Improved Method of and Apparatus for Milling and Finishing Yarns, Tapes and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improved Method of and Apparatus for Milling and Finishing
Yarns, Tapes and the like.
I, ERNEST RICHARD FARNSWORTH, of Lumsdale, near Matlock, in the County
of Derby, Bleacher, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for milling and
finishing cotton and like yarns, tapes and the like, the object being to accomplish
the finishing of these materials more efficiently and expeditiously than has hitherto
been the case.
The practice at present in vogue for effecting the operations referred to consist
in placing the yarns in what are known as dolly tubs and as they are put in these
tubs in bulk the yarn is very unevenly milled. In addition to this, much labour
and time is wasted and certain deleterious effects accrue from the very frequent
handling of the yarns from one dolly tub to another and to the various washing,
scouring and colouring etc., tanks or vats that are used to complete the process
of treating the yarns.
The object of my invention is to avoid these defects by the provision of an
improved machine or mechanism for effecting the milling and to arrange this
mechanism in conjunction with ceftain washing etc., tanks or vats so that the
process is carried out continuously and with a minimum of handling of the
material.
In carrying out my invention I provide a suitable framework upon which is
mounted a trough or conduit along which the yarn is led and above this trough
I arrange a series of dollies or fallers which have given to them a rising and falling
movement so that their lower ends fall upon and mill the yarn beneath them in
the conduit. This movement may be obtained in any suitable way such as by
the employment of revolving cams, wipers or the like and these may be rotated fast
or slow so as to vary the beats of the fallers in accordance with the material being
treated and the degree of milling required. The hanks of yarn being milled are
connected together so as to form a continuous chain but instead of interlocking
each hank with the other as is usually the case now and whereby unequal milling
accrues owing to the extra density of yarn at the locking point, I prefer to connect
each bank to the other endwise, or in other words end to end, the connection
being preferably made by pieces of soft cotton twine or the like. By this method
of connection the yarn is of equal density throughout and can therefore be operated
upon with better results.
The milling apparatus is provided with one or more pairs of rollers to draw
the yarn along the trough beneath the fallers-these rollers being suitably rotated
for the purpose.
In order that the process shall be a continuous one I may take the yarn, say,
direct from the bleaching kier and lead it to say, the first milling apparatus con-
structed as described. After passing through the latter the yarn may be led to

page_text: a washing tank through which it may be passed in a convoluted form, and thence
through a pair of squeezing rolls to a second milling apparatus, and again to say
soaping and colouring tanks. It may then be passed through a third milling
apparatus and finally through a powerful squeezer which takes all the water
away. It is then ready for the drying stove. The particular cycle of operations 5
would, however, vary in accordance with the treatment required to be given to
the material being treated.
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Milling and Finishing
Yarns, Tapes and the like.
I, ERNEST RICHARD FARNSWORTH, of Lumsdale, near Matlock, in the County
of Derby, Bleacher, 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 method for an apparatus for milling and
finishing cotton and like yarns, tapes and the like the object being to accomplish
the finishing of these materials more efficiently and expeditiously than has hitherto
been the case.
دو
The practice at present obtaining for effecting the milling and finishing opera-
tions referred to consists in placing the yarns in what are known as "dolly tubs
and therein subjecting them to the action of the dolly-that is to say the dolly
"pounds" or mills the yarn. The yarn is usually put in the dolly tubs in
bulk i.e. the various hanks of yarn are bunched tied or knotted together in such
a manner that it is absolutely impossible for the yarn to become evenly milled or
finished. In other words where the tieing or knotting takes place the yarn is
denser and is therefore not so readily acted upon by the dolly as at those portions
of the hanks that are less dense. In addition to the milling, the yarn requires to
be treated with various liquids including water; scouring liquor; colouring
liquors of various kinds, sizes or starches etc. In the old way each of these opera-
tions is carried out in various vessels or tubs, each operation being, moreover, a
separate and distinct one and consequently much time and labour are wasted
and certain deleterious effects accrue from the very frequent handling of the
yarns between one tub or vessel and another and the various washing, scouring or
colouring etc., tanks or vats that are used to complete the process of treating the
yarns.
The object of my invention is to avoid these defects by the provision of an
improved machine or mechanism for effecting the milling and finishing operations,
such mechanism being so arranged in conjunction with certain washing etc. tanks
or vats, that the whole of the required processes are carried out continuously and
simultaneously and with a minimum of handling of the material.
In order that my invention may be thoroughly understood by those engaged
in the art to which it relates, I have annexed to this specification explanatory
drawings of a machine designed in accordance therewith in which
Fig. 1 is a partial general view in longitudinal section.
Fig. 2 an end elevation, partly in section.

page_text: Fig. 3 a plan and
Fig. 4 a longitudinal section of the machine to a reduced scale showing the
essential features of the new machine.
In carrying out my invention I provide framework of a suitable design capable
of properly supporting the various parts of the mechanism comprising the machine.
The framework consists of standards A, preferably two to each section B of the
machine, on the crossrails C of which is supported a wooden or metallic trough or
conduit D along which the yarn, tapes or the like E to be milled and finished, is
led or drawn. As each section B is identical, or practically so, in construction
I will describe one such. Above the trough D, then, (referring to the first
section B in Fig. 1) the framework or standards A are extended and coupled
together at the crossrails F by wooden or like rails G that serve to support a series
of fallers H whilst allowing them perfect freedom for vertical movement. These
fallers have enlarged ends H' preferably of wood and are given a rising and falling
movement so that their lower ends may fall upon and mill the yarn E passing
beneath them along the conduit.
The vertical movement of the fallers may be obtained in any suitable way. In
the machine shown I employ a shaft J rotated by means of a pulley J', having
fixed upon it, opposite each faller or dolly, wipers or cams K the ends of which
strike the underside of projections H" fixed on the dollies and so lift the latter.
As the wipers pass the projections the fallers drop by their own weight onto the
yarn, the rising and falling movement continuing so long as the shaft J is rotated.
The wipers are fixed on the shaft, one slightly ahead of the other so that the
fallers rise and fall at different times. To prevent the fallers dropping too far
a second series of projections H are fixed or formed on the fallers and these
come in contact with the bottom rails G. The wiper shaft J may be rotated faster
or slower so as to vary the beats of the fallers in accordance with the material
being treated and the degree of milling required and for the same reason the speed
at which the material is traversed along the conduits may be altered as desired.
In milling hanks of yarn I prefer to connect them together so as to form a
continuous chain but instead of interlocking each hank with the other as is
usual now and which results in unequal or inefficient milling at the locking
point owing to the extra density of yarn at that point, I connect them together
endwise as shown in Fig. 5, by pieces of soft cotton twine or the like L. By this
method of connection the yarn is of equal density throughout and can therefore
be operated upon with better results.
The yarn, in the form of the continuous chain referred to, is represented by
the line E and is led through the various tanks or vats and conduits over guide
rollers M all of which except the series M¹ are driven by the frictional contact
of the yarn only, though all the rollers M may be driven positively by a chain
or the like. The series M are positively driven by means of sprocket wheels and
an endless chain which receive their motion from the squeezing rolls N¹. The
latter and also their prototypes N are driven by worm and wheel gearing from
the shaft O. The rolls N and N¹ may be of ordinary construction. They are
used both for the purpose of traversing the material and for expressing any
excess of the treating liquors from it.
In operation and as indicating one method of carrying out a continuous process
in which the yarn is subjected to various treatments, and referring principally to
Fig. 4 I take the yarn say direct from a bleaching kier and lead it through the
first miller 1, thence through the squeezing rolls and down into a tank P con-
taining, say, clean cold water, thence through a second miller of similar
construction and into a second tank Q of water. From here it is led through
miller 3 and then into a tank R containing a liquid soap solution or a colouring
liquor of any kind. The rollers M in this tank are arranged to give a convoluted
form to the yarn so that it may become thoroughly saturated with liquor. After
leaving the tank R the yarn is led through millers 4 and 5 and also into the
colouring tank twice and thence into miller 5. From this it is led to a washing

page_text: It
vat S containing water, through miller 7, and thence into a sizing tank T.
receives a final squeezing on coming out of this by being passed through the end
pair of squeezing rolls, which express all superfluous liquid, after which it may be
led direct to a drying stove.
I wish it to be clearly understood that the particular cycle of operations would
vary in accordance with the treatment required to be given to the material. For
instance there may be either more or less sections B between each part of the
immersing process and each section may be composed of a greater or smaller
number of fallers, whilst different kinds, of liquors may be used at different parts
of the machine all of which variations will be readily understood by those skilled
in the art.
The advantages obtained by using the improved process and machine are that
yarns, tapes or the like are more efficiently milled than in the old system, that the
various processes are now continuous, thereby lessening the injurious handling
of the goods hitherto experienced and expediting production and also effecting
economy in the amount of labour employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A continuous process of milling and finishing yarns, tapes, or the like, con-
sisting in passing the materials whilst in endless chain form through one or more
series of milling apparatus, composed of vertically rising and falling fallers,
subjecting them to the action of various liquids on passing from the milling
apparatus and expressing excess of liquor from them by suitably arranged squeezing
and drawing rollers substantially as described.
2. A continuous process of milling and finishing yarns, tapes or the like, con-
sisting in subjecting them whilst in endless chain form to the action of vertically
reciprocating fallers, passing them through squeezing and drawing rollers into
one or more water vats, thence through one or more sets of fallers or milling
apparatus and squeezing and drawing rollers into a soaping or colouring vat,
through other milling apparatus and squeezing and drawing rollers into a washing
vat, thence through one or more sets of milling apparatus to a sizing or starching
vat and finally through a pair of squeezing rollers, substantially as described.
3. The method of connecting hanks of yarn together to form one endless chain,
whilst they are being milled and finished according to the methods referred to in
Claims 1 and 2, consisting in connecting the hanks together endwise by pieces
of soft twine or cord substantially as and for the purposes described.
4. An apparatus for milling and finishing yarns, tapes or the like, consisting of
one or more pairs of squeezing anu drawing rollers for expressing surplus liquor
and drawing the materials along one or more conduits or troughs; one or more
sets of vertically reciprocating fallers to act upon the yarns or like materials
whilst being passed along the troughs or conduits; means for actuating the
reciprocating fallers and squeezing rollers; a series of guide rollers to guide the
materials as required and one or more water, soaping, colouring, washing and
sizing or starching vats substantially as described.
5. Apparatus for milling and finishing yarns, tapes or the like constructed and
arranged substantially as shown and described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
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WILLIAM H. TAYLOR,
Swan Chambers, 69, Market Street, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.