Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Mordanting and Dyeing Wool, Cotton, and other Fibre, and also for Extracting or Separating Animal from Vegetable Fibre.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left. 29th Oct.. 1890-Accepted, 13th Dec., 1890)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Mordanting and
Dyeing Wool, Cotton, and other Fibre, and also for Extracting
or Separating Animal from Vegetable Fibre.
We, JOHN SMITH, ISAAC SMITH, and JOSEPH SMITH, of the firm of David Smith
and Company, of Kensington Works, Siddall, Halifax, in the County of York,
Commission Wool Combers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to a new method and a new form of apparatus for
mordanting and dyeing, and also for treating fibrous materials for the purpose of
separating animal from vegetable matter by a liquid solution of hydrochloric acid or
other suitable acids. In constructing a machine according to our invention we
employ one or more open vessels, and if more than one vessel is employed, we
preferably place one on a higher altitude than the other, so that the liquor used,
either for mordanting, dyeing, or extracting, will run from one vessel to the other.
Near the bottom of the vessel we may or may not use a false bottom, partially
perforated, through which sediment and dirt may pass, so as to keep the liquor clear
of impurities. The liquor is introduced at the feeding end of the machine and
escapes over a bridge or other device at the opposite end of the said vessel. The fibre
to be operated upon is introduced into the vessel, floating upon the liquor therein,
but at certain distances apart there are arranged revolving perforated cylinders
which dip fibre into the liquor. The liquor is introduced into the machine so that it
rapidly flows forward over the bridge or outlet, carrying the fibre with it; but the
perforated dipping cylinders prevent the fibre flowing as quickly as the stream,
consequently the said stream flows through the fibre, permeating therethrough, and
as the dipping cylinders are perforated, the running liquor passes through the said
perforations, thereby removing the fibre which might otherwise adhere to the surface
of the cylinders. When the fibre arrives at the delivery end of the machine, it may
fall onto an endless travelling apron, the liquor passing through the said perforated
sheet and falling into a vessel placed below it, the fibre being received from the
travelling lattice sheet by a pair of squeezing rollers which remove the liquor
therefrom, after which the fibre passes onto a travelling apron, when it may enter
another vessel similar to the one already described, to be further treated according to
the judgment of the operative.
Instead of the fibre, on leaving the delivery end of the machine, passing direct
onto an endless travelling apron as already described, it may first of all pass over a
revolving perforated cylinder through which the liquor passes, after which the fibre
may pass to the lattice sheet and to the squeezing rollers as already described.
cases
Instead of the fibre floating on the top of the liquor, we may employ an endless
travelling perforated lattice sheet upon which the fibre is fed and carried from one
end of the vessel to the other, at a speed slower than the stream of liquor for the
purpose of allowing the dye or other liquor to run through the fibre. In some
we employ another vessel placed above the vessel already mentioned,
O and preferably arranged at the feeding end of the machine. The bottom of this
second named vessel is perforated so that the dyeing or other liquor entering therein
will escape through the perforations in the bottom and fall or descend in the form of
a spray or shower into the lower vessel, descending upon the fibre floating therein,
whereby such fibre is thoroughly douched before it is carried along by the stream or
5 travelling sheet. When the dyeing liquor has run out of the vessel it is pumped
back again, our object being to use the liquor over and over again. In order to give
impetus to the stream of flowing liquor, it may be introduced at the feeding end of

page_text: the machine at a pressure sufficient for the purpose. Where the liquor requires to be
boiled, steam pipes may be arranged at the bottom of the machine having
perforations formed therein at such an angle that the direction of the steam issuing
therefrom shall be towards the outlet end of the machine, which will encourage and
hasten on the flowing stream so that it will impinge more strongly against the fibre
therein.
Datad this 20th day
T1900
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Mordanting and
Dyeing Wool, Cotton, and other Fibre, and also for Extracting
or Separating Animal from Vegetable Fibre.
