Improvements relating to the Washing and like Treatment of Printed Fabrics and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 17th June, 1898-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
Improvements relating to the Washing and like Treatment of Printed
Fabrics and to Apparatus therefor.
I, EMILE REMY, of Mulhouse, Alsace, in the Empire of Germany, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for washing printed woven goods with or
without soap, after steaming.
Printed cloth, after having been steamed, requires washing with or without soap,
so as to eliminate any excess of colouring matter which they may contain.
Generally speaking, the colours used for these materials consist of colouring
agents dissolved in a thickener, which serves as a vehicle for them, and whereof
the only object as implied by its name is, to render the colour sufficiently thick
to answer the purposes of printing. The thickeners employed in attaining this
object are composed of more or less readily soluble gums, starches and the like.
The printed material is dried in hot chambers, after which, by a series of suit-
able operations, the colour is fixed on to the textile fibre direct, the superfluous
colour being next eliminated by soaping or washing.
Now the thickeners generally used at the present time, when once dry, are
soluble but with great difficulty, and the machines which are to perform this
operation in a continuous manner, and the action of which consists merely in
passing the material through water, or subjecting the same to the contact of soap
made to impinge on it with greater or less force,-have to be of a very considerable
size, where anything like a normal output is expected.
This inconvenience is remedied by the novel apparatus forming the subject
of the present invention which whilst, being reduced to the minimum in bulk,
enables any superfluous quantity of the thickener, even in the case of very heavily
charged fabrics, to be eliminated in a very short time and in a continuous
manner.
This new device operates, in the main, by steeping (or dipping) and heating the
printed goods, so as to break up the various hardened molecules of the thickener so
that these may be removed by simply rinsing or flushing the goods.
The apparatus comprises a rotary drum or barrel formed of two discs or end-
plates connected by rollers capable of revolving on such plates or discs and by
paddles interposed between the rollers.
This drum or barrel is mounted upon a horizontal shaft by the aid of which
rapid rotary motion may be imparted to it, while its lower part is immersed in
liquid contained in a trough or bath.
The upper part of the barrel is surrounded by a series of flexible rollers each of
which is enveloped in a flexible india rubber sheath or case. The journals of
these rollers engage in slide-ways radiating from the centre of the barrel; the
distance between them being so adjusted that they may be each in succession
struck and raised by the rollers of the rotary barrel.
Thus we have here two rows or series of rollers, arranged circularly, and through

page_text: these the cloth which is to be washed, is passed. The cloth to be so conducted
through the machine is held by the cylinders, provided at the inlet and outlet
ends of the set of rollers.
Now supposing the apparatus to be in operation, it will be seen that the rollers
on the barrel impart a series of successive strokes or impulses to the flexible
rollers, the number of such strokes per minute depending upon the speed of rota-
tion of the drum or barrel. Thus if this speed be 300 revolutions per minute, the
number of rollers on the barrel being seven and that of the flexible rollers, four,
then
60
The cloth is thus beaten while immersed in liquid and the molecules of the
thickener are thoroughly disintegrated. Besides, as the liquid is thrown against
the cloth by the paddles, the liquid washes off and carries away such molecules.
In other words, the cloth is freed from its impurities with the greatest speed.
As a modification of this arrangement, the rollers on the barrel, instead of being
journalled in the end plates of the said barrel or cylinder may be mounted upon
arms, which are linked to the said barrel, while the flexible rollers instead of being
movable in slide-ways, may be mounted upon stationary spindles. Also, the cloth
to be washed, instead of passing between the two series of rollers surrounding the
drum or barrel, may pass on to the flexible rollers direct, and over cylinders
alternating between such rollers. In this case the rollers on the drum or barrel
act upon the flexible rollers by centrifugal force and the cloth is at all times sub-
jected to the action of numerous and successive strokes or beatings, exercising a
sort of hammering action upon the molecules, thereby reducing the latter to such
a condition that their separation from the fabric becomes an easy matter.
