IMPROVE- MENTS IN AGEING PRINTED FABRICS AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE- WITH.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thom, of Birkacre, near Chorley, in the
County of Lancaster, Calico Printer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AGEING PRINTED FABRICS AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH.
"
Sealed the 5th March 1875, and dated the 9th December 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thom at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th December 1874.
I, JOHN THOM, of Birkacre, near Chorley, in the County of Lancaster,
Calico Printer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AGEING PRINTED FABRICS AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH," to be as follows:
My improvements in ageing printed fabrics consist in causing them
to pass continuously through a chamber supplied with steam at 212°
Fahrenheit or upwards, by means of which the effect of ageing on
ordinary mordants is produced in from one to three minutes, and on
aniline colours, for instance aniline blacks, a good result is obtained in

page_text: the same time with greater certainty than heretofore. Albumen colours
can be fixed more economically and conveniently than before.
The improved apparatus consists of a brick chamber with two flues
fitted with dampers to carry off the resulting gases; a steam chest
forming a cover to protect the fabric (which is carried over and under
a series of rollers as usual) from drops of condensed vapour that might
fall from the roof, and a steam pipe which supplies steam to the chest
above referred to, and to a pair of lip formed chests between which
the fabric enters and leaves the chamber. There are three or other con-
venient number of pipes taken from the under lip along the end wall of
the chamber, and thence along the floor to supply steam to the chamber
and to prevent the fabric coming in contact with the end wall or floor
of the chamber.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Thom in the Great Seal Patent Offico 1
on the 8th June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
THOM, of Birkacre, near Chorley, in the County of Lancaster, Calico
Printer, send greeting.
シ
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 2
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Thom, Her special licence,
that I, the said John Thom, my executors, administrators, and a
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Thom, 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, 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 AGEING PRINTED FABRICS AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Thom,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my

page_text: 1.
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 within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Thom, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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):-
My improvements in ageing printed fabrics consist in a process of
subjecting the fabrics to the action of steam in the manner and by
means of apparatus constructed, substantially as herein-after described,
that is to say, a process whereby the fabrics are caused to pass continously
through a chamber supplied with steam at about 212° Fahrenheit or
upwards, by means of which the effect of ageing on ordinary mordants
is produced in from one to three minutes. In the case of aniline
colours, for instance aniline blacks, a good result is obtained in the same
time with greater certainty than by any process heretofore used in con-
nection with those colours. Albumen colours can be fixed more econo-
mically and conveniently than before.
The improved apparatus which I employ consists of a brick chamber
with two flues fitted with dampers to carry off the resulting gases. A
steam chest is used to form a heated cover or top to the chamber which
prevents drops of moisture from being formed, and thereby the fabric
(which is carried over and under a series of rollers as usual) is protected
against injury from the falling of drops of condensed vapour that might fall
from the roof if special means were not taken to maintain, it constantly
at the requisite high temperature. A steam pipe supplies steam to the
chest above referred to and a pair of steam chests formed with lips,
between which the fabric operated on is passed when it enters and
leaves the chamber. There are three or other convenient number of pipes
taken from the under lip along the end wall of the chamber, and thence
along the floor to supply steam to the chamber, so that the fabric may
be prevented from coming in contact with the end wall or floor of the
chamber or with other than properly heated surfaces.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation I will proceed to describe the two accompanying

