Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 12th Aug., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by JAMES MEIKLE, of Providence, County of
Providence, State of Rhode Island, United States of America, Bleacher.]
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
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
following statement :-
The object of the invention is to provide apparatus whereby the cleansing and
bleaching of cotton and other fibrous and textile fabrics may be effected in a less
expensive manner than has hitherto been possible; whereby the result may be
produced in a shorter time than hitherto, and without injury to the fabric, and
whereby larger quantities of goods may be operated upon within the same area.
The essential features of the process of bleaching fabrics as ordinarily conducted at
the present time, consists generally in successive boilings and washings in solutions of
lime, in very dilute acid, in a solution of soda-ash and in solutions of chlorine.
During the intervals between these several treatments, the fabric is washed many
times in water, and a period of not less than from four to eight days is necessarily
occupied in carrying out the whole process. The object of the several different and
successive treatments, is to entirely remove from the fabric the oils and other
extraneous substances which have become incorporated with it during the process of
manufacture, and to enable the chlorine, which is the principal bleaching agent, to
exert full and equal chemical action upon all parts of the fabric, so as to produces a
uniform whiteness of the same in every part.
The essential feature of the present invention consists in exposing the fabric to the
action of the bleaching agent or solution, in such a manner that the foreign substances
are not only forced out of the fabric by mechanical action, but also the bleaching
liquid is thereby brought into intimate, rapid, and effectual contact with every portion

page_text: of it, thereby producing the desired effect with great rapidity, and at the same time
without injury to the fabric. This is effected by bringing the cloth or other material
to be operated upon into such a position with reference to a series of pipes carrying
the bleaching liquid, that the solution may be forced, under considerable pressure,
upon the fabric while at the same time, a series, of heaters are made to operate rapidly
upon it, in such manner as to separate all extraneous matters in the most thorough
manner. A large quantity of cloth can in this way be operated upon in a short period
of time, thus rapidly producing both the cleansing and bleaching effects.
It has been ascertained by experiment that in bleaching by this process it is wholly
unnecessary in most cases, to use successively several solutions, as in the ordinary
process of bleaching. A single solution containing the necessary elements for both
cleansing and bleaching the fabric, has been found generally sufficient to produce the
best results.
Several pieces of cloth are taken at a time and these are first well soaked in a tank
containing the same liquor as it is intended to use in the process of bleaching. The
ends of the several pieces are then taken together and are drawn out of the tank over
rollers in the usual manner and are then carried into a large tank in which the
principal part of the process of cleansing and bleaching is effected. This tank contains
a series of two or more moving tables operated in the manner of endless belts. The
cloth is laid upon the lowest of these tables, spread out to its full width and is carried
slowly along by the movement of the table. The cloth is not laid smoothly upon the
table but is deposited thereon as closely and thickly as possible, which is effected by
having the table move more slowly than the cloth as it comes from the rollers after
leaving the first tank, so that it lies closely pushed or folded together. While being
carried forward by the movement of the table the cleansing and bleaching solution is
forced upon it under suitable pressure by means of a series of transverse pipes, which
are fed by a pipe extending along the outside of the tank throughout its length. The
transverse pipes are perforated so as to throw the solution upon the material in the
form of spray or fine streams; at the same time a series of beaters are caused to
operate upon the cloth and which aid in forcing the solution into the entire mass of
material and also in driving out the extraneous matter which it contains. From the
first or lowest table the material passes by means of suitable rollers to a second table
placed above the first where the material is subjected to the same action both of the
solution and a series of heaters. A third similar table may be added if necessary, or
even more, as the condition of the material may require. From the last table the
cloth is carried again upwards, the ends of the pieces are separated and are passed
between a series of pipes in such a manner as to be subjected separately to the action
of the solution.
After leaving the tank in which the operations described have been carried on, the
cloth is carried through another tank which may be made in the same manner as that
described but in which clear water only is used. From the clear water tank it may
he carried through a chlorine tank after which it is washed and soured in the usual
manner. It is found by experiment that when the cloth has been treated with the
cleansing and bleaching solution in the tank containing the heaters and pipes described,
that all the operations afterwards, namely, the washing, chlorination and souring may
be effected by the use of cold solutions only.
In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a form of apparatus suitable for
carrying out the invention, A is the tank and B the cloth as it comes from the first
tank in which it is soaked. It first passes between the rollers where it is spread
out to its full width by means of grooves or corrugations upon the surface of the
rollers. By making these grooves lengthwise the cloth is not kept to its full width
but may be kept stretched tightly during such part of its progress as may be necessary.
This is especially the case where the cloth is separated at the top of the tank and
carried between the series of pipes, as will be described.
From the rollers the cloth passes downwards to the table D. This table is caused
to move in the direction of the arrow by a motion slower than that given to the cloth
by the revolution of the rollers C. By this means the cloth is crowded or folded

page_text: closely together upon the table. The table is constructed of pieces of strong plank d
and is of nearly the same width as the tank. The pieces are joined or hinged
together in the usual manner to make a continuous table, passing over the rollers E at
each end. The rollers E are preferably constructed of polygonal form so as to carry
the table uniformly across the tank. As the cloth is carried forward by the motion of
the table, the cleansing and bleaching solution is forced upon it in a heated condition
from the pipes F which extend across the tank a short distance above the surface of
the cloth. The pipes F are supplied from the pipe F¹ which extends along the
outside of the tank. A reservoir, boiler, or tank situated at a suitable height above A,
supplies the pipe F1, with the solution. At the same time the heaters G, G. are
caused to operate by means of eccentrics H, which are fixed upon the shaft J.
Having passed the length of the tank upon the table D the cloth is carried upwards
between the rollers and again across the similar table I where it is operated upon
both by the solution forced from the pipes F', F. and the heaters G. From the
table it may be carried to a similar table placed above the latter. The number of
tables required for the best effect depends upon the condition of the cloth, and of
course upon the length of the tables. If the tank is made long so that the cloth is
subjected to the action of the solution and beaters a considerable time upon each,
fewer tables will be required.
A tank from 20 to 30 feet in length, from 6 to 8 feet deep and 4 feet wide is of
good practical size.
After the last table it is carried over the roller K where the ends are separated and
carried between the series of pipes L which are supplied by the leading pipe L' and
from which the solution is forced upon and through the cloth more perfectly than
when it lay upon the tables. After passing between the several pipes of the series. L
the ends of the cloth are again collected at the rollers K¹ and carried through a tank,
preferably fitted and provided in the same manner as the tank A, but in which clear
water only is used. The ordinary course of chlorination and souring may then be
followed, and the operation to which the cloth has been subjected in the tank A will enable
the subsequent operations to be carried on in a very brief period and with the best
possible results. It will be seen that by carrying the cloth to the lowest table at first
and afterwards to those above it, the cleansing and bleaching solution is used to the
best advantage, the cloth at each stage receiving clean solution which passes downwards
and adds to the effect of the solution supplied upon the lowest table, so that the most
important and effective part of the operation of cleansing and bleaching is done in a single
tank. Thus the clean solution from the pipes L at the top after acting upon the cloth
in the manner shown falls down and aids the work upon the upper beater table D',
and then in turn falls upon D and so on until it reaches the bottom. As fast as the
solution collects in the tank A it may he withdrawn in any convenient manner by a
pump or otherwise through the pipe O at the bottom of the tank. The tables D
and D are of course made in a very strong manner so as to withstand the action of
the beaters G and they are preferably constructed with a bed of iron rods or slats s
extending across from one side to the other, under the table and between the
rollers E, and upon these are laid rods extending lengthwise under the table as shown
ats, thus keeping the surface of the table nearly or quite level. It may be advisable
sometimes to place rollers upon the bottom of the pieces d which are arranged to roll
upon the rods s'.
The invention is not limited to any particular form of tank or construction of the
tables D, nor to any particular method of operating the beaters.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said 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 :—
1. In a cleansing and bleaching apparatus, the combination of a tank, one or more
moving tables within said tank, a series of pipes for conveying the cleansing or bleaching
solution therein, and a series of beaters for operating upon the material while in said
tank,

page_text: 2. In a cleansing and bleaching apparatus, the combination of a tank, a series of
rollers for conveying the material to be cleansed or bleached into and out of said
tank, one or more moving tables within said tank upon which the said material is
laid, a series of pipes whereby the liquid to be used is thrown upon said material
while upon said tables, and a series of beaters for beating said material while upon
said tables.
3. The combination of a tank, two or more moving tables arranged therein one
above the other, a series of pipes extending across said tank and above each of said
tables through which the liquid for cleansing or bleaching is forced upon said
material, and a series of pipes extending across said tank above the highest of
said tables between which pipes the separate pieces of material operated upon may
be carried.
4. The combination of a tank, a series of moving tables arranged therein, a series of
pipes extending across said tank and above each of said tables, a series of beaters
placed above each of said tables, and a support for each of said tables consisting of the
rods D and S¹.
5. The combination of the tank A, the tables D and D', the pipes F and F¹, the
beaters G and G¹, and the pipes L.
6. The combination of the tank A, the grooved rollers C for spreading the material
to its full width as it enters said tank, the table D moving at a slower speed than the
rollers whereby the cloth is pushed or folded together closely upon said table D, the
pipes F, and the beaters G.
Dated this 11th day of July 1887