AN IMPROVED STRETCHING MACHINE
Year: 1831

page_text: TO ALL PERSONS TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
SAMUEL MORAND, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant,.
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth, did,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster the Fourteenth day of April, in the first year of His reign,
give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Morand, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, His especial licence that I, the said Samuel Morand, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, during the term of years therein men-
tioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN
IMPROVED STRETCHING MACHINE;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso, that if I, the said Samuel Morand, should not particularly:
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument an writing under my hand
and seal, and cause the same, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months, then next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent, then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties
and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, should utterley cease, determine,
and become void, as in and by the sanie, reference being thereunto had, may
more fully and at large appear."

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Morand, do hereby declare that my said improved stretching machine
is for the purpose of stretching the width of calico pieces or of other cloths or
fabrics which are woven of cotton, silk, wool, flax, or other like material in
cases when such woven fabrics have become shrunk or contracted in width, in
consequence of dyeing, bleaching, or other process to which the said woven
fabrics may have been subjected; and the manner in which my said Invention
is to be performed is set forth and ascertained by the Drawing in the margin,
and the following description thereof:-.
Figure 1 in the Drawing represents a lateral elevation of my machine in its
complete state; Figuro 2 is a horizontal plan representing the chains, chain
races and pins, cross rails and card roller, hereinafter described, placed on the
frame in order for working; Figures 3 and 4 represent two elevations of
the opposite ends of my machine, the chains and chain races being omitted;
in the several Figures the same characters of reference are used to denote
the same parts of the machine wherever the characters occur. A, A, A, A,
(Figure 1) represent side frames of iron, connected by the cross rails 1, 2, and
3 (best seen in Figure 2) and by the cross bars a, a, as seen in Figures 3
and 4. These frames support the axis W of two chain wheels G, G, the side
of which is shewn in Figure 1, and the edges and axis of both are shewn in
Figure 4; the wheels G, G, are moveable along their axis W, and can be
fastened on any part of the length thereof by binding screws w, w, (as seen
in Figure 4) or otherwise. The two wheels G, G, may be fitted on their
axis W, with squares or with fillets, which will allow the wheels to move
freely along the axis but not to turn round thereon,, and instead of binding
screws to fasten the wheels on the axis, projecting brackets similar to those
herein after referred to by the letter M, may be fixed on the ends D of the chain
races to reach down to the central crosses of the wheels G, and to enter into
circulars grooves formed around those central crosses, in order to retain those
wheels from sliding along their axes, except when the chain races are being
adjusted on the cross rails, and then the said brackets will adjust tho
wheels G, G, correspondent to the adjustment of the chain races. The axis W
of the wheels G, G, gives motion to the machine and may be turned by hand
by means of the winch or handle Z, by hand or by any other adequate power.
At the other end of the frame, but not fixed to it, are two other similar chain
wheels H, H, to which are attached spur wheels I, I, of rather larger diameter,
which work against the spur pinions K, K, to the inner sides of which are
attached rollers or pulleys (k, k,) which I call the pricking pullies and which
are situated over the chain wheels I, II, as shewn in Figures 3 and 5; the

