IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF YARN AND OTHER GOODS MADE FROM COTTON
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Wood Lightoller, of Manchester, and James
Longshaw, of Preston Brook, both in the County of Lancaster, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF YARN AND OTHER GOODS MADE
FROM COTTON."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said 'Charles Wood Lightoller
and James Longshaw at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
29th December 1881.
CHARLES WOOD LIGHTOLLER of Manchester and JAMES LONGSHAW of Preston
Brook, both in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT of
YARN AND OTHER GOODS MADE FROM COTTON."
The object of our Invention is to increase the strength of cotton yarn, or to
render what is known as the "breaking strain" higher.
The process by which we accomplish this is, by passing cotton yarn, by incans
of suitable machinery through solutions of sulphuric acid (commonly called oil of
vitrol) or of chlorate of zinc.
The strength and temperature of these solutions, and likewise the time the
cotton yarn is exposed to their influence in passing through them, also the depth to
which the cotton is allowed to pass beneath the surface are of the greatest
importance in this process.
The exact gravity and temperature of these chemical reagents, and also the
requisite time the yarn must remain in contact with them to develope the necessary
strength in the cotton, are capable of considerable variation without departing from
the principle of the process; but as an illustration we will here describe it in one
of its simplest forms taking chloride of zinc as the active agent.
Into a vat capable of resisting the corrosive action of chloride of zinc we place
a quantity of this substance in solution by preference having a specific gravity of
1-98. By means of any convenient arrangement this liquid is raised to and
maintained at a temperature of 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Cotton yarn either in
what is known as the hank, the lea, or the thread form, is passed in and out of this
1

page_text: solution by means of suitable machinery so regulated that each fibre of the yarn
shall remain three and a half seconds immersed and shall dip into the liquid to the
depth of about 18 inches; this for threads only. If in the lea or the hank the
thrends must be spread out more made as loose as possible, so that the air bubbles
can pass off, and should therefore be immersed rather deeper.
It is evident that the same process will apply to tape and cloth but in the case
of cloth it is still more difficult to get all the fibres uniformly treated, and probably
the only practicable method is to use the vitrol process under a vacuum; as however
it is much more convenient to strengthen the yarn before weaving. We only
mention its use in the woven goods not as a necessary part of our Invention but as
an inferior modification which we do not recommend.
By means of further mechanical appliances the superfluous chloride of zinc
adhering to the yarn is pressed out by rollers immediately above the vat and the
yarn carried forward into what may be termed "washing vats" close adjoining
containing water. After receiving a sufficient washing to free it from the chloride
of zinc it is gathered in a convenient form and dried.
When using vitrol to increase the strength of cotton yarns the principle of
working is similar to the above the exceptions being that the temperature of
vitrol must be maintained as near 60 degrees Farenheit as possible, and the specific
gravity of the solution may vary from 14 to 18, the time the cotton remains in
contact with the vitrol solution being less as the gravity increases.
It will be evident that the process can be made a continuous one and that the
chloride of zinc or the vitriol carried into the washing vats can be recovered if
necessary..
The best quantities et cetera for the vitrol process according to our present
experiments are for yarn-Strength 16 specific gravity-immersion 21 seconds-
depth of immersion two feet.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Wood Lightoller and James Longshaw in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 27th June 1882.
CHARLES WOOD LIGHTOLLER, of Manchester, and JAMES LONGSHAW, of Preston
Brook, both in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF
YARN AND OTHER GOODS MADE FROM COTTON."
The object of our Invention is to increase the strength of cotton yarn, or to
render what is known as the "breaking strain" higher. The process by which we
accomplish this is by passing cotton yarn by means of suitable machinery through
solutions of sulphuric acid (commonly called oil of vitriol) or of chloride of zinc.
The strength and temperature of these solutions, and likewise the time the cotton
yarn is exposed to their influence in passing through thom, also the depth to which
the cotton is allowed to pass beneath the surface are of the greatest importance in
this process.
At the same time within certain limits even these data are
capable of considerable variation without departing from the principle of the
process.
As an illustration we will here describe our Invention in one of its simplest
forms taking chloride of zinc as the active chemical agent and what is known as
No. 10s cotton yarn as the cotton to be treated.
In the Drawing is shewn a section of an apparatus wherein cotton yarn in the
thread form can be treated and strengthened."
A is a light wheel on which the cotton yarn in any desired quantity has been
wound. The lightness of its construction the arrangement of its axle and bearings
must be of such a nature that one tenth of the breaking strain of the cotton will
freely unwind it; B C D and E are vats or tanks capable of resisting the
corrosive action of chloride of zinc. On the bottom of tanks B and D are laid
steam coils so arranged that steam can be allowed to pass through them as desired,
Vat B should have the dimension of 24 inches in depth and the same width, the
length being regulated by the number of cotton threads worked simultaneously.
Thus if half a dozen threads were in operation at the same time the depth would
be about 18 inches. The vats C, D, and E, are simply washing tanks and should
be four feet deep by four feet wide, the length of cach corresponding to the length
of tank B. The rollers 1. 2. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 and 10 are placed in the positions
indicated in the Drawing and made to work with the least possible friction. The
receiving wheel H on which the cotton yarn as it is treated is gathered is attached
to suitable motive power and is capable of being regulated to any desired speed.
The rollers 3 and 4 are likewise connected with motive power and the speed at
which they run must be under perfect control also they must be so set that as the
yarn passes between them from tank B to tank C they will act as squeezing rollers
and draw the cotton yarn from off the wheel A. The yarn on wheel A is now
passed over and under the various rollers in the direction shewn by the arrows and
ultimately connected with the wheel H on to which it is wound. Tanks C. D.
and E. are filled with water, and the water in vat D is raised in temperature by
means of the steam coil to about 200° Fahrenheit. The wheel H and the rollers 3
and. 4 are then put into motion and so regulated that the yarn is exactly three and
a half seconds in passing through vat B. and the tension between B. and H. is as
low as the apparatus will allow. As soon as the exact speed and tension is
obtained and while the apparatus is still working a solution of chloride of zinc by
preference having a specific gravity of 1.98 and having a temperature of
220° Fahrenheit is run into tank B until it is full. Steam is then admitted into
the steam coil in tank B and by this means the temperature 220° Fahrenheit is
steadily maintained during the time the cotton is passing through the solution.
Thus the conditions necessary for strengthening the cotton yarn are established.
It is essential that the lower part of the periphery of roller 2 should be about

page_text: 18 inches below the surface of the chloride of zinc bath and that any loss during a
continuous process should be made good by further addition of chloride of zinc at
the requisite strength and temperature. In the treatment of the cotton yarn in
the lea or hank form, the above apparatus with slight modifications would be
suitable.
The main point to be observed being that each hank or lea should be as far as
practicable kept in such a position during the time it undergoes the process, that
it remains well open to allow the solution of chloride of zinc to at once suffuse
itself throughout the hank or lea, in order that each thread constituting the bank
or lea will be acted upon simultaneously.
Further the treatment of the yarn in the lea or hank form will have a tendency
to make the operation more rapid as the united strength of the cotton threads
renders it possible to employ a chloride of zinc vat of greater depth and likewise
enables the process to be applied to the finer counts of cotton yarn some of which
are so delicate that it would be impossible to subject them to the process if it were
limited in its application to the treatment of the yarn in single threads.
Under all circumstances, however much the depth of the chloride of zinc vat may
be varied, the time that the cotton yarn is exposed to the influence of the chemical
agent must remain constant or nearly so and should not vary to any great extent
from the 32 seconds above mentioned in a bath of the strength described.
When using vitriol to increase the strength of cotton yarns the principle of
working is similar to the above the exceptions being that the vitriol bath must be
maintained at a temperature of as nearly 60° Fahrenheit as possible, and the
specific gravity of the solution may vary from 14 to 1.8. The time the cotton is
allowed to remain in the vitriol solution being less as the gravity increases.
In actual practice we prefer for yarn treated by the sulphuric acid process,
strength of acid 16 specific gravity immersion two and a half seconds, depth_of_
immersion from_one_to_two_feet-according to the quality and original strength of
yarn, temperature 60° Fahrenheit.
The first and second washing tanks containing water only, the third a weak
alkaline solution say an ounce of carbonate of soda to the gallon, and the fourth
washing tank water only, so as to wash out the soda solution.
It will be evident that the process can be made a continuous one, and that the
chloride of zinc or the vitriol, carried into the washing vats can be recovered if
necessary.
The above processes especially the chloride of zinc process is applicable for the
strengthening of cotton threads and may also be found applicable for the treatment
of cotton piece goods but we have as yet been unable to test it in this direction
having confined our attention solely to yarns and threads.
Having now described the Invention and the best mode known to us of carrying
it into effect, we wish it to be understood that what we believe to be new and
desire to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is-
Passing cotton yarn or other goods, more especially threads, through a solution
of chloride of zinc or sulphuric acid substantially, as and for the purposes
described.
In witness whereof we the said Charles Wood Lightoller and James
Longshaw have hereunto set our hands and seals this Twenty fourth day
of June in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty
CHARLES WOOD LIGHTOLLER. (L.S.)
JAMES LONGSHAW.
(L.S.)