IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHITE AND COLOURED YARNS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Empis, of Paris, in the Republic of France,
temporarily of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, for an Invention of
LamboVERMITS FLY
M
W
VIA"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henri Empis at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th May 1881.
HENRI EMPIS, of Paris, in the Republic of France, temporarily of Belfast, in
the County of Antrim, Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHITE
AND COLOURED YARNS."
The object of this Invention is to dye or to bleach, as the case may be, the fibres
used in the production of yarn during the process of spinning.
It is well known that in spinning flax by what is known as the "wet process,"
the fibres are passed through hot water on their way to the flyers to facilitate the
drawing operation.
The object of the present Invention is so to modify this wet spinning process as
to effect a material economy in the manufacture of yarns.
Supposing it is desired to produce coloured yarns I lead the rovings into a trough
supplied with dye liquor and interposed between the rove bobbins and the spindles
and flyers. These rovings after passing under a guide roller in the trough I lead up
over another guide roller into a second trough containing a solution for fixing the
colour. From this trough the slivers pass to the drawing and spinning mechanism,
and are converted into yarns in the usual manner.
When it is desired to produce white yarns I substitute bleaching liquor for the
dye liquor, and pass into this liquor the slivers leading them under and over a
group of guide rollers so arranged as to lengthen their traverse through the liquor.
As they leave the bleaching liquor I immerse them in an acid solution, and then
conduct them to a trough containing pure water to remove all trace of the chemicals
therefrom.
The sliver now bleached passes onto the spinning machinery which converts it
into yarn, as before explained.
From the foregoing it will be understood that the operation of bleaching or
dyeing being carried out simultaneously with the spinning of the yarn, a material
economy in the cost of producing white and coloured yarns will be effected, and the
fibres being presented in the best form for undergoing the change, the action of the
dye liquor or the bleaching liquor will be most efficient.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henri Empis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th November 1881.
HENRI EMPIS, of Paris, in the Republic of France, temporarily of Belfast, in
the County of Antrim, Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHITE
AND COLOURED YARNS."
The object of this Invention is to dye or to bleach, as the case may be, the fibres
used in the production of yarn during the process of spinning.
"
It is well known that in spinning flax by what is known as the "wet process
the fibres are passed through hot water on their way to the flyers to facilitate the
drawing operation.
The object of the present Invention is so to modify this wet spinning process as
to effect a material economy in the manufacture of yarns.
Supposing it is desired to produce coloured yarns I lead the rovings into a trough
supplied with dye liquor and interposed between the rove bobbins and the spindles
and flyers. These rovings after passing under a guide roller in the trough I lead
up over another guide roller into a second trough containing a solution for fixing
the color. From this trough the slivers pass after rinsing to the drawing and
spinning mechanism, and are converted into yarns in the usual manner.
When it is desired to produce white yarns I substitute bleaching liquor for the
dye liquor and pass into this liquor the slivers, leading them under and over a
group of guide rollers so arranged as to lengthen their traverse through the liquor.
As they leave the bleaching liquor I immerse them in an acid solution and then
conduct them to a trough containing pure water to remove all trace of the chemicals
therefrom.
The sliver now bleached passes to the spinning machinery which converts it into
yarn, as before explained.
In the accompanying Drawing Figures 1 and 2 shew in sectional elevation so
much of a wet spinning machine as will serve to explain the modifications required
in carrying out my Invention, Fig. 1 illustrating the modification for dyeing
the roving, and Fig. 2 the modification for bleaching the roving preparatory to
converting the same into yarn. A is the ordinary water trough of the wet spinning
machine; B indicates a row of roveing bobbins; C, the drawing rollers; and D a
row of spindles for twisting the wet drawn fibres. The trough A is divided trans-
versely by partitions a, a', into three compartments 1, 2, 3. Into the compartment 1
I admit dye liquor by the pipe E, which is fitted with a reservoir E' for containing
a supply of the dye liquor and a tap for regulating its delivery into the trough.
E2 is an overflow pipe for discharging the partially exhausted liquor; Es is a
steam pipe for maintaining the heat of the liquor, it being supplied with a flow of
.steam from any convenient source. The compartment 2, similarly fitted with pipes,
is supplied with a mordant for fixing the color in the roving or sliver as it leaves
the first compartment. The arrangement of these pipes is best shewn at Fig. 1º,
which is a transverse section of the trough. The compartment 3 is kept charged
with water by a constant flow, which serves to rinse the fibres and remove from
the fibres any coloring matter which has not been fixed by the mordant.
To insure the proper traverse of the rovings through the several compartments
of the trough guide pulleys F are employed. These pulleys run loosely upon rods
carried by arms pendant from a hinged frame F', which frame is capable of being
raised on its hinges to thread the rovings drawn from the bobbins B over and
under the guide pulleys. The rovings, as they leave the trough, will pass as usual
between the drawing rollers and thence to the spindles to be converted into colored
yarn.

page_text: When white yarn is required to be produced I find it desirable to increase the
length of travel of the roving or sliver through the first compartment which now
contains the bleaching liquor. For this purpose I arrange the guide pulleys of the
first compartment on the hinged frame, as shewn at Fig. 2, providing, if thought
desirable, more space in the bleaching liquor compartment for the guide pulleys
than in the dyeing liquor compartment; in other respects the arrangements will be
the same as described with reference to Fig. 1. The second compartment I supply
with dilute acid for neutralizing the bleaching liquor contained in the saturated
fibres;
and in the third compartment I keep up a stream of water for removing all
trace from the roveing of the chemicals employed for the bleaching of the fibres.
From the foregoing it will be understood that the operation of bleaching or
dyeing, as the case may be, being carried out simultaneously with the spinning of
the yarn, a material economy in the cost of producing white and colored yarns will
be effected, and the fibres being presented in the best form for undergoing the
change, the action of the dye liquor or the bleaching liquor will be most efficient.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of Improvements in the
Manufacture of White and Colored Yarns," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim,-
"5
The modifications of the wet spinning process as above described for the
production of white yarns and colored yarns.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Empis, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the 24th day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
HENRI EMPIS.
(L.S.)