New or Improved Apparatus for Use in Finishing Fabrics.
Year: 1897

page_text: New or Improved Apparatus for Use in Finishing Fabrics.
I, CÉSAR ALPHONSE DELHARPE, of Tarare (Rhône), in the Republic of France,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide apparatus which will take the place
of the manual labour or part of the manual labour now employed in the operations
attendant on the finishing of such fabrics as are treated with a dressing and have
subsequently to be manipulated for the purpose of giving them a desirable and
durable finish. Such work is of a laborious nature and is carried on in rooms
heated to about 60° Centigrade, and it consists principally in unrolling the piece
of fabric previously well wetted with hot dressing, balancing or shaking it from
right to left and from left to right twenty, thirty, or even forty times, then folding
and twisting it, but without wringing out the dressing, and repeating the whole
operation a second, third, or even fourth time. The piece is then taken into an
adjoining room at a normal temperature and is again unrolled twisted and
examined. The dressing will not wring out but will spread uniformly. After
such manipulations of variable duration according to the nature of the stuff and
the ability of the workers, usually workwomen, the fabric will be found to be
softened but to have retained the dressing while it has lost a good part of the
volume of water. It is then stretched and dried on special frames or machines
For muslin the tentering machine is the only means employed.
The apparatus provided by this invention fulfils the same purpose as the above
laborious work and gives the same result but with great economy of cost. I have
recognized that the current of hot air which passes through the meshes of the
fabric in the manual treatment and has been looked upon as clearing the fabric
by its wind like action does not act as has been supposed in this way, but operates
merely as a vehicle for carrying, heat to the fabric, which absorbs the hot air,
while the torsion given by the workers should have its equivalent in some form
of pressure.
Working on this principle I have produced an apparatus in which servile
imitation of manual work has been avoided and with it the mechanical difficulties
which such imitation presented.
This apparatus is composed of a horizontal plate having three or four meters
of length and a width determined by that of the fabric.
Upright plates are adapted on this table and surround it on four sides, forming
a casing of fifteen or twenty centimeters depth, wherein there prevails a high
temperature (150 to 300 degrees C. according to the fabrics).
At the head and at the tail there is provided a transversal opening for the passage
of the fabric, under a kind of lid with rising movement. Before and behind the
table, at 25 or 30 centimeters distance there are supports intended for receiving
two rollers operating two beams for carrying the fabric which may be 250 to
300 meters long.

page_text: These rollers are operated by straps or any other mechanism.
They operate the unrolling and rolling up of the fabric during its gradual
drying, pressure by cylinders replacing torsion by hand, the distribution of the
warm air-current occurring during its passage on the table, the least contact of the
air with the hot plate, determining at once an upward direction of current.
The whole of this work reproduces exactly that previously done by work women,
but under other forms.
This apparatus rests on a light framing of bricks fixed in angle irons and
representing a calorifier with compartments, the heat of which is circulated under
the table plate leaving towards its extremity through a flue provided with dampers.
This calorifier is only a thin and large flue, the heat of which is transferred
first to the table, then from the table to the fabric which passes with a soft and
regular movement 10 centimeters above and does not touch the hot metal.
The fabric absorbs the heat in proportion to its passage. It is important that
the heat is equal in its circulation. The fabric must not dry in its movement;
it must only vaporize a part of its water.
When fully unrolled say at 250 meters from its starting point the movement
of the fabric is reversed which again at 250 meters is reversed. This to and fro
movement the workman determines at pleasure. The revolution in alternate
direction is operated a fourth, fifth or a sixth time, if it is necessary, and the work
being complete, the workman interrupts the movement.
The beams are then taken off and replaced by others.
It will then be seen that the fabric has lost sixty to seventy per cent. of its
volume of water and the piece thrown on the drawing machine can dry there with
considerable rapidity.
One single driving machine will serve in this case in place of several.
This apparatus is not only suitable for book-muslins or other muslin; it is
equally possible to finish rapidly materials most difficult to treat, such as nain-
sooks, calicoes, quilting, and other piece goods.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1897.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant, 18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London.
I, CÉSAR ALPHONSE DELHARPE, of Tarare (Rhône), in the Republic of France,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement: -
The object of this invention is to provide apparatus which will take the place
of the manual labour or part of the manual labour now employed in the operations
attendant on the finishing of such fabrics as are treated with a dressing and have
subsequently to be manipulated for the purpose of giving them a desirable and
durable finish. Such work is of a laborious nature and is carried on in rooms
heated to about 60° Centigrade, and it consists principally in unrolling the piece
of fabric previously well wetted with hot dressing, balancing or shaking it from
right to left and from left to right twenty, thirty, or even forty times, then folding
and twisting it, but without wringing out the dressing and repeating the whole
operation a second, third, or even fourth time. The piece is then taken into an
adjoining room at a normal temperature and is again unrolled twisted and

page_text: examined. The dressing will not wring out but will spread uniformly. After
such manipulations of variable duration according to the nature of the stuff and
the ability of the workers, usually workwomen, the fabric will be found to be
softened, but to have retained the dressing while it has lost a good part of the
volume of water. It is then stretched and dried on special frames or machines.
For muslin the tentering machine is the only means employed.
I have
The apparatus provided by this invention fulfils the same purpose as the above
laborious work and gives the same result but with great economy of cost.
recognized that the current of hot air which passes through the meshes of the
fabric in the manual treatment and has been looked upon as clearing the fabric
by its wind like action does not act as has been supposed in this way, but operates
merely as a vehicle for carrying heat to the fabric, which absorbs the hot air,
while the torsion given by the workers have its equivalent in some form of pressure.
Working on this principle I have produced an apparatus in which servile
imitation of manual work has been avoided and with it the mechanical difficulties
which each imitation presented.
This apparatus is shown in vertical section in Fig. 1, and in plan in Fig. 2
of 'the annexed drawing.
This apparatus is composed of a horizontal metal plate A having three or four
meters of length and a width determined by that of the fabric.
This plate A. has upright edges B forming with the end rollers C a casing of
fifteen or twenty centimeters depth, wherein there prevails a high temperature
(150 to 300 degrees C. according to the nature of the fabric).
At the head and at the tail there may be provided a transversal opening for the
passage of the fabric, under a kind of lid with rising movement. Before and behind
the table, at 25 or 30 centimeters distance there are supports D intended for receiving
the two rollers C operating two beams E for carrying the fabric which may be
250 to 300 meters long.
These rollers C are operated by straps or chains F or any other mechanism.
They operate the unrolling and rolling up of the fabric during its gradual
drying, the pressure of the beams on the fabric replacing torsion by hand. The
distribution of the warm air-current occurs during passage of the fabric over
the table, the least contact of the air with the hot plate A determining at once an
upward direction of current.
The whole of this work reproduces exactly that previously done by workwomen,
but under other forms.
This apparatus rests on a light framing of bricks G fixed in angle irons and
representing a calorifier the heat of which is circulated under the table plate
leaving towards its extremity through a flue provided with dampers.
This calorifier mainly consists only a thin and large flue H the heat of which
is transferred first to the table A, then from the table to the fabric which passes
with a soft and regular movement 10 centimeters above and does not touch the
hot metal.
K represents a combustion chamber, and J the outlet flue.
The fabric absorbs the heat in proportion to its passage. It is important that
the heat is equal in its circulation. The fabric must not dry in its movement;
it must only vaporize a part of its water.
When fully unrolled say at 250 meters from its starting point the movement
of the fabric is reversed which again at 250 meters is reversed. This to and fro
movement the workman determines at pleasure. The revolution in alternate
direction is operated a fourth, fifth or a sixth time, if it is necessary, and the work
being complete, the workman interrupts the movement.
The beams are then taken off and replaced by others.
It will then be seen that the fabric has lost sixty to seventy per cent. of its
volume of water and the piece thrown on the drying machine can dry there with
considerable rapidity.

page_text: One single drying machine will serve in this case in place of several.
This apparatus is not only suitable for book muslins (organdi) or other muslin ;
it is equally possible to finish rapidly materials most difficult to treat, such as those
called nainsook, calicoes, quilting, and other piece goods.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:-
1. A new or improved apparatus for use in finishing fabrics for the partial drying
and treatment of the dressing therein, comprising a heated bed above which the
fabric is caused to pass at a suitable speed and rollers for giving pressure to the
fabric, these operations giving the same result as the treatment by hand herein-
before described.
2. The construction of the aforesaid apparatus substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the annexed drawings.
Dated this 19th day of September 1898.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant, 18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London.