IMPROVEMENTS IN FULLING OR WALKING AND FELTING WOOLLEN AND HAIR FABRICS, AND IN THE MEANS AND MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT. to Sigismund Schuman, of the City of Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FULLING OR WALKING AND FELTING
WOOLLEN AND HAIR FABRICS, AND IN THE MEANS AND MECHANISM EMPLOYED
THEREFOR.
"
Sealed the 26th March 1872, and dated the 28th September 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sigismund Schuman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th September 1871.
I, SIGISMUND SCHUMAN, of the City of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FULLING OR WALKING AND FELTING
WOOLLEN AND HAIR FABRICS, AND IN THE MEANS AND MECHANISM EMPLOYED
THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in the simplification of the operations of
fulling or walking and felting all kinds of woollen and hair fabrics and

page_text: goods, by a first simple reciprocating frictional pressing or squeezing
action (not a stamping or beetling action as heretofore), and in a new
or improved construction and arrangement of the parts of machinery
or mechanism for this purpose; and, secondly, by a continuous rolling
and screwing action and new or improved construction of mechanism
or machinery for this purpose as a secondary or finishing process,
whereby more and better work and certainty of good results are
obtained with less loss of time and greater ease on the part of the
attendant than by the modes and means heretofore employed; and the.
nature of this said Invention consists in giving the said first new
reciprocatory frictional squeezing action to the fabric or materials in
between the adjacent and pressing faces of a large fixed block, and
a reciprocating block on a strong horizontal or it may be inclined or
slightly hollow curvilinear table or working bed, the reciprocating.
action of the moving block being given by a positive squeczing motion
across their whole acting faces, from a revolving or reciprocating crank,
shaft, or other equivalent positive acting mechanism, not a gravitating
stamping and beetling action, as heretofore. One construction of the
mechanism for giving this first reciprocating and squeezing action
(for turning out considerable work of various kinds) consists as follows:
of one, two, or three of these moving blocks of any convenient length
transversely across the table or working bed of the machine, which
would consist of a strong longitudinal hard wood, metallic, or other
table, of a width equal to the length of the said blocks, which would be
secured at such a distance apart by strong iron side rods at their ends
as to have a stationary block placed between them, and at each outer
end fixed strongly down to the top of the table and frame of the
machine, all so that when the connected moving blocks are reciprocated
to and fro by their side rods or by a separate connecting rod or other
equivalent for the purpose, and by or through a positive motion taken
from a crank or cranks on a revolving shaft at one end of the machine
revolving in bearings secured to one end of its main framing, and
actuated by a fast and loose pulley and belt from any adjacent motive
power, shaft, or other equivalent; or otherwise, eccentrics or cams or
other equivalents may be used for the cranks before-named for giving
the positive reciprocating motion to the squeezing or pressing blocks.
The table or bed on which the blocks are reciprocated would be firmly
secured to the top of a strong framing or side standards at such a
height from the floor that the attendant could easily feed or lay in or

page_text: lift out the materials from between the acting faces of the blocks, which
would never come so close as to jam the person's hands between them,
the quantity or roll of material inserted for treatment being always
more than the size of the hand, so that it may be properly squeezed.
To effect the said compression combined with a slight rubbing action
upon and forward rolling or turning over of the bundle of materials to
present two new sides to be so squeezed (after every compression as the
pressing block recedes), the acting faces of the moving and fixed
compressing blocks are shaped as follows:-The former is made to
project forward at the lower part to an angle on the face, of from
10 to 30 degrees more than the vertical line towards the lower part
and angle, and somewhat more than the face of the fixed block
which hangs over towards the face of the moving block at the top,
but not so much as the other, which recedes from it still more, and
thus leaves more room at the top for the hands of the operator putting
in and removing the articles. Two acute-angled or inclined plane shoe
pieces project with their sharp angles or edges forward towards each
other at the very bottom of both blocks close to their working bed
or table across their whole length (or the transverse width of the
table), so that as the material gets its final squeeze and pressure it
is forced up off the table on to the inclined shoe piece of the fixed
block into a slight curved overhanging hollow part in its face a little
higher up, so that when the face of the reciprocating block recedes,.
the compressed bundle rolls down the front of the shoc part of the
fixed block on to the table, and thus presents two different sides to be
compressed by the faces of the blocks as the moving one again comes
forward; and this operation, it will be understood, is going on between
both faces of each movable block reciprocated, and that of its cor-
responding fixed blocks, between each set of adjacent pressing faces
on the forward stroke, and the other set of pressing faces on the back
stroke of the connected blocks and their actuating rods. The table.
has by preference edges projecting up an inch or two at each side
longitudinally, which serve to guide the moving blocks as they
reciprocate longitudinally between them and the fixed blocks by brass
or other antifriction wheels or rolls sunk into their under side, rolling
upon the upper surface of the table or on metal plates sunk into it
(when the table is made of wood) so as to lessen the friction of working
the heavy blocks. To assist in keeping the goods as much in the centre
of the blocks as possible laterally (when they are much less than, the

