Improvements in and Apparatus for Washing Ramie, Rhea, China Grass and the like in the Process of Preparing the same for Spinning, also applicable for Washing Yarn and other Fibrous Material.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 7th May, 1900-Accepted, 9th June, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for Washing Ramie, Rhea, China
Grass and the like in the Process of Preparing the same for
Spinning, also applicable for Washing Yarn and other Fibrous
Material.
We, TAYLOR BURROWS, of Hope Cottage, Clarence Street, Staines, in the County
of Middesex, Engineer, and JOHN FRANCIS WOODS, M.D., of Hoxton House, 52,
Hoxton Street, London, N., do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
-
or
and
In the process of preparing ramie fibre and other fibres for the subsequent
operations of combing, spinning, etc., heretofore it has been usual after boiling
said fibre to de-gum or un-gum same (or otherwise treating said fibres) to wash
such fibre to clear away the dissolved gum other impurities by hand washing
that is by immersing said fibre in water by hand and moving it about in said
water to thereby wash away the dissolved gum or other matters adhering to the
fibre. The thoroughness or otherwise of this washing affects the brilliancy and
spinnable quality of the fibre. This hand washing however is not only costly
but has many drawbacks as it does not fully eliminate all the impurities and
moreover causes a tangle of the fibre from which much waste results in the
later processes of preparing and combing. It is also costly since one person can
wash by hand but a small quantity of fibre each day and consequently the cost
of labour is heavy.
Now according to the present invention the fibre is washed by machinery
which latter not only does the work of a large number of operators but is very
effective in cleaning and softening the material and furthermore prevents the
fibre getting tangled as in the hand washing.
The present invention is as follows:-
We arrange a series of rollers either in pairs more or less close up to each
other and arranged in a straight or curved line or otherwise as desired or we may
employ a large roller round which are placed concentrically a number (say six
or eight or more) of smaller rollers each of the latter pressing against the large
central roller or adapted to press the fibre against same. These rollers (whatever
the arrangement thereof may be) being advantageously fluted or same may be
plain or of any other desired form or surface; and in all cases the rollers are so
arranged and disposed that the fibre will pass or will be passed on between said
rollers until same emerges at the end.
This system of rollers we immerse or partially immerse in a bath of water or
other suitable liquid and the fibre to be washed is passed between these rollers
(the peripheral speed of which may all correspond—or may be varied so that an
advancing or drawing action takes place on the fibre) and is squeezed between
said rollers (or some of them) while immersed in the bath so that the material is
drawn through the water and is thus squeezed and is again wetted after each.
squeezing action of the rollers this repeated alternate squeezing and wetting action

page_text: serving to eliminate the impurities so that on leaving the last pair of rolls
the fibre is quite clean and soft.
The important feature of this invention is to place the rollers (or some of them)
in a tank (of liquid say water) and allow the water to be kept on a level or higher
than the point where the fibre is squeezed between the rollers so that the fibrous
material to be washed (filasse, yarn, or other material) may be taken (for instance
direct from the ungumming boiler) and placed on a feed apron or feed sheet by
which it is carried forward lengthwise and fed between the aforesaid rollers and
is by the latter squeezed in the water repeatedly and thus is washed in its passage
between the rollers.
•
These rollers may be wide enough to take in several pieces or bunches of
fibre at a time.
Dated this 5th day of August 1800
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
31, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for Washing Ramie, Rhea, China
Grass and the like in the Process of Preparing the same for
Spinning, also applicable for Washing Yarn and other Fibrous
Material.
We, TAYLOR BURROWS, of Hope Cottage, Clarence Street, Staines, in the County
of Middesex, Engineer, and JOHN FRANCIS WOODS, M.D., of Hoxton House, 52,
Hoxton Street, London, N., 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: -
In the process of preparing ramie fibre and other fibres for the subsequent
operations of combing, spinning, etc., heretofore it has been usual after boiling
said fibre (or otherwise treating said fibres) to de-gum or un-gum same to wash
ог
and
such fibre to clear away the dissolved gum other impurities by hand washing
that is by immersing said fibre in water by hand and moving it about in said
water to thereby wash away the dissolved gum or other matters adhering to the
fibre. The thoroughness or otherwise of this washing affects the brilliancy and
spinnable quality of the fibre. This hand washing however is not only costly
but has many drawbacks as it does not fully eliminate all the impurities and
moreover causes a tangle of the fibre from which much waste results in the
later processes of preparing and combing. It is also costly since one person can
wash by hand but a small quantity of fibre each day and consequently the cost
of labour is heavy.
Now according to the present invention the fibre is washed by machinery
which latter not only does the work of a large number of operators but is very
effective in cleaning and softening the material and furthermore prevents the
fibre getting tangled as in the hand washing.
The present invention is as follows:
We arrange a series of rollers (advantageously fluted rollers) either in pairs
more or less close up to each other and arranged in a straight or curved line or
otherwise as desired or we may employ a large roller round which are placed con-
centrically a number (say six or eight or more) of smaller rollers each of the latter
pressing against the large central roller or adapted to press the fibre against same.
These rollers (whatever the arrangement thereof may be) being advantageously

page_text: fluted or same may be plain or of any other desired form or surface; and in all
cases the rollers are so arranged and disposed that the fibre will pass or will be
passed on between said rollers until same emerges or is delivered clear of the
tank or bath.
This system of rollers we immerse or partially immerse in a tank or bath of
water or other suitable liquid and the fibre to be washed is passed between these
rollers (the peripheral speed of which may all correspond-or may be varied so
that an advancing or drawing action takes place on the fibre) and is squeezed
between said rollers (or some of them) while immersed in the bath so that the
material is drawn through the water and is thus squeezed and released after each
squeezing action of the rollers this repeated alternate squeezing and releasing
action serving to eliminate the impurities so that on leaving the last pair of rolls
and emerging from the bath the fibre is quite clean and soft.
The important feature of this invention is to place the rollers (or some of them)
in a tank of liquid (water) and allow the water to be kept on a level or higher than
the point where the fibre is squeezed between the rollers so that the fibrous
material to be washed (filasse, yarn, or other material) may be taken (for instance
direct from the ungumming boiler) and placed on a feed apron or feed sheet
by which it is carried forward lengthwise and fed between the aforesaid rollers
and is by the latter squeezed in the water repeatedly and thus is washed in its
passage between the rollers.
These rollers may be wide enough to take in several pieces or bunches of
fibre at a time.
Referring to the drawings filed herewith:-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section showing the present invention carried
out with a series of pairs of fluted rollers disposed in a horizontal line.
Fig. 2 shows the present invention carried out with a series of single fluted
rollers arranged concentrically around the circumference of a large fluted roller
or drum.
Referring to Fig. 1:-
_
In this arrangement the fibrous material to be treated is placed on the feed
apron A and by means of the fluted feed rollers B B is passed in between the
series of fluted rollers C C which are driven in any suitable manner for instance
the lower roller of each pair of rollers CC is revolved by the flutes thereof inter-
secting with the flutes on the upper roller C of cach pair of rollers C C and each
said upper roller C may be driven by bevel gearing-or by a worm wheel on
each said upper roller Ċ engaging with a worm--on a common shaft or in any
other suitable manner.
Any suitable number of pairs of rollers C may be employed; the tank or bath X
in which said rollers are immersed or partly immersed (for instance as shown
in Fig. 1) being of any suitable length according to the number of such pairs
of rollers C.
From the last pair of rollers C the fibrous material passes through the squeezing
rolls D on to the belt E by which latter the fibrous material is removed clear of
the bath.
Y is water supply pipe which enters the tank or bath X at the end where the
fibrous material emerges therefrom and Z is overflow or water escape pipe;
whereby a continuous flow of water through the tank or bath X can be maintained.
Referring now to Fig. 2:
The fibrous material fed by the belt A¹ and the fluted feed rolls B B₁ passes
between the lower of said feeding rolls B₁ B¹ and the large fluted roll or drum F
and then passes between the said drum F and the series of small fluted rolls G
arranged concentrically around the exterior of the drum F and finally the fibrous
material emerges between the squeezing rolls D' D¹ and is led away by the
belt E¹.
Y is the pipe to supply water to the tank X; and 7 is the escape pipe; to
maintain continuous flow of water through the tank as before.

page_text: 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:
Apparatus, for immersing ramie or china grass in the process of preparing same
for spinning or for immersing yarn or other fibrous material in a liquid, having
a series of compressing rollers mounted and arranged to revolve under water and
adapted to pass said fibrous material between same while under water in suchwise
as to alternately squeeze and release the fibrous material while immersed to thereby
repeatedly and alternately absorb water into and squeeze same out of said fibrous
material in combination and acting in conjunction with a tank or bath having a
continuous flow of water therethrough substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before set forth.
Dated this 5th J...
.ระ
1000
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.