Improvements in Hank Drying Machinery.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1890
Complete Specification Lef, 25th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 27th June, 1891
Improvements in Hank Drying Machinery.
We, JOE BOOTH WHITELEY and EDWARD WHITELEY, of the firm of William
Whiteley and Sons of Lockwood near Huddersfield, in the County of York,
Machine Makers do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention in hank drying consists in constructing a machine comprising one
pair of endless chains, carrying suitably shaped lugs for supporting the hank
carrying rollers, as set forth in prior Letters Patent granted to us, bearing date
the 22nd day of July 1889, No. 11635. Hanks to be dried are passed over two
suitably shaped rollers or bars, provided with a pivot at each end for entering the
lugs on the said chains. The rollers carrying the banks can be arranged at such
distances apart by these lugs, so as to keep the hanks in a suitable state of tension,
and when passing through the machine, they are in a horizontal state, except at
each end, when they are passing over the wheels which drive the chains; they are
then in a vertical position and receive the full force of a blast of hot or cold air
which is being blown by a fan through the machine. The hanks as thus arranged
comprise only one horizontal layer in addition to the return horizontal layer, con-
sequently the air blown by the fan, together with the heat given off by pipes or
other means, is free to impinge and act upon every part of the fibre.
A curved bar is arranged at each side of the feeding end of the machine, upon
which the pivots of the hank carrying rollers may rest, and as the endless chains
are moving the operative drops the pivots into the lugs carried by the chains, a
flat spring being employed at that point to prevent the pivots rising from their
positions, and also ensuring that the said pivots get into their proper places.
As the hanks travel through the machine, they are made to partially rotate by
studs in the ends of the rollers, coming into contact with fixed projections which
turn the rollers over, and cause the hanks to be moved around the rollers, thereby
changing the positions of the hauks and accelerating the drying thereof.
We place a bell within the machine at the delivery end thereof, so arranged that
when the roller of the first hank reaches a lever it is operated thereby, and rings
the bell, which informs the operative of the whereabouts of the first hank, where-
upon he operates a lever and opens the outlet doors, and simultaneously therewith
the lever removes a portion of the sustaining bar or bearer which supports the
pivots of the hank carrying rollers on their return journey through the machine,
consequently as soon as the travelling chains bring the pivot to this part, the rollers
drop into the lugs of another endless chain, which carries the dried hanks out of
the machine where they are ready to be removed.
The machine may be made any convenient length, and if necessary the hanks
may go through the machine more than once, and hot or cold air may be drawn
through the machine instead of being blown through.
Dated this 26th day of Jul 1800
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Huddersfield, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hank Drying Machinery.
We, JOE BOOTH WHITELEY and EDWARD WHITELEY, of the firm of
William Whiteley and Sons, of Lockwood, near Huddersfield, in the County of
York, Machine Makers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:--
Our invention in hank drying consists in constructing a machine comprising one
pair of endless chains, carrying suitably shaped lugs for supporting the hank
carrying rollers, as set forth in prior Letters Patent granted to us, bearing date
the 22nd day of July 1889, No. 11635. Hanks to be dried are passed over two
suitably shaped rollers or bars, provided with a pivet at each end for entering the
recessed lugs in the said chains. The rollers carrying the hanks can be arranged
at such distances apart by these lugs, as to keep the hanks in a suitable state of
tension, and when passing through the machine, they are in a horizontal state,
except at each end, when they are passing over the wheels which drive the chains;
they are then in a vertical position and receive the full force of a blast of hot or
cold air which is being blown by a fan through the machine. The hanks as
thus arranged comprise only one horizontal layer in addition to the return
horizontal layer, consequently the air blown by the fan, together with the heat
given off by pipes or other means, is free to impinge and act upon every part of
the fibre.
A curved bar is arranged at each side of the feeding end of the machine, upon
which the pivots of the hank carrying rollers may rest, and as the endless chains
are moving, the operative drops the pivots into the lugs carried by the chains, a
flat spring being employed at that point to prevent the pivots rising from their
positions, and also ensuring that the said pivots get into their proper places.
We place a bell within the machine at the delivery end thereof, so arranged that
when the roller of the first hank reaches a lever it is operated thereby, and rings
the bell, which informs the operative of the whereabouts of the first hank, where-
upon hé operates a lever and opens the outlet doors, and simultaneously therewith
the lever removes a portion of the sustaining bar or bearer which supports the
pivots of the hank carrying rollers on their return journey through the machine,
consequently as soon as the travelling chains bring the pivot to this part, the rollers
drop into the lugs of another endless chain, which carries the dried hanks out of
the machine where they are ready to be removed.
In order that our invention may be better understood, we will now make
reference to the annexed sheet of drawings illustrative thereof, wherein Fig.
is longitudinal section of a machine for drying hanks of yarn, constructed
according to our invention; Fig. 2 is cross-section of same, and Fig. 3 is an
enlarged section of the feeding end of the machine. a represents the framework
of the machine carrying chain wheels b, of which there are two, one at each end
of the machine, around which wheels are passed two endless chains c. The
endless chain, which is shewn on a larger scale in Figs. 4 and 5, is composed of
links riveted or otherwise fastened together, and projecting from the side of each
link is a bracket d carrying a projection or lugs e, with grooved or hollow parts f
The grooves or hollow places made in the parts e are for the purpose of
receiving the pivots of the bobbins or rollers g as shewn at Figs. 4 and 5. The
hanks of yarn to be dried are passed over and carried by two of the rollers or
bobbins g, as shewn clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, the pivots or axles of such said
bobbins being placed in the hollow or groove f, and as these grooves are arranged
closely together it follows that they can be used for holding hanks of different
lengths, and also that the said hanks may be more or less distended or stretched
between the two bobbins by the use of the said grooves. Rotary motion is

page_text: communicated to the chain wheel b, and consequently to the endless chain c, by means
of any ordinary form of mechanism, as will be well understood, consequently the
hanks will be caused to travel through the machine, but in addition to the hanks
of yarn being made to travel as already described, it is our intention to cause the
bobbins carrying the hanks to have rotary motion so as to make the hanks move
over the said bobbins, whereby the yarn is continually changing its position,
permitting the licated air introduced to the machine to freely impinge against
every portion of the said yarn. Rotary motion is imparted to the bobbins
carrying the hanks by means of pinion wheels fixed on the end of each bobbin,
such said pinions being in gear with stationary racks i as shewn clearly in Figs. 4
and 5, but studs projecting from the flange of each bobbin coming into contact with
fixed studs in the framework may be used instead of racks. In order to prevent
the axles of the rollers from falling out of their positions, when travelling around
the curves of the chain wheels, and also when travelling on the underside of the
machine, or from getting displaced from the hollows by other causes, we cause
the chain e to travel between two plates enclosing the chain, which will prevent
the axles leaving their positions when travelling. The banks which have been
dyed or washed and scoured and require to be dried are placed (over two bobbins
as already described) upon the table k at the feeding end of the machine, and in
order to place them in their positions onto the travelling chains, the door is
opened by suitable means to permit of the workman introducing the bobbins and
hanks into the machine and placing the axles in the grooves as already specified,
and this can be done whilst the endless chains are travelling; but to insure its
being easily done, a curved bar m (see Fig. 3) is placed at each side of the feeding
end of the machine, upon which the pivots of the hank carrying rollers are made
to rest, and slided over the inclined bars m until the pivots arrive at the hollow
places, into which they drop; a flat steel spring n employed at that particular
point prevents the pivots rising from their positions in the lugs e.
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When the hanks have travelled once through the machine and are returning to
the lower part of the feeding end thereof, the end of the bobbin carrying the said
hanks travels under the lever o (see Fig. 3, also elevations in detail Figs. 6 and 7
and plan view Fig. 8) whereby one end of said lever is elevated and the other end
depressed, causing the chain or cord attached thereto to ring the bell p which
signifies to the workman that the first hank introduced into the machine has arrived
at the outlet end, whereupon he operates the lever q which is connected to the
doors and s, by a suitable arrangement of levers and rods in such a way as to
open the said doors and s and simultaneously with the movement of the lever
the rod moves away a portion of the sustaining bar or plate which supports
the pivots of the hank carrying rollers, consequently the rollers with the hanks
upon them drop into hollow places formed in lugs e of another endless chain u,
which carries the dried hanks out of the machine, the rollers carrying the hanks
dropping in succession one after another, the hanks being fed into the machine at
the top and taken out underneath, and this goes on whilst the endless chain is
travelling. The means we employ for removing a small portion of the sustaining
bar so as to permit the pivots a to drop consists of rod t operated by lever .
It will be seen that the moveable portion is attached to levers z' working on a
fulcrum, which levers are connected by rods to the rod as shewn in plan
view Fig. 9, therefore on the workman operating lever the portions
withdrawn laterally which permits the pivots a together with the hank carrying
rollers to drop onto the second endless chain u as explained. After the bell p
has been once rung to inform the workman of the whereabouts of the first hank,
the lever o is operated by long rod so as to place the bell beyond the reach of
the bobbin, and thereby stop the continual ringing of the bell which would happen
as each bobbin reached the said lever, but which continued ringing of the bell is
not required.
arc
To facilitate the drying of the hanks we employ a fan A for blowing a blast of
heated air into the machine, the said air being conducted thereto by pipes B

page_text: arranged at each side of the machine, passing out at the aperture C, and entering
the space between the hanks, both on the upper and underside of the endless
chain, whereby the hanks are quickly dried and left in a soft and unfelted
condition.
The machine is enclosed in sheet iron or wood casing and may be made any
convenient length, and if necessary, the hanks may pass through the machine
more than once, and hot or cold air may be blown or drawn through the machine
for drying purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and object of our
said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is
Firstly. In a machine for drying hanks of yarn where endless travelling chains
are employed, the use of curved or equivalent bars m arranged at the feeding end
of the machine for receiving and supporting the axles of the hank carrying rollers
arranged as described.
Secondly. In a machine for drying hanks of yarn where endless travelling chains
are employed, the use of curved or other like bars m arranged at the feeding end
of the machine for receiving and supporting the axles of the hank carrying rollers,
in combination with a spring for preventing the axles rising as described.
Thirdly. In a machine for drying hanks of yarn where endless travelling chains
are employed, the combination therewith of a bell operated at a given time by the
endless chain or parts connected therewith.
Fourthly. In a machine for drying hanks of yarn where endless travelling
chains are employed, the means or method whereby a portion of the sustaining
bar or bearer is removed for purposes described.
Fifthly. In a machine for drying hanks of yarn where endless chains are
employed for carrying the banks through the machine, the combination therewith
of a second endless travelling chain arranged at the delivery end of the machine
for receiving the hanks in manner and for purposes described.
Dated this 24th day of April 1891.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Huddersfield & Halifax, Agents.