IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Horatio Stead, of the Firm of Elkanah Hoyle and
Sons, of Halifax, in the County of York, Millwrights, and Henry Gledhill,
of the same Place, Stuff Finisher, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN."
Sealed the 15th March 1861, and dated the 18th September 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Horatio Stead and Henry
Gledhill at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 18th September 1860.
We, HORATIO STEAD, of the Firm of Elkanah Hoyle and Sons, of Halifax,
in the County of York, Millwrights, and HENRY GLEDHILL, of the same Place,
Stuff Finisher, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iμ-
PROVEMENTS IN FINISHING TEXTILE FABRICS, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that process in finishing textile fabrics, known as
"steaming," and which is performed by winding or rolling the fabrics on to a
hollow roller, the surface or crust of which is perforated, and the rolling is
usually done by means of the crabbing machine. The roller is then taken
away and attached at one end (which is open) to a steam pipe, and steam
introduced to the interior thereof, which passing through the perforations

page_text: permeates through the several layers of the fabric wound thereon, but it is
found that the fabrics are not equally steamed or saturated with steam evenly,
the layers nearest the roller being more acted upon than the outer layers, to
remedy which we have arranged and constructed a machine or apparatus
adapted for rolling and steaming fabrics, in such a manner that the fabrics may
be steamed whilst being rolled or wound on the roller and traversed from one
roller to another, so as to reverse the relative position of the layers, the outer
layers on one roller becoming the inner layers on the other. The traversing of
the fabrics from one roller to the other may be as often as desirable. By this
means we are enabled to produce or obtain an equal or even effect on all parts
of the fabrics.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Horatio Stead and Henry Gledhill in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 18th March 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HORATIO
STEAD, of the Firm of Elkanah Hoyle and Sons, of Halifax, in the County of
York, Millwrights, and HENRY GLEDHILL, of the same Place, Stuff Finisher,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Horatio Stead and Henry Gledhill, Her special license that we
the said Horatio Stead and Henry Gledhill, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Horatio Stead and Henry Gled-
hill, our 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 FINISHING TEX-
TILE FABRICS, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the
condition, amongst others, that we, the said Horatio Stead and Henry Gledhill,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Horatio Stead and Henry Gledhill,
do hereby declare the nature of our said 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):
This Invention relates to that process in finishing textile fabrics known as
"steaming," and which is performed by winding or rolling the fabrics on
to a hollow roller, the surface or crust of which is perforated, the rolling
of which is usually done by means of the crabbing machine. The roller
is then taken away and attached at one end (which is open) to a steam pipe,
and steam introduced to the interior thereof, which passing through the
perforations permeates through the several layers of the fabric wound
thereon; but it is found that the fabrics are not equally steamed or saturated
with steam evenly, the layers nearest the roller being more acted upon
than the outer layers, to remedy which, we have arranged and constructed
a machine or apparatus adapted for rolling and steaming fabrics in such
manner that they may be steamed whilst being rolled or wound on the roller,
and traversed from one roller to another, so as to reverse the relative position
of the layers, the outer layers on one roller becoming the inner layers on the
other, and the traversing of the fabrics from one roller to the other may be as
often as desirable. By this means we are enabled to produce or obtain an
equal or even effect on all parts of the fabrics.
reference to the accom-
an end elevation of a
Fig. 2 is a plan, and
In Fig. 2, C, D,
This Invention will be readily understood by
panying Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is
machine constructed according to this Invention.
Fig. 3 is a cross section taken through the line A, B.
E, F, are ordinary hollow perforated steaming rollers resting upon frame
work at each end. They are all portable, or capable of being easily
removed from their seats or bearings. The rollers D and E are driven by
shafts G, H, by means of a square part on their ends entering into a cor-
responding recess in the end of each roller. On each shaft are spur wheels
g, g, h, h², with catch boxes g³ and h³ betwixt them, and which wheels gear
with other spur wheels 1, 2, on a shaft I, on which are the driving pullies J.
This arrangement of double gearing is for the purpose of giving a quick or a
slow motion to the rollers, as may be required. K, L, are hollow spindles
with cups c,, which clip the open ends of the rollers D & E, and having
packings of hemp, flax, india-rubber, or other suitable material therein, make
steam-tight joints when screwed up by the hand wheels and screws k², 1²;

page_text: M, N, are steam chambers with stuffing-boxes joints m³, m², n', n², which the
spindles K, L, pass through; the said spindles being perforated, as shewn in
the sectional view of the chamber M, for steam to pass to the interior of the
rollers when turned on by the stop-taps or valves O, P.
The manner in which this machine is employed is as follows:-A roller C is
brought from the crabbing machine or rolling frame, with the fabric to be
steamed wound thereon, and placed in the bearings of the frame, as shewn,
with the weighted levers c placed on the necks to brake or retard rotation when
motion is given thereto. The end of the fabric is then passed over the rail R,
(which is rounded in its length, or arched so as to stretch or expand the fabric
in passing over it) and thence to and around the roller D, to which motion is
then given by throwing the catch box g³ into gear with one or other of the
gear wheels g or 92, according to the speeds required to be given, and the tap
or valve O is opened, which allows steam to pass into the interior of the roller D,
which passes through the perforations thereof, and permeates through the
layers of the fabric as it is wound on to the said roller; but it will be evident
that the inner layers or the end of the fabric first laid on the roller will be most
saturated or acted upon by the steam; to remedy which, we then throw the
roller D out of gear, and pass the outer end of the fabric over another rail S,
to and around the roller E (as shewn by dotted lines) which is then put into
action by throwing the catch box h³ into gear with one of the wheels h¹ or h²,
when the fabric will be taken from the roller D on to the roller E, reversing
the ends of such fabric relatively to the roller. The fabric may be traversed
from one roller to the other as often as desirable, and then the roller E with the
fabric on it is removed from the machine and replaced by another empty roller;
and mean time another roller F is brought from the. crabbing machine or
rolling frame, with fabric thereon, which may then be passed over the rail S to
the roller E, and thence to the roller D, as before described.
Fig. 4 is part of a crabbing machine, shewing how two steaming rollers
may be applied thereto, and worked in connection therewith if desirable, they
being geared and supplied with steam in a similar manner, as herein-before
described.
Having thus fully described the nature of this our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed, we would have it
understood that we do not confine ourselves to this or any particular arrange-
ment or construction of machinery or apparatus; but what we claim as of our
Invention, is, the combining and arranging apparatus in such manner that
fabrics may be steamed whilst being rolled or wound on the roller, and
traversed from one roller to another, thus reversing the ends of the fabric on

page_text: the roller, so as to equalize the effect of the steaming process, substantially as
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Horatio Stead, for and on behalf of
myself and the said Henry Gledhill, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Fifteenth day of March, One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-one.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Horatio Stead, in the presence of
HORATIO STEAD. (L.S.)
W. TASKER, Patent Agent,
Halifax.