IMPROVED PROCESSES AND APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE TURKEY-RED DYE ON COTTON AND ITS FABRICS
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
STEINER, of Hyndburn, near Accrington, in the County of Lancaster, Turkey-
red Dyer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of May
now last past, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Frederick Steiner, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her
especial licence that 1, the said Frederick Steiner, my exors, admors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick Steiner, my exors, admors,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVED PROCESSES AND
APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE TURKEY-RED DYE ON COTTON AND ITS FABRICS;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Frede-
rick Steiner, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly
to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in
Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the said Letters Patent, reference being thereunto had, will more
and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Frederick Steiner, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention to
consist :-
First, in securing between two pieces of woven fabric cotton in the wool,
in the yarn, or in any of its intermediate stages, or in such of its fabrics as 5
cannot be so advantageously operated upon in the ordinary manner, whereby
such cotton may be prepared to undergo part of the various well-known
processes of the Turkey-rod dye, such as bleaching or scouring, oiling and
mordanting, all or any of which may be applied to such cotton in the same
manner as to ordinary piece goods, and with less labour and less injury by
manipulation than heretoforc.
Secondly, in an improved apparatus to be applied to dye vats, by the aid of
which cotton yarn may be subjected to all or any of the processes of dyeing,
washing, and brightening before it is removed from the dye vat to which the
improved apparatus is applied.
And, lastly, in certain improved processes and apparatus by which cotton
fabrics may be suspended in stoves for drying and heating them, their move-
ments therein regulated, and the fabrics withdrawn from such stoves when
desired.
And in further compliance with the said proviso, I shall now proceed to
describe the manner in which the said Invention may be performed and
carried into effect, reference being had to the two Sheets of Drawings here-
unto annexed. The Drawings are made to the scales marked on them, and
similar letters and figures of reference are placed upon corresponding parts in
the different Views.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
On Sheet 1, Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of a stretching fraine
on which cotton in the wool, in the yarn, or in any of the intermediate stages,
or in such of its fabrics as cannot be so advantageously operated upon in the
ordinary manner, is secured between two pieces of woven fabric. Figure 2
is a plan view, and Figure 3 an end elevation, of the same. Figure 4 is a
sectional elevation of my improved apparatus to be used in dyeing, washing,
and brightening cotton yarns. Figure 5 is a plan view of the same.
On Sheet 2, Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of a stove of the ordinary
construction to which my improvements are applied. Figure 7 is a side
elevation of the same. Figure 8 is a detached view, on an enlarged scale, of
the end of one of the lower stove rollers, and of the apparatus for supporting
them. Figure 9 is a detached plan view of part of the gearing for driving

page_text: In Figures 1, 2, and 3, a represents a roller on to which any convenient
length of fabric is wound. This roller revolves in bearings fixed to the side
frame of the machine, and it is prevented from turning round too easily by
means of the levers a', which hinge upon studs fixed to the side frames, and
bear upon the axis of the roller. The levers a' are weighted, so as to increase
the tension upon the fabric, as will be explained hercafter; bis another
roller, similar to the one marked a, but placed to the right-hand side of
Figure 1. This roller is also provided with any convenient length of fabric,
and it is prevented from turning round too easily by a weighted cord b₁, as
seen best in Figure 3. c and d are two guide rollers revolving freely in
bearings placed near each end of the machine. e is another roller on to
which the fabrics are wound, and e' are two weighted levers similar to those
marked a¹, and for the same purpose; a² and e³ are ratchet wheels fixed on
the axes of the rollers a and c, and a³ and e³ are two clicks taking into the
above-mentioned ratchet wheels. The method of using this stretching frame
is as follows: The two rollers a and b are supposed to have the requisite
length of fabric wound upon them, and the roller c is supposed to be bare.
The end of the fabric on the roller a is then carried over the rollers c and d,
and made fast to the roller e. The end of the fabric on the roller b is in like
manner brought partly round the roller d, and also made fast to the roller e,
which is then turned partly round by the attendant acting on the handle e',
seen in Figure 2. The two fabrics are by this means distended to the
requisite degree, because the rollers a and b are prevented from turning
round more than is necessary by the weighted levers a' and weighted cord 6³,
and the roller e is prevented from turning back by the click e³, which is
brought into gear with the ratchet wheel e. The surface of the fabric
between the rollers c and d is then covered with cotton, either in the wool, in
hanks of yarn, or in any of its intermediate stages, or in such of its fabrics as
cannot be so advantageously operated upon in the ordinary manner, opened
out, and spread as evenly as possible over the said surface. The attendant
must now turn the roller e round a sufficient number of times to wind up that
portion of the fabrics from the rollers a and b, between which the cotton is
spread, and by so doing a fresh length of the fabric from the roller a will be
distended between the rollers c and d, which is again covered over with cotton
as before, and wound up on the roller e. These operations are repeated
until the whole length of the fabrics on the rollers a and b has been wound on
the roller e, with the exception of so much as is necessary for reaching from
the roller d to the roller a. When the last length of fabric between the
rollers c and d has been covered over with cotton the attendant brings the end

page_text: of the fabric from the roller b, and after carrying it round the roller c makes it
fast to the roller a. The two fabrics which are then distended between the
rollers c and d, and the cotton between them, must now be united by stitches
put in lengthways and breadthways, so that the cotton. be secured in its proper
position between the fabrics. The attendant must then elevate the levers a¹, so
as to remove the friction from the axis of the roller a and lower the levers e',
so as to give friction to the roller e. The handle is then taken from the axis
of the roller e, and fitted on the end of the axis of the roller a; and that length
of double fabric, with the cotton stitched between, is wound on the roller a,
wbich is prevented from turning back by the click a³ acting against the teeth of
the ratchet wheel a. The process of stitching is then repeated on that portion
of double fabric which has been brought into the necessary position between the
rollers c and d by the winding up of the first portion on the roller a, and the
operation is repeated until the whole length of the double fabric has been
stitched and wound on the roller a, from whence it is removed and sub-
mitted to all or any of the processes of bleaching or scouring, oiling, and
mordanting, in the ordinary manner employed by Turkey-red dyers. It is
evident that by this means the cotton is prepared for undergoing the last-
mentioned processes at the same time as the two pieces of fabric between
which it was secured, and without being so much injured by the handling of
the workmen. When the apparatus above described is used for securing
between two woven fabrics cotton in the wool, or as it comes from the prepa-
ration machines known to the manufacturers of cotton as blowers, carding
engines, drawing frames, and roving frames, or wherever the same can be
advantageously employed, I add to the frame shewn in Figure 1 the parts
shewn in blue lines in that Figure, consisting of an endless belt f passing over
the rollers g and h. The roller 9 would have to be driven round by a pully
fixed on the axis of the roller C, or by an upright shaft and bevel pinions, or
in any other convenient way. The lap of cotton to be secured between the
two fabrics is shewn at i, and when the machine is set in motion by the atten-
dant turning the handle on the axis of the roller é the cotton would be
unwound from the roller i by the friction of the roller g, and would be
supported by the endless belt f until it arrived over the roller h, from which
it would be guided to the roller d, and thence to the roller e, as before
described. In stitching the two fabrics together the endless belt f may be
removed if it should be found to interfere with the operation.
My improved apparatus for dyeing, washing, and brightening cotton yarns
is shewn in Figures 4 and 5, and consists of a series of rollers marked
revolving in bearings in the upper frame m, and a second series of rollers n

page_text: revolving in the lower frame o. These frames and the rollers working in them
can, in order to facilitate the operation of taking the yarn from the rollers
when finished and putting other on, be easily removed from the dye vat p,
which is furnished with a top or lid. The top frame m is supported by four
studs or brackets fixed to the side of the dye vat. Each of the rollers / has a
pinion fixed to it, and these pinions are in communication with one another
by the carrier pinions p', only one of which is seen in Figure 4, the others
being indicated by dotted circles. A square end is provided at the end of one
of the axes of the end roller l, see Figure 5, and a box key is made to fit it at
the end of the short shaft g, which passes through a stuffing box attached to
the side of the vat. By this means, and by the handle 7, a rotary motion
may be given to the rollers l, so as to give the necessary motion to the yarn
under operation. The pipes is to admit steam into the dye vat during the
operation of dyeing, and the dye vat is provided with a fireplace underneath, in
the usual manner, for giving the necessary heat in the process of brightening.
t is a safety valve placed on the lid of the dye vat, and u is a let-off cock of
the ordinary construction. The hanks to be operated upon are hung over the
rollers 7, and pass under the rollers n, as shewn by the red lines in Figure 4.
The rollers n revolve in slots in the frame o, and are heavy enough to stretch
the yarns during the operation. The yarns are kept asunder by the wires v,'
which are suspended to pieces attached to the top frame m. By this arrange-
ment of parts the processes of dyeing, washing, brightening, and finishing may
be carried on in the same vessel without the necessity of removing the yarns
from the vessel during the various operations, and any amount of motion may
be given to the yarns under operation by the handle r, or by a pulley actuated
by the steam engine or other motive power, thereby effecting a considerable
saving in the labour. The last-mentioned apparatus may be constructed of
any cheap metal; I prefer the vat and rollers to be of copper, and the frame
of iron. And, further, that after the dyeing operation the liquid is let off, and
the vat supplied with a sufficient quantity of clean water; the yarn is then
washed by moving the rollers, the water is let off, and the vat is supplied with
brightening liquor, then closed, and heated either by steam or fire. When long
enough brightened the liquor is let off, and the yarn washed again as before.
In this manner one goes on brightening and washing alternately until the
colour of the yarn is approved of. All these operations are well understood by
the Turkey-red dyers.
My improved apparatus for suspending fabrics in stoves, and for regulating
the motion of such fabrics during the process of drying and heating, and for

page_text: removing them from the stove when sufficiently dry and heated, is shewn in
the various Figures in Sheet 2.
In Figures 6 and 7 A represents the stove, which is constructed and heated
in the usual manner, and used for the same purposes as heretofore, and B is
an appartment adjoining the stove in which the damp or wet goods are depo-
sited previous to their being introduced into the stove and collected again
when dry; C, C, are the top rollers of the stove, supported at one end by
bearings attached to the beam D, and at the other end by bearings attached
to the wall plates E. These rollers C are used instead of the fixed rails now
generally employed for supporting the fabrics to be dried. The lower rollers
Frevolve upon the tail pins of the set screws F', as shewn in the Figure 8,
and are placed near the perforated floor G. They are supported upon the
above-mentioned tail pins because they have to be turned round by the friction
and adhesion of the fabric passing under them. The rollers C and F may
be made of sheet metal covered with strips of wood, as shewn in Figures 8 and
9, or they may be entirely of wood, as may be found most convenient.
H, H, and H³, are three rollers suspended from the roof of the stove for
supporting the fabric when it is being withdrawn from the stove; I is a large
wooden drum to which a rotary motion is given from the steam engine or
other motive power. This drum is provided with a top roller J, and from it a
rotary motion is communicated to the rollers C by the following means:-
Upon the shaft of the drum I is fixed a bevel wheel, which gears into a pinion
on the diagonal shaft Ķ. Near the lower extremity of this shaft is fixed
a mitre wheel L gearing into a similar wheel on the short horizontal shaft M,
seen best in Figure 9. Near each extremity of the shaft M is fixed a spur
pinion N, which gears into similar pinions C¹ fixed to the end of the roller C.
The rollers C are all provided with similar pinions, and these pinions are in
communication with one another by means of the carrier pinions C², which are
indicated by the small red circles in Figure 6. The roller H is turned round
from the last roller C by means of an upright shaft O, and two pairs of mitre
pinions, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The fabrics to be dried and heated
are first united together at their ends, and laid on the floor in the apartment
B, as shewn at P. The end of the fabric is then carried over the roller Q,
and passes through a narrow opening in the wall box R; it is then taken
over the roller S, from which it descends to the end lower roller F, under
which it passes, and after being taken over the first top roller C it descends
again, and so on until the fabric has passed over all the top rollers and under
all the lower ones. When the end of the fabric has passed under the last of

page_text: the rollers Fit is carried upwards, and passes over the three rollers H, H¹,
and I, from the latter of which it is conducted through the narrow opening
before mentioned in the wall box R, and thenco to the drum I. The fabric
in descending from this drum passes through the folding apparatus T, and is
deposited on the floor of the apartment as shewn at U. It is evident, that
by increasing or diminishing the speed of the fabric passing through the stove,
or by increasing or diminishing the heat, the fabrics will be dried and heated
to the required degree when they arrive in the apartment B. It is necessary
to remark, that one end of a cord or band, long enough to pass over and
under all the rollers in the stove, will have to be attached to the ends of the
last picces that are passed through the stove, so that when the next lot of
goods comes to be operated upon, the first ends of the fabrics, by being attached
to the said cord or band, are carried by it through the stove and to the drum
I, as before described.
As it is not necessary, in using my improved apparatus, that the attendant
should enter into the stove to suspend the fabric to be dried, it is evident that
the heat may be constantly kept up in the stove; and as the process of
suspending the fabrics is continuous and self-acting, a much smaller stove
will be sufficient for drying and heating the same amount of goods when
provided with my improved apparatus.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as of my
Invention,-
First, the securing between two pieces of woven fabrics, in the manner and
for the purposes above described, cotton in the wool, in the yarn, or in any of
its intermediate stages, or in such of its fabrics as cannot be so advantageously
operated upon in the ordinary manner.
Secondly, I claim the apparatus herein-before described, and represented in
Figures 4 and 5 of Sheet 1, when used for all or any of the processes of
dyeing, washing, and brightening yarn, as heroin-before described.
And, lastly, I claim the improved process and apparatus, herein-before
described, by which cotton fabrics may be suspended in stoves for drying and
heating them, their movements therein regulated, and the fabrics withdrawn
therefrom when desired, and which apparatus is represented in Sheet 2 of the
annexed Drawings.
And this my Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief,
entirely new, and never before used within that part of Her said Majesty's
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her Dominion
of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, I do hereby declare this to

page_text: be my Specification of the same, and that I do verily believe this my said
Specification doth comply in all respects, fully and without reserve or disguise,
with the proviso in the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
contained; wherefore I do hereby claim to maintain exclusive right and
privilege to the said Invention.
WITHINGTON,. Extra.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of November,
in the year of our Lord 1849, the aforesaid Frederick Steiner came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.