Improvements in Kiers for Bleaching or the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 20th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1899
Improvements in Kiers for Bleaching or the like.
A communication from abroad by JOHN F. MONAGHAN, of Lowell, State of
Massachusetts, one of the United States of America.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows;-
This invention has for its object the production of an improved kier for use in
bleaching or the like and to render such kier more certain and economical in its
operation by providing means whereby sluggishness in the circulation is corrected
and generally to render such kier more easily and certainly controllable whilst
maintaining simplicity and efficiency of action.
The improved kier embodies a main body or shell suitably formed, as with
metal plates rivetted together and enclosing a space with division which serves
to support the goods or material treated, and the liquor is contained in the part
below.
The means of access and drainage may be of usual construction and this kier
is provided with a series or plurality of by-pass circulation channels or pipes.
These pipes through openings have access to the top and bottom of the kier
and means are provided, as by steam supplied pipes, whereby to establish efficient
circulation through each pipe or channel from bottom to top of kier. There is
provided according to my improvements an arresting device for the circulation
inducing means consisting of suitable means in each pipe for momentarily
checking or interrupting the flow of the steam or other circulation inducing
means and optionally those means are so constructed that automatically they serve
to operate any one of the valves singly or otherwise.
By means of this momentary interruption of the circulation I am enabled to
cure sluggish circulation that may exist in the apparatus.
Dated the 14th day of October 1898
A communication from abroad by JOHN F. MONAGHAN, of Lowell, State of
Massachusetts, one of the United States of America.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of my invention

page_text: for Improvements in kiers for bleaching or the like, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in, and by the
following statement;-
This invention has for its object the production of an improved kier for use in
bleaching or the like and to render such kier more certain and economical in its
operation by providing means whereby sluggishness in the circulation is corrected,
constant and positive circulation of the bleaching solution through the mass of
the fabric stacked within the kier is maintained and generally to render such
kier more easily and certainly controllable whilst maintaining simplicity and
efficiency of action.
The improved kier embodies a main body or shell suitably formed as with
metal plates rivetted together and enclosing a space with division which serves
to support the goods or material treated and the liquor is contained in the part
below.
The means of access and drainage may be of usual construction and this kier
is provided with a series or plurality of by pass circulation channels or pipes.
These pipes through openings have access to the top and bottom of the kier
and means are provided as by steam supplied pipes whereby to establish efficient
circulation through each pipe or channel from bottom to top of kier. There is
provided according to my improvements an arresting device for the circulation
inducing means consisting of suitable means in each pipe for momentarily
checking or interrupting the flow of the steam or other circulation inducing
means and optionally those means are so constructed that automatically they serve
to operate any one of the valves singly or otherwise.
By means of this momentary interruption of the circulation I am enabled to
cure sluggish circulation that may exist in the apparatus.
My invention relates to improvements in bleaching-kiers whereby constant
and positive circulation of the bleaching solution is maintained through the mass
of fabric stacked within the kier.
The cloth to be bleached is stacked in a pile in the kier in usual manner and
thereafter the bleaching solution is discharged on the pile.
Kiers as now commonly made have a series of pipes connected outside from
near the bottom to near the top, and these pipes are normally unobstructed, so
that when the bleaching solution is to be put in circulation to pass through the
cloth, steam under pressure is admitted to the interior of the kier, and it is
expected that the steam will find its way into the pipes referred to and take with
it the bleaching liquid and discharge it uniformly on the pile of cloth in the
kier; but this frequently is not the case, for when the pressure within the kier
becomes considerable it almost invariably results that unless a pump or injector
is used the circulation will become sluggish and liable to cease altogether. The
problem has long been how to get both circulation and proper pressure together
in the same apparatus without the use of any special forcing apparatus such as
a pump or injector the difficulty being that when proper pressure has been obtained
the pressure stops the circulation of the solution. To overcome this difficulty and
make the kier uniform and constant in the discharge of the bleaching liquid
on the pile of cloth I have provided, in connection with the pipes referred to,
a system of valves which must be opened to enable the steam-pressure to force
the bleaching solution through them, and I have provided mechanical devices to
automatically open and close these valves one after another in regular or in any
predetermined or desired order, so that the liquid will be passed through said
pipes and be discharged therefrom onto the pile constantly and will equally
penetrate the entire mass and insure uniform bleaching. By my invention the
solution is discharged intermittingly from different directions in a succession
of discharges, thus distributing the solution uniformly over the pile keeping it
even and continuous.
My invention will be more fully comprehended in the course of the following
description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, is a front elevation of my invention. Figure 2 is a central vertical
section thereof, taken on line 2-2, Fig. 3. Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof
parts being broken away to show the internal arrangement of the kier. Fig. 4
is a detail in end elevation of the cam mechanism for operating the valves.
The kier A provided with a cover B, secured in place by hand nuts and having
the pipe connections CC, blow-off valve D, outlet E, heating pipe F, and open
grate & for the cloths to be stacked upon may be and are such as are commonly
employed for bleaching purposes.
In the preferred embodiment of my invention as herein shown H designates
a steam-chiest supported on legs h centrally within the kier A immediately below
the grate G and also furnishing a support for the latter. The steam-chest H
receives its steam from a suitable source of steam supply through a pipe h¹ and
is provided with a plurality of outlet pipes h2, four being shown in the present
instance, extending radially to and preferably into the connections I. The
connections are secured to the kier below the grate G, so as to freely communicate
with the bleaching solution used. Return pipes K extend from the connections I
respectively and enter the upper part of the kier at K¹ to provide for the cir-
culation of the contained solution.
