IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AGEING PRINTED WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Ridge, of Hoviley Bridge, near Hyde, in
the County of Chester, Millwright, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PROCESS OF AGEING PRINTED WOVEN FABRICS."
Sealed the 25th October 1860, and dated the 11th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Ridge at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th May
1860.
I, SAMUEL RIDGE, of Hoviley Bridge, near Hyde, in the County of Chester,
Millwright, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AGEING PRINTED WOVEN FABRICS," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to economise time in the process of ageing
fabrics. The usual mode of ageing fabrics is to expose them for several days
to the atmosphere; this necessarily involves a considerable outlay in buildings
in which the fabrics are suspended, and a great loss of time. Now, my
Invention consists in exposing the fabrics when printed to a current of air
impregnated with moisture, by means of which the process of ageing is
accomplished in a few minutes. In performing my Invention the fabric after
leaving the printing machine is taken over rollers surrounded by a casing, so
as to expose a large surface of fabric to the action of the air, which is forced
or drawn through the casing, and through perforated tubes in the casing; the

page_text: air before entering the casing is impregnated with moisture by passing through
a tube, the sides of which are perforated to admit steam; the air is caused to
pass through a sponge or other absorbing substance to remove the excess of
moisture. The form and arrangement of apparatus for carrying my Invention
into operation may be considerably varied and modified.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Ridge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
RIDGE, of Hoviley Bridge, near Hyde, in the County of Chester, Millwright,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel Ridge, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel Ridge, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Ridge,
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, uso, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF
AGEING PRINTED WOVEN FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Samuel Ridge, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 Samuel Ridge, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
.
The object of my Invention is to economise time in the process of ageing
fabrics. The usual mode of ageing fabrics is to expose them for several days
to the atmosphere; this necessarily involves a considerable outlay in buildings

page_text: in which the fabrics are suspended, and a great loss of time. Now, my
Invention consists in exposing the fabrics when printed to a current of air
impregnated with heat and moisture, by means of which the process of ageing
is accomplished in a few minutes.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawing, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of an apparatus suitable for
carrying my Invention into operation; Figure 2 is an elevation, also in section,
of the same.
a, a, are the sides and ends of a box or casing containing the upper row of
rollers b, b, and the lower row of rollers c, c; the fabrics to be operated upon
pass over and under these rollers, as indicated by the arrows and dotted lines
in Figure 1, being drawn forward by the rollers d and e, one of which is
driven by steam or other power; f is a cylinder, into which a current of air is
forced by a fan or by other suitable means; steam is also adimitted into the
interior of the cylinder f by means of the pipe g, which is connected to the
horizontal perforated pipe 9; the cylinder f is surrounded by a jacket h,
which is heated by steam entering through the pipe i; the object of this jacket
is to prevent the condensation of the steam in the cylinder f, and to warm tho
air; the steam and air from the cylinder f pass through the trunk j, and rise
into the chambers k, k, the sides of which are perforated to allow the combined
air and steam to escape and to impinge against the fabric. In order to
prevent any excess of moisture from entering the trunk j, the orifice is partly
closed by a sponge or other absorbing substance at j'; the requisite heat is
imparted by the steam chests 1, 2, which are placed between the chambers k.
The mode of operation is as follows:-The fabric on leaving the printing
machine enters the box a, and is taken over the first roller b, then under the
first roller c, and so on over and under all the rollers in the box. The fabric
in passing through the box is acted upon by the combined steam and air
escaping through the orifices in the chambers k, and the colours are fixed on
the fabric by the heat imparted by the steam chests ; by this means the
printed fabrics are aged in the same manner as if they had been exposed for
days to the influence of the atmosphere in the usual ageing rooms. When the
fabrics leave the box a they are perfectly dry, and after passing between the
rollers d, e, they are plaited down and taken to the dunging apparatus, or
otherwise disposed of. The upper part of the box or casing a has a slanting
roof, for the purpose of ventilation, and a partial vacuum may be formed in

page_text: the pipe m, to assist in carrying off the steam and foul air from the box a.
By means of these improvements a continuous current of fresh air impregnated
with heat and moisture is supplied to the fabrics while the superabundant
moisture and foul air are carried off.
I wish to remark that the mode of applying heat may be considerably
varied, as steam pipes or other apparatus may be employed instead of the
steam chests, or heated air may be forced into the box; but I prefer the use
of flat steam chests, as shewn, because the fabrics are thus exposed at one side
to the action of the moist air escaping through the orifices in the chambers k,
and at the other to the heat, whereby the colours are fixed in the most
effectual manner.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of my Invention, I
declare that I claim the improvements in the process of ageing printed woven
fabrics, as described, or any modification of apparatus for producing the same
or similar results.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Ridge, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.