Im- PROVEMENTS IN Apparatus for Dyeing, Washing, and Clearing Yarns
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Macleod, of Renton, in the County of
Dumbarton, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN Apparatus for Dyeing, Washing, and Clearing Yarns."
PROVEMENTS IN Apparatus for Dyeing, Washing, and Clearing YarNS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Macleod at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th February 1871.
'
I, JOHN MACLEOD, of Renton, in the County of Dumbarton, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DYEING, WASHING, AND CLEARING YARNS,"
to be as follows, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its objects to arrange apparatus for conducting
in a better manner than heretofore each of the operations of dyeing,
washing, and clearing yarns, and also to arrange that the yarns may be
subjected to a reduced amount of handling and diminished risk of injury,
either by providing for the several operations being conducted in one
Ivessel, or by contriving separate vessels and apparatus in such a way that

page_text: one yarns ARY DO MTANSIGTIGA
or carriers.
TTVILL
The improved apparatus is expected to occasion considerable economy
in labor and expence, and a saving of waste, particularly in the com-
paratively complicated processes of Turkey-red dyeing, for which it is
especially designed, but it will also be advantageous in connection with
the dyeing of other colors.
In carrying out the Invention the yarn hanks are strung upon a series
of reels or carriers, each of which consists, by preference, of a central
shaft having discs fixed near its ends, and with three rods extending
from disc to dise parallel to the shaft and at a suitable distance there-
from for distending the yarn hanks in a loose state. The central shaft
may be of iron, but the rods must be of or covered with brass or copper,
or of galvanised iron. A series of the reels are carried upon a large reel
or wince which comprises two or more discs or wheels fixed on a central
shaft and is mounted horizontally in a semi-cylindrical trough, vat, or.
boiler.
When separate machines are to be used for the several operations
they are similarly arranged, but with provision for applying to cach
the motions suited to the respective operation; but when one machine!
is used for all the operations it is provided with gearing admitting of
the motions being changed to suit each operation as required. If
separate machines are employed the various parts are made to the same
gauges in all intended to treat the same yarns, and the journals of the
small reels or yarn carriers, and their bearings in the wince discs are
made in the simplest manner and so that the carriers may with facility
be transferred from one machine to the other.
In the case of a single machine the journals and bearings of the
carriers are made spherical at one end, but like common ones at the
other end, and when taking off or putting on the yarn hanks only onc
bearing of cach carrier is loosened and the carrier is turned outwards,
the other journal then acting as a joint. The end discs of the carriers
are formed with circumferential frictional surfaces or with teeth, and
frictional guides or racks are arranged in the end of the trough with
lever or other adjusting details to admit of their being moved into or
out of positions for acting on the carrier dises as these revolve with the
motion of the wince.

page_text: When dyeing or clearing the arrangement last referred to serves for
gradually turning round the hank carriers to insure the yarn being at
all parts uniformly acted upon.
When washing quicker, motions may be given to the carriers or to the
wince or to both, or reciprocating circular motions may be given to
cither or to both. In every case, however, the motions may be varied
as may be found most desirable in practice.
When the apparatus is used for clearing yarns the trough, vat, or
boiler is fitted with a semi-cylindrical cover which may also be used
when dyeing if thought desirable. The trough or vessel is provided
with perforated pipes or passages for injecting steam and with jacket
spaces for heating by means of steam, or it may be directly heated by a
fire or flues; and when used for washing perforated pipes are arranged
to cause jets of water to play upon the hanks of yarn.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Macleod in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 23rd August 1871.
I TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MACLEOD, of Renton, in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Macleod, Her special
licence that I, the said John Macleod, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Macleod, my exec-
cutors, 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 inight 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 APPARATUS FOR DYEING, WASHING, and ClearinG YARNS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Macleod, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one

page_text: 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 John Macleod, 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, that is to say :—
My said Invention has for its objects to arrange apparatus for con-
ducting in a better manner than heretofore each of the operations of
dyeing, washing, and clearing yarns, and also to arrange that the yarns
may be subjected to a reduced amount of handling and diminished risk of
injury, either by providing for the several operations being conducted
in one vessel, or by contriving separate vessels and apparatus in such a
way that the yarns may be transferred from one to the other upon the
same recls or carriers and so be dyed, washed, and cleared without being
shifted from the reels on which they are first put.
I expect my improved apparatus to occasion considerable economy in
labor and expence, and a saving of waste, particularly in the com-
paratively complicated processes of Turkey-red dyeing for which it will
also be advantageous in connection with the dyeing of other colors.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, I hereunto append a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to and representing
apparatus as constructed with my improvements. In these Drawings
the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts
wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 of the Drawings is a plan; Figure 2 is a tranverse vertical
section; and Figure 3 is a side elevation of rather more than half of the
machine. The yaru hanks, of which one is shown in red in Figure 2,
are strung upon a series of" recls or carriers 1, cach of which consists by
preference of a central shaft 2, having discs 3, 4, near its ends, and with
three rods 5 extending from end to end parallel to the shaft 2 and at a
suitable distance therefrom for distending the yarn hanks in a loose
state. The central shaft 2 may be of iron, but the rods 5 are by
preference of or covered with brass or copper or of galvanised iron. A

