IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH VARIOUS PROCESSES FOR TREATING YARNS WITH LIQUIDS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Stirling Alston, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, and Robert Graham Abercrombie, of Alloa, in the
County of Clackmannan, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH VARIOUS PROCESSES
FOR TREATING YARNS WITH LIQUIDS." Partly a communication from abroad
by William Reid, of Bombay.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Stirling Alston and
Robert Graham Abercrombie at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 12th June 1879.
JOHN STIRLING ALSTON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
and ROBERT GRAHAM ABERCROMBIE, of Alloa, in the County of Clackmannan,
North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH
VARIOUS PROCESSES FOR TREATING YARNS WITH LIQUIDS." Partly a communi-
cation from abroad by William Reid, of Bombay.
This Invention relates to certain improved apparatus intended to be used in
connection with apparatus described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted
to John Stirling Alston and William Reid, and dated 20 February 1877
(No. 698), and as parts of a system or combination of machines designed for the
treatment of yarns in the hank form, in such a way that the yarns may be
subjected to as little handling as possible, whilst being subjected to each of a
successive scries of processes, and also whilst being transferred from one machine
or piece of apparatus to the next.
The present Invention comprises two improved machines, which are also
applicable quite apart from the system or combination hereinbefore referred to, and
one of these machines is specially designed for effecting a part of what is known as
the "tramping" process in connection with the production of Turkey-red yarns,
whilst the other machine is designed for the dyeing process. Both machines may
however be used for saturating or treating yarns with various liquids, and the
second one may be used for washing yarns.

page_text: In the first or tramping machine a horizontal shaft is mounted across a vat or
tank of a rectangular or other convenient form, the ends of the shaft passing
through stuffing boxes in the sides of the vat, and one end having on it externally
a pinion which is in gear with a toothed sector connected to a rotating crank.
The rotation of the crank imparts to the horizontal shaft a series of complete turns
which are alternately in opposite directions, the motion due to the crank varying
so as to produce a slowing and pausing between each change of direction. The
horizontal shaft has fixed on it a framing consisting of rectangular end frames
connected by longitudinal frames along two sides; and this framing carries four
endless chains. The endless chains are made up of alternate single and double
plate links shaped with semicircular notches, which combine to form closed circular
holes between any two links when in the same straight line, whilst when the links
are inclined to each other as happens where the chains pass round polygonal
pulleys on which they are distended, the holes or notches become opened. The
four endless chains are in two pairs, and each pair is carried and distended by
polygonal pulleys on the ends of two horizontal shafts, the four shafts of the two
pairs of chains being held at the four horizontal corners of the framing. There are
thus at each end of the framing two endless chains, being one of each pair, such
two chains occupying opposite sides of the square or rectangular spaces.
When
the framing is in a position for receiving a pair of rods having a number of hanks
of yarn distended upon them the chains are for the moment stationary, but the
direction of their motion which is always the same relatively to the framing is such
that the parts of both pairs of chains facing outwards move upwards, whilst the
parts facing inwards move downwards. The worker places the two rods carrying
the hanks with their ends in the open notches of the endless chains at the tops of
the then inner parts of the chains, one rod having its ends in one pair of chains,
and the other rod in the other pair, so that the yarn hanks are distended (but not
tightly) across the space between the two sides of the framing. The framing next
begins to turn, whereupon pinions carried by it encounter stationary segmental
racks, and the motion thereby imparted to the pinions is communicated by inter-
mediate wheels to wheels on a shaft of each of the endless chains. This action
causes the chains to move to the extent of one link length, and to curry inwards
the pair of rods to that extent, the notched parts of the links closing and holding
the rods securely. At the same time that a pair of rods is moved a step inwards
all the pairs of rods with hanks occupying the inner space of the framing are
advanced a step and the pair of rods at the other end of the series is delivered
into two pairs of clips, the notched parts of the links holding them, then opening in
consequence of passing round the polygonal pulleys. The clips are upon cross-
heads carried by the framing, which crossheads after receiving the rods are moved
outwards by racks and pinions, the pinions being turned by encountering
stationary segmental racks. In consequence of the rods released from the chains
being held by the crossheads at a suitable distance outwards, they are by the
rotation of the framing carried into notches in receiving arms placed for the
purpose at the upper part of the vat or tank, and at what may be termed the
delivering side; and from these receiving arms the rods with the banks are
transferred to compressing, or wringing, or other apparatus by endless chains, or if
preferred they may be removed by hand or otherwise. With the arrangements
herein before described it follows that every set of banks is carried backwards and
forwards through the liquid in the vat or tank as many times as corresponds to
the number of pairs of rods that can occupy the chains at once; whilst for every
turn of the crank which gives notion to the framing on the horizontal shaft a pair
of rods with a set of hanks is put on the framing, and another pair of rods with its
set of hanks is delivered.
The machine hereinbefore described is advantageously applicable for dyeing
certain colors; and the details of it can be modified, so as to vary the number of
times that each lot of banks is subjected to the backward and forward rota tn of
the framing.

page_text: In the second machine seven or other convenient number of rectangular framings
constructed each somewhat like the single framing of the first machine, but with-
out the endless chains and parts immediately connected therewith are carried on
horizontal spindles upon two large wheel frames fixed on a horizontal shaft driven
by means of a worm and wornwheel or otherwise, so as to carry the framings
succeesively down through the dyeing liquid. Each framing is made with a
number of holes to receive the pairs of rods on which the yarn hanks are carried,
there being several sets of the holes at one side to suit different sizes of hanks.
The rods are placed by entering their ends into the holes from the inner sides,
external guards being provided to keep them from being displaced, which guards
are movable at one end of the framing to facilitate the entering of the rods. The
framings are fixed on their shafts eccentrically to their centres of gravity, so that
they tend to hang with their heavy sides downwards, but as they pass through
the dyeing or other liquid they are guided by means of levers fixed on their shafts
and provided with antifriction rollers, which run on a stationary guide rail, in such
a way that the hanks move in the directions of their lengths through the liquid.
The vat or tank is made partly of a cylindrical form, and it is by preference
covered in to prevent escape and loss of heat.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Stirling Alston and Robert Graham Abercrombie in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th December 1879.
86
JOHN STIRLING ALSTON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
and ROBERT GRAHAM ABERCROMBIE, of Alloa, in the County of Clackmannan,
North Britain. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH
VARIOUS PROCESSES FOR TREATING YARNS WITH LIQUIDS." Partly a communication
from abroad by William Reid, of Bombay.
The said Invention relates to certain improved apparatus intended to be used in
connection with apparatus described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted
to John Stirling Alston and William Reid, and dated 20 February 1877
(No. 698), and as parts of a system or combination of machines designed for the
treatment of yarns in the hank form in such a way that the yarns may be sub-
jected to as little handling as possible whilst being subjected to each of a successive
series of processes, and also whilst being transferred from one machine or piece of
apparatus to the next.
The present Invention comprises two improved machines, which are also
applicable quite apart from the system or combination hereinbefore referred to, and
one of these machines is specially designed for effecting a part of what is known as
the "tramping" process in connection with the production of Turkey-red yarns,
whilst the other machine is designed for the dyeing process. Both machines may
however be used for saturating or treating yarns with various liquids, and the
second one may be used for washing yarns.
And in order that the said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be most readily understood, we at once proceed to describe the improved
arrangements with the aid of four Sheets of explanatory Drawings which are here-
unto appended, and in which the same reference numerals are used to mark the
same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a transverse vertical
section of a tramping machine, being the first of our two improved machines.
Figures 2, 3, and 4 on the same Sheet are enlarged views of details. In this
improved machine a horizontal shaft 1, which is in two parts, is mounted in a vat
or tank 2 of a rectangular or other convenient form; one end of the shaft passing
through a stuffing box in the side of the vat 2, and having on it externally a
pinion 3, shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. This pinion 3 is in gear with a 3
toothed sector 4, also shown dotted, which is carried on a centre 5, and is connected
by a connecting rod (not shown) to a rotating crank driven by any suitable prime
mover. The toothed sector 4 is shown in the Drawings as having made part of its
movement towards the left. The rotation of the crank imparts to the horizontal
shaft 1 a series of complete turns which are alternately in opposite directions, the 4
motion due to the crank varying so as to produce a slowing and pausing between each
change of direction. The two parts of the horizontal shaft 1 have fixed on them
a framing consisting of rectangular end frames 6, connected along two sides by
longitudinal frames 7. The horizontal shaft 1 is cut away between the two end
frames. The framing 6, 7, carries four endless chains 8; these endless chains 8 4
being made up of alternate single and double plate links shaped with semicircular
notches 9, which combine to form closed circular holes between any two links when
in the same straight line, whilst when the links are inclined to each other as
happens where the chains pass round polygonal pulleys 11 on which they are
distended, the holes or notches become opened. The four endless chains 8 are in 5
two pairs, and each pair is carried and distended by polygonal pulleys 11 on the
ends of two horizontal shafts 12, the four shafts 12 of the two pairs of chains 8
being held at the four horizontal corner edges of the framing 6, 7. There are thus

page_text: at each end of the framing two endloss chains 8, being one of each pair, such two
chains occupying opposite sides of the square or rectangular spaces, and encircling
the longitudinal side frames 7. When the framing is in position for receiving a
pair of rods 13, having a number of hanks of yarn distended upon them, the corner
shaft 12, shown as at A in Figure 1 will be at or near B, and the chains 8 will for
the moment be stationary; but the direction of their motion, which is always the
same relatively to the framing, is such that the parts of both pairs of chains 8
facing outwards move upwards whilst the parts facing inwards move down-
wards. The worker places one of the two rods 13, carrying the hanks
with its ends in open notches at the upper end and inner part of the endless
chains. Then the framing turns in the direction of the arrow, and a pinion 14
carried by it encounters in passing a stationary segmental rack 15 carried on
vertical guides in a vertically fixed circular plate or disc 10, and the motion thereby
imparted to the pinion 14 is communicated by intermediate wheels 16, 17, to wheels
18 on one of the shafts 12. This action causes the pair of chains 8 to move to the
extent of one link length, and to carry inwards the rod 13 just placed in the notches
to that extent, the notched parts of the links closing and holding the rod securely.
By this time the other pair of chains 8 will be at the side B, and the worker then
places the ends of the remaining rod 13 of the pair carrying the hanks in the open
notches of the endless chains 8 at the top nearest the inside. Another pinion 14
carried by the framing on the continued rotation of the framing in the direction of
the arrow encounters the stationary segmental rack 15, and through an intermediate
wheel 16 imparts motion to the wheel 18 and pair of endless chains 8, just as
described with regard to the other pair of chains 8. The segmental rack 15 and
disc 10 is shown enlarged in Figure 2, Figure 3 being a section at right angles to
Figure 2, whilst Figure 4 is a horizontal section. In order to prevent the pinions
14 turning during the rotation of the framing, except when passing over the seg-
mental rack 15, they are provided with two pins (shown dotted) which bear against
a flange 37 formed round the edges of the fixed disc 10, except at the part between
the vortical guides 38 carrying the segmental rack 15. The rack 15 is formed with
a piece above it having a flange 39, and the rack is moved into position for gearing
with the pinions 14 at the required times by a cam 40 which is loose on the shaft 1.
This cam 40 is placed in position for raising the rack 15 by a tappet piece 41 (shown
dotted in Figure 1) fixed on the framing, another tappet piece 42 moving the cam
40 from under the rack 15 on the return movement, thus preventing the pinions 14
from being then turned by the rack 15. The pins on the pinion 14 pass in contact
with the flange 39 when the rack 15 is not in gear with the pinions 14, and thus
they are prevented from turning while traversing the space between the guides 38.
At the same time that a pair of rods 13 is moved a step in wards all the pairs of
rods with hanks occupying the inner space of the framing are advanced a step, and
the pair of rods 13 at the other end of the series is delivered into two pairs of clips
19, 20, the notched parts of the links holding them, then opening in consequence of
passing round the polygonal pulleys 11. The clips 19, 20, are upon crossheads 21
at each side of the framing, which crossheads 21 are fixed at their middles to vertical
racks 22 carried in guides 23, 24, on the framing. The crossheads 21, after receiving
the rods 13, are moved outwards by the racks 22 gearing with small pinions 25,
which pinions are carried by the framing on spindles which have larger pinions 20
on them. The pinions 26 are turned by encountering stationary segmental racks
27 fixed near the upper side of the tank or vat, and are prevented from turning,
except when passing the racks 27, by means of two pins or rollers on them which
pass in contact with a guide rail 28 fixed to the tank side. In consequence of the
rods 13 released from the chains 8 being held by the crossheads when moved out
at a suitable distance outwards, they are by the rotation of the framing carried into
notches in receiving arms 28 placed for the purpose at the upper part of the vat or
tank 2, and at what may be termed the delivering side. These receiving arms 28
are centered on a rocking shaft 29 at the top of the vat or tank 2, and their ends
which project over the tank are formed with notches 30 and 31, the lower notches

page_text: being slightly nearer the chains S than the upper notches. The first rod 13 of the
pair is delivered by the clips 20 into the lower notch 31, a pair of curved arms or
rods 32 projecting obliquely from the framing between the two clips 19, 20, as the
framing rotates come into contact with the rod 13 thus delivered, and lifting it into
the upper notch 30, leave the lower notch 31 vacant for the second rod of the pair
which is next delivered by the other clip 19. A weighted lever 33 is fixed on the
rocking shaft 29, tends to raise the arms 28, but is prevented from doing so except
at the required time by another lever 34 having a connecting rod 35 with an anti-
friction roller working on a cam on the horizontal shaft 1 (and shown in dotted lines
in Figure 2). The cam is arranged so that when a pair of rods have been placed
upon the receiving arms 28 they are raised, and the pair of rods with the hanks are
transferred to compressing, or wringing, or other apparatus by endless chains, or of
preferred they may be removed by hand or otherwise. The hank rods 13 are pre-
vented from getting displaced end ways whilst being held by the endless chains 8 by
channel-shaped guides 43 which are fixed to the insides of the end frumes 6.
With the arrangements hereinbefore described it follows that every set of hanks
is carried backwards and forwards through the liquid in the vat or tank as many
times as corresponds to the number of pairs of rods that can occupy the chains at
once, whilst for every turn of the crank which gives motion to the framing on the
horizontal shaft 1 a pair of rods with a set of hanks is put on the framing, and
another pair of rods with its set of hanks is delivered.
The machine hereinbefore described is advantageously applicable for dyeing
certain colors, and the details of it can be modified so as to vary the number of
times that each lot of hanks is subjected to the backward and forward rotation of
the framing.
Figure 5, on Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings, is a vertical section of the
second or dyeing machine; Figure 6, on Sheet 3, is a sectional elevation taken at
right angles to Figure 5; and Figures 7, 8, and 9, on Sheet 4, are enlarged views
of details. In this machine seven or other convenient number of rectangular
frainings 45, constructed each somewhat like the single framings 6 of the first
machine herein before described, but without the endless chains 8 and parts imme-
diately connected therewith, are carried on horizontal spindles 46 upon two large
wheel frames 47, 48, fixed on a horizontal shaft 49 inside a vat or tank 50, made
partly of a circular form. This horizontal shaft 49 is carried in bearings in the
sides of the vat or tank 50, and it is driven by means of a worm 51 and a worm-
wheel 52, the worm wheel 52 being fixed on the outer end of the horizontal shaft 49,
or it may be otherwise driven so as to carry the framing 45 successively down
through the dyeing liquid. Each framing 45 is made with a number of holes 53, 54,
shown in Figure 8, to receive the pairs of rods 55, 56, on which the yarn hanks 57
are carried, there being several sets of the holes 54 at one side to suit different sizes
of hanks. The rods 55, 56, scen in Figure 9, are placed by entering their ends into
the holes 53, 54, from the inner sides, external guards 58, 59, being provided to
keep them from being displaced. The guards 58, upon one of the end frames 45,
are hinged at their middles 60, so that they can be turned out when entering the
rods 55, 56, and screw nuts 61 are provided for securing them when closed after
the rods 55, 56, have been placed in position. The guards 59, upon the other end
frame 45, are fixtures, it being sufficient for the others 58 to be movable. The
framings 45 aro fixed on their spindles 46 eccentrically to their centres of gravity,
so that they tend to hang with their heavy sides downwards, but as they pass
through the dyeing or other liquid they are guided by means of levers 62 fixed on
their spindles 46, and provided with antifriction rollers 63, which run on a stationary
guide rail 64 in such a way that the hanks move in the directions of their lengths
through the liquid. The vat or tank, made partly of a cylindrical form, is covered
in to prevent escape and loss of heat, and suitable doors are provided at the sides
of the vat cover for entering and removing the rods carrying the yarn hanks.
Having now particularly described the said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, we have to state that we do not restrict ourselves to the precise

page_text: details herein described or delineated, but that what we believe to be novel and
original, and claim as the Invention secured to us by and in terms of the herein-
beforo in part recited Letters Patent is,—
1. The combination of parts constituting the machine hereinbefore described with
reference to Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
2. The arranging of the frames carrying the hanks in the first machine to rotate
alternately in opposite directions by mechanism, substantially such as is herein-
before described.
3. The arrangement of endless chains with links which grip and release the bank
rods for holding the hanks and moving them step by step through the frame, sub-
stantially as herein before described.
4. The arrangement of mechanism for delivering the hank rods from the endless
chains, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. The combination of parts constituting the machine hereinbefore described with
reference to Sheets 2, 3, 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
6. The construction of the frames, as hereinbefore described, with reference to
Sheet 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
7. The mounting of the frames eccentrically, or so as to tend to hang in certain
positions, and the turning of them by means of levers and a fixed guide rail so as
to draw the hanks longitudinally through the liquid, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Graham Abercrombie, on behalf of the
said Jolin Stirling Alston and myself, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-nine.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
R. G. ABERCROMBIE. (L.S.)