Improved Method of and Apparatus for Stretching Yarns, particularly applicable for use in connection with the Mercerising Process.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 28th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1899
Date of Application, 40th Janı, 1090
Complete Specification Left, 28th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1899
PREDIONAL DIFUIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Stretching Yarns, particularly
applicable for use in connection with the Mercerising Process.
I, HORACE ARTHUR LOWE, of Heaton Moor, in the County of Lancaster,
Technical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improved method of stretching yarns after 'they
have been treated with caustic soda or potash or other mercerising solution or
other liquid for the purpose of imparting to the yarn, a silky, lustrous or glossy
appearance or of imparting other properties or qualities to the fibres of the yarn.
It also applies to the yarns forming the length or warp of pieces of cloth.
Hitherto in stretching yarn and particularly mercerised yarn, it has been
customary to stretch it in the form of hanks or rings of thread by placing such
rings of yarn when stationary upon reels formed with diverging bars or rollers
but this method does not give the best obtainable results is cumbersome; costly
to construct, and very wasteful in chemicals, time and labour. I find that by
converting the yarn first into long parallel streams and continuously and grad-
ually stretching the yarn between rollers of increasing surface velocity until the
maximum amount of stretch has been given to the material produces the best
results upon the yarn and also increases the production or the amount of yarn
that can be treated in a given time.
In carrying out the invention I construct a machine with a number of pairs of
rollers mounted in fixed or stationary bearings so as not to diverge among them-
selves each pair increasing in surface velocity in proportion to the stretch desired
in the yarn under treatment. The surface velocity may be increased either by an
increase of speed to the axis or by an increase of diameter of the rollers.
Although the bearings of the rollers are fixed or stationary they may be capable
of lateral adjustament to set them at the desired distances apart. The rate of
change in the surface velocities may be regulated and determined by means of
variable driving gear at present known and practised.
I prefer that the yarn should be stretched after leaving the mercerising bath
and that the washing should take place after or during the final stages of stretch-
ing or while the yarn is maintained at its stretched state. The yarn is extended
by the machine to its previous length or in excess of it and is maintained
stretched for any desired period or any duration of the process. The stretching
if desired, be commenced during the mercerising or before it is completed
and continued as long as desired or during any subsequent process, or it may be
commenced after the washing or the washing may take place during the last stages
of stretching.
mav,
By this continuous process of stretching the yarn any number of threads or ends
may be operated upon at once without putting any very great strain upon the
individual parts of the machine, whereas the pull or tension of a number of

page_text: hanks upon the parts of the machines now used is enormous, and difficult to cope
with in practice. The squeezing out and consequent economy of the chemicals
is also realised in my new machine and a perfectly suitable graduation of stretch
and grip rendered possible by this mode of operation and construction, thus
allowing of treatment of delicate yarns without same risk of their receiving
unequal treatment due to distance apart of the straining parts constituting the
ordinary form of construction.
Data: ozi "
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Stretching Yarns, particularly
applicable for use in connection with the Mercerising Process.
I, HORACE ARTHUR LOWE, of Heaton Moor, in the County of Lancaster,
Technical Chemist, 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:-
This invention relates to an improved method of stretching yarns after they
have been treated with caustic soila or potash or other mercerising solution or
other liquid for the purpose of imparting to the yarn a silky, lustrous or glossy
appearance or of imparting other properties or qualities to the fibres of the yarn.
Hitherto in the stretching of yarn after mercerization or after dyeing or bleach-
ing it has been customary to do so in the form of hanks upon reels constructed
with diverging bars or rollers over which the hanks are placed. This method
does not I consider give the best obtainable results and the apparatus is cum-
brous and costly to construct.
I find that by continuously and gradually stretching the yarn by means of
closely following pairs of revolving gripping rollers and of increasing surface
velocity which are continuously holding the fibres of the yarn and stretching
them until the maximum amount of stretch has been given, the best results are
produced upon the yarn, and also that the production or amount of yarn that can
be treated in a given time is increased.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which as an example a suitable machine which I have designed for
the purpose is illustrated.
Fig. 4. Sectional elevation showing modification.
The apparatus is constructed with a number of rollers A A¹ placed in pairs each
pair rotating together at the same speed and set or weighted to provide a nip
between them for yarn passing through by which the yarn is gripped and pre-
vented passing through or being pulled through at a greater speed than the sur-
face velocity of the rollers. There may be two four six or any desired number of 4
pairs of rollers and each pair is driven quicker or with a greater surface velocity
than the preceding pair so as to gradually pull out or stretch the yarn as it
passes from the nip of one pair of rollers to that of the next pair. Thus the
rollers perform the two-fold operation upon the yarn of holding whilst it is being

page_text: drawn or stretched and of stretching or pulling it whilst it is being held the yarn
being gripped or nipped at intervals along its length and gradually stretched.
The increase of speed or velocity between the first pair of rollers A A¹ and the
last pair for mercerized yarn may be from 10 to 30 per centum, and for dyed
washed or bleached yarn may be from 2 to 6 per cèntum.
The yarn may be passed through the mercerizing dyeing or bleaching solution
before entering the first set of rollers or the solution may be sprayed upon them
through pipes set between the rollers.
The rollers B B receive the yarn from the rollers A A¹ and hold it taut whilst
being washed with water or other liquid sprayed upon it from the pipes C but
they are not intended to continue the direct stretching. Either of the rollers B B¹
may be perforated to supply water or other liquid to the fibres.
The rollers A A' are mounted to rotate in fixed or stationary bearings D which
whilst being capable of being set at certain distances apart as may be required
do not move or diverge to assist in the stretching of the yarn.
The rollers A A¹ may be of any suitable diameter from 1 to 9 inches according
to the fineness and strength of the material under operation. I at present con-
sider rollers 1 to 2 inches in diameter set close together best for unspun fibres
and rollers 3 to 8 inches in diameter preferable for yarns.
The rollers A A¹ are driven by gearing D¹ the wheels being proportioned to
give the desired increase of speed to the rollers and gradual stretch to the yarn,
or by friction wheels or discs or from pulleys with cords or worm shaft and worm
gear of varying diameter or otherwise.
Instead of increasing the speed of the rollers each succeeding pair of rollers
may be of larger diameter than the preceding pair and thus the surface velocity
may be increased.
For hard twisted and doubled yarns the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 may be
employed.
For single or loosely twisted yarns an elastic conveyor or apron F as in Fig.
may be passed between the rollers with the yarn to carry it through. This con-
veyor on its way back may pass through a trough or tank E in which it would be
washed.
For loose or unspun fibres if found desirable a second conveyor or apron G
similar to F may pass back over the top rollers (shown in dotted lines Fig. 4)
between which the fibres would be carried along from the nip of one pair of
rollers to that of the next pair.
The machine is a combination of continuously stretching nips operating upon
every part directly, gradually, powerfully, equally with a pull proportional to
the adjustable surface velocity between each following pair of continually moving
nips.
In operation I prefer to pass the yarn in parallel streams (as from a warping
mill) through the mercerizing bath and thence between the rollers the stretching
taking place after mercerizing, and the washing taking place preferably while the
yarn is maintained at a stretched state.
The yarn is extended by the machine to its previous length or in excess of it
and is maintained stretched for any desired period according to the speed or
number of rollers. The stretching is commenced after the mercerizing is com-
pleted and repeated as often as desired or during any subsequent process, or it
may for certain effects be commenced after the washing; or the washing may
also take place during the last stages of stretching.
By this continuous process of stretching the yarn a large number of threads or
ends may be operated upon at one time without putting any very great strain
upon the individual parts of the machine, whereas the pull or tension of a number
of hanks upon the parts of the machines now used is enormous, and difficult to cope
with in practice and this great tension takes effect upon the spun fibres tending
to thin them out or break them out irregularly.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The method of stretching shrunk spun yarns which consists in passing the
yarn forward lengthwise or in parallel streams, holding or gripping the yarn at
a number of continually changing points or intervals in its length whilst being
continuously stretched to any degree between each following pair of gripping
rollers substantially as described.
2. Apparatus for stretching mercerized dyed or other liquor treated yarn or
fibrous material lengthwise or in parallel streams constructed with a number of
closely following pairs of rollers at fixed distances apart each pair gripping the
material and successively increasing in speed or surface velocity to give a con-
tinuous stretch thereto substantially as described.
3. Apparatus for stretching yarn or fibres constructed and arranged substantially
as described and shown.
Dated th: 091 auf Vol1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool & London,
Patent Agents.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool & London,
Patent Agents.