Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Bleaching, Damping, and Dyeing Loose Fibre, Yarns, Threads, or other Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1886.
Complete Left, 18th Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 27th Sept., 1887.
RESERVE
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Bleaching, Damping,
and Dyeing Loose Fibre, Yarns, Threads, or other Fibrous
Materials.
We, ELY SUTCLIFFE and GEORGE EDWARD SUTCLIFFE, of Mirfield, Yorkshire'
Cotton Spinners, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to a prior invention for which provisional protection
was granted to us on the 27th day of August A.D. 1886, No. 10,933.
The prior invention already referred to consisted in the employment of a
cylindrical cage capable of rotating within a suitable shaped vessel.
The material requiring to be operated upon was placed into a bag or net through
the centre of which was a hollow perforated tube which was placed into the rotary
cage. A supply pipe was then placed in connection with the central perforated tube
and the cage, and water or liquor was then supplied to the central tube after which
the cage was made to rotate, the centrifugal action thereof causing the water or
liquor to pass through the fibre and dye or bleach as required.
Our present invention consists in the introduction into the machine of a central
hollow perforated shaft onto which the before mentioned perforated tube is made to
fit. This central perforated shaft passes through stuffing boxes at each end of the
outer vessel enclosing the rotating cage, which stuffing boxes act as bearings and
allow the cage to be rotated at a high speed without much vibration.
Each end of the outer tube is made to fit tight against rings of india rubber or
other suitable material, so that the liquids cannot escape from between the two
tubes, and the inner tube or shaft has collars placed around it at suitable distances
apart, over which the outer tube will just pass, thus making compartments between
the two tubes and ensure that each section of the material shall have its due supply
of the liquid. The perforations in the inner tube or shaft are of such a size that
they will just take the quantity of liquid that can be supplied up the centre shaft.
In addition to the before mentioned method of forcing liquids through the material
from the central perforated tube, we now reverse the process, and by pumping the
liquids into the outer vessel which is closed and made watertight, it is forced through

page_text: the material into the centre tube which is now converted into an exhaust pipe and
allows the liquid to flow freely away. There is an advantage in forcing the liquid
the reverse way and to rotate the cage, as it ensures the liquid passing through every
part of the material and prevents the formation of tracks or lines of least resistance.
The machine is placed in connection with pumps and supply cisterns, and the pipes
are so arranged that the liquid which has passed through the material is carried
back to the supply cistern for the purpose of reusing it.
By means of a suitable arrangement of valves these processes may be alternately
performed or otherwise, whereby every particle of fibre is acted upon.
In the dyeing of slivers to which this invention has special reference the sliver is
coiled around the outer perforated tube in the ordinary coiler or one specially
constructed, and the ends of the column of sliver secured by flanges which fit on
to the tube. A bag or net may then be placed over the sliver and it is ready for the
operation of dyeing or bleaching.
In some cases and for some dyes, the analine colours for instance,—the material
can be thoroughly dyed without the cage rotating, by the liquor being simply forced
through the material in each or both the ways as previously described. In cases
where this can be done, a much simpler apparatus may be employed, as the arrange-
ment for driving the rotary cage and the stuffing boxes for the rotating shaft can
be dispensed with. But if this be done, the machine will not act as a hydro-
extractor after the operations are complete, and it would consequently require a
special machine for the purpose.
The process of extracting the dye by using the apparatus as a hydro-extractor is of
great advantage in economizing the dye or liquor as large quantities of the said dye
or liquor are driven out of the material by this means and return back to the cestern
for reuse. In some cases this reduces the cost of dyeing by half.
Although in this specification we have only referred to the dyeing of coiled
slivers, it must be understood that the improvements are applicable when the machine
is used for dyeing, bleaching or damping other descriptions of fibre, yarns, or fibrous
materials.
1711 1
T
3000

page_text: Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Bleaching, Damping,
and Dyeing Loose Fibre, Yarns, Threads, or other Fibrous
Materials.
We ELY SUTCLIFFE and GEORGE EDWARD SUTCLIFFE, of Mirfield, Yorkshire,
Cotton Spinners, 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 a former Invention which constituted the subject matter of
Letters Patent bearing the number 10933 and dated August twenty seventh in the
year 1886. In the said former invention we placed the materials to be treated in a
bag or net which was provided with a central perforated tube and we introduced the
bag with its contents into a cage which was caused to revolve the dye liquor passing
through the said perforated tube into the materials to be dyed. In our present
invention we provide the revolvable cage with a hollow perforated shaft which receives
the said perforated tube and we arrange for the direction of the flow of liquor to be
reversed. When treating sliver we coil the sliver directly around the said perforated
tube and apply flanges so as to form a package which can be introduced into
the cage.
Our Invention will be best understood when described with reference to the
accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a machine suitable for
use in the dyeing of cotton sliver parts of the machine not necessary to the proper
illustration of our invention not being represented in the drawing. Figs. 2. 3. and 4
in sheet 2 illustrate the formation of the package of sliver which is to be treated in
the apparatus illustrated in sheet 1. For convenience of description we will refer in
the first place to the drawings in sheet 2 wherein Fig. 2 represents the said package
of sliver. Fig. 3 represents a Cross Section of the same and Fig. 4 illustrates the
method of formation of such package. In the latter Figure a is a can which is the
same as an ordinary coiler can with the exception that it is not provided with a fast
bottom, 6 is the aforesaid perforated tube, and c is the ordinary coiler of the carding
engine. The can a rests upon a plate d which is provided with a stump upon which
is placed the perforated tube b the said stump keeping the tube in an upright and
central position within the can. The can is provided with a spiral spring as is usual
and upon this spring is placed a dished plate e which receives the coiled sliver and
slides down the perforated tube as the sliver accumulates. The sliver is coiled around
the tube in the manner indicated in Fig. 3. When the can is full it is lifted off the
coil and a second dished plate e' is placed upon the top of the mass and is forced down
by means of a nut which is screwed upon the end of the perforated tube. The coiled
sliver is thus formed into a bobbin shaped package resembling the indication in Fig. 2
the plates e. e¹ forming end flanges which keep the sliver from escaping from the tube.
In Fig. 1 the said package is represented in position within a chamber A which in the

page_text: example is supposed to be of a cylindrical form but the formation of the said chamber
may be varied. The shell or casing fin which the said chamber is formed is provided
with a removable door or cover g which is secured by means of clamps h or by other
suitable means.
Within the said chamber is mounted a hollow shaft i one end of the
shaft being seated in a step or bearing in the door g the other end passing through a
gland to the outside and being provided with a belt pulley k. Between the said
gland and the chamber A is a smaller chamber and the portion of the shaft which
crosses this latter chamber is perforated so that any fluid which may be forced or
passed into the chamber will flow into the space within the tubular shaft and will pass
out through other perforations into the main chamber A or on the contrary fluid forced
into the latter chamber will flow into the chamber 1. The portion of the shaft which
is within the chamber A is provided with collars i¹ which are of a diameter to suit the
bore of the aforesaid perforated tube b so that the space between the shaft and the
interior of the said tube is divided into a number of small annular shaped isolated
chambers. Each of these chambers communicates with the bore of the shaft by
means of a perforation or slot or of two or more such openings and these are so
proportioned as that the stream of fluid shall be equally divided amongst the said
annular chambers so that there shall be an equal flow into all the said annular
chambers. The perforations in the tube 6 which is within the package of sliver are
preferably numerous and small and are evenly distributed throughout the length of
the tube. The shaft i is provided with a cylindrical cage m to receive the package of
sliver the said cage being made of perforated sheet metal or of wire gauze. The said
cage is connected with the shaft by means of ends n n² the former being permanently
secured to the shaft and the latter being removable but being capable of being secured
by means of a screw or by suitable means. The chamber A is connected by means of a
branch with a two-way cock o and the chamber is connected with a second two-way
cock p. The plugs of these cocks are connected together so that they work in unison
when a handle upon one of the plugs is operated upon. When the two plugs are
turned in one direction passages are opened for the flow of fluid through the pipes T
and the cock p into the chamber and thence into the chamber A and for the flow out
of the chamber A through the cock o into a pipe s.
When the cocks are reversed the
direction of the flow of the current is also reversed the fluid then flowing through
the cock o into the chamber A and through the cock p out of the chamber into the
pipe s. When the machine is used in the dyeing of sliver the two pipes and are
connected with a cistern vat or reservoir of dye liquor the pipe withdrawing liquor
from the cistern and the pipes returning the liquor to the cistern. In practice we
interpose a pumping apparatus of any ordinary or suitable description between the
dye cistern and the cocks so that the liquor can be forced into the chamber A but we
do not confine ourselves to the mechanical forcing of the liquor. We also connect
the pipes r and s or the pipe r alone with a water supply pipe adopting suitable cocks
or valves for shutting off communication with the dye cistern and opening the passage
for the flow of water at the required times but it has not been considered necessary
to show these appliances in the drawings as they may be of an ordinary description.
We may employ any suitable means other than the two-way cocks o and p for controlling
the flow of fluid. The manner in which we use the apparatus may be described
as follows. The package of sliver is by preference enclosed within a bag envelope or
wrapper of cotton cloth, flannel wire gauze or other suitable material to protect the
sliver which appears at the outside of the package. This having been done the
package is introduced into the cage the tube b sliding upon the hollow shaft i and
the cage end n is placed upon the shaft pushed up tightly against the package and
secured. The two cage ends are provided with elastic washers or packings at t, t, to
prevent the fluid from flowing out of or into the hollow shaft without passing through
the package of sliver. The door g having been shut or placed in position and secured
the dyeing operation may be commenced but preparatory to the treatment with the
dye liquor we in some cases pass water through the package the shaft i being revolved
or not as preferred. A vent cock u is opened to permit air to escape from the
chambers. We then force dye liquor through the pipe the package being revolved
"

page_text: and the liquor passing say for example into the chamber through the shaft and the
package of sliver into the chamber A whence it passes into the pipes which conveys
the liquor back to the dye vat or it may be conveyed to a second vat to be re-inforced
with dye. After a time the cocks are reversed and the liquor then passes directly
into the chamber A and through the sliver into the shaft i. These reversals are caused
to take place at frequent intervals during the operation. The revolution of the mass
of fibres during the flow of the dyeing liquor tends greatly to the even distribution of
the liquor throughout the mass of fibres because the liquor is caused to pursue a
lengthened curved course instead of merely passing radially in straight lines through
the mass.
The said revolution also tends to prevent the liquor from principally
following lines of least resistance that is to say from passing to too great an extent
through the parts of least density. The combination of the reversing of the direction
of the flow of liquor and the rotation of the package of sliver has still more important
effect in conducing to the production of uniformity of result and evenness of shade.
When the dyeing operation has been conducted for a suitable period the supply of
dye liquor is stopped and the chamber is drained. The package of sliver is then
revolved more rapidly in order to discharge as much as possible of the dye liquor
remaining within the mass of fibre. A counter shaft or any suitable driving gear
may be employed to impart the varying speeds to the shaft i." The dye liquor having
been sufficiently discharged we can if desirable again pass water through the package
to rince out the remaining unfixed dye and again revolve the package rapidly to drive
out the excess of water. This ability to discharge the contained dye liquor or water
as the case may be is an important feature as not only is there a saving in dye liquor
but there is a great saving in the time required to dry the fibres and there is greater
uniformity of shade owing to the fact that less coloured or discoloured water is left in
the mass to be dried out of the same and thereby to leave irregular deposits of matter
in the fibres. The package of sliver may then be removed and dried in any suitable
manner or in accordance with a method for which we made application for letters
patent on the fifteenth day of December 1886. Although for convenience of
description we have described only the process of dyeing coiled cotton sliver it must
be understood that our improved apparatus may be used in the washing scouring
bleaching or treatment of such coiled sliver and also of other fibres or of yarns or
fibrous materials when the same are formed into a package containing a perforated
tube and adapted to be introduced into a revolvable perforated cage substantially as in
the case of the package of sliver. We have shown the cage as adapted to revolve
upon a horizontal axis as this is the plan we adopt in practice but we do not confine
ourselves to this although we consider that the horizontal disposition is the best for
the reason that in the vertical arrangement there is a tendency for the fibrous material
to settle downward so that the lower end of the mass becomes denser than the upper
part.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :—
(1) The perforated tube receiving the coiled sliver in the indicated manner provided
with end flanges so that a package of sliver can be formed in combination with a
perforated revolving shaft upon which the said package is mounted and with means
for passing dye liquors or liquids through the perforated shaft into and through the
mass of sliver or through the said mass to the inner perforated shaft or both ways
alternately substantially as set forth.
(2) The sliver can provided with a central perforated tube around which the sliver
is coiled substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
(3) In apparatus for the indicated treatment of such materials as herein referred to
a hollow perforated shaft mounted to be revolved and adapted to receive a package of
such materials or provided with a perforated cage which can be filled with the
materials the said shaft being connected with liquor supply pipes and passages and
with means for causing a flow of liquor through the hollow shaft into and through the
package whilst it is being revolved.

page_text: (4) In the apparatus described in the third claiming clause constructing and
arranging the parts and providing means whereby the direction of the flow of liquor
may be reversed at will substantially as set forth.
(5) In apparatus for the indicated purposes the hollow perforated shaft i provided
with collars and adapted to receive a perforated tube enclosed within a package of the
materials to be treated substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
(6) The combination of parts forming the apparatus substantially as and for the
purpose set forth with reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings.
Dated this 17th dow of Anaust 1887
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.