page_text: series of the reels 1 are carried upon a largo reel or wince which com-
prises two or more discs or wheels 6, there being three in the example
delineated, and these discs are fixed on a central shaft 7, mounted
horizontally in a trough, vat, or boiler 8, of an approximately cylindrical
form. This shaft 7 passes out through stuffing boxes at the ends of the
vat, and at one end has fixed on it a worm wheel 9 driven from any
suitable prime mover by a worm 10.
When separate machines are to be used for the several operations they
are similarly arranged, but with provision for applying to each the
motions suited to the respective operation; but when one machine is
used for all the operations it is provided with gearing, admitting of the
motions being changed to suit each operation as required. If separate
machines are employed the various parts are made to the same gauges
in all intended for the treatment of the same yarns, and the journals of
the small reels or yarn carriers 1, and their bearings (11) in the wince
discs 6 are made in the simplest manner, and so that the carriers 1 may
with facility be transferred from one machine to the other.
The Drawings represent a single machine or one in which the several
operations of dyeing, washing, and clearing the yarns may be succes-
sively conducted; and in this case the reels 1 are arranged so as not
to require removal for putting on and takening off the yarn hanks, but so
that cach can in turn be loosened at one end and be turned outwards for
that
purpose. With this object I proposed to make the inner end journals
and bearings of the reel shafts 2 spherical, and capable of acting as
joints when turning the reels outwards, but I have adopted a slightly
modified and improved arrangement in the example shown in the
Drawings. In each bearing 11 of the middle wince disc 6 there is
carried a short spindle having formed or fixed on it two discs 12, and
these discs are each formed with a pair of lugs 13, for the jointing to
them of the reel spindles 2 on each side. Then when it is required to
lift outwards the outer end of any reel, the reel is first turned about its
axis to bring the joint or hinge into a proper position to allow of the
desired movement. In order to facilitate the putting on and taking off
of the yarn hanks the discs at the outer ends of the reels 1 are made in
two parts which are shown separately in Figures 4 and 5; one part 14,
is fixed on the shaft 2 and is formed to hold the ends of the rods 5, but
with the least possible projection outside of these rods. The other part
15, is a disc fitted loose on the shaft 2 and made with a projecting

page_text: flange 16, shaped to slide and fit closely on the fixed part 14. This loose
disc 15 is drawn off the end of the shaft 2, when putting on or taking off
the yarn hanks; and when it is replaced and the end of the shaft 2
returned into its bearing 11 in the wince disc it cannot get off, but serves
like the corresponding disc at the other end to prevent the yarn from 5
working over the ends of the reol. The discs 12 at the inner ends of the
reels 1 are used for imparting motions to the reels about their own
shafts, which motions they derive as the large winces revolve by coming
into frictional contact with and rolling on guides 17 fixed in the bottom
of the vat 8 for the purpose; and by these means the positions of the 1
hanks on the reels are frequently changed and a uniform action is
thereby insured. If preferred the discs 12 and guides 17 may be toothed,
or the guides 17 may be arranged so that they can be moved into or out
of the positions for their acting on the discs.
When the apparatus is used for washing, quick motions may be given 1
to the recls or yarn carriers 1, or to the winces or to both, or recipro-
cating circular motions may be given to cither or to both. In every
case, however, the motions may be varied as may be found most desirablo
in practice.
When the apparatus is used for clearing yarns, the trough, vat, or 2
boiler S is fitted with a semi-cylindrical or segmental cover, such as is
indicated by dotted lines at 18, in Figure 2, which may also be used
when dyeing if thought desirable. The cover is provided with a safety
valve and is secured to the vat or boiler with screwed clamps. The
trough or vessel 8 is fitted with a perforated pipe 19 along the bottom 2
for injecting steam which enters the pipe 19 at both ends by branch
pipes 20, from an external steam pipe 21; also with branches 22 from
a main 23 for the introduction of water; also with discharge pipes
indicated by dotted lines at 24, in Figures 1 and 2; and also with
pipes 25 for inserting thermometers and for introducing the chemical 3
ingredients in such a way as to be properly mixed with the liquid before
acting on the yarns. If desired jacket spaces may be formed along the
bottom and sides of the trough or vessel 8 for heating it by steam intro-
duced into such spaces, or it may be arranged to be directly heated by a
fire or flucs.
When the apparatus is used for washing, the water may be introduced
through norforated ninos arrived to cause iels of water to play on the
3

page_text: Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but
that what I believe to be novel and original and claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The arranging or combining together of the parts of apparatus for
dyeing, washing, and clearing yarns in the improved manner, substan-
tially herein described and delineated.
2. The applying of a series of reels or hank carriers capable of motion
about their own shafts upon larger revolving recls or winces as hercin-
before described.
3. The arranging of separate but similarly constructed machines for
dyeing, washing, or clearing yarns, so that the reels or hank carriers
may be transferred from one to the other, and so as to avoid handling
the yarn as herein-before described.
4. The connecting of the reels or bank carriers with the wince discs
so that they can be turned outwards as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Macleod, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JOHN MACLEOD. (L.S.)