An Improved Automatic Reversing Gear for Burl Dyeing Machines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 24th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 25th Nov., 1887
An Improved Automatic Reversing Gear for Burl Dyeing
Machines.
I, ELLIS WOOD, of St. Helens' Dye Works, Hunslet, Leeds, Yorkshire, Woollen
Dyer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
<:
The object of my invention is to construct and arrange an automatic reversing gear
for burl dyeing machines, or as they are sometimes called weejee * machines. In
this class of machine the fabric to be dyed is placed upon a roller at one end of the
dye vessel and unwound therefrom onto another roller at the opposite end of the
machine, the said fabric passing under guide rollers immersed in the dye vessel, so
that the fabric gets dyed as it travels from one roller to another, the attendant by
means of a clutch throws the winding-on roller into gear with the positive driving
apparatus so as to cause the motion of the two rollers to be reversed, by which means
the fabric is wound back again through the dye, and this goes on as many times as is
thought desirable.
My invention consists in operating the clutch selfactingly, so that the presence of
the attendant is not necessary. In carrying out my invention I introduce a pair of
nipping rollers into the dye vessel, I also employ two pieces of canvass or other
suitable material one of which I attach to each end of the fabric to be dyed. The
canvas is wound onto each winding-on beam, and they are long enough so as to be
immersed in the dye without leaving the winding-on beam, so that each end of the
piece gets dyed. On the end of the bottom nipping roller Í place a brake strap, on
each side of which is a vertical rod carrying two or more collars.
The brake strap also carries two short projections standing up vertically, between
which projection I place the end of the shaft or stud of the upper nipping roller
for purposes hereinafter explained.
In the canvas and at a position so that the end of the cloth will have entered the
dye liquor, I attach a triangular piece of wood, or an enlargement of other suitable
material so that when the enlargement is passing between the nipping rollers it causes
the upper one to rise in its bearings, and to rise clear of the two projections in the
brake strap, whereby the brake strap (which has been held stationary by the stud of

page_text: the nipping rollers) will be made to move, in doing which one of the vertical rods
previously mentioned causes the collars thereon to actuate a hinged arm carrying two
antifriction bowls which descend and enter into a cam groove forined in the clutch
box, in doing which the box is made to slide on its shaft and release one of the winding-
on beams, but simultaneously therewith to set in motion the other winding-on beam,
by which means the motions are reversed automatically and this goes on when one
beam is empty and the other full.
A counterbalance weight is employed to assist the clutch to slide on its shaft and to
ensure its taking into gear with the other driving gear.

page_text: An Improved Automatic Reversing Gear for Burl Dyeing
Machines.
I, ELLIS WOOD, of St. Helens Dye Works, Hunslet, Leeds, Yorkshire, 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:—
The object of my invention is to construct and arrange an automatic reversing gear
for burl dyeing machines, or as they are sometimes called "wejee" machines. In
this class of machine, the fabric to be dyed is placed upon a roller at one end of the
dye vessel and unwound therefrom onto another roller at the opposite end of the machine,
the said fabric passing under guide rollers immersed in the dye vessel, so that the
fabric gets dyed as it travels from one roller to another, the attendant, by means of a
clutch, throws the winding-on roller into gear with the positive driving apparatus, so
as to cause the motions of the two rollers to be reversed, by which means the fabric is
wound back again through the dye liquor, and this goes on as many times as is thought
desirable.
My invention consists in operating the clutch self actingly, so that the presence of
an attendant is not necessary.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood. I herein give reference
to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is cross section of a burl dyeing
or wejee machine, shewing my improved automatic reversing gear applied thereto,
and Fig. 2 is plan view of same. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are details of some of the parts
hereinafter referred to.
A is the ordinary dye vessel into which I introduce a pair of nipping rollers B and C,
the former of which is capable of rising in its bearings. On the end of the bottom
nipping roller C, I place a brake strap D, on each side of which are vertical rods a and b
carrying two or more collars a², a², and b1, b2, respectively, one of the said collars
being above and the other below brackets c and c¹ holted to the hinged arms E and F
carrying the anti-friction bowls d and d. The said brake strap also carries a fork or
two short projections standing up vertically thereon, between which fork or
projections I place the end of the shaft or stud of the upper nipping roller B for
purposes hereinafter explained. G is the main driving shaft of the machine, on which
are mounted, loosely, bevel wheels H and I gearing with bevel wheels J and K
mounted on the ends of the winding on beams Land M. N is a clutch box capable
of sliding end wise on its shaft so as to engage with a corresponding clutch formed on
the bevel wheels H or I.
Two pieces ef canvas, or other suitable material, are also employed, one piece being
attached to one end of the cloth to be dyed, and the second piece being attached to the
opposite end of the said cloth, and in each piece of canvas, and at a position so that
the end of the cloth will have entered the dye liquor, I attach a triangular piece of
wood, or an enlargement of any other suitable material.

