IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OB APPARATUS EXPLOYED IN DYEING, BLEACHING, SCOURING, AND WATER- PROOFING WOOLLEN OR OTHER WOVEN OR FELTED FABRICS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Oldroyd, Mark Oldroyd the younger,
Joshua Woodcock, and James Coulter, all of Dewsbury, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OB APPARATUS EXPLOYED IN DYEING, BLEACHING, SCOURING, AND WATER-
PROOFING WOOLLEN OR OTHER WOVEN OR FELTED FABRICS.”
Sealed the 15th July 1878, and dated the 12th March 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Oldroyd, Mark
Oldroyd, Joshua Woodcock, and James Coulter at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 12th March
1878.
We, JOHN OLDBOYD, MARK OLDROYD the younger, JOSHUA WOOD-
COOK, and JAMES COULTER, all of Dewsbury, in the County of York, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN DYEING, BLEACHING, SCOURING, AND

page_text: WATERPROOFING WOOLLEN OR OTHER WOVEN OR FELTED FABRICS," to bo as
follows:-
We provide and fix within suitable framework a tank or cistern, which
is filled up to any required oxtent with the dyeing, bleaching, scouring,
or waterproofing liquid. In the interior of the tank or cistern, and near
to the bottom, we mount in suitable bearings a number of rollers, and
within the framework and above the tank we mount other rollers in
suitable bearings, and over cach of these, when preferred, we mount in
adjustable bearings others which we call nipping rollers, the required
pressure being given to these by weights, springs, or other known
mechanical means. The fabric is passed over or between the rollers
above the tank, and under the rollers within the tank. From the
aforesaid rollers the fabric is conducted by guide or delivery rollers to a
cuttling frame, which, by preference, we mount on the framework, from
which it is passed on to a creeper or “scray.”
A revolving brush in suitable bearings may be mounted between the
nipping or drawing rollers and guide or delivery rollers for the purpose
of straightening the face of the fabric.
The creeper or "scray," which consists of a travelling sheet, is passed
under the cistern, and conveys the fabric from the back to the front of
the machine.
Instoad of the travelling "scray" or creeper a fixed conductor of a
similar form may be employed for the same purpose. The fabric may
also, if preferred, be passed from the back to the front of the machino
within the cistern, being guided thereto by a fixed conductor.
4
.
The ends of each piece of the fabric being attached to each other,
forming thereby an endless sheet, the fabric is passed from the tank
through the cuttling apparatus, by which it is folded or cuttled, on to
the scray or fixed conductor, and thereby conveyed or conducted under
or within the tank to the front of the machine again, and as often as
required taken up into and passed through the tank,
We also provide one or more agitators to work in the cistern to keep
the liquor thoroughly mixed when the machine is at work, and we feed
the liquor into the tank at the bottom, or as near as convenient to the
agitators.
By the herein described arrangement and construction of machine tho

page_text: it more evenly receives the action of the dyo or other liquors; and in
passing over the upper and lower rollers alternately it has the advantago
of repeated exposure to the atmosphere. The fabric may also be travelled
through the liquor at a much greater speed without fear of damage.
The result of these combined advantages is a great saving of time;
labour, steam, and materials used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Oldroyd, Mark Oldroyd, Joshua Woodcock,
and James Coulter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
OLDROYD, MARK OLDROYD the younger, Joshua Woodcock, and JAMES
COULTER, all of Dowsbury, in the County of York, send greeting...
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in tho thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said John Oldroyd, Mark Oldroyd the younger,
Joshua Woodcock, and James Coulter, Her special licence that we, tha
said John Oldroyd, Mark Oldroyd the younger, Joshua Woodcock, and
James Coulter, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said John Oldroyd, Mark Oldroyd the younger, Joshua
Woodcock, and James Coulter, our exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed;
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR Appa-
BATUS EMPLOYED IN DYEING, BLEACHING, SCOURING, AND WATERPROOFING WOOLLEN
OR OTHER WOVEN OR FELTED FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said John Oldroyd, Mark Oldroyd the younger, Joshua
Woodcock, and James Coulter, our exccutors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and

page_text: apparatus, by which it is folded or cuttled, on to the scray or fixed con-
ductor, and thereby conveyed or conducted under or within the tank to
the front of the machine again, and as often as required taken up into
and passed through the tank.
We also provide one or more agitators to work in the cistern to keep
the liquor thoroughly mixed when the machine is at work, and wo feed
the liquor into the tank at the bottom, or as near as convenient to the
agitators.
By the herein described arrangement and construction of machines the
fabric is kept perfectly straight in its passage through the liquor, whereby
it more evenly receives the action of the dye or other liquors; and in
passing over the upper and lower rollers alternately it has the advantago
of repeated exposure to the atmosphere. The fabric may also be travelled
through the liquor at a much greater speed without fear of damage.
The result of these combined advantages is a great saving of time,
labour, steam, and materials used.
The Invention will be clearly understood by the aid of the Drawings
(annexed) and the following explanation :—
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a machine for purposes above recited, and
shewing our improvements attached; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;
and Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line a, b, of Fig. 1, showing apparatus
for driving the agitators; Fig. 4 is a section of apparatus having a fixed
conductor in lieu of the creeper or scray; and Fig. 5 is a like section
showing the piece being passed through the cistern, the outer caso of
which forms a fixed conductor, the inner case being lagged, or it may be
perforated, to allow the dye liquor to pass to the outer compartment.
The leading end of the fabric A is passed over the guide roller B,
under the guide roller B', thence between the squeezing rollers B³, B',
and so on under, between, and over the several guide and squeezing
rollers, as shewn clearly in the Drawings at Fig. 1, until reaching the
last pair of squeezing rollers B', B³, whence it will be passed over the
roller O, between the cuttle rollers c, c, and brought to and connected
with the terminating end of the piece at D, thereby forming an endloss
sheet ready to be operated upon. It will be seen that on motion by strap
being given to the pulley E, on the shaft E', the gear wheel F will,
through the various wheels mounted on the rollers' shafts G.and H, and
the intermediate wheel J on the studs d, cause the piece to be drawn

page_text: over between and under the various rollers and in and out of the dye or
other liquor (contained in the cistern K) in the direction shewn by
arrows, and that such operation may be continued or repeated as and so
long as desirable, the piece being straightened as it passes over the
roller B by the action of the spiral brush or roller L, to which rotation is 5
imparted by means of a strap from the pulley on the end of the roller's
shaft B'.
The cuttlo c, c, is worked from the end of the roller's shaft C by
wheels M, M, and folds the fabric on to the creeper or scray I, to which
progressive motion over its carrying rollers m, m, is imparted by means 10
of the connecting rod T attached to the levers W and W, the latter
working the catch W' attached thereto, which catch moves the catch
wheel W³ on the end of the creeper or scray roller.
Within the cistern is an agitator or agitators Y, employed for the
purpose of keeping the liquor thoroughly mixed. These are carried by 10
and rotate with the upright shafts X, supported by the cross stay piece Z,
rotation being imparted to the agitators by means of the bevel gear g
and shaft h. The latter works through the stuffing box k, and is driven
by strap Z' and pulleys Z³, Z³.
In the Drawings we have shewn and herein fully described the various 20
guide and squeezing rollers arranged over the dye cistern. This we have
done for the purpose of completely and clearly describing our Invention,
and not with the view of treating such parts as new, as we do not lay
any claim thereto. We have also shewn and described the creeper or
scray and also the stationary conductor as being placed under the dye 25
oistern. It will however be obvious that the height of the ceiling or
other convenience of the room or building within which this machinery
is to be worked will determine whether the creeper, scray, or conductor
shall be below or above the dye cistern.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of this our 30
Invention, together with the manner in which the same is to be or may
be performed, we would have it understood that we claim,—
Firstly. The creeper, scray, and stationary conductor, as and for the
purpose shewn and described.
Secondly. The agitators in connection and combination with the cuttle, 85
as and for the mirnose herein described and illustrated.

page_text: Lastly. The rotating spiral brush or roller and the cuttling apparatus
when employed in connection and combination with the crooper, scray,
or with the stationary conductor, as herein fully described and illustrated
by Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joshua Woodcock, for and on behalf
of myself and the said John Oldroyd, Mark Oldroyd the younger,
and James Coulter, have hercunto set my hand and scal, this
Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
cight hundred and seventy-three.
JOSHUA WOODCOCK. (L.B.)
Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Tasker & Brierley,
Patent Agents,
Halifax & Bradford.
•