IMPROVEMENTS IN KIERS EMPLOYED IN THE BLEACHING, BOILING, AND SCOURING OF GOODS AND FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hawthorn, of the Firm of John Hawthorn and
Company, of Newtown, in the County of Chester, Engineers, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KIERS EMPLOYED IN THE BLEACHING, BOILING, AND
SCOURING OF GOODS AND FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hawthorn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th July 1880.
JOHN HAWTHORN, of the Firm of John Hawthorn and Company, of Newtown, in
the County of Chester, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN KIERS EMPLOYED IN THE
BLEACHING, BOILING, AND SCOURING OF GOODS AND FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
My Invention relates to the kiers employed in the bleaching, boiling, and
scouring of cloth, yarns, rags, and other goods and fibrous substances.
According to the first part of my Invention I form a chamber at the base of the
puffer-pipe to which the liquor has access, as in the cases of some ordinary kiers.
The steam pipe is connected with a nozzle which projects upwards into the said
chamber. In a part formed or fixed to the upper end of the said chamber a tubular
valve is fitted to slide, and the lower end of this valve and the upper end of tho
said nozzle are prepared to fit together. When the said valve is down upon the
nozzle a continuous passage is ostablished for the flow of steam throngh the nozzle
valve and puffer-pipe, the access of the liquor being shut off. When the valve is
raised the liquor has access to the nozzle and is injected by the steam into and
through the puffer-pipe. An annular passage surrounding the said nozzle, or a
suitably formed passage, communicates with the discharge pipe, through which air
and liquor.from the interior of the kier can be discharged when the valve is down,
the steam then blowing downwards through the goods. I raise and lower the said
valve by means of a screwed rod passing through a stuffing-box, or by any suitable
means. In a modification of the arrangement I arrange for the nozzle to slide and
to fit against a scating in the upper part of the said .chamber, in which case I prefer
to form the lower end of the nozzle to act as a piston upon which steam admitted
below the piston can act to raise the nozzle at the required times. In lieu of this
D

page_text: piston a screwed rod, or any other suitable appliance, may be used to raise and
lower the nozzle. The steam for blowing through or boiling is admitted through a
side-port in the nozzle. Steam and liquor valves and pipes are connected with the
nozzle in each arrangement. A second part of my Invention is applicable to cases
wherein the steam to blow through is admitted at the upper end of the kier. I
suspend the puffer-plate by means of a weighted lever, or I so otherwise suspend
and balance the said plate as that when steam is admitted into the kier to "blow
through" the said plate shuts down upon the mouth of the puffer-pipe self-actingly
so as to prevent the steam from blowing downwards through the said pipe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Hawthorn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
January 1881.
JOHN HAWTHORN, of the Firm of John Hawthorn and Company, of Newtown, in
the County of Chester, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN KIERS EMPLOYED IN THE
BLEACHING, BOILING, AND SCOURING OF GOODS AND FIBROUS SUBSTANCES,"
My Invention relates to the kiers employed in the bleaching, boiling, and
scouring of cloth, yarns, rags, and other goods and fibrous substances. According
to the first part of my Invention I form a chamber at the base of the puffer-pipe,
to which chamber the liquor has access, as in the cases of some ordinary kiers.
The steam pipe is connected with a nozzle which projects upwards into the said
chamber. In a part formed on or fixed to the upper end of the said chamber a tubular
valve is fitted to slide, and the lower end of this valve and the upper end of the
said nozzle are prepared to fit together. When the said valve is down upon the
nozzle a continuous passage is established for the flow of steam through the nozzle
valve and puffer-pipe, the access of the liquor being shut off. When the valve is
raised the liquor has access to the nozzle and is injected by the steam into and
through the puffer pipe. Au annular passage surrounding the said nozzle, or a
suitably formed passage, communicates with the discharge pipe, through which air
and liquor from the interior of the kier can be discharged when the valve is down,
the steam then blowing downwards through the goods. I raise and lower the said
valve by means of a screwed rod passing through a stuffing box, or by any suitable
means. In a modification of the arrangements I arrange for the nozzle to slide and
to fit against a seating in the upper part of the said chamber, in which case I prefer
to form the lower end of the nozzle to act as a piston upon which steam admitted
below the piston can act to raise the nozzle at the required times. In lieu of this
piston a screwed rod, or any other suitable appliance, may be used to raise and
lower the nozzle. The steam for blowing through or boiling is admitted through a
side-port in the nozzle. Steam and liquor valves and pipes aro connected with the
nozzle in each arrangement. A second part of my Invention is applicable to cases

page_text: wherein the steam to blow through is admitted at the upper end of the kier. I
suspend the puffer-plate by means of a weighted lever, or I so otherwise suspend
and balance the said plate as that when steam is admitted into the kier to "blow
through" the said plate shuts down upon the mouth of the puffer-pipe self-actingly
80 ns to prevent the steam from blowing downwards through tho said pipe.
And in order that my Invention may be well understood I have_attached
hereunto a Sheet of Drawings marked with letters of referenco, to which Drawings
I will now refer. Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of a kier fitted in accordance
with the first part of my Invention. In the said Figure a is the shell of the kier,
which may bo of any suitable form and dimensions; b is the puffer-pipe, and c is
the said nozzlo. The lower end of the puffer-pipo is secured to a baso or fixing d,
in which is formed a chamber which in the example is partly cylindrical and partly
conical in form. The cylindrical part of the said chamber is bored to receive a
hollow cylindrical valve e, which is attached to the lower end of a rod f. The upper
end of the said rod passes out through a stuffing box at g, and is screwed to suit a
scrow thread which is formed in the boss of a hand-wheel h. In the example the
nozzle c is cast in one piece with a dischargo branch i, but this formation may be
varied. The upper end of the said nozzle projects through a hole in the bottom of
the kier, the said hole being larger than the nozzlo, so that there is spaco for the
flow of liquor through openings in the base d and through an annular passage left
around tho nozzle to the discharge pipe j, as indicated by the arrow. A collar is
formed upon the said nozzle, and the upper surface of this collar and the lower end
of the valve e are turned and prepared to fit together so as togother to form a
suitably tight valve. The lower end of the nozzle communicates with a pipe k,
into which liquor can be admitted through a branch pipe m, and into which steam
can also be admitted through a valve . When the valve on m is closed steam alone
can be admitted to blow through the nozzle, and at the other times liquor alone, or
both liquor and steam can be admitted. When the hollow cylinder or valve e is
raised, as in the Drawing, and the valve on m is closed and the valve opened to
admit steam, the steam issuing upwards through the mouth of the nozzlo draws tho
liquor from the space below the goods through the openings in the base d, and
injects the said liquor upwards through the puffer pipe into the space above the
goods, whereby the required circulation of the liquor is effected. When it is
desirable to discharge the liquor from the kier the discharge valve n is opened, and
the hand-wheel h is turned so as to lower the valve e into close contact with the
collar on the nozzle, whereby the access of the liquor to the puffer pipe is shut off,
and the steam alone passes through to the space above the goods and aids in
discharging the liquor from the kier. Tho air may also be driven out of the kier
previously to the admission of the liquor by closing the valve e, opening the valven,
and admitting the steam to blow through the nozzle, the air being thus driven
downwards and discharged through the valvo n.
The valve e and the nozzle may be otherwise suitably formed to fit together so
as to close the passage for the flow of liquor to the puffer pipe. Fig. 2, which
represents in section the lower end of a kier with its connections, illustrates the
modification which I make in the arrangements for arresting the circulation of the
liquor. In the example the nozzle c' is turned to slide in a bored chamber in the
branch piece, and the upper end of the said nozzle is prepared to fit tight against
seating prepared at o in the base d'. A piston head formed on the lower end of
the nozzle is turned to fit in a cylindrical bore formed in the picce i', and a steam
pipe p communicates with the space below the said piston bead. When it is
required that the air or liquor shall bo discharged from the kier a valve p' is
opened, whereby steam is admitted to the space below the piston head on the
nozzic, and the said nozzlo is thereby forced up so that its upper end bears against
the seating o. Steam admitted to blow through the nozzle will now pass upwards
through the puffer-pipe without carrying the liquor with it, as in the example
illustrated by Fig. 1. The air or liquor is discharged through the pipe j. When
carrying into effect the second part of my Invention I suspend the puffer plater,

page_text: seen in Fig. 1, to a weighted lever, or to a pair of levers, and I over-balance the
weight of the said plate so that there is a little excess in the balance weight, which
keeps the plate clear of the upper end of the puffer-pipe excepting at the times
when steam is admitted to the upper part of the kier, when the pressure of the
steam forces the puffer-plate down upon the end of the puffer-pipe and thereby
prevents the passage of steam downwards through the said pipe.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which I carry the same into practical effect, I would have it to bo
understood, in conclusion, that I claim,—
First. The arrangements for controlling the flow of fluids in kiers, substantially
as-set-forth-and-indicated hereinbefore and in and by the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The hollow cylindrical valvo fitted and arranged-to-bo-inoved_up_and
down in the puffer-pipe base, and acting in conjunction with a suitably prepared
steam nozzle to at times close the passage for the flow of liquor to the puffer-pipe,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth and indicated.
Thirdly. The sliding steam nozzle, formed and arranged to act as a valve, and to
be forced upwards by steam pressure at the required times, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth and indicated.
And, Lastly. Suspending and balancing the puffer-plate, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hawthorn, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred-and-eighty-onc.