IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING OR COLORING TEXTILE FABRICS AND MATERIALS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Emile Weber, of Mulhouse, in the Empire of France.
Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING OR COLORING
TEXTILE FABRICS AND MATERIALS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Sealed the 3rd June 1859, and dated the 18th December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Emile Weber at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th December 1858.
. I, EMILE WEBER, of Mulhouse, in the Empire of France, Chemist, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING
OR COLORING TEXTILE FABRICS AND MATERIALS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain modifications of and improvements in the
apparatus for dyeing, for which Letters Patent were granted to John Henry
Johnson, ou or about the 13th of August 1853.
The principle embodied in the Invention above referred to is the forcing of
the dye liquid by the aid of force pumps through the fabrics or materials to be
dyed, which is accomplished in a suitable vessel, having a false perforated
bottom and moveable perforated disc, which is pressed upon the top of the
materials to be dyed. In my present Invention this principle remains unal-
tered, but the apparatus itself is slightly modified. The vessel in which the

page_text: materials to be dyed are contained is to be of a large diameter as compared to
its depth, by which means the height of the layer or column of material con-
tained between the two discs through which the dye liquid is to be forced is
greatly reduced, and consequently a more uniform, tint is obtained, and a
considerable reduction in the power required to work the force pumps is
effected. I prefer that the height of the layer or column of material should
be from 1 foot to 16 inches, but it should in no case exceed 2 feet in thickness,
as the power requisite for forcing the liquid through such a dense body of
matter will be too great to render the apparatus practicable and useful; whilst,
moreover, I have found that where a thickness of material exceeding 2 feet is
used, the dye liquid becomes so weakened or spent before reaching the upper
surface of the layer or column that the materials are dyed unequally, the
bottom portion of the layer or column being comparitively dark, whilst the
top is of a lighter tint. This might be remedied to a certain extent by
reversing the flow of the liquid, that is, causing it to be forced from the
bottom upwards, and from the top downwards alternately, but the means
I propose to use when such inequality of tint arises consists in reversing the
fabrics or materials under treatment in the dyeing vessel so as to bring the top
of the layer downwards, and the bottom upwards. For this purpose I connect
the top and bottom perforated plates by a central bolt or other means, and lift
them out bodily with the materials between them, when I reverse the whole,
and deposit them again in the dye vessel. The dye liquid in the vat which
supplies the force pump is heated by steam or other heat, the same means
As it is
being applied for keeping the liquid in the dye vessel heated.
important in some cases that the same temperature should be maintained in
each vessel, I make use of thermometers to indicate immediately any variation
of temperature; one of these thermometers is applied to the liquid in the vat,
and the other to the steam space surrounding the dyeing vessel. In order
that a constant and regular stream of dye liquid be kept flowing through the
materials to be dyed, I place an air vessel on the pipe which supplies the dye
liquid to the dye vessel.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me. the said Emile Weber, Her special license that I, the said Emile
Weber, my executors. administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Emile Weber, my executors, administrators, or 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 DYEING OR COLORING TEXTILE FABRICS AND MATERIALS,
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Emile Weber, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Emile Weber, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and. to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to certain modifications of and improvements in
the apparatus for dyeing, for which Letters Patent were granted to John
Henry Johnson, on or about the Thirteenth of August, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-three.
The principle embodied in the Invention above referred to is the forcing of
the dye liquid by the aid of force pumps through the fabrics or materials to be
dyed, which operation is accomplished in a suitable vessel, having a false
perforated bottom and moveable perforated disc, which is pressed upon the top
of the materials to be dyed. In my present Invention this principle remains
unaltered, but the apparatus itself is slightly modified in construction and
arrangement. The vessel in which the materials to be dyed are contained is
to be of a larger diameter as compared to its depth than that described in the
Specification herein-before referred to, by which means the height of the layer
or column of material contained between the disc and false bottom through
which the dye liquid is to be forced is greatly reduced, and consequently a

page_text: more uniform tint is obtained, whilst a considerable reduction in the power
required to work the force pumps is effected. I prefer that the height of the
layer or column of material should be from one foot to sixteen inches, but it
should in no case exceed two feet in height, as the power requisite for forcing
the dye liquid through such a dense body of matter will be too great to render
the apparatus practicable and useful; whilst, moreover, I have found that
where a thickness of material exceeding two feet is used the dye liquid
becomes so weakened or spent before reaching the upper surface of the layer
or column, that the materials are dyed unequally, the bottom portion of the
layer or column being much darker than the top, which would be of a
comparitively light tint. This might be remedied to a certain extent by
reversing the flow of the liquid, that is to say, by causing it to be forced from
the bottom upwards, and from the top downwards alternately; but the means
I propose to adopt when such inequality of tint arises consists in reversing the
fabrics or materials under treatment in the dyeing vessel, so as to bring the
top of the layer or column downwards, and the bottom of the same upwards.
For this purpose I connect the top and bottom perforated plates or disces by a
central bolt or other suitable means, and lift them out bodily with the
materials between them; I then reverse the whole, and deposit the material
and discs in the dye vessel again. The dye liquid in the vat which supplies
the force pump is heated by steam or other heat, the same means being
applied for maintaining the heat of the liquid in the dye vessel. As it is
important in some cases that the same temperature should be maintained
in each vessel, I employ thermometers for the purpose of indicating imme-
diately any variation of temperature in these liquids; one of these ther-
mometers is applied to the liquid in the supply vat, and the other to the steam
space surrounding the dye vessel.
In order that a constant and regular stream of dye liquid may be kept
flowing through the materials to be dyed, I place an air vessel on the pipe
which supplies the dye liquid to the dye vessel.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents an elevation of my dye vessel with the
force pump and air vessel connected therewith in section; Figure 2 is a side
elevation at right angles to Figure 1, shewing the dye vessel, force pump, and
supply vat in elevation, and in complete working order; Figure 3 is a cor-

page_text: responding plan of the same; and Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section
of the entire apparatus.
A is the dye vessel enclosed in a steam jacket B, and provided with a
moveable perforated dise or false bottom C and a corresponding perforated
disc D, the latter or upper one being acted upon by the spindle of a screw
press E for the purpose of compressing slightly the goods or fabrics to be dyed,
which is placed in layers so as to form a column of materials between the two
perforated discs. F is a chain for connecting the upper and lower discs, so
that they may be both raised out of the dye vessel together with the goods or
fabrics between them, such connection not interfering with the due com-
pression of the fabrics. A force pump G, communicating by the pipe F with
the supply dye vat I, enables a constant stream of dye liquid to be pumped
through the pipe K into the bottom of the dye vessel A below the perforated
disc C, an air vessel L in connection with the pump serving to maintain a
regular and unintermittant flow of liquid. The supply vat I is also enclosed
in a steam jacket M, steam being supplied to the two jackets B and M
respectively by the pipes N and O, by which means the liquid in the supply
vat is heated, and its temperature maintained during its passage through the
dye vessel. The dye liquid on being forced into the bottom of the dye vessel
rises up through the perforations in the false bottom C, and after permeating
the goods enclosed between the two discs, passes through the perforations
in the upper disc, and thence flows off by the overflow pipe P back into
the supply vessel. A circulation of the dye liquid is thus constantly
maintained.
As I have found in practice that a better result is obtained by having a
short column or thinner layer of goods for the liquid to act upon, I have con-
siderably reduced the height of this column as compared to its diameter, by
which means I obtain more uniformity of tint than when a higher column or
thicker layer of goods is used, as the liquid does not become so weakened or
spent on arriving at the surface or top of the layer or column.
For the same object also I propose to reverse the position of the goods after
a time in the dye vessel, so that the liquid may be caused to flow through it
in alternately opposite directions, for which purpose I raise the two discs and
goods entirely out of the vessel, and replace them again in an inverted position,
the disc C being then uppermost, whilst the disc D forms the perforated false
bottom.
The same result might also be obtained to a certain extent by alternately
forcing the dye liquid from the top of the column downwards, and from the
bottom upwards. Q, Q', are thermometers placed the one in the dye liquid

page_text: in the supply vat, and the other in the steam space surrounding the dye vessel
A. R, R', are cocks fitted respectively in the steam jackets of the supply vat
and of the dye vessel, for the purpose of running off when necessary the water
of condensation collected in the bottoms of those jackets. The liquid may be
run off from the vat I by raising the conical plug i fitted into an opening in
the bottom of the vat, and connected by a chain to the surface of the vat.
Although I have more especially described my apparatus as applied to the
dyeing or coloring of textile fabrics and materials, it is obvious that the same
might be advantageously applied to the working of such fabrics or materials,
or the removal therefrom of foreign or extraneous matter.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of apparatus
for dyeing, coloring, and cleaning textile fabrics and fibrous materials, as
herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Second, the reversing of the position of the column or layer of goods under
treatment so as to cause the liquid employed to be forced through such goods
in alternate opposite directions without changing the direction of the flow of
such liquid, in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described and
illustrated by my Drawings.
Third, the connecting of the upper perforated disc with the lower per-
forated or false bottom, in the manner and for the purpose herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Emile Weber, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-nine.
EMILE WEBER. (L.S.)