IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN WASHING, BLEACHING, AND DYEING YARNS AND TEXTILE FABRICS IN
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Smith, of Baxenden, in the County of Lancaster,
Turkey Red Dyer, and William Schofield, of Heywood, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
USED IN WASHING, BLEACHING, AND DYEING YARNS AND TEXTILE FABRICS IN
Sealed the 6th February 1866, and dated the 16th August 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Smith and William
Schofield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 16th August 1865.
We, JOHN SMITH, of Baxenden, in the County of Lancaster, Turkey Red
Dyer, and WILLIAM SCHOFIELD, of Heywood, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS..
IN MACHINERY USED IN WASHING, BLEACHING, AND DYEING YARNS, AND TEXTILE
FABRICS IN THE HANк," to be as follows:-
The object of our Invention is to economise time, labor, and materials in
washing, bleaching, and dyeing yarns and textile fabrics when in the bank,
and the mode of performing the same consists in substituting to a great extent
mechanical for manual labor, by which the various operations are performed
more expeditiously and effectually. Our improved machinery consists of a series
of flat or other suitably shaped holders on which the hauks are suspended;
these holders are mounted on axles placed radially above the vat or cistern
containing the water or bath or other liquid required, and in which the hanks
are partially immersed; these holders are made to revolve rapidly by means

page_text: of a friction disc acting on friction pulleys fixed to the axles of the holders.
When the yarn or fabric becomes tangled the direction of motion of the
holders can be reversed to straighten it again by another friction disc, acting
on the opposite side of the friction pulleys, and the motion is reversed by
a lever which brings cach surface of the friction pulley in contact with its
friction disc, or other equivalents may be employed for this purpose. The
axles of the holders are supported in bearings fixed to a revolving table which
rotates slowly on its axle. When removing the finished hank and replacing
one to be operated upon, the axle of the holder comes between stationary
guides which hold the friction pulley clear of both the friction discs, and thus
arrest the rotary motion of the holder on its own axis, but permitting it to
move with the revolving table to which it is connected. The holders must
revolve on their axes at such a speed as to produce a strain on the hank
which partially removes the liquid from the hank, and the flat sides of the
bolders striking against the hank produce an effect similar to that technically
called tramping or padding. The revolving holders may be used separately or
combined in a line, each provided with a separate trough or cistern containing
the desired bath or liquid or with one common trough.
Another part of our Invention applicable to dyeing yarns and textile fabrics
in the hank consists of a series of holders placed side by side, and revolving
in a trough or cistern; the axles of the holders are connected by gearing, and
they are made to rotate alternately in contrary directions to prevent the
tangling of the yarn or fabric, by a toothed segment actuated by a crank or
other equivalents; this machine may be used for rinsing out or washing
the hanks, after removing the dye material from the cistern and supplying
water.
Another part of our Invention consists in the application of rollers covered
with vulcanised india-rubber or other suitable compound of india-rubber, to
squeezing or expressing moisture or liquids used in preparing for dyeing, and
for dyeing yarns and textile fabrics in the bank.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Smith and William Schofield in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th February 1866.

page_text: WILLIAM SCHOFIELD, of Heywood, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her. Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of. Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Smith and William Schofield, Her special license that we, the said John
Smith and William Schofield, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said John Smith and William Schofield, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might, make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United.
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN WASHING, BLEACHING, AND
DYEING YARNS AND TEXTILE FABRICS IN THE HANK," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Smith and William Schofield, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our or
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Smith and William Schofield, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
The object of our Invention is to economize time, labor, and materials, in
washing, bleaching, and dyeing yarns and textile fabrics when in the bank,
and the mode of performing the same consists in substituting-to-a-great-
extent mechanical for manual labor, by which the various operations are
performed more expeditiously and effectually than heretofore.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, we will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, reference being had to the Figures, letters, and arrows marked
thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation in section; and Figure 2 is a plan of a machine
for washing and rinsing yarns and fabrics when in the hank, constructed
according to our Invention. This machine consists of a series of flat or other
suitably shaped holders marked a, a, on which the banks are suspended; these
holders are mounted on the axles 6 placed radially above the annular vat or

page_text: cistern c, containing the water or bath or other liquid required for washing
or bleaching, or for the preparatory or subsequent stages of bleaching, and in
which the banks are partially immersed; these holders are made to revolve
rapidly on their own axes in the direction of the arrow by means of the friction
alisc d, acting on the friction pulleys'6' fixed to the axles of the holders. The
friction disc d' is fixed to the upright shaft e, which is driven by steam or
other power applied to the pulley f¹ on the counter shaft f, to which is fixed
the pinion gearing into the wheel 'e on the upright shaft é, or in any other
convenient manner. The axles of the holders are supported in the adjustable
bearings g, shewn detached in Figure 4, which are hinged to the sliding pillars
g', fitting in the hollow standards g³, which are fixed to the revolving table h,
fitting loosely on the shaft e; this table is made to rotate slowly on its axis in
the direction of the. arrow in Figure 2 in the following manner:-To the
lower end of the upright shafte is fixed the bevel piniones, gearing into the
wheel, on the horizontal shaft i, to this-shaft is also fixed the bevel pinion
2, gearing into the bevel wheel h³, cast or fixed to the under side of the table
h: By this means a rapid rotary motion on its axis is given to each holder;
and a slow rotary motion is given to all the holders around the shaft e, the
relative proportion between the two depending upon the nature of the work
to be done. We prefer to place a partition c¹ in the annular cistern c, as
sbewn in Figure 2, and to admit fresh water near the place at which the banks
are removed from the holders. In working the machine the banks to be
operated upon are placed on the holders at the left hand side of the partition,
and in most cases by the time they arrive at the right hand side thereof they
are sufficiently clean, but the time required will vary according to the work
under operation:. When removing the finished hanks and replacing others
on the holders, the end of the axle of the holder may be lifted by the attendant
so as to move the friction pulley b¹ out of contact with the disc d, or one end
of the axle may be raised by coming in contact with the stationary guide j,
shewn by dotted. lines in Figure 1 and in the plan, to hold the friction pulley
clear of the friction disc, thus arresting the rotary motion of each holder in
succession on its own axis, but permitting it to move with the revolving table
h. The holders must revolve on their axes at such a speed as to produce a
strain on the yarn or fabric, which partially removes the liquid therefrom,
while the flat sides of the holders striking against the yarn or fabric proluce
an effect similar to that technically called tramping or padding. The shape
of holder we prefer is shewn in section in Figure 3, but the bolders may be
triangular or of any other suitable shape baving flat or nearly flat sides. As
it is essential for the proper working of the machine that the edges of the

page_text: holders a should be perfectly level, the pillars 9 of the bearings 9 are pró-
vided with side projections as shewn best in Figure 4, similar projections
are also cast on the hollow standards 9, the regulating screws 9³ are screwed
into the lower projections, and they are held between a shoulder and fixed
washer fitting on each side of the upper projections; each regulating screw is
provided with a hand wheel, by turning this round the level of the holder can
be immediately adjusted with the greatest accuracy. The space between the
bottom of the hollow standards 92 and the end if the pillar g' is filled with
blocks of vulcanized india-rubber to give an upward pressure to the pillar g':
The mode of regulating or adjusting the holders may be varied, and if preferred
set screws may pass through the plate of the hollow standards and abut
against the plate h, but we prefer the arrangement described. The friction
disc d, and the bearings for the holders a, are all boxed up to keep. them
clean, and to the standards or other part connected to the table hare fixed
guides .g to prevent the yarn or fabric from slipping off the inner end of the
holders.
:
In operating upon yarns or fabrics that are liable to get entangled during
the operation of washing, we prefer to employ small machines, each with a
separate revolving holder in order to be able to reverse the direction of the-
motion of the holder when required to straighten the yarn or fabric, or several
holders may be placed in a line, each holder provided with a separate trough
containing the desired bath or liquid, or with one common trough.
Another part of our Invention applicable to dyeing yarns and textile fabrics
in the bank is represented in Figures 5, 6, and 7, and it consists of a series
of holders a, placed side by side and revolving in the trough or cistern c,
containing the dye materials and water, which are heated to the proper
temperature by steam; the depth of the cistern must be regulated according
to the length of the banks, and in all cases the hank should sweep the bottom-
of the cistern. The axles of the holders are supported in bearings at each side
of the cistern, and one end of each axle has a flat projection taking into the
coupling boxes at the end of the shafts o; these shafts revolve in a frame fixed
to the cistern, and they are connected by wheels o¹, gearing into each other,
thus making the holders rotate alternately in contrary directions to prevent
the tangling of the yarn or fabric. The set of holders is worked by the toothed
segment p, actuated by a crank p', and link p³, or other equivalents; the
segment p gearing into the pinion o* causes the holders to rotate alternately
about three times round in each direction, but the number of turns may be varied.
This machine may also be used for rinsing out or washing the banks after
removing the dye material from the cistern and supplying water. When the

page_text: above machine is used for dyeing the holders must rotate very slowly, but a
quicker motion is given when it is used for rinsing. In some cases the dye
vat may be heated by fire.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner of
performing the same, we declare that we claim,
First, the combination of machinery for washing and bleaching yarns and
fabrics in the bank, as shown and described in reference. to Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 4, in which a series of holders are employed, which holders rotate on their
axes and revolve around a centre, or any modification of machinery combining
the two movements for effecting the same object.
And, secondly, the improved combinations of machinery shewn and de-
scribed, in which one or more revolving holders with flat sides rotating in
the same or in contrary directions are employed for washing, bleaching, and
dyeing yarns and fabrics in, the bank.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Schofield, have bereto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
WILLIAM SCHOFIELD.. (L.S)