page_text: wheels H, I, are not both fixed on one axis, but each wheel with its spur
wheel I, turns on a centre pin mounted on a bracket as herein-after men-
tioned, as is also each of the pinions K, K, with its pricking pulley k
The centre pins for the wheels II, HI, and K k, K k, are all sup-
ported by brackets M, M, with three arms, one of which is fastened to
the outside of each of the chain races B, C, best seen in Figure 2; at the fore-
most end B thereof another of the arms reaches downwards to support
the centre pins of the wheels Hand I, and the third arm extends upwards
to bear the centre pin for the pinion K and its pricking pulley k, seen in
Figure 3. Two similar brackets R, Figure 3, are fixed to the inside.
of each of the chain races B, C, at the said end B, to bear the other end of.
the centre pin of the wheels H and I, but these brackets R are without
the third arm extending upwards. L, L, see Figure 7, is a roller covered
with a card of the sort commonly used in carding cotton, and it's situation
is indicated in Figure 3, by dotted lines; an endless chain 0, 0, (which
I make of brass) is applied on each pair of wheels G and H in grooves made
in the face of each wheel as shewn in Figures 3 and 4; this chain in its
passage between the points B and D, Figure 1, is carried through a chain
race B, C, D, supported by bearers sliding in slotts in the cross rails; the outer
surface of the chains is studded with pins, (Figure 10,) fixed at equal distances
of about three quarters of an inch asunder, as shewn in Figure 8, which
during the passage of the chains over the wheels when in work enter into
suitable holes in the face of the pricking pulleys k, k, represented in Figure 5
at C, C, are joints or hinges in the chain races, in order that the ends B, B,
of the chain races may be made to converge and diverge, and the wheels
H, H, I, I, and K, K, and the pricking pullies k, k, being attached by the
brackets M, M, R, R, to the ends of the chain races converge and diverge
together with them. E is a small handle wheel with spokes, the axis of
which F gives motion to the mitre wheels f, f, best seen in Figure 2, and
thereby to the right and left hand screw 9, shewn in Figure 6, which represents
an upright view of the cross rail (1), seen in Figure 2. The bearers which
are coloured red in the Figures slide in slotts in the cross rails by means
of the nuts which are fixed to the bearers and pass through the slotts, as seen
in Figure 6, and. which nuts are perforated by the right and left hand screw g,
which, in its revolutions works in its nuts, and thereby increases or diminishes
the distance between the bearers and the foremost ends B, B, of the chain
races which are attached to them. A similar apparatus may. (if thought fit)
be attached to the other cross rails for the purpose of increasing or diminishing
the distance between the bearers and chain races on them.

page_text: Figure 5 represents a lateral view of one of the chain wheels II and the
pricking pulley with a portion of the chain O, O, and its pins passing between
them. The spur wheel I and pinion K are supposed to be removed in this
representation.
'
Figure 8 represents the upper surface of three links of the chains; the black
spots represent the holes in which the sharp pointed pins (see Figure 10)
are to be screwed. The links are of two sorts, broad and narrow, placed
alternately, and connected by joints formed like those of hinges and which
project beyond the surfaces of the links, as is seen in Figures 1 and 5. The
joints must be fitted rather loosely, so as to admit of sufficient lateral play in
the chains for converging and diverging. The grooves cut in the faces of the
chain wheels leave of course raised edges on each side; notches are cut in
these edges, as shewn in the Figures 3, 4, and 5, ench notch being of a
sufficient size to admit a broad link of the chain and the two connecting
hinges, and the distance between every two notches being equal to the length
of one of the narrow links without the hinges. When therefore the chains
are placed on the wheels the broad links lie in the notches, whilst the narrow
links lie between the raised edges, as shown in Figure 5, and on the wheels
G, G, being put in motion the chains are propelled by the pressure of the
raised edges of the wheels against the projecting joints of the broad links of
the chains whilst the wheels II, U, are carried round by a corresponding
action of the chains against the raised edges of those wheels, and they, by the
cog wheels I, I, best seen in Figure 3, turn the pinions K.
Figure 9 represents a cross section of the chain races B, C, D, and a cross
section of a broad link of the chain is represented by dotted lines in its place
within the chain race with one of the pins.
Figure 10 represents one of the pins with its nut and screw complete.
Figure 7 represents the card roller L, L, with with pulleys 1, 1, fixed on
at each end of its axis. Over each of these pulleys a friction cord is
placed, one of which is fastened to the frame of the machine, and from
the other end I suspend weights, in order to retard the motion of the
roller as much as may be necessary so as to bring the fabric to the pricking
pullies as tight and straight as possible. To perform the operation of
stretching by means of my said improvod machine I first adjust the chain
races by sliding their bearers along the cross rails 2 and 3, and fastening them
in their slotts by suitable binding screws at such parts of the said cross rails
as will place the parts C, C, and D, D, so far apart that the distance between
the pins of the respective chains may be equal to the breadth to which the
selvages of the fabric are required to be finally stretched, and I adjust and

