IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR PRINTING OR COLOURING YARNS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Ripley at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th April 1867.
I, GEORGE RIPLEY, of Bradford, in the County of York, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR
PRINTING OR COLOURING YARNS," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improved machinery for printing or colouring yarns
has for its object to print or colour the yarns used in weaving; this may be
done either in the hank or intermediate between the bobbins, from which the
yarns are drawn off, and the spindles, whereby they are subsequently wound or
laid ready to be introduced into the shuttles for weaving purposes. Or the
printing or colouring operation may be carried on in the spinning or twisting
frame by means of apparatus adapted thereto for the purpose. In order to
print or colour the yarns in the hank the latter is extended (lengthwise) in a
frame over strings, wires, or bars which will hold the bank flat; this frame is
mounted on wheels which run on guides in the printing machine, so that the
extended hank may be passed between the printing or colouring rollers, which
are supplied with colour from troughs or vessels suitably arranged for the
purpose. If desired several sets of printing rollers printing different colours
may be placed in one machine so that the hank is passed between them all
without having been taken off the frame, and is thus printed several colours.
After the banks have been printed or coloured they may be steamed, washed,
dried, prepared, and wound in the usual manner to prepare them to be used
in weaving. Instead of printing the yarns in the hank they may be printed

page_text: or coloured at some point intermediate between bobbins, from which they may
be drawn off after spinning, and other bobbins whereon they may be wound
after being printed or coloured. To this end the full bobbins with the yarn
thereon are placed as close together as possible in a frame, and when drawn
off therefrom are conducted between the printing rollers whereby the colour is
imparted to the yarn; from thence the yarns pass over a drying box, cylinder,
or other suitable drying apparatus to a guide plate or bar, and thence to
bobbins whereon they are laid or otherwise prepared ready for use in the
weaving operation.
In adapting the printing apparatus to the spinning or twisting frame the
colour is applied to the yarn by means of a rotating frame or roller provided
with bars, wires, or other devices, which may be covered with felt or other
absorbent material which will hold the colour; this frame or roller is mounted
in arms, to which is communicated a vibrating motion to and from the yarns
as they pass from the drawing rollers of the spinning or twisting frame to the
spindles and flyers below; the frame or roller as it rotates or vibrates is made
wet with colour from suitable colour boxes or otherwise, and by means of the
vibrating or rotating motion before mentioned it is brought against the yarns
as they pass to the spindles, and thereby colours the same in patches or
sections, a hot cylinder or drying box may be used as before described.
The vibrating motion of the frame or roller may be effected by any suitable
mechanism connected with the main driving shaft, or by means of heart wheels
or excentrics on or connected with the shaft or axle of the lower drawing
rollers.
As a modification of the above the yarns from the drawing rollers of the
spinning frame may be passed between a pair of printing or colour rollers,
whereby the colour may be laid on to them as they pass to the flyers and
spindles.