Improvements in the Production of Azo Colours upon Cotton or other Vegetable Fibre in the Piece and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 18th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 22nd Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of Azo Colours upon Cotton or
other Vegetable Fibre in the Piece and in Apparatus therefor.
We, SAMUEL KNOWLES and JOSHUA KNOWLES, both of the firm of Samuel
Knowles and Company, of Tottington near Bury in the County of Lancaster, Calico
Printers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the production of azo colours upon piece goods composed
wholly or partially of cotton or other vegetable fibre and consists in certain improve-
ments in carrying out such processes as those described in the Specifications to
Letters Patent Nos. 2757 and 4400 of 1880 No. 1638 of 1881 No. 2946 of 1882 and
9701 of 1884.
In these Specifications no definite instructions are given for the proper procedure
when dyeing piece goods and although short lengths of cloth may perhaps be dyed
more or less satisfactorily by each of the several processes specified we find no
intimation of the practical difficulties which arise when any attempt is made to apply
such processes to piece goods on a large and commercial scale. For instance we can
find no mention in either of the Specifications named of the extreme sensitiveness of
the diazotizing bath whereas we have discovered that when the piece goods are run!
continuously through the diazotizing bath the alkaline solution of napthol or other
phenolic body with which said goods have been previously impregnated will cause
the rapid deterioration of the diazotizing solution and so speedily render it inoperative
as a developer.
To overcome these difficulties we run the pieces continuously under and over two
series of guide rollers one series say for example composed of rollers three inches in
diameter placed a few inches apart the other series being rollers very much smaller
and placed as closely together as possible without obstructing the free passage of the
cloth. The series of small rollers which are preferably of metal are supported in a
shallow vessel containing the diazotizing solution which is supplied through a
perforated spurt pipe or pipes from a convenient reservoir.
The chief advantage obtained by this system is that the quantity of impregnated
cloth in the bath is always so small that there is never sufficient napthol or
equivalent to destroy the developing properties of the diazotizing solution and con-
sequently the dyeing process can be carried on continuously and for as long a period
as desired.
11
001 1
2
1900
H. B. BARLOW.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of Azo Colours upon Cotton or
other Vegetable Fibre in the Piece and in Apparatus therefor.
We, SAMUEL KNOWLES and JOSHUA KNOWLES, both of the firm of Samuel
Knowles and Company, of Tottington near Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Calico
Printers, 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 :-
Our invention relates to the production of azo colours upon piece goods composed
wholly or partially of cotton or other vegetable fibre and consists in certain improve-
ments in carrying out such processes as those described in the Specifications to

page_text: Letters Patent Nos. 2757 and 4400 of 1880, No. 1638 of 1881, No. 2946 of 1882
and No. 9701 of 1884.
In these Specifications no definite instructions are given for the proper procedure
when dyeing piece goods and although short lengths of cloth inay perhaps be dyed
more or less satisfactorily by each of the several processes specified we find no
intimation of the practical difficulties which arise when any attempt is made to apply
such processes to piece goods on a large and commercial scale. For instance we can
find no mention in either of the Specifications named of the extreme sensitiveness of
the diazotizing bath whereas we have discovered that when the piece goods are run
continuously through the diazotizing bath the alkaline solution of napthol or other
phenolic body with which said goods have been previously impregnated will cause the
rapid deterioration of the diazotizing solution and so speedily render it inoperative as
a developer.
To overcome these difficulties we run the pieces continuously under and over two
series of guide rollers one series say for example composed of rollers three inches in
diameter placed a few inches apart the other series being rollers very much smaller
and placed as closely together as possible without obstructing the free passage of the
cloth. The series of small rollers which are preferably of metal are supported in a
shallow vessel containing the diazotizing solution which is supplied through a
perforated spurt pipe or pipes from a convenient reservoir.
The chief advantage obtained by this system is that the quantity of impregnated
cloth in the bath is always so small that there is never sufficient napthol or
equivalent to destroy the developing properties of the diazotizing solution and con-
sequently the dyeing process can be carried on continuously and for as long a period
as desired.
And in order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will describe the accompanying sheet of drawings reference being had to the
figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 represents an elevation.
Fig. 2 a sectional elevation and
Fig. 3 a plan of apparatus employed by us in carrying out our invention.
a a are the ends and bb the sides of a box or case in which is a shallow vessel c
containing the diazotizing solution; d d are perforated spurt pipes; e e are a series
of rollers which rotate in the vessel c and ff are another series of rollers supported
in bearings at the ends a a of the case; the cloth is marked g.
The mode of operation is as follows:-
The cloth g passes continuously at the desired speed in the direction indicated by the
arrows through the diazotizing solution in the vessel c, under the rollers e e and over
the rollers ff alternately, the diazotizing solution is supplied through the perforated
pipes d d from which it is ejected against the surface of the cloth. The pipes d d
extend the full length of the vessel c and the solution supplied by them after
saturating the cloth g falls into the vessel c and as the cloth is all the time
carrying away the diazotizing solution from the vessel c the solution is constantly
changed.
By the use of our invention only a small quantity of the alkaline solution with
which the cloth has previously been impregnated can be in the vessel c at one time so
that it is hindered from neutralizing the diazotizing solution which is thus enabled to
act efficiently on the cloth under operation and the dyeing process can be carried on
much more quickly and economically than heretofore.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
-
1. The combination with the vessel c rollers e and for their equivalents of the
spurt pipes d for saturating the cloth with the diazotizing solution substantially as and
for the purposes herein described and as shown.
2. The production of azo cclours upon cotton and other piece goods by passing the

page_text: same under guides or rollers such as e in a vessel such as c containing a compara-
tively small quantity of diazotizing solution which is frequently or continuously
renewed in such manner that only a small portion the goods shall at any time be
in the solution.
1
1000
H. B. BARLOW,
Agent for Applicants.