IM- PROVEMENTS IN WASHING, CLEANSING, AND PREPARING TEXTILE FABRICS AND MATERIALS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Fleming, junior, of Newlandsfields, in the
County of Renfrew, North Britain, Bleacher, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN WASHING, CLEANSING, AND PREPARING TEXTILE FABRICS AND
MATERIALS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 18th November 1860, and dated the 24th August 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Fleming, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
August 1860.
I, JAMES FLEMING, junior, of Newlandsfields, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Bleacher, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING, CLEANSING, AND PREPARING TEXTILE FABRICS AND
MATERIALS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as
follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the arrangements and construction of machinery or
apparatus for effecting the operation of washing, cleansing, and preparing
textile fabrics or materials in a more efficient manner than is accomplished.
with the ordinary apparatus.
Under one modification the machine or apparatus consists of a framing
formed of two or more vertical columns, united at the upper extremities by a
cross head. Midway between the supporting columns is a vertical shaft, the
lower extremity of which is carried in a footstep bearing, arranged on the sole
plate or foundation of the machine. The upper extremity of the shaft works
in a collar bearing, fitted in the cross head. Motion is communicated to the
vertical shaft from the engine or other prime mover by means of a horizontal

page_text: shaft, carrying at its free extremity a pinion, which gears with a spur wheel
fitted on the lower part of the vertical shaft. Above this spur wheel is
arranged a circular boiling or washing trough, which is a large cast-iron vessel
of an annular form. Inside or concentric with the ring-shaped boiling or
washing vessel is formed a deep tubular boss, which part encircles the central
shaft, and is fast to the spur or driving wheel beneath' it." The annular trough
is made with an inclined false bottom, the inclination of which corresponds to
the conical peripheries of two large rollers which rest upon the false bottom of
the washing trough. These rollers are supported upon a horizontal shaft,
which extends across the machine and is carried in bearings fitted to the
columns of the framing. The rollers rotate loosely on the horizontal shaft,
and they are caused to press with more or less force upon the goods or
materials placed in the boiling or washing trough by means of an adjustable
screw arrangement, which admits also of the rollers being raised thereby. The
goods or materials are put into the trough with a suitable quantity of water,
and steam is conveyed into the trough below the false bottoni, so as to cause
the water to boil. A slow rotatory motion is imparted to the annual trough,
which carries the goods or materials under the conical rollers. The motion of
the trough and the pressure of the goods against the peripheries of the
rollers cause them to turn upon their axes, and at the same time.press the
goods as they pass beneath with a uniform and very effective pressure. The
result of these combined motions is, that the goods or materials are boiled and
washed or cleansed in a superior manner, and without injury to the finest class
of fabrics or materials, which is a point of great importance in treating
muslins, for which class of goods this machinery or apparatus is more especially
designed
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Fleming, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the.
23rd February 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL. COME, I,“JAMES :
FLEMING, junior, of Newlandsfields, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Bleacher, send greeting.
WHEREAS 'Her inōst Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 'Letters*
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord'
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give'and grant unto me; the
said James Fleming, junior, "Hēr 'special' license that I, 'the said James

page_text: Fleming, junior, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said James Fleming, junior, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING, CLEANSING, AND PREPARING TEXTILE FABRICS
AND MATERIALS, AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Fleming, junior,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office, within six, calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Fleming, junior, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed,, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters, and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention, relates to the arrangement and construction of machinery
or apparatus for effecting the operation of, washing, cleansing, and preparing
textile fabrics or materials in a more efficient manner than is accomplished
with the ordinary apparatus.
Under one modification, the machine or apparatus consists of a framing
formed of two or more, vertical columns, united, at the upper extremities by a
cross head. Midway between the supporting columns is a vertical shaft, the
lower extremity of which is carried in a footstep, bearing, arranged on the sole
plate or foundation of the machine. The upper extremity of the shaft works
in a, collar bearing fitted in the cross head. Motion is communicated to the
vertical shaft from the engine or other prime mover by means of a horizontal
shaft, carrying at its free extremity a pinion, which gears with a spur wheel
fitted on the lower part of the vertical shaft. Above this spur wheel is arranged
a circular boiling or washing trough, which is a large cast-iron vessel of an
annular form. Inside or concentric with the ring-shaped boiling or washing
vessel is formed, a deep tubular, boss, which part, encircles the central shaft,
and is fast, to the spur or driving wheel beneath it. The annular trough is
made with an inclined false bottom, the inclination of which corresponds to the
conical peripheries of two large rollers, which rest upon the false bottom of the
washing trough. These rollers are supported upon a horizontal shaft, which
-

page_text: extends across the machine and is carried in bearings fitted to the columns of
the framing. The rollers rotate, loosely on. the horizontal shaft, and they.are
caused to press with more or less force upon the goods or materials placed in
the boiler or washing trough, by means of an adjustable screw arrangement,
which admits also of the rollers being raised thereby. The goods or materials
are put into the trough with a suitable quantity of water, and steam is conveyed
into the trough below the false bottom, so as to cause the water to boil. A
slow rotatory motion is imparted to the annular trough which carries the goods
or materials 'under the conical rollers. The motion of the trough and the
pressure of the goods against the peripheries of the rollers cause them to turn
upon their axes, and at the same time press the goods as they pass beneath
with a uniform and very effective pressure. The result of these combined
motions is, that the goods or materials are boiled and washed or cleansed in a
superior manner, and without injury to the finest class of fabrics or materials,
which is a point of great importance in treating muslins, for which class of
goods this machinery or apparatus is more especially designed.
And in order that my said Invention of "Improvements in Washing,
Cleansing, and Preparing Textile Fabrics and Materials" may be properly
understood, I shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended, for the purpose
of showing certain modifications under which my improvements may be
judiciously carried out in practice, that is to say:―
- . I .:
Figure 1' on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is an elevation; partially
in section, of one modification of my improved washing apparatus; Figure 2
is a plan of the machine; and Figure 3 is an end view looking upon one-of
the standards of the framing:
⚫. The framing of the machine consists of two end standards A, which are
arched at the lower part, and spring from a rectangular base or sole plate.
The standards A are connected at the base by a longitudinal-ribor-central
plate, in which is cast the footstep B, to receive the lower end of the main
shaft. The upper ends of the standards are connected by the transverse beam
C; which is supported by and bolted to the inwardly projecting brackets cast
on the standards. The main shaft D is arranged in a vertical position in the
centre of the machine, it is carried in the footstep and collar bearings Band E;
this shaft is cast hollow but closed at the lower end. Rotatory motion is com
municated to the shaft from the engine or other prime 'mover by means of a
horizontal shaft, carrying at its extremity a pinion F, in gear with the spur
wheel G. "This wheel is fast to the shaft D, and also to the deep tubular boss
H of the washing trough'I, so that, on motion being communicated. to the

page_text: pinion, the shaft D, the wheel G, and trough I are caused to rotate. The
trough I is formed of cast iron, it is of an angular figure, and rather wider at
the top than at the bottom; flanges are cast on the inside of the trough to
admit of a sloping false bottom J resting thereon. The trough I-is-fitted with
a wooden lining K, and the false bottom J, as well as the lining K, are per-
forated, as shown in Figure 2, to admit of steam passing up from the space
below the bottom J and into the trough. The upper extremity of the shaft D
is fitted with a gland and steam pipe L; the steam obtained from any con-
venient source of supply passes down the shaft D and through the lateral
steam pipes M. About half the length of these pipes are screwed externally,
they are passed through apertures formed for the purpose in the inner ring of
the trough I, to which they are secured by jam nuts. The screwed ends of the
pipes M pass through the boss II and into the shaft D; the inner ends of the
pipes M are closed; but the whole length of the pipes beyond the inner ring of
the trough is perforated. The trough I is partially filled with water or a
chemical solution, and the fabrics or materials to be cleansed are placed
therein, and upon steam being admitted to the shaft D, it passes through the
pipes M, and causes the water or solution to boil. In addition to this, 'the
goods are subjected to a pressing and squeezing operation by means of rollers,
which greatly facilitates the cleansing process. Extending across the machinė
is a hollow shaft N, which is formed with a curve in the centre, so as to clear
the shaft D. The extremities of the horizontal shaft N are carried in adjust-
able bearings O, which are arranged in the slots P of the standards A. The
bearings O move up and down in grooves formed in the inner faces of each
slot, and the bearings are raised or lowered by means of the screws Q, which
are attached thereto. The screws Q pass out through the nuts R, which are
formed with laterally projecting pins that are supported .in the levers 'S; this
arrangement is to admit of the depression or elevation of the levers without
affecting the screws Q. The upper ends of the screws Q have fitted to them
the cross heads T, by means of which the shaft N.and its connected. parts are
raised to admit of the removal of the goods from the trough I. The shaft N
carries loosely upon it two hollow iron rollers U, the weight of which squeezes
out the water or washing solution as they pass over them; the alternate
squeezing out of the fluid and its absorption into the fibres of the goods
speedily effects the complete cleansing of the same. The bushes in the bear-
ings O are made sufficiently deep to admit of the rollers rising upwards as they
pass over the goods; on the other hand, if increased pressure is required, the
screws are lowered until the ends rest on the journals of the shaft N. The
arrangement of the levers S also secure a greater or lesser amount of continu-

page_text: ous pressure; each of the levers is connected by a link V to the lever W,
which is centred upon a stud projecting from the inner face of the standard A.
By means of counterweights placed on the levers W, the rollers U may be
caused to press with more or less force on the goods in the trough I. The
water or washing liquor is drawn off from time to time by means of the cock
✗. The rollers U may, if preferred, be covered with wood, so that no metal
surface is brought into contact with the goods contained in the trough. The
.uncovered rollers may also be heated by steam, which is conveyed into the
-interior-of each roller through the shaft. N.
-
.
gearing with
The rotatory
Another modification of these.improvements consists in arranging the rollers
U, so that motion is imparted to them instead of the trough I. This may be
done by means of a bevel spur wheel keyed to the shaft D and
two bevel wheels, one arranged on the end of each roller U.
motion of the rollers as they press on. the goods in the trough will cause it to
revolve in the same manner as the rollers U rotate on the shaft N by the
frictional contact of the goods against their peripheries.
Having now-described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the-same-is-or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the. Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery or apparatus
for washing, cleansing, and preparing. textile fabrics and materials, as herein-
before described and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the system or mode of washing, cleansing, and preparing textile
fabrics and materials by means of machinery or apparatus consisting of an
annular washing trough fitted with squeezing rollers and appliances for heating
the washing liquor, as herein-before described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings, -or- any mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Fleming, junior, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, One thousand
eight hundred. and sixty-one.
JAMES FLEMING, JUN³. (L.S.)