An Improved "Stopper-down" Apparatus or Mechanism for Dyeing Cisterns.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date o. Application, 16th Ján., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved "Stopper-down" Apparatus or Mechanism for
Dyeing Cisterns.
We GEORGE HOOLEY of 9 Sovereign Street Leeds in the County of York
Engineer and JOSEPH BURTON GILHAM and JOHN EDWARD GILHAM both
of the Trafalgar Engine Works Meadow Lane Leeds in the County of York
Mechanical Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention refers to mechanism or apparatus for the purpose of "stopping-
down" (.e. pushing down) the cloth when immersed in the boiling or dyeing
cisterns, in order that the dyeing liquor may thoroughly act upon the cloth passed
into the cistern. Several pieces of cloth are joined together to form an endless
band. This is passed over a rotating hexagonal frame generally and hereinafter
termed the winch placed over the dyeing vat or cistern. By the rotation of the
winch the cloth is on the one side drawn up out of the cistern and from the opposite
side again lowered down into the cistern. The operation of stopping down the
cloth as it enters the cistern is usually performed by hand, and requires very con-
siderable care and attention, as the workman can only stop down the cloth in one
part at a time and not simultaneously over the whole width of the cloth, and if the
cloth be stopped down in an uneven, irregular, or improper manner, defects in the
dyeing of the pieces frequently results.
Now the object of our invention is to avoid the above mentioned disadvantages
and this we effect in the following manner.
A grated or barred rectangle of wood, commonly and hereinafter termed the
"scray" is supported by rods from levers keyed or otherwise attached on a horizontal
shaft. To this shaft an oscillating rotary motion is imparted by means of a lever
and connecting rod from a face plate crank, such face plate being driven by gearing
from the shaft of the aforesaid winch. This mechanism imparts an up and down
motion to the scray, out of and into the liquor in the cistern. Simultaneously we
impart a horizontal to and fro motion to the scray by the following mechanism. A
runner or pin attached to each of the above mentioned supporting rods is caused to
traverse in a slit or groove, its motion therein being controlled by a swivel cam and
a weighted drop lever attached to the cam.
As it is necessary that the operator should be able to reverse the winch, during
which time the scray should be out of operation, we make a spring catch or clutch
connection between the before mentioned crank face plate and the gear which drives
it. This connection is automatic in its operation, and is such that the scray is only
operated, when the winch rotates in the one direction.
We further provide a ledge or recess at one side of the upper part of the before
mentioned slit or groove, into which the pins of the supporting rods may be inserted
so as to hold the scray raised and out of gear when boiling or preparing the dyeing
bath.
DL: 11 Jan of T1001
J. CLARK JEFFERSON,
2, East Parade, Leeds, Agent for aforesaid Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Stopper-down Apparatus or Mechanism for
Dyeing Cisterns.
We GEORGE HOOLEY of 9 Sovereign Street Leeds in the County of York
Engineer and JOSEPH BURTON GILHAM and JOHN EDWARD GILHAM, both
of the Trafalgar Engine Works Meadow Lane Leeds in the County of York
Mechanical Engineers 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 :-
Our invention refers to mechanism or apparatus for the purpose of stopping
down (ie. pushing down) the cloth when immersed in the boiling or dyeing cisterns,
in order that the dyeing liquor may thoroughly act upon the cloth passed into the
cistern. Several pieces of cloth are joined together to form an endless band. This
is passed over a rotating hexagonal frame, generally and hereinafter termed the
winch, placed over the dyeing vat or cistern. By the rotation of the winch, the
cloth is on the one side drawn up out of the cistern, and from the opposite side
again lowered down into the cistern. The operation of stopping down the cloth as
it enters the cistern, is usually performed by hand, and requires very considerable
care and attention, as the workman can only stop down the cloth in one part at a
time, and not simultaneously over the whole width of the cloth, and if the cloth be
stopped down in an uneven, irregular, or improper manner, defects in the dyeing of
the pieces frequently results.
Now the object of our invention is to avoid the above mentioned disadvantages,
and this we effect in the following manner.
$
A grated or barred rectangle of wood, commonly and hereinafter termed the
'scray," is supported by rods from levers keyed or otherwise attached on an
horizontal shaft. To this shaft an oscillating rotary motion is imparted by means
of a lever and connecting rod from a face plate crank, such face plate being driven
by gearing from the shaft of the aforesaid winch. This mechanism imparts an up
and down motion to the scray out of and into the liquor in the cistern. Simul-
taneously we impart a horizontal to and fro motion to the scray by the following
mechanism. A runner or pin attached to each of the above mentioned supporting
rods is caused to traverse in a slit or groove, its motion therein being controlled by
a swivel cam, and a weighted drop lever attached to the cam.
As it is necessary that the operator should be able to reverse the winch, during
which time the scray should be out of operation, we make a spring catch or clutch
connection between the before mentioned crank face plate and the gear which
drives it. This connection is automatic in its operation, and is such that the scray
is only operated when the winch rotates in the one direction.
We further provide a ledge or recess at one side of the upper part of the before
mentioned slit or groove, into which the pins or supporting rods may be inserted,
so as to hold the scray raised and out of gear when boiling or preparing the dyeing
bath.
And in order that our invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed may be more easily and clearly understood we have annexed hereto the
accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 a vertical section
of a dyeing cistern having our invention applied thereto.
Figs. 4 to 9 illustrate details hereinafter referred to.
a is the dyeing cistern usually constructed with stone sides and bottom held
together by iron bolts.
bis the hexagonal winch, consisting of the six square rods b¹ carried from the
two end disc plates b.
cc are the side frames or standards carrying the winch and the rest of the
apparatus.

