IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF SCOURING, DYEING, WASHING, AND DRYING PIECE GOODS, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Worrall, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Dyer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS
OF SCOURING, DYEING, WASHING, AND DRYING PIECE GOODS, AND IN APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN.
"
Lancaster, Dyer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS
OF SCOURING, DYEING, WASHING, AND DRYING PIECE GOODS, AND IN APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 11th June 1872, and dated the 6th April 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Worrall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th April 1872.
I, JAMES WORRALL, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Dyer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PROCESS OF SCOURING, DYEING, WASHING, AND DRYING PIECE GOODS, AND
IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to economise the labour and time
now expended in the scouring, bleaching, dyeing, and washing and
drying of piece goods. This end I attain by subjecting the goods to
the several operations or to such of them as may be required to be
performed while in a distended state, and while receiving a rapid rotary

page_text: motion. I am thus enabled to make the liquor employed quickly
penetrate the fabric, and when that has been effected I effect its rapid
discharge from the fabric.
The centrifugal apparatus which I employ for this purpose admits of
various modifications, and it may be made to rotate the fabric either in a
vertical or horizontal plane.
In one arrangement I suspend from a vertical shaft (which is capable
of receiving a rapid rotary motion) a circular frame the periphery of
which carries a band fitted with tenter hooks or vertical pins. On this
band I hang the piece goods, forming therewith a vertical cylinder having
say eight or ten laps or thicknesses.
arrange
On the floor which carries the footstep of the central shaft I
two, three, or more stand pipes (within the cloth cylinder). These
pipes I fit with jets which are intended severally to direct a shower
of liquid on to the goods, or it may be jets of hot air, while the goods
are in rapid rotation. Supposing the fabrics intended to be treated are
velveteen, the first. thing to be done is to remove the stiffening which
has been applied thereto by the manufacturer. To this end a shower
of water is thrown upon the fabric as it passes in its rapid rotation
the stand pipe for supplying the water. When this operation is con-
tinued for a suitable time the supply is cut off, and the rotation being
continued the moisture will be thrown out of the fabric by centrifugal
force. In the same way bleaching liquor may be applied, and subse-
quently water or other liquid to neutralize and remove the bleaching
liquor. When the goods are required to be dyed, dye liquor is admitted
to and discharged from one of the stand pipes. On the goods being
thoroughly saturated the dye liquor is shut off and the continued
rotary motion of the apparatus will cause the discharge of the super-
fluous dye liquor from the goods. This liquor may be collected in a
gutter on the floor and pumped off to be reused. To prevent the
liquor thrown off from the cloth from flying about a cylindrical shield
is provided, which may be suspended in conterbalance chains to facilitate
its being raised to give access to the cloth under treatment. After the
dyeing a mordant may be applied in a similar manner to fix the colour,
and the fabric when deprived of its moisture may be dried on the
machine by discharging on to it jets of hot or cold air.
A modification of this vertical arrangement consists in providing the
rotating frame with a double ring of tenter pins, which will serve to carry

page_text: two concentric cylinders of fabric. In this case I propose to increase
the diameter of the rotary frame to such an extent as to allow of the
use of short radial tenter pins. The fabric to be laid on the pins is
set up vertically in the form of a roll on to a carriage, which carriage
supports the roll in such a manner as to allow of its turning to deliver
the fabric to the machine. The roll is made adjustable vertically in the
carriage to suit different widths of fabric, and the upper selvage of the
end of the roll being hitched on to the pins slow rotary motion of the
apparatus will ensure the taking up of the whole length of the fabric.
An clastic pressing roller mounted on the carriage on a level with the
pins serves to press back the fabric from the points of the pins.
A similar arrangement is provided for placing both cylinders of cloth
on to the rotary frame. In this arrangement in addition to the stand
pipes before referred to liquid is discharged on to the cloth through the
centrifugal apparatus itself, the central shaft and the frame being made
hollow for the purpose.
In the horizontal arrangement also the shaft is made hollow to. serve
as a conducting pipe for the liquid and the air to be thrown on to the
fabric. In this arrangement the tenter pins are carried by drum heads,
one being fixed to and the other adjustable on the shaft, to allow of
lateral tension being put on the cloth when it is wound on to the drum.
The drum is by preference made octagonal and it is surrounded by a
casing which confines the liquid thrown off by the centrifugal force of
the apparatus. Hinged pieces fitted with tenter pins are jointed to the
octagonal drum heads, and when the cloth is wound on the drum they
are turned over on to the selvages of the cloth, and they thus serve with.
the aid of their tenter pins to retain the cloth in position.
The operations of scouring, dyeing, washing, and drying are effected.
without removing the cloth from the apparatus, as in the first example.

page_text: .
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-fifth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said James Worrall, Her special licence that I,
the said James Worrall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Worrall, my executors, administrators,
and 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 THE PROCESS OF
SCOURING, DYEING, WASHING, AND DRYING PIECE GOODS, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE
EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Worrall, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Scal 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 Worrall, 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 Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
:-
The object of this Invention is to economise the labour and time now
expended in the scouring, bleaching, dyeing, and washing and drying of
piece goods. This end I attain by subjecting the goods to the several
operations or to such of them as may be required to be performed by
the use of centrifugal apparatus, which effects the rapid penetration
of the fabric by the liquor employed and also the rapid discharge of
moisture from the fabric.
The centrifugal apparatus which I employ for this purpose admits of
various modifications, and it may be made to rotate the fabric either in
a vertical or horizontal plane.
In the arrangement which I term the vertical arrangement, there is
suspended from a vertical. shaft (which is capable of receiving a rapid

page_text: rotary motion) a circular frame which carries at its periphery the picce
goods to be operated upon, such goods when applied thereto forming
a vertical cylinder or concentric cylinder having, say, eight or ten laps
or thicknesses.
.
In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings this arrangement of
apparatus is shewn in sectional elevation at Fig. 1, and in sectional
plan view at Fig. 2. In these Figures A is a vertical hollow shaft
supported in a suitable foot bearing. This shaft serves to carry a
circular frame and a system of jet pipes, by means of which the dye
liquor is injected on to the goods. The frame consists of arms B
pendent from the upper end of the shaft and rivetted to a circular band
and a ring of angle iron B¹. From this band project tenter hooks 6 for
receiving the piece goods which are intended to be operated upon. The
goods are hung upon these tenter hooks of which there may be one, two,
or more sets in the form of lapped vertical cylinders, as shewn at C, C.
The upper end of the hollow shaft A terminates in a funnel A¹, and its
lower end is connected with a supply pipe A² for the admission of dye
liquor to the hollow shaft. A little below the plane of the band B¹
the shaft is fitted with a series of hollow radial arms D which com-.
municate with its interior. From the outer ends of these arms depend.
pipes D', which are pierced with a line of holes directed to the cylinder
of fabric surrounding the pipes and are intended to discharge the dye
liquor thereon. Fixed in the upper end of the hollow shaft A is a driving
shaft E which is fitted with a belt pulley, and through this means rotary
motion is communicated to the apparatus; F is a ring supported on
adjusting nuts which are fitted to screwed rods F¹ pendent from the
band B. This ring carries a series of thimbles G, which surround the
bottom of the pipes D¹, and serve to stop off and virtually close the jet
holes near the ends of the pipes as may be desired. By adjusting the
height of the ring F the thimbles may be lowered or raised so as to '
regulate the breadth of the discharge according to the width of the
fabric under treatment.
On the floor which carries the foot step of the central shaft two,
three, or more stand pipes H are arranged (within the cloth cylinder).
These pipes are fitted with jets, which are intended severally to direct a
shower of liquid on to the goods, or it may be jets of hot air; while the
goods are in rapid rotation. Supposing the fabrics intended to be
treated are velveteen, the first thing to be done' is to remove the

