Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Dyeing, Mordanting, and otherwise Treating Woven or Felted Fabrics and Yarns.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Dyeing,
Mordanting, and otherwise Treating Woven or Felted Fabrics
and Yarns.
I, JOSEPH REFFITT, of 83, Kirkstall Road, in the City of Leeds and County of
York, Dyer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to a new means or method of dyeing fabrics and
yarns, the primary object of my invention being to effect economy in both dyeing
ingredient and in water and steam and consequently in fuel.
In carrying out my improvements I pass the fabric between a pair of nipping
rollers in a bath, preferably of cold water, after which the fabric is caused to travel
in contact with a suitable form of roller made to revolve in a trough partially filled
with dyeing liquor. This roller gathers up a quantity of the dye liquor and
transmits or conveys it to the moistened fabric which readily absorbs the colouring
matter and by which it is dyed. The fabric thus treated enters a steam box
through which it passes over a series of rollers in a zigzag manner where it is
subjected to steam at a high pressure which sets or fastens the dye upon the fabric.
After the fabric leaves the steam box it passes between a pair of nipping rollers
revolving in cold water which cools the fabric and partially washes it.
The fabric then passes over another dyeing or staining roller and through a
second steam box and this operation may be trebled and quadrupled as thought
desirable for effectively colouring or dyeing the fabric. The troughs containing
the dye liquor may or may not be fed continuously as required by a suitable form
of pump and the said dye troughs may be provided with overflow pipes so that
there may be a continuous flow in and out of the liquor whereby it will maintain a
more equal shade. The periphery of the roller which conveys the dyeing liquor to
the fabric may be composed of wire gauze as I find the liquor enters the interstices.
and is carried to the fabric, contact with which causes the liquor to leave the
interstices and to be absorbed by the fabric, but other forms of rollers may be used
for conveying dyeing liquor onto the fabric. The dyeing roller may be removed
from contact with the fabric by any suitable mechanical device when the machine
is not at work.
Although I have referred in this Specification to the dyeing of fabrics I wish it
to be understood that the apparatus can be used with equal advantage to
mordanting or otherwise treating fabrics in an open or extended state and the
method and apparatus herein described may also be used for treating yarns. By
the means and method of dyeing as above described the quantity of dye liquor
required will be 'very little and the quantity which is usually in excess of that
required will not be made, consequently there is not only less waste, but the
pollution of rivers now occasioned by running off excessive dye liquors will be
avoided, whilst the method and apparatus will be found of great advantage in
dyeing small quantities of fabrics, this point will be apparent and appreciated by
all dyers.
Dated this 13th day of May 1893.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Dyeing,
Mordanting, and otherwise Treating Woven or Felted Fabrics
and Yarns.
८
I, JOSEPH REFFITT, of 83 Kirkstall Road in the City of Leeds and County of
York, Dyer, 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 has reference to a new means or method of dyeing fabrics and
yarns, the primary object of my invention being to ensure a greater degree of
certainty in shade of colour and to effect economy in both dyeing ingredient and in
water and steam, and consequently in fuel.
In carrying out my improvements I pass the fabric through a bath of water and
between a pair of nipping rollers so as to ensure equal wetting of the fabric
throughout. The wetting of the fabric encourages capillary attraction and the
equal wetting ensures equal shade in colour. After the fabric leaves, the nipping
rollers it is caused to travel in contact with a suitable form of gauze or perforated
roller made to revolve in a trough partially filled with dyeing liquor. This roller
gathers up a quantity of the dye liquor and transmits or conveys it to the wetted
fabric which readily absorbs the colouring matter and by which it is dyed. The
fabric thus treated then enters a steam box through which it is conveyed over a
series of rollers in a zigzag manner where it is subjected to steam at a high
temperature whereby the dye is set or fastened upon the fabric. After the fabric
leaves the steam box it passes between a pair of nipping rollers revolving in water
which cools the fabric and partially washes it.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood I will now make
reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein
Fig. 1 is side elevation of a single machine constructed according to my
invention for dyeing, mordanting or otherwise treating woven or felted fabrics and
yarns.
Fig. 2 is sectional elevation shewing a serial machine consisting of three
machines such as the one shewn at Fig. 1 coupled together for repeating the
operation of dyeing, mordanting or otherwise treating fabrics or yarns during one
journey or traverse of the material through the machine.
Fig. 3 is enlarged longitudinal section of the dye trough and my improved dyeing
roller which I employ for transmitting the liquor onto the fabric. Fig. 4 is cross
section of same taken through the line a, b, of Fig. 3.
Figs. 5 and 6 are end and front elevations respectively of the means I employ for
removing the fabric or yarn out of contact with the dyeing or transmitting roller
when desirable to do so.
In the drawings the fabric to be dyed is represented by the numeral 1 and is first
of all placed upon a table 2, one end of the said fabric being taken and passed
around tension rods or brakes 3 thence over guide bar 4 under rollers 5 immersed
in cold water contained in the trough 6 up and between squeezing or nipping
rollers 7 over the guide roller 8 and also over the dyeing or transmitting roller 9
revolving in the trough 10 containing the dye liquor, from thence the fabric passes
under the guide or pressing rollers 11 over another guide roller 12 to the steam
box or chest 13, through which steam box the fabric or yarn passes in a zigzag
manner for setting or fixing the dye around the top and bottom series of rollers 14
and is finally conducted out of the said steam box over another guide roller 15 from
whence the fabric is taken under rollers 16 immersed in cold water in the second
trough 17 whereby the fabric is cooled and partially washed, it then passes through
squeezing rollers 18 and finally it is cuttled and drops upon a table 19 placed to
receive it.

page_text: In Fig. 2 I have shewn three machines compounded or connected together.
The fabric after leaving the first machine falls from the guide roller 15 onto-
a scray or inclined board 20, and it is drawn from thence over the tension or brake
rollers 4 of the second machine, and the operation of moistening, dyeing, steaming
and cooling of the fabric is repeated and also in the subsequent machines, but the
fabric is cuttled after leaving the series of machines. The dyeing or mordanting
trough 10 is a shallow receptacle and it is kept supplied with fresh dyeing liquor
by means of a pump or by gravitation from a suitable reservoir, the said liquor
entering the trough through supply pipe 21, see Fig. 3, said trough being provided
with an overflow pipe 22, but if required the overflow pipe may answer as a plug
to be taken out to let off the liquor. During the operation of dyeing the overflow
or excess liquor passing out through pipe 22 is conducted back to the reservoir or
source of supply, each trough in the serial machine being connected to the said pipe
by pipes to the source of supply which thereby serves for all the troughs in use.
The dyeing or transmitting roller 9 is journalled in bearings 23 in the trough,
the said roller being caused to rotate therein by the pull or frictional contact of the
wet travelling fabric, the rotation of which dyeing roller transfers the liquor to the
surface of the fabric 1 which having been previously wetted by passing through
the water in the trough 6 is in a condition to freely absorb the liquor on the
roller 9 by capiliary attraction this being further insured by the roller 11 which is
preferably covered with pile fabric, towelling, or other suitable soft material, which
on rolling over and pressing upon the fabric causes the liquor to pass through the
fabric and to be dyed thereby. The pressing roller 11 is carried by a slotted
arm 24, see Figs. 5 and 6. This slotted arm is fastened on the shaft 25, on which
said shaft the brackets carrying the guide rollers 26 are also mounted and made
fast so that when it is necessary to remove the fabric 1 from contact with the
dyeing or transmitting roller 9, the lever or handle 27, see Fig. 1, also fixed to
the shaft 25 is lifted upwards whereby the series of rollers are elevated as shewn
in dotted lines Fig. 5, and it is retained in its elevated position by pin 28 fitting
into one of the holes in the quadrant 29, thus the fabric can be removed from
contact with the dyeing roller when desirable. The periphery of the dyeing or
transmitting roller 9 is composed of fine wire gauze, the interstices of which
become filled with the dyeing liquor, which is thereby carried to the fabric,
contact with which, causes the liquor to leave the interstices which is absorbed
as already stated by the wetted fabric setting up a capiliary attraction thus
the operation of dyeing is effected, the process being repeated as many times as
may be found necessary to give the required shade or strength of colour.