page_text: The mode of operation is as follows:-
A piece of canvas is attached to each end of the cloth to be dyed, one end being
passed over the winding-on beam L, under the guide roller O, between the nipping
rollers B, C, under the guide roller P, and finally wound onto the winding-on beam M.
The clutch box N is then slided end wise on its shaft so as to engage with the clutch on
the bevel wheel I, whereby rotary motion is given to the beam M, which then
Commences to wind on the cloth. By giving rotary motion to the winding on beam M
the cloth is drawn through the dye liquor and wound onto the said beam until the
piece of wood or projection f, on the canvas attached to the opposite end of the cloth,
passes between the nipping rollers B, C, which causes the roller B to rise in its
bearings, and place the stud or shaft of the said roller clear of the two projections e on
the brake strap D, (see Fig. 5) whereby the said brake strap (which
has been held stationary by the stud or shaft of the upper nipping
roller B) will be made to move, in doing which, the vertical rod is drawn
downwards, and the collar 6 coming in contact with the bracket c¹ on the hinged arm F
caused the said arm to descend, the anti-friction bowls d' thereon entering the cam
groove R in the clutch box, which is thereby caused to slide on its shaft and release
the winding-on beam M, and simultaneously therewith to engage with the clutch on
the bevel wheel H and set in motion the winding-on beam I, by which means the
motions are reversed and the cloth drawn off the beam M and wound onto the beam L.
To again reverse the motion, the hinged arm E is actuated precisely in the same way
as the arm Fas already described, and the anti-friction bowls d entering a second
cam groove S in the clutch box caused the said clutch box to slide out of gear with
the clutch on the bevel wheel H and into gear with the clutch on the bevel wheel I.
A counterbalance weight T is employed to assist the clutch box to slide on its shaft,
and to ensure its engaging with the clutches on the hevel wheels H and I.
Fig. 3 shews the vertical rod a and collar a² when in position for drawing down the
hinged arm E and placing the anti-friction bowls in the cam groove formed in the
clutch box, and Fig. 4 shews the position of the hinged arm when it has been actuated
and the anti-friction bowls placed in the cam groove. Fig. 5 is front view of the
brake strap D, the dotted lines indicating its movement in one direction after the stud
or shaft of the nipping roller B has been raised clear of the two projections e.
By means of the automatic reversing gear above described, the cloth, after it is fed
to the machine, will run any length of time without further attention, thus requiring
fewer hands for the same number of machines, than were required for the old hand
reversed and hand braked machines. The machine is of the simplest construction,
less liable to get out of order, and the fabric being dipped twice in the liquor in passing
from one roller to the other, and partially squeezed between the two dippings, a
somewhat shorter time is required for dyeing the fabric.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
Firstly. In combination with a burl dyeing or wejee machine of the nipping
rollers B and C, the former of which is capable of rising in its bearings for purposes
substantially as described.
Secondly. The combination, in a burl dyeing or wejee machine of the nipping
rollers B and C, brake strap D having a fork or projections e thereon, vertical
rods a, b, having two or more collars thereon, together with hinged arms E, F,
carrying anti-friction bowls which enter cam grooves formed in the clutch box N, ali
for purposes such as herein described.
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