On the same principle, there may be provided two series of flexible rollers
arranged similarly to the above mentioned flexible rollers. Two vertical sets of
rollers may be arranged to turn respectively in two frames, each of which is adapted
to receive a reciprocating rectilinear motion, but in opposite directions, by means
of some suitable driving gear. The one set of rollers are, say, four in number and
set more closely together than the other set of rollers of which there may be three,
for example. Besides, the latter rollers are mounted upon this frame so as to be
capable of a slight receding motion at right angles to the plane of the said frame,
being, to this end, subjected to the action of repelling springs, which constantly
tend to bring them into contact with the first set of rollers. The cloth then passes
between these two sets of rollers, and as it travels over a cylinder, dips into the
liquid contained in a suitable vat or trough. Owing to the reciprocating motion,
in opposite directions, imparted to the frames supporting the rollers, these rollers
bear the cloth so as to disintegrate the molecules of the thickening agent and
thereby facilitate the removal of the same.
As will be seen, the main point in each case is the beating of the material, by
successive strokes, produced upon the cloth by means of two sets of rollers between
which the cloth travels, so as to break up the particles of the thickener employed;
and it will be readily understood that the number and construction of the roller
in each set are optional and that any suitable mechanism may be used in operating
them. Again, it should be observed that the apparatus herein described may be
employed, not only in washing woven fabrics after printing, but also in fulling or
felting fabrics.
Dated this 29th day of September 1807
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements relating to the Washing and like Treatment of Printed
Fabrics and to Apparatus therefor.
I, EMILE REMY, of Mulhouse, Alsace, in the Empire of Germany Engineer,
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 follow-
ing statement:—
This invention relates to apparatus for washing printed woven goods with or
without soap, after steaming.
Printed cloth, after having been steamed, requires washing, either with or
without soap, so as to eliminate any excess of colouring matter which they may
contain.
Generally speaking, the colours used for these materials consist of colouring
agents dissolved in a thickener, which serves as a vehicle for them, and whereof
the only object-as implied by its name is, to render the colour sufficiently thick
to answer the purposes of printing. The thickeners employed in attaining this
object are composed of more or less readily soluble gums, starches and the like.
The printed material is dried in hot chambers, after which, by a series of suit-
able operations, the colour is fixed on to the textile fibre direct, the superfluous
colour being next eliminated by soaping or washing.
Now the thickeners generally used at the present time, when once dry, are
soluble but with great difficulty, and the machines which are to perform this
operation in a continuous manner, and the action of which consists merely in
passing the material through water, or subjecting the same to the contact of soap
made to impinge on it with greater or less force,have to be of a very considerable
size, where anything like a normal output is expected.
This inconvenience is remedied by the novel apparatus forming the subject
of the present invention, which, whilst being reduced to the minimum in bulk,
enables any superfluous quantity of the thickener, even in the case of very heavily
charged fabrics, to be eliminated in a very short time and in a continuous
manner.
This new device operates, in the main, by steeping (or dipping) and heating the
printed goods, so as to break up the various hardened molecules of the thickener, so
that these may be removed by simply rinsing or flushing the goods.
The arrangement and operation of the improved device will be best understood
by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a diagram of washing apparatus constructed in accordance with my
invention;
Figure 2 shows a modification of the arrangement shown in Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a similar view of another modification of that arrangement.
As shown in Figure 1 the apparatus comprises a rotary drum or barrel A formed
of two discs or end-plates connected by rollers a capable of revolving on such
plates or discs and by paddles b interposed between the rollers a.
This drum or barrel is mounted upon a horizontal shaft c by the aid of which
rapid rotary motion may be imparted to it, while its lower part is immersed in
liquid contained in a trough or bath, not shown.
The upper part of the barrel is surrounded by rollers B each of which is enve-
loped in a flexible india rubber sheath or case d. The journals of these rollers
engage in slide-ways radiating from the centre of the barrel A; the distance
between them being so adjusted that they may be each in succession struck and
raised by the rollers a of the rotary barrel A.
Thus there are here two rows or series of rollers, a and B, arranged circularly;

page_text: and through these the cloth, which is to be washed, is passed. The cloth to be
so conducted through the machine is held by the cylinders e and f, provided at the
inlet and outlet ends of the set of rollers a B; the course that such cloth takes, and
the direction of motion of the barrel A or rollers a being indicated in the. drawing
by arrows.
Now supposing the apparatus to be in operation, it will be seen that the rollers a
impart a series of successive strokes or impulses to the rollers B, the number of
such strokes per minute depending upon the speed of rotation of the barrel or
cylinder A. Thus if this speed be 300 revolutions per minute, the number of
rollers a
being seven and that of the rollers B, four, then
. The cloth is thus beaten while immersed in liquid and the molecules of the
thickener are thoroughly disintegrated. Besides, as the liquid is thrown against
the cloth by the paddles b, the liquid washes off and carries away such molecules.
In other words, the cloth is freed from its impurities with the greatest speed.
As a modification of this arrangement, the rollers a instead of being journalled
in the end plates of the cylinder A, may be mounted upon armis g (as shown in
Figure 2), which are linked to the said cylinder, while the rollers, B, instead of
being movable in slide-ways, may be mounted upon stationary spindles. Also,
the cloth to be washed, instead of passing between the two series of rollers a
and B, surrounding the cylinder A, may pass on to the rollers B direct, and over
cylinders ef and g₁ interposed between such rollers. In this case the rollers a
act upon the rollers B by centrifugal force and the cloth is at all times subjected to
the action of numerous and successive strokes or beatings, exercising a sort of
hammering action upon the molecules, thereby reducing the latter to such a con-
dition that their separation from the fabric becomes an easy matter.
On the same principle, there may be provided two series of rollers C and C¹
arranged similarly to the above mentioned rollers B. Two sets of such rollers C
and Care shown in Figure 3 as being arranged to turn respectively in two frames,
each of which is adapted to receive a reciprocating rectilinear motion, but in
opposite directions, by means of some such driving gear as is here diagrammatically
represented. The rollers C are, say, four in number and set more closely together
than the rollers C¹, of which there may be three, for example. Besides, the
rollers C¹ are mounted upon their frame so as to be capable of a slight receding
motion at right angles to the plane of the said frame, being to this end, subjected
to the action of repelling springs h, which constantly tend to bring them into con-
tact with the rollers C, the cloth x then passes between these two sets of rollers C
and C and, as it travels over a cylinder i, dips into the liquid contained in a suit-
áble vat or trough. Owing to the reciprocating motion, in opposite directions,
imparted to the frames supporting the rollers C and C, respectively, these rollers
beat the cloth so as to disintegrate the molecules of the thickening agent and
thereby facilitate the removal of the same.
As will be seen, the main point in each case is the beating of the material, by
successive strokes, produced upon the cloth by means of two sets of rollers between
which the cloth travels, so as to break up the particles of the thickener employed;
and it will be readily understood that the number and construction of the rollers
in each set are optional and that any suitable mechanism may be used in operating
them. Again, it should be observed that the apparatus herein described may be
employed, not only in washing woven fabrics after printing, but also in fulling or
felting fabrics.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. For the purpose of washing or soaping printed woven fabrics, with a view to
eliminating superfluous thickening matter, the process consisting in passing the
said fabrics through two sets of rollers, one set exercising a beating (or pounding)
action upon the other and producing a number of strokes in frequent succession
upon the fabrics, thereby disintegrating or breaking up the molecules of the
thickener and simultaneously submitting them to a washing operation, as specified.
2. In the performance of the process hereinabove claimed, the combination of a
set of rollers a, capable of turning on their own axis and arranged upon a rotary
cylindrical barrel; of another set of rollers, B, concentric with the set of rollers a,
the said rollers B being placed at such distances apart as to be successively struck
by the rollers a; of paddles 6 secured to the said barrel; and of a vat or trough
containing the washing liquid, all arranged as shown in Figure 1 of the accom-
panying drawing and so that the cloth passing between the two sets of rollers and
through the trough or vat may be somewhat violently beaten and sprinkled or
flushed with water, as specified.
3. In the performance of the process referred to in the 1st Claim, the combina-
tion of a series of rollers a wherein each of the said rollers is mounted upon an
arm hinged to a rotary drum or barrel A and tends to recede from such barrel by
centrifugal force; of another set of rollers, B, concentric in the set of rollers a;
such rollers B being, each in succession, struck by the rollers a; of paddles b
secured to the said barrel;. and of a trough or vat containing the washing liquid;
all arranged in the manner illustrated in Figure 2 and so that the fabric as it
passes between the two rows of rollers is forcibly struck by them and flushed in the
water, as specified.
4. In the performance of the process referred to in the 1st Claim, the combina-
tion of a set of rollers C mounted on a reciprocating frame; of another set of
rollers, C¹, also mounted in a reciprocating frame, which, however, moves in the
direction opposite to that of the first mentioned frame, and is subjected to the
action of springs pushing the rollers of this set towards the rollers of the other
set; the said rollers C¹ being arranged at such distances apart as to be struck
successively by the rollers C, so as to beat the cloth passing through the two series
of rollers and promote the elimination of superfluous thickening matter, as
specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.