Improvements in Dyeing Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th Jan., 18-2-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dyeing Machines.
We, EXLEY WOODCOCK Senior, Dyer, NELSON OATES WOODCOCK, Dyer, and
EXLEY WOODCOCK Junior, Student, all of King Cliffe, Hillhouse, Huddersfield,
in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
Our invention relates to dyeing machines, chiefly applicable for indigo dyeing, of
the kind or class described in the Specification No. 3223 of 1870 as subsequently
improved by the inventions described in the Specifications No. 1096 of 1877, and
No. 1482 of 1886.
Our invention comprises improvements in the construction of the scraper, in
the arrangement of the said scraper with respect to the rollers, in means for
pressing the movable nipping roller towards the stationary roller, and in means for
preventing the fabric moving to the sides of the machine during its travel to the
nipping rollers.
The scrapers now in general use in this class of machine are constructed principally
of iron but the edge which removes the fabric from the roller is of wood. In
practice these scrapers very soon wear out owing to the action of the hot liquor
on the wood. Our improved scraper is constructed of materials that will resist
the action of the hot liquor and that will not be liable to damage the fabric that is
being dyed, and our said scraper when properly adjusted will so act as to render it
practically impossible for the fabric to get between it and the roller. The back
of our improved scraper we make of iron or other suitable metal on which we
mount a strip of brass, copper or other metal not liable to be affected by the dye liquor.
the edge of which metal strip is made smooth so as not to damage the fabric. We
sometimes insert between the two said metal pieces or strips forming the scraper a
strip of indiarubber or other suitable elastic substance which, when the two metal
pieces are screwed or otherwise secured together will project slightly and form the
lip of the scraper. This lip being elastic may be placed quite close to the roller
without causing undue friction and without damage to the fabric.
In dyeing or "hawking" machines at present in general use the scrapers are
arranged approximately vertically and their edges are situated above the centre of
the rollers. According to another part of our invention we arrange our improved
scraper approximately horizontally and below the centre of the roller and we prefer
To the rear
that the said scraper should meet the roller tangentially or nearly so.
end of the scraper we may hinge the "scrny" for keeping the fabric from rising to
the surface of the liquor and thus avoid the necessity of providing a movable
crosspiece for supporting the said "seray." For adjusting the position of the
scrapers with respect to the nipping rollers we arrange that the said scrapers shall
be capable of a slight horizontal movement towards and from the rollers in guide-
provided in each side of the frame of the machine. The scraper used in connection
with the inovable roller must of course move therewith and we therefore prefer to
mount it in guides in the slides in which the movable roller is mounted. Guides
being provided for the movement of the said scrapers their adjustment may be
effected in any suitable or convenient manner.
For pressing the movable nipping roller towards the fixed nipping roller spiral
springs have heretofore been employed which press against the slides in which
the movable roller is mounted. In practice it is found that these springs are very
ineffective as they soon get corroded by the dye liquor and are then practically
useless. In lieu of spiral springs we employ a piece of indiarubber or other non
corrosive clastic material

page_text: This class of machine as heretofore constructed is provided with a fixed cross-
piece, secured at each end to the side of the vat, over which the fabric is conducted
to the nipping rollers. It is found in practice that the fabric does not keep to the
centre of this crosspiece but tends to move to the sides of the machine and is thus
liable to be damaged between the rollers. It has heretofore been necessary to
keep the fabric stretched to its full width on the said crosspiece by hand, but,
according to another part of our invention, we provide means whereby the fabric is
automatically kept stretched in the centre of the machine and is prevented from
moving to the sides thereof. To accomplish this object we mount the said cross-
piece so that either end is capable of movement towards the nipping rollers inde-
pendently of the other end. When the fabric tends to move towards one end of
the crosspiece, that end is drawn towards the nipping rollers, but immediately the
said crosspiece assumes a position other than parallel with the nipping rollers, the
pull of the fabric is greater on the most distant end of the said crosspiece and there-
fore the fabric is pulled to the centre of the crosspiece again and the said crosspiece
is made to resume its proper position parallel with the nipping rollers.
We prefer
to mount the crosspiece at each end, in slides moving in guides fixed to the side of
the vat and in these guides and on both sides of the said slides we insert pieces of
indiarubber or other suitable elastic packing. Adjustable metal or other plates
may be provided in the guides for the purpose of adjusting the pressure on the
elastic packing and the position of the slides.
The said crosspiece may be made straight with a rounded edge if desired, but we
prefer to make it curved, with its concave edge towards the nipping rollers, and to
ensure the fabric being stretched to its full width we form from the centre to each
end of the said crosspiece spiral grooves into which we may insert strips of india-
rubber or the like which act to stretch the fabric laterally. Or we may employ a
roller over which we conduct the fabric which roller may be cylindrical throughout
or may be of a greater diameter at the centre than at its ends, and we may form
spiral grooves from the centre to the ends of this roller for the purpose above
specified. The said roller may be mounted in any suitable manner to permit of its
having the same movement as the aforesaid crosspiece.
Dated this 15th day of April 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dyeing Machines.
We, EXLEY WOODCOCK, Senior, Dyer, NELSON OATES WOODCOCK, Dyer,
and EXLEY WOODCOCK, Junior, Student, all of Hillhouse Huddersfield, in the
County of York, do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to dyeing machines chiefly applicable for indigo dyeing
of the kind or class described in the Specification of British Letters Patent
No. 3223 of 1870 as subsequently improved by the inventions described in the
Specifications of British Letters Patents No. 1096 of 1877, and No. 1482 of 1886.
Our invention comprises improvements in the buffers or springs for the nipping
rollers; in the con-truction of the scrapers; in the manner of mounting the said
scrapers and in means for preventing the fabric collecting at the sides of the
machine during its travel to the nipping rollers.
Referring to the drawings accompanying this Specification,
Figure is a side elevation of the rollers; their bearing frames, partly in
section mechanism connected therewith and a portion of the vat of a "Hawking"
machine having our present improvements applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same the central portion being broken away,

page_text: and the rollers being raised out of the dyeing liquor into the position they occupy
when not in use.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on a reduced scale of the dyeing vat
and the front guide bar, and trammel hereinafter described.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the parts shown in Figure 3.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the tank or vat containing the indigo dye; B B are the ordinary rollers,
mounted in side frames C, C, which are pivoted on the bar D extending across the
vat. E is the driving pulley which is connected as heretofore by gearing with one
of the rollers B. Fisa balance weight for balancing the rollers and frames about
the bar D.
and bear
dd are
For pressing the nipping rollers together we provide in lieu of the spiral springs
heretofore employed india-rubber buffers or springs in combination with adjusting
screws. The said rubber buffers or springs are placed in tubular or like cavities,
formed in the side frames C. The bearing blocks e of the movable nipping roller are
formed with shanks which are constructed to slide in the said cavities
against plates placed between the said shanks and the buffers a.
adjusting screws provided with hand wheels d'd' and arranged to screw through screw
threaded caps dd fixed on the frames C. A shoe is placed between the end of
cach screw and the buffer a to distribute the pressure on the latter.
It is obvious
that by operating the screws d the pressure on the buffers a can be increased or
diminished and consequently the pressure between the rollers can be adjusted to
suit any requirements.
The scrapers heretofore in general use in this class of machine are constructed
principally of iron but the edge which removes the fabric from the roller is of
wood. In practice these scrapers very soon wear out owing to the action of the
hot liquor on the wood and also when out of the liquor they shrink and bend away
from the rollers and are apt to cut the cloth. Our improved scrapers are con-
structed of such materials as will resist the action of the hot liquor and not be
liable to damage the fabric that is being dyed, and our said scrapers when properly
adjusted will so act as to render it practically impossible for the fabric to get
between them and the rollers. e are our improved scrapers, the backs e' of which
are made of iron or other suitable metal and the faces of which are composed
of strips of brass, or copper, or other metal not liable to be affected by the dye
liquor.
The edges of the said strips are made smooth so as not to damage the fabric.
We sometimes insert between the metal back and the copper or like strip a
strip of india-rubber or other suitable elastic substance which, when the two metal
pieces are screwed or otherwise secured together will project slightly and form the
lip of the scraper.
This lip being elastic may be set to press upon the roller
without causing undue friction and without damage to the fabric.
Heretofore the scrapers have been arranged approximately vertically, their
edges being situated above the centre of the rollers. According to another part of
our invention we arrange our improved scrapers approximately horizontally and
below the centre of the roller and we prefer that the said scrapers should meet the
rollers tangentially or nearly so. This is clearly shown in Figure 1. We also
"
hinge to the scrapers the scrays for keeping the fabric from rising to the surface
of the liquor, thus avoiding the use of a separate movable cross-piece for supporting
the said " scrays."
