Improvements in Apparatus for Washing Calico Printers' and Paper Stainers' Blankets
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Feb., 1898-Accepted, 7th May,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Washing Calico Printers' and Paper
Stainers' Blankets.
We, CAREY CHATBURN, of No. 8, Barrow, Whalley, near Blackburn, in the
County of Lancaster, Millwright, and JOHN ASHCROFT, of Bramley View, Whalley,
aforesaid, Foreman Printer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for washing calico printers'
and paper stainers' blankets and consists in the employment of flat brushes carried
upon the outer faces of discs or arms mounted upon the extremities of shafts or
spindles rotated by bevel or other convenient wheel gearing. We may employ
any number of such rotating flat brushes but at present find it answers our purpose
to employ two larger ones arranged side by side whose combined surfaces cover
the full width of the flannel and two smaller ones (arranged in front of the larger
ones) which first of all scrub or brush up the dirt or colouring matter deposited
by the printing roller on the surface of the blanket. The blanket is caused by
means of suitable rotating rollers to traverse between a-preferably-wooden table
and the flat faces of the revolving brushes the usual " spurt" or perforated pipes
being employed to supply the necessary water to the brushes to facilitate the
washing operation.
Improvements in Apparatus for Washing Calico Printers' and Paper
Stainers' Blankets.
We, CAREY CHATBURN, of S, Cockerill Terrace, Barrow, Whalley, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, and JOHN ASHCROFT, of Bramley View, Whalley
aforesaid, Foreman Machine Printer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying drawings:-
Our said invention relates to improvements in apparatus for washing and cleans.
ing calico printers' and paper stainers' blankets and consists in the employment of
flat brushes carried upon the outer faces of discs or arms mounted upon the

page_text: extremities or shafts or spindles rotated by bevel or other convenient wheel gear-
ing. We may employ any number of such rotating flat brushes but at present
find it answers our purpose to employ two larger ones arranged side by side, whose
combined surfaces practically cover the full width of the blanketing and two
smaller ones (arranged in front of the larger ones) which first of all scrub or brush
up the dirt or colouring matter deposited by the printing roller or rollers on the
surface of the blanket. The blanket is caused by means of suitable rotating
rollers to traverse between a table or plate and the flat faces of the revolving
brushes the usual " spurt" or perforated pipes being employed to supply the
necessary water to the brushes to facilitate the washing operation.
And in order that our invention may be clearly understood we will now proceed
to particularly describe the same reference being had to the annexed sheet of
drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of one form of blanket washing apparatus
constructed in accordance with our invention.
Fig. 2 is a front view of the washer at right angles to Fig. 1.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detail views.
In the type of washer shown in the drawings we provide an inclined backing
plate or table a over which the blanketing is drawn in its passage through the
washer.
This backing plate or table is preferably made of cast iron (although we may
employ any suitable metal or material) and is sustained on elastic bearings b
carried from cross bars c supported by the side frames d. By manipulating the
nuts c¹ on the screws c² any requisite adjustment of the backing plate or table may
be readily effected as is clearly indicated in the detail view Fig. 5.
We employ flat brushes e to act upon the blanketing in its passage over the back.
ing plate or table a and we impart rotary motion to such brushes. These flat brushes
are carried by short shafts or axles e¹ connected to the flat brush backs by cross
or star extensions e² projecting from the lower ends of the shafts, the upper ends
of the shafts having bevel pinions e³ keyed thereto.
The shafts e¹ are supported in bearing sleeves f carried in the fixed cross stays g
more clearly seen in the detail views Figs. 3 and 4 to which the reader is for the
noment referred. These bearing sleeves with the short shafts e' are readily slipped
into position in the bearing ways g¹ formed in the cross stays g the caps g³ being
then secured by the bolts g³ and the final adjustment of the bearing sleeves
obtained by operating the lock nuts f¹. In a similar manner, and within limits
by adjusting the lock nuts f¹, the brushes e may be caused to bear with any required
degree of pressure upon the blanketing and the wear on the bristles consequent
use may be compensated for. The same results may also be obtained by
setting-up the backing plate or table a.
onl
The backing plate or table might however be made rigid.
Across the width of the machine we arrange a couple of shafts h capable of being
revolved in bearings h¹ by driving the fast pullies 2. The two driving shafts h
carry bevel pinions h³ which mesh with the bevel pinions e³ so that on the shafts h
being caused to revolve the bevels h³ drive the bevels rotating the short shafts e¹
in the fixed sleeves f and consequently the flat scrubbing brushes e.
The first and smaller pair of brushes e are designed to operate more directly
on the outer edges or selvedges of the blanketing which are the parts most apt to
become foul in practice, the full width of the blanketing afterwards coming under
the action of the wider pair of brushes as clearly indicated in the drawing. One
of the brushes of the larger pair is set somewhat in advance of the other to allow
of uninterrupted movement, the field of operation of one brush overlapping the
field of operation of the other, the brushes of each pair revolving in opposite
directions and towards the selvedges of the blanketing so that the blanketing is
not only kept perfectly flat but is slightly stretched whilst under the action of
the brushes. If necessary the brushes e could be very slightly canted so as to
increase the said stretching effect.

page_text: The necessary supply of water, or other cleansing fluid is delivered to the brushes
through one or more spurt pipes i as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.
The constantly revolving brushes e exercise a circular scouring action on the
passing blanketing supported by the backing plate a and effectually dislodge the
colouring and printing matter without glazing or polishing the surface of the blanket-
ing which is so serious an objection following the use of the revolving roller
brushes at present largely used in blanket washing machines.
Although we have shown the scrubbing brushes in the drawing as being some-
what of a Maltese cross or star formation it will be obvious that the exact contour
of the brushes is not material so long as a flat face of bristles is presented to the
blanketing. The form of brush indicated in the drawings has however been
found to give good results.
We might impart the requisite rotary motion to the short shafts e¹ otherwise
than through bevel gear and we might of course employ more than two pairs of
circular scrubbing brushes.
We may now with advantage describe the passage of the blanketing through
the washer.
The blanketing x leaving the printing machine is led over suitable guiding
rollers, not shown, to the washer and immediately comes under the action of the
first pair of scrubbing brushes e, the requisite moisture being supplied to the
brushes through the spurt pipe i.
Continuing, the blanketing receives a further scrubbing from the lower larger
pair of brushes e leaving which it passes round the backing drum where it is
subjected to a further douche of water from a spurt pipe . The blanketing is
finally acted on by the rapidly revolving drying brush k after which it passes
over the guide rollers to the drying cylinders and again to the printing machine.
The water and loosened colouring matter removed from the blanketing and trick-
ling down the inclined table a are drained along a gutter m from whence they fall
through the delivery spout m' into the trough n of the washer and are so carried
away.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is: -
1) The improved apparatus for washing and cleansing calico printers' blanket-
ing and the like constructed arranged and acting in the manner and substantially
as herein before set forth and shown.
2) In a blanket washing apparatus, the combination of an inclined flat plate or
table, over which the blanketing passes, with two or more pairs of revolving flat
scrubbing brushes to act on the banketing substantially as set forth.
3) In blanket washing apparatus, an elastically supported and adjustable
inclined flat backing plate a in combination with flat scrubbing brushes caused to
revolve in opposite directions in such a manner as to tend to extend or stretch the
blanketing from the centre towards the selvedges, as herein set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1898