Valves L, L, L³, L³ are provided, one for each pipe K, these valves being
preferably located in the connections I, adjacent to the free ends of the steam-
pipes, the latter delivering the bleaching, rinsing, or other solution through
the connections I and circulation, pipes K into the kier again at the top to flow
down through the cloths over and over again.
The valves are of usual construction and are controlled by levers 1, U, P, 1³,
respectively, pivotted, as at P, Fig. 3, and normally held closed by means of
weights m, suspended therefrom over pulleys m¹.
to
Connected with the free end of each valve-lever, is an operating cord or cable,
designated respectively as n, u', n², n³, and passing over direction pulleys
the free ends of levers N, the latter being suitably pivotted, as at N¹, over a
shaft P. The shaft P is provided with a drive pulley P¹ and has a plurality of
cams keyed or otherwise secured thereon and out of step with each other, one for
each lever N and designated respectively, as R, R1, R2, R3, Figs. 1 and 4. I do
not restrict my invention to this arrangement or operating means; nor to the
detailed embodiment as above described, inasmuch as many changes and modi;
fications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of my invention.
The operation of the apparatus as above set forth is obvious. The cloths are
inserted through the top opening of the kier and are stacked on the grate G as
usual. The desired bleaching solutions, water &c. are admitted. The cover B
is secured, and steam is let into the chamber H. The rotation of shaft P causes
the cams thereon to raise and lower the levers N in succession, thereby corre-
spondingly opening the valves and permitting them to be closed by their weights m.
As each valve opens the steam from the adjacent pipe 2 is thereby given a forward
impulse by the removal of the obstructing-valve, and the bleaching solution is
thereby forced out through the valve-opening and up through the circulation-
pipe K, to be discharged at its end K to again flow through the cloths, the cam
arrangement, as shown, permitting this discharge of the solution in a series of
discharges or spurts one after the other following around the kier, if desired, in
rotation.
First cam R lifts the lever N, thereby pulling up cord n to draw out lever / and
open valve L. The continued rotation of shaft P turns down cam R, permitting
valve L to close, and raises cam R¹, as shown, Figures 1 and 4, thereby pulling
on cord n¹ and lever to open valve L' and so on and valve L' is closed and
valve L2 is opened, and the latter is closed and valve L³ opened. Valve L³ is
then closed and valve L is opened again, the valves being successively opened
and closed in regular rotation, the order thereof and the duration and speed of
opening depending on the arrangement and shape of the cams and the speed of the
driving-shaft.

page_text: The arrangement of the steam chest and injector apparatus entirely within the
kier and below the grate is not only compact and economical, but it serves to
maintain the bleaching solution at the required temperature.
The gist of my invention resides in providing in the several circulation-pipes
an obstruction (herein shown as a valve) which may be suddenly removed from
in front of the confined liquor, thereby releasing the pent-up fluid and giving it
a forward impulse which, being rapid, keeps a constant flow of the solution, as
required. Even, with my apparatus if all the pipes were left open the circulation
would cease, (it being remembered that the solution is maintained within the kier
under pressure) but by closing a pipe and then suddenly opening it, it "kicks"
the liquor as it were, by a kind of momentum on the release of the pressure or
resistance of the valve in the pipe. My invention is therefore not restricted in
any wise to providing the valves and valve mechanism for obtaining a predeter-
mined order of successive impulses or spurts, but resides, broadly, in providing
means for rendering the flow. of the liquid through the pipes intermittent. The
problem presented to bleachers has been how to obtain a continuous or practically
continuous flow of the liquor under pressure, and I have discovered that this
problem may be solved simply by checking and releasing the flow of the liquor
through the pipes. This, broadly stated, is my invention, and I intend herein
to claim any and all means for accomplishing the same, inasmuch as it will
readily be understood that my invention may be carried out by a great variety
of mechanical expedients.
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
1. A kier, provided with a plurality of circulation-pipes, means for forcing the
contained solution from the bottom of said kier through said pipes, a controlling-
valve for each pipe, and means to automatically operate said valves in succession,
substantially as described.
2. A kier, provided with a plurality of circulation-pipes, means for forcing the
contained solution from the bottom of said kier through said pipes, a controlling-
valve for each pipe, a shaft, a plurality of cams thereon, and connections between
said cams and said valves, whereby the latter are operated by said cams, sub-
stantially as described.
3. A kier provided with a plurality of circulation-pipes, a controlling-valve for
each pipe, and mechanism to automatically operate said several valves in succession
in predetermined order of rotation, substantially as described.
4. A kier provided with a plurality of circulation-pipes, means for forcing the
contained solution from the bottom of said kier into the top thereof, through said
pipes, and means for rendering the flow of the liquid through said pipes inter-
mittent, substantially as described.
5. A kier provided with a plurality of circulation-pipes, a controlling-valve for
each pipe, and automatic mechanism for operating said several valves, substantially
as described.
6. A kier provided with a plurality of circulation-pipes, a controlling valve for
each pipe, and mechanism for operating said several valves, whereby the discharge
from said pipes into the kier may be varied in one and another of the pipes as
desired, substantially as described.
Dated the 20th day of January 1899.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.