AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR DYEING COMBED WOOL AND SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Georges Chalamel, of the Firm Alfred Chalamel et Co.,
of Puteaux (Seine), Manufacturers, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR DYEING COMBED WOOL AND SILK AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 27th August 1878, and dated the 5th June 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Georges Chalamel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th June 1878.
GEORGES CHALAMEL, of the Firm Alfred Chalamel et Co., of Puteaux (Seine),
Manufacturers. "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF and APPARATUS FOR DYEING COMBED
WOOL AND SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
My Invention relates to means of preventing the adhesion and fraying of fabrics,
particularly such as are woven of long wool or silk, during the process of dyeing,
when they are subjected to the agitation of boiling liquid in the dye vat. For this
purpose I protect the fabrics by porous screens or guards, which keep the fibres in
position, whilst they permit free access of the dyeing liquid to them.
According to one method I make the dye vat in the form of a rectangular box
with several vertical grooves in its sides, and provide a number of screens, which
may be of basketwork, each screen nearly fitting the vat. I place a piece of the
fabric to be dyed between two of these screens, and lay them in the vat. Over
them I place several cross pieces of wood, which are steadied in the vertical grooves.
On these cross pieces I place another pair of screens with fabric between them, and
so on until the vat is charged with a number of layers of fabric, each with its pair of
screens, whereupon the dyeing liquid is admitted, and boiled by the heat of a steam
worm arranged in the bottom of the vat or by blowing steam through it.
For treating ribbons a convenient arrangement is to make the screens in the form
of conical baskets, and to wind the ribbons round their conical surfaces, then to
insert one into another, so that the ribbons in each case are protected on the one'
side by the basket surface on which they are wound, and on the other side by the
lower basket into which they are inserted.

page_text: For ribbons and pieces of considerable length I adopt also the following arrange-
ment: I make an open drum consisting of two end discs connected by longitudinal
bars. On this drum I wind the fabric to be dyed, along with a sheet of open
fabric, so that the former is protected on both sides by the latter. I place the drum
in the dye vat with its axis mounted vertically in bearings, and cause it to revolve
immersed in the dye stuff.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Georges Chalamel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st November
1878.
GEORGES CHALAMEL, of the Firm Alfred Chalamel et Ce., of Puteaux (Seine),
Manufacturers. "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR DYEING COMBED
WOOL AND SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
My Invention relates to means of preventing the adhesion and fraying of fabrics,
particularly such as are woven of long wool or silk, during the process of dyeing,
when they are subjected to the agitation of boiling liquid in the dye vat. For this
purpose I protect the fabrics by porous screens or guards which keep the fibres in
position, whilst they permit free access of the dyeing liquid to them.
According to one method I make the dye vat in the form of a rectangular box
with several vertical grooves in its sides, and I provide a number of screens, which
may be of basketwork, each screen nearly fitting the vat. I place a piece of the
fabric to be dyed between two of these screens, and lay them in the vat. Over
them I place several cross pieces of wood, which are steadied in the vertical
grooves. On these cross pieces I place another pair of screens with fabric between
them, and so on until the vat is charged with a number of layers of fabric, each
with its pair of screens, whereupon the dyeing liquid is admitted, and boiled by
the heat of a steam worm arranged in the bottom of the vat or by blowing steam
through it.
For treating ribbons a convenient arrangement is to make the screens in the form
of copical baskets, and to wind the ribbons round their conical surfaces, then to
insert one into another, so that the ribbons in each case are protected on the one
side by the basket surface in which they are wound, and on the other side by the
lower basket into which they are inserted.
For ribbons and pieces of considerable length I adopt also the following arrange-
ment I make an open drum consisting of two end discs connected by longitudinal
bars. On this drum I wind the fabric to be dyed along with a sheet of open fabric,.
so that the former is protected on both sides by the latter. I place the drum in the
dye vat with its axis mounted vertically in bearings, and cause it to revolve im-
mersed in the dye stuff.
The screens with the fabric may either be left in the dye vat until the dyeing
operation is completed, or the screens may have an alternate up-and-down motion

page_text: Imparted to them, so as to plunge the fabrics into the dye bath and then with-
draw them from it, the dyeing being effected by a succession of such plunging
operations.
The accompanying Drawings shews various arrangements for carrying the above-
described Invention into practice.
The dye vat shewn in longitudinal section at Fig. 1, in cross section at Fig. 2,
and in plan at Fig. 3, is arranged for the use of flat screens having between them
the fabric to be dyed.
The vat A may be of any configuration, but by preference it is rectangular; it
may either be open at top or closed by a cover B. One or more double bottoms C
below separate the fabric to be dyed from the steam pipe, so as to prevent any
injurious effect of the steam jets. The steam coil pipe a by which the bath is
heated may either be perforated so as to admit the steam into the bath, or it may
be without perforations so as to heat the bath merely by contact.
The vat being filled with the dye liquor and heated, the screens, which may be of
wickerwork, are introduced with the fabric as follows:-The fabric & having been
laid on one screen c, and, if necessary, stretched thereon by tying, a second screen o'
is placed on the fabric, and the pair thus formed, as shewn at Fig. 4, is then placed
on the false bottom of the vat. Laths e are then laid transversely on the upper
screen c', the ends being passed down vertical grooves b in the aides of the vat A.
These laths merely rest upon the screen without more pressure than is required to
hold the fabric in its place between the screens. Upon them is placed another pair
of screens with fabric between them, then another set of laths e, and so on, till the
vat is filled.
The vat A may be charged with dye liquor through a tube with funnel mouth f
in case the bath should not contain sufficient colour.
A discharge cock serves to empty the vat.
Figs. 5 and 6 shew in sectional elevation and plan the arrangement of a vertical
drum formed of two discs D connected by rods or bars 9, upon which are wound
the ribbands or slivers of combed fibre h laid upon a cloth k, so that as they are
wound on, each layer or fibre is confined between two layers of the cloth, which is
of sufficiently open texture to allow the dye liquor to penetrate to the fibre, but
prevents the latter from becoming felted or disturbed by the boiling action of the
liquor, and thus serves the same purpose as the screens in the preceding arrange-.
ment. The drum can be fixed on an axis K rotated by an suitable gearing, so
that the drum by its rotation serves to keep the various ingredients forming the
bath thoroughly mixed.
Fig. 7 shews the use of baskets E inserted one within the other, and having
between them the fibre or fabric to be dyed, which is wound upon the outer surface
of the basket.
The flat screens, as well as the curved or cylindrical ones, may be subjected to
agitation in order to prevent sediment from being deposited on the material to be
dyed.
Fig. 8 shews a vertical section of an agitating apparatus for effecting repeated
immersions of the screens and fabric.
Fig. 9 is a front view shewing the gearing for imparting the vertical reciprocating
motion to the screens or surfaces holding the material to be dyed.
Fig. 10 shews another arrangement of mechanism for imparting the said motion.
The vat A, of any suitable form, is open at top, and the screens with the fabric or
material to be dyed between them are placed in a box F with perforated bottom to
allow access of the dye liquor to the materials. The screens consist of wood frames G
on which is stretched copper wire gauze H, between which the fabric or fibre d is
placed. The screens being superposed on each other until they fill the box F, they
are kept in place by means of transverse bars M, which are passed through the
sides of the box F and secured by wedges N.
The box F is suspended by chains L from a barrel Q, which is turned backwards
and forwards so as alternately to raise the box out of and lower it into the dye vat.

page_text: This motion may be imparted to the barrel either by hand, as shewn at Figs. 8 and
9, where the barrel Q has a pulley R¹ driven by a strap I from a pulley R on a
shaft O, to which rotary motion is imparted by means of the spur wheel and
pinion q, p, from the shaft O rotated by the crank handle P; on this shaft is a
ratchet wheel l, into which takes a fixed pawl 8 so as to hold the box F as long as
may be required in the raised position. Or the rotation of the barrel may be
effected mechanically, as shewn at Fig. 10, where a disc R rotated by a belt from
any convenient motor is connected by a connecting rod S to a crank pin on the
barrel Q, so that by the rotation of R a to-and-fro motion is imparted to the barrel,
thus effecting a continuous up-and-down motion of the box F in the dye vat.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim,-
First. The herein-described process of subjecting materials, more particularly
combed slivers, to the action of the dye bath while they are confiued between
porous or perforated screens or surfaces in order to prevent the fibres from being
disturbed by the dye liquor.
Second. The use, for protecting fabrics or fibres while in the dye vat, of porous
or perforated screens or surfaces, arranged and operating substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Georges Chalamel, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
CH. ARMENGAUD, Je.,
Civil Engineer,
23, Bd. de Strasbourg, à Paris.
GEORGES CHALAMEL (L.S.)