page_text: d d' is the scray consisting of a rectangular wooden frame d, traversed vertically
by bars d'. This is carried by means of the suspending rods which latter are
provided near their lower ends with projecting side pins e having friction runners f,
which move in the cam slot g.
h is the horizontal shaft to which an oscillating rotary motion is imparted by
means of the lever i, connecting rod j, crank pin k, and rotating face plate l, which
latter is driven by gearing, (as hereinafter described) m n, from the main shaft o of
the winch.
the
By means of the levers pp, keyed on the shaft h, and the suspending rods
scray dd is supported, and has a vertical reciprocating motion imparted to it,
consequent on the oscillating motion of the shaft h.
rr are the before mentioned swivel cams, one on each side frame cc, hinged on
the short bolts or studs s s, to which they are keyed or otherwise fixed. Weighted
levers on the outer ends of the bolts & constantly tend to rotate the swivel cams r r
in the direction indicated by the arrow. It will be evident that these cams impart
to or guide the scray in a horizontal as well as a vertical motion. The motion of
the scray, resulting from the combination of the horizontal and vertical motions, is
diagrammatically shewn in Fig. 4.
Our improved stopping down apparatus operates as follows:-The several pieces
of cloth to be dyed in the cistern, are sewn together so as to form an endless band,
which is placed over the winch bb', the greater part of the cloth resting immersed
on the bottom of the cistern u. The winch is rotated in the direction shewn by
the arrow, carrying the cloth indicated by the dotted line u, Fig. 3, up on the one
side and down on the other side. For every length of cloth equivalent to the
circumference of the winch divided by the ratio of the gear wheels, the scray makes
a complete stroke, and during its downward motion stops- or presses-down the folds
of the cloth.
As it is sometimes desirable to reverse the winch, it is necessary when this is
done, that the scray should remain stationary, to prevent any risk of tearing the
cloth. In order to effect this in an automatic manner, we provide the following
arrangement illustrated in Figs. 5 to 9. m as heretofore is one of the gear wheels,
and the crank pin face plate. vis a catch carried in a hole provided for it in the
wheel m, and which is pressed outwards by the spring w. x is a recess in the crank
face plate l, with which the catch engages. The end of the catch is curved on
one side as shewn in Fig. 9, and the recess is correspondingly curved on one side.
It will be evident that when the toothed wheel m rotates in the direction indicated
by the arrow, that the flat side of the catch v catches against the flat side of the
recess and carries round the face plate l. But when the motion of the winch is
reversed, the curved side of the catch comes against the curved side of the
recess, and the spring w yielding, the catch is pushed back out of the recess x,
and the friction of the point of the catch against the back of the face plate not
being sufficient to drive this round, the scray remains at rest.
As it is sometimes desirable to have uninterrupted access to the stopping down
side of the cistern, we provide a continuation y of the swivel slot, access to the
same being prevented by the tongue piece z during the working of the apparatus.
By means of the lever 1 this tongue piece can be moved into the position shewn by
the dotted lines, when the runners f of the scray d d¹ can be moved past the tongue
piece z, down into the continuation of the slot y, and the scray remains at rest in
the position shewn by the dotted lines 22; the upper bar of the scray being then
below the top of the side of the cistern, uninterrupted access is obtained to this
side of the cistern.
In order to prevent any liability of the scray tearing the cloth, we further
provide the following means for enabling the scray to overrun the winch during
the first part of its downward movement motion, before coming in contact with the
cloth, and then to remain momentarily stationary until overtaken by the winch.
The wheel m is provided with a flange 3, enclosed between a circular recess formed
on the back side of the face plate and a thin steel disc 4. Between the flange 3

page_text: and the face plate an annular steel disc is provided, see 6, 6, Fig. 6. By means
of the bolts 5 5, the disc 4 can be pressed tightly against the flange 3 causing
sufficient friction to lock the wheel m and the face plate together. On
slackening the bolts 5 5, the pressure can be sufficiently reduced to allow the
wheel in and the face plate to rotate independently. When this is done the
unbalanced weight of the scray, immediately after reaching the top of its stroke,
is sufficient to cause it to descend more rapidly than it otherwise would, and to
drive round the face plate 1 faster than the toothed wheel m; and this motion
readily takes place, since then the curved side of the catch comes against the
curved side of the recess c, so that no resistance is offered to the overrunning
by the catch connection. To facilitate the nicer adjustment of the pressure
produced by the bolts 5 5, we also propose to use springs 7 7. inserted in holes
provided for them in the body of the wheel m. These springs are more or less
under compression, and bear upou the back face of the disc plate l.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1° Apparatus for stopping down the cloth in dyeing cisterns, consisting of a
80-called "scray" suspended from a pair of oscillating levers, and a hinged cam and
groove or recess for imparting a horizontal movement to the scray, simultaneously
with the vertical movement.
2° In stopping down apparatus for dyeing cisterns, the combination of a groove
or recess g and the weighted hinged cam r with a scray, alternately raised and
lowered and provided with side pins e guided in the space between the hinged cam
and the groove or recess, for the purpose of imparting a motion to the scray as
diagrammatically shewn in Fig. 4.
3 In stopping down apparatus for dyeing cisterns, the mechanism for imparting
an up and down motion to the scray, consisting of the rotating crank k, connecting
rod, oscillating levers i, and p and shaft h, and suspension rods q for impart in
combination with means for imparting a simultaneous horizontal movement to the
scray.
4° The mechanism for automatically throwing out of gear the stopping down
apparatus, when the winch bis reversed, substantially as herein set forth and
illustrated in Figs. 5 6 7 and 9.
5° Our improved stopping down apparatus for dyeing cisterns substantially as
herein set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of October 1891
J. CLARK JEFFERSON, A.R.S.M., Wh. Sc.,
2, East Parade, Leeds, Agent for aforesaid Applicants.