We, JOHN SMITH, ISAAC SMITH, and JOSEPH SMITH, of the firm of David Smith
and Company, of Kensington Works, Siddall, Halifax, in the County of York,
Commission Wool Combers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:—
Our invention relates to a new method and a new form of apparatus for
mordanting and dyeing wool and other fibre, and also for treating fibrous materials
for the purpose of separating and extracting animal from vegetable matter by a liquid
solution of hydrochloric acid or other suitable acids. In constructing a machine
according to our invention, we employ one or more open vessels, and if more than
one vessel is employed, we preferably place one on a higher altitude than the other,
so that the liquor used, either for mordanting, dyeing, or extracting, will run from
one vessel to the other. Near the bottom of the vessel we may or may not use a
false bottom, partially perforated, through which sediment and dirt may pass, so as to
keep the liquor clear of impurities. The liquor is introduced at the feeding end of
the machine and escapes over a bridge or other device at the opposite end of the
said vessel. The fibre to be operated upon is introduced into the vessel, floating
upon the liquor therein, but at certain distances apart there are arranged revolving
perforated cylinders which dip the fibre into the liquor. The liquor is introduced
into the machine so that it rapidly flows forward over the bridge or outlet, carrying
the fibre with it; but the perforated dipping cylinders prevent the fibre flowing as
quickly as the stream, consequently the said stream flows through the fibre, and as
the dipping cylinders are perforated, the running liquor passes through the said
perforations, thereby removing the fibre which might otherwise adhere to the
surface of the cylinders. When the fibre arrives at the delivery end of the machine,
it may fall onto an endless travelling perforated apron, the liquor passing through the
said perforated sheet and falling into a vessel placed below it, the fibre being received
from the travelling lattice sheet by a pair of squeezing rollers, which remove the
liquor therefrom, after which the fibre passes onto another travelling apron, when it
may enter another vessel similar to the one already described, to be further treated
according to the judgment of the operative.
Instead of the fibre, on leaving the delivery end of the machine, passing direct
onto an endless travelling apron as already described, it may first of all pass over a
revolving perforated cylinder through which the liquor passes, after which the fibre
may pass to the lattice sheet and to the squeezing rollers as already described.
Instead of the fibre floating on the top of the liquor, we may employ an endless
travelling perforated lattice sheet upon which the fibre is fed and carried from one
end of the vessel to the other, at a speed slower than the stream of liquor for the
purpose of allowing the dye or other liquor to run through the fibre. In some
cases we employ another vessel placed above the vessel already mentioned, and
preferably arranged at the feeding end of the machine. The bottom of this second
named vessel is perforated so that the dyeing or other liquor entering therein will

page_text: escape through the perforations in the bottom and fall or descend in the form of a
spray or shower into the lower vessel, descending upon the fibre floating therein,
whereby such fibre is thoroughly douched before it is carried along by the stream or
travelling sheet. When the dyeing liquor has run out of the vessel, it is pumped
back again, our object being to use the liquor over and over again.
In order that our invention may be better understood, we will now make reference
to the accompanying sheets of drawings illustrative thereof, wherein Fig. 1 represents
one arrangement or form of apparatus constructed according to our invention, for
mordanting or dyeing wool and other fibre and also for extracting and separating
animal from vegetable matter. The fibre to be operated upon is first of all placed
onto the feeding apron a, from whence it falls into the vessel & containing the dyeing
or extracting liquor, upon the surface of which the fibre floats. It will be observed
that the vessel is elevated or made with a bridge c at the outlet end, which bridge
determines the height of the liquor therein and prevents the fibre floating too easily
out, thus it is retarded in its outward passage, but the said fibre is encouraged
towards the said bridge by the Howing liquor running over the end thereof, and in
order to immerse and dip the fibre, and also to retard its progress as it is floating, we
employ a series of perforated revolving cylinders d, driven by a chain e or by other
suitable means.
When the floating fibre reaches the bridge e it gets onto the top of
a perforated revolving roller, and from thence onto a short perforated travelling
apron g, and is received by a pair of squeezing rollers h, squeezing the liquor
therefrom, which runs back into the vessel i. After the fibre leaves the squeezing
rollers it is transferred by a revolving spiked or other form of roller onto the
endless apron k where it may be fed to a corresponding machine to have the process
repeated. In order that the dyeing or extracting liquor may be kept free from
sediment, a stationary sieve is placed in the hottom of the vessel b, through which
vessel the sediment passes into the false bottom m, from whence it may be taken
by removing the plug n. If the liquor requires to be boiled, steam pipes o may be
placed at the bottom of the vessel, such pipes having perforations formed therein at
an angle, as shewn in detail Fig. 2, so that the steam issuing therefrom shall go
towards the outlet end of the machine to encourage and hasten on the flowing stream,
causing it to impinge more strongly against the fibre therein. The liquor which
passes over the bridge c and falls into the vessel is pumped back to the feeding end
of the machine through pipes p, or it may be pumped into an upper vessel y, having
a perforated bottom, through which it passes and falls in the form of spray upon the
floating fibre, and in order to accelerate the speed at which the liquor shall travel, it
may receive additional impetus by passing down the fall pipe r.
