IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA- RATUS EMPLOYED FOR BLEACHING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES OR FABRICS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Fletcher, of Newton Hyde, in the
County of Chester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS EMPLOYED FOR BLEACHING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES OR
FABRICS."
Sealed the 2nd May 1876, and dated the 13th November 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Fletcher at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th November 1875.
I, THOMAS FLETCHER, of Newton Hyde, in the County of Chester,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Improvements
IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR BLEACHING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES OR
FABRICS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction and working of "kiers"
employed in bleaching, and consists of a certain construction and
arrangement of the kier and its adjuncts, whereby the kier is made

page_text: "
perfectly self-acting, and will work with either high or low pressure
steam.
I use a wrought-iron kier of the ordinary shape, with a well and per-
forated false bottom, from which rises a central pipe, known as the
"puffer pipe." Above the end of this pipe is a bonnet, employed for
spreading the bleaching liquor as it is forced up the "puffer pipe."
The lower part of the "puffer pipe" below the perforated false bottom
opens out into a funnel shape, beneath the centre of which, in the
bottom of the kier, is the opening with which the high-pressure steam
pipe communicates. This pipe is also carried past this opening, and is
provided with a "blow-through" cock for a purpose herein-after
explained.
To the top of the kier a low-pressure steam pipe is connected, and the
two steam pipes (the high and low pressure) are so connected together
and furnished with stop taps that either high or low pressure steam can
be admitted to either the top or bottom of the kier.
The bleaching liquor pipe is connected to the high-pressure steam
pipe leading to the bottom of the kier. There is a "blow-off" pipe in
the top of the kier provided with a stop tap, and there is also a valve for
closing the top of the "puffer pipe," worked by a screwed spindle
passing through a stuffing box in the cover of the kier.
The operation is as follows:-The taps being all closed the kier is
opened, and the goods to be bleached being laid into the required depth
all round the "puffer pipe" the kier is then closed in steam tight. The
blow-through" cock at the bottom is now opened, and the top of the
puffer pipe "closed by means of the valve. Low-pressure steam is now
admitted to the top of the kier, and having no other outlet passes down-
wards through the goods and out at the "blow-through" tap. All
dirty water or liquor and other impurities, are thereby carried away, and
the goods thoroughly steamed and heated through. The "blow-through
tap is now shut and the low-pressure steam tap closed, and the puffer
pipe valve opened and raised up, forming the central part of the
"bonnet." Bleaching liquor being then admitted and high-pressure
steam turned on at the bottom of the kier, and the small "blow-off" tap
at the top of the kier opened, the bleaching liquor will be forced up the
." puffer pipe" and spread into a shower. by the "bonnet" so as to fall
on the goods to be bleached, through which it will pass, and be returned
"

page_text: through the perforations into the "well," and thus the circulation of
bleaching liquor through the goods will be kept up.
When the bleaching operation is completed the high-pressure steam is
turned off, the "blow-through" tap opened, and the "puffer pipe"
valve closed, and then low-pressure steam is forced through the goods
till all bleaching liquor has been forced out and they are comparatively
dry. The kier is then opened and the goods removed, when the operation
can be repeated as before.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Fletcher in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th May 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
FLETCHER, of Newton Hyde, in the County of Chester, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Fletcher, Her special
license, that I, the said Thomas Fletcher, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Fletcher, my exe-
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 might 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 EMPLOYED FOR BLEACHING COTTON OR OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES OR
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Fletcher, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one 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.
i

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Fletcher, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying Drawings:-
This Invention relates to the construction and working of kiers.
employed in bleaching, and consists of a certain construction and
arrangement of the kier and its adjuncts whereby the kier is made
perfectly self-acting, and will work with either high or low pressure
steam.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will now
proceed to describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or
may be performed, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and
have marked the same with letters of reference corresponding with those
in the following explanation thereof.
The Drawing shows my improved "kier" partly in elevation and
partly in section.
I use a wrought-iron kier a, a, of the ordinary shape with a well and
perforated false bottom b, b, from which rises a central pipe c, c, known
as the "puffer pipe." Above the end of this pipe is a bonnet p, p,
employed for spreading the bleaching liquor as it is forced up the "puffer
pipe." The lower part of the "puffer pipe " below the perforated false
bottom opens out into a funnel shape at d, d, beneath the centre of
which, in the bottom of the kier, is the opening e, with which the high-
pressure steam pipe f, f, communicates. This pipe is also carried past
this opening, and is provided with a "blow-through" cock g, g, for a
purpose herein-after explained.
To the top of the kier a low-pressure steam pipe h, h, is connected,
and the two steam pipes f and h (the high and low pressure) are so
connected together and furnished with stop taps i, j, k, l, that either
high or low pressure steam can be admitted to either the top or bottom
of the kier.
The bleaching liquor pipe f*,f*, is connected to the high-pressure
steam pipe f,f, leading to the bottom of the kier. There is a હું blow-
off" pipe m, m, in the top of the kier provided with a stop tap n, n,
and there is also a valve o, o, for closing the top of the "puffer pipe
39°

page_text: of the kier.
The operation is as follows:-The taps i, j, k, l, being all closed, the
kier a, a, is opened, and the goods to be bleached being laid in the
required depth all round the puffer "pipe" c, c, the kier is then closed
in steam tight. The "blow-through" cock 9, 9, at the bottom is now
opened and the top of the "puffer pipe" c, c, closed by means of the
valve o, o..
High-pressure steam is now admitted to the top of the kier
by opening the taps j and 1, and having no other outlet passes down-
wards through the goods and out at the blow-through tap g, g. All
dirty water or liquor and other impurities are thereby carried away and
the goods thoroughly steamed and heated through. The blow-through
tap 9, 9, is now shut and the low-pressure steam taps i and 1, and the
"puffer pipe" valve o, o, opened and raised up, forming the central
portion of the "bonnet" p; p. Bleaching liquor being then admitted
through the pipe ƒ*, ƒ*, and high-pressure steam turned on at the
bottom of the kier, by opening the taps j and k, and the small "blow-
off" tap n, n, at the top of the kier opened, the bleaching liquor will be
forced up the "puffer pipe" and spread into a shower by the "bonnet"
p, p, so as to fall on the goods to be bleached, through which it will
pass and be returned through the perforations b, b, into the "well," and
thus the circulation of bleaching liquor through the goods will be
kept up.
P,
When the bleaching operation is completed the high-pressure steam is
turned off by closing the taps j and k, the blow-through tap 9, 9,
opened, and the "puffer pipe" valve o, o, closed, and then low-pressure
steam is forced through the goods by opening the taps i and till all
bleaching liquor has been forced out, and they are comparatively dry.
The kier a, a, is then opened and the goods removed, when the operation
can be repeated as before. The kier is fitted with a safety valve not
seen in the Drawing, and a pressure gauge q and water gauge r, 1, are
fitted to the high-pressure steam pipe ƒ, f.
.
I would observe that in some cases the low-pressure steam pipe may
be dispensed with by fitting a diminishing valve on to the high-pressure
steam pipe.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-

page_text: formed or carried into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that
I claim as my Invention the construction of a self-acting kier complete
in one vessel, working with either high or low pressure steam, substan-
tially as represented in the annexed Drawing and herein-before described,
and more particularly I claim the use of the valve o, o, (or its equivalent)
for closing the buffer pipe whilst blowing through.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Fletcher, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.