Improvements in Method of and Apparatus for Drying and Oxydizing Stockings.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 14th Sept., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Method of and Apparatus for Drying and
Oxydizing Stockings.
We, ORMEROD DUCKWORTH, of 219 Freedley Street, Borough of Norristown,
in the County of Montgomery and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, one of the
United States of America, Calico Printer, and EDWARD MORTON TUCKE, of
19 Varnum Street, Lowell. in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, Banker, 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:-
This invention has relation to stocking drying and oxydizing, and consists in the
process and apparatus hereinafter particularly described and claimed.
One object of this invention is to provide for rapidly and effectively drying or
oxydizing stockings after the dyeing operation, a further object being to effect both
the drying and oxydizing of the stockings without re-handling of the same.
In the accompanying drawings :-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a machine for drying and oxydizing stockings
in accordance with this invention.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 1-2, Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-4, Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the stocking carrying bars of the machine;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section of said bar, and
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of another form of such bar.
When stockings are dyed with the aniline colors now generally employed it is a
common practice to first dry the stockings and then oxydize them by subjecting
them to heat in a moist atmosphere, and in Fig. 1 of the drawings we have shown
a compound or duplex machine constructed for effecting both of the objects in
accordance with our invention, but it should be understood that this invention is
not limited to both drying and oxydizing, but covers either of these operations
separately performed.
In Fig. 1, A, A, represent a casing open at the ends, or in place of the casing
there may be a simple framework having at its opposite ends bearings for the
spindles or sprocket wheels a carrying opposite endless chains 6 upon which are
mounted the stocking carrying bars d, each of said bars d, having at each end a
projecting tenon f (Fig. 4) which fits between projecting lugs or pins on the
corresponding chain so that the bars will not only be supported by the chains but
will be carried forward by the same motion being imparted to the chains in any
suitable manner, as for instance by spur gearing whereby the shaft of the
sprocket wheel at one end of each chain is rotated from a suitable driving shaft or
spindle at that end of the same.
Each of the carrying bars d is of hollow or trough-like forin, each side of said
carrying bars is provided with projecting teeth or pins, i, for engaging with the
upper portions or mouths of the stockings, which are stretched across the bar from
side to side so as to distend the mouths, a row of stockings being carried by each
bar and extending from end to end of the same.
For the purpose of forming the projecting holding pins or teeth, i, we prefer to
use at each side of the bar, d, a strip of card clothing, as shown in Fig. 4, and also
in Fig. 5, but, if desired, the bar may be formed with a series of short tubes or

page_text: nozzles. m, as shown for instance in Fig. 6, the mouth of a stocking being applied
to each nozzle, and held thereon by like pins or teeth.
Above the upper portion A, of the casing is a hood or casing, B, enclosing a
chamber which communicates with a lateral flue, D, Fig. 3, the latter communicating
with a vertical stack, F, in the lower portion of which is a steam coil, n.
In the mouth of the hood, B, is a rotary fan, G, carried by shaft, p, extending
through the flue casing, D, and when this fan is rotated in the proper direction, air
is drawn in at the bottom of the stack, F, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 3, and is
heated by contact with the steam pipes, n, the air then passing through the lateral
flue, D, and being forced by the fan into the hood, B, from which it escapes
downwardly into the portion, A, of the casing through which the stocking carrying
bars are travelling.
As the mouth of each stocking is distended the air enters the same, fills the
stocking and escapes through the meshes or pores of the fabric so that the rapid
and thorough drying of said fabric is effected.
The bars, d, are, as will be seen on reference to Fig. 5, preferably wider in cross
section at the top than at the bottom so that the upper portions of successive bars
may be in close contact, to prevent leakage of air between the bars, and thus cause
the entire volume of air to pass through the bars and into the stockings.
The air, carrying with it the moisture taken up during its passage through the
stockings in the portion A, of the casing, is withdrawn from the bottom of said
portion of the casing through opposite side flues, H, and is delivered thereby, either
directly or over the top of the hood, B, into a longitudinal flue, J, which in turn
delivers into a transverse flue, D', from which the air is withdrawn by a fan, G',
and is forced through a hood, B', down into the portion, A¹, of the casing so as to
pass through the stockings which may be traversing said portion, A, of the same.
