Improvements in Machinery for the Continuous Treatment of Yarn, Paper, Cloth, or other Fabrics by Means of Chemical Solutions or other Liquids.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for the Continuous Treatment of Yarn,
Paper, Cloth, or other Fabrics by Means of Chemical Solutions or
other Liquids.
I, BERNHARD GODFREY ERMEN, of Bridgewater Mill, Pendlebury, near Man-
chester, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My said invention relates to improvements in machinery to be used in the
treatment of yarn, cloth, paper or other fabrics in a continuous manner by means
of chemical solutions or liquids.
In its main features a machine for such purposes consists of a series of vats or
cisterns through which the yarn, cloth or other fabric is successively passed; for
example in one form of such a machine used for treating yarns cloth or the like
by means of acid the first vat contains the acid, the next vat contains water for
washing out the acid. This is followed by a vat containing a neutralising agent
for neutralising or rendering inert the further action of the acid, the latter vat
being followed by as many washing vats as may be necessary for. still further
removing the last traces of the acid or the neutralising agent. Brushes may be
used in some or all the vats for brushing the material passing through.
In one form of my said invention the last vat of the series contains a reel or
reels on which the material during or after wrapping thereon may be washed by
rotation in the vat or otherwise. In some cases the material may be passed over
drying cylinders, rollers or the like on to bobbins tubes or beams. Means are
provided for causing the cloth to travel continuously through the machine and
pressing or nipping rollers are provided for squeezing back the superfluous liquid
into each vat as the material leaves it.
A difficulty to be contended with in the treatment of materials in such a manner
is that in the event of a necessary temporary stoppage of the machine the powerful
chemicals which are sometimes used destroy or damage the material momentarily
remaining in, for example, the acid vat.
One of the objects of my said invention is to overcome this difficulty by pro-
viding means for automatically removing the material from the acid vat
immediately the machine is stopped.
According to this part of my said invention as applied for example to a machine
for treating yarn the yarn passes from the feed or nip rolls round a tension bar,
thence through or over suitable guide rods or rollers (in some cases of glass) under
a dipping or pressing rod in the acid vat. From there it passes over and under
other guide rods or bars into a water vat where the greater part of the acid is
dissolved out. The guide bars and the tension drawing and dipping rods are
connected together by a system of links with the driving mechanism of the
machine in such a manner that when the machine stops the dipping rod in the
acid vat is automatically lifted and that portion of the material which was in the
acid vat and between there and the water vat is at once drawn forward and
submerged in the water vat.

page_text: On the machine being re-started the parts are brought back into the normal
working position and the yarn is again dipped into the acid vat. In order however
to prevent the portion of yarn last treated being drawn back into the acid vat and
thus being subjected a second time to the action of the acid a cam or similar
device is timed to start the rest of the machine before the yarn depressing rod has
fully returned to the acid in order that the material may be drawn a certain length
through the machine after it has been re-started before the yarn is again sub-
merged in the acid.
Dated this Fourth day of November 1898
Improvements in Machinery for the Continuous Treatment of Yarn,
Paper, Cloth, or other Fabrics by Means of Chemical Solutions or
other Liquids.
I, BERNHARD GODFREY ERMEN, of Bridgewater Mill, Pendlebury, near Man-
chester, Manager, 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:-
My said invention relates to improvements in machinery to be used in the
treatment of yarn, cloth, paper or other fabrics in a continuous manner by means
of chemical solutions or liquids.
In its main features a machine for such purposes consists of a series of vats
or cisterns through which the yarn, cloth or other fabric is successively passed;
for example in one form of such a machine used for treating yarns cloth or the
like by means of acid the first vat contains the acid, the next vat contains water
for washing out the acid. This is followed by a vat containing a neutralising
agent for neutralising or rendering inert the further action of the acid, the latter
vat being followed by as many washing vats as may be necessary for still further
removing the last traces of the acid or the neutralising agent.
In order that my said invention may be more clearly understood I will
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings in all the figures
of which the same letters refer to the same parts.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my invention showing the machine in its working
position.
Fig. 2 is a plan of same.
Figs. 2 and 2 are details to be hereinafter described.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section.
Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 1 to a larger scale.
Fig. 5 is an elevation to a larger scale of a clutch and change plate to be
hereinafter described.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation to a larger scale of the change plate.
Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of part of the machine showing the position of
the yarn when the machine is stopped.
Figs. 8 and 9 are elevations partly in section to a larger scale showing the
parts for immersing the material in the acid bath and for automatically removing
the same when the machine is stopped.
According to my said invention I construct a machine having a series of vats

page_text: or cisterns a b c d e (Fig. 3) through which the yarn, cloth or other fabric fis
successively passed; for example in one form of such a machine used for treating
yarns cloth or the like by means of acid the first vat a contains the acid, the next
vat 6 contains water for washing out the acid. This is followed by a vat c con-
taining alkali or other neutralising agent for neutralising or rendering inert the
further action of the acid the latter vat being followed by water vats d and e or as
many washing vats as may be necessary for still further removing the last traces
of the acid or the neutralising agent.
The vats b c d and e are supplied with water from a supply pipe leading from
the water main or other suitable source. There is a tap for each vat to enable
it to be filled with water to any depth. The water vat 6 which is preferably
supplied through a perforated pipe 0 at the lower part is supplied with an over-
flow pipe b so that the water in the vat 6 can continually overflow as the pure
water is entering thereby keeping it free from the acid brought from the acid vat
by the yarn.
The vats b c d and e are supplied with outlet pipes and plugs 62 2 and e² in
order to allow them being emptied when desired. When emptying the vats the
water is carried away through a pipe or trough 63.
Although the vats b c d and e are shown in the drawing constructed of wood
they may be formed of earthenware or other suitable material.
In one form of my said invention the last vat e of the series contains a reel or
reels g h on which the material f during of after wrapping thereon may be washed
by rotation in the vat or other-wise. In some cases the material may be passed
over drying cylinders rollers or the like on to bobbins tubes or beams.
A difficulty to be contended with in the treatment of materials in such a manner
is that in the event of a necessary temporary stoppage of the machine the powerful
chemicals which are sometimes used destroy or damage the material momentarily
remaining in, for example, the acid vat.
One of the objects of my said invention is to overcome this difficulty by pro-
viding means for automatically removing the material from the acid vat
immediately the machine is stopped.
According to this part of my said invention as applied for example to a machine
for treating yarn the yarn f (when the machine is in its working position as shown
at Fig. 3) passes from the bobbin or other holder in the direction of the arrow
between the feed or nip rollers i round a tension bar ; thence over guide rods kl
(in some cases of glass) under a dipping or pressing rod m in the acid vat a.
From there it passes over a guide rod n under a dipping rod o and over a fixed
guide rod p in the water vat b where the greater part of the acid is dissolved
out. From the water vat b the yarn passes between pressing rollers q gl into the
alkali vat c then between pressing rollers q2q3 into the water vat d and between
The alkali vat c and
pressing rollers q q5 to the reels ghin the washing vat c.
the water vat d are provided with fixed guide rods f¹ over and under which the
yarn passes. The pressing rollers are provided for squeezing back the superfluous
liquid into each vat as the material leaves it.
Some or all of the rollers as for example the top feed roller i and the prèssing
roller are provided with weighted levers in order to vary the pressure on the
yarn.
To enable the material to be automatically removed from the acid vata in the
event of a necessary temporary stoppage of the machine the dipping rod m and
guide rod n are connected together by the links m¹ n¹ (Figures and 7) secured
to a U shaped carrier r (Figs. 2, 8, and 9). The carrier is secured to the part s
formed on a double grooved pulley s mounted on the stud 2 at the side of tho
water vat b. Secured to the periphery of the double grooved pulley s is a chain 4
operated by the fall of the lever for lifting the dipping rod m out of the acid
vat when the machine is being stopped. In order to prevent the untreated portion
of the yarn being damaged by the acid on the edge of the rat and on the rod na
rod mounted on the sliding rod S which works in guides and is operated by

page_text: the lever y carries the untreated portion of the yarn forward and out of contact
with the rod n and the upper edge of the acid vat a as shown at Figs. 7 and 9.
When the machine is restarted and the lever vis moving upwards the pulley s
rotates under the action of the weighted chain 3 passing over the guide pulleys.
Connected to a rocking shaft t are levers uv and y. An arm w is constructed of
two parts connected together at w¹ and has one portion which carries the dipping
rod o extending into the water vat b. Below the shaft t and keyed to the sleeve z
(Figs. 4 and 8) on the cam shaft is a heart cam ³ for imparting motion to the
levers uvy and the arm w.
When the heart cam u³ is in the position shown at Figs. 3 4 and 8 the lever u
rests in its lowest position on the heart cam 23. The dipping rod m and yarn are
then in the acid vat a. The stud or bowl u¹ on the lever is caused to bear on the
cam by weighted levers u secured to the rocking shaft t.
All the parts of the machine derive motion from the main driving shaft A
driven by a belt pulley A. On the main driving shaft A (Fig. 4) is a tooth
wheel A2 gearing with a tooth wheel B mounted on a stud B₁ on the frame of the
machine. Another tooth wheel B2 secured to and rotating with the wheel B on
the stud B gears with a tooth wheel B3 on the cam shaft u², which is in constant
rotation when the main shaft A is running. A loose sleeve 0% on the main driving
shaft A carries the fixed half 05 of the clutch O and also a tooth wheel E gearing
with a tooth wheel F on a stud F1 carried by a bracket at the side of the machine
Figs. 1 and 8. Mounted on the stud F1 and secured to the wheel F is a toothed
change wheel G engaging with a tooth wheel H (Fig. 1) mounted on a stud H³.
Secured to the wheel H is a bevel wheel H³ gearing with a bevel wheel H³ on the
longitudinal shaft J. A bevel wheel K on the shaft J drives through a bevel
wheel K a tooth wheel D secured thereto. The wheel D gears with a wheel C
secured to the lower shaft of the bottom roller i, and thus drives the front feed
rollers. The other rollers are driven in a somewhat similar manner. The shaft J
carries a bevel wheel L engaging with a bevel wheel L' which drives the gearing
with tooth wheels L2 and L³ the latter being on the shaft L. Secured to the
shaft L is a tooth wheel L5 (Fig. 2 and Fig. 2b) gearing with an intermediate
tooth wheel L loose on the shaft of the upper pressing roller q and operating
the tooth wheel L' secured to the lower pressing roller q¹.
The pressing rollers q2q3 are likewise operated from the shaft J by the bevel
wheel M engaging with a bevel wheel M¹ and operating the tooth wheel M² gearing
with the tooth wheel M³ on the lower pressing roller q³.
The pressing rollers 995 are operated by the bevel wheel N on the shaft J and
gear with the bevel wheel N¹ mounted on the stud N². On the stud N2 at the
back of the bevel wheel N₁ is a tooth wheel engaging with the wheel N3 which
gearing with the wheels N and N5 operates the lower pressing roller 5. From
the foregoing it will be seen that all the transverse rollers derive motion from the
main shaft through the clutch 0, which is put in and out of engagement by
means of the swinging arm 01 hinged at 02 to the frame and engaging between
the collars 03 0 of the sliding part of the clutch. A feather or guide key
prevents the rotation of the sliding part of the clutch on the main shaft.
spring 07, presses the sliding part of the clutch against the fixed part on the
sleeve 06 unless otherwise restrained by the position of the swinging arm 01.
Supposing the machine has to be stopped the lever P is pushed inwards in the
direction of the arrow X until the stop 12 passes the stud P3 on the change lever P
The spring P then pulls down the change lever P and the stud P³ coming behind
the heel of the stop P2 holds the lever P in its inward position. An extension or
projecting arm Po strikes the swinging arm 0¹ and disengages the clutch thus
stopping the rollers.
A
The dropping of the change lever P4 (fulcrumed at P5 to the frame) lifts the
change plate R which is connected therewith (Figs. 5 and 6) and sets in motion
the mechanism for lifting the yarn out of the acid by the means about to be
described.

page_text: A semi-rotation of the cam u³ brings the stud u³ from the smallest to the greatest
radius of the cam and causes the rocking shaft to oscillate in such a manner as to
lift the yarn from the acid to the water trough as shown in Fig. 7. Another
semi-rotation of the cam u³ reverses the operation and brings the parts back into
the position shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 8.
The control of the rotation of the sleeve z and consequently of the rotation of
the cam u³ is effected by the engagement and disengagement of the clutch R³ on
the shaft u. The sliding part of this clutch when in gear is held up by a spring R³
and in this state the sleeve z rotates with the shaft u². The plate R through
which the engagement and disengagement of the clutch is immediately operated
has a cam face consisting of upper and lower inclines (Fig. 6) and has in the
centre a slot R10 through which the sleeve z freely passes while allowing the plate R
to be raised and lowered.
A pin R¹ passes through the fixed part of the clutch (i.e. that part which is
secured to the sleeve z) and bears with one end against the sliding part R² (or
against an internal wear plate which rotates with the fixed part of the clutch by
means of a carrier pin R sliding freely in a hole in the fixed part of the clutch).
When the change plate is in its lowermost position as in Fig. 5 the other end of
the pin R' bears against one of the inclined faces and also against a stop R13 and
acting as a strut or distance piece keeps the two halves of the clutch asunder.
When the change plate is lifted by the change lever P4 the pin R¹ slides off
the incline to the plane face of the plate at R¹². The clutch now closes under the
action of the spring and the sleeve z makes a semi-revolution bringing the pin R¹
in the direction of the arrow R to the upper incline. In running up the latter
the pin R again separates the two halves of the clutch and comes to rest against
the upper stop R. When in this position the greatest radius of the cam u³ is
under the stud u¹ (Fig. 7) and the yarn is depressed in the water trough.
On lifting the outer end of the change lever to start the machine a similar
but opposite action results, i.c., the change plate R is depressed when the pin R¹
slips off the incline at the top thus bringing the clutch into engagement while
the next semi-revolution is being made for the purpose of bringing the parts into
their first position with the yarn in the acid.
The machine is restarted by lifting the change lever P4 whereupon the stud P³
rises beyond the stop P2 and the lever P falls outwards by its own weight releasing
the swinging lever 01 from the restraint of the projection P10. This would
bring into engagement the clutch O and start the draw-through rollers. In order
however to ensure a uniform treatment of the yarn and to prevent the part of the
yarn last treated by the acid being drawn back into the acid trough and thus
being subjected a second time to the action of the acid a device is introduced to
ensure the rollers starting just before the depressing rod m has fully returned to
the acid so as to draw a certain predetermined length through the machine after
it has been restarted and before the yarn is again submerged in the acid.
This device consists of a notched disc Y keyed on the loose sleeve z in combina-
tion with a lateral projection or sneck Y at the lower end of the swing lever 0¹.
This device controls the closing of the clutch O which is kept out of engagement
so long as the projection Y2 bears against the un-notched part of the disc Y. When
however the rotation of the sleeve z brings the notch Y¹ opposite the projection Y'
the latter slips through the notch and the spring 07 being deprived of its restraint
closes the clutch O and starts the rollers. The angular position of the disc Y on
the sleeve as compared with the cam u is so arranged that the coupling of the
clutch takes place just before the cam u³ completes that half of its revolution
which returns the yarn to the acid trough. The length (in a circumferential
direction) of the notch Y₁ determines the time when the rollers shall start. The
longer the notch Y the sooner does the projection Y escape from the face of the
disc into the notch.
Hinged to a bracket R15 at the side of the water vat 6 is a lever R³ carrying a
tension rod j under which the yarn passes. This tension rod ; when the machine

page_text: is working is held in position by stops R9 secured to the lever v. When the
machine is stopped as shown at Fig. 9 the stops R9 are out of engagement with
the tension rod R8 and as the yarn is pressed down into the water vat 6 by the rod o
on the lever w the tension rod is lifted by the yarn itself.
In order to prevent the yarn becoming crossed or entangled as it is passing
through the machine I provide traverse guides T T¹ T2 T3 T T for guiding the
yarn to the reels g and h and forming it thereon in hanks.
The traverse guides T T¹ T3 T3 receive a to and fro motion from a worm U secured
to the shaft of the lower feed roller i. Gearing into the worm U is a tooth
wheel U having a stud or pin U2 mounted thereon to form an eccentric and
moving in a slotted plate U³ secured to the bar of the traverse guide T. When the
roller i is rotated the worm U gearing with the wheel U¹ moves the traverse guide
to and fro and gives a to and fro motion to the lever W secured to the shaft W
Each of the traverse guides T T¹ T2 T3 is connected by levers W_T T' T³
(Fig. 2) to the rocking shaft W¹.
In order to wind the yarn in hanks on the reels and h I provide traverse
guides T¹ T5.
The traverse guide T4 is operated to and fro by a worm T9 engaging with tooth
wheels T10 T1 T2 The tooth wheel T12 has a pin mounted thereon to form an
eccentric and engages in the slot of the plate T¹³ moving it to and fro. Connected
to the end of the traverse guide T is a lever 14 secured to a shaft T5 moving in
brackets T¹ on the side of the trough e. Moving with the shaft T¹³ is a lever T
connected at its upper end to the traverse guide T³.
The reel is rotated by the band T passing over a pulley T21 on the shaft of
the roller and over the pulleys T27 T2 and T25. The reel his rotated in a similar
manner by a band T40 also deriving motion from a pulley T" (having two grooves)
and passing over the pulleys T43 T2 and T23.
In order to slacken or tighten the bands according to the thickness of hank I
mount the two small pulleys T2 T2 on plates T2 T29 hinged to the studs carrying
the pulleys T2 and T27. These plates are provided with adjusting screws which
when tightened up take against the brackets To T31 and tighten the bands.
When it is desired to slacken the bands as the hank becomes thicker the adjusting
screws are slackened.
Although not shown on the drawing it is to be understood that the levers u vy
and the arm w the chain and chain pulleys and the parts connected therewith as
shown in Fig. 8 have their symmetrical counter parts at the other side of the
machine and derive motion from the opposite end of the rocking shaft t as will
be well understood.
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 is:-
1. A machine for the continuous treatment of yarn paper cloth or other fabrics
by means of chemical solutions or other liquids substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown.
2. A machine for the continuous subjection of yarn paper cloth or other fabrics
to the action of chemical solutions or other liquids contained in a succession of
vats troughs or receptacles substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
3. In a machine for the continuous treatment of yarn paper cloth or other
fabrics in a series of vats or other receptacles the combination with draw-through
rollers of means for lifting the fabric from one vat or trough and transferring to
an adjoining one on the stoppage of the machine and retransferring it into the
first vat when the machine restarts substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described and shown.
4. In a machine for continuously subjecting yarn paper cloth or other fabrics
to the action of liquids contained in vats or troughs means for lifting the fabric
from one vat or trough transferring it to a second vat or trough while the machine

page_text: is being stopped causing the forward travel of a certain length of the fabric while
the fabric is being re-submerged in the first trough or vat and depressing the
following yarn or fabric into the first trough or vat substantially as and for the
purpose set forth and shown.
Dated this 4th day of August 1899.
E. T. WHITELOW, A.M.Inst.C.E
70, Deansgate, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.