Improvements in the Process and in the Machinery for Mercerising Vegetable Fibres in the form of Thread, Cord, Yarn, or the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 10th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 10th June, 1898
Improvements in the Process and in the Machinery for Mercerising
Vegetable Fibres in the form of Thread, Cord, Yarn, or the like.
We, RICHARD THOMAS, of 110, Blumenthalstrasse, and EMMANUEL PREVOST, of
143, Peterstrasse, both of Crefeld, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved process and machine for producing a
silk-gloss upon vegetable fibres (in the form of thread or cord) by mercerising.
For the treatment of the vegetable fibres in the form of thread the threads
during the interval between their treatment with the mercerising liquid and the
drying of the fibres freed from this liquid are either maintained in tension for a
longer or shorter time and at the usual temperature or below same or else are
stretched to such an extent until (whichever method be adopted) they possess a
silky gloss.
The holding-in tension or stretching as the case may be of the vegetable fibre
(in the form of thread or cord) is most readily effected by passing the threads or
cords either during or after their passage through the mercerising and washing
(or neutralising) liquids between rollers by which means the shrinking of the
threads or cords is prevented or they may be stretched by the use of rollers running
at different speeds.
In the accompanying drawing a machine adapted for practically carrying out
this improved process is shown in side elevation."
The vegetable threads (cotton yarn for example) aa coming off the reels of a
suitable machine or other appropriate winding-off apparatus pass first through a
reed b open at the top which maintains them at equal distances whence they proceed
alternately through pressure rollers c¹³c and c and baths or
troughs d¹ d²
d³ d' d and do in which latter they are guided by means of guide rollers e¹ e² c³ e¹ eû
and e6.
The construction of the pressure rollers c¹ to c³ the driving mechanism for the
last roller c and the transmission of the motion to the remaining pressure rollers
are all clearly shown in the accompanying drawing. The trough d' contains the
mercerising solution, the trough a contains cold water, d³ hot water, acid,
d³ hot water and 6 cold water. The threads are therefore first of all mercerised
in d', then washed in and and neutralised in and finally they are freed from
the acid by further washings in d and do.
The pressure rollers c¹ to c' in conjunction with the guide-rollers e here prevent
the threads from shrinking.
Upon leaving the last pressure roller the threads may pass a drying drum
after which they may be wound upon reels or otherwise disposed of.
The machine may be directly connected with the spinning machine if desired.
It is likewise adapted for use in the treatment of vegetable fibre in the form of
cord. The number of vessels d is not constant but may vary according to the

page_text: description of yarn under treatment; loose yarns being more readily cleaned than
those which are closely twisted.
The pressure rollers may be replaced by other tension devices if desired. In
the same manner the actuation of the rollers and the mechanism for transmitting
the motion to the separate rollers may be effected in other suitable ways. In cases
in which the pressure rollers are not used for either stretching or keeping the
threads in tension the special method of driving such rollers may be dispensed
with. In fact all pressure rollers which have not to fulfil this object may be
actuated simply by the tractive effect of the yarn itself. The guide rollers e and
the vessels d may be adjustably arranged.
When the pressure rollers only serve to prevent shrinking of the threads or
cords whilst the mercerising process is taking place they should all travel at the
same speed which is the case in the machine represented in the drawing.
The threads may however be permitted to first shrink after which they may be
again stretched out. In this latter case the first pressure rollers may be dispensed
with and the last rollers (in order that stretching may take place) being run at
increasing speeds this result being readily obtained by the employment of toothed
wheels of gradually diminishing diameter. In like manner the fibres may first
of all be stretched out to beyond their length in a raw condition and then washed
whilst in a free state by causing the first pressure rollers to run at an augmented
speed and removing the last rollers. By cooling the liquids contained in the
vessels d the mercerising process can also be carried out in a cold state.
The yarns may be damped before the mercerising takes place but the dry yarns
may also be treated direct in the machine above-described with the mercerising
liquid.
up
the
As the yarns owing to the grease which they contain do not readily take
mercerising liquid they may advantageously be freed from their grease by the
addition of alcohol.
100
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in the Process and in the Machinery for Mercerising
Vegetable Fibres in the form of Thread, Cord, Yarn, or the like.
We, RICHARD THOMAS, of 110, Blumenthalstrasse, and EMMANUEL PREVOST, of
143, Peterstrasse, both of Crefeld, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers,
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:-
This invention relates to an improved process of and machine for mercerising
vegetable fibres to procure a silk-like gloss upon the latter either in the form of
yarn or thread or the like or in the form of a made fabric but is primarily designed
for the treatment of cotton yarns thread cord or the like and we will first describe
the treatment thereof according to the present invention as follows:-
The improvement consists first in the fact that threads or cords of cotton with
tightly fixed fibres (i.e. long fibred and tightly spun cotton or other kinds of
cotton the fibres of which are securely fixed adhering strongly one to the other
so that upon stretching the threads said fibres cannot slip one upon the other)

page_text: between the operation of moistening with the mercerising liquid and the drying
of fibres which have been freed from such liquid are maintained for a longer or
shorter time either in tension or stretched either at the ordinary temperature or
in the cold so that the structure of the separate fibres alters and a permanent silky
gloss is imparted to them.
This silky gloss can be still further increased by maintaining the threads or
cords of cotton with tightly fixed fibres in tension or stretched during or after
their passage through the mercerising and washing or neutralising liquid and 'also
submitted for a longer or shorter time to a squeezing action.
In the case of threads this process is most simply carried out by passing the
threads of tightly fixed cotton fibres continuously through the mercerising and
washing or neutralising liquid and during this operation holding them in tension
or stretching them for a longer or shorter time by means of tension rollers pro-
vided with special driving mechanism and running either at the same or at varying
speeds.
For the purpose of increasing the silk gloss the threads may during this con-
tinuous manipulation be squeezed by means of pressure rollers.
The machine for carrying out this process consists in its simplest form of vessels
for the mercerising and washing or neutralising liquid and of tension rollers
running either at the same or at various speeds with or without squeezing rollers
and guide rollers for maintaining the threads passing through the apparatus in
tension or stretching and squeezing them. In order the better to guide the
separate threads to be mercerised a reed may advantageously be employed.
In the drawing hereunto annexed machinery for carrying the process into
practice is illustrated by way of example in side elevation.
The vegetable threads (of raw cotton yarn for example) a a proceeding from the
bobbins of a warping mill or other suitable winding-off device first pass through
the open reed b which keeps them equi-distant one from the other and then pass
alternately between squeezing rollers c¹² ccccc and tension rollers f¹‍ƒ³ ƒ³ ƒ ƒ³
f and fand through baths d¹ d² d³ d d d being guided by means of guide
rollers el eeeee, The construction of the tension rollers f of the squeezing
rollers o the driving of the last roller f and the transmission of the motion to the
other tension rollers is apparent from the drawing.
The crushing rollers are pressed by their own weight and that of the
weights h¹h upon the levers g-97 onto the tension rollers ff. By turning
the two-armed levers the squeezing or crushing rollers c care raised and
thus brought out of action. To enable the simultaneous raising of the squeezing
rollers the levers 7 are connected together by means of the rod k. If
the rod k is moved in the direction of the arrow all the levers 7 are turned in
the direction of the small arrow and the squeezing rollers c¹-care moved out
of action.
The vessel d¹ contains the mercerising solution either at the temperature of
the atmosphere or below same, & cold water, d³ warm water, d acids, 5 warm
water again and do cold water. The threads are therefore first of all mercerised
in d' washed in and d³, then neutralized in d and finally freed from the acid
by a further washing in and d. The tension rollers f and squeezing rollera c
in combination with the guide rollers e thus prevent the shrinking of the threads.
After leaving the last tension and squeezing rollers fc the threads may be
passed over a drying cylinder and then wound up or otherwise disposed of.
The machine may be arranged in direct communication with the spinning
machine. It may also be utilised for the treatment of vegetable fibre in the form
of core.
The number of the vessels d is not constant but varies with the descrip-
tion of the yarn.
The tension rollers may be replaced by other tension devices.
In the same
manner the driving of the rollers and transmitting the motion to the separate
rollers may be effected by any other equivalent method.

page_text: In fact all tension rollers which have not to fulfil this office may be driven merel
arving mechanism may be dispensed wit
by the tractive effect of the yarn which is being treated. The guide rollers. e an
the vessels d may be adjustably arranged.
If the tension rollers are only intended to prevent the shrinking of the thread
and cords during the mercerising process they should run at the same speed a
illustrated in the drawing. The fibres may however be first of all allowed t
shrink and then subsequently stretched out again. In this case the first tension
roller may be dispensed with and the latter rollers must (in order to obtain
stretching action) run at an increasing speed which may be readily effected by
means of suitably and gradually diminishing the dimensions of the toothed wheels
The fibres may likewise be first of all stretched out to beyond their natural length
and washed in a free condition by running the first rollers at an increasing speed
and removing the last rollers altogether.
By cooling the liquids in the vessels d the mercerising process can advantage
ously be carried on in the cold.
The yarns may be damped before mercerising if desired but they may likewise
be treated directly in a dry condition in the machine described with the mercer-
ising liquid.
Fabrics may also be treated as above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:
:--
1. The herein-described improved process of mercerising vegetable fibres which
consists in maintaining tightly fixed cotton yarns or threads in tension or stretched
(or so as to prevent shrinkage thereof) between the time of their being moistened
with the mercerising liquid and the drying of their fibres freed from such liquid
for a longer or shorter period at the ordinary temperature so that the separate
fibres alter in structure and take a silk-like gloss substantially, as set forth.
2. The herein-described improved process of mercerising vegetable fibres which
consists in maintaining tightly fixed cotton yarns or threads in tension or stretchel
(or so as to prevent shrinkage thereof) between the time of their being moistened
with the mercerising liquid and the drying of their fibres freed from such liquid
for a longer or shorter period with the mercerising liquid reduced below the
ordinary temperature so that the separate fibres alter in structure and take a
silk-like gloss substantially as set forth.
3. A process for mercerising vegetable fibres which consists in maintaining
tightly fixed cotton yarns or threads in tension or stretched during or after their
passage through the mercerising and washing or neutralising liquids and con-
currently squeezing same so that the individual fibres alter in structure and receive
an augmented silk-like gloss substantially as set forth.
4. A process for mercerising vegetable fibres which consists in passing tightly
fixed cotton yarns or threads continuously through the mercerising and washing
or neutralising liquids and at the same time maintaining them in tension or
stretched for a longer or shorter period by means of tension rollers provided with
special driving mechanism running either at the same or at varying speeds so
that the separate fibres alter in structure and receive a permanent silk-like gloss
substantially as set forth.
5. A process for mercerising vegetable fibres which consists in passing tightly
fixed cotton yarns or threads continuously through the mercerising and washing
or neutralising liquids and during this operation maintaining same in tension
or stretched for a longer or shorter period by means of tension rollers provided
with special driving mechanism and running at the same or varying speeds and
concurrently squeezing said fibrous material by pressure rollers so that the

page_text: separate fibres alter in structure and receive an augmented permanent silk-like
gloss substantially as set forth.
6. An apparatus for carrying into effect the process above claimed consisting
of the arrangement and construction of vessels such as d for the mercerising
washing and neutralising liquids and of rollers such as f running at the same or
at different speeds with or without pressure rollers such as c and guide rollers e
for maintaining the threads passing through the machine in a state of tension or
stretching and squeezing them respectively substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
7. In combination with the apparatus claimed in the last claim--the employ-
ment of a reed such as b for guiding the separate yarn or threads to be mercerised
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.