The rotary motion to the various rollers of the machine is imparted from the
main driving shaft represented at 30 which by means of bevel wheels 31 gives
rotary motion to the horizontal shaft 32 supported in bearings at each side of the
machine and where two, three, or more machines are connected together to form
one serial machine, the shafts 32 thereof are connected together by the coupling 33.
as illustrated in Fig. 2 so that each shaft is thus driven by and from the same
source and at the same surface speed. The bottom roller of each pair of nipping
or squeezing rollers is driven by bevel wheels 34 from the horizontal shaft 32 and
the top series of rollers 14 in the steam box have rotary motion given to them by
pinions driven by spur wheel 35 fixed on the cross shaft 36 to which motion is
communicated by strap and pulley from the bottom squeezing roller 7. The
guide rollers 14 in the serial machine are likewise rotated by strap and pulley as
indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. In the bottom of each steaming chest I fix a
bood 37 over the steam inlet for the purpose of breaking up and distributing the
steam as it enters. The steam box sides are removable to give easy access to the
interior of box.
When dyeing thick or heavy goods, it may be necessary to transmit the dyeing
liquor on both sides of such fabrics in order to insure that the dye liquor penetrates
through the fabric, therefore to meet the requirements of such a case, I have shewn
in Fig. 7 a method whereby both sides of a fabric can be dyed where it will

page_text: be seen that I employ two transmitting rollers 9, dyeing troughs 10 and pressing
rollers 11.
According to the drawing the underside of the fabric is first dyed, and after
passing over guide roller 38 the other surface of the fabric is dyed by coming into
contact with the upper transmitter 9, by which means both sides of the fabric are
dyed. Instead of lifting the fabric out of contact with the surface of the trans-
mitter by hand lever 27 as fully described with reference to Figs. 1, 5, and 6, in
this case lower the transmitting rollers and dyeing troughs as shewn in dotted
lines (Figs. 7,) this being effected by a rack 39 gearing with pinion wheel 40 which
on being operated by means of a lever or hand wheel the said transmitters can be
made to lower clear of the fabric as will be well understood.
Although I have referred in this Specification to the dyeing of fabrics I wish it
to be understood that the apparatus can be used with equal advantage for applying
mordant or other solutions where even distribution is desirable or for otherwise
treating fabrics in an open or extended state and the method and apparatus herein
described may also be used for treating yarns. It will be easily understood that by
the means and method herein described of applying the dye an even shade of colour
can be obtained with very little liquor and the quantity which is usually in excess
of that required, will not be made, consequently there is not only less waste, but
the pollution of rivers now occasioned by running off excessive dye liquors will be
avoided, whilst the method and apparatus will be found of great advantage in
dyeing small quantities of fabrics, as will be apparent to and appreciated by all
dyers.
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 that what I
claim is :-
Firstly. In a machine for dyeing or mordanting fabrics and yarns, the employment
therein of a dyeing or transmitting roller having its periphery perforated or com-
posed of wire gauze as illustrated at Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings and
employed for purposes specified.
Secondly. In a machine for dyeing or mordanting fabrics and yarns, the combi-
nation of the water trough 6, colour trough 10, and dyeing roller 9, arranged
substantially as shewn in the drawings.
Thirdly. In a machine for dyeing or mordanting fabrics and yarns, the combination
of water trough 6, colouring trough 10, dyeing roller 9, and steaming box 13 all
arranged substantially as shewn in the drawings.
Fourthly. In a machine for dyeing or mordanting fabrics and yarns, the combi-
:nation of water trough 6, colouring trough 10, dyeing roller 9, steaming box 13, and
water trough 16 all arranged as described and shewn in the drawings.
Fifthly. In a machine for dyeing or mordanting fabrics and yarns, having water
troughs, one or more colouring troughs, dyeing rollers, and steam box, the
combination therewith of nipping or squeezing rollers.
Lastly. The general arrangement of parts comprising a machine for dyeing and
mordanting fabrics or yarn, constructed substantially as shewn in the accompanying
drawings and described in the Specification.
Dated this 12th day of February 1894.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.