9
As
In Fig. 3 we have shewn another method of carrying out our invention. In this
case the fibre is placed into the hopper a, from whence it is lifted by the endless
travelling creeper b provided with teeth or spikes for the purpose of lifting the fibre
to the top of the said hopper, from which spikes the said fibre is removed in suitable
tufts or
layers by means of the revolving wiper or toothed roller c, which delivers
the said fibre onto the endless travelling perforated lattice sheet d, caused to travel
over the tank or vessel e, or through the liquor therein, being supported horizontally
or in a distended state by a series of small rollers placed across the vessel e.
the perforated lattice sheet dis travelling over or across the vessel e, dyeing or
extracting liquor is descending like a shower or spray from the upper vessel the
bottom of which is perforated, allowing the said dyeing or extracting liquor to
descend and fall upon the fibre, which is being carried across the vessels by the lattice
sheet, such liquor passing through the fibre and through the perforations in the
lattice sheet, and finally dropping into the lower vessel e. The fibre thus douched is
afterwards conveyed between the squeezing rollers , from which it is taken by the
small revolving roller i and transferred onto another perforated travelling lattice
sheet d¹ to be conveyed to the second pair of squeezing rollers h', but before reaching
the second pair of squeezing rollers the fibre is subjected to another douche or
shower of liquor as already described.
After the fibre has been squeezed and the liquor removed by the second pair of

page_text: squeezing rollers', the said fibre is taken therefrom by another spiked revolving
roller ', which transfers the fibre upon a third perforated travelling lattice sheet d²,
where it again receives another shower or douche of liquor; afterwards it passes
between the third pair of squeezing rollers, and is finally conveyed into the
receptacle j to be ready to receive the subsequent processes of manufacture. It will
be observed that in the drawing Fig. 3 the dyeing or extracting vessels are at
different elevations, and this is done so that the liquor will run or pass down
connecting pipe from the upper vessel to the lower one, and in order that the
liquor may be used over and over again, the lower vessel is connected to the upper
one by means of a pipe k, and the liquor lifted from the lower vessel by means of a
pump, pulsometer, or other suitable means of lifting liquid from one elevation to
another.
In Fig. 4 we have shown a slight modification of Fig. 3; in this case the dyeing
or extracting liquor is placed in the upper vessel g, which by means of a valve I can
pass from the upper vessel 7 into the convex chamber m having a perforated bottom
through which the liquor passes and descends in a shower or spray upon the fibre
placed underneath it, and resting upon a perforated sheet d. In this case also the
liquor is lifted by means of a pump through the pipe & from the lower vessel e to the
upper one.
So far the invention has been described as applied to the mordanting and dyeing
of fibres; but we use the machine for the purpose of extracting animal from
vegetable matter, the process or operation being the same as in dyeing, with this
exception, that the liquid employed is a solution of bichloride of calcium, or an
admixture of hydrochloric acid or other suitable acids which will destroy the
vegetable matter contained in the fibre.
Although we have shewn and described a lower vessel for containing liquor and an
upper vessel for douching the fibre, we wish it to be understood that the lower vessel
can be used without the upper one, although in some cases it may be preferable to
use the upper douching vessel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
Firstly. The construction of a machine such as Fig. 1 (with or without an upper
douching vessel) supplied and fed with a continuous stream of liquor, entering at
one end and passing over a bridge at the other end, the fibre therein flowing with
the said stream but at a slower speed, the said fibre being retarded in its onward
passage by dipping rollers or other mechanical equivalents, all substantially as
described and for purposes set forth.
Secondly. In machines for mordanting, dyeing, and extracting fibres, the employ-
ment of endless travelling perforated lattice sheets, carrying fibres under a shower
or spray of liquor in combination with squeezing rollers, as shewn in Fig. 3.
Thirdly. In machines for mordanting, dyeing, and extracting fibres, the employ-
ment of a perforated lattice tray for supporting fibre under a shower or spray of
liquor, as shewn in Fig. 4.
Fourthly. In machines such as those shewn and described, and used for mordanting,
dyeing, and extracting fibres, the combination therewith of means for raising the
liquor from the lower vessel to the upper vessel so that the said liquor may be used
and re-used.
Dated this 98th day of October 1890.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.