Improvements in or relating to the Dyeing of Silk and other Fibres.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1892
Improvements in or relating to the Dyeing of Silk and
other Fibres.
We, JAMES LONGMORE, Mill Manager, and ROBERT WILLIAMSON, Merchant,
both of 34 Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Hitherto the dyeing of silk in the higher qualities has only been successfully
practised after it has been spun into yarn.
This invention is for the purpose of dyeing the silk and other fibres in the sliver
either before or after being dressed or combed and before being spun by which
superior and novel effects can be attained.
This is effected by making the sliver into laps round a drum by means of a gill-
box in the ordinary way and dyeing it in this form of a lap by which means it is
possible to handle the silk in the sliver state without ruffling or tangling and in
such a way that the dye can be made to penetrate fairly equally.
The laps as removed from the drums are placed full length upon a single or
double thickness of wire-gauze the length and width of the lap and the whole is
then rolled up and tied round. In this form the sliver is easily handled and dyed
and the interposition of the thicknesses of wire gauze between the folds of lap allows
of the circulation of the dye liquor. The length of the lap is regulated by the
diameter of the drum on which it is wound.
Instead of laps a number of parallel slivers can be broken off to the requisite
length and placed side by side on the wire and then rolled up.
The laps instead of being rolled up can also be placed full length on trays in
successive layers or other convenient means of separation can be used.
The laps laid on wires or other vehicles can also have the dye liquor applied by
means of a brush or rose or by means of a roller as they are passed through a
machine. This method of applying the dye being found sufficient in many cases.
The laps when dyed are dried in any convenient manner and then drawn into a
sliver through an ordinary gill-box.
In dyeing through a machine the slivers can for certain colours which take
readily on be dyed in a continuous layer of slivers and passed through the dye
liquor by a roller or rollers and then washed in a similar way and afterwards passed
over a series of drying cylinders and into a gill box to be drawn all as a continuous
operation.
Dated this 26th day of November 1891
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to the Dyeing of Silk and
other Fibres.
We, JAMES LONGMORE, Mill Manager, and ROBERT WILLIAMSON, Merchant,
both of 34 Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, 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:-
Hitherto the dyeing of silk in the higher qualities has only been successfully
practised after it has been spun into yarn.
This invention is for the purpose of dyeing the silk and other fibres in the form
of a lap either formed in a gill-box in the ordinary way or of a number of lengths
of sliver laid parallel and either before or after being dressed or combed and before
being spun by which superior and novel effects can be attained.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings
in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan showing the manner in which the
lap and wire gauze are rolled together, the lap being represented in a thick
unbroken line and the wire-gauze in a dotted line.
The invention is carried into practice by making the sliver into a lap round a
drum by means of a gill-box in the ordinary way or by laying a number of
lengths of sliver parallel and dyeing it in this form of a lap by which means it
is possible to handle the silk in the sliver state without ruffling or tangling and
in such a way that the dye cau be made to penetrate fairly equally.
The laps are removed from the drums by breaking them apart so as to form
one length.
Four ounces is a convenient weight per lap.
These lengths or laps A of about feet in length and inches wide as shown in
the accompanying drawings are each placed full length upon a single or double
thickness of wire-gauze B about 10 feet long and 12 inches wide, and the whole is
then rolled up in the manner shown in Figure 1 and tied round. In this form the
silk or other fibres are easily handled and dyed and the interposition of the wire-
gauze between the folds or convolutions of the lap allows of the circulation of the
dye-liquor. The length of the lap is regulated by the diameter of the drum on
which it is wound.
Instead of laps formed on a gill-box a number of parallel slivers can be broken
off to the requisite length and placed side by side on the wire-gauze B and then
rolled up.
The laps instead of being rolled up can also be placed full length on perforated
wire-gauze or other suitable trays in successive layers or other convenient means of
separation can be used.
The laps laid on wires or other vehicles can also have the dye liquor sprayed
over them by means of a rose or applied by means of a brush or by means of a
roller as they are passed through a machine or when laid flat on a stationary
table. This method of applying the dye being found sufficient in many cases.
The laps when dyed are dried in any convenient manner and then drawn into a
sliver through an ordinary gill-box.
In dyeing through a machine the slivers can, for certain colours which take
readily on, be dyed in a continuous layer of slivers and passed through the dye
liquor by a roller or rollers and then washed in a similar way and afterwards passed
over a series of drying cylinders and into a gill-box to be drawn all as a continuous
operation.
We do not bind ourselves to use only wire-gauze as other materials possessing
the requisite qualities such for example as perforated sheet metal might be employed
but the wire-gauze is found to give satisfactory results.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The dyeing of silk or other fibres when formed into a lap either in the ordinary
way or by laying a number of lengths of sliver or slivers parallel substantially as
described.
2. The dyeing of silk or other fibres in the form of a lap constructed in the
ordinary manner or of a number of lengths of sliver laid parallel on one or more
or between two or more lengths of wire-gauze or the like substantially as
described.
The 17th
1100
JAMES LONGMORE.
ROBT. WILLIAMSON.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicants.