Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for use in Mercerising or Treating with Liquid Skeins, Hanks and Yarn.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1899-Accepted, 5th May, 1900
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for use in Mercerising or
Treating with Liquid Skeins, Hanks and Yarn.
A communication from JULES DOLDER, Engineer, of Grevenbroich, Germany.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
In the machines employed at the present time for mercersing skeins, hanks and
yarns pairs of cylinders are always used, as is well known for the support of
the skeins etc., of which the cylinder for producing the required tension is
kept at a constant tension. The tension of the material treated is therefore
always the same: and when it has to be removed it can only be done by dis-
engaging the springs. However the tension on the material remaining constant
during the whole of the operation of mercerising is very harmful to the material
ás has been demonstrated by actual experiment. To obtain a beautiful brilliancy
of the skeins or fibres indestructible and very uniform, it is necessary that the
skeins should hang at their natural length during the time that they are passing
through the mercerising liquid. During the rinsing or pressing period the
skeins ought also to be held loosely and only during the washing process should
they be subject to strong stretching or tension, which should cease when the
material is to be taken off. To obtain this object in the present machine, the
cylinders are arranged in pairs to hold the skeins or hank between them and when
required stretch them, in combination with a fixed guiding curve, by which
means the cylinders are given a certain movement according to requirements, and
the tension necessary at each phase of the work.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a cross section of a preferred form of machine according to this in-
vention.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 shows the shape of a guiding curve.
Fig. 3 shows a detail view of a guiding curve.
Figs. 4 and 4" illustrate the arrangement of the pairs of cylinders.
Fig. 5 shows the construction and arrangement of the washing device.
:
Figure shows in side elevation and front view a device for the automatic
stopping of the washing water and the automatic coupling and uncoupling of the
stop lever.
1
Figure 7 shows the opening and closing device for the covers or guard of the
Figure 8 is a front view, and
water vessel.
Figure
AL longitudinal section of the crank of the tension cylinders.

page_text: DESCRIPTION.
The machine illustrated in the drawings, is provided with six pairs of
cylinders, a a² f² a³ ³ ³ 64 a³ 65 and a 6 which are arranged concentrically
The
to a support formed by two star discs d, secured on a rotatory shaft w.
shaft can revolve in the standards g g between which are arranged the
support and the pairs of cylinders. To this series of cylinders the cylinders
a¹
a are secured to the supports while the cylinders b'. 06, which
are to produce the desired tension are movable relatively to the corresponding
cylinders a..
and are carried on armis h of levers h h the other arms h
of which carry at their free ends rollers k, which roll along a guide curve M
(Figures 1 and 2) forming a kind of eccentric secured to the standard g¹.
The guiding curve M, represented in Figures 1 and 3 consists of two tracks
one of which A³ 13 C3 is completely circular and the other A B E is bent
towards the centre w. By means of the two guides or switches Q1 Q2, the guiding
of the cylinders can be first directed by means of the circular curve in cases for
instance, when the skeins have to pass twice through the mercerising liquid, so
that only at the second rotation of the system the rollers pass into the inner
curve, towards the shaft w. The radius of the inner curve is so arranged that two
tension cylinders actuated by that portion of the concentric guide, are
maintained at their greatest distance from the fixed cylinders to which they
belong. At about one-third of a revolution from this place, is a vessel X
containing the mercerising liquid; the curve has such a form that two of the
tension cylinders in this case 2 and 3, are moved slightly towards their corre-
sponding fixed cylinders and the skeins are only extended to their natural length.
At another point (a¹¹) where the removal of the skeins is to take place, the
guiding curve is at its shortest distance from the central shaft in consequence
of which the tension cylinder 6' corresponding to a¹ is so displaced that the skeins
or hanks hang quite loosely and can be taken off easily. The curve af is con-
tinuous and the two guide branches constituting it are fixed to the standard g¹ of
the frame.
The curve M³ represented in Figure is a modification of the curve repre-
sented in Figure 1 and is employed preferably to the latter. It consists of
three parts: the part C which alone is rigidly fixed to the frame-work, while
the parts A and B are attached to and can be displaced by the levers 13 and D
respectively for the purpose of moving more or less from the centre the arms h
and consequently to augment, or diminish the distance between the cylinders, a¹
b. a . According to such an arrangement the portion A³ for instance may
be displaced by moving it away from the centre so as to produce a great tension
in the skeins when placed below the washing device at . The part B can
also be more or less displaced as regards the centre, and further this part should
also have a recess, as indicated in the drawings, Figure 3, at the place where
the pressing is carried out, so as to produce during that operation a relaxation in
the skeins. Switches Q1, Q2 are employed in a similar manner to those described
with reference to Fig. 3".
The levers D3 D4 are respectively articulated at dd to the fixed plate D5, and
at to the arms A B which respectively support the sections A³ 133 of the
curve. The required position is given to the sections A3 B3 by adjusting the
articulations dd, and dr do.
When the skeins are to pass only once through the mercerising bath contained
in the vessel X, Figure 1, the switches Q1 Q2 are moved by hand, into the position
shown in full lines in Figure 3ª, in such a manner, that when the skeins have
passed through the different operations required and have arrived successively
at ab the corresponding roller k becomes engaged in the part of the curve
bending towards the centre, owing to which the cylinder 6 will approach the
cylinder a as represented by a¹¹ (full lines) of Figure 3 instead of the position b
shown in dotted lines. In this position of the cylinders the skeins are relaxed
and, therefore, can easily be taken off and replaced by others.

page_text: when the skeins are to pass several times through the bath X, the switches are
placed by hand in the dotted line position Figure 3, and the rollers & will there-
fore continue their way along the circular curve passing over the switches. In
this case the cylinders a¹ betc. preserve their relative distance apart throughout
and the skeins remain subject to the same amount of tension. When the skeins
enter on their last course, during which they are to pass through the mercerising
bath, to be afterwards removed and replaced by others, the switches Q1 Q2 are
raised as represented in Figure 3" whereupon the rollers will pass into the
inwardly bent part of the curve as described.
The operation in connection with the curve represented in Figure 3 is the
same as above described, but this curve is provided with only one track instead
of two, and the rollers, k roll on the outside of the circular track, and on the
inside of the cross track.
Figure 4. The cylinders a¹ a are preferably octagonal in shape and consist
of a hub Land of a hard indiarubber cover or outer surface having in the case
illustrated, eight faces, which cover can be readily removed for the purpose of
cleaning. The object of these octagonal or analogously shaped cylinders is to
give the skeins intermittently a greater tension. As will be seen from Figures 4
and 4", the tension changes according to the position of the cylinders aa. In
consequence of the constant rotation of these cylinders, the skeins experience a
constantly alternating pulling and relaxing action from which results the fine
brilliancy of the skeins.
Figure 5. Above the fifth pair of cylinders are arranged two water pipes by
which water is sprayed under greater pressure on the skeins to wash out the
liquid from them. The water flows into the receptacle situated underneath the
cylinders aa65 66 from which it is discharged. On the two sides of the
receptacle are arranged covers or guards which completely cover the pairs of
cylinders so that the water cannot escape beyond and into the nierceris-
ing liquid below. The movement of these covers is produced automatically, being
raised every time the system of cylinders is advanced to the extent of one-sixth
of a complete rotation and they fall back immediately when the water begins to
be discharged.
The raising of the covers E to allow the passage of the cylinder is effected by
the action of a projection on the disc K acting on a bell-crank lever to which
the cover is connected. The movement of the right hand cover effects a similar
movement of the left hand cover by means of a connecting bar. When the
projection has passed the lever the covers return to their original positions
by their own weight.
From
The flow of water is automatically regulated in the following manner.
the principal shaft, see Figure 6, a disc K is actuated by means of gearing, which
according to the diameter or number of teeth of a regulating toothed wheel.SI,
makes one revolution every 60, 70 or 80 seconds; above this disc K, which is
provided with a notch or recess, slides a rod ³ provided with a roller kand
which by a lever m³ communicates with the closing tap of the water conduit
arranged below: as soon as the roller of the rod falls into the recess in the
lise K, the water-pipe is closed and remains so until the roller again moves
on to the outer or greater circumference. With the device for stopping the water
s also connected the means producing the forward movement of the system. The
lise K is provided with a tooth or projection Z which raises a fever V and
hereby imparts to a lever V¹ keyed on the same axle a backward movement, from
ight to left, which allows the apparatus to advance to the extent of one-sixth
f a revolution, since the lever Vis not in engagement with the catch c.
he cam leaves the lever V, the short lever V returns to. its initial position
When
gainst the stop V2 as represented in Figure 6, and when the catch subse-
uently strikes against Vi after making a sixth of a revolution the forward
ovement of all the cylinders is arrested. The catches c are mounted on, the
isc (Figure 2) there being one catch for each cylinder a....a (Figures 1

page_text: and 2). The advance-movement of the system and also the stopping or the water
is therefore produced by the disc K and it should be observed here that these
two movements succeed each other automatically. As soon as the lever V leaves
the tooth Z the stop lever V also moves forward, and the system is stopped when
one of the catches è on the disc d' in the rotation of the latter, comes against the f
stop lever V
The reason why the whole system turns when the stop lever is moved back, and
why the cylinders turn when the system is stopped will be described in the follow-
ing paragraph.
The whole system is actuated by a chain T (provided with a tension device T¹
Figure 1) which passes over the chain wheels s connected to the six cylinders a¹...
.a; on the shafts of each of the cylinders a¹.........a acts a steel band o, so
as to form a kind of brake in such a manner that the chain meets with a certain
If now, the stop lever is
amount of resistance in moving the six cylinders.
disengaged, the force urging the whole system forward is much less than what
is required for actuating the six cylinders under brake, hence the whole of the
system moves forward to the extent of one sixth of a complete rotation.
The receptacle X is preferably of metal, and the mercerizing liquid is raised
by means of a pump into a higher vessel from which it is supplied by means of a
pipe or pipes evenly on the skeins, by which arrangement a rapid and uniform
impregnation or treatment of the skeins is obtained. In order to be able to
vary the distance between a¹ and etc. so as to make them correspond to the
length of the skeins or hanks at the end of each of the crank rods 73 of the
cylinders b... .66 a lever his provided, which carries a roller k engaging in the
curve M. These levers h¹ can be so displaced that the angle which they make with
the crank of the cylinders b.......66, becomes less or greater, changing thereby
... and a 76.
also the distance between a¹..
In order to avoid loss of the mercerizing liquid at at a cylinder ST of india-
rubber is arranged to press against the material on the cylinder ab, thus
pressing out the superfluous liquid, which falls back into the vessel.
Figures 8 and 9 represent the crank or elbow lever h which is made up of two
parts united by means of bolts g² and provided with a groove f in which
the bolts are located. It is easy to see from this arrangement that by this means
the length of the crank, and with it, the distance from each other of the
cylinders a bacan be varied at will to suit the length of the skeins
treated.
At the
The system can only turn forward through one sixth of a revolution at a
...a is provided with a
time, as the support of the axles of the cylinders a
catch e which periodically engages the stop lever V. The whole system requires
for the completion of one revolution a period of six times 60, 70 or 80 seconds
While the apparatus is at rest, the various operations are carried out.
bottom, at a 2 and a 3 the impregnation is carried out, at a 64 the pressing
out of liquid, at a 5 the washing, while at a the hanks drain into the vesse
below the water and at a b¹ the skeins or hanks are taken off and replaced by
others; hence from the time the skeins are placed on a¹ until the time they
have passed through the six phases of the operation and are removed it require
six times 60 seconds or more or less.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the sai
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in wha
manner the same is to be performed it is to be understood that I am awar
of the Specifications of Thompson's Patent, No. 12379 of 1898 and of Entwisle
do not claim anything described and claime
Patent, No. 26728 of 1898 and
therein, but I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In apparatus of the kind described a circular guide track with branch eros
track so arranged that the crank levers engage with either the inner and oute

page_text: track or only with the outer guide track according to whether the skeins are to
be slackened or kept taut substantially as described.
2. Apparatus of the kind described comprising a series of pairs of cylinders one
cylinder of each pair being provided with a readily removable tubular cover
having eight or other number of projections substantially as and for the purpose
described.
3. In apparatus of the kind described a steel band so arranged as to be pressed
on the chain wheels carrying the cylinders for the purpose of producing a
difference in power for the forward movement of the system and of the cylinders
substantially as described.
4. In apparatus of the kind described a guide curve constructed in three
parts of which one is rigidly fixed to the frame and the others so arranged that
they can be moved nearer or farther from the centre by levers for the purpose
of producing either a tension or relaxation of tension on the material treated
substantially as described.
5. In apparatus of the kind described cranks of the tension cylinders made
of two parts provided with grooves and connected together by bolts for the
purpose of varying the distance between the cylinders so as to suit the length of
the skeins or hanks substantially as described.
6. The complete apparatus for use in mercerizing or treating with liquid
skeins hanks or yarns substantially as described or illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
1
1
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