OR MIXTURE WITH GAS OR INFLAMMABLE VAPOUR IN APPARATUS FOR FINISHING TEXTILE OR OTHER FABRICS OR IN OTHER APPARATUS WHERE HEAT IS REQUIRED, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Robertson, of Nitshill, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COMPRESSING AIR FOR BURNING IN COMBINATION OR MIXTURE WITH
GAS OR INFLAMMABLE VAPOUR IN APPARATUS FOR FINISHING TEXTILE OR
OTHER FABRICS OR IN OTHER APPARATUS WHERE HEAT IS REQUIRED, AND IN
THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
"
Sealed the 20th March 1874, and dated the 23rd October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Robertson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd October 1873.
I, JOHN ROBERTSON, of Nitshill, in the County of Renfrew, North
5 Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPRESSING AIR FOR BURNING IN COMBINATION OR MIXTURE
WITH GAS OR INFLAMMABLE VAPOUR IN APPARATUS FOR FINISHING TEXTILE

page_text: OR OTHER FABRICS OR IN OTHER APPARATUS WHERE HEAT IS REQUIRED, AND IN
THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention which relates to improved apparatus for compressing
the air used for burning in combination or mixture with gas, or
inflammable vapour in apparatus for finishing textile or other fabrics, or 5
in other apparatus where air and gas combined or mixed under
pressure are burnt for producing heat, has for its object to substitute in
a simple and easy manner, the movements of the body of an attendant
or operator using hand or sad irons or other manually operated apparatus
heated in the manner herein-before set forth and described in the 1
Specification filed under Letters Patent No. 1746, A.D. 1871, granted to
the said John Robertson.
The apparatus for compressing the air for the purposes herein-before
set forth consists of either single or bivalve bellows placed upon the
floor of the apartment wherein the operator is actuating the hand or..
1
sad irons or similar apparatus, such for example as crimping and
gauffering machines, bookbinders' presses or stamps, or printers' block
cutting or pressing machines.
The aforesaid bellows are connected to an expanding and contracting
reservoir acted upon by. weights or springs, which maintain a constant 2
pressure of air at the interior by varying the capacity or volume of the
reservoir correspondingly with the quantity of air at any time contained
in it. The movements of the feet of the operator vibrate the valves of
the bellows, and thus supply the reservoir with air.
An essential feature of this Invention is the combination of the 2
bellows, air reservoir, table, and one or more hand or sad irons of the
class herein-before mentioned, and with or without crimping or
gauffering machines, as a complete apparatus to be used for finishing
textile and other fabrics.
In place of using a separate bellows for each operator as herein-before 30
described, the bellows and reservoir or reservoirs may be of sufficient-size
and operated by an attendant to supply several hand or sad irons or
other apparatus heated in the manner herein-before described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Robertson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ROBERTSON, of Nitshill, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Robertson, Her special
license that I, the said John Robertson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Robertson, 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 term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, usc, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN COMPRESSING AIR FOR BURNING IN COMBINATION OR MIXTURE WITH GAS OR
INFLAMMABLE VAPOUR IN APPARATUS FOR FINISHING TEXTILE OR OTHER FABRICS,
OR IN OTHER APParatus where Heat is required, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Robertson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal
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 Robertson, do hereby declare
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 accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thercon, that is to say :-
My said Invention which relates to improved apparatus for compressing"
the air used for burning in combination or mixture with gás, or other. ·

page_text: inflammable vapour in apparatus for finishing textile or other fabrics, or
in other apparatus where air and gas combined or mixed under pressure
are burnt for producing heat, has for its object to utilize in a simple and
easy manner the movements of the body of an attendant or [operator
using hand or sad irons or other manually operated apparatus, heated in
the manner herein-before set forth and described in the Specification
filed under Letters Patent No. 1746, A.D. 1871, granted to the said
John Robertson.
The apparatus for compressing the air for the purposes herein-before
set forth consists of either single or bivalve bellows placed upon the
floor of the apartment wherein the operator is actuating the hand or sad
irons or similar apparatus, such for example as crimping and gauffering
machines, bookbinders' presses or stamps, or printers' block cutting or
pressing machines.
The aforesaid bellows are connected to an expanding and contracting
reservoir acted upon by weights or springs, which maintain a constant
pressure of air at the interior by varying the capacity or volume of the
reservoir correspondingly with the quantity of air at any time contained
in it. The movements of the feet of the operator vibrate the valves of
the bellows, and thus supply the reservoir with air.
An essential feature of this Invention is the combination of the
bellows, air reservoir, table, and one or more hand or sad irons of the class
herein-before mentioned, and with or without crimping or gauffering
machines as a complete apparatus to be used for finishing textile and
other fabrics.
In place of using a separate bellows for each operator as herein-before
described the bellows and reservoir or reservoirs may be of sufficient
size and operated by an attendant to supply several hand or sad irons or
other apparatus heated in the manner herein-before described.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended is a front
elevation of the complete apparatus for dressing or finishing textile