page_text: width of the machine) the faces of the fixed blocks are preferred to be
made of a hollow segmental form, or concave, and those of the moving
blocks are to a corresponding round or convex form, while the side
edges referred to retain the broader articles or roll of material on the
table, and also retains the warm or cold water on the table when that t
is desired, holes being however provided near the edges to allow the
water to run away when it is desired to let it all off, and only treat the
goods with the water they are saturated with before being put in
between the squeezers.
The fixed blocks and actuating crank or
eccentric shaft being firmly secured to the solid frame of the machine,
the strains of the compressing action would all be contained within
itself and the solid side rods, so that no yielding or. giving way is
likely to occur more than in 'other self-contained presses and pressing
machines. When desired the top surface of the table or press and the
acting surfaces. of the pressing blocks could be covered with sheet metal
to make them more durable or lasting, or the fixed pressing blocks and
table may in some cases be made in the form of strong hollow metal
boxes, and heated by steam or hot water when more heat is desired than.
that of the hot water and the heat produced by the friction and pressure
of the squeezers. The convenience and advantages of this mechanism
over ordinary sectional stamping and beetling machines, which act upon
the fabric only at irregular parts, will at once be seen, for this first
treatment of all kinds of goods, whether small articles or goods in.
the web, as the attendant can put the small ones up in rolls of suitable
size in one direction, spread along and between the squeezing pressers,
and instantly and regularly lift out one set after another and make
them up in the reverse direction and put them in again until they are
reduced and thickened to the desired degree; and in like manner. he.
can insert the roll or number of folds of cloth and treat it in its whole
width, or in proportional folds of its width or length, so as to treat or
compress it in the direction of its width or in that of its length in
succession with great ease under his complete observation and with
great certainty of the results, all ready for the secondary finishing
treatment by the twisting, rolling, and screwing action herein-before
raformed to

page_text: a final finishing fulling and drying treatment (or it might be suitable for
some kinds of. goods without the said first treatment by performing the
operation over and over again for a sufficient number of times) to give
the goods the desired thickness, by passing them in at a wide central
space left at one end and between a set of three, four, five, or more
rollers, so as to spirally roll and squeeze them out at the other end
much compressed through a contracted space, the number of rollers
depending on the size of the bundles or rolls to be treated. The rollers
would be arranged with their axes nearly parallel or slightly angled to
each other, so as to give the wide opening between them at one end,
and contracted: gradually towards the other outlet end, set in bearings
divided equally round the said openings in. side standards or frames at
each end for the insertion and withdrawal of the goods (at the ends of.
the central space between the rollers), the journal bushes of all or some
of the rollers being set in outer slots (radiating from the centre line of
the said space through which the goods pass between the rollers) with
compensating weighted levers or springs or pinching screws outside of
the rollers or their journal bushes to regulate their distance apart to
suit the size of and the pressure to be given to the goods, particularly
at the delivery end of the rollers, which might either be of a conical or
cylindrical form, or be plain or fluted on their pressing and working
surfaces, the parallel rollers of course requiring to have their axes wider
apart at the end where the goods are entered, and as all the rollers have
to run or turn in the same direction the whole or as many of them as
desired may be driven by an endless chain and chain wheels or pulleys
on them, or by spur toothed or frictional grooved gearing, as desired,
actuated from one or more of the rollers, or from any adjacent prime
moving shaft, or by strong india-rubber bands or equivalent material,
capable of standing the action of the hot water, and which, if made of
elastic material, might be made to act as the compensating springs as
well as the driver, and not require special springs or weighted levers as
would be required for non-yielding. driving chains, bands, or wheel
driving gear.
Instead of having the rollers set all round, each at equal distances, an
open part all along may be left without a roller or rollers, and have a

page_text: compress the rolls or bundles of fabric being treated and passed
through below it and between the rollers longitudinally, which would
deliver the rolls smaller and more compressed, or more thickened and
dryer than it was entered at the wide feeding-in end of the set of rollers;
and in this arrangement the band or bands would act as the pressure
compensating arrangement on the rollers and fabric instead of springs,
or when this band is made with a long loose loop it could have a
compensating roller and weighted levers to give the desired pressure and
yielding action to suit the different sized bundles or rolls being treated.
In some cases the two or three lower rollers would be continued beyond
the others (which surround or enclose and treat the fabric) at both ends
of the machine to form feeding in and delivery tables or supports
for the bundles of the material being treated, which rollers might be
made with smooth spiral surfaces to assist the traverse of the materials
to or from the acting rollers, or other equivalent feeding mechanism,"
such as travelling bands on transverse rollers or sets of transverse rollers
themselves. These new or improved arrangements of fulling or walking
rollers may also in some cases be driven in a new manner by the stiff
friction of their round spindles passed loosely through them (without
keys or other positive fixture) so that the spindle of any one of them
could slip when the strain on it was too great, while the other rollers
would be free to turn and carry round the roll of fabric between
them, and when desired the spindle may be made with a slight taper,
so that when it or the roller on it was tightened up endways it would
give more or less friction as desired to insure the turning of the roller
with it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Sigismund Schuman in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th March 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SIGISMUND 30
SCHUMAN, of the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the 3

page_text: thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Sigismund Schuman, Her, special
licence that I, the said Sigismund Schuman, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Sigismund Schuman,
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 FULLING OR WALKING AND FELTING WOOLLEN AND HAIR
FABRICS, AND IN THE MEANS AND MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Sigismund Schuman, 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 Sigismund Schuman, 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 in writing, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say :-
My said Invention consists in the simplification of the operations of
fulling or walking and felting all kinds of woollen and hair fabrics and
goods, first by the application and use of a simple reciprocating frictional
pressing or squeezing action (not a stamping or beetling action as
heretofore), and in a new or improved construction of the parts and
arrangement of machinery or mechanism for this purpose. And the
improvements under the second part of my said Invention consist in
giving the fulling effect to these fabrics by a continuous rolling and
screwing action in new or improved constructions of mechanism or
machinery for this purpose, as a secondary or finishing process when
desired; all so as to produce more and better work and in less time,
with greater ease and certainty of good results on the part of the
attendant than has been obtained by the modes and means heretofore
employed.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe
the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto
appended for the purpose of showing what I at present believe to be the best
modifications and arrangements for so carrying the same into effect or
practice, the same letters of reference indicating the same or like parts
in all the Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 are longitudinal and transverse vertical sections on
the centre lines 1 - 1, and 2 - - - 2, in Figure 3, which is a corresponding
plan, both of an arrangement of mechanism or machine with one
reciprocating and compressing block A working between two fixed or
stationary pressing blocks B, B', having the bundle of fabric Z com-
pressed and walked or felted in either or both spaces 2, 21, between these
three blocks, all in accordance with and illustrative of one modification
of my said improvements. Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a side
elevation and a plan of a similar construction of fulling machine to that
shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, but more comprehensive, having two
reciprocating compressing blocks A, A', with their respective stationary,
abutting, or pressure blocks B, B₁, and B2, B", constructed in accordance
with and illustrative of another modification of the improvements under
the first part of my said Invention.
Referring to the Figures 1 to 5, the nature and mode of performing
the said improvements under the first part of my Invention consists,
first, in giving the said new reciprocating frictional squeezing action to
the said fabric or materials Z in the spaces z, z¹, between the adjacent
pressing faces b, a, of a large stationary or fixed block B or blocks B, B',
and B, B, and either one, two, or more reciprocating blocks A, A',
respectively fixed and sliding on a strong longitudinal horizontal and
transverse curvilinear table or working bed C; or this might be of a
longitudinally inclined or slightly hollow construction, the reciprocating
action being given to the blocks A, A¹, by a positive squeezing motion
across the whole acting faces a, b, of the blocks by strong side rods E, E,
connected to the two revolving eccentrics E¹, E¹, on the main shaft F,
actuated by the fast and loose driving pulleys F¹, F¹, and a belt F2 driven
from any adjacent prime moving shaft.
Instead of the blocks A, A', being actuated by eccentrics as E¹, shown
on the shaft F, cranks and crank pins or cams might be employed, or
other positive reciprocating mechanism, as steam or air cylinders,

page_text: although I prefer the eccentric motion shown, all in contradistinction
to the gravitating, stamping, and beetling action heretofore practised..
The construction of these machines, Figures 1 to 3 and 4, 5, (which
are suitable for turning out a considerable quantity of fulling work of
various kinds,) consists particularly as follows of the said one and two
(but it might be three) moving blocks A, A', of any convenient length,
transversely across, equal to the width of the table C, which in this case is
formed of strong segmental boards of hard wood secured to flanges on the
transverse frames or stays C', fixed to and between the main longitudinal
side frames D, D, secured by flanged feet to a suitable foundation of stone,
wood, or cast iron. These blocks A (or A, A¹) are strongly secured at
their ends by bolts and plates A³ to the strong iron side rods E, E, at
such a distance from each other and the strong stationary blocks B, B',
and B, B", that these can be placed and fixed strongly down at each
outer end at the centre by the screw bolts B³ to the top of the cross
frame D' of the bed or table C and main frame D of the machine, so as
to leave any desired space z, z¹, between the acting faces a, b, of the
reciprocating and stationary blocks A, A', to work and press or walk the
made-up bundles of goods Z between them. The connected and moving.
blocks A, A', are reciprocated to and fro through their rigidly connected
side rods E, E, guided parallel by their slotted free ends E" passing over
their moving shaft F, and by a positive motion taken from the eccentric
groove e in the disc fly wheels E', keyed fast on the main revolving shaft
F, through the lateral pins e¹ working into the bushes e of these
eccentric grooves e of this main shaft F, revolving in bearing bushes and
brackets & secured to one end of the main framing D, and actuated by a
fast and a loose pulley F" and belt F³, from any adjacent motive power
shaft or other equivalent (or it might be otherwise, by a separate
ordinary connecting rod or rods and crank or cranks on a revolving shaft
For other equivalents, for the purpose as before named), all so as to
give the positive reciprocating motion to the squeezing or pressing
blocks A, A¹.
The table or bed C on which the blocks are reciprocated is by preference
made of hard wood, of a hollow segmental shape (as seen in Figure 2),
covered with brass or copper, and firmly secured to the top of a strong
framing D and side standards. D, at such a height from the floor that
the attendant can easily feed or lay in or lift out the materials Z from
the spaces 2, 2, between the acting faces, as a, b, of the blocks A, B, B',

page_text: or A¹ and B2, B¹, which would never come so close as to jam the person's
hands between them, the quantity or roll Z of material inserted for
treatment being always larger than the size of the hand, so that it may
be properly squeezed.
To effect the said compression combined with a slight rubbing action
upon and forward rolling or turning over of the bundle of material Z, to
present two new sides to be so squeezed (after every compression as the
pressing block A, A¹, recedes from the pressure faces 6 of the fixed block)
the acting faces a and 6 of the moving and fixed compressing blocks are
shaped as follows:-The face a of the former is made to project forward
at the lower part next the bed C towards the face 6 of the latter, at an
angle of from 10 to 30 degrees more than the vertical line, and somewhat
more than that of the face b of the fixed blocks, which hang over
towards the face a of the moving blocks at top, but not quite so much as
to be parallel to the other a, which recedes from it still more, and thus
leaves more room at the top for the hands of the operator putting in and
removing the articles with perfect safety. Two acute angled or inclined
plane shoe pieces a², 62, are formed at the bottom of the faces a, b, so as
to project with their sharp angles or edges towards each other at the very
bottom of both the moving and stationary blocks A, A', and B, B¹, B³,
Bu, close to the working bed or table C across their whole length (or the
whole transverse width of the table), so that as the roll of material Z gets
its final squeeze and pressure, it is forced up off the table C on to the
incline shoe piece 62 of the fixed block, into a slight curved overhanging
hollow part 6 in its face a little higher up, as shown at 2, 22, so that when
the face a of the reciprocating blocks recedes the compressed bundle Z rolls
down the front of the shoe part 6 of the fixed blocks on to the table C,
as shown at 2¹, ", thus presenting two different sides of the bundle to be
compressed by the faces a, b, of the blocks, as the moving ones again
come forward towards the fixed ones. This operation, it will be under-
stood, is going on between both faces a, a, (on opposite sides of each
movable block A and A¹ reciprocated,) and the opposite face 6 (of the
corresponding fixed blocks B, B¹, or B², B", in the spaces z between the
pressing faces a, b,) at each forward stroke of the reciprocated connected
blocks A, A', and their rods in both directions. The table C has by
preference edges D" projecting up an inch or two at each side longitudi-
nally, which serve to guide the moving blocks A, A', as they reciprocate
longitudinally between them, either with or without brass or other anti-

page_text: friction wheels or rolls, sunk into their under side, rolling upon the upper
surface of the table C or on metallic plates sunk into it, when the table.
is made of wood, so as to lessen the friction of working the heavy blocks.
To assist in keeping the goods as much in the centre of the blocks as
possible laterally (when they are much less than the width of the
machine) the faces 6 of the fixed blocks may in some cases be made of
a hollow segmental form or concave, and those a of the moving blocks
of a corresponding round or convex form, as an equivalent or in addition
to the table C being made hollow transversely for the like purpose,
while the side edges D" referred to retain the broader articles or roll of
material properly on the table, and also retain the warm or cold water on
the table when that is desired; and when it is desired to let off the
water squeezed out of the goods, small holes c, are formed through the
said edges D" or bottom C to allow the water to run away, and thus
only treat the goods with the water they are saturated, with, before being
put in between the squeezers A, B, without water lying in the bed C.
To regulate the spaces z; between the reciprocating blocks A and the
stationary blocks B, to suit the size of the bundle or roll of goods Z,
to be treated; short longitudinal toothed racks r, are secured to the
transverse frames D, of the bed C, below each end of the fixed blocks
B, so as to shift them to and fro by pinions ¹ on each end of a
transverse shaft 8, passed through and carried by bearing blocks st,
secured to the back ends of the block B, a square end being left at each
end of the spindles 8, so as to turn them by a screw key or wrench, and
set the block B, at the required distance from the face a of the moving
blocks A, and when so set they are again fixed by the screw bolts B³,
as before stated.
But it is to be understood that other equivalent means might be
employed for setting and fixing the blocks B. The fixed blocks B and
actuating eccentric or crank shaft F, being rigidly secured to the solid
frame D, of the machine, the strains of the compressing action are all
contained within itself and sustained by the side frames and the solid
side rods so that, as in most other self-contained presses and pressing
machines, when these parts are strong enough, no yielding, breakage, or
giving way of the parts or machine can well take place.
When desired the top surface of the table C, or pressing and acting
surfaces of the pressing blocks A, B, may be covered with sheet metal to
make them more durable or lasting, or the fixed pressing blocks