page_text: Sheets of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters
marked thereon.
On Sheet 1 Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved apparatus
for ageing fabrics, and on Sheet 2 Fig. 2 is a plan, and Fig. 3, a
transverse section; Figs. 4 and 5 are detached views on an enlarged
scale of part of the same.
'
The apparatus consists principally of a brick chamber a with an
arched roof b and an inclined floor c. At one end of the chamber a is
the double flue d, the two branches of which unite in the chimney e; in
each branch of the double flue d is a damper, the position of which can
be regulated. These flues and chimney are to carry off the steam and
gases that are generated in the process of ageing. Within the chamber a
are two rows of wooden rollers f, f, and g, g, around which the printed
fabrics to be aged are carried in the manner described in the Specifica-
tion of Letters Patent granted to me on the 15th day of May 1849, No.
12,610. Between the upper row of rollers fand the roof 6 is the steam
chest h, which prevents the formation of drops of condensed vapour and
so prevents the fabric from being injured by drops that otherwise might
fall from the roof. The fabrics enter the chamber a and are discharged
from it through the space between the lips of the steam chest i, as shewn
best in Figs. 1, 4, and 5, and the pipe j, and the ends of the chests i are
connected to the ends of the pipe j by the double elbows k, to one of
which is cast a branch pipe which is connected to the supply steam pipe l.
The ends of the chest i project beyond the wall to catch any moisture
that may run down the wall. To the pipe j are cast three elbow branch
pipes j', to which the three pipes m are connected; these pipes pass
down
ncar to the end wall of the chamber a, and thence along the space
between the lower row of rollers 9 and the floor c. The outer ends of
the pipes mare open to allow the steam by which they and the lip chest i
and pipe jare heated to escape into the chamber α. These pipes m are
so arranged as to prevent the fabrics from coming in contact with
the end wall and floor of the chamber or with other than properly heated
surfaces. The steam chest h´ is also heated by a pipe from the supply
pipe, and the waste steam is carried off from the steam chest by the
pipe n, the lower end of which is open to discharge the steam into the
chamber a.- There are three doors in the end walls of the chamber by
which access can be had for repairs or for other purposes, but these doors
are in practice never opened except when the steam is shut off; there

page_text: are also planks o, o, along each side of the chamber and extending from
one end to the other for the attendants to walk upon when the chamber
is not in use.
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The fabrics to be aged are placed on the floor at p, see Fig. 1, and after-
passing over suitable guides and guide rollers they are carried under the
roller and lip formed chest i into the close chamber a, which had been
previously heated by steam at about 212° Fahrenheit or more; they then
pass under the roller and over the rollers 8, from the last of which they
descend to the end roller g, and then after passing over and under all
the rollers and g, they pass over the roller t and then out of the
chamber over of the pipe j. The printed fabrics in thus passing con-
tinuously through the chamber are acted upon by the steam and heat,
which produce the effect of ageing or fixing the colours in much less
time, and. in many cases more effectually than by the processes now in
use; the fabrics are then folded down again on the floor at t, or otherwise
disposed of.
It is desirable to drive the folding down apparatus and by it all the
rollers in the chamber a by means of a small detached steam engine,-as
shewn at u, in order to regulate the speed according to the nature and
quality of the printed fabrics to be operated upon.
The apparatus above described is so constructed and arranged that the
fabrics can pass continuously into and through it without the aid of any
attendant inside, and consequently I am enabled to keep up the tem-
perature to the required degree for effecting the ageing more rapidly and
effectually than was possible by the apparatus for which Letters Patent
were granted to me as above referred to, or by any other means.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the
manner in which the same may be performed, I wish to remark that I
make no claim to the direct application of steam to printed fabrics for
ageing them, as various methods of applying steam for that purpose
have been heretofore used, but in none of them has the process of appli-
cation been like that above described and invented by me, wherein the
fabrics are continuously passed into and through a closed chamber
charged with steam maintained at a temperature of about 212° Fahren-
heit or upwards, proper means being provided to prevent drops of
moisture being formed and injuriously falling on the fabrics, and care
being taken on the one hand that the temperature be not allowed to fall

page_text: too much below 212° Fahrenheit, and on the other if it be raised above
that temperature that the excess be not so great as to prevent the
moisture in the steam from so acting on the material as to produce a
successful result. Steam should be introduced from a steam chest or
boiler at a pressure of from 10 lbs. to 50 lbs. It will be found advan-
tageous to feed the chamber by two supply pipes, one feeding steam at
10 lbs. pressure, the other at about 50 lbs. pressure, as from time to time
may be required. Any person experienced in working processes for
ageing fabrics will be able to tell without difficulty if the fabric has been
properly treated when it comes out of the chamber, and whether steam
has been supplied at the requisite temperature, and a proper degree of
heat and moisture has been maintained in the closed chamber while the
fabric is being treated therein. I therefore claim as of my Invention,―
First. The use of the process of ageing fabrics by continuously passing
them through a closed and heated chamber charged with steam, sub-
stantially in the manner above described.
Secondly. The use for the purposes above mentioned of a closed and
heated chamber constructed and provided with means for passing fabrics
through it and supplying it with steam, substantially in the manner
above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thom, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of June, One thousand eight