page_text: fabrics or articles composed thereof; Figure 2 is a partial section and
side elevation of the same at right angles to Figure 1.
The pressure of air is produced by the movements of the operator who
stands upon the upper leaf of the bellows A. This upper leaf is hinged
and rocks upon a central ridge or partition of wood or other material
shewn in section at Figure 2. The two flap valves a, b, are for the
admission of the atmosphere into the bellows. Pipes or nozzles B are
inserted into the under part of the bellows which are connected to the
reservoir C by flexible pipes D. The reservoir C is provided with a
safety flap valve c to which is attached a check string d, secured to the
lower part of the reservoir. To maintain a constant pressure of air in
the reservoir weights E are placed upon the top of the reservoir. A
pipe F is provided for the passage of the air from the reservoir C, and
from thence a flexible tube G is led up to one branch of the double
cock H, shewn more particularly on an enlarged scale at Figures 3, 4,
and 5. To the other branch of this double cock is attached a tube I
through which is conducted gas or other inflammable vapour.
After passing the regulating cocks J, K, Figures 4 and 5, the two
branches converge into one. From this single branch a flexible tube L
leads to the iron, the tube L being of sufficient length to allow the iron
free range over the whole length and breadth of the table M. Within
the tube L a smaller tube N is situated (as shewn at Figures 3, 4, and 5,)
through which the gas or other inflammable vapour is led after passing
through the regulating cock K. The air passage is the space marked e
between the outside of the tube N and the inside of the tube L. Thus
the air and gas do not mix or combine until they reach the nozzle O
shewn more particularly at Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9, where the gas issuing
from the smaller tube N mixes with the air conducted through the
space e at the interior of the tube L. Or otherwise the two tubes L
and N may be separate and independent of one another until they reach a
double branch and regulating cocks upon the pipe O.
secured to a projection on the hand or sad iron by a
The nozzle O is
box nut P. A
chamber Q, Figures 7 & 8, is formed in the upper part of the iron,
which is made easily accessible for inspection by a cover R secured to
the top of the iron by pins S. Through the bottom of this chamber Q
and into another chamber T in the lower part of the iron are led any
number of jets or burners U, at the lower extremity of which combustion
takes place. To enable the operator to ignite the gases issuing from

page_text: these jets or burners U, as well as to allow free ingress of air and egress
of the gases generated by combustion in the chamber T, holes V are
formed in the outer shell of the iron.
The mode of operation is as follows:-The pressure of air generated
by the bellows A finds its way through the tubes D to the reservoir C
which is thus filled. The check string d is of such a length that when
the reservoir C has risen to its full height and can contain no more air
with safety, the check string d acts upon the safety flap valve c, and by
pulling it down opens it and allows the surplus air to escape. The
weights E placed upon the reservoir C keep up a constant and equable
pressure of air in the reservoir which is conducted by the tube G to one
of the branches on the double cock, shewn more particularly at
Figures 3, 4, and 5. On passing the cock J the air is conducted
through the space marked e until it reaches the nozzle O, where it is
mixed with the gas or other inflammable vapour which is led through
the cock K, and thence through the smaller tube N. A mixture or
combination of gas and air is thus formed before issuing from the
burners, and this mixture or combination is forced into the chamber Q,
and thence through the jets or burners U at the lower extremity of
which combustion takes place. The jets of flame playing upon the
bottom of the iron heat it, but in order to diffuse the effect of the jets of
flame as much as possible broken fire-clay, asbestos, or some such
substance is preferred to be placed upon the bottom of the chamber T.
.
The heat may be regulated by means of the cocks J, K, shewn
particularly at Figures 3, 4, & 5, one of which J commands the supply
of air, while by the other K, the supply of gas or other inflammable
vapour may be regulated. As herein-before mentioned crimping or
gauffering machines may be used in connection with the improved
ironing table and apparatus for supplying the mixture of air and gas,
also the said air and gas supplying apparatus may be used for heating
bookbinders' presses or stamps, or for analogous purposes.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe
in conclusion that 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,-.

page_text: First. The combination of the bellows, air reservoir, table and one or
more hand or sad irons with or without crimping or gauffering machines
as a complete apparatus for finishing textile or other fabrics as herein-
before set forth and shown on the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Second. The bellows actuated by the feet of the operator to supply air
to reservoirs for burning in combination with gas, or other inflammable
vapour under pressure for the purposes as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John. Robertson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of April, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.