Improvements in. Machines for Fulling and Washing Woollen and other Fabrics.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct.,
1894
1
Complete Specification Left, 4th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 27th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in. Machines for Fulling and Washing Woollen and
other Fabrics.
We LOUIS CROSSET and JEAN DEBATISSE trading as Crosset & Debatisse of
Rue de Hodimont, Verviers in the Kingdom of Belgium,, Machine Makers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to, that class of fulling and washing machines in which the
fabric or cloth to be fulled is passed between rollers and other devices whereby it is
submitted to pressure in a machine or apparatus the lower part of which serves as a
trough or chamber for the liquid in which the fabric requires to be steeped during
the operations of fulling and washing respectively.
The invention.consists in the improvements iu such machines which are herein-
after described.
We have adopted as pressing devices, or as principal among such devices, a series
of three parallel rollers adapted to exert pressure against the upper surface of a
table over which the fabric is caused to pass by the pressure exerted by the feed
rollers operating to thrust, the fabric forward under the pressing rollers. The three
pressing rollers are journalled in side bars or in a frame capable of being separately
adjusted in the vertical direction at their or its forward ends or end and at their or
its rearward: ends or end respectively.. That end nearer the feed rollers is carried
in vertical guides at each side of the machine and the vertical adjustment before
referred to is effected by a vertical rod or rods secured by hook or fork like con-
struction to said bars or frame and moved by screw. threads or equivalents thereon
engaging in rotary interiorly screw threaded sleeves, preferably outside and above
the exterior casing of the machine, said sleeves being revolved by bevelled gear (if
more than one sleeve, then simultaneously) from a cross shaft which latter is again
revolved by, bevelled gear from a shaft extended to the front: of: the machine and
there provided with a hand wheel or crank.
L
A similar gear and adjustment is used for the vertical adjustment of the rearward
end or ends of the frame or bars carrying the pressing, rollers, but in order to
permit of separate adjustment of the two ends whereby the frame or bars inay be at
times at various inclinations, the vertical rod or rods controlling the position of the
rearward end or ends aforesaid.engages or engage therewith by means of pin and
horizontal slot.
Means are also provided for the adjustment, of the position of the aforesaid
table. This table pivoted or hinged at its edge or end nearer the feed rollers, is
supported from below at its rearward end.or.edge by the forward end of la further
table or, chute which lies immediately under itrand is hinged near its rearward end!
The latter table is supported from below by means of an excentric or excentrics
on a shaft, traversing the machine and geared, with a shaft outside the casing
ruuning to the front of machine where it is provided with a hand' wheel or crank
and means for locking it in its revolution especially at that place which corresponde
to the raised position of the tables upon the summit of the excentric or excentrics.

page_text: The feed rollers (which may be flanged, or one of them, to operate the fulling of
the fabric in the direction of its breadth) are provided with mechanism to render
the pressure between them readily adjustable and with simultaneous effect at both
ends of the roller shafts. The springs which bear respectively on the journal boxes
of the upper feed roller are each connected at their ends by hooked rods to
horizontal bars the centres of which are respectively connected by rods to lever
arms on a shaft which latter thus simultaneously controls both springs through
means securing also equal pressure upon both the extending ends of each spring.
The shaft is revolved by the means of a lever arm.controlled by a screw threaded
rod passing through a fixed socket and adjusted by a hand wheel, the arrangement
being such that this hand wheel is also at the front of the machine.
To revolve the upper feed roller, we prefer to employ a train of four spur wheels,
whereof the first is on the shaft of the lower feed roller, the second and third in a
frame or arms swinging upon the shaft of the lower roller as an axis and connected
to the shaft of the upper roller by a bar or link or bars or links so that the outer
end of said frame or arms at the point corresponding to the axis of the third spur
wheel moves in a circle about the axis of the upper feed roller on which is the
fourth spur wheel.
