IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING YARNS AND THREADS OF SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR PURPOSES OF RESTORING COLOUR THERETO, AND IMPROVING THEIR QUALITY AND APPEARANCE, ALSO IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN OPERATING ON YARNS AND THREADS
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Michael Henry at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th March
1861. A communication from abroad. by Charles Torne, of 33, Boule-
vard Saint Martin, Paris.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TREATING YARNS AND THREADS OF SILK AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR
PURPOSES OF RESTORING COLOUR THERETO, AND IMPROVING THEIR QUALITY AND
APPEARANCE, ALSO IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN OPERATING ON YARNS AND THREADS,"
communicated to me from abroad by Charles Torne, of 33, Boulevard Saint
Martin, Paris, to be as follows:-
This Invention first relates to the treatment of yarns and threads of floss
and other silk, and of other fibrous materials, in such manner as to revive
their colors, or restore color to them on the same being affected by gassing or
singeing, or faded or discolored by age or other cause, also to strengthen
threads and yarns, and impart flexibility, gloss, and polish to them, and
generally improve their appearance. For these purposes it is proposed to
subject the threads or yarns to a bath or solution of gelatine, glue, size, dex-
trine, albumen, or similar substance, which I call the "regenerating" or
"improving." bath; it is also proposed when desirable to subject threads or
yarns so treated to an additional operation for forcing the gelatine or other
regenerating or improving agent into the body of the fibrous material,
incorporating it therewith, and removing the excess. By these means body is

page_text: imparted to the thread, and the down, flue, or loose fibres or filaments re-
moved. When the yarns or threads treated are of other colors than black,
I generally combine with the gelatine or other regenerating substance, a
dyeing agent according to the color desired. For example, carbonate of soda,
sulphuric, citric, and tartaric acid, alum, indigo, cochineal, and various other
dyeing agents may be so used, preferring the same dyeing agent as that which
served for the original dye. The dyeing and regenerating agents may be fixed
by the means herein described. The threads or yarns may be treated with
the regenerating or improving bath only, or may be subjected in addition to
means of applying heat and pressure. The threads or yarns may be passed
through the bath singly, or two or more at a time, or in hanks or skeins, and
the regenerating or improving agent incorporated by passing them through
pressing and heated rollers; I prefer to act on the threads singly, subjecting
them to the bath one by one, and afterwards passing them between cylinders
heated by steam or otherwise.
I prefer to operate on threads and yarns by apparatus so contrived as to
'effect 'the singeing and regenerating in one machine, or it may be divided to
perform them separately; the threads being led over pullies with several
"grooves on the edge, so as to bring them over or through the singeing flame
'or agent repeatedly, and they are drawn or rub against a pulley or pulleys
after being singed. In the form préferred, the thread is first led over two
"pullies having as many grooves as the number of times the thread is to be
passed through the flame, and is brought through the flame of alcohol or
other singeing fagent, and thence over a third grooved pulley, then back over
the first two pullies, then 'a second time through the flame, then over or
against a cylinder 'covered with cloth or felt, and into one groove of a fourth
pulley with several grooves, and then again over the two first pullies, and
again through the flame, and thence into the second groove of the fourth
'pulley, and again over the "first pullies, and again through the flame, which is
repeated as often as desired, 'passing the thread every time it is brought
through the flame against the clothed cylinder, and into a fresh groove of the
fourth pulley. When 'sufficiently singed, the thread is led over a last grooved
'pulley, and between a pair of nippers lined with cloth or felt, which removes
-the burnt down or loose fibres, and so into the regenerating bath, in which it
is carried under a' roller to saturate it more completely, and is thence brought
to a pair of clothed rollers, one of which has a little play, thence it passes
between a second pair of "Follers covered with cloth or felt, the upper being
.capable of rising and falling in a guide way according to the thickness of thread
passing under it; by the pressure 'thus exerted, the saturating agent is forced

page_text: into the pores; the thread is then led over and under hollow rollers heated
internally by steam or other means, which dry it, remove any remaining down
or loose filaments, and also any superfluous saturating agent, incorporating
however with the thread or yarn the required quantity thereof. The thread is
finally wound on a bobbin, reel, or other receiving appliance, and is prevented
from adhering to the cylinders, and guided on the receiving reel by a to-and-
fro motion. Threads that are not to be singed in the same apparatus may be
wound on bobbins held on a frame, and hence led to the regenerating bath.
I do not confine myself to this arrangement of apparatus.
The Invention may, among other applications, be applied to yarns and
threads singed or treated with potassa or other chemical means, as well as by
gas, or other flame or agent, and also to raw silk and other fibrous materials
when faded.