page_text: fasten the wheels G, G, at a corresponding distance on their axis W so that:
the chains may pass from them to the chain races in a direct line. I then.
adjust the ends B, B, of the chain races in like manner to the present or
contracted, breadth of the fabric; the distance of the chain races at the
culs B, B, I adjust by means of the wheel E and its connected apparatus
before described; and I generally adjust the distance at the points C, C, and
D, D, by hand, but it may be done by the application of apparatus similar
to that used to adjust the ends B, B. The chain races when thus set.
diverge from the points B, B, to the points C, C, and are parallel from C, C,
to D, D, as seen in Figure 2. When the fabric is to be stretched it
must be in a damp state. If it has been recently stiffened or has under-
gone any similar operation by which it has been thoroughly moistened
it may have retained sufficient moisture from such operation, but other-
wise I use water for damping the fabric. The fabric being thus wetted and
being gathered upon a roller or otherwise, I pass it over the card roller
L, L, so as to bring the edges of the piece straigh and evenly over the endless
chain O, O, and beneath the pricking pulleys k, k, best seen in Figure 3,
where I stick the end of each of the selvages on the pins of the chains
at B, B. The chain wheels G, G, being then turned steadily round by the
moving power applied in the direction indicated by the bent arrow in
Figure 1, both the chains revolve, carrying forward with them the fabric, the
selvages or edges of which are progressively fastened on the pins by the
pricking pulleys K, K, forcing the selvages down on the pins as the chains
move forward. The chains in their progress with the fabric from B, B, to
C, C, continue to diverge, until at C, C, they attain their utmost intended
separation, equal to the required breadth of the piece, the fabric stretching as
the chains to which its edges are fastened gradually diverge. The chains
with the fabric having passed the points of extreme divergence C, C, continue
their progress at the same distance apart to the ends of the chain races D, D
thus retaining the fabric a sufficient time in its stretched state to give
permanence to the increased tension of the fabric which is there taken off by
hand or otherwise. Note.-The overchanging borders at the upper sides of
the chain races (best seen in Figure 9) along which the edges of the piece
slide and which are made very smooth to facilitate such sliding) should rise
up with inclined planes at the ends D, D, so as to raise up the edges of the
piece above the level of the tops of the pins in order to detach the said edges
from their points, in order that the fabric may retain more exactly the width
obtained at the points C, C. Heat may be applied to the surface or surfaces
of the fabric to dry it during its passage from C, C, to D, D, but the appli-

page_text: cation of heat forms no part of my Invention, and is therefore not claimed by
In order, if necessary, to tighten the chains and make them work more
truly a tightening pulley pressed down by a weight may be applied to bear
upon the lower returning of cach chain. The size and proportions of the
different parts of my improved stretching machine may be found by the scale
of the Drawing, but such size and proportions as well as the materials of
which the parts of the machine are to be composed may be varied at the
discretion of the constructor, according to the description of cloth or fabric to
be stretched by it.
Having now described my said improved stretching machine and explained
the mode in which it is to be used for extending pieces of calico or other
fabrics of cloth in width, I declare that I claim as my Invention tho combined
application of all the several parts in the way I have described to form an
improved stretching machine for the purpose of stretching calico or other
fabric of cloth in width in the manner herein-before set forth, but I make no
claim to any of the several parts in their individual character except as to the
construction of the endless chains, Figure 8, with their pins, Figure 10, and
the adjustable chain races, Figure 9, for receiving and guiding those chains,
and also the construction as herein-before described of the pricking pulleys
k, k, seen in Figures 3 and 5, which stick the selvages of the piece upon
the pins of the chain.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the Tenth
day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred