Improvements in Apparatus used in the Manufacture of Paper, Linen, or other Fabrics Coated or Impregnated with Celluloid or Varnish, or the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application. 9th Oct.,. 1894
Complete Specification Left, 8th July, 1895-Accepted, 10th Aug., 1895
i
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus used in the Manufacture of Paper,
Linen, or other Fabrics Coated or Impregnated with Celluloid
or Varnish, or the like.
I, ALEXANDER GRAY, of The Mausion, Frognal, Hampstead, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates especially to the manufacture of fabrics coated or
impregnated with celluloid solution in the manner described in the Specification of
a Patent granted to F. G. Annisou dated 13th November 1891 No. 19710.
The improvements have for their object to prevent as far as practicable loss of
spirit and other volatile constituents contained in the celluloid solution or varnish
used for impregnating or coating the paper linen or other fabric.
To effect this I cause the paper linen or other fabrio after it has been
impregnated or coated with celluloid or like solution or varnish to be immediately
conveyed through a closed heated chamber in which the solvents and other volatile
constituents of the solution or varnish used are evaporated and the fabric dried.
The vapours so produced I cause to be drawn off from the heated chamber
together with air by a fan or other form of air pump and to be passed to a
condenser where the vapours are for the most part condensed. I also cause the
air and all uncondensed vapours passing from the condensor to be returned to the
heated drying chamber to be again drawn through this chamber by the action of
the fan. The machinery employed for applying the solution or varnish to the
fabric I enclose within a casing or chamber which through a narrow slit opens
into the heated drying chamber-the coated fabric is conducted into the drying
chamber through this opening and after being conveyed through the drying chamber
is conducted out from it through another narrow opening into a third chamber
where the fabric now dried is received and may be rolled into a roll or otherwise
collected.
The air tight casing within which the coating or impregnating machine is
enclosed provide with glazed windows and doors through which the working of
the machine may be watched.
By enclosing the coating machinery within an approximately air tight casing
opening only into the drying chamber and having no current of air through it very
little evaporation takes place from the solution with which the fabric is to be
coated and the solution remains for a long time unchanged and of the same
consistency.
Long drying chambers heated by steam pipes ranged over the bottom or heated
in other suitable ways may be used and the coated fabric may be conveyed through
such chambers on endless openwork bands.
Or the drying chamber may have within it a revolving steam heated drum of
large diameter and the coated fabric coming from the coating machine be led on
to the circumference of this drum at one point and led off from it after it has been
carried round on the drum for nearly a complete revolution. The dried coated
fabric after passing from the drum may be led in a zig-zag course over a series of
rollers and over friction surfaces and then wound upon a roll or otherwise collected
in a third chamber opening into the drying chamber at the exit point. Whatever
form of drying chamber is used 1 cause a current of air to be maintained through

page_text: it by the fan or other form of air pump used-the fan so arrange that it draws
air and vapours from the drying chamber and passes them to a surface condenser
where they are cooled and where the vapours are to a large extent condensed.
The air passing from the condenser I cause. to be delivered back again into the
drying chamber preferably through the third or receiving chamber. The air may
be heated justias or before it enters the drying, chamber.
In some cases the fabric might be led out direct from the heated drying chamber
into the open air between pieces of felt. The coating machinery might also in
some cases be enclosed within the drying chamber itself instead of within a chamber
or casing opening into it.
ديم
:
Improvements in Apparatus: used in the. Manufacture of Paper,
Linen, or other Fabrics Coated or Impregnated with Celluloid
or Varnish. or, the like..
"
"
1, ALEXANDER GRAY, of The Mansion, Frognal, Hampstead, in the..County
of Middlesex, 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 :-
'
My invention relates, especially to the manufacture of fabrics coated or
impregnated with celluloid, solution in the manner described in the Specification
of a British Patent granted to F. G;, Annison dated 13th November 1891,
No. 19710.