The air which is withdrawn from the portion, A, of the casing is further heated
in the flue, J, by means of steam pipes, s, and is further moistened by means of
steam from a perforated pipe, t, so that when it is delivered from the hood, B', it is
in proper condition for exercising the desired oxydizing effect upon the stockings.
Owing to the fact that the air is forced through the meshes or pores of the
fabric of which the stockings are made, said stockings are dried more rapidly and
more thoroughly than when stretched upon boards in the usual way, and the air
may be at a comparatively low temperature so that the rotting or weakening of
the fibres due to high temperature is prevented, in fact, the drying of stockings in
this improved machine can, if desired, be effected by means of cold air, although
the process is facilitated if the air is heated.
Instead of movable carriers for the bars, d, said carriers may be simply in the
nature of supports along which the series of bars is pushed as fresh bars are added
at the receiving end of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The mode herein described of drying or oxydizing stockings, said mode
consisting in suspending the stockings with their upper ends or mouths distended,
and causing currents of air to pass into and through the stockings while thus
suspended, substantially as specified.
2. The mode herein described of treating stockings after the same have been
dyed, said mode consisting in suspending the stockings with their upper ends or
mouths distended, then causing currents of air to pass into and through the
stockings in order to dry the same, and finally causing other currents of moist and
heated air to pass into and through the stockings, substantially as specified.
3. The mode herein described of treating stockings after the same have been
dyed, said mode consisting in suspending the stockings with their upper ends or
mouths distended, and carrying the stockings thus suspended uninterruptedly
through two successive currents of air which pass into and through the stockings,

page_text: the first current being dry and the second current moist and heated, substantially
as specified.
4. The within described carrier for a stocking drying or oxydizing machine,
said carrier consisting of an open bottomed trough-like bar provided with means
for retaining the stockings with their upper ends distended so as to receive the air
which passes through the bar, substantially as specified.
5. The within described carrying bar for a stocking drying or oxydizing machine,
said carrier consisting of an open bottomed trough-like bar having toothed str ipon
opposite sides of the same, substantially as specified.
6. The within described carrying bar for a stocking drying or oxydizing machine,
said carrier consisting of an open-bottomed trough-like bar, wider in cross section
at the top than at the bottom, and having near the bottom means for retaining the
stockings with their upper ends distended, substantially as specified.
7. A stocking drying or oxydizing machine in which open-bottomed bars,
provided with means for retaining the stockings with their upper ends distended,
are combined with a carrier for said bars, a hood or casing above said carrier, and
means for causing a flow of air through said hood and into and through the bars and
the stockings thereon, substantially as specified.
8. The combination in a stocking drying or oxydizing machine, of a series of
bars provided with means for suspending the stockings with their upper ends
distended, a carrier for said bars, a casing having a hood above the carrier, a lateral
flue, a vertical stack communicating therewith, and a fan between the lateral flue
and the hood, substantially as specified.
9. The combination in a combined stocking drying and oxydizing machine, of
a series of stocking holding bars, a carrier therefor, a duplex casing, and air flues
and circulating devices whereby the air which is brought into contact with the
stockings in drying the same is again brought into contact with the stockings at a
further point in their travel, substantially as specified.
10. The combination in a combined stocking drying or oxydizing machine, of a
series of stocking holders, a carrier therefor, a duplex casing, air flues and
circulating devices whereby the air which is brought into contact with the stockings
in drying the same is collected and again brought into contact with the stockings,
and means for heating the air in its passage from one part of the machine to the
other, substantially as specified.
11. The combination in a combined stocking drying and oxydizing machine, of
a series of stocking holders, a carrier therefor, a duplex casing, air flues and
circulating devices whereby the air which comes into contact with the stockings
in drying the same is collected and again brought into contact with the stockings,
and means for moistening the air in its passage from one part of the machine to the
other, substantially as specified.
11 11 1..
J
Amount 1005
ORMEROD DUCKWORTH,
EDWARD MORTON TUCKE,
By Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicants.