Improvements in Machines or Apparatus for Mercerising Hanks.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1899
Com plate Specification Left, 4th Aug., 1900-Accepted, 6th Oct., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines or Apparatus for Mercerising Hanks.
I, DAVID CROWTHER, of Pickford Street, Milusbridge, in the County of York,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows.
This invention relates to machines or apparatus for mercerising hanks, and
has for its chief objects the provision of novel means whereby the hanks are
maintained in suitable tension while passing through the various baths and opera-
tions required for mercensing and whereby the tension 18 relieved when the
hanks emerge from the baths to allow of the ready removal of the same and the
substitution of fresh hanks therefor Provision is made for slowly turning
the banks while in the baths in order to ensure that all parts thereof shall
be uniformly meicensed.
In my improved machine the hanks are mounted on and stretched between
pans of spindles supported by carriages attached to endless chains. These
chains travel in suitable continuous grooves or guide channels which dip into
the various tanks containing the meicensing baths and which are so arranged
that they stretch the hanks when the latter are passing through the baths and
converge outside the baths so as to relieve the tension and thereby allow the
hanks to be readily removed from the spindles after they have left the baths.
Rolleis o pulleys are preferably provided to support the chains and to reduce
the friction between them and the guide channels to a minimum, and other
rollers or pulleys are provided upon the spindles which carry the hanks to
bear against the sides of the guide channels or grooves or other suitable
stationary part of the machine in order by the fictional contact to slowly
1otate the spindles and with them the hanks as the endless chains travel
through the baths The rotation of the hanks may be effected by the pulleys on
one side the machine, those on the other side being idle, o both series of
pulleys may be operative and so aanged that they work in conjunction
Toothed geaning may be substituted for the frictional arrangement to rotate
the spindles positively In this war all parts of the hanks are uniformly
exposed to the various solutions used The guides for the endless chains may
be conveniently secured to the sides of the mercerising tanks which may adjoin
each other or may be separated The endless chains are diven by chain wheels
from any suitable source of power, and one of said wheels is arranged to be
otatable and to be secured at different angular positions on its driving shaft
elatively to the other wheel whereby one chain can be adjusted in advance of
the other so that the distance of the spindles on one chain from those on the
other chain may be varied to suit hanks of different lengths, or to vary the
tension in the hanks
Toto this 4th day of November 1800
D YOUNG & Co,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: improvements in Maonines or Apparatus for Mercerising Hanks,
I, DAVID CROWTHER, of Pickford Street, Milnsbridge, in the County of York,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascei-
tamed in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention relates to machines or apparatus for mercesing hanks, and
has for its chief objects the provision of novel means whereby the hanks are main-
tained in suitable tension while passing through the various baths and opera-
tions required for meicensing and whereby the tension is relieved when the
hanks emerge from the baths to allow of the ready removal of the same and the
substitution of fresh hanks therefor Provision is made for slowly turning
the hanks while in the baths in order to ensure that all parts thereof shall
be uniformly mercerised
In my improved machine the hanhs are mounted on and stretched between
pains of spindles supported by carnages attached to endless chains These
chains travel m suitable continuous grooves or guide channels which dip into
the various tanks containing the mcicerising baths, and which are so aanged
that they stretch the hanks when the latter are passing through the baths and
conveige outside the baths so as to relieve the tension and thereby allow the
hanks to be readily removed from the spindles after they have left the baths
Rollers or pulleys are preferably provided to support the chains and to reduce
the friction between then and the guide channels to a minimum, and other
1ollers or pulleys are provided upon the spindles which cariy the hanks, to
bear against the sides of the guide channels or grooves, or other suitable
stationary part of the machine in order by the frictional contact to slowly
1otate the spindles and with them the hanks as the endless chains travel
through the baths. The rotation of the hanks may be effected by the pulleys on
one side of the machine, those on the other side being idle, or both series of
pulleys may be operative and so arranged that they work in conjunction.
Toothed gearing may be substituted for the functional anaugement to rotate
the spindles positively In this way all parts of the hanks are uniformly
exposed to the various solutions used
My said invention also comprises other improvements hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying diawings.
