IMPROVEMENTS IN MANGLING, CALENDERING, OR FINISHING LINEN AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fisher, Manager of the Dundee Calendering Company,
Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MANGLING, CALENDERING, OR FINISHING LINEN AND
OTHER FABRICS."
Sealed the 25th January 1878, and dated the 10th September 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fisher at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th September 1877.
JOHN FISHER, Manager of the Dundee Calendering Company, Dundee, in the
County of Forfar, North Britain. IMPROVEMENTS IN MANGLING, CALENDERING,
"
OR FINISHING LINEN AND OTHER FABRICS."
This Invention has for its object to improve the action and effect of the processes of
mangling, calendering, or finishing upon linen fabrics, and is also of advantage in
treating other fabrics, especially when partly of linen.
The Invention consists in damping the fabrics immediately before passing them
through the calendering, mangling, or finishing machinery with water at a boiling
or nearly boiling temperature.
The apparatus in use for damping with cold water can be employed in carrying
out the Invention, the water in the supply cistern being heated by a steam pipe or
in any other convenient way.
Stiffening or other ingredients may be combined with the damping water just as
is done with cold water.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Fisher in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th March
1878.
JOHN FISHER, Manager of the Dundee Calendering Company, Dundee, in the
County of Forfar, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MANGLING, CALENDERING,
OR FINISHING LINEN AND OTHER FABRICS."
My said Invention has for its object to improve the action and effect of the
processes of mangling, calendering, or finishing, upon linen fabrics, and is also of
advantage in treating other fabrics, especially when consisting partly of linen.
My Invention consists in damping the fabrics before passing them through the
mangling, calendering, or finishing machinery, with water at a boiling or nearly
boiling temperature.
The fabrics may be mangled, calendered, or finished immediately after being
damped with the hot water; but the benefit due to the damping water being hot
is not lost if several hours or even a day should intervene between the actual
damping and subsequent treatment.
Stiffening or other ingredients may be combined with the damping water as is
done with cold water, the heat of the water however improving the action or effect
of such ingredients or of some of them.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood, I hereunto append two Sheets of explanatory Drawings, to
be herein-after referred to, and representing the apparatus which I prefer to use.
In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like
parts wherever they are repeated.
The apparatus I prefer to employ in practically carrying out my Invention is but
slightly modified from that ordinarily used for damping linen fabrics with cold
water. Parts are added for conveniently heating the damping water and for
maintaining its heat, but to such parts in themselves I make no claim.
Figure 1, on Sheet 1 of the Drawings, is a plan; and Figure 2, on Sheet 2, is a
vertical section. The damping apparatus comprises a box 3, across the top of which
the fabric 4, shown by a peculiarly dotted line in Figure 2, is drawn by a pair of
nipping rollers 5, being guided by rollers 6, 7, 8. Inside of the box 3 there is a roller
brush 9, which dips into the damping water or liquid, and being made to rotate
rapidly throws the liquid in a spray up against the under side of the fabric 4. This
roller brush 9 is in a compartment of the box 3, separated from the other part by
a partition 10, which does not reach the bottom of the box, and adjustable inclined
boards 11 are set over the roller brush 9 to confine its action.
The damping water or liquid in the box 3 is maintained at a proper level by
means of a float cock in a box 12 at the side, and communicating with the box 3,
the water reaching the float cock by a pipe 13 from a cistern 14 placed at a higher
level.
Steam is by preference used for heating the damping water or liquid, the pipe 15
leading it to the apparatus being fitted with two branches 16, 17, each provided
with stop valves.
One branch steam pipe 16 terminates in a coiled or serpentine end 18 in the upper
cistern 14, the part in the cistern being perforated for the steam to issue and
effectually heat up the water, and also to thoroughly dissolve or combine, and
intimately mix together the stiffening or other finishing ingredients used, such as
paraffine and starch. The other branch steam pipe 17 proceeds down to the damping
box 3, and terminates in a horizontal coiled or serpentine end 19 which is not
perforated, the extreme end of it communicating with a steam trap 20 by means of
which water due to condensation is discharged from it.
I prefer to have the damping water or liquid nearly at the boiling temperature
when used, but I do not limit myself to such temperature as I find the heating
beneficial even when the temperature is as low as 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

page_text: Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise
details herein-before described, but that what I believe to be novel and original, and
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, the employment of hot water, with or without stiffening or other ingredients,
in damping linen or other fabrics, preparatory to their being mangled, calendered, or
finished, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Fisher, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JOHN FISHER. (L.S.)