IMPROVEMENTS IN SIZEING OR DRESSING AND IN DRYING FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Townsend, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SIZEING OR DRESSING AND IN DRYING FIBROUS MATERIALS
Sealed the 7th June 1864, and dated the 12th December 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Townsend at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th December 1863.
I, JOSEPH TOWNSEND, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIZEING OR DRESSING AND IN DRYING FIBROUS MATERIALS OR
FABRICS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention has for object the sizeing or dressing of fibrous materials or
fabrics in a thorough and efficient manner; also the drying of fibrous materials
or fabrics when sized, dressed, or otherwise moistened or damped, in an
improved manner.
In practising the Invention the materials or fabrics to be sized or dressed
are put into a vessel of any convenient form, but which is by preference the
casing of a hydro-extractor, the goods being placed in the basket thereof. The
casing or vessel is fitted so that it can be closed air-tight or nearly so, and a
vacuum or partial vacuum is formed in it by a pump or otherwise. The

page_text: sizeing or dressing liquid is either introduced into the vessel before the air is
exhausted, or it is admitted from a separate vessel by a tap after the air has
been more or less exhausted, and in consequence of the air being so exhausted
the liquid penetrates more thoroughly into or amongst the fibres. The liquid
is afterwards drained off, and the revolving basket is set in motion to throw off
more or less of the adherent moisture, as may be considered desirable.
Finally, heated air, heated by preference by means of steam-heated metallic
surfaces, is led by a pipe or duct into the revolving basket, and the centrifugal
force causes it to pass through and dry the goods. This mode of drying avoids
the risk of burning, and is applicable in whatever way the goods may have
been moistened or damped.
Instead of inducing the more complete penetration of the sizeing or dressing
liquid by exhausting the air, it may be forced into the vessel containing the
goods under pressure, or after the air is exhausted the liquid may be forced in
until a greater than atmospheric pressure is obtained. The goods sized or
dressed in any of the ways herein-before referred to may be dried either in the
manner described or otherwise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Townsend in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
TOWNSEND, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Manu-
facturing Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Townsend, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Townsend, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
1, the said Joseph Townsend, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN SIZEING OR DRESSING, AND IN DRYING FIBROUS MATERIALS OR
FABRICS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," upon. the condition (amongst others)

page_text: that I, the said Joseph Townsend, 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Townsend, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for object the sizeing or dressing of fibrous materials
or fabrics in a thorough and efficient manner; also the drying of fibrous
materials or fabrics when sized, dressed, or otherwise moistened or damped, in
an improved manner.
:
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the.
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended an explanatory
Drawing to be herein-after referred to, and representing a modification of the
apparatus which I prefer to employ ; but I must here remark that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details shown in the said Drawing. In the
Drawing the apparatus is shown partly in section.
In practising my Invention the materials or fabrics to be sized or dressed
are put into a vessel of any convenient form, but which I prefer to be the
casing 1 of a hydro-extractor, such as is shown in the Drawing, the goods being
placed in the basket 2 thereof. The casing or vessel 1 is fitted so that it can
be closed air-tight or nearly so, and a vacuum or partial vacuum is formed in
it by a pump or otherwise. A close-fitting door 3 is provided in the cover for
introducing the goods, and the air pump 4 may be conveniently mounted on
the top of the casing, its suction passage being formed directly through the
cover. The sizeing or dressing liquid is either introduced into the vessel
before the air is exhausted, or it is admitted from a separate vessel by a tap
and inlet pipe 5 after the air has been more or less exhausted, and in
consequence of the air being so exhausted the liquid penetrates more
thoroughly in or amongst the fibres. The surplus liquid is afterwards drained
off by the pipe 6, and the revolving basket 2 is set in motion to throw off
more or less of the adherent moisture as may be considered desirable.
Finally, heated air, heated by preference by means of steam-beated metallic
surfaces, is led by a pipe or duct 7 into the revolving basket 2, and a door 8
in the side being opened for its free escape, the centrifugal force causes it to

page_text: pass through and dry the goods. It is advantageous to force the heated air
by a fan or other suitable means to insure a sufficient quantity passing through
the heating apparatus and into the centrifugal machine. This improved
mode of drying avoids the risk of burning, and is rapid and effectual, whilst
it is applicable in whatever way the goods may have been moistened or
damped.
Instead of inducing the more complete penetration of the sizeing or dressing
liquid by exhausting the air, it may be forced into the vessel containing the
goods under pressure; or after the air is exhausted the liquid may be forced
in until a greater than atmospheric pressure is obtained. The goods sized or
dressed in any of the ways herein-before referred to may be dried either in
the manner described or otherwise.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that what I believe
to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
1. The applying of a sizeing or dressing liquid to fibrous materials or
fabrics when in a partial vacuum, and also the applying thereof under more
than atmospheric pressure, substantially as herein-before described.
2. The drying of fibrous materials or fabrics, when sized, dressed, or other-
wise moistened or damped, by means of a hydro-extractor supplied with heated
air, substantially as herein-before described.
And, 3. The combining together of apparatus and means for sizeing,
dressing, or otherwise moistening or damping and then drying fibrous materials
or fabrics, substantially in the improved manner. herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Townsend, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
JOSEPH TOWNSEND. (LS.)