Improvements in Apparatus for Treating and Supplying or Distributing Colored or other Powders.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1886.
Complete Left; 20th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 20th May, 1887.
Improvements in Apparatus for Treating and Supplying or
Distributing Colored or other Powders.
We, JAMES CRAWFORD, of 53 Copeland Road, Govan, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Cotton Spinning Mill Manager, and JOHN CRAWFORD, of the same
place, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows, that
is to say:-
Our said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and action of
apparatus for treating and supplying or distributing powders, the apparatus whilst
applicable for dealing with powders for various purposes, having been specially designed
for supplying colored powders to cotton or other fibrous materials in the process for
coloring such materials by means of powders instead of by dyeing.
Colored powder used in the process referred to may consist of finely divided
infusorial earth treated with suitable coloring matter with the aid of a volatile solvent,
or any other suitable colored powder may be used. When the colored powder is
applied to the cotton or other fibrous materials it must, to insure good results, be in
a cloud-like or smoke-like condition, its particles being separated from each other and
uniformly distributed throughout the stream, and my improved apparatus is designed
to produce the required condition..
In carrying out my Invention the powder is first put through apparatus which
treats and prepares it to a certain extent, and it is subsequently acted upon by other
apparatus which completes the treatment and projects the powder in a cloud-like
stream on to the cotton or other fibrous material. In the first apparatus there is a
horizontal circular sieve of fine wire gauze to which a slow rotatory motion is imparted
in any convenient way. In contact with the upper surface of the sieve there are two
or more roller brushes arranged to rotate on radial spindles and driven by means of
bevil wheels from a central vertical shaft. The powder is fed to the sieve from a
hopper with an adjustable outlet or outlets and having in it a rotating vertical shaft
fitted with blades to keep the powder in a loose condition. The roller brushes which
are made with strong closely packed bristles make the powder pass through the sieve
and cause it to become separated and in a loose condition.

page_text: The partly treated powder is next put into a hopper made with a narrow bottom
outlet which is almost closed by a horizontal roller covered with wire card cloth ; and
this roller in rotating carries from the hopper a regulated quantity of the powder
between the wire points. At the side of the hopper outlet there is a plate or board
covered with wire card which serves to regulate and equalise powder on the roller as
the roller carries it round; and the powder is next acted on by a rapidly rotating
roller brush which takes it out of the wire-card roller and projects it in such a way as
to form a cloud-like stream. The cotton or other fibrous material is placed below to
receive the stream of powder, such material being moved and otherwise operated on
according to methods with which the present Invention does not deal.
Dated this Twenty first day of July-1886.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Treating and Supplying or
Distributing Colored or other Powders.
We, JAMES CRAWFORD, of 53 Copeland Road, Govan, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Cotton Spinning Mill Manager and JOHN CRAWFORD of the same
place, Engineer, 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, that is to say:―
Our said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and action of
apparatus for treating and supplying or distributing powders, the apparatus whilst
applicable for dealing with powders for various purposes having been specially designed
for supplying colored powders to cotton or other fibrous materials in the process for
coloring such materials by means of powders instead of by dyeing.
Colored powder used in the process referred to may consist of finely divided
infusorial earth treated with suitable coloring matter with the aid of a volatile solvent,
or any other suitable colored powder may be used. When the colored powder is
applied to the cotton or other fibrous materials it must, to insure good results, be in a
cloud-like or smoke-like condition, or as though dissolved in the air, its particles
being separated from each other and uniformly distributed throughout the stream;
and our improved apparatus is designed to produce the required condition.
In many
cases the colored powders referred to are of a somewhat oleaginous or greasy nature

page_text: and are on that account more difficult to get into the desired condition; such powders
can however be successfully treated with our improved apparatus.
In carrying out our Invention the powder is first put through apparatus which
treats and prepares it to a certain extent, and it is subsequently acted upon by other
apparatus which completes the treatment and projects the powder in a cloud-like
stream on to the cotton or other fibrous material."
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood we hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings to be
hereinafter referred to and representing our improved apparatus.
Figure, 1, on the accompanying sheet of drawings is a vertical section of the
machine employed for the first stage of the process and figure, 2, is a corresponding
end elevation. Figures, 3, and 4, are elevations as at right angles to each other
showing the machine employed for the second stage of the process, and figure, 5, is a
vertical section of a part of the machine. In these drawings the same reference
numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The framing of the machine shown in figures, 1, and 2, consists of two end standards, 6,
connected by a top frame piece, 7, a lower frame piece, 8, and tie rods, 9. The first-
motion shaft, 10, carrying fast and loose pulleys, 11, for a driving belt is carried in
bearings on the end standards, 6, and has on it two bevil wheels, 12, 13, and a worm, 14,
for driving the several parts. The lower horizontal frame piece, 8, is cast with a
circular rim, 15, to support a large spurwheel, 16, which is made by preference with
only three spokes, and which carries a cylindrical shell, 17. An annular sieve, 18, is
fixed in the lower part of the shell, 17, this sieve consisting of fine wire gauze stretched
in the usual manner upon hoops; and above the sieve there are two roller brushes, 19,
made with closely set stiff bristles and adjusted so as to just touch the top service of
the sieve. The roller brushes, 19, are loose upon a horizontal shaft, 20, passing
through and held by a stationary central spindle, 21, which extends down through the
boss of the spurwheel, 16, and into a boss, 22, at the middle of the frame piece, 8, this
boss, 22, being connected by spokes to the rim, 15. The stationary central spindle, 21,
has fixed to its lower end a screwed spindle, 23, which is held by screw nuts in a
bridge, 24, fixed to two of the spokes connecting the boss, 22, to the frame piece, 8;
and by means of the screw nuts the spindle, 21, and with it the roller brushes, 19, can
be adjusted up or down, so that the brushes may be set in the best position relatively
to the sieve, 18. The roller brushes, 19, are made to rotate by means of bevil
wheels, 25, fixed to them and gearing with a bevil wheel, 26, on a vertical shaft, 27,
which has on its upper end a bevil wheel, 28, gearing with the bevil wheel, 13, on the
first-motion shaft, 10. The vertical shaft, 27, has a footstep bearing in the top of the
central spindle, 21, and a collar bearing in the top frame piece, 7.
The large
spurwheel, 16, is driven by means of a pinion, 29, on a vertical shaft, 30, having on
upper end a bevil wheel, 31, gearing with the bevil wheel, 12, on the first-motion
shaft, 10; and the vertical shaft, 30, has a footstep bearing in the lower frame piece, 8,
and a collar bearing in the top frame piece, 7.
its
The powder to be operated on is fed in a regular manner into the sieve cylinder, 17,
from a conical hopper, 32, into which it is first put. Extending down through the
centre of this hopper, 32, there is a vertical shaft, 33, held in a collar bearing in a
bracket, 34, fixed to the top frame piece, 7; and this shaft, 33, has on its upper end a
worm wheel, 35, which is in gear with the worm, 14, on the first-motion shaft, 10.
The shaft, 33, extends down through the bottom of the hopper, 32, and just above the
bottom has fixed to it a bar, 36, which in rotating stirs the powder in the hopper
and makes it descend properly through an outlet opening in the bottom of the hopper.
This outlet opening is not seen in figure, 1, being at the front side which is supposed
to be cut away; but it may be 14 inches square. Below the bottom of the hopper
there is fixed on the shaft, 33, a disk, 37, having formed in it six openings each
about 1 inches square, so that for each rotation of the shaft, 33, the outlet opening in
the bottom of the hopper is opened and closed six times. The powder falling from
the hopper, 32, is guided by a shoot, 38, down into the sieve cylinder, 17; and as this
cylinder with the sieve, 18, rotates slowly the powder is uniformly distributed over

page_text: the sieve, and is uniformly operated on by the brushes, 19, which rotate comparatively
rapidly. The powder passing through the sieve, 18, descends between the spokes of
the spurwheel, 16, and the spokes of the frame piece, 8, and is guided downwards by
a hopper-like casing, 39, and duct, 40.
The second-stage machine shown in figures, 3, 4, and 5, is designed for completing
the treatment of the powder, and for delivering it in a broad thin stream on to the
cotton or other fibrous material which in the form of a 'fleece, 41, figure, 4, is moved
slowly along under the descending cloud-like stream of powder. For this purpose
the duct, 40, through which the powder descends from the sieve above is shaped with
its horizontal dimensions increasing in the direction of the width of the fleece, 41, and
diminishing at right angles thereto; and it delivers the powder into a long narrow
hopper, 42, made with a narrow bottom outlet which is almost closed by a horizontal
roller, 43, covered with wire card cloth. The wires of this roller, 43, should be fine
and they should project about an eighth of an inch. In rotating, the roller, 43, carries
from the hopper, 42, a regulated quantity of the powder between the wire points, there
being at the side of the hopper a plate or board, 44, figure, 5, covered with wire card
which serves to regulate and equalise the powder on the roller, 43, as this roller carries
it round. The regulating plate, 44, is adjustable, being held by rods, 45, entered
through eyes.at the side of the hopper and secured by screw nuts. The powder is
next acted on by a rapidly rotating roller brush, 46, which takes it out of the wire-
card. roller, 43, and projects it in such a way as to form a cloud-like stream which
falls on the fibrous materials, 41, below. The roller brush, 46, is driven by bovil
wheels, 47, from a shaft, 48, having on it fast-and-loose pulleys, 49, for a driving belt,
and the shaft, 48, has also on it a worm, 50, which drives a worm wheel, 51.
wormwheel, 51, is on a stud and is made with an elongated boss on the inner end of
which there is a pinion, 52, gearing with a pinion, 53, on the spindle of the wire-card
roller, 43, which by this gearing is made to rotate very slowly as compared with the
roller brush, 46. The hopper, 42, the rollers, 43, 46, and the gearing are carried by
brackets, 54, 55, which are bolted to plates, 56, made with slots enabling them to be
bolted in any required position to the side frames, 57, of the "blowing" or "preparing"
or other machine with which the powder supplying machinery may be combined.
This
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
1. Combining the parts of apparatus for treating and supplying or distributing
colored or other powders substantially in the improved manner herein before described.
2.The combination of a slowly rotating horizontal sieve with rapidly rotating
brushes arranged to operate on the upper surface of the sieve substantially in the
manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
1.3. The combination of a wire-card roller arranged to receive powder from a hopper
with a rapidly rotating brush arranged to throw the powder froui the wire-card roller
in a cloud-like condition substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
Dated this Ninetainth day of April 1837
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.