IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING FABRICS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Sampson, of Bradford, in the County of
York, Stuff Finisher and Presser, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FINISHING FABRICS."
Sealed the 24th December 1856, and dated the 7th July 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Sampson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
July 1856.
I, GEORGE SAMPSON, of Bradford, in the County of York, Stuff Finisher and
Presser, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FINISHING FABRICS," to be as follows:→
The improvements relate to arranging and combining apparatus to give a
finishing effect to various fabrics, such as alpacas, mixtures, barège, Orleans,
Coburgs, and others, by conducting such fabric in contact with a series of
heated surfaces, partly moving and partly stationary, in combination with a
modification of a plaiting machine, in such manner as to give lustre or finish
thereto, such as and in substitution of that now ordinarily given by the use of
press papers" and heated "press plates." For this purpose the fabric is
conducted in contact with a series of cylinders, some of which revolve, whilst
others are stationary. The two first and two last of the series revolve in
contact to give a drag on the fabric; and I also prefer that one or more of the
cylinders have a copper surface, by which a better finish is obtained. The
fabric, in passing from this series of heated cylinders, is conducted over the
inspection board or table of a plaiting machine, but which I form hollow, to
receive steam or other heating media, in place of its being of wood, as is ordi-

page_text: narily the case; and I also form the curved folding table in a similar manner
hollow, to receive steam or other heating media, so that heat may be still given
off to the fabric during the folding.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Sampson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th January 1857.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SAMPSON, of Bradford, in the County of York, Stuff Finisher and Presser,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Sampson, Her special licence that I, the said George Sampson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Sampson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any timo 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 FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Sampson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, 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 George Sampson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say :-
The improvements relate to arranging and combining apparatus to give a
finishing effect to various fabrics, such as alpacas, mixtures, barège, Orleans,
Coburgs, and others, by, conducting such fabric in contact with a series of
heated surfaces, partly moving and partly stationary, in combination with a
modification of a plaiting machine, in such manner as to give lustre or finish

page_text: is drawn through this part of the apparatus. The cylinders e, h, i,j, and m, in
the arrangement shown, revolve by friction of the fabric, whilst the cylinders
f.g, k, and 7, are stationary, by which the lustre to the fabric is increased by the
rubbing friction upon the surface thereof, and more or less, or even all of those
cylinders may be fixed or allowed to revolve, according to the friction desired,
to be put upon the fabric under operation, all which will readily be judged of
by the operator. And I prefer that the surface of the cylinder i be formed of
copper, on account of that metal taking a much higher polish than iron, and of
its greater conducting power for heat, by which I obtain a better surface
finish to the fabric. All the cylinders are heated by means of steam or other
beating media, supplied by pipes to their axes, as is well understood by persons
acquainted with such machinery.
The fabric, as it passes from between the cylinders n, n, passes under a
weighted bar v, which simply, by its weight, serves to take up the slack and
keep it tight whilst passing from those cylinders to the inspection table S of
the plaiting machine; this table, according to part of my improvements, is
formed of metal, and hollow, as is also the curved folding table t, so as to be
heated by steam or other suitable media, by which to aid in giving further
lustre or finish to the fabric after it has passed from the action of the series of
cylinders. By these tables being formed of metal their figure is also better
preserved.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the best means
I am acquainted with for carrying the same into effect, I would have it under-
stood that I do no confine myself to the precise details shown, so long as the
peculiar character of my improvements be retained; but what I claim is, the
arranging and combining apparatus for finishing fabrics, whereby the fabric to
be treated passes over a series of heated cylinders, part of which are rotating,
whilst the others are stationary, and thence over heated tables.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Sampson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
JOSEPH SAMPSON.
GEORGE SAMPSON. (L.B.)