page_text: and table may in some cases be made in the form of strong hollow
metal boxes and heated by steam or hot water, when more heat is
desired to be applied to the goods Z than that from the hot water
and the heat produced in them by the friction and pressure of the
squeezers A, B.
The convenience and advantages of this mechanism over ordinary
sectional stamping and beetling machines which act upon the fabric
only at short irregular parts will at once be seen and are most suitable
either for a first treatment of all kinds of goods, whether of small
articles in bundles or of goods in the roll or web, or for the complete
fulling and felting of these by the attendant putting the small goods up
in rolls or bundles of suitable size in one direction to be spread along the
spaces between the squeezing pressers A, B, and instantly and
regularly lifting them out, one set after another, and putting them into
the spaces of reduced width to suit them, or again make them up into
bundles rolled in the reverse direction and put them in again, until they
are properly walked and felted or reduced and thickened to the desired
degree; and in like manner the attendant can insert the fabric in a roll
or number of folds, and treat it in its whole width or in proportionate
folds of its width or length which the width of the machine will take
in, so as to treat and compress it in the direction of its width or in
that of its length in succession with great ease under his complete
observation and with great certainty of the results, all ready for the
secondary finishing treatment by the twisting, rolling, and screwing
action herein-before referred to, when that is also considered desirable.
'
I
Referring to the improvements under or forming the second part of
my said Invention and mode of performing the same, they consist in
giving the goods or materials in the form of bundles of small articles,
or rolls of fabric z, a rolling or squeezing and compressing action
through a central space between a set of rollers (either after being
treated in the manner and by the means or walking machines described
under the first part of my said Invention, so as to give them a final
finishing, fulling, and drying treatment; or it may be when preferred
and suitable for some kinds of goods, a complete walking and finishing
treatment without the use of the said first mechanism and treatment, 3
by passing the bundles or rolls a sufficient number of times through the
rollers until the goods are sufficiently walked and thickened), all so as
to give the goods, the said desired fulling and thickness by the new

page_text: or improved means of passing them in at a wide central space left at
one end, and between a set of three, four, five, or more rollers, so as to
spirally roll and squeeze them out at the other end much compressed
through a contracted space, the number of rollers and their radial
distance apart depending on the size of the bundles or rolls to be
Figures 6 and 7 are an end and a side elevation respectively, and
Figure 8 a corresponding plan of one modification and arrangement of
walking mill, machine, or mechanism, constructed in accordance with
and for carrying out the said improvements under the second part of
my said Invention. In this case the rollers I are arranged in a set of
four with their axes or shafts I¹ set at nearly equal radial diagonal
distances round the central open space i, i, in the end view Figure 6,
and shown nearly parallel or horizontal longitudinally in Figures 7 and 8,
but slightly angled towards each other at the end 2, so as to give the
wider opening between the rollers I at the end i for the entrance of the.
rolls or bundles Z, and gradually contracted towards the other outlet.
or discharge end i¹. The shafts I' of these rollers are set in bearing
bushes sliding in radial slots j₁ divided equally round the openings.
at i, , in the main side or end standards or frames J at each end of
the central space between the main fulling rollers I where the goods are
entered and discharged. The journal bushes j of all or some of the
rollers I are made to shift, and be set in and out of their slots j¹,
(radiating from the centre line i, it, of the said space through which the
goods pass between the rollers) with pinching screws j¹¹ and j³, projecting
out from their journal bushes ; with squares on the two lower
ones" and bevel pinions k, and screw bushes on the two upper ones j³
actuated by bevel wheels and screw wheels k' through the screws ¼" on
the transverse spindle k³, so as to regulate the distance of the rollers I
from each other, to suit the size of and the pressure to be given to the
rolls of goods Z, particularly at the delivery end of the rollers I, which
may either be of a cylindrical form, as shown in these Figures, or of a
conical shape, and either slightly corrugated spirally at I* with a
smooth rounded thread from end to end, or made smooth as desired, or
they might be made with smooth, round, annular, or longitudinal flutes
or corrugations on their rolling, and pressing, or working perimeters;
however, the cylindrical or conical rollers I which have not screws
formed on them for carrying the goods longitudinally through the open.