A similar method of causing the speeds of the upper and lower rollers to be
co-ordinate is to drive from a pulley on the shaft of the lower roller by means of a
crossed, belt another pulley on a shaft placed as far laterally of the plane in which
the axes of the feed rollers lie, as is convenient in practice; this latter shaft driving
the upper feed roller shaft by one or more belts and pulleys.
The journal boxes of the upper feed roller may be each made in 'a single piece;
and be provided with bushings projecting from the boxes so that said bushings
serve also as wrists for the engagement of two lever arms fixed upon a parallel
shaft supported in or by depending pivoted links and intended to maintain the
horizontality of the upper feed roller at all times by ensuring that a lifting of
either end shall cause an equal lifting of the other end. These bushings may also
serve for the supports of the arms carrying the presser plate which lies above the
fabric between the feed rollers and the first of the compressing rollers, so that
these arms are not carried as heretofore by the shaft of the upper feed roller
direct.
Set screws are provided for adjusting the limits of the movements of the journal
boxes of the upper feed roller shaft towards the lower feed roller shift.
We place inside the outer casing of the apparatus at a suitable distance from the
floor thereof, a second floor which-constitutes an inuer trough. At the lowest
part of this inner trough, two orifices are provided one of which opens into the
space beneath said inner trough and the other leads to a pipe passing out of the
apparatus. A sliding valve is placed above these orifices and is controlled by a
rod passing cut of the casing and operated by means of a pivoted hand lever from
the front of the machine. The valve closes the one or other of the said- orifices and
leaves the other orifice open, according as it is brought into the one or other of-its
positions. This inver trough forms a chamber for soaking washing or draining tlic
fabric either before or after it undergoes the fulling process:
The frame through which the pieces of fabric pass froin the lower part of the
casing on their way to the feed rollers is made throughout of metal and consists of
a frame carrying an inner frame with rackwork or other adjustment for the purpose
of opening or narrowing the passage way according to the thickness of the fabric
to be treated. The separating bars are of bronze and. may be arranged to receive
up to eight pieces at a time. The frame which has pivoted arms on which it rocks
has on the shatt carrying said arms or one of them, two lever arms extending
respectively in the direction towards and away from the frame. By placing a
counterweight on the one or other of these arms and adjusting it nearer or further
from the centre, the dragging weight of the frame upon the fabric may be increased
or diminished according to the nature of the fabric under treatment!
LEA
In order to arrest the feed rollers in the event of the fabric becoming arrested in

page_text: its passage to said rollers, the fabric is caused to traverse and so revolve a drum
which operates a governor. "So long as the muff of the governor is held raised by
the revolution of the poises of the governor the said muff is out of contact with an
arm below it, but should the revolution of the drum cease or become unduly slow
the muff will fall, thus rocking a lever and causing a draw rod to release a catch
by which the driving belt fork is released. This fork which is extended to the
front of the machine to form a handle carries at its pivot an arm connected by a
helical spring tending to throw the fork into the position necessary to carry the
driving belt onto a loose pulley. The helical spring terminates in a screw threaded
rod passing through a fixed eye and adapted to be adjusted' by nuts screwed on its
end to give desired tension to the spring.
"
Dated this 6th day of October 1894
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicants.
Improvements in Machines for Fulling and Washing Woollen and
other Fabrics.
We LOUIS CROSSET and JEAN DEBATISSE trading as Crosset & Debatisse, of
Rue de Hodemont, Veriers, in the Kingdom of Belgium, 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:-
1°
This invention relates to that class of fulling and washing machines in which
the fabric or cloth to be fulled is passed between rollers and other devices whereby
it is submitted to pressure in a machine or apparatus, the lower part of which
serves as a trough or chamber for the liquid in which the fabric requires to be
steeped during the operations of fulling and washing respectively..
The invention consists in the improvements in such machines which are
bereinafter described.
We have adopted as pressing devices or as principal among such devices, a series
of three parallel rollers adapted to exert pressure against the upper surface of a
table over which the fabric is caused to pass by the pressure exerted by tho feed
rollers operating to thrust the fabric forward under the pressing rollers. The
three pressing rollers are journalled in side bars or in a frame, capable of being
separately adjusted in the vertical direction at their or its forward ends or end and
at their or its rearward ends or end respectively. That end nearer the feed rollers
is carried in vertical guides at each side of the machine and the vertical adjustment
before referred to is effected by a vertical rod or rods secured by hook or fork like
construction to said bars or frame and moved by screw threads or equivalents
thereon engaging in rotary interiorly screw threaded sleeves, preferably outside
and above the exterior casing of the machine, said sleeves being revolved by.
bevelled gear (if more than one. sleeve, then simultaneously) from a cross. shaft
which latter is again revolved by bevelled gear from a shaft extended to the front
of the machine and there provided with a hand wheel or crank.
A similar gear and adjustment is used for the vertical adjustment of the.
rearward end or ends of the frame or bars carrying the pressing rollers, but in
order to permit of separate adjustment of the two ends whereby the frame or bars
may be at times at various inclinations, the vertical rod or rods controlling, the.
position of the rearward end or ends aforesaid engages or engage therewith..by..
means of pin and horizontal slot.
2'

page_text: Means are also provided for the adjustment of the position of the aforesaid
table. This table pivoted or hinged at its edge or end nearer the feed rollers, is
supported from below at its rearward end by a further table or chute which lies
immediately under it and is hinged near its rearward end. The latter table. is
supported from below by means of an eccentric or eccentrics on a shaft traversing
the machine and geared with a shaft outside the casing running to the front of
machine where it is provided with a hand wheel or crank and means for locking it
in its revolution especially at that place which corresponds to the raised position of
the tables upon the summit of the eccentric or eccentrics.
The feed rollers (which may be.flanged, or one of them, to operate the fulling of
the fabric in the direction of its breadth) are provided with mechanism to render
the pressure between them readily adjustable and with simultaneous effect at both
ends of the roller shafts. The springs which bear respectively on the journal
boxes of the upper feed roller are each connected at their ends by hooked rods to
horizontal bars the centres of which are respectively connected by rods to lever
arms on a shift which latter thus simultaneously controls both springs through
means securing also equal pressure upon both the extending ends of each spring.
The shaft is revolved by means of a lever arm controlled by a.screw threaded rod
passing through a fixed socket and adjusted by a hand wheel, the arrangement
being such that this hand wheel is also at the front of the machine.
To revolve the upper feed roller, we prefer to employ a train of four spur wheels,
whereof the first is on the shatt of the lower feed roller, the second and third in a
frume or arms swinging upon the shaft of the lower roller as an axis and conncoted
to the shaft of the upper roller by a bar or link, or bars or links, so that the outer
end of said frame.or arms at the point corresponding to the axis of the third spur
wheel moves in a circle about the axis of the upper feed rollers on which is the
fourth spur wheel.
A similar method of causing the speeds of the upper and lower rollers to be.
co-ordinate is to drive from a pulley on the shaft of the lower roller by means of a
crossed belt another pulley on a shaft placed as far laterally of the plane in which
the axes of the feed rollers lie, as is convenient in practice, this latter shaft driving
the upper feed roller shaft by one or more belts and pulleys.
The journal boxes of the upper feed roller may be each made in a single piece,
and be provided with bushings projecting from the boxes so that said bushings
serve also as wrists for the engagement of two lever arms fixed upon a parallel
shaft supported in or by depending pivoted links and intended to maintain the
horizontality of the upper feed roller at all times by ensuring that a lifting of
either end shall cause an equal lifting of the other end. These bushings may also
serve for the supports of the arms carrying the presser plate which lies above the
fabric between the feed rollers and the first of the compressing rollers, so that these
arms are not carried as beretofore by the shaft of the upper feed roller direct.
Set screws are provided for adjusting the limits of the movements of the journal
boxes of the upper feed roller shaft towards the lower feed roller shaft.