The improvements have for their object to prevent as far as practicable loss of
spirit and other volatile constituents contained in the celluloid or other solution
used for impregnating or coating the paper, linen or other fabric.
The machinery employed" for applying the solution, or varnish to the fabric
I enclose within a casing or chamber which through a narrow slit opens into a
heated drying chamber-the coated fabric is conducted into the drying chamber
through this opening and, after being conveyed through the drying chamber is
conducted out from it and may be rolled into a roll or otherwise collected.
In the drying, chamber the solvents and other volatile constituents of the
solution or varnish with, which the fabric is coated are evaporated and the fabric
is dried.
The vapours so produced I cause to be drawn off from the heated chamber
together with air by a fan or other form of air pump, and to be passed to a
condenser where the vapours are for the most part condensed. I also cause the
air and uncondensed, vapours passing from the condenser to be returned to the
heated drying chamber to he again drawn through this chamber by the action
of the fan or the greater part of the air may be thus returned whilst the
remainder and the small portion of uncondensed vapour carried" along with it
may be passed through a second condenser, this small quantity of vapour being
thereby condensed whilst the air is allowed to escape." In this way, a slight
vacuum can be maintained in the heated chamber whereby, all leakage of air will
be inwards and not outwards and all escape of vapour will practically be arrested.
The air tight casing within which the coating or in pregnating machine is
enclosed I provide with glazed windows and doors through which the working of
the machine may be watched.
f
By enclosing the coating machinery within an approximately air, tight casing
opening only into the drying chamber and having no current of air through it very
little evaporation takes place from the solution with which the fabric is to bi

page_text: couted and 'the' solution remains for a long time unchanged womeNGT SUMOT
consistency.
In the drawings annexed I have shown three forms of apparatus constructedi
according to my invention.
Figure 1 is a vertical: longitudinal section of an apparatus. in which the fabric-
after being coated is conveyed through the drying chamber upon the circumference:
of a steam heated drum of large diameter.
'
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of apparatus in which the fabric after
being coated is conveyed through a drying chamber upon an openwork endless.
travelling band.
Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of a somewhat modified form of the
latter apparatus.
In Figure 1A is a hollow metallic drum of large diameter mounted on hollow
axes A through one of which steam is supplied to the interior of (the drum and
through the other all water condensed in the drum is conveyed away in any of the
ordinary ways adopted when heating revolving drums by steam.
Bis a fixed casing surrounding the cylinder A. is a casing, within which is
enclosed the conting machinery D. This coating machinery may be constructed in
various ways. In the construction shewn in this figure the fabric: is led between
two pairs of rollers, the lower roller of each pair is covered with felt or blanket
and dips into a trough E containing the coating solution. The fabric is led from a
roll Fup into the chamber or easing C between strips of felt G to impede the
passage of air the fabric is theu led over a guide roller H between the two pairs of
rollers then over a roller I and from the roller is led out from the chamber C into-
the drying chamber and passed around the circumference of the steam heated
drum A. JJ are brushes to which a short endway reciprocating to and fro
motion is given they brush over the coating of solution which has been applied to
the fabric and render it more uniform.
1
The casing C is provided with a door C' at the front by which access to the
coating machinery is provided for and has windows C at the sides and front
through which the working of the machinery can be watched.
Kisa Root's blower or other form of air pump by which air and vapours are
drawn from the drying chamber and delivered through the pipe K' into the upper
end of a vertical surface condenser L. All vapours condensed in the condenser
flow downwards and pass away by the pipe M and are collected in the receptacle M.
Cold water is admitted by the pipe L to the lower part of the casing
surrounding the condenser tubes and passes away from the top by the pipe L...
The greater part of the air and uncondensed vapours are returned into the lower
part of the drying chamber through the pipe N whilst a small portion of the air
is conducted away through a second surface condenser Nby a branch pipe N' and
allowed to escape by the pipe N³ the vapours previously admixed with this small.
portion of air being condensed in the condenser and collected in a receiver.
By suitably restricting the passage for air through the pipe N beyond the point.
where the pipe N¹ branches from it the pressure of air in the branch pipe may be
raised sufficiently above atmospheric pressure to ensure an outward flow of air
through it.
The coated fabric after being conveyed through the drying chamber upon the
circumference of the steam heated drum for nearly one complete revolution is led
off from the drum and around a guide roller O then out from the drying chamber
and in a zigzag course over other guide rollers O' and over a curved surface, P
covered with felt or soft fabric to be wound up on a roll Q. The surface. Pand
rollers serve to straighten the fabric and make it perfectly flat as it comes.
towards the roll.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 2, C is the casing surrounding coating
machinery D, B is a long drying chamber into one end of which is an opening from.
the chamber C whilst the opposite eud opens into a third chamber R in which the
dried coated fabric is collected. A is an endless apron passing around rollers A'.

page_text: one at one end of the drying chamber and the other at the other end. A are
steam heated pipes within the drying chamber. K is a Root's blower or other
form of air pump drawing air and vapour from the end of the drying chamber next
the chamber C and delivering them through the pipe K' into the upper end of a
vertical condenser . N is a pipe by which air and uncondensed vapour passing
from the condenser are conducted to the chamber R and from there through
numerous openings they pass back again into the drying chamber. N' is a branch
pipe from the pipe N conveying away from it a small portion of air to a second
condenser N2 and so to the open air by the pipe N³ as in the arrangement first
described.
The arrangement shewn in Figure 3 is suitable wherever from want of space it
is desirable to reduce the length of the drying chamber.
Dis coating machinery of ordinary. construction. Cista casing within which it
is enclosed. This casing is as in the preceding arrangements provided with a glazed
door Cat the frout, and side windows C.. B is the drying chamber in which are
two endless aprons
one below the other. C3 is a horizontal hollow steam heated
partition situated between the two endless aprons-steam is supplied, to one end of
this partition at C and condensed water led away from it at C³.
The coated fabric passing from the coating machinery is received onto the upper
endless apron A and is conveyed by it along the upper part of the drying chamber-
it then passes over guide rollers A onto the lower endless apron and is conveyed on
it through the lower part of the drying chamber to the chamber R in which the
dried coated fabric is collected. A² are stenni heated pipes within the drying
chamber. K is a Root's blower or other form of air pump drawing air and vapour
from the end of the drying chan her next the chamber C and delivering them
through the pipe K into the upper end of a vertical condenser L.
P is a pipe by which air and uncondensed vapour passing, from the condenser are
conducted to the chamber B2 and from there through openings B' they pass back
again into the drying chamber. A small portion may as in the arrangements
previously described be led away from the pipe P through a second condenser and
allowed to escape.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what inauner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Euclosing machinery for impregnating or coating fabric with celluloid solution
or with varnish or the like within a casing communicating with a heated drying
chamber through which the impregnated or coated fabric is conveyed and from
which air and vapour are withdrawn by a fan or other form of air pump and
delivered to a condenser wherein the vapour is for the most part condensed whilst
the air and remaining vapour are passed back to the drying chamber.
2: Providing uot only a return passage.for air from the condenser to the drying
chamber but also another small passage for air passing from the condenser to a
second condenser from which it can escape to the open air.
3. The combination with machinery for impregnating or coating fabric with
celluloid solution or with varnish or the like of a casing enclosing such machinery,
a drying chamber into which the casing opens, a revolving, steam heated drum on
the circumference of which the fabric is carried through the drying chamber, a fun
or other form of air pump drawing air and vapour from the drying, chamber, a
condenser to which the air and vapour are delivered by the fan and a return passage
from the condenser to the drying chamber to convey back to it the air and
uncondensed vapour which passes: from. the condenser.
BALL
1002
ALEXR. GRAY.