Improvements in Machines for Dyeing Skeins or Hanks.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left. 24th July. 1891-Accepted, 29th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Dyeing Skeins or Hanks.
I, PIERRE JOSEPH GRANDSIRE Fils of 1 Boulevard St. Denis, Paris, France,
Dyer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to machines for dyeing skeins or hanks in which there is a
continuous rotary motion both horizontal and vertical, whereby the skeins or hanks
are conducted through the whole of the dye vat by the circular horizontal
movement and are at the same time made to turn on themselves by the vertical
movement.
The machine is composed of an annular vat provided with columns at equal
distances apart on its outer edge to receive an upper framework on which all the
mechanical parts of the machine are supported. This vat is provided at its middle
with another small vessel to receive a lower platform having at the centre a bearing
or footstep to receive the lower end of the vertical driving shaft. This driving
shaft produces a horizontal rotation of an upper platform on which are fixed
bearings to receive the spindles of the rollers or triangular bars upon which the
skeins or hanks are hung; the number of these rollers is optional and will depend
upon the diameter of the vat. The spindles are fitted with small conical pinions
which impart to them a rotary motion in consequence of their gearing with a crown
wheel fixed to the lower platform. Instead of the pinions and crown wheel the
skein holders can be made to rotate by friction upon the lower platform, wheels of
wood or iron covered with india rubber or other suitable material which will give
the requisite adhesion being in this case employed instead of the pinions. Or
instead of these wheels being covered with india-rubber the lower platform may be
provided with a circular strip of india rubber or other suitable material.
The vertical driving shaft rests at its lower end in the bearing or footstep
already described and at its upper end in a socket or bearing immediately above
which a pinion is keyed; this pinion gears with an endless screw which causes it to
rotate, the rotary motion being consequently given to the vertical shaft and to the
upper platform.
The circular movement of the upper platform is produced to the right or to
the left by means of a single clutch or engaging apparatus by the employment of
three pulleys two of which are loose and the other fixed. The fixed pulley is
situated between the two loose pulleys and these pulleys are mounted on a transverse
horizontal shaft upon which the endless screw before described is fixed. The
endless screw and the pinion of the vertical shaft are always in gear with each
other.
In addition to the circular horizontal movement in the vat and to the vertical
movement of the skeins on their holders produced by the rotation of these holders
on their horizontal axes there is an upward movement of all the holders so as to lift
the skeins out of the bath and then a downward movement to cause them to re-enter
the bath. The upward and downward movements are produced by means of a
horizontal transverse shaft on which is fixed at each end a small drum for winding
up chains which are connected with the upper platform herein before described.
There is a fixed horizontal key on this shaft to serve as a guide and to give
resistance to a movable pinion having a grooved neck, and gearing or not at will
with the endless screw before described. The impulse is given to the movable
pinion by means of a sliding rod on which is fixed a stud lodged in the groove of
the pinion neck. This rod is itself connected to a lever arm fixed to the front of
the machine and held on two sliding supports in order to give the engaging or
disengaging movement according to requirement so as to raise or lower the upper

page_text: platform of the machine. This platform is raised by the winding chains fixed to
the drums as before described, at their upper end, while their lower ends are attached
to a movable piece on the socket of the upper platform. This movable piece is
provided at its centre with roller boxes so as to ease the movement of the platform,
the rollers rubbing under a projecting plate attached to the upper end of the
socket of the platform.
The upward movement can also be obtained by means of a counter-weight,
screw shaft, or lifting jacks placed inside the smaller vessel and serving to lift the
upper platform so as to raise the skeins or hanks out of the dye bath or to lower
them into it as required.
When the upward movement has been produced and the determined height
attained, the movable piece hereinbefore described on the upper platform comes
against the end of a vertical rack forming part of the disengaging apparatus and
thereby automatically arrests the upward movement. This disengaging apparatus
is composed of a vertical sliding rack and of an upper and a lower horizontal sliding
rack; the vertical rack is actuated by a small pinion, and the upper and lower
horizontal racks which are fixed on the same rod are each actuated by a toothed
sector. Upon the piece connecting the two horizontal racks are fixed two forks for
the driving belts to shift each of these upon its own loose pulley whereby the
circular movement and the upward movement are immediately stopped.
The machine being thus stopped the upper platform is in the raised position and
consequently the skeins or hanks which are upon the rollers or triangles are out of
the bath; the skeins or hanks are caused to re-enter the bath by the opposite
movement with perfect regularity which is indispensable in order to obtain regularity
in the shade. Immediately the upper platform charged with its skeins and rollers
or triangles has descended upon the lower platform the circular movement
recommences and the skeins make about twelve turns per minute round the bath a
result which cannot be obtained by existing machines.