Figure is a vertical longitudinal section, and
Figure 2 a vertical transverse section of my improved apparatus, drawn to
an enlarged scale
Figure is a side elevation, and
Figure 4 a plan, illustrating details of construction
Figure is a partial transverse section showing a modified form of my in-
proved apparatus
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
as the mercensing bath and the washung bath These baths can either
adjoin each other as shown or be separated c, c, Figures 1 to 4, are guides of
H-irou secured in pans to the sides of the tanks a, hat suitable distances apart
as hereinafter described In each pair of guides (, works a chain d having
series of links equally spaced apart The links of one sees are provided with
aims extending laterally thiough the slit between the guides c, these arms
being formed with bearings in which work vertical spindles h carrying the
bobbins. The links or carriages e are also provided with guide-rollers & bearing

page_text: The
against the lateral flanges of the guides to resist the outward pull of the hanks
on the chains. Other links are provided with 1olleis m beaning against the
horizontal webs of the lower guides c, to support the weight of the chain
spindles are provided at then lower ends with olleis keved thereto, which
bear against the outer flanges of the guides c The hobbins on the chain
at the left-hand side of Figure 2, are pinned or heved to the upper ends of
the spindles h, which are fitted, at their lower ends, with pinions p, also pinned
or keved thereto These pinions engage with a rack on the lower guide o
and serve to slowly rotate the spindles h and bobbins as the chain is moved
along the guides as hereinafter described On the other chain, the bobbina
turn freely on the upper ends of the spindles h, being driven by the hank r,
actin in a similar manner to a driving belt, fiom the bobbins on the other chain.
The chains d, d are diven by means of sprocket-wheels on a driving-
shaft at one end of the machine One of these sprocket-wheels 18 mounted on
the shaft in such a manner that it can be turned through any desned angle
relatively to the other sprocket-wheel and he secured in such a position that the
corresponding bobbins on the two chains will be at the distance apart neces-
sary to suitably stretch the hanks under treatment. For example this sprocket-
wheel may be secured on its shaft by a set screw At the other end of the
machine, the pairs of guides c, c converge so as to bring the bobbins nearer
together and thus enable the hanks to be conveniently placed thereon and
removed after treatment The guides e, also converge at the driving-shaft
end of the machine so that the tension on the hanks is relieved after they have
been removed from the liquid The tanks a, b are preferably provided with
pipes through which cooling water can be cuculated
In the modification of my improved apparatus shown in Figme 5, the guides t
are made channel-shaped with internal flanges and are connected by stays 2 to
enable them better to resist the tension of the hanks. The rollers m are dupli-
cated and arranged one on each side of the spindles h which, in this case, are
secured directly to the links of the chains and do not rotate
The guide-
rollers are here mounted on the spindles h, whilst auxiliary olleis w
mounted on the lower ends of the said spindles, run in guide-grooves in the
lower parts of the guides u. The rotation of the bobbins on both chains 18
effected by means of sexes of pins y arranged, eg, on the left-hand side of each
guide and engaging with webs or pinions on the under-sides of the bobbins 3.
If desired, however, the bobbins on one chain only can be provided with webs or
pinions, the bobbins on the other chain being driven by the hanks as in the
arrangement herein before descubed
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 18-
1 An apparatus for use in mercerising hanks, where the said hanks are
placed on bobbins or supports which move apart automatically so as to put the
hanks under tension while passing them through the bath or baths, substan-
tially as described.
2. An apparatus for use in mercerising banks, comprising endless chains
travelling in guide-ways or grooves at the sides of the tank on tanks, and bear-
ing bobbins or supports for the hanks, substantially as described
3 In an apparatus for use in mercerising hanks. means for rotating the
bobbins or supports for the hanks during the passage thereof through the
baths, substantially as described.
4 The combination, in an apparatus such as is herembefore described, of
chains bearing bobbins or supports, and sprocket-wheels mounted on driving-
shafts and engaging said chains one of said sprocket-wheels being adjustable

page_text: relatively to the other, substantially as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore
described.
5 An apparatus for use in meicerising hanks, comprising guide-ways arranged
on the tank or tanks, the said guide-ways diverging within the tank or tanks
and converging outside the said tank or tanks, endless chains travelling in said
guide-ways, bobbins mounted on said endless chains. pinions connected to some
or all of said bobbins, a lack or racks for engaging said pinions, and means for
driving said chains, substantially as described
6 The improved apparatus for use in meicensing hanks, constructed substan-
tially as herein before described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, or to Figure 5,
of the accompanying drawings, for the purposes specified.
Dated this 4th day of August 1900
DAVID CROWTHER,
D Young & Co,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C,
Agents for the Applicant.
DAVID CROWTHER,
1) Young & Co,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C,
Agents for the Applicant.