Improvements in Apparatus employed in Dyeing Velvets, Plushes, and other Fabrics in the Piece, and in the Drying of Fabrics generally.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 29th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 4th Oct., 1890
Improvements in Apparatus employed in Dyeing Velvets, Plushes,
and other Fabrics in the Piece, and in the Drying of Fabrics
generally.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEph Barnard MilLS, of 23 Southampton Buildings in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a com-
munication to me from abroad by Joseph Valansot, Senior of Montée de la Carrette,
Lyons in the Republic of France, Silk Merchant, to be as follows:-
The apparatus forming the subject of the present invention consists of a cylinder or
carrier of special form upon which the piece of fabric is wound spirally, presenting
between each spiral a space sufficient for the circulation of the dyeing and other
liquids, or of the air for drying. The piece when mounted upon this cylinder or
carrier may be transported without being dismounted into successive baths for under-
going all the operations of dyeing, from the boiling or cleansing to the rinsing, it can
then without leaving the apparatus be drained and dried. The same apparatus is
applicable to the drying of all fabrics necessitated by any cause, following or not the
operations of dyeing.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing show the construction of the
apparatus.
It is formed of two dises A, A¹ fixed at a suitable distance apart upon an axle B.
Each of these discs carries a certain number of arms C furnished with equidistant
grooves in which rods D are placed parallel to the axle.
These rods are held in their grooves by small hooks or catches in such manner as
to enable them to be rapidly mounted and dismounted.
The cylinder or carrier being placed horizontally upon two supports, the fabric is
fixed to the first rod near the centre and it is wound stretched by passing suc-
cessively over the following rods in spiral form as shown at Figure 2. The end of
the piece being fixed to the last rod, the cylinder or carrier can then be removed and
carried to the different baths for boiling or washing, dyeing rincing &c.
For this purpose ordinary vats may be employed on the edges of which are placed
supports for receiving the trunnions of the axle B, which will be put in motion by a
crank operated by hand. The spirals plunging into the bath, the motion will take
place in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2, so that the liquid entering into the
opening of 'the exterior spiral will traverse the length of the fabric from the cir-
cumference to the centre.
The cylinder or carrier may also be placed vertically in a cylindrical vat as repre-
sented at Figure 3, the fabric being then completely immersed.
After having undergone all the operations of dyeing the piece may be drained by a
rapid rotary motion given to the apparatus placed vertically in an empty vat, or
horizontally in a cylinder. This draining may be carried to the extent of
complete dryness of the fabric, or the drying may be completed by hot or cold
air, which would be made to circulate the length of the fabric in similar manner
to the liquids.
By these means, the piece will not be removed from the cylinder or carrier until
after having been completely, dyed, washed and dried, and it will have undergone all
these manipulations in a state of tension without fear of folds or tearing. The
rods are sufficiently small that their contact with the fabric may be of the least
possible extent, they may be formed of wood or of copper tubes furnished or not
with wood in the interior, in any case they will be covered with a tubular
fabric fixed at the two ends or completely enveloped with cotton or other textile
threads.
This envelope has for its object by becoming impregnated with the liquid; to

page_text: bring it into contact with the part of the fabric which it touches and also to prevent
the slipping of the fabric which would tend to become wrinkled at the middle by the
bending of the rod if the latter were smooth.
In place of rigid rods, cords, ribands, narrow belts &c. of textile or metallic material
stretched between the arms of the cylinder or carrier may be employed.
These cords may be attached separately to the arms and stretched by any suitable
means; they may also be of a single piece and fixed only at the centre of
the cylinder or carrier and at its circumferential extremity after having passed alter-
nately over the hooks fixed to the arms.
The construction above described may be modified in its details.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus employed in Dyeing Velvets, Plushes,
and other Fabrics in the Piece, and in the Drying of Fabrics
generally.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23 Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
a cominunication to me from abroad by Joseph Valansot Senior, of Montée de la
Carrette, Lyons, in the Republic of France, Silk Merchant, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The apparatus forming the subject of the present invention consists of a cylinder
or carrier of special form, upon which the piece of fabric is wound spirally, presenting
between each spiral a space sufficient for the circulation of the dyeing and other liquids,
or of the air for drying.
The piece, when mounted upon this cylinder or carrier, may be transported, without
being dismounted, into successive baths for undergoing all the operations of dyeing,
from the boiling or cleansing to the rinsing; it can then, without leaving the apparatus,
be drained and dried.
The same apparatus is applicable to the drying of all fabrics necessitated by any
cause, following or not the operations of dyeing.
Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing left with my Provisional Specification show the
construction of the apparatus.
It is formed of two discs A A', fixed at a suitable distance apart upon an axle B.
Each of these discs carries a certain number of arms C furnished with equidistant
grooves, in which rods D are placed parallel to the axle. These rods are held in their
grooves by small hooks or catches, in such manner as to enable them to be rapidly
mounted and dismounted.
The cylinder or carrier being placed horizontally upon two supports, the fabric is
fixed to the first rod near the centre, and it is wound, stretched, by passing successively
over the following rods in spiral form, as shown at Figure 2. The end of the piece
being fixed to the last rod, the cylinder or carrier can then be removed and carried to
'the different baths for boiling or washing, dyeing, rinsing, &c.
For this purpose ordinary vats may be employed, on the edges of which are
placed supports for receiving the trunnions of the axle B, which will be put in motion
by a crank operated by hand. The spirals plunging into the bath, the motion will
take place in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2, so that the liquid entering into
the opening of the exterior spiral will traverse the length of the fabric from the cir-
cumference to the centre.
The cylinder or carrier may also be placed vertically in a cylindrical vat, as repre-
sented at Figure 3, the fabric being then completely immersed.
After having undergone all the operations of dyeing, the piece may be drained by

page_text: a rapid rotary motion given to the apparatus placed vertically in an empty vat or
horizontally in a cylinder. This draining may be carried to the extent of complete
dryness of the fabric, or the drying may be completed by hot or cold air, which would
be made to circulate the length of the fabric in similar manner to the liquids.
By these means, the piece will not be removed from the cylinder or carrier until
after having been completely dyed, washed and dried, and it will have undergone all
these manipulations in a state of tension without fear of folds or tearing.
The rods are sufficiently small that their contact with the fabric may be of the
least possible extent, they may be formed of wood or of copper tubes furnished or not
with wood in the interior, in any case they will be covered with a tubular fabric
fixed at the two ends or completely enveloped with cotton or other textile threads.
This envelope has for its object, by becoming impregnated with the liquid, to
bring it into contact with the part of the fabric which it touches, and also to prevent
the slipping of the fabric which would tend to become wrinkled at the middle by the
bending of the rod if the latter were smooth.
In place of rigid rods, cords, ribands, narrow belts, &c., of textile or metallic
material, stretched between the arms of the cylinder or carrier, may be employed.
These cords may be attached separately to the arms and stretched by any suit-
able means; they may also be of a single piece and fixed only at the centre of the
cylinder or carrier and at its circumferential extremity after having passed alter-
nately over the hooks fixed to the arms.
The construction above described may be modified in its details.
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 apparatus substantially as herein shown and described, which
consists of a cylinder or carrier arranged to receive the fabric stretched and wound
spirally upon moveable rods, which are placed in position one after the other as the
winding progresses, this apparatus serving as support for the material to enable it
to receive successively all the operations of dyeing, washing, draining, and drying, to
which they are submitted.
Dated this both
A 1000
Dated this 20th day of August 1900.
B. J. B. MILLS.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.