page_text: stiffening which has been applied thereto by the manufacturer. To
this end a shower of water is thrown upon the fabric as it passes in
its rapid rotation the stand pipe for supplying the water. When this
operation has been continued for a suitable time the supply of water is
cut off, and the rotation being continued the moisture will be thrown
out of the fabric by centrifugal force. In the same way bleaching
liquor may be applied and subsequently water or other liquid to
neutralize and remove the bleaching liquor. When the goods are
required to be dyed dye liquor is admitted to the central shaft either
through the funnel at top or from a raised tank communicating with
the supply pipe at the bottom of the shaft A. The dye liquor 'then
flows to the radial arms D, and is then discharged by the pipes D on to
the pendent goods. When the goods have been thoroughly saturated
the dye liquor is shut off and the continued rotary motion of the
apparatus will cause the discharge of the superfluous dye liquor from the
goods. This liquor may be collected in a gutter on the floor and
pumped off to be re-used. To prevent the liquor thrown off from the
cloth from flying about a cylindrical shield I is provided. This shield
may rest on the ground and be open at top, as shewn at Fig. 1, and
access may be obtained to the apparatus which it surrounds by means
of hinged doors I, see Fig. 2. After the dyeing a mordant may be
applied in a similar manner to the dye liquor in order to fix the colour,
and the fabric when deprived of its moisture may be dried on the
machine by discharging on to it jets of hot or cold air; K is a stand
pipe for discharging water on to the goods and thus ensuring the
thorough washing of the same when two or more cylinders of picco
goods are hanging on the machine.
The above-mentioned operations will follow each other in their proper
order while the fabric remains as it was placed upon the machine at the
commencement of the work.
In Sheets II. and III. is shewn the arrangement of centrifugal
apparatus which I term the horizontal arrangement.
t
Fig. 3, Sheet II., is a vertical section of this apparatus taken in the
plane of its axis, and Fig. 4, Sheet III., is an end section of the same.
'
A, A, is a hollow horizontal axle turning in fixed bearings and con-
nected by means of a sliding friction clutch with the driving shaft A¹.
This shaft is made to carry drum heads, on to which the fabric to be

page_text: treated is wound. The shaft A is made hollow (as in the former
example) for the purpose of conducting the liquid used and also the
drying air to the fabric. The tenter pins by which the fabric is attached
to the drum are carried by the drum heads B and C, one (B) being fixed
to and the other (C) adjustable on the shaft to allow of lateral tension
being put on the cloth when it is wound on to the drum. The drum is
by preference made octagonal, and it is enclosed in a chamber D which
confines the liquid thrown off by the centrifugal force of the apparatus.
Hinged pieces B¹, C', fitted with tenter pins are jointed to the octagonal
drum heads, and when the cloth is wound on the drum they are turned
over on to the selvages of the cloth, as shewn at Fig. 3, and they thus
serve with the aid of the tentor pins to retain the cloth in position. The
sliding of the drum head C on its shaft is effected in the following
manner-E, E, are four screw tie rods made fast to the drum head B;
and passing freely through holes in the drum head C. The ends of
these tie rods are fitted with tapped nuts F, to which are keyed spur
pinions G. These pinions are secured in place by means of a retaining.
ring H, which is bolted to the drum head C, and through this ring the
screwed ends of the tie rods E project. These pinions gear into a central
spur wheel I, which is mounted loosely on the boss of the drum head C.
A hand wheel K is made fast to the boss of this wheel I for the purpose.
of turning it as desired. On the turning of this hand wheel the
pinions G will cause the nuts F to rotate and through them move the
drum head C either towards or from the drum head B, as may be
required to adjust the apparatus to receive a wider or a narrower
fabric, and also to distend the same laterally when it has been wound
upon the drum.
"
The fabric to be operated upon is. brought to the machine in the form
of a pile as at L, Fig. 4, and it is then led over and under guide rolls M,
on its way to the drum. When one end of the piece is attached to the
tenter hooks by hand the remainder may be placed on the drum at
tension by simply turning the shaft slowly in its bearings. The portion
of the friction clutch keyed to the shaft A is formed to receive a band
which is intended to act as a brake and stop the rotation of the drum.
The other end of this shaft A is connected by a stuffing box to a fixed
pipe N, which supplies the shaft with water or dye liquor or other liquid
required for the operation, and also with heated air for drying the goods.
This shaft is pierced laterally near the middle of its length to allow of

page_text: the discharge on to the goods of the liquid or air supplied through the
pipe N.
From the above explanation it will be understood that the operation
of scouring, dyeing, washing, and drying may be effected without
removing the cloth from the apparatus as in the first example.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements
in the Process of Scouring, Dyeing, Washing, and Drying Piece Goods,
and in Apparatus to be employed therein," and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,—
First. Scouring, dyeing, washing, and drying piece goods while coiled
or lapped upon centrifugal apparatus, in the manner and for the purpose
above set forth.
Secondly. The arrangement of apparatus above described whereby
picce goods may be subjected to the operations of scouring, dycing,
washing, and drying.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Worrall, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Third day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.