improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for waterproonng or Rendering Textile Fabrics Water-repellent.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 20th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 12th Oct., 1888
improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for waterproonng or
Rendering Textile Fabrics Water-repellent.
I, THOMAS FERNELEY WILEY, of Cravenette Works, Moss Street, Bradford, in
the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for waterproofing
textile fabrics or rendering them water-repellent.
The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of mechanism or
apparatus hereinafter described by means of which the waterproofing substances in the
solid state, preferably in the form of slabs or cylinders, are applied directly by friction
to the fabrics which are afterwards heated to complete the process. Any known water-
proofing, substance or compound capable of being moulded or formed into slabs or
cylinders of suitable consistancy, and having a melting point below what would
damage the fabric may be applied by the apparatus hereinafter described.
The fabrics to be operated upon are carried by a reel or beam supported in bearings
between suitable frames. At the opposite end of said frames a hollow india rubber
cylinder without an arbor and preferably filled with water is mounted upon a carrying
roller and supported laterally by side rollers. A slab of waterproofing substance
preferably wider than the fabrics to be operated upon is fixed above said cylinder in a
suitable holder. The said holder is provided with projections at each end fitted
between vertical guides formed on said frame, and it is so arranged that the weight of
such holder presses the slab of waterproofing substance against said cylinder which
pressure may be increased as required by arranging suitable weights, screws, springs, or
weighted levers or their equivalent to bear on said holder. Adjustable tension bars
are fitted between the reel holding the fabrics and said cylinder to regulate the tension
of the fabrics.
To apply heat to the fabrics this apparatus is preferably used in conjunction with an
ordinary cylinder drying machine by which the fabrics are drawn through such
apparatus. They are drawn from the said reel, over and under the tension bars,
under the said supporting roller, between it and the india rubber cylinder and round
.מ
017

page_text: such cylinder under the slab of waterproofing substance, over a guide roller into the
drying machine.
The friction of the fabrics during their passage between the said india rubber
cylinder and slab of waterproofing substance gradually wears such slab away and
uniformly deposits it upon the fabrics passing into the drying machine the heat of
which melts the waterproofing substance thus deposited causing it to become absorbed
by the fibres of the fabrics which are thereby rendered waterproof or water-repellent.
The amount of waterproofing substance in this manner deposited is regulated by the
amount of pressure exerted by the said holder.
The said india rubber cylinder being hollow is consequently extremely pliable and
elastic and is thus adapted to uniformly press the fabrics against the under edge of
the slab of waterproofing substance notwithstanding any unevenness of such edge
occasioned by unequal wear. Such roller also tends to remove creases from the fabric
and otherwise keep it straight.
The said slabs are preferably made longer than the width of the fabrics in order to
allow of any slight lateral deviation thereof, and as the ends of such slabs are not
exposed to the same amount of friction as the parts constantly in contact with such
fabrics they are bevelled or chamferred so that such parts may be more easily worn
away.
As a modified arrangement the said india rubber cylinder may be dispensed with,
by arranging the slab of waterproofing substance to bear upon the fabrics at any
intermediate point between a somewhat similar roller to the one used for
supporting the said cylinder and the roller guiding the fabrics into the drying
machine.
When the waterproofing substance is applied in the cylindrical form the said india
rubber cylinder, supporting roller, and lateral rollers are removed, and a cylinder of
waterproofing substance is mounted on an arbor and fitted in their place.