We place inside the outer casing of the apparatus at a suitable distance from the.
floor thereof, a second floor which constitutes an inner trough. At the lowest part,
of this inner trough, two orifices are provided one of which opens into the space
beneath said inner trough and the other leads to a pipe passing out of the
apparatus. A sliding valve is placed above these orifices and is controlled by a
rod passing out of the casing and operated by means of a pivoted hand lever from
the front of the machine: The valve closes the one or the other of said orifices
and leaves the other orifice open, according as it is brought into the oue or other of
its positions. This inner trough forms a chamber for soaking, washing or draining
the fabric either before or after it undergoes the fulling process.
The frame through which the pieces of fabric pass from the lower part of the
casing on their way to the feed rollers is made throughout of metal and consists of
a frame carrying an inner frame with rackwork or other adjustment for the purpose
of opening or narrowing the passage way according to the thickness of the fabric

page_text: In separating arse of bronze and may walang
up to eight pieces at a time. The frame which has pivoted arms on which it rocks
has on the shaft carrying said arms or one of them, two lever arms extending
respectively in the direction towards and away from the frame. By placing. a
counterweight on the one or other of these arms and adjusting it nearer or further
from the centre, the dragging weight of the frame upon the fabric may be increased
or diminished according to the nature of the fabric under treatment.
In order to arrest the feed rollers in the event, of the fabric becoming arrested.
in its passage to said rollers, the fabric is caused to traverse and so revolve a drun
which operates a governor. So long as the muff of the governor is held raised by,
the revolution of the poises of the governor the said muff is out of contact with
an arm below it, but should the revolution of the drum cease or become unduly
slow the muff will fall, thus rocking a lever and causing a draw rod to release a
catch by which the driving belt fork is released. This fork which is extended to
the front of the machine to form a handle carries at its pivot an arm connected by:
a helical spring tending to throw the fork into the position necessary to carry the
driving belt onto a loose pulley. The helical spring terminates in a sorew threaded
rod passing through a fixed eye and adapted to be adjusted by nuts screwed on its.
end to give desired tension to the spring.
The construction of these improvements will be understood from the following
description, reference being made to the annexed drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a
vertical section through the machine, Fig. 2 a side clevation from the right,
Fig. 3 a front elevation partly in section, Fig. 4 an elevation from the left side,t
Fig. 5 a partial plan, Fig. 6 and 7 views of a modification of the gearing, and
Figs. 1 1, 1, 1, 2ª and 5ª are detail views of parts.
The apparatus which admits of operating, from in front of the machine, the
pressing devices for longitudinal fulling is as follows:
This apparatus consists of two legs A A' (Fig. 1) attached to the frame work
of the machine. On these legs rests a cross bar B which carries the column C.
On this column C are fixed two brackets with two sockets D & E, on which six
bevelled gear wheels operate (Fig. 1^); three on the bracket with two sockets D
and three on the bracket with two sockets E. One of these gear wheels which
are placed on the support D meshes with a bevelled wheel keyed on a shaft G, and
one of the gear wheels placed ou the support E meshes with a bevelled wheel
keyed on the other shaft H. These shafts are supported on the column C by
means of two bearings I & J, and in the front part of the machine by two.
supports K & K. Beneath the supports with two sockets D & E are two threaded
sleeves X & X with keys sliding in one of the bevelled wheels F & F on each of
the sockets D and E respectively. These sleeves are connected to the bellows
springs L & M by means of screw rings. In these sleeves are placed threaded
rods, in the sleeve X the threaded rod N and in the sleeve X' the threaded rod N'
(Fig. 1). These two rods are united to the roller frame O. The threaded rod N¹
terminates at the lower end in a slide 1' which enables the pin Q to slide freely
according to the position of the roller frame O. To the latter is attached a siGAİL
cast iron piece S which receives the gudgeon Q. The suspension fork T of the
roller is constructed so as to be able to carry different roller lengths. It consists
of a cross piece U (Fig. 10) on which two arms V are fixed which latter support
the axle W of the pressing roller a. In order to raise or lower the roller,
is
sufficient to turn the hand crank Z or Z' according to the work to be performed.
These cranks if set in motion influence the shafts && Hand the bevelled pinions F
or F which transfer the movement to the sleoves X or X'. As these latter are
screwed on the bars N & N¹, they cause the rollers to be lowered .or raised
according to the direction in which the cranks Z & Z are turned.
.1
The fulling is effected by means of apparatus consisting of three freely rotating
rollers a b c; the axles of which are mounted in one and the same frame O. This
new apparatus is of great importance; it possesses a great tulling power, it does.
not derange the fabric, but imparts to it on the contrary.an excellent felt-like.

page_text: surface, without producing defects that are so frequent with the use of single o
-double rollers.
'
The apparatus adapted to act upon the springs of the upper cylinder A, by
means of a simple hand wheel for lowering the cylinder horizontally, is shown in
Figs. 2, 3 and 4.
This apparatus is composed of an iron axle aruuning through the machine.
This axle is carried by means of two sockets which rest on the frame: On this
axle a' are secured two levers, one double lever c and one simple lever c. This
double lever c is at one end connected with a threaded bar e and at the other, by
gudgeons, to two links:/.
These two links are attached at their ends T, by means of a pin, to socketed
cross bars g. Through the sockets 4 & 1 of each bar g pass the hooked bars i &
On the other side of the machine the same arrangement is repeated with the simple
lever c. The threaded bar e is supported by a socket K fixed on to the frame, and
above this socket is a hand wheel 1, by means of which movement is given to the
combination.
If the fulling is to take place in the breadth of the fabric, or if to the upper
cylinder a greater pressure to be given, the wheel 1, as it is provided with
threads, admits of raising or lowering the threaded bare.
By raising the bar, as indicated by the arrow m the curved springs n act on the
upper cylinder and impart to it a greater pressure; whereas by lowering the bar e,
as indicated by the arrow m¹, the said springs are freed, thereby giving no pressure
to the cylinder.
A gear to replace the gear wheels with long teeth, is shown also in Figs. 2
-and 3.
This apparatus consists of four gear wheels 1, 2, 3, 4, combined in an iron frame
or cheeks p' and p².-These cheeks are jointed at q.
The gear wheel 1 is keyed to the axle of the upper cylinder A; the gear
wheel 2 is carried by the frame upon a gudgeon.
The gear wheel. 3 is carried by the frame in the same manner, and the wheel 4 is
keyed to the axle of the lower cylinder B'.
When the cylinder B' is set in motion, the gear wheels move simultaneously and
consequently cause the upper cylinder A to move.
When the upper cylinder A is raised, the gear wheels remain coutinuously
-engaged with each other. The joint q enables the upper cylinder to rise or fall, as
desired, without disengagement.
This impelling apparatus of gear wheels for the upper cylinder is not the only
-one applicable to fulling machines. When the strain in the process of fulling is
not very considerable, and wlien the noise of the moving wheels causes incou-
venience, the moving of the upper cylinder can be effected by means of pulleys
and straps as before described, and shown in Fig. 6 and 7.
This apparatus is composed of six pulleys A B C D E F and three straps.
A shaft G arranged at the rear end of the machine, on which rest three of the
pulleys CD² E², is supported by bearings H in guide blocks J2 which latter can
be adjusted by screws NO engaging in lugs L2 M² to allow of stretching the belts
as desired.
.
The double lever fastened on to the axle w of the wringer B³, Fig. 1 and 2,
admits of weighting or easing the wringer by means of the counterweight,
-according to tlie fabric to be treated.
If very light cloth is required to be fulled, the counterweight is attached to
the side of the lever, but for fulling heavy materials, this weight is attached
to the side of the lever.
The moveable wringer is entirely made of metal. An inner frame, B (Figs. 1
and 1P) which is regulated outside by a rack bar, moved by pinion and haud
wheel B admits of opening or closing the passage, according to the thickness of
the fabric to be treated. The separating bars are of bronze and so arranged as to
receive up to eight pieces at a time.

page_text: The shaft t, Fig. 1, traversing the machine, is provided with two eccentrics, u'..
on which eccentrics rests the tables which supports the moveable table s'. Outside
the machine is a wheel or crank Z, Fig. 2, fixed on to the shaft t. This wheel or
crank has a notch to be engaged by a bolty (Fig. 2), which latter stops the
eccentrics u in their movements, that is to say, it prevents them from turning back,
in the direction indicated by the arrow 5, so that the tables sand, s' remain in their
elevated position during the fulling process. Should it be desired. to cleanse or
wash only, the bolt y is moved back, and the eccentrics turned back in the
direction indicated by arrow 5. The tables having no longer any support, fall.
with the eccentrics u'.
The new arrangement of a double bottom C is shown in Figs. 1 and 3.-To
this double bottom is adapted a sluice or valve 6 for a double purpose, and an iron
pipe for carrying off the refuse water.
To this sluice is attached a bar 8 which
extends from the one side of the machine; and it is regulated from the outside by
means of a forked lever 9 pivoted on a bracket 10, Fig. 2. The fork D* of this.
lever 9 is placed horizontally between two rings 11 & 12, Fig. 3, and, the lever on.
being displaced, causes the sluice 6 to slide from t¹ to t"..
When the sluice 6 slides from "to, the mouth 14 becomes free and the
mouth 16 closed; and so the water goes out through the tube in the direction
indicated by the arrow B³.
When the sluice 6 goes from t¹ to t", the opening 16 becomes free and the-
opening 14 closed, as shown in the drawing and the water falls through the
opening 16 into the bottom of the machine.
The regulating device actuated by centrifugal force, which device is attached to
the machine for preventing defect in the fabric, comprises a frame Bo, Fig. 3,40,
which rests a vertical bar C carrying governor arms provided with balls.
This regulator is set into action by bevelled gear wheels a, one of which is keyed
to the vertical shaft C and the other to the horizontal shaft d. These wheels
receive their movement through a grooved pulley e which is also keyed to the
horizontal shaft d. This pulley is actuated by a leather belt, connecting sai!
grooved pulley and the small grooved pulley g. This small grooved pulley.g
runs on the shaft of the horizontal roller H. Over this roller passes the
fabric R, Fig. 1, before it enters between the cylinders A and B. On the
frame B of the regulator is placed a lever n", which is on one side connected to
a rods, the latter communicating with the detent of the disengaging gear.
Should the fabric in the machine by an accident of any kind stop on its way,.
the horizontal roller H also stops turning, and therefore tho movement is not
communicated to the regulator which latter, by being lowered, causes the rod sa to,
rise as indicated by the arrow, and rocks the detent a, which leaves, the slot, v²
free. The lever then changes its position and stops the machine instantaneously.
by carrying the driving belt onto the loose pulley.
This stopping of the machine is very sensitive and operates instantly. It can be.
operated quickly or slowly according to the tension of the belt which sets the
machine into action.
"
וי
The lever p³, Fig. 4, which moves the belt, fork, is keyed on one end of the
pivot m³ in the socket m², and on the other end of the pivot is keyed a small.
crank, connected, by means of a gudgeon to a largo spiral metallic spring.
On to this spring is fixed a threaded bar o' which is supported by a bracket ; ou.
this bar there are two screw nuts 4, by means of which the above spring can be,
stretched or slackened as desired. The front end of lever på at one end of the
slot by the detent passes through the slot 2 in the guide. T where it may be.
detained.
A suspension movement, is applied to the upper cylinder A tending to prevent
it from assuming en inclined position, that is to say,, it causes it to keep per-
manently in a strictly horizontal position. This apparatus is composed of a
shaft A, Figs. 1 and 5, on which are keved two levers B & B, which latter are,
connected to the upper bearing blocks C" & C. The shaft A¹ is, supported by:

page_text: 14. The construction of the bearing blocks C & C of the cylinder A10 with
bosses to receive the levers B & B of the suspension mechanism and the-
arms B & B of the scraper B'..
Dated this 4th day of April 1895:
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to the Applicants.