effective in brushing and dressing machines, and is now in extensive operation in many of the clothing works in different parts of the kingdom; the pressing, or former part of the invention, has not however yet we believe been sufficiently matured to answer its purpose in a satisfactory manner.-[Inrolled in the Rolls Chapel Office, February, 1830.]

Specification drawn by Messrs. Newton and Berry.

To THOMAS GETHEN, late of Furnival's Inn, in the county of Middlesex, but now of Dursly, in the county of Gloucester, Gentleman, for his invention of certain improvements in dressing woollen cloths.[Sealed 21st November, 1829.]

THE nature and intention of this invention is to submit or place the cloths to be operated upon by the process of boiling, scalding, or steaming, in such form and manner as is hereinafter described, that it may receive during either of the above processes, a continued equal and undisturbed pressure. The machinery and apparatus necessary for the purpose, are made and used in the following manner :-first, provide a vat or cistern of such length and breadth, as the goods or cloth to be operated upon may require. Thus for instance, if it is wished to operate upon woollen cloths, of the customary trade lengths, of twenty-one yards long, and sixty-three inches wide, provide a vat or cistern about twenty-two yards long, and eight feet wide, upon which a lid made steam tight is to be fitted, which with the whole of the apparatus is represented in Plate X, and shown in several figures, of which fig. 1, is an end view of the vat shewn in section; fig. 2, a side view of the same and fig. 3, a top view, the similar letters referring to corresponding parts of the

apparatus in all the three figures. Provide long planks a, a, of about three inches thick and eleven inches deep, or several planks connected together at their ends, so as to constitute a sufficient length when placed edgewise along the bottom of the vat or cistern, to reach or extend the whole length of the vat or cistern. These planks are to stand in parallel rows, at the distance of from two to three feet apart, and have mortice holes cut through them in the manner described in the figures, in order to receive the bottom press bars,as hereinafter described.

The bars which communicate the pressure, are made and used in the following manner, and are distinguished by the following names, viz. the main bottom bars b, b, the main top screw bars c, c, the bottom cross bars d, d, the top cross bars e, e, the top saddle bars f, f, and the bottom saddle bars k, k, and the sister bars g, g; the main bottom bars b, b, are placed across the vat or cistern through the morticed holes h, h; in the planks a, a, the bottom cross bars d, d, are placed in like manner across the vat or cistern, and rest in the notches i, i, i, i; the bottom saddle bars k, k, are placed lengthways of the vat or cistern, each of them resting or laying upon one of the main bottom bars b, at about the middle or centre of each main bottom bar, and the ends of the bottom saddle bars k, press under the middle of the bottom cross bars. The sister bars g, g, are placed in notches made in each end of the main bottom bars b; a pin is then passed through holes made in the main bottom bars, and through the sister bars g, g, by which pin. they are connected together.

I then provide boards, which I call press boards, for the purpose of pressing the cloth. In making these press boards, I take a supposed given length of twenty one yards long and sixty three inches wide, as enabling me to

give a more clear and distinct description both of making the apparatus as well as of carrying on the process, but I claim the right of employing the same kind of apparatus to cloths of all lengths and breadths. For this purpose I saw out beech or other suitable boards of about three quarters of an inch thick and about nine feet long, and as wide as the timber will permit, which I recommend to be placed transversely or diagonally upon and across the edges of the planks a, a.

The beech or other suitable boards are carefully jointed to each other and dowelled together, and their ends are then sawed off to make the press boards of the required breadth. In order to keep the joints of the beech or other suitable boards firmly together, thin brass or other plates are screwed, or otherwise fastened across the joints upon the ends of the boards. The whole surface of the press board is then made smooth. In or upon these thin brass or other plates, small studs or hooks are fixed, to which the chains and the irons l, l, are to be attached, in order to move the press boards when required. At the height of about ten feet from the bottom of the vat, beams are placed across the building in which the vat is situated, for the purpose of supporting the machinery by which the press boards are to be drawn up and let down, and removed from or brought to the vat.

This machine for raising and carrying the press boards is intended to be moved on the beams by toothed pinions p, taking into racks q, fixed to the beams. The method of moving a press board to or from the vat or cistern, is by attaching the chains and irons to the hooks or studs, when by turning the wheels m, m, the shafts n, n, with the sheaves o, o, upon them, are put in motion, whereby the chains l, l, are wound round the sheaves o, o, and the press board is thereby raised up or let down.

In order to move the press board sideways after it is

wound up, the shafts with the sheaves o, o, are mounted in the carriages r, r; these carriages are moved along the beams by turning the handle of the pinion shaft p, which pinion taking into the rack q, causes the machinery to travel along the beam, observing that on the top of each of the beams grooves are made to guide anti-friction rollers placed under the carriages r. In order to place the cloth in the vat ready to be operated upon (it having been previously raised or rowed at the gig mill), it is laid flat upon a press board, care being taken not to disturb the face of the cloth; another press board is then placed upon the cloth, and then another cloth is laid upon the second press board, and again another press board is placed upon the cloth, and so on; a cloth and a press board may be placed alternately until so many cloths as may be convenient be laid or placed in the press.

When the required number of cloths are placed in the press (a press board being the last at top), the top cross bars e, are placed across the upper press board; the top saddle bars f, f, are then placed or laid lengthways of the vat or cistern, and made to lay or rest upon the top cross bars. The main top screw bar c, is then placed across the top saddle bars ƒ, and the sister bars g, g, being attached to the top main screw bars c, in the same manner as they are described to have been attached to the main bottom bars. The screws s, s, as shewn in the main top screw bars c, are then turned so as to press the top saddle bars f, f, by which means the top cross bars e, are pressed down, and at the same time the sister bars g, g, by drawing up the main bottom bars b, force or raise up the bottom saddle bars k, k, and also the bottom cross bars whereby an equal degree of pressure is given and received at the top and bottom of the press boards. I wish it to be observed that though I have here described the pressure as being obtained by means of the screws s, yet I do not in

tend to confine myself to the use of screws, under all circumstances, as an effective pressure might be obtained by the application of levers with weights, or by the immediate force of gravitation, or by some other contrivances. The press being screwed tight and the lid of the vat or cistern placed thereon, steam from a boiler is conducted along the bottom of the vat or cistern, by a pipe, which pipe having small holes made in it at regular distances, will permit the steam to pass into the cistern, whereby a regular heat is produced therein, when it may be prepared to boil or scald the cloth in water, the vat or cistern is to be filled with water, sufficiently high to cover the press boards, and the cloth and the water to be made hot by any of the methods usually adopted for such purpose; the degrees of heat must be regulated according to the colour of the cloths under operation; cloths in a white state may receive as high as 212 degrees of heat, Fahrenheit, but above 160 degrees will endanger the colours of blue; black, and brown cloths, will bear one hundred and sixty degrees, or some of the best dyed black and brown colour, will not be injured at one hundred and eighty degrees, or even higher; the more delicate colours will not bear so high a heat, but they are to be regulated in regard to the degrees of heat, in the same manner and in the same proportions as the heat is increased or decreased upon coloured cloths, when they are submitted to the usual practice of boiling, scalding or steaming coloured cloths, when rolled upon rollers. The time allowed for the process should be about six hours, after the heat is up to the degrees stated above that is to say for black cloth, when the steam or water has acquired about one hundred and sixty degrees of heat, that heat should be continued about six hours, and the same rule should be observed in regard to the heat re