IMPROVEMENTS IN DAMPING AND STARCHING TEXTILE
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Stewart, of the Firm of A. & S. Henry
& Coy., of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DAMPING AND STARCHING TEXTILE
Sealed the 4th July 1873, and dated the 8th May 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Stewart at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th May 1878.
I, JAMES STEWART, of the Firm of A. & S. Henry & Coy., of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DAMPING AND
STARCHING TEXTILE FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be
as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improvements in damping and starching
textile fabrics, and by which improvements the aforesiid operations are
more effectively carried out than by the mechanism hitherto employed.

page_text: The improvements consist in arranging the damping or starching
machine with one or more brushes revolving above or at the side of the
brush or brushes which revolve in the water or starch trough. The
brush or brushes are in contact with the brush or brushes which revolve
in the water or starch, and as the former revolve at a greater rate than 5
the latter it or they take off the water or starch therefrom. The cloth
to be damped or starched is in contact with one or more of the upper or
side brushes, and thus the water or starch is distributed upon the part
of the cloth with which it or they, is or are, in contact, whilst at the
same time the water or starch is thrown against the cloth in the form 1
of spray, either before or after the cloth has passed over the brush or
brushes.
It is to be understood that in the damping or starching machine any
number of the arrangements of brushes herein-before described may be
used; also that one or more drying cylinders may be employed over 1
which the cloth to be treated may be passed at any required stage.
The machine is also provided with drawing rollers for pulling the cloth
over the damping or starching brushes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Stewart in the Great Seal Patent Office on 2
the 8th November 1878.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
STEWART, of the Firm of A. and S. Henry and Co., of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 2
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the 36th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Stewart, Her special license that
I, the said James Stewart, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or 8
such others as I, the said James Stewart, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,

page_text: .
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 DAMPING AND STARCHING
TEXTILE FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Stewart, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 calender months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Stewart, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to improvements in damping and starching
textile fabrics.
The improvements consist in arranging the damping or starching
machine with one or more brushes revolving above or at the side of the
brush or brushes which revolve in the water or starch trough, and a
the former revolve at a greater rate than the latter it or they take off
the water or starch and distribute it upon the cloth to be damped or
starched, which cloth is in contact with the distributing brush or brushes.
At the same time the water or starch is thrown against the cloth in the
form of spray, either before or after the cloth has passed over the
distributing brush or brushes; and before the cloth is passed over the
distributing brush or brushes it is preferably drawn over a damping or
starching roller.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say :—
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended Figure 1 is an elevation
of the side marked A, Figure 2, of the damping or starching machine
constructed in accordance with my said Invention; Figure 2 is an
elevation of one end of the same; and Figure 3 is a plan thereof. As
shewn by these Figures the machine consists of a framing B, at one end

page_text: of which a water or starch trough C is placed, and which is supported
on the framing B by brackets a. In the trough C a roller D covered
with blanket, felt, or other suitable material is placed, and on one
extremity of the axis of the said roller a pulley E is situate, as shewn.
Adjacent to the water or starch trough O another water or starch
trough F is placed, which is similarly supported on the framing B by
brackets b, as seen more particularly at Figure 2. At the interior of
the trough F two brush rollers are placed, the lower one G of which
revolves in the water or starch contained in the trough F, and the said
brush roller G being in contact with the upper brush roller H, the latter
on being caused to revolve with a greater velocity than the brush G
takes off the water or starch therefrom and distributes it to the cloth
being operated upon. Pullies I and K are situate on the axes of the
brushes G and H, by which the said brushes are rotated. A cylinder or
drum L is hung from the framing B by brackets d, and which is
employed to dry the cloth after it has been damped or starched by the
brush H. For this purpose the cylinder or drum L is heated by steam,
which is conducted into the interior thereof by a pipe M passed through
the hollow journal N at one side of the machine. A pipe O is similarly
passed through the hollow journal at the opposite side of the machino,
by which the steam is again conducted away from the cylinder or
drum L after having imparted heat thereto. Two drawing rollers P
and Q are supported in brackets R fixed at the end of the machine
furthest from the trough C, and on one end of the axis of the lower
drawing roller Q fast and loose pulleys S and T are arranged, as
shewn.
-
The machine is driven by a belt or band e passed round the pulley S,
by which the lower drawing roller is rotated. A belt or bandfis passed
round a pulley T also situate upon the axis of the roller Q, which belt
communicates motion to the upper brush H, being also passed round
the pulley K situate on the axis thereof. The lower brush G is rotated
from the pulley I by a belt h passed round the said pulley; and also
round a pulley U situate upon the corresponding end of the axis of the
lower Drawing roller Q, as shewn. The roller D is rotated by a belt i
from a pulley Y situate on the axis of the brush G, as more particularly
seen in plan at Figure 3.
In operating the damping or starching machine constructed in
accordance with my said Invention the cloth is first conducted over and

page_text: under the stenting rails k, shewn at Figures 2 and 3, and thence over
the roller D revolving in the water or starch trough C, by which the
first damping or starching operation is effected on the cloth, and by
which the cloth is rubbed. From the roller D the cloth passes under
the adjustable stenting roller 7, and thence over the upper side of the
brush H, by which the cloth is further damped or starched and brushed.
By the action of the brushes H and G against each other a spray is
produced by virtue of the brush H being rotated faster than the brush G,
and this spray is also directed upon the cloth passing over the trough F.
An adjustable board m hinged at its lower end to the trough F, as shewn
at Figure 2, is provided to regulate the quantity of spray. After passing
over the trough F the cloth is conducted under another adjustable
stenting roller n, from whence it passes over a bearing or guide roller o,
thence around the drying cylinder or drum L, by the heat emitted from
which the moisture or a portion of it is evaporated from the cloth.
From the drying cylinder or drum L the cloth is conducted over a
bearing or guide roller p, and thence between the rollers P and Q, by
which rollers the continuous forward motion of the cloth is effected,
and also by which the cloth is delivered from the machine.
.
The roller D, brushes G and H, and stenting pulleys and n are
carried in adjustable bearings, so that the said roller and brushes may
be raised or lowered as desired.
It is to be understood that in the arrangement of damping or starching
machine herein-before described and shewn on the annexed Drawings
any number of sets or pairs of the brushes G and H may be used in lieu
of employing only one set or pair of such brushes, and instead of
arranging the distributing brush or brushes H on the top of the brush
or brushes G these brushes may be arranged at the side or sides of the
brush or brushes G.
It is also to be understood that more than one drying cylinder or
drum L may be employed in the machine, over which the cloth to be
treated may be passed at any required stage of the process, and it is
further to be understood that the brushes G and H may be used for
distributing the water and starch without the roller D, or the operation
may be effected by the roller D without the brushes G and H.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the

page_text: same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I wish it to be
understood that I do not claim the several details constituting the
mechanism herein-before described, but what I do consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The arrangement and combination of features constituting the
damping or starching machine operating on the cloth, as herein-before
described and shewn on the annexed Sheet of Drawings or any mere
modification thereof.
Second. The combination of two starching or damping brushes ]
revolving together, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Stewart, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of November One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-three.