IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING COLOURS ON FIBROUS L
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Benn, of Clayton, in the County of York, Spinner,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING COLOURS ON FIBROUS
LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Benn, of Clayton, in the County of York, Spinner,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING COLOURS ON FIBROUS
MATERIALS WHILST IN THE SLIVER.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Benn at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd July 1880.
ALFRED BENN, of Clayton, in the County of York, Spinner.
PRINTING COLOURS ON FIBROUS MATERIALS WHILST IN THE SLIVER."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
The object of my Invention is to print in one machine, and with two or more
colours, the sliver of fibrous materials, such as wool, mohair, alpaca, and other fibres
used in the manufacture of worsted stuffs.
I accomplish my object in the following manner :-The fibre to be printed is
passed through an ordinary gill box and delivered to the printing rollers in a thin
Hat sliver. One set of printing rollers are placed near the drawing off rollers; the
bottom printing roller revolves in colour, and the circumference of the top printing
roller is arranged with a series of projecting bars which are equidistant from the
centre. The sliver in passing between these printing rollers, which are under
pressure, receives the impression of the raised projecting bars on the top roller and
thereby printed; the sliver is then conducted over guide rollers to another set of
printing rollers, similar in construction to those described; the projecting bars on
the impression roller are arranged in the same or in a different manner, so that the
impression from these rollers may be in the same or in any other position on the
sliver. From these rollers the sliver can be conducted to a third set of printing
rollers, each set of rollers printing a different colour. When it is desired to print
more than three colours the sets of rollers are repeated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Benn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st January
1881.
ALFRED BENN, of Clayton, in the County of York, Spinner.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRINTING COLOURS ON FIBROUS MATERIALS WHILST IN THE SLIVER."
The object of my Invention is to print in one machine, and with two or more
colours, the sliver of fibrous materials, such as wool, mobair, alpaca, and other fibres
used in the manufacture of worsted stuffs and other goods.
Hitherto, when melanged yarn of various colours has been spun, part of the
sliver has been printed in a machine with one colour and part in a machine with
a different colour; the slivers are then dried and blended together by passing them
through a gill box. By this system of blending, the colours of the yarn when spun
are not uniform, and when woven into the piece the same is more or less streaky.
By my improvement all the sliver is passed through one machine continuously,
and the various colours printed thereon, thus ensuring uniformity of colour in the
yarn, and a saving of labour.
Such being the nature and object of my Invention, I will describe, aided by the
accompanying Drawings, how I carry the same into effect.
Figure 1 represents the sectional elevation of my combined printing apparatus
as applied to the end of a gill box; Figure 2 is an end view of the same.
The fibre A to be printed is passed through an ordinary gill box and pressure
rollers B, and delivered to my combined printing apparatus in a thin flat sliver
which passes over tray C to the first set of printing rollers, constructed, and driven
somewhat in the following manner :-
The bottom roller D revolves in colour contained in box E, and is driven by
frictional contact with furnishing roller F, distributing colour on to the circumference
of the same, any excess of colour adhering to furnishing roller is removed by
roller H, which is under pressure, the circumferences of which are in contact with
each other. The top or impression roller G is under pressure, and connected to the
furnishing roller F by wheels J, which are in gear with the wheels of gill box; the
circumference of this top roller is arranged with a series of projecting, bars which
are equidistant from the centre, and may be parallel or diagonal with the axis of
the same, or they may be curved, and are for the purpose of impressing the colour
on roller Fon to the sliver.
After the sliver has been printed one colour by the bottom set of. rollers in the
manner described; it is then conducted over guide roller K to another series of
printing rollers N, and another colour printed thereon. These rollers are driven by
gearing M whereby a positive motion is obtained with one set of rollers in relation
to the other. The top set of printing rollers N are constructed substantially, in the
same manner as those described; the impression roller G¹ may be of a similar or a
different device to the roller G, in order to obtain the desired shade when the fibre
is spun into yarn.
In case three or more colours are required to produce the desired effect in the
yarn, the sliver is conducted without having to be handled to a third or fourth.set
of printing rollers fixed to the main framework of gill box in suitable positions, and
constructed substantially the same as those described. When the sliver leaves the
last set of printing rollers, it is conducted from the same to the ordinary traversing
carriage by endless revolving carrier L.
After the fibre has been printed the various colours by one machine, it is then
steamed, washed, and passed through ordinary preparing and spinning machines,
and a yarn of varying colours obtained.
What I claim as my Invention is,―
The arrangement and combination of the various parts of mechanism for printing

page_text: the sliver of fibrous substances, with two or more colours whilst the sliver is passing
through one machine, without having occasion to handle or steam the sliver until
all the colours are printed thereon.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Benn, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
JOHN WAUGH,
Engineer and Patent Agent,
Bradford.
ALFRED BENN. (L.S.)