We make our improved scrapers adjustable towards and from the rollers as
follows, that is to say we provide guide ways in which the backs e' may slide. The
scraper for the movable rollers should of course be mounted on the said roller
bearings otherwise it would require to be adjusted each time the roller is moved.
We therefore construct the bearing blocks e with extensions in which are forme
the guide ways for carrying the scraper. c, care movable clips or bridge pieces
which can be applied to and removed from the parts of the said bearing blocks,
and
are screws mounted in the said bridge pieces and constructed with

page_text: collars arranged to engage with the bridge pieces to prevent longitudinal movement
of the screws there through while permitting rotary movement of the said screws.
The screws are arranged to screw into the parts of the scrapers so that by
rotating the screws the scrapers can be adjusted towards and from the roller. Since
the scraper is mounted in slides formed in the bearing blocks of the movable
roller, it follows that any movement of the said roller carries the scraper with it
and hence the scraper does not require re-adjustment each time the roller is moved.
This combination of movable roller and scraper forms an important feature of our
invention. The scraper for the other roller is mounted in guide ways in the side
frames C, C, and is adjusted therein by clips or bridge pieces and screws f
similar to the clips or bridge pieces of and screws above described.
This class of machine as heretofore constructed is provided with a cross-piece,
arranged in the vat, to act as a guide for conducting the fabric to the nipping
rollers. It is found in practice that the fabric does not keep to the centre of this
cross-piece but tends to collect at the sides thereof and is thus liable to be damaged
between the rollers. It has heretofore been necessary to keep the fabric stretched
to its full width on the said cross-piece by hand which is objectionable. To avoid
this practice we according to our present invention mount the said cross-piece so
that either end thereof is capable of movement towards the nipping rollers inde-
pendently of the other end. Figures 3 and 4 is the cross-piece or guide supported
so as to be capable of sliding in bearing pieces 1 fixed to the sides of the vat.
is a rubber or like soft clastic cushion provided in each bearing piece g' for the
said cross-piece to press against. When the fabric tends to collect at one end of
the cross-piece the extra pull of the cloth caused thereby drags that end of the
cross-piece towards the nipping rollers. Immediately the said cross-piece assumes
a position other than parallel with the nipping rollers, the pull of the fabric is
greater on the most distant end of the said cross-piece and therefore the fabric is
pulled to the centre of the cross-piece again and the said cross-piece resumes its
proper position parallel with the nipping rollers. Adjustable metal or other plates
may be provided in the guides for the purpose of regulating the pressure on the
elastic packing and the position of the slides.
The said cross-piece may be made straight with a rounded edge if desired, but
we prefer to make it curved, with its convex edge away from the nipping rollers,
and to ensure the fabric being stretched to its full width we form in the said curved
surface spiral grooves into which we may insert strips of india-rubber or the like.
These grooves or the rubber pieces therein act to stretch the fabric laterally.
We sometimes employ a roller over which we conduct the fabric in lieu of the
cross-bar 4. This roller may be cylindrical throughout its length or it may be of
a greater diamet. r at the centre than at its ends and we may form spiral grooves
from the centre to the ends of this roller for the purpose above specified. The said
roller may be mounted in any suitable manner to permit of its having the same
movement as the aforesaid cross-piece.
We prefer to provide in the dye vat a trammel for supporting the cloth, con-
sisting of a perforated metal sheet h. The said sheet is supported by hooks hat
the front and back of the vat and is suitably curved as shown in Figure 3 so that
the cloth will slide thereon with very little friction. A traminel so constructed
will cause less friction than the trammels heretofore employed and will therefore
enable the machine to be worked with less expenditure of power.
Having now particularly described and a-certained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
First. A dyeing machine having buffers or springs of india-rubber or like
material constructed and arranged with reference to the squeezing rollers substan-
tially as herein described, for the purpose specified.
Second. The compound scrapers constructed substantially as described, for the
purpose specified.

page_text: Third. The adjustable combined scrapers and scrays arranged with reference to
the nipping rollers, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The bearing blocks of the adjustable roller in combination with the
scraper mounted to slide in the said bearing blocks substantially as, and for the
purpose, specified.
Fifth. A dyeing machine having the guide bar for the cloth constructed and
mounted substantially as described.
Sixth. A dyeing machine having incorporated therein the various improvements
herein described with reference to the drawings, and operating as specified.
Dated this 14th day of January 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.