IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CARBONIZING OR DESTROYING VEGETABLE 'MATTER CONTAINED IN WOOLLEN OR SILK FABRICS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tolson and John Edwin Tolson of Dewsbury in
the County of York for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD
OF AND APPARATUS FOR CARBONIZING OR DESTROYING VEGETABLE 'MATTER
CONTAINED IN WOOLLEN OR SILK FABRICS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tolson and John
Edwin Tolson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
2nd November 1883.
GEORGE TOLSON and JOHN EDWIN TOLSON of Dewsbury in the county of York
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CARBONIZING OR
DESTROYING VEGETABLE MATTER CONTAINED IN WOOLLEN OR SILK FABRICS
"
.
The object of our invention is to destroy or carbonize the bits of vegetable
matter contained in woollen and silk piece goods or in slivers of fibrous materials
composed of animal fibre.
The apparatus we employ is divided into suitable compartments or chambers
some of which are heated in order to prepare the pieces or slivers for proper and
effective carbonization, whilst the other chambers are employed for the purpose of
carbonizing and neutralizing the effects of the acid.
The piece enters the first chamber and passes through all of them over rotary
rollers placed one above the other whereby the piece travels up and down in a
vertical direction so that the heat and acid vapours come more in direct contact
therewith, than would be the case if the piece travelled horizontally.
The first chamber is heated to a suitable temperature and employed to dry
the piece and prepare it for the second chamber when the vegetable matter is
carbonized by introducing into the said chamber (from a retort or still) a gaseous
vapour made from chloride of sodium and sulphuric acid or chloride of aluminum,
and chloride of sodium or other destructive agents. From this chamber the piece
passes through another preparing or heated chamber, and from thence into a fourth

page_text: chamber where the effect of the acid gases are neutralized by introducing therein a
gaseous vapour consi-ting of sulphur of ammonia, caustic soda and lime or other
gases having the same effect.
Instead of employing the last named chamber for neutralizing the acid effects,
the piece or sliver may pass through a cold water bath and afterwards through an
alkali bath both of which produce the same effect as the neutralizing chamber
The machine is relfacting in all its movements and between the division of each
chamber, outlets are formed for the escape of acid gases. In order to prevent as
far as possible the entrance of gases into chambers where it is not required hinged
boards or springs are employed working in conjunction with those rollers placed at
the entrance and exit of each chamber.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Tolson and John Edwin Tolson in the Patent Office on
the 2nd May 1884.
GEORGE TOLSON and JOHN EDWIN TOLSON, of Dewsbury in the County of York
." IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CARBONIZING OR
DESTROYING VEGETABLE MATTER CONTAINED IN WOOLLEN OR SILK FABRICS 21
The object of our Invention is to destroy or carbonize the bits of vegetable
.matter contained in woollen and silk piece goods, or in slivers of fibrous materials
composed of animal fibre.
The apparatus we employ is divided into suitable compartments or chambers
some of which are heated and provided with gases in order to prepare the pieces
or slivers for proper and effective carbonization, whilst the other chambers are
employed for the purpose of carbonizing and neutralizing the effects of the acid.,
The piece enters the first chamber and passes through all of them over rotary
rollers placed one above the other; whereby the piece travels up and down in a
vertical direction so that the heat and acid vapours come more in direct contact
.therewith, than would be the case if the piece travelled horizontally.
In order that our Invention may be better understood, we herein give reference
to the arcompanying Sheets of Drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is longitudinal section of
a machine constructed according to our Invention for carbonizing or destroying
vegetable matter contained in woollen or silk fabrics, Fig 2 is section of the
machine taken through the line a, b in Fig 1. The machine consists of a large
box or iron casing divided into any suitable number of compartments or divisions
for purposes hereinafter explained. Within every alternate division are a number
of horizontal rollers A, around the top and bottom rows of rollers the fabric passe's,
and is conveyed through the machine thereby. These rollers are driven by means
of long worms or screwed shafts B gearing with a worm wheel C on the end of
each roller, the said screwed shafts being driven by gearing D from pulley E and
strap F

page_text: At the entrance and exit of each compartment are a pair of nipping rollers G for
guiding the fabric from one compartment to the other. The whole of the metal
casing is heated by steam or hot air pipes H such heat passing up through the
perforated floor I for the purpose of distributing the heat, whereby the chambera
are heated to any required temperature. J are retorts or stills employed for
making the necessary gases for treating the fabric, which gases are supplied to the
various chambers intermittently by self-acting mechanism consisting of a suitably
shaped branch pipe K forming part or being connected to the front part of a
tubular chamber or retort L. Within the pipe K (see Fig 3) is a rotating boss M
provided with caps or cells c, the said boss being caused to rotate continuously by
strap N from pulleys driven from any convenient source. The upper part of the
cup is supplied with the requisite salt, and as the boss M rotates it empties first
one and then the other of the cells c thereby intermittently feeding salts to the
retort chamber L the vapours therefrom escaping up the pipe P into the machine.
The woven fibre to be treated first enters the compartment R where it is bleached,
the gases which may escape therefrom into the small compartment R¹ are drawn
away by fan R' so as to prevent any liability of the bleaching gases entering the
next compartment. After leaving the bleaching compartment the fabric passes
into the compartment S where it is dried, and then enters the compartment T to
be carbonized, a fan T¹ being employed for drawing away escaped gases as
previously explained. U is another drying compartment employed for thoroughly
drying the fabric and the bits of carbonized fibre so that they can be easily removed
by the rotary brushes V before entering the compartment W which is employed for
neutralizing the effects of the acid gases, whilst X is a third drying compartment
which completes the process; we however would have it understood that blankets
and some other kind of goods do not require so complete and extensive treatment
as that described, the first three chambers consisting of the bleaching, drying, and
carbonizing being quite sufficient.
As it is necessary to prevent the escape of gases from their soveral chambers, and
enter into other chambera tho nipping rollers G are provided with hinged boards d.
kept in contact with the surface of the rollers by a spring e so as to prevent the
gases escaping from the partitions over the upper and lower parts of each roller, but
fans are employed to draw away such gases as may escape. If the machine shown
in Fig 1 was only intended to be used for treating woven fabrics, only top and
bottom rows of rollers would need to be employed, but as the same machine with
slight alteratious can be used for treating slivers of wool or silk, one machine is
made so as to be adapted for treating both pieces and slivers, it of course being
understood that when the machine is being used for piece goods that the whole of
the middle rows of rollers are disengaged and therefore remain stationary,
consequently waste of power to drive same when not required is avoided. The
acid gases we prefer to use for bleaching purposes and which we make in the retort
and emit intermittently by the rotary boss M consists of black oxide of mangansees,
chloride of sodium, sulphuric acid, or sulphur or both sulphur and black oxide of
mangansees chloride of sodium and sulphuric acid, the carbonizing gases consist of
chloride of sodium, sulphuric acid, and spirits of salts, and the neutralizing gases
consist of sulphate of ammonia, silicate or sodium, and the admixture of steam
which is introduced into the retort by a pipe. Fig 4 is longitudinal section of
machine as it is intended to be when carbonizing slivers of wool and silk, and Fig 5
is cross section taken through line e. f. The openings & in the vertical partitions
which had been filled in with wood or metal whilst the machine was used for piece
goods are now removed to allow the slivers R to pass through the machine
horizontally, a vibrating board S having eyelets g is employed to shake the
vegetable matter out of the said sliver. The vibrating board S receives its upward
motion from cams h (shown in Fig 5) on the shaft T driven by pulleys and strap U
as found most convenient, the said vibrating board descending by its own weight.
The various compartments for bleaching, drying, carbonizing, and neutralizing

page_text: being employed as explained for piece goods with the employment of the same kind
of gases.
Although we have shown and described the slivers passing through the machine
horizontally, we would observe that the slivers may pass up and down vertically
in the same manner as the woven pieces; and in case where coarse and strong
wool is being operated upon we prefer to do this as the fibre is longer in passing
through the machine and therefore under longer treatment.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, we wish it to be distinctly understood, that wo claim,
Firstly. The employment of a machine such as is herein shown and described
whereby the pieco runs vertically over top and bottom rollers for purposes
explained.
Secondly. The employment in one machine of separate compartments, whereby
the varied processes for treating the fabrics or slivers can be performed in manner
substantially as herein shown and described. Thirdly. The nipping rollers G for
guiding the piece from one compartment to the other substantially as described.
Fourthly. The general arrangement and construction of the machine for
carbonizing woven piece goods and slivers substantially as herein shown and
described.
-
In witness whereof we the said George Tolson and John Edwin Tolson have
hereunto set our hands and seals this Twenty eighth day of .April, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty four.