page_text: space by the rolling action would require to have their shafts laid at a
considerable angle towards each other to give the forward rolling and.
screwing action. As all the rollers I have to run, revolve, or turn in
the same direction as indicated by the arrows, the whole (or as many of
them as desired) may be driven by an endless pitch chain K. and pitch
chain wheels or pulleys K', directly actuated by a chain pulley K" on a.
shaft L, driven from any adjacent prime moving shaft by a belt passed.
over the fast and loose pulleys L. The loop of the endless driving
chain K is passed over the sliding and counterweighted chain pulleys K³
fixed on the spindle K sliding in the vertical guide K³, all so as to
keep the slack of the chain tight to suit the rollers in the various
positions at which they are set to work. The rollers I might also be
driven by spur, toothed, or frictional grooved gearing when desired,.
actuated from one or more of the rollers.
In some cases I prefer to have the two or three lower rollers I, I,
Figures 7, 8, continued beyond the others (which surround or enclose and
treat the fabric) at both ends of the machine, outside the main frames
at I", I, carried and driven by the overhanging ends of the axles I', of
the long rollers I, by socket couplings or otherwise and by outer
journal bearings I³ in the short standards J, J", so as to form a feeding in
table 1" and a delivery table I", (or supports for carrying the bundles Z
of the material being treated) which rollers I" and I may be made
with smooth spiral surfaces, also when preferred to assist the traverse of
the materials to or from the acting rollers I at i; ; or other equivalent
feeding mechanism, such as travelling bands on transverse rollers, or sets
of transverse rollers themselves may be used for so feeding in and
delivering the bundles of goods to and from the machine.
Instead of the screw spindles j³, 1, and their actuating nuts k, k, for
tightening up the rollers I radially towards each other, or in addition to
these, compensating springs or strong weighted levers might be
employed, such as used in calendering and mangling machines; and
such levers might also be employed for tightening up the slack of the
driving chain K, K', as indicated at M, m, in the diagram view,,
Figures 9 and 10; the strain so put on these chains or bands when used
at both ends of the rollers might also be made to compress the rollers
inwards against the bundles being treated.
And instead of driving the rollers I by the chains K, K¹, or wheel
gearing, strong bands of india-rubber, or this and canvas or other

page_text: equivalent band material capable of standing the action of the water,
might be employed; and when made of elastic material, such as
vulcanized india-rubber, could be made to act as the compensating
springs as well as the driving bands, and thus not require the springs or
weighted levers referred to and required for non-yielding driving chains,
bands, or wheel driving gear.
Instead of having the rollers I set all round each at equal distances
apart (as herein-before described in reference to Figures 5 to 9), an open
part or space may be left without a roller or rollers near and along the
top, as shown at N in the diagram Figure 10, and have a great broad
endless band K* (or it might be a number of narrower ones) made of web
or sheet india-rubber material, or of that and canvas, such as made for
driving bands, and be passed round the rollers I and over or across the
open part N between them all so as to roll and compress the rolls or
bundles Z of fabric being treated and passed through below it and
between the rollers I longitudinally, which would deliver the roll of goods
smaller and more compressed or more thickened and dryer than it was
entered at the wide feeding in end of the set of rollers. In this
arrangement, when the band or bands are so made of elastic india-
rubber material, they might be made to give the pressure or
compensating action on the rollers and bundles instead of the pinching
screws ¹¹¹¹, j, j², (or equivalent springs), or when these bands K* are
made with a long loose loop it could have a compensating roller M and
weighted levers m to keep the band tight and give the desired pressure
and yielding action to suit the different sized bundles or rolls Z, as
shown at M, m, in Figures 9 and 10. These new or improved arrange-
ments of fulling or walking rollers I may also in some cases be driven
in a new manner by the stiff friction of their round spindles I', passed
loosely through them (without keys or other positive fixture) so that the
spindle I' of any one of them could slip when the strain or friction on
the roller I was too great, while the other rollers I would be free to turn
and carry round the roll of fabric between them and the slipping roller;
and in this case, when desired, each spindle I' of the rollers I may be
made with a slight taper, and either the spindle or the roller made so as
to be tightened up endways towards each other (by cotters, screw nuts,
or other equivalent) which would give more or less friction as desired, to
insure the turning of the roller with the power of slipping on the spindle
when too much strain or friction took place.

page_text: Having thus described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe that what I consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The construction and arrangement of the parts of fulling and
walking machines, all substantially in the new or improved manner and
for the purposes herein described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
Second. The construction and arrangement of the parts of recipro-
cating, pressing, or squeezing mechanism or machines for the fulling or.
walking of woollen and hair fabrics or goods, all substantially in the
new or improved manner herein described and shown in reference to
Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying Drawings, under the first part or
improvements of my said Invention.
Third. The construction and arrangement of the parts of machines
with sets of rollers for fulling or walking woollen and hair fabrics and
goods, all substantially in the new or improved manner herein described
and shown in reference to Figures 6 to 10 of the accompanying
Drawings, under the second part or improvements of my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sigismund Schuman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
20, Buchanan Street,
Glasgow.
SIGISMUND SCHUMAN. (L.S.)