Dyeing, Steaming, Drying, and otherwise Treating Fibrous Material in the Form of Slivers, Slubbings, Rovings, Yarn, or Fabrics.
Year: 1885

page_text: Dyeing, Steaming, Drying, and otherwise Treating Fibrous
Material in the Form of Slivers, Slubbings, Rovings, Yarn,
or Fabrics.
We TITUS SALT and WILLIAM STEAD both Directors of Sir Titus Salt Bart.
Sons & Comp Limited of Saltaire in the County of York Manufacturers do
hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
WASHING, SCOURING, BLEACHING, DYEING, STEAMING, DRYING AND OTHERWISE
TREATING FIBROUS MATERIAL IN THE FORM OF SLIVERS, SLUBBINGS, ROVINGS,
YARN OR FABRICS, communicated to us from abroad by Fritz Pasquay of
Papiermühle near Wasselnheim Alsace in the German Empire Manufacturer
to be as follows:→
►
These improvements have reference to the washing; scouring, bleaching,
mordanting, dyeing, steaming, drying or other allied treatment of textile fibres
either in the form of slivers, slubbings, rovings, yarn or when woven into fabrics
and have especial reference to when a definite colour, tint or shade has to be
produced or imitated and it is necessary when operating on such materials that
the following conditions be fulfilled in order to attain complete success, viz.,
1. That the process is carried out in an open vessel so that it may be constantly
under the supervision and control of the operator.
2. That the fibrous material when operated upon be kept as far as possible free
from disturbing motion to avoid its becoming felted this result can only be
obtained when the slivers et cetera are kept firmly in one position and the liquor
moved through the material especially-when the colouring liquid requires to be
heated by steam.
}
3. The curl of the fibres of sheep's wool, which is indispensable in some branches
of manufacture need to be maintained, for which reason the slivers et cetera must
not be subjected to pressure during the operation.
"
4. The action of the liquid must be equal or uniform on all parts of the material
operated upon (and act with certainty), this necessitates that the material should
;

page_text: be compact and equally built up and possess such a form that the streams of liquor
as they pass through the material should meet with about equal resistance and so
that all parts of the ball meet with equable treatment.
5. When working with acid liquor the arrangement of the apparatus should be
such that there be no contact of the material treated with metal.
In the apparatus for operating according to methods hitherto generally known,
only some of these conditions have been fulfilled. According to previously
proposed plans when closed vessels were used the material was hidden from
observation and could not be dyed the exact colour or to pattern. Apparatus
which exerts pressure upon the materials during treatment is apt to destroy the
curl or curly nature of the wool, and the arrangement for placing single balls in
cylinders with perforated bottoms and lids and passing the liquid through the
material in the direction of the central line or endwise which prevents the material
being dyed or operated upon in a uniform manner, and prevents observations being
made during the process; also the circular rotating motion of the apparatus has a
tendency to cause the material to felt or become more or less a solid mass by
pressