IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SIZEING OR DRESSING YARNS OR THREADS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew. Andrew Muir, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Machinist, and William James Walker,, of
the same Place, Manufacturer; for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
Sealed the 16th December 1856, and dated the 25th September 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION, left by the said. Matthew Andrew, Muir
and William James Walker at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 25th September 1856.
We, MATTHEW ANDREW MUIR, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Machinist, and WILLIAM JAMES WALKER, of the same Place,; Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SIZEING OR DRESSING YARNS OR THREADS," to be
as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to certain improved modifications of what is
technically known amongst manufacturers as the "tape" sizeing or dressing
machine, as commonly used for sizeing or dressing yarns or threads.
According to one of such modifications, provision is made for effecting the
actual sizing or dressing operation separately and distinctly for each color in
the threads under treatment. To this end separate and distinct size or

page_text: dressing chests are provided for each color in the warps passing through
the machine, so that the colors cannot intermingle and spoil the work.
Each distinct colored warp is also brushed separately, and the threads do
not in any way come in contact until they arrive at the drying cylinder.
This arrangement of separate size chests also permits of color being used in
one or more of them, should it be wished to give a tint or tints to a portion of
the threads through the medium of the size or dressing.. Instead of placing
the unsized warp beams on a continuous level at the rear of the machine,
as is usual, these beams are so disposed at different levels, and the threads
are so conveyed from them, that the whole is peculiarly open and accessible
to the attendant. As the threads pass off their beams to reach the dressing
chambers, they pass through an improved reed, or guide waith, or comb.
This reed is entirely open on its' upper side, so that the threads can be
dropped into it from the top; and when the lease is to be formed, the operator
has great facility for doing it by simply elevating the reed, when, as each
thread is passed separately through its own dent or division, the accurate
formation of the lease is always insured. As the threads pass to the finishing
beam, cold air is blown upon them, for the purpose of mellowing them and
removing the dry harshness so commonly felt as an objection-in the ordinary
process.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Matthew Andrew Muir and William James Walker in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th March 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, MATTHEW
ANDREW MUIR, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Machinist, and WILLIAM JAMES WALKER, of the same Place, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Hér heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Matthew Andrew Muir and William James Walker, Her special:
license that we, the said Matthew 'Andrew Muir and William James Walker,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Matthew Andrew Muir and William James Walker, our executors, adminis

page_text: trators, 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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
SIZEING OR DRESSING YARNS OR THREADS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Matthew Andrew Muir and William James Walker, by.
an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, 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 we, the said Matthew Andrew Muir and William
James Walker, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
Our said Invention relates to certain improved modifications of what is
technically known amongst manufacturers as the "tape" sizeing or dressing
machines, as commonly used for sizeing, or dressing yarns or threads.
According to one of such modifications, provision is made for effecting the
actual sizeing or dressing operation separately and distinctly for each colour in
the threads under treatment. To this end separate and distinct size or dressing
chests are provided for each colour in the warps passing through the machine,
Each distinct
so that the colours cannot intermingle and spoil the work.
coloured warp is also brushed separately, and the threads do not in any way
come in contact until they arrive at the drying cylinder. This arrangement
of separate size chests also permits of colour being used in one or more of
them, should it be wished to give a tint or tints to a portion of the threads
through the medium of the size or dressing. Instead of placing the unsized
warp beams on a continuous level at the rear of the machine, as is usual, these
beams are so disposed at different levels, and the threads are so conveyed from
them, that the whole is peculiarily open and accessible to the attendant. As
the threads pass off their beams to reach the dressing chambers, they pass
through an improved reed, or guide wraith, or comb. This reed is entirely
open on its upper side, so that the threads can be dropped into it from the
top, and when the lease is to be formed, the operator has great facility for

page_text: doing it by simply elevating the reed; when, as each thread is passed separately
through its own dent or division, the accurate formation of the lease is always
insured. As the threads pass to the finishing. beam, cold air is blown upon
them, for the purpose of mellowing them and removing the dry harshness so
commonly felt as an objection in the ordinary process.
And in order that our said Invention" may be properly understood, we shall
now-proceed to describe the illustrative Figures on the explanatory Sheet of
Drawings, which we have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing one
modification under which our improvements may be judiciously carried into
practical effect.
"
Figure 1 on our Sheet of Drawings is a longitudinal section of a "tape
sizeing or dressing machine, as arranged and constructed according to one
modification of our Invention.
+
Figure 2 is a plan of the machine, corresponding to Figure 1. In the first
part of our improvements relating to the particular arrangement of the yarn
or warp beams, in which the differently coloured yarns are kept séparate in
passing through the greater portion of the machine, the parts are so arranged
that any one, or a series of threads, may be very conveniently got at by the
machine attendant. Each differently coloured series of yarns is carried
through a sizeing trough, appropriated solely to its particular set of yarns.
By means of this arrangement, any colour that may be pressed out of.or
discharged from the yarns by the action of the paste or the pressure of the
squeezing rollers does not injure the colours of the, other series of yarns that
are being sized or dressed at the same time. The arrangement of the warp
or yarn beams is shown on the right of the illustrative Figures on, our Sheet
of Drawings. At the rear end of the machine are fixed the frames A, upon
which the yarn or warp beams are supported; each of these frames consists of
two cast-iron vertical standards of a rectangular form, and connected together
by transverse stays and malleable iron tie rods. The back part of each frame
is'made higher than the front, to admit of the yarn or warp beams B being
placed at different heights, in order to keep the yarns on each beam clear of
each other, and afford facilities for getting at them. In the 'Drawings, the
frames A are represented as each carrying three yarn beans, the one at the
back of each frame being elevated above those in front; and in order..the
better to distinguish the course of the different yarns through the machine,
one series is coloured blue and the other red, the former being carried up to a
roller fitted at the upper part of the rectangular framing C; leaving a clear
space between the different yarns for the attendant to get readily at any

page_text: particular yarn or series of yarns. To each pair of the vertical standards" of
the framing C, are fitted brackets, which support a roller D, and to each of
these rollers are attached a pair of straps E,' which support the frames of the
reeds F, the blue yarns pass through.one of these reeds, and the red yarns pass
through the other. The reeds are of an improved construction, the arrange-
ment of which constitutes another part of our present Invention. These
reeds are double dented, and made without any bars on the upper sides of the
reed frames, so that the teeth are quite open, and the yarns or threads
may be inserted in the reed with the utmost facility by 'simply dropping them
between the vertical teeth. The space between every alternate tooth in each
of the reeds is stopped at the centre. by a small piece of metal or other suitable
material, which is soldered or otherwise fastened to the adjoining teeth. By
means of this arrangement, when the reed is elevated a short distance," one
half of the yarns are lifted by the stops between the alternate teeth, whilst the
other half are not affected by the upward motion of the reed.' +
.. Ad
By thus separating the yarns, any number of lease strings or cords may be
inserted between them with the utmost facility and.despatch. The reeds are
raised by means of the straps E, fastened to the rollers D;.the spindle of each
roller has at one end a winch handle, by turning which the straps are wound.
on the rollers, and the reed is thereby raised the required distance. The sizéing
troughs or dressing chambers and the drying cylinder are supported on the
open-sided rectangular framing C, the remaining. portion of the machinery
being carried by the framing C². The sizeing troughs G, H, are each ¡fitted
with two rollers I, to carry the yarns or threads below the surface of the paste
or stiffening materials, and with the, two spairs of squeezing or pressing-
rollers J. Just beyond each sizeing trough is fitted a brushing 'roller:K, 'over.
which the yarn passes before it reaches, the. drying cylinder L; the yarn is
carried round this cylinder, and thence by rollers to the finishing beam. From
the warp beams B, the series of yarns or threads, which are coloured blue in
the Drawing appended to this Specification, are carried over a roller supported
in brackets projecting from the side of the framing C, thence through the
reed F, under a roller M, projecting from the inside of the framing C, and; over
another roller M', fitted to its upper part. From the roller M', the yarns-are
carried beneath the roller N, through the teeth of the wraith or comb O, over
the small roller P, into the sizeing trough G, below the first roller I; and
between the first pair of squeezing rollers J, thence under the second roller I',
between the second pair of pressing rollers' J', and over the brushing roller K.
Below the brushing roller is fitted a trough containing water, in which the

page_text: roller is partially immersed, in order to prevent the hardening of the paste
which the roller K removes from the yarns. Parallel to the brushing roller K,
and in contact therewith, is fitted, a smaller brush roller, which serves to clear
'the roller K of the paste which adheres to it, and prevent its becoming clogged.
The yarns, as they pass through the paste or sizeing materials, are squeezed
by the first pair of rollers J, which serve to press the paste into the firbes of
the yarns, and the second pair frees the surface of the yarns from the super-
fluous paste that may adhere to them; the yarns are finally cleared of any
adhering matters by the action of the brushing rollers K. From this point
the yarns are carried over the steam-heated cylinder L, round which they pass,
and thence round; the rollers Q to the upper part of the framing C³, whence
they are carried through the teeth of the wraith or comb B, then over the
bar S, and the breast beam T, and are finally wound on the warp beam U.
The red series of yarns pursue a course through the machine very similar to
that just described in reference to the series coloured blue, excepting that they
are carried under rollers V, below the sizeing through G, and then upwards
into the sizeing trough H, which is specially appropriated to the red series of
yarns. From the sizeing trough H, they pass over a brushing roller K, used
for that series only, and on to the drying cylinder L, where the two series are
combined and dried simultaneously. The course or direction of the yarns
through the sizeing troughs may be modified, if desired, by causing the yarns
to pass.under the two rollers I and I', in succession, and thence between the
second pair of pressing rollers J¹, omitting their passage through the first
pair J; by this inodification, the yarns are kept somewhat longer in the paste
or sizeing materials. The direction of the yarns in this arrangement is
indicated in the Drawing by a dotted line passing from the roller I to the
roller I. The paste or liquid contents of the sizeing troughs are kept at a
boiling temperature by means of the steam pipes W, which are fitted in the
lower part of the troughs, and arranged in convolutions to afford a sufficient
amount of heating surface to cause the paste to boil. The water of con-
densation is carried off by the pipe W₁. The sizeing troughs are also provided
with perforated steam pipes X, by which steam may be admitted to and caused
to mingle with the pasto or sizeing materials; these arrangements afford the
means of regulating and controlling the heat imparted to the paste with
certainty and ease.
By means of our improvements, colour may be given to the yarns as they
pass through the sizeing troughs. As each series of yarns are carried through
a sizeing trough appropriated exclusively to that particular series, it will be

page_text: obvious that the paste or sizeing materials may be coloured, so as to impart its
tint to the yarns passing through it. The, yarns, as they leave the drying.
cylinder L, are necessarily in a heated state, and they are cooled by the action
of a fan wheel Y, revolving at a high velocity, and fitted below the framing C³:
By this means the yarns are rapidly dried, but they are wound on the warp
beam in a crisp state, wholly unfitted for the use of the weaver, who requires
them in a softened or mellowed condition. This mellowing has hitherto been
effected by exposing the yarn beams to the action of the atmosphere. We
avoid this delay and loss of time by mellowing or softening the yarns as they
are wound upon the warp beam. This improvement is effected by causing a
current of cold or moist air to be blown upon the yarns as they pass on to the
warp beam. The cold air is brought from the exterior of the building, and
urged by a fanner for that purpose through a pipe Z, which is carried upwards
to a level with the upper part of the warp beam U. The air pipe terminates
in a transverse pipe fitted with a mouth-piece a, to carry the stream of air
across the series of yarns before they are wound on to the warp beam. The
current of air may, in some cases, be made to act more rapidly on the yarns
by imparting to them a certain degree of moisture. This is effected by causing
a jet of steam to mingle with the air as it passes through the pipe Z. By
means of these improvements, the process or operation of mellowing or
softening yarns is effected at once, and in a simple but efficient manner.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we may observe, in conclusion, that we do not confine or restrict
ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which we have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without de-
viating from the principles or main feature of our Invention; but what
we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery or apparatus
for sizeing or dressing yarns or threads, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of arranging the warp beams for facilitating the
getting at them, as herein-before described.
Third, the arrangement and construction of the reeds of sizeing or dressing
machines, and the parts connected therewith, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the system or mode of sizeing or dressing yarns by passing them in
separate series or colours through distinct sizeing troughs appropriated to each
colour, as herein-before described.

page_text: Fifth, the system or mode of dyeing or staining yarns or threads by mixing
colouring matter with the paste or, sizeing. materials, as herein-before described.
..Sixth, the system or mode of mellowing ":or softening the yarns or threads
by causing a current of cold or moist! air 'to be brought in contact with the
yarns or threads before they are wound upon the finishing beam, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Matthew Andrew Muir and William
James Walker, have hereunto set' our hands and seals, this Twenty-
third day of March, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
MATTHEW A. MUIR. (L.S.)
W. J. WALKER.
(L.B.)