Improvements in Apparatus for Dyeing Sliver for Textile Fabrics.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1897-Accepted, 20th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Communicated from abroad by DIEGO MATTEI, of Genoa, in the Kingdom of Italy,
Engineer.
Improvements in Apparatus for Dyeing Sliver for Textile Fabrics.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
This invention relates to an apparatus or machine for dyeing carded slivers of
textile materials, and as constructed in accordance with my invention, comprises: -
(1) One or more injectors designed to effect the preparatory impregnation of
the slivers;
(2) Certain tanks or vats, the number of which may vary according to circum-
stances; the first tank of the series being ordinarily intended to further moisten
the slivers after treating them, by injection, while the remaining tanks contain
liquid dyes;
(3) Feeding apparatus for conveying the slivers from one tank to the next; and
(4) Winding apparatus.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2, a front elevation of the complete machine.
Figure 3 an end elevation.
Figures 4 and 5 detail views of the injector.
Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view shewing the path of the guide and dye bands.
Figure 7 represent a double tank.
Figure 8 represent a modification hereinafter referred to.
Figure 9 is side elevation of one of the feeders.
Figure 9 is an enlarged view of some parts of Figure 9.
Figure 9 is a front elevation of the same.
Figure 10 a vertical section of the feeders.
Figure 11 a plan or top view and
- Figure 12 a vertical section thereof.
Like letters of reference designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings, n¹
representing the slivers to be dyed,-six in number, for example,-arranged in
juxtaposition, at right angles to the plane of Figure 3. said Figure 3 being a
diagrammatic side-elevation of tank No. 1 (Figures 1 and 2) wherein the pre-
liminary moistening process is to be performed.
The slivers n', upon issuing from (say) six card "pots" 1 (Figures 1 and 3),
are first directed on to a guiding surface 2, on leaving which they are supported
by a perforated endless band n, which is, itself, guided by rollers 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
11, 12, 13, 14. While still supported thus by the band n, they traverse the
injector 15 (shown detached in Figures 4 and 5), the construction of which will
be described further on. The carrying band next conducts the slivers to the
double tank (I), containing liquid (generally pure water, "but sometimes a solution

page_text: of soda or a dyeing liquid, used to give the material a preliminary dye or tint),
which is supplied from a reservoir and the object of which is to complete the
moistening of the slivers n¹ to be dyed. In passing through the moistening tank I,
as well as through the succeeding tanks II, III &c., forming part of corresponding
apparatus, II, III &c., and containing liquid dyes, the slivers are not guided on
their lower surfaces merely, by the perforated band n which serves them as
a support, but are held entirely between two bands viz. the band n, already men-
tioned, and another perforated endless band n", which covers them over on the top
and winds on rollers 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, Figure 6 is a diagram showing
the course along which travel, both, the two guide bands nn" and the dye-bands n
within any one of the double moistening tanks (I) or dye-tanks (II, III, IV &c.).
To give increased clearness to the tracings, the distance between the ribbons and
the distance between the superposed rollers are considerably exaggerated; while
Figure 7 represents a double tank (I, II, III &c.) reduced accordingly to the scale
adopted, the band n', generally consisting of six bands in juxtaposition, on leaving
the guide-band n, passes into the feeding apparatus T, which conducts it into the
dyeing apparatus II, of this apparatus, being perfectly identical with the following
apparatus III, IV &c., those parts only are represented in Figure 8 in which it
differs from the moistening apparatus I, shown in Figure 3. It is naturally fed
by a feeding device T¹ instead of by a series of card-" pots." The tank II contains,
instead of water an initial dyeing bath supplied from the reservoirs 3. The
guiding surface 2 of the apparatus I is replaced by a cylinder of dripping or
wringing draining rollers 49, 19 firmly pressed one upon the other. The injector 15,
Figure 3, is in most cases omitted, for, when once the slivers to be dyed are
thoroughly moistened, they absorb the dye-baths by simply passing through the
tanks containing them.
Some of the dyeing apparatus are fitted with injectors of the description shown
in Figure 7 of British Patent 12466 A.D. 1893, which only serve to wash out the
slivers n¹ before they enter a new bath.
The dyeing apparatus II is succeeded by the feeder or conveyor T, and the
feeder by the dyeing apparatus III, which only differs from its predecessor in the
composition of the dye-bath. The slivers, after passing through a greater or less
number of apparatus or tanks-according to the effect it is desired to obtain-and
being directed from each tank to the next by a feeder T T &c., arrive at the wind-
ing apparatus R of well-known construction, where they are wound by friction, the
spindle which carries the roll of material being adapted to move vertically in
proportion as the roll increases in size.
It now remains for us to describe the injectors 15 arranged at the entrance of
apparatus No. I and the feeders or conveyors T', T", &c. Figure 4 is a front eleva-
tion and Figure 5 a section parallel to the plane of Figure 4. There is provided,
below, a level guiding surface 20, for guiding the slivers n' to be dyed and the
perforated band n, which rest against it on leaving the roller 4, before passing on
to the cylinder 14. The bands n and n¹ are guided at the top by another plane
surface, 21, pivoted at 22, and retained in contact with the slivers or bands by the
counter-poise weight 23, the guide 20 has a slot 24, extending over the whole width
of the slivers, through which slot is forced the water supplied from the chamber 25
which, in its turn, is fed by the tube or jet 26, the guide 21 is provided with two
similar slots 27 and 28, one of which communicates with the left-hand half, and
the other, with the right-hand half, of the chamber 29, which receives steam through
the jet 30 and water under pressure through the jet 31, the sliver n¹ to be impreg-
nated is first struck by a steam-jet issuing from 28, which expels all the air; then
there impinge upon it two consecutive jets of water, issuing from the slots 27 and 24
which by condensing the steam, leave the fibres thoroughly impregnated with liquid
and ready for effective treatment by the dye-baths.
As regards the feeders, their object is to carry and retain in position the slivers
as they pass from one tank to the next, so as to undergo the action of the successive

page_text: baths of different composition, which are constantly kept hot, whereby the absorp-
tion and penetration of the colours is considerably facilitated.
Referring now to Figures 9-12.
The sliver n¹ to be dyed is carried by the guiding band n (Figure 9) on to the
reel 32, which deposits it in superposed layers upon the bands or flexible aprons 33
which consist of wooden rods 34 (Figure 12) secured to belts, thus forming an
arrangement not unlike the feeding bands of the spinning engines, the bands 33
cause the sliver to traverse through the vessel 35, whilst being, themselves,
guided by the guides 36, the motion of the said bands 33 is controlled by the
endless screw or worm 37 and the worm-wheel 38.
The plate 39 is to facilitate the folding of the sliver by passing alternately,
at each revolution of the reel,- from the horizontal to the vertical position and
vice versa and by pressing each layer of material externally, wherever a fresh layer
has taken its place in the vessel. The same pressure is exercised on the inner
side by the drum of the reel and which for this purpose is fitted with the paddles
or blades 47 capable of turning on pivots 48 Fig. 9, the plate 39 passes from the
horizontal position, which it is supposed to occupy in Figure 9 and to which it
returns under the action of the spring 40 as soon as it is released, to the nearly
vertical position which it is required to assume in order to enable the sliver to take
up its place in the vicinity of the outer wall of the chamber 35.
On the spindle of the reel there is fastened an arm 41 Figs. 9 and 9. Two
cranks 42 and 43, connected by a rod 44, are mounted, each, on a shaft, one of
which, 45, is eccentric, while the other, 46, Figs. 9* and 9", is the shaft of a plate 39
integral with the crank 43 which it carries.
The arm 41, in turning, strikes the wing 50, which is likewise made fast upon
the shaft 45, and carries it along, thereby making the whole jointed rectangle 42,
43 and 44 turn from the right to the left; the effect of such movement being to
bring the plate 39 to the erect position; while the spring 40 restores it to the
horizontal position as soon as the arm 41, as it continues to revolve, releases the
wing or blade 50.
At the bottom of the vessel 35 there collects the liquid dripping off the sliver
to be dyed, so that it may thence from time to time be discharged. The discharge
is effected through the orifice 51 as soon as the liquid in the chamber 35 attains
a certain level. The slivers passing through the apparatus are, in consequence,
immersed in the liquid dye when they get to the bottom of such vessel, which serves
to keep them hot; while on the other hand they allow liquid to drip off when they
are about to leave the feeder and to enter the next-succeeding dye vat.
The double bottom 52 with the jet tubes 53 and 54 serves to heat the vessel 35
by the admission of steam into the intermediate space.
I
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
A machine for the continuous dyeing of textile fibres, such as cotton and the
like in the form of carded slivers; the main features of such machine being
1. A machine for treating cotton and other textile fibres, made up in form of
sliver bands or strips, with washing and dyeing liquids or lyes, the characteristic
feature consisting in the combination of one or more injectors 15, serving for the
previous moistening of the said sliver bands or strips; of a number of consecutive
steeping or dyeing apparatus I, II, III. ; and of a corresponding number of
devices T, T, Ti
for transporting the sliver bands or strips from one
steeping or dyeing apparatus to another, without cooling of the said bands or
strips.
2. In the machine of the kind ascertained in the first claim, for transporting
the sliver bands or strips n³, to be treated, through the steeping or dyeing apparatus
I, II, III ; a perforated supporting apron and a covering or top apron "
placing itself above the sliver bands or strips.

page_text: 3. In the machine of the kind, ascertained in the first claim, an apparatus for
laying the sliver bands or strips n', to be treated, this laying apparatus consisting
of a two-armed reel 32 and of a plate 39, working in conjunction with said reel
and serving to keep down the folds in the bands or strips; always one of the above
laying apparatus being arranged in connection with the respective transporting
devices T, TH, TH
provided with feed straps 33 and shaped according
.
to the form of the heatable reservoir.
4. In the machine of the kind ascertained in the first claim, an injector 15,
arranged at the place, where the strips or bands enter the machine, which said
injector first inject or sprays. steam upon the sliver strips or bands-introduced
between its two guide surfaces 20, 21—for the purpose of expelling the air and
subsequently injects water upon the said sliver strips or bands, in order to properly
moisten them previous to their further treatment.
Dated this 20th day of July 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE. & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.