IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE BLEACHING AND DYEING OF PIECE GOODS
Year: 1884

page_text: I JAMES WORRALL of Ordsall, Salford in the County of Lancaster, Dyer do
bereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE
USED IN THE BLEACHING AND DYEING OF PIECE GOODS to be as follows:-
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In treating velvets, velveteens and other fabrics of this class, great difficulty has
hitherto been found in preventing the formation of creases in the goods, which
creases are due to the curling up of the selvedges as the fabric is travelling through
the bleaching, washing, or dye vat:
Now the main object of this invention is to counteract this tendency of the
selvedges to curl up and thereby to simplify the work of the attendants, whose duty
has been heretofore to watch the progress of the fabric and to straighten out the
Belvedges as they pass from one tension roller to another.
The apparatus will be substantially the same in principle, whether constructed
for bleaching or for dyeing. In either case I subject the cloth to the action of the
liquor while passing it around a drum which is surrounded by a ring of say eight
or twelve pressing cylinders, there being fitted between these cylinders, except at
the part where the cloth enters and leaves the apparatus, guide bars, tubes or
rollers for holding the cloth away from the drum while it is receiving a supply of
the bleaching or dyeing liquor.
This supply is delivered to the cloth through some or all of the guide bars or
tubes, which are slotted for that purpose and are brought into communication with
a supply cistern or pump.
The drum, with its surrounding cylinders and cloth guides, I mount in suitable
framework, which is dropped into a tank, there being guides in the bottom of the
tank for ensuring the placing and retaining of the framing in the desired position.
To facilitate an inspection of the cloth and of the apparatus, I provide a
facile means for lifting the apparatus out of the tank and placing it upon
supporting rails.
In adapting the invention for dyeing I find that two arrangements of drum
and cylinders will in general suffice, but I may, if thought desirable, use three,
four or more, set end to end in one or in several tanks.
In arranging the apparatus for dyeing, I place, immediately above that in the
tank, a second and similar apparatus, for the removal and replacement of which
I provide suitable well known mechanism.

page_text: The guide bars or tubes of this apparatus will in like manner be brought into
communication with the liquor supply tank and the drippings from the cloth will
fall into and serve to maintain the supply-of liquor in the tank below.
The guide bars or every alternate one, will be furnished with diagonal ribs,
inclining towards a central line and serving to put a slight lateral strain on the
cloth as it passes over the bars so as to keep the selvedges well extended.
The cloth passing over suitable guide rollers is led around the first cylinder of
the apparatus above the tank. In passing under this cylinder it is nipped between
the cylinder and the drum and is then led from the drum over a guide bar or tube
from which it receives a supply of dye liquor. The cloth is then led back to the
drum, passed under the nip of the second cylinder, then to the second guide bar or
tube and so on until it has been led in serpentine fashion around the drum,
taking a supply of liquor from each of the slit tubes or bars over which it
passes.
The cloth is then led down to the apparatus mounted in' the tank and traversed
between the cylinders and the drum and over the guide bars and tubes as before.
As the dye liquor collects in the tank, the cloth will be not merely subjected to
the action of the liquor which is discharged onto it from the tubes, but also to the
liquor in the tank, the cylinders, each in turn, by their pressure on the drum,
squeezing out the liquor, which is again immediately absorbed by the cloth.
As the cloth leaves the dye vat it will be passed through a similar arrangement
of apparatus for the purpose of submitting it to the action of the chemical solution
by which the colour is to be fixed.
The travel of the cloth through the above described apparatus is effected by
giving a rotary motion to the central drums through endless chains and chain
wheels and by holding the cylinders by weighted levers, springs or their equivalent
down to their respective drums.
To provide this pressure in the apparatus through which the dyed cloth is
passed for the fixing of the colour, india rubber springs are employed, the acid
re-action of the chemicals used in fixing the colour being detrimental to steel or
iron.
When using two arrangements of the drum and surrounding cylinders in one
tank, I propose to mount the same in one frame, which will also carry a driving
shaft common to both and fitted at opposite ends with chain wheels for receiving
the chains from the drum axles.
This driving shaft may be rotated from overhead shafting.

page_text: I JAMES WORRALL of Ordsall, Salford in the County of Lancaster Dyer do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE
USED IN THE BLEACHING AND DYEING OF PIECE GOODS," and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
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In treating Velvets, Velveteens, and other fabrics of this class great difficulty
has hitherto been found in preventing the formation of creases in the goods, which
creases are due to the curling up of the selvedges as the fabric is travelling through
the bleaching, washing or dye vat.
Now the object of this invention is to counteract this tendency of the selvedges
to curl up, and that by the use of a machine less complex in construction than
those at present in use.
The apparatus is, in its main features, substantially the same in principle as
that for which I obtained a patent dated June 18th 1853 N° 1493 but by the
modifications now introduced into the construction of the machine I am enabled
to simplify the work of the attendants whose duty has been heretofore to watch
the progress of the fabric and to straighten out the selvedges as they pass from one
tension roller to another.
I may remark that whether the machine be required for bleaching or for dyeing,
it will be substantially the same in construction but when dyeing with hot liquors
I immerse the machine in a tank of dye liquor using the machine singly or in
duplicate or it may be in triplicate.
When however cold liquor is used and the machinery is used in duplicate it will
not be necessary for more than one machine to be immersed in the tank. In all
cases however I find it desirable to provide for the lifting of the machinery out of
its working position in order to give the workmen ready access thereto for the
purpose of examination cleaning and adjusting of the same.
In Sheet I of the accompanying drawings
Fig 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine, a portion of the framing
being broken away to bring into view the internal arrangement of the working
parts.
Fig: 2 is a plan view of the same, partly in section, and
Fig 3 Sheet II is an end elevation, partly in section.
In all these Figures the machine is shewn as contained in a tank and arranged
for use in connection with hot dye liquor. The course of the fabric under treatment
is also shewn but inost clearly in Fig: 1.
A A is a tank of ordinary construction, fitted at bottom with a frame A¹ for
receiving the machine.
B B is the framing of the machine consisting of annular side frames cast with
feet to rest upon the framing A¹ and fitted with stud pins which enter sockets
formed in the framing A¹. These annular side frames are connected together by
tie rods b.
Cross pieces cast with the frames B serve to carry the bearings for the shaft of
a central drum or cylinder C. Keyed to this shaft is a chain wheel C¹ which
receives motion from an endless chain for the purpose of driving the machine

page_text: Surrounding, the cylinder C and set at equal distances apart are smaller
cylinders D ten being shewn in the drawings which are driven by friction of
contact with the central drum or cylinder. Intermediate of these cylinders D are
guide rollers E by the side of which are pipes F F slotted or pierced on their outer
side from end to end.
The axles of the cylinders D are fitted in bearings carried by radial brackets b¹
bolted to the side frames B.
G G₁ are guide rollers suspended from overhead and serving to lead the fabric
which is to be operated upon, into and out of the machine.
Supposing the fabric to enter by the roller G it will pass down between the
cylinder D (immediately below the roller) and the main drum or cylinder C where
it will be subjected to pressure to squeeze out the dye liquor which the fabric
has absorbed.
It will then pass over the adjacent guide. roller E, which holds it clear of the
drum C and in passing to the next cylinder D it will receive fresh dye liquor from
the tube F over which it travels:
In the same way the fabric passing under the several cylinders D in the series,
and over the rollers E will be submitted alternately to pressure and to a fresh
supply of dye liquor until it arrives at the last cylinder D of the series, whence it
will be led over the guide roller G¹ and, so out of the machine.
The tubes F are all connected with a common supply pipe F" which receives
a constant supply of liquor from a force pump or an elevated heated vessel.
To ensure the proper nip of the fabric between the cylinders C and D D elastic
tension springs d are applied to the opposite ends of the axles of the cylinders D
by the following means:-d' d' are flanged cap pieces fitted to the cylinder axles
for receiving the india rubber band springs and d' dare flanged cap pieces fitted
to the framing B for the like purpose.
These cap pieces d' are slotted to receive tightening screws which hold them
fast to the framing.
"
The tension of the springs is adjusted by shifting the position of the cap
pieces d' on the frame, and then clamping them thereto by the tightening screws.
This arrangement for securing the pressure of the cylinders D against the main
cylinder or drum C is not merely simple, but presents no objection where acid is
used in the treatment of the fabric.
At 62 the side frames are cast with a lump or lateral projection, into which ring
bolts bs are fitted to receive books attached to hauling chains pendent from an
overhead traveller. By winding up the chains of the traveller, the machine will
be raised out of the tank, and it may then be shifted laterally onto rails or an
equivalent support when the workman will have free access to all parts of the
machine for inspection and cleaning.
In the above description I have indicated that the tank will be supplied with
dye liquor from the tubes F but it may receive an independent supply to ensure
the immersion of the machine in the liquor at starting. An overflow will be
provided as usual for the removal of the cooled or partially spent liquor.
In Fig 4 Sheet II I have shown in diagram two machines similar in con-
struction to that just described placed end to end and in one and the same tank.
Between them is-situate a driving shaft H which carries at its opposite end chain
wheels H¹ for rotating through endless chains, the axles of the central cylinders of
'the two machines.
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This arrangement, like that just described, is specially suited for dyeing with hot
liquor.
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*The fabric entering the machine on the left hand, passes in and around it as in
Fig 1 and on leaving the bite of the last cylinder D of the series, it passes round
that cylinder under a guide roller 1, then over the next adjacent cylinder D under
a guide roller 2, thence into the bite of the nearest cylinder D of the second
machine after which it follows the course indicated in Fig: 1 until it arrives at the
last of the series of the pressing rollers-D.

page_text: It then turns back, passes under a guide roller 3 which holds it down to the last
but one of the cylinders D then under a guide roller 4, which holds it down to the
last but two of the cylinders D and from that it passes down out of the machine to
a drawing roller 5.
By this means the fabric as in the machine illustrated by Fig: 1 is prevented
from curling up at the selvedges while it is under the action of the machine and
consequently the creasing of the fabric is effectually prevented.
The better to ensure this result, which is in great part attained by avoiding the
suspension of the fabric at any part while in the machine I propose to grove the
rollers E in such a way as by their rotation to strain the fabric outwards, or
towards the selvedges.
Or when using bars in place of these rollers for lifting the fabric from the main
cylinder I form them with fish back ribs inclining from the centre outwards so
that the drawing of the fabric over the bars will put a lateral strain upon it.
These remarks apply as well to the arrangements shewn at Fig: 1 as to that at
Fig: 4.
In arranging the apparatus for dyeing with cold liquor or for bleaching, I place
immediately above that in the tank a second and similar machine, for the removal
and replacement of which I provide mechanism as already explained.
Fig 5 Sheet II shews this arrangement in side elevation the framing of the
upper machine being supposed to rest upon and interlock with the framing of the
lower machine.
The tubes F of this apparatus will in like manner be brought into communi-
cation with the liquor supply vessel and the drippings from the cloth will fall into
and serve to maintain the supply of liquor in the tank A below.
The cloth passing over suitable guide rollers is led around the first pressing
cylinder D of the elevated machine, and then in serpentine fashion around the
drum C as before explained, taking a supply of liquor from each of the slit tubes or
bars F over which it passes.
Having completed this circuit, the cloth is then led down to the machine
mounted in the tank and traversed between the cylinders D and the drum C and
over the guide rollers E and tubes F as before.
As the dye liquor collects in the tank, the cloth will be not merely subjected to
the action of the liquor which is discharged onto it from the tubes, but also to the
liquor in the tank, the cylinders each in turn, by their pressure on the drum,
squeezing out the liquor which is again immediately absorbed by the cloth.
As the cloth leaves the dye vat, it will be passed through a similar arrangement
of apparatus for the purpose of submitting it to the action of the chemical solution
by which the colour is to be fixed.
The rotary motion is imparted directly to the two machines by endless chains C³
pendent from the chain wheels H2 keyed to a common overhead driving shaft H.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The improved apparatus above described for the bleaching and dyeing of piece
goods, whereby simplicity of construction is secured, the creasing of the fabrio
under treatment is prevented, and provision is made for the removal from the
tank of the immersed parts, for the purpose of inspection and cleaning.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant,