Bleaching, Dyeing, and Treating Textile Materials.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1837
Complete Left, 24th Dec, 1887
Complete Accepted, 27th Jan., 1888
Bleaching, Dyeing, and Treating Textile Materials.
We ELY SUTCLIFFE and GEORGE EDWARD SUTCLIFFE of the Patent Process
Dyeing Company Limited of Halifax in the County of York do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to the treatment of textile materials in order to obtain white
or coloured yarns and consists of improvements in former inventions for which
applications for Letters Patent bearing the Official numbers 10933 and 14971 have
been made by two of us namely the said Ely Sutcliffe and George Edward Sutcliffe
in the year 1886. In the said former inventions the materials were coiled or
assembled around a perforated tube and the bobbin shaped mass was enclosed within
a chamber arrangements being made for rotating the said mass and for forcing fluids
either into one end of the central pipe or into the enclosing chamber. In the
experimental working of the said inventions when dyeing slivers of cotton or of
wool or other textile material we have placed the perforated tube in the sliver can
which receives the sliver from the carding engine and the sliver has been coiled in the
ordinary way around the said tube. We have found that the peculiar way in which
the sliver is built up by the addition of successive excentrically disposed coils of
sliver around an axis produces a cylindrical mass of material which is in a condition
very suitable to the purposes of the invention as there is freedom for the coils to
contract and expand without the mass becoming irregular in density to any great
extent and the mass is regularly permeable so that an uniform resuit can be obtained.
In our present invention we do not confine ourselves to the placing of a perforated
tube within the coiler can nor to the use of the cage fixed upon the hollow shaft in
the machine but we obtain the coiled mass either built up around a tube or built up
in a single mass or in two or more masses and placed upon a tube or otherwise so
long as we obtain the mass of textile materials mounted within a closed chamber and
enclosing a perforated tube or pipe. In the case of sliver we coil the sliver in the
ordinary can with such an adjustment of the coiler as will cause a central hole to be
left or we coil the sliver within a perforated or reticulated case containing a fixed

page_text: central perforated pipe or we place the sliver coiled around a perforated tube within
a perforated or reticulated case and place the said case with its contents in the
machine or we mount a shaft or a non-perforated tube in the sliver can and lift off
the coiled sliver and insert a perforated tube or place two or more of such masses of
coiled sliver upon a perforated tube or add additional coiled sliver to a mass which
has been coiled around a perforated tube. By applying the contents of two or more
cans to a single tube we obtain a greater density of the mass and also increase the
duty of the machine. When operating upon yarns in the hank we build up the
cylindrical mass as near as may be in the same manner as the coiled sliver or we
attach the banks end to end and coil them into the required form. When operating
upon warps we coil them as in the cases of the sliver and when operating upon yarns
we may in some cases assemble them in the warp form coil them and subsequently
after the operations in the machine wind them into hanks cops or otherwise as required.
When the materials are placed within a case bag or envelope which is introduced with
its contents into the machine we sometimes positively connect the case or envelope
with the central shaft by means of a driver or carrier rod. We provide means
whereby the direction of rotation of the mass of material may be reversed as often as
is considered to be desirable. As suitable means for effecting this reversal we prefer
to drive the revolving shaft of the machine by means of a counter shaft which can he
driven in either direction by a cross and open strap arrangement and when these are
out of action can be driven at a high speed by means of another belt when it is
desirable to discharge liquid from the materials. We also provide a four-way cock or
valve or a suitable arrangement of cocks or valves whereby the direction of flow of
the liquid may be reversed as often as considered to be desirable. By the combination
of these reversals we obtain four changes in the action of the machine these changes
tending to render more uniform and regular the action of the liquids upon the
materials. In order to obtain a larger How of fluid we in some cases admit and
withdraw the fluid into and from both ends of the perforated tube. In such cases we
form a passage or passages in the removable cover or we establish a communication
which will permit of the cover being removed or being opened as a door or we
connect and disconnect the piping as required. The fluid may be pumped into the
machine as in the former inventions or be forced or drawn through by any suitable
means as for example by the liquid pressure caused by the liquid flowing from a
higher to a lower level. Our invention is applicable in the washing, scouring,
bleaching, mordanting, dyeing and treatment of textile materials and may be used in
the treatment of loose fibres or of cops or of textile materials other than those
specially mentioned herein.
Datad this 241 of March 1007
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in the Method of and in Apparatus for Washing,
Bleaching, Dyeing, and Treating Textile Materials.
We ELY SUTCLIFFE and GEORGE EDWARD SUTCLIFFE of the Patent Process Dyeing
Company Limited of Halifax in the County of York 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 and accompanying
drawings
Our Invention relates to the treatment of textile materials in order to obtain white
or coloured yarns and consists of improvements in and additions to former inventions
for which applications for Letters Patent bearing the Official numbers 10933 and
14971 have been made by two of us namely the said Ely Sutcliffe and George
Edward Sutcliffe in the year 1886. In the following description of our present
invention we will refer to the accompanying drawings whenever such reference will
render our description more clear.
In our said former inventions the materials were coiled or assembled around a
perforated tube and the bobbin shaped mass was enclosed within a chamber arrange-
ments being made for rotating the said mass and for forcing fluids either into one end
of the central pipe or into the enclosing chamber. In the experimental working
of the said inventions when dyeing slivers of cotton or of wool or other textile
material we have placed the perforated tube in the sliver can which receives the sliver
from the carding engine and the sliver has been coiled in the ordinary way around
the said tube. We have found that the peculiar way in which the sliver is built up
by the addition of successive excentrically disposed coils of sliver around an axis
produces a cylindrical mass of material which is in a condition very suitable to the
purposes of the invention as there is freedom for the coils to contract and expand
without the mass becoming irregular in density to any great extent and the mass is
regularly permeable so that an uniform result can be obtained. In our present
invention we do not confine ourselves to the placing of a perforated tube within the
coiler can nor to the use of the cage fixed upon the hollow shaft in the machine but
we obtain the coiled mass either built up around a tube or built up in a single mass
or in two or more masses and placed upon a tube or otherwise so long as we obtain
the mass of textile materials mounted in a chamber or cistern and enclosing a
perforated tube or pipe.
We have found that we can obtain the sliver in the required coiled state without
the use of the central perforated tube and even without the can.
coil the sliver in the ordinary can with such an adjustment of the
a central hole to be left and wo insert a perforated tube within
on to a tube.
sliver or remove the mass from the can and slip
In the one case we
coiler as will cause
the coiled mass of
In the other case

page_text: we place the perforated tube in an upright central position below the coiler with one
end flange resting upon the fixed collar of the tube as when using the coiler can in
accordance with our said former invention No. 14971 but in the present case we
dispense with the can. The sliver is coiled around the tube and the coils become built up in
a sufficiently regular manner to suit our purpose. The spiral spring may or may not
be used when we so dispense with the can. We may coil the sliver around a core of
wood or other material and slip the mass of such core on to the perforated tube or
withdraw the core and introduce the tube in its place. We may substitute a perforated
or reticulated case or can for the ordinary can and coil the sliver within such case.
We should prefer to provide such a can with a central perforated tube so that when
the case was full of sliver it would only be necessary to apply a top cover or lid and
place the case with its contents in the machine. We may place the contents of two
or more cans or place two or more coiled masses of sliver upon a single perforated
tube or add additional coiled sliver to a mass which has been coiled around a perforated
tube. By applying the contents of two or more cans to a single tube we obtain a
greater density of the mass and also increase the duty of the machine. We do not
however find this to be necessary in our present practice as by continuing the coiling
for some time after the can is full or after the mass has reached its full height we
obtain a suitable density owing to the compressive action of the coiler. When coiling
the sliver upon a perforated tube or upon a core we have found it to be desirable that
the upper end of the tube shall be close up to the coiler head, and for this purpose wo
have adopted the arrangement illustrated by Fig. 1. We slide the perforated tube b
upward into the required position and support it by means of a pin al which is passed
through a hole in the stump c'. When the can or tube is filled we remove the pin a',
so that the mass drops sufficiently to enable its removal to be conveniently effected.
When using
a can we form openings at the lower end of the can or make such lower
end of a skeleton form as in the example given in the drawings attached to the
specification No. 14971 hereinbefore referred to. When operating upon yarns in the
hank we build up the cylindrical mass as near as may be in the same manner as the
coiled sliver or we attach the hanks end to end and coil them into the required form.
Fig. 2 illustrates one method whereby we may attach hanks end to end by tying the
hanks together Lefore removing them from the swift. Fig. 3 illustrates the building
up of a mass around a perforated tube by placing the hanks around the tube.
operating upon warps we coil them as nearly in the same manner as the sliver is
coiled as is conveniently practicable. The coiling may be effected by hand or by
means of a machine adapted to the purpose as preferred. When operating upon yarns
we may in some cases assemble them in the warp form coil them and subsequently
after the operations in the machine wind them into hanks cops or otherwise as required.
When the materials are placed within a case bag or envelope which is introduced
with its contents into the machine we sometimes positively connect the case or
envelope with the central shaft by means of a driver or carrier rod. Figs. and 5
illustrate the formation of the case which we are now using to contain and carry the
materials whilst they are being treated in the machine. The case is formed in three
parts which are hinged together at ddd. One of the hinge pins can be drawn out
the case then opening out in the manner indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. The
case consists of a skeleton metal framework lined with fine metal gauze. When the
case is open the bobbin shaped mass of sliver is placed within th case which it about
fills the ends of the inner perforated tube projecting slightly through the ends of the
We find it desirable to envelope the mass in a cloth before placing it within the
case especially when operating upon sliver as the sliver is thereby better protected.
We make the package such a fit in the case as that it is necessary to draw together
the meeting edges by means of a clamp applied to the lips c' or by suitable means to
enable the joint pin or wire to be introduced. At is a projection which comes in
contact with a driver or carrier when the case is placed in the machine so that the
case is carried around positively as aforesaid. Figs. 6 and 7 are elevations of the two
sides of the improved machine which we are now using in our operations. Parts of
case.
When

page_text: the apparatus are separately represented in the detached Figs. 8 to 12. In the said
Figs. A is a chamber which is provided with a hollow shaft and with a closable
door gas in our former invention No 14971 hereinbefore referred to the parts in the
present machine which correspond to parts in the machine illustrated in the drawings
of No. 14971 being marked with the same letters of reference. This door may be
hinged to the shell of the chamber or be removable as preferred. The outer solid
part of the shaft i carries a set of fast and loose belt pulleys a. a¹ and a single fast helt
pulley. The pulleys a. a' are separately represented in Fig. 8 wherein a is a sleeve
which is loosely mounted to slide upon the shaft and is provided at one end with a
half clutch as which can be caused to engage with the other half of the clutch which
is fast to the shaft. The pulleys a. a are loose upon the sleeve the pulley a being fast
upon the sleeve. The pulleys a. a are connected by cross and open belts with a driving
drum c which is fixed to the shaft d which is driven by ineans of a belt e which
receives motion from the mill shafting. The said cross and open helts are controlled
by means of a belt fork which is attached to one arm of a lever which is mounted
upon a fulcrum at k² and is acted upon by a crank disc which is fixed upon a cross
shaft which extends from one side of the machine to the other and carries at its
other end a spur wheel m seen most clearly in Fig. 6 and in the detached view Fig. 9.
The disc is shown as fixed upon the same shaft as the wheel m for sake of simplicity
but in practice we use a spur wheel in place of the disc and drive it by means of a
pinion on the said cross shaft thereby causing the movements of the lever A¹ to be
much slower. This wheel m gears with a pinion m¹ which revolves
upon a fixed stud
and is attached to a worm wheel m² which engages with a worm m³ which is fixed
upon the shaft. d. The result of this arrangement is that a slow revolving motion is
communicated to the wheel and the rod is thereby caused to vibrate slowly
whereby the two belts are shifted upon the pulleys a. a' one belt being slowly shifted
off the pulley a' and the other belt on to the same pulley thereby effecting the
reversal of the direction of revolution of the hollow shaft. It will also be seen that
the belts are shifted to and fro in each complete revolution of the wheel so that for
a part of the period of such revolution the shaft a will revolve in one direction and
for another part of the period of revolution of the said wheel the shaft a will revolve
in the reverse direction. As this shifting of the belts is slowly effected it will be
readily understood that at each reversal the speed of revolution of the hollow shaft
will be gra lually decreased and increased and also there will be a period during which
the revolution ceases entirely. We will now proceed to describe the means whereby
the flow of liquor is controlled. The chamber A is connected with a valve box B by
means of a pipe and the chamber is connected with the same box by means of a
pipe o the two pipes communicating respectively with two ports n'o' formed in the
valve face as seen in Fig. 11. A slide valve p puts the one port into communication
witha discharge pipe and the other with the interior of the valve box which is in communi-
cation with a pipe which proceeds from a centrifugal pump e which is driven by the
shaft d. This pump is of ordinary construction and has an inlet or suction pipe pl
which conveys the dyeing liquor to the pump. When the valve p is in the position
shown in Fig. 11 the dye liquor from the pump will pass through the port o¹ and
pipe o into the chamber 7. The liquor from the chamber A will pass through the
pipen and the port n into the discharge pipe which conveys the liquor back into
the dye cistern or other outlet according to the arrangements.
When the valve is
slid into its other position the direction of flow of the liquor is reversed. Means are
provided whereby this reversal is effected several times during the dyeing of a package
of sliver. The end of the valve rol p' is connected by a link with one end of a rock
lever which is mounted upon a fulcrum at på and is jointed by its other end to the
end of a rod t seen best in Fig. 6 and also in Fig. 9. Upon this rod is loosely
mounted a sleeve s which is connecte! by means of a spiral spring with an alustable
collar and is moved to and fro upon the rod by means of a rock levers which is
mounted upon a fulcrum at s³. The lower end of this lever is connected by a link
with a crank pint which is fixed to the wheel m hereinbefore referred to. As this

page_text: wheel revolves the lever is rocked upon its fulcrum whereby the sleeve s
is slid to and fro upon the rod p thereby alternately extending and com-
pressing the spiral spring.
The said rod is locked in one or the other
alternately of two positions by means of a locking lever u. The said locking lever is
As the
unlocked by means of inclines which project from the back of the wheel m.
wheel m rotates the locking lever holds the rod p whilst the spring is being
compressed or extended until the lever is knocked off by one of the inclines when the
rod will yield to the pressure or the pull of the spring as the case may be and the
valve p will move across the valve box and thereby reverse the flow of the current of
liquor. There being two inclines on the wheel m it follows that the valve is moved to
and fro so as to reverse the flow of liquor twice in each revolution of the wheel m.
Means are provided for increasing the speed of rotation of the hollow shaft i at the
will of the operator. At the end of the first motion shaft is a set of four pulleys
which are separately shown in Fig. 12. Of these pullies vis fast to the shaft and v
is loose. The other two w and w¹ are cast or fixed together and are also loose. The
larger pulley we drives the pulley on the end of the shaft i by means of a belt x.
When the main belte is on the pulley v the hollow shaft i is revolved first in one
direction and then in the other and the pump and reversing motion are actuated as
hereinbefore described. When the belt is shifted on to the pulley v the rotation of the
shaft and of the pump and reversing motion ceases. When the belt is shifted on to
the pulley the belt r rotates the hollow shaft at an increased speed. The belt e is
shifted by a belt fork e' which is carried by a sliding har e². A clutch lever y turning
upon a fulcrum at yl is adapted to engage with the grooved end of the bush a so that
by acting upon the lever the bush carrying the fast and loose pulleys a. a' can be slid
along the shaft j the clutch a³ being thereby disengaged or engaged. The pendant end
of the clutch lever is acted upon by pins y2 y3 when the bar e is moved to shift the
belt e.
In Figs. 6 and 7 the belt e is on the loose pulley and all the parts are at rest.
When the bar is shifted in the direction indicated by the arrow the machine will be
started and the hollow shaft will revolve in reverse directions, but if the bar e be
shifted in the contrary direction the helt e will pass on to the pulley w and at the
same time the pin y will act on the cluich lever so as to disengage the clutch the
action of the pump and of the reversing motions ceasing and the hollow shaft i being
rapidly revolved. When the bar is shifted back to put the belt e upon the fast
pulley the pin y² pushes forward the lever to re-engage the clutch. We use the
machine when dyeing textile fibrous materials in the following manner. The package
of sliver or material having been enclosed within the case shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the
said case is placed in position upon the shaft i and a removable wheel is placed in
position and secured by means of a screw. When so mounted the extreme ends of
the perforated tube come in contact with elastic packings as in the machine in our
foriner specification. The wheel is provided with a driver which engages with the
projection on the end of the case and thereby establishes a positive connection
between the case and the shaft i as hereinbefore mentioned. The periphery of the
said wheel just clears the cylindrical wall of the chamber and supports the shaft end
when the door g is opened. The case being in position the machine is started and
liquor is pumped through the contents of the case which we will term the package.
The reversals of the flow of liquor and of the rotation of the package and the variations
in the speed of such rotation and occasional cessation of rotation caused by the slow
shifting of the belts on the pulleys a. a' have an important effect in producing
uniformity of result throughout the sliver owing to the innumerable lines of flow of
the liquor through the sliver. When the operation has been carried far enough the
bar is shifted to stop the pumping and rotation of the package and the liquor drains
out of the chamber A. The bar e is now shifted to put on the quick speed and the
rapid rotation of the package discharges the excess of liquor thereby effecting an
economy in the use of liquor and also partly drying the sliver. In practice the inlet
pipe can be connected with a supply of water so that the remaining unfixed dye
liquor may be rinced out. Suitable arrangements are made for supplying to the
=

page_text: pump lye or any liquor or liquid which may be required in the operation. The
chamber A is provided with a suitable air discharge valve which closes when
the chamber is full this valve being provided with an air cock so that the air may be
kept in the chamber when desirable. A self-acting air inlet valve of a suitable
construction is applied to the chamber to let in air when the package is revolved
rapidly in the extracting operation. Any suitable cocks or valves arranged to be
opened by hand or self actingly may take the places of the valves or of the slide
reversing valve. The shaft may be provided with a fixed cage as in the case of our
prior apparatus described in our Specification No. 14971 hereinbefore referred to.
In order to obtain a larger flow of fluid we may in some cases admit and withdraw
the fluid into and from both ends of the perforated tube. In such cases we should
form a passage or passages in the removable cover or establish a communication which
would permit of the cover being removed or being opened as a door or we should
connect and disconnect the piping as required. Fig. 13 illustrates one method
whereby we may pass fluid through the cover or door into and from the hollow shaft.
Instead of the fluid being pumped into the machine it may be forced or drawn
through by any suitable means as for example by the liquid pressure caused by the
liquid flowing from a higher to a lower level. We do not confine ourselves to the
details of the machine illustrated by Figs. 6 to 12 so long as the described reversals
of revolution and of the fluid currents are obtained nor do we confine ourselves to the
use of a close chamber as the package might be mounted to revolve in an open
cistern or vat and the liquors be alternately forced into and exhausted from the
central perforated tube. In such cases two or more packages might be operated upon
at the same time in one vat as in the case of the example illustrated by Fig. 14 which
represents a number of hollow shafts carrying packages and connected by bevel
gearing with a common driving shaft. Our invention is applicable in the washing,
Scouring, bleaching, mordanting, dyeing and treatment of textile materials and may
be used in the treatment of woven or knitted materials or of loose fibres or of cops or
other textile materials than those specially mentioned therein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
(1.) In the washing scouring bleaching or dyeing of textile materials coiling
placing or arranging such materials around a perforated tube in the manner herein
set forth and indicated and subsequently treating the package so formed substantially
as set forth hereinbefore or in the prior specifications herein referred to.
(2.) The previous case formed of parts hinged together opening to receive the
package of material and adapted when closed to be mounted upon a hollow perforated
revolving shaft and to revolve therewith substantially as set forth and indicated.
(3.) In apparatus for washing bleaching or dyeing textile materials a hollow
perforated shaft provided with means for rotating it first in one direction and then in
the other and adapted to be surrounded by the materials to be treated combined with
means for creating a flow of liquid through the shaft and for reversing the direction
of the flow at intervals so that the liquid at one time flows out of the shaft and
through the materials which surround the shaft and at another time flows through
the said materials and into the shaft substantially as set forth and indicated.
(4.) In apparatus for washing, bleaching or dyeing textile materials a hollow
perforated shaft to carry the said materials in the form of a package around the shaft
which is revolved in reverse directions and means being provided for the more rapid
revolution of the shaft at the times when the liquid is to be discharged from the said
package in combination with means for forcing or drawing the liquid through the
package in reverse directions substantially as set forth and indicated.
(5.) In apparatus for washing, bleaching or dyeing textile materials a hollow
perforated shaft when in use enclosed within such materials mounted to be revolved
within a closed chamber the interiors of the shaft and chamber communicating with

page_text: a four way valve which is also connected with a liquor pump and a discharge pipe
in combination with a self acting motion for acting upon the driving belt guide so as
to reverse the direction of revolution of the hollow shaft at intervals during the
operation and with a second self-acting motion for operating the valve at intervals so
as to reverse the direction of the current of liquid substantially as described.
(6.) In apparatus for the uses herein set forth a hollow perforated shaft mounted
to revolve with provision for the flow of liquor into and out of both ends of the
shaft.
(7.) The method of tyeing or attaching banks together so as to facilitate the coiling
of the hanks or the formation of the same into a package or bundle as a preliminary to
mechanical scouring, bleaching or dyeing operations as set forth with reference to
Fig. 2 of the drawings.
1
1
1
1005
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester.
Agents.