The machine can be driven from below instead of from above as hereinbefore
described and the circular impulse can be given to the vat instead of to the skein
holders. In this case the upper platform will be dispensed with and the skein
holders are caused to turn by friction or by gearing on the lower platform through
the circular movement of the vat. In this modification however more power will
be necessary to work the machine.
Dated this 25th day of November 1890.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Dyeing Skeins or Hanks.
I, PIERRE JOSEPH GRANDSIRE fils of 1 Boulevard, St. Denis, Paris, France,
Dyer 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 :-
My invention relates to machines for dyeing skeins or hanks and is based upon
the employment of a continuous rotary motion both horizontal and vertical whereby
the skeins or hanks are conducted through the whole of the dye vat by the circular
horizontal movement and are at the same time made to turn on themselves by the
vertical movement.
The machine is composed of an annular vat provided with columns at equal
distances apart on its outer edge to receive an upper framework on which all the
mechanical parts of the machine are supported. This vat is provided at its middle
with another small basin to receive a lower platform having at the centre a bearing
or footstep to receive the lower end of the vertical driving shaft. This driving
shaft produces a horizontal rotation of an upper platform on which are fixed

page_text: bearings to receive the spindles of the rollers or triangular bars upon which the
skeins or hanks are hung; the number of these rollers is optional and will depend
upon the diameter of the vat. The spindles are fitted with small conical pinions
which impart to them a rotary motion in consequence of their gearing with a
crown wheel fixed to the lower platform. Instead of the pinions and crown wheel
the skein holders can be made to rotate by friction upon the lower platform,
wheels of wood or iron covered with india rubber or other suitable material which
will give the requisite adhesion being in this case employed instead of the pinions.
Or instead of these wheels being covered with india rubber the lower platform
may be provided with a circular strip of india rubber or other suitable material.
The vertical driving shaft rests at its lower end in the bearing or footstep already
described and at its upper end in a socket or bearing immediately above which a
pinion is keyed; this pinion gears with an endless screw which causes it to rotate,
the rotary motion being consequently given to the vertical shaft and to the upper
platform.
The circular movement of the upper platform is produced to the right or to the
left by means of a single clutch or engaging apparatus by the employment of
three pulleys, two of which are loose and the other fast. The fast pulley is situated
between the two loose pulleys and these pulleys are mounted on a transverse
horizontal shaft upon which the endless screw before described is fixed. The
endless screw and the pinion of the vertical shaft are always in gear with each
other.
In addition to the circular horizontal movement in the vat and to the vertical
movement of the skeins on their holders produced by the rotation of these holders
on their horizontal axes, there is an upward movement of all the holders so as to
lift the skeins out of the bath and then a downward movement to cause them to
re-enter the bath. The upward and downward movements are produced by means
of a horizontal transverse shaft on which is fixed at each end a small drum for
winding up chains which are connected with the upper platform hereinbefore
described. There is a fixed horizontal key on this shaft to serve as a guide and to
give resistance to a movable pinion having a grooved neck and gearing or not at
will with the endless screw before described. The impulse is given to the movable
pinion by means of a sliding rod on which is fixed a stud lodged in the groove of
the pinion neck. This rod is itself connected to a lever arm fixed to the front of
the machine and held on two sliding supports in order to give the engaging or
disengaging movement according to requirement so as to raise or lower the upper
platform of the machine. This platform is raised by the winding chains fixed to
the drums as before described at their upper end while their lower ends are attached
to a movable piece on the socket of the upper platform. This movable piece is
provided at its centre with roller boxes so as to ease the movement of the platform,
the rollers rubbing under a projecting plate attached to the upper end of the socket
of the platform.
The upward movement can also be obtained by means of a counter-weight,
screw shaft, or lifting jacks placed inside the smaller vessel and serving to lift
the upper platform so as to raise the skeins or hanks out of the dye bath or to
lower them into it as required.
When the upward movement has been produced and the determined height
attained the movable piece hereinbefore described on the upper platform comes
against the end of a vertical rack forming part of the disengaging apparatus and
thereby automatically arrests the upward movement. This disengaging apparatus is
composed of a vertical sliding rack and of an upper and a lower horizontal sliding
rack; the vertical rack is actuated by a small pinion and the upper and lower
horizontal racks, which are fixed on the same rod, are each actuated by a toothed
sector. Upon the piece connecting the two horizontal racks are fixed two forks
for the driving belts to shift each of these upon its own loose pulley whereby the
circular movement and the upward movement are immediately stopped.
The machine being thus stopped the upper platform is in the raised position and

page_text: consequently the skeins or hanks which are upon the rollers or triangles are out of
the bath; the skeins or banks are caused to re-enter the bath by the opposite
movement with perfect regularity which is indispensable in order to obtain
regularity in the shade. Immediately the upper platform charged with its skeins
and rollers or triangles has descended upon the lower platform, the circular move-
ment recommences and the skeins make about 12 turns per minute round the bath
a result which cannot be obtained by existing machines.
The machine can be driven from below instead of from above as hereinbefore
described and the circular impulse can be given to the vat instead of to the skein
holders. In this case the upper platform will be dispensed with and the skein
holders are caused to turn by friction or by gearing on the lower platform through
In this modification however more power will
the circular movement of the vat.
be necessary to work the machine.
Figure of the accompanying drawings represents a machine constructed in
accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a view of the clutch or engaging apparatus and Figure 3 a view of
the apparatus by which the up and down movement is given to the skein holders.
The letters of reference in these drawings indicate the following parts
A. Annular vat of wood, metal, cement or other suitable material.
B. Trough of sheet iron or other suitable material in communication with a
perforated serpentine pipe arranged around the inside of the vat A. for distributing
the coloring material.
C. Columns fixed to the vat A. at equal distances apart or they may be fixed to
the ground outside the vat.
D. Frame fixed to the columns.
E. Socket or bearing for the upper end of the vertical shaft H¹ and fixed at
the centre of the frame D by means of screws or bolts.
E. Oil reservoir (Figure 3) for lubricating the endless screw G2 and the pinions F
and Q.
F. Pinion for driving the vertical shaft and gearing with the endless screw G²
(Figure 3). C
G. Support screwed or bolted to the frame D for supporting the clutch or
engaging apparatus.
H. Vertical rack of the disengaging apparatus driven by the vertical pinion K.
I, I. Horizontal racks driven by the toothed sectors L L.
J, J. Forks fixed on the rod of the racks I, I, for moving the belts from the fast
pulley to the loose pulleys or vice versa.
K. Vertical pinion for driving the rack H and carried by the support G.
L, L. Toothed sectors for driving the racks I, I, the upper section being mounted
on the clutch rod X and the lower on the same stud as pinion K.
M, M, M. Pulleys, the two outer pulleys being loose and the middle one fast;
these pulleys receive the driving belts one of which is crossed and the other uncrossed
so as to produce the circular movement to the right or to the left as required.
N. Support for a bearing O.
O, O. Bearings for the shaft P and pulleys M and fixed respectively to the
support N and frame D.
P. Horizontal driving shaft carrying the fast and loose pulleys M M M and
the endless screw G² (Figure 3).
Q. Movable pinion with grooved neck for the up and down movement; it is
actuated by a stud lodged in the groove the stud being carried by a bracket Q¹
(Figure 3) fixed to the sliding rod R.
R. Sliding rod movable in the supports or guides T and connected to the
lever S.
S. Lever for effecting the engaging or disengaging of the movable pinion Q
and endless screw G2 for the up and down movement.
T. Supports or guides for the rod R and fixed to the frame D.

page_text: U. Bearing for one end of the horizontal shaft V for the up and down
movement.
V. Horizontal shaft on which is keyed at each end a small drum for the chains B',
the said shaft having a horizontal key to guide the movable pinion Q.
X. Clutch rod.
Y, Y. Supports in which the rod X is turned by means of the lever Z.
7. Lever for actuating the rod X.
A', A. Drums keyed on the shaft V and serving to wind the chains B¹.
B', B. Chains or cords winding on and unwinding from the drums A' and con-
nected at their lower ends to the movable bar or piece C'.
C. Movable bar or piece to which the chains are connected and provided with
roller boxes D¹.
D. Boxes in which movable rollers are placed.
F. Plate against which the rollers bear so as to ease the movement of the
platform M; the plate F¹ is attached to the upper end of the socket of the
platform.
G¹. Piece carried by the bar C¹ and coming in the upward movement against
the end of the rack H and thereby automatically arresting this movement.
H. Vertical shaft for driving the rotating platform M₁; it is held at its upper
end in the socket E and at its lower end in a footstep which serves as its pivot, this
footstep being in the centre of a lower platform fixed in a small basin in the middle
of the vat A.
I. Socket attached to the platform M'.
J. Flange on the socket I for the bar or piece C¹ to rest on.
K. Steadying rod for the bar C¹.
L'. Guide fixed to the frame D for the rod K'.
M. Upper platform with bearings to receive the spindles of the rollers or
triangular bars N₁; this platform is provided with anti-friction rollers to ease its
movement and relieve the small pinions which are fixed to the bars N'.
N', N. Rollers or triangular bars having small conical pinions at their inner end
gearing with a crown wheel fixed to the lower platform.
O¹, O¹. Skeins or hanks placed on the rollers N'.
P. Groove in neck of pinion Q (see Figure 3).
Q. Bracket or rod R carrying stud lodged in the groove P¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The construction of machines substantially as hereinbefore described for dyeing
skeins or hanks.
Dated this 24th day of July 1991.
July 1991.
J. C. MEWDURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.