CALICO-PRINTING 



653 



a pair of rails parallel with the sides of the chest ; these rails are continued outside 

 the chest into the room, the parts next the chest for about 3 feet being hinged so as to 

 be moved on one side when the doors are opened or shut. Upon the rails moves a 

 rectangular frame of iron which just fits inside the chest, and stands as high as the 

 entrance to the chest will admit, generally about 6 feet high by 4 feet wide. This 

 frame, when drawn out into tho room, is filled with pieces in the following manner : 

 They are first wound on an open reel, one by one, the selvages of each fold being kept 

 ;is parallel as possible. The piece is then slid off tho end of the reel, pulled flat, and 

 a needle and thread passed through all the selvages of one side, and loops made, 

 through which are passed wooden rods, which rest on the sides of the carriage, or 

 they are wound on the reel and suspended on a thin wooden rod covered with calico, 

 which rod is supported at the ends upon the sides of the wooden frame. Generally a 

 grey piece is wound on the reel along with the printed piece on the face side, this is 

 to prevent the colours marking off on the white parts. The piece being thus suspended 

 with selvages downwards, the carriage being filled with the rods, is run into the chest, 



886 



the doors firmly shut, and steam turned on, the steam escaping by a safety valve. 

 They hang thus for 45 minutes, are taken out, unfolded, and loosely folded for 

 washing off. They are next stitched end to end, and passed through a cistern with 

 water, from that into a cistern containing a very weak solution of bichromate of 

 potash; they are then put into a washing machine, hydro-extracted, starched, and 

 dried. 



Fig. 386 is a section of Mather and Platt's steaming chest: A, the body; made 

 cylindrical of wrought-iron plates ; B, carriage fitted with square wooden rollers, all 

 geared together by spur wheels, worked by a handle passing through a stuffing box 

 on the outside of the cylinder ; c, square wooden rollers ; D, handle and wheels ; E, 

 cloth hanging on the rollers ; F, perforated steam-pipe ; G, tap and pipe for running 

 off condensed water ; H, moveable door, arranged to be suspended by a chain, &c. ; i, 

 balance weight for door ; x, safety valve. Fig. 387, for which we are indebted to 

 Mr. Furnival, shows a chest fitted with folding doors, tho arrangement of the interior 

 roof, the stuffing-box and handle, and the railway arrangement for running the carriage 

 in and out of the cylinder, and also the double line for allowing one carriage to be 

 filled whilst another is in the steam-chest, and thus avoid loss of time in filling and 

 emptying. 



