IMPROVEMENTS. IN MACHINERY FOR STRETCHING WOVEN FABRICS."
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Renshaw and John Haworth, both of
the City of Manchester, Machinists, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS.
IN MACHINERY FOR STRETCHING WOVEN FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Renshaw and
John Haworth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 22nd September 1863.
We, JOSEPH RENSHAW and JOHN HAWORTH, both of the City of Man-
chester, Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR STRETCHING WOVEN FABRICS," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention consists in causing the fabric to be stretched to pass over the
circumferences of discs mounted on universal joints fixed or connected to a
centre shaft; these discs are set diagonally on the shaft and the circum-
ferences of them are toothed or roughened to lay hold of the fabric. The
diagonal position of these discs can be varied by a right and left hand screw
or other equivalent acting on levers passing through slots in the discs so that
by turning the screw or other equivalent round the inclination of the-discs is

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by
the said Joseph Renshaw and John Haworth. in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
RENSHAW and JOHN HAWORTH, both of the City of Manchester, Machinists,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Joseph Renshaw and John Haworth, Her special license that
we, the said Joseph Renshaw and John Haworth, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Joseph Renshaw and
John Haworth; 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
MACHINERY FOR STRETCHING WOVEN FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Joseph Renshaw and John Haworth, our executors or admi-
nistrators, by; an instrument in writing under, our, or their, or one of our
or their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 we, the said Joseph Renshaw and John Haworth,
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) :-
Our Invention consists in causing the fabric to be stretched to
pass over
the circumferences of discs mounted on universal joints fixed or connected to a
centre shaft; these discs are set diagonally on the shaft and the circumferences

page_text: of them are toothed, roughened, or pinned, to lay hold of the fabric. The
diagonal position of these discs can be varied by a right and left hand screw or
other equivalent, acting on levers passing through slots in the discs, so that by
turning the screw or other equivalent round the inclination of the discs is
varied to stretch the fabric more or less in its passage over their circum-
ferences.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood we will proceed to
describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Figure 1 represents an end elevation of our improved machinery; Figure 2
is a front view of the same; Figures 3 and 4, are an elevation and section of
one of the stretching discs.
Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, are detached views of a modification of our improved
machinery.
:
a is the main shaft supporting the stretching discs 6' which are mounted on
universal joints consisting of the partly spherical bushes c, see Fig. 4, fixed by
set screws to the shaft a, and of the side plates d screwed to the bosses of the
discs b, the circumferences of which are provided with brass segments on hoops
milled, pinned, or otherwise roughened to lay hold of the fabric. We have
shewn six of these discs, but a greater or less number may be employed. The
spokes of the discs 6 have slots for the levers or bars e to pass through, and
each lever has an antifriction bowl at one end; these bowls as the discs rotate
come in contact with the guide plates f, the inner ends of which are jointed to
the bushes g which are bolted to the bearings h in which the shaft a revolves.
To the outer ends of the guide plates f are jointed the swivel screw nuts i,
through which the screw j passes as shewn best in Figure 2. The screw at
one end is right banded and at the other left handed, consequently when the
screws are turned round the outer ends of the guide plates f are made to
approach or recedé from: each other.. The inclination given to these guide
plates determines the angle of the discs b which are carried round with the
shaft a, by the centre face plate a' and studs a² taking into the slots in the
spokes of the two centre discs b, and the face plates a³ and studs at taking
into the slots in the two outer discs b while the two intermediate discs
are taken round by the bars e on which are set washers to determine the
distance between the discs b, or all the discs may be taken round by studs
projecting from the centre face plate a', the bars e also pass through the plates
6' fixed to the spokes of the outer and inner discs b. The requisite rotary
motion is given to the discs by the driving pulleys k, the pinion 1, and the
wheel m, fixed on the shaft a; the fabric to be stretched is indicated by the

page_text: dotted lines n, and after passing over and under the stretching bars o, o, it is
conveyed under the guide roller p, and pressed upon the circumference of the
discs b from which it is delivered to the lap roller q, the axle of which is
supported by the inclined brackets r in order that the weight of the lap may
at all times press the fabric against the discs 6 or the fabric may pass from
the discs over a friction roller on which the lap roller q bears. The roller q
should in all cases be opposite to and rather below the centre of the screw j,
because, by means of the screw j, guide plates f, and bars e the circumferences
of the discs 6 are made to approach each other at the point where the fabric
is applied to the discs, while at the opposite point or near the lap roller q and
where the fabric is removed, the discs are furthest apart.
The dotted lines in Figure 2 represent the relative positions of the discs b
when the guide plates fhave been moved so that the bowls at the ends of the
bars e acting on them may cause the inner two discs to approach each other
by one inch (or to any other required extent), the two intermediate discs then
approach each by two inches and the outer dises by three inches, consequently
the fabric in passing from near the screw to the roller q, it will be stretched
three inches or to any extent required, but this amount of stretching is not
produced as in ordinary stretching machines by pulling at the selvages alone,
but by the intermediate discs between the selvages, the stretching motion being
distributed over every portion of the fabric; this is of the greatest advantage in
stretching printed fabrics, as the patterns are not distorted by the operation of
stretching, and it is also very beneficial in every description of fabric, as the strain
is taken from near the selvages and applied at four or more intermediate
places, thus allowing fabrics to be stretched to a greater extent than heretofore.
The amount of stretch can be regulated while the machine is at work by the
attendant turning the handle ¹ at the end of the screw j.
In Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, the guide plates fare provided with two or more
bowls facting against the rings s fixed to each outer disc b, to the rings s are
cast projections to which the bars e are jointed, by this arrangement the bowls
fare at all times acting on the rings s; while in Figures 1 and 2 the bowls
at the ends of the bars e pass at times beyond the guide plates f and again
come in contact with them.
The stretching machine above described may be used as a separate
machine or form part of a mangle or any other machine where stretching is
required.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention and described the manner
of performing the same, we declare that we claim the improved combination

page_text: and arrangement of machinery described, or any combination of machinery for
distributing the strain over different portions of the fabric instead of stretching
from the selvages only as heretofore customary.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Renshaw and John Haworth
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighteenth day of
March, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
JOSEPH RENSHAW. (L.8.)
JOHN HAWORTH.
(L.B.)