CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF WASHING YARNS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Wirth, of the Firm of Wirth and Company,
Patent Agency, of Frankfort on Maine, Germany, for the Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF WASHING YARNS AND IN THE
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."-A communication from John Albert
Dold, Manufacturer, of Reutlingen, Kingdom of Wurtemberg.
Sealed the 9th April 1874, and dated the 10th October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Wirth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th October 1873..
I, FRANK WIRTH, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent
Agency, of Frankfort on Maine, Germany, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF
WASHING YARNS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR,' (a com-
munication to me from John Albert Dold, Manufacturer, of Reutlingen,
Kingdom of Würtemberg), to be as follows:-
"
The Invention is designed for the purpose of washing cotton yarns
whether in hank, skein, bobbin, or cop, without altering their formation

page_text: for the purpose, and also whilst they are inert or stationary in one
position. The application of the improvements for the purpose of
washing expedites and economizes the process of thoroughly and
uniformly cleansing the yarn.
According to the first part of these improvements the hanks of yarn
to be washed are suspended from and loaded by rods of iron or other
suitable metal, the whole of which are placed in a vessel or chamber and
then hermetically enclosed therein. This vessel or chamber is connected
on one side through the medium of a pipe with an arrangement of
pumps, and on the other side with a pipe connecting the same with a
vat or receptacle containing the liquor or "ley" with which the yarn is
to be washed. At a point in this pipe between the closed chamber
containing the yarn and the " ley" tub a valve is provided loaded up
to a given pressure so that when the chamber containing the yarn is
exhausted by the pump so as to produce a vacuum therein, the pressure
of the atmosphere on the "ley" or liquor in the vat will open the valve
so as to cause the liquor to be injected through the same into the
vacuum space containing the yarn to be washed, and thus is enabled
effectually to pass through and thoroughly wash every fibre of the
same.
After the process of washing is finished the receptacle containing the
yarn is opened and the liquor discharged therefrom by means of the
pumps previously employed for producing a vacuum.
Or a circulation
use of the pumps
Or the ejection of
of the liquor for rewashing may be obtained by the
passing the same into the "ley" tub or receptacle.
the liquor may be caused by the pump forcing the liquor when used
back again into the tub.
The second portion of this Invention has for its object the washing of
cops as they are delivered from the mule spindles without the necessity
of rewinding them, and consists in placing them on a perforated
corrugated plate which forms the bottom of a receptacle connected with
the suction pipe of a pump. The cops to be washed are placed in the
grooves formed by the perforated corrugations of the suction receptacle,
which when so filled are covered with the "ley" or wash liquor which is
poured or supplied to the corrugated receptacle containing the cops of
yarn and is sucked or drawn through by the action of the pump, and so
thoroughly permeates and washes every fibre of the yarn composing the

page_text: cops. The cops after being thus washed are placed on shelves or
supports in a closed box or receptacle communicating direct by means
of a pipe with a fan. This pipe for a great portion of its length before
entering the box containing the cops passes through the flue of a
furnace by which means the air forced through the same by the fan
becomes heated before entering the box containing the cops, which in
its passage through the same effectually and rapidly drys the same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frank Wirth in the Great Seal Patent Office of
on the 10th April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANK
WIRTH, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Agency, of
Frankfort on Maine, Germany, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Frank Wirth, Her special
licence that I, the said Frank Wirth, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Frank Wirth, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PROCESS OF WASHING YARNS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR," (a communication to me from John Albert Dold, Manu-
facturer, of Reutlingen, Kingdom of Wurtemberg), upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Frank Wirth, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frank Wirth, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of washing cotton yarns
whether in hank, skein, bobbin, or cop, without altering their formation
for the purpose, and also whilst they are inert or stationary in one
position. The application of the improvements for the purpose of
washing expedites and economizes the process of thoroughly and
uniformly cleansing the yarn.
According to the first part of these improvements the hanks of yarn
to be washed are suspended from and loaded by rods of iron or other
suitable metal, the whole of which are placed in a vessel or chamber and
then hermetically enclosed therein. This vessel or chamber is connected
on one side through the medium of a pipe with an arrangement of
pumps, and on the other side with a pipe connecting the same with a
vat or receptacle containing the liquor or "ley" with which the yarn
is to be washed. At a point in this pipe between the closed chamber
containing the yarn and the "ley" tub a valve is provided loaded up to
a given pressure, so that when the chamber containing the yarn is
exhausted by the pump, so as to produce a vacuum therein, the pressure
of the atmosphere on the "ley" or liquor in the vat will open the valve
so as to cause the liquor to be injected through the same into the
vacuum space containing the yarn to be washed, and thus is enabled
effectually to pass through and thoroughly wash every fibre of the
same.
After the process of washing is finished the receptacle containing the
yarn is opened and the liquor discharged therefrom by means of the
pumps previously employed for producing a vacuum; or a circulation of
the liquor for rewashing may be obtained by the use of the pumps
passing the same into the "ley" tub or receptacle. Or the ejection of
the liquor may be caused by the pump forcing the liquor when used
back again into the tub.
The second part of this Invention has for its object the washing of
cops as they are delivered from the mule spindles without the necessity
of rewinding them, and consists in placing them on a perforated
corrugated plate which forms the bottom of a receptacle connected with
the suction pipe of a pump. The cops to be washed are placed in the

page_text: second vat is provided with a valve which is loaded up to a given
pressure, so that when the tanks have been exhausted by the pumps and
a vacuum produced therein the pressure of the atmosphere upon the
liquor in the vat will open the valve and cause the "ley" to rush
through, and so thoroughly saturate and wash every fibre of yarn
contained in the vacuum tanks. On the completion of the washing
process the taps e in the pipes a are opened and the pumps previously
employed for exhausting air now pump the liquor from the tanks and
pass it through the pipe c into the liquor vat d.
Secondly. The Figs. under Class 2 represent the arrangement of
apparatus designed more particularly for washing cops as they are
delivered from the spindles of the spinning mule, or for finishing if
necessary the cops previously washed in the vacuum tanks. According
to this arrangement the cops are placed inside the pan or receptacle a²,
around the inner surface of which corrugated perforated plates of
copper b¹ are arranged to receive and retain them in position, so that
when such pan is driven by the gearing c¹ in manner similar to an
"hydro-extractor' the "ley" or washing liquor admitted thereto from
the vat dis by the centrifugal velocity of the pan a¹ driven through the
yarn, from which it passes into the annular space 62 and out by the
pipe f. After sufficient "ley" has thus been passed through the yarn
clean water is supplied instead of the "ley" for the purpose of finally
rinsing and cleansing the yarn cops, hanks, or bobbins which are then
removed and subjected to the drying process illustrated in the Figs.
under Class 3. In this the third portion of the apparatus forming the
subject of this Invention the cops, hanks, or bobbins of yarn after
washing are placed for drying on shelves composed of corrugated
perforated copper plates 9, g, enolosed in the box or receptacle h. This
closed receptacle is in direct communication by means of the pipe i with
the fan k. The greater portion of the length of this pipe i before
entering the closed receptacle passes through the flue of a furnace, so
that the air forced through such tube by the fan k becomes highly
heated, in which state it enters the receptacle containing the damp
yarn, and as it circulates therein effectually and rapidly dries the
same.
h
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, together with
the method of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be
distinctly understood in conclusion that I claim,—

page_text: First. The novel employment, use, and adaptation of vacuum
chambers or receptacles, and apparatus in connection therewith as
herein substantially described and set forth under Class 1, for washing
yarn.
Secondly. The employment and use of a centrifugal pan, and apparatus
in connection therewith, as herein substantially described and set forth
under Class 2, for washing yarn in cop or hank.
And, Thirdly. The novel construction, employment, use, 'and adaptation
of the apparatus described herein under Class 3 for drying yarn, together
with the combination of the several parts employed in the various
processes of washing and drying, as herein-before substantially described,
set forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof I, the said Frank Wirth, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.