The fabrics in their passage through the apparatus are arranged to pass over the
cylinder of waterproofing substance which is provided with driving mechanism fitted
with change gearing adapted to allow the speed of said cylinder to be varied according
to the amount of friction it is required the fabrics should occasion in their passage
over it so as to remove the desired quantity of waterproofing substance therefrom and
deposit it upon the fabrics. As a further means of regulating the friction of the said
fabrics upon the cylinder a roller beneath which the fabrics pass is fitted preferably in
advance of said cylinder and is capable of vertical adjustment or being moved towards
the cylinder thereby pressing the fabrics more or less out of line which causes a larger
portion of the surface of the said cylinder to be in contact with the fabrics and also
increases the pressure of such fabrics thereon. In some cases a hollow india rubber
cylinder, preferably filled with water, and supported by lateral rollers may be mounted
above said cylinder of waterproofing substance which by its weight and elasticity
increases the friction occasioned by the passage of the fabrics and keep them more
uniformly in contact with the waterproofing substance.
The core round which the cylinder of waterproofing substance is mounted and by
which it is supported and rotated is preferably corrugated or of other suitable section
to prevent it revolving without the cylinder.
It is obvious that the waterproofing apparatus herein described may be used without
the cylinder drying machine by applying independent driving mechanism, and that
heat may be applied in any convenient manner.
In lieu of the hollow india rubber cylinders above mentioned a cylindrical canvas
or leather bag filled with shot, or any cylinder or bolster adapted to uniformly press
the waterproofing substance, may be used.
Dated this 16th Jane s T
1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Waterproofing or
Rendering Textile Fabrics Water-repellent.
I, THOMAS FERNELEY WILEY, of Cravenette Works, Moss Street, Bradford, in the
County of York, Waterproofer, 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 improvements in machinery or apparatus for waterproofing
textile fabrics or rendering them water-repellent.
The said improvements consist in the arrangement and application of mechanism or
apparatus hereinafter described by means of which the waterproofing substances in the
solid state preferably in the form of slabs or cylinders are applied directly by friction
to the fabrics which are afterwards subjected to heat to complete the process. Any
known waterproofing substances or compound capable of being moulded or formed into
slabs or cylinders of suitable consistancy, and having a melting point below what
would damage the fabric may be applied by the apparatus hereinafter described.
. Reference is made to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification
in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the
figures.
Figure 1, represents a sectional elevation of a waterproofing machine arranged in
conjunction with an ordinary cylinder drying machine and adapted to apply water-
proofing substances in the form of slabs. Figure 2, is a plan of the same, with a
portion of the said slab and holder broken away.
Figure 3, is a sectional elevation of a machine arranged to apply the waterproofing
substance in a cylindrical form.
Figure 4, illustrated a modified arrangement of figure 1, showing the relative position
of the rollers and said slab.
Figure 5, is a similar view illustrating a modification of figure 3.
Figures 6, and 7, respectively represent a plan and front view of the form of slab
preferably used.
Referring particularly to figures 1, and figure 2; The reel A holding the fabric B to
be operated upon is mounted in bearings C formed at the end of the side frames D.
At the opposite end of the machine a hollow india rubber cylinder E preferably without
an arbor and filled with water is mounted upon a roller F and lies between lateral
rollers G and H. A slab J of waterproofing substance is fixed in the holder K and
its under edge rests upon said cylinder. The holder K is provided with projections L
at each end fitting between the vertical guides M formed on the frames D and it is so
arranged that the weight of such holder presses the slab J towards the cylinder E
which pressure may be increased as desired by placing a weight or weights upon the
tray N fixed above the holder K. The above described apparatus is used in conjunction
with a cylinder drying machine O by which the fabrics B are drawn from the reel A,
over and under adjustable tension bars P, under the roller F between it, and the
J

page_text: cylinder E causing it to revolve and round such cylinder under the slab J towards the
roller and into the drying machine.
The friction of the fabrics as they pass beneath the slab J gradually wears such slabaway
and uniformly deposits it upon such fabrics as they are drawn between the cylinders of
the drying machine the heat of which is adapted to melt the waterproofing substance
thus deposited, causing it to become absorbed by or to coat the fibres of the fabrics,
which are thereby rendered waterproof or water-repellent. The amount of waterproofing
substance applied in this manner may be regulated by adjusting the pressure of the
slab J upon the fabrics. Feed screws T are fitted through the top of the holder K
adapted to push the slab J out of the holder as such slabs become reduced.
As the india rubber cylinder 'E is hollow it is extremely pliable and elastic and is
consequently particularly adapted to uniformly press the fabrics against the under edge
of the slab J, although such edge may be irregularly or unevenly worn. Such roller
also tends to remove creases from the fabrics and otherwise keep them straight. It is
obvious that other forms of pliable or elastic rollers may be used, as for instance a
leather or canvas case filled with shot, but I find an india rubber roller to work the
best.
The slabs J are made longer than the width of the fabrics in order to allow of any
slight lateral deviation thereof, and as the ends of such slabs are not exposed to the
same amount of friction as the parts constantly in contact with the fabrics I find it
advisable to bevel or chamfer the ends S of the slabs so that they are more easily
worn away.
The bars P are capable of adjustment in the slots U for the purpose of regulating the
tension of the fabrics.
In the modified arrangement shown in figure 4, a slab J of waterproofing substance
is employed and the cylinder E is dispensed with. The said slab is arranged to bear
upon the fabrics at a suitable point between F and Q, the amount of waterproofing
substance deposited upon the fabrics being regulated by the tension of such fabrics and
the weight upon J.
In figure 3, a cylinder a of waterproofing substance is employed instead of the
slab J. The said cylinder is cast in a suitable mould round the core b which is preferably
corrugated, or of other suitable section, to insure such cylinder revolving therewith.
The cylinder a is rotated by the toothed wheel c mounted on the arbor b and the
wheel c is connected to the spur wheel d fixed on the driving shaft e by the double
stud wheel and h. The wheels g and c are so arranged that they may be readily
changed for wheels of different relative sizes in order to alter the speed at which the
cylinder a is rotated. A roller i mounted in bearings k fitted between guides ; is
capable of being vertically adjusted by means of the screws m connected to such bearings.
A cylinder drying machine is also in this case arranged to draw the fabrics B
through the apparatus. Such fabrics pass from the tension bars P over the cylinder a
under the roller i, on to the roller Q and into the drying machine. The tension of the
fabrics together with the surface speed of the cylinder a relative to the feed of the
fabrics and the position of the roller i regulate the friction created by the passage of
the fabrics over such cylinder, and thus the amount of waterproofing substance removed
from the cylinder a and deposited upon such fabrics is regulated.
The cylinders a are preferably made slightly longer than the width of the fabrics to
be operated upon. And to reduce the ends as the rest of the cylinder a becomes
reduced and to generally keep the periphery true I employ a knife or scraper u to bear
against the said cylinder and scrape off any prominent part. The said knife is mounted
on a bar v sliding at each end between the guides a formed upon the frames D and
capable of being adjusted so as to press the said knife against the cylinder by screws t
fitted at each end.
The modification shown in figure 5, is similar to the arrangement last described but
a cylinder E, preferably of india rubber and hollow is supported laterally by the
rollers G and H, is placed above the cylinder a and by its weight and elasticity
increases the friction of the fabrics upon a and keeps them more uniformly in contact
therewith.

page_text: It is obvious that the waterproofing apparatus herein described may be used without
the cylinder drying machine by applying independent driving mechanism and after-
wards subjecting the fabrics to heat in any convenient manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare what I claim is:
1. The apparatus for applying waterproofing substances by friction in the solid
state in the form of slabs to textile fabrics, substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose specified.
2. The combination with waterproofing apparatus of an elastic or pliable pressure
roller applied substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. The apparatus for applying waterproofing substances in the solid state in the
form of cylinders to textile fabrics, substantially as herein shown and described and
for the purpose specified.
4. The use of slabs with bevelled ends, substantially as herein shown and described,
and for the purpose specified.
5. Slabs and cylinders of waterproofing substances or compounds applied and used,
substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 18th day of Avo 1888
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.