Improvements in Dyeing. Bleaching or otherwise Treating Cops of Yarn and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1898
Complete Specification Left. 2nd Sept. 1897-Accented. 21st Oct. 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dyeing. Bleaching or otherwise Treating Cops of
Yarn and in Apparatus therefor.
We, JAMES MAJOR, of 28, Cannon Street, Mechanical Engineer, and THOMAS
JAMES WOOD, of 30, Cannon Street, Manufacturer, both of Eccles, in the County
of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
The principal novel features of our invention are that each individual cop is
mounted upon a hollow spindle through which the dye or liquor is admitted
to the interior thereof, whilst each hollow spindle and cop is caused to revolve
rapidly on its own axis, whereby the dye or liquor admitted to the centre is
caused by centrifugal force to be driven outwards through the body of the cop
dyeing the yarn thoroughly through the cop in its progress, and at the same time
the centrifugal force loosens or opens out the yarn itself so as to facilitate the
access of the dye or other liquor to all the fibres thereof, the combined result of
which is that the whole of the yarn becomes thoroughly dyed throughout the cop
thereby producing an evenness and uniformity of effect not hitherto obtained.
The exact arrangement of the apparatus for this purpose may be varied to a
considerable extent so long as the above conditions are maintained.
For example in one modification I propose to mount a series of tubes in suitable
brackets each tube being provided with a wharve and all of them caused to revolve
by means of endless cords or band driven from a grooved pulley of larger diameter.
At the upper end of each tube is an enlargement forming a chamber to hold the
dye, or liquor and between the two is a stop cock.
The lower end of each tube passes through a stuffing box into a chamber
below (which we will call the "cop-chamber") where it is provided with a cop-
carrier consisting of three wires slightly bent outwards towards the middle
part so that they will contract to admit of the cop being placed thereon but will
always have a tendency to expand the cop outwards. The bottom of the " cop-
chamber is provided also with a stop cock, and with suitable means (such for
example as a fan or air pump) to produce a vacuum therein when required.
"
The method of using this apparatus is as follows:-First fill the upper chambers
with water (which may be supplied from a tank kept above the machine) the
upper stop cocks being closed.
Then exhaust the air from the "cop-chamber" thus producing a vacuum and
exhausting the air from the fibres of the cotton or other substance.
Next close the bottom stop cock and set the grooved pulley in motion so as to
cause all the tubes and cops to revolve rapidly. On opening the upper stop cocks
the water from the upper chambers will descend through the tubes into and be
forced by the centrifugal force through all the cops thereby thoroughly saturating
the yarn and preparing it for the dyeing or bleaching process.
The lower stop cocks are then opened to allow the excess of water to drawn off
and the upper stop cocks being closed a vacuum is again produced and the upper
or dye chambers being filled with dye or other liquor either hot or cold and with
or without mordant as may be desired the tubes are again set in motion and the
upper stop cocks being opened the dye or liquor is drawn by the vacuum into
the centre of all the wet cops and driven by the centrifugal action into and through
every fibre thereof forcing the water out in front of it and leaving the cops
thoroughly dyed or bleached.

page_text: Or instead of each revolving tube being provided with a separate dye chamber
any convenient number of revolving tubes may be arranged in a circle and fed
from one dye or other tank and the tubes may be driven by a large spur wheel
which is in gear with and drives a small pinion attached to each tube."
Or the same tank may be caused to act as a dye or bleaching tank and exhaust
chamber the tank being filled with dye or liquor the tubes being driven from the
top of the tank and each tube being provided with a curved bladed fan or centri-
petal pump revolving in the dye or liquor which enters at the circumference and
is drawn to the centre and forced downwards and outwards through the cop as in
the previous case.
It will also be evident that when the cops have been dyed or bleached they may
be dried in the same apparatus if provision is made for forcing a supply of hot
or even cold air through the revolving tubes and outwards through the cops in
the same manner.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1898.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.
Improvements in Dyeing, Bleaching or otherwise Treating Cops of
Yarn and in Apparatus therefor.
We, JAMES MAJOR, of 28, Cannon Street, Mechanical Engineer, and THOMAS
JAMES WOOD, of 30, Cannon Street, Manufacturer, both of Eccles, in the County
of Lancaster, 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:-
The principal novel features of our invention are that each individual cop is
mounted separately upon a hollow perforated spindle through which the dye or
liquor is admitted into the centre of the cop, is caused by centrifugal force to
be driven outwards through the body of the cop, dyeing or bleaching the yarn.
thoroughly all through the cop in its progress, and at the same time the centrifugal
force loosens or opens out the yarn itself so as to facilitate the access of the dye
or other liquor equally to all the fibres thereof, the combined result of which is
that the whole of the yarn becomes thoroughly dyed (or bleached as the case may
be) throughout the cop, thereby producing an evenness and uniformity of effect
not hitherto obtained.
The exact arrangement of the apparatus for this purpose may be varied to a
considerable extent so long as the above conditions are maintained but for example
we have annexed hereunto four sheets of drawings illustrative thereof and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those
in the following explanation thereof.
On Sheet 1 of the drawings Fig. 1 is a partial front sectional elevation, and
Fig. 2 an end elevation (also partly in section) of one arrangement of the
apparatus.
Upon a suitable frame a we mount a series of vertical tubes b, each tube being
provided with a wharve e and all of them caused to revolve rapidly by means of
endless cords or bands passing around them and driven from a grooved pulley
of larger diameter.
At the upper end of each tube b is an enlargement e forming a chamber to hold
the dye or liquor, and between the two is a stop-cock f.
The chambers may all be supplied with the dye or liquor by means of a main
pipe g fitted with branch pipes h and stop cock 2.
'

page_text: The lower end of each tube 6 passes through a stuffing box k into a chamber
below (which we will call the " cop chamber") where it is provided with a cop-
carrier m which may be a perforated tube, or other equivalent (say) three or more
wires, which will hold the cop firmly when placed thereon, and sufficiently open
to allow of the free access of the dye or other liquor to the interior of the cop.
The cop chamber must be so arranged that it can be lowered away from the
top plate at which forms part of the framing so as to allow of the cops being placed
and removed as required. A convenient way of doing this (see also partial plan
view Fig. 2) is to form ribs or lugs embracing a vertical rib a¹ forming part of
the framing, and to attach to each end of the said chamber a weighted chain n
passing over a pulley o the end of the shaft carrying this pulley being fitted with a
winch handle or means for turning the same. The joint between the top of the cop-
chamber and the bottom of the plate a being made airtight by means of an
india rubber or other elastic medium.
LX
The method of using this apparatus is as follows:-First, fill up the dye
reservoirs or chambers e with suitable dye, mordant, bleaching liquor or water as
the case may be and either cold or hot as may be required. This may be supplied
from a tank situated above the machine the stop cock being then turned off.
Then by means of a suitable pump exhaust the air out of the cop chamber through
the tap p (the stop cocks f being closed) close the tap p and open the cocks f and
at the same time set the pulley which drives the endless bands d in motion at a
fairly high rate of speed, having turned off the stop cock the dye or liquor in
the chambers will then be drawn or sucked through the tubes 6 and through the
cop-carriers m into the interior of the cops and then by centrifugal action be
forced through to the outside of the cops some of the dye &c. being retained by
the cops.
It is found by experiment that if the cops revolved at a fairly high rate the
threads will be caused to open out by the centrifugal action, thus allowing the
dye or liquor to penetrate entirely through the fibres without interfering in any
way with the arrangement of the threads so that they can be wound off without
any difficulty whatever.
The same process and similar apparatus may also be used for drying the cops
by driving a current of air (hot or otherwise) through the cops while revolving on
the carriers.
On Sheet 2 another arrangement of the apparatus is shown in sectional elevation
at Fig. 3 and in horizontal section at Fig. 4. In this case the arrangement is
circular and the revolving tubes b are fed with dye or liquor from a circular
trough or pipe q supplied through the main pipe g. Instead of wharves each
tube bis provided with a spur pinion all of which are driven by one large
spur wheels on a central shaft t driven by bevil gear u.
Or the apparatus may be arranged in the form illustrated on Sheet 3 of the
drawings on which Fig. 5 is a partial sectional elevation. Fig. 6 a partial
horizontal section through about the line A-B in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 a partial
plan view thereof.
In this arrangement the revolving spindles & may be solid and are fitted with
small drums at the top and are driven in front of an endless band passing
In this case the
alternately in front of and behind the respective drums v.
plate a which forms the top of the cop chamber or tank is formed in one
with the bottom rail a*, the spindles being provided with a collar above and
below the said rail, so that the lid a the rail a** and the spindles d with their
cops attached can be raised up out of the chamber by means of a rack and a
pinion w which is connected by an endless chain to a similar pinion at the other
end of the machine. The chamber or tank does not in this instance rise or fall
but can be run in or out upon wheels y running on a rail z at each end. In this
case the tank may be used both as a dyeing or bleaching tank and as an exhaust
chamber as hereinafter described.
Or the same tank / may be caused to act as a dyeing or bleaching tank, and as an

page_text: exhaust chamber as illustrated on Sheet 4 of the drawings, on which Fig. 8 is a
partial vertical section and Fig. 9 an elevation (on an enlarged scale) showing in
detail the modifications necessary for this purpose. In this case the spindles d will
not require to be tubular but each one at its lower end is provided with a curved
bladed fan, turbine or centripetal pump t (see also horizontal section Fig. 8") which
revolves in the dye or liquor, and being driven from the top in the direction of the
arrow will draw the dye or liquor in from the circumference towards the centre
and force it downwards through the hollow cop carrier m and outwards through
the cop. To prevent the whirling of the dye or liquor in the tank / we find it
desirable to surround the centripetal fan I with a fixed guard 2 see Fig. 8",
and for the same purpose (with some dyes only) to prevent undue friction of the
dye liquor against the outer portion of the cop we propose to surround each cop
with a guard or envelope 3 (see also horizontal sectional view Fig. 10).
The cop cariers m may be readily attached and detached to and from the
centripetal fan 1 by means of a quick-threaded screw as seen at Figs. 8 and 11".
It will be evident that this invention is not necessarily confined to what are
called "cops" which are wound upon bare spindles or tubes in a cylindrical form
with conical ends, for use in the shuttles of looms for weaving but is also equally
applicable to what are known as spools" or other equivalent forms either
cylindrical conical or otherwise which are wound upon tubes of small diameter
made without flanges at the ends, and which are removable from such tubes in an
endwise direction.
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is: :-
37 66
1. The improvements in dyeing, bleaching or otherwise treating with liquids,.
cops of yarn, or the like, which consists in mounting each "cop spool," or the
like separately upon a vertical spindle capable of being revolved and provided at
its lower end with a perforated or open cop carrier through which the dye or liquor
is admitted to the interior thereof and is driven by the centrifugal force developed
by its revolution entirely through each individual cop or spool whereby it opens
out and thoroughly and evenly penetrates all the fibres thereof substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2. We claim the combination for this purpose of a series of hollow revolving
spindles each provided with a separate enlargement or dye chamber at the top, and
a cop carrier at the bottom means for revolving the same and pipes for supplying the
same with dye or other liquor, with an airtight cop chamber or tank into which
the lower ends of the hollow spindles pass through stuffing boxes, and means for
exhausting the air from the said chamber as illustrated by Figs. 1, 2 and 2ª on
Sheet 1 on the annexed drawings.
3. The modifications of such combination herein before described and illustrated
by Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 on Sheets 1, 2 and 3 of the annexed drawings.
4. The modification of such apparatus consisting principally in the combination
with each revolving centrifugal spindle fitted with a cop carrier, of a centripetal
fan for introducing the dye or liquor into the interior of the cop-carrier whereby
we are enabled to use the same tank as a dyeing or bleaching tank and an exhaust-
ing chamber substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 8, 8,
9, 10, 11 and 11", on Sheet 4 of the annexed drawings.
Dated the 1st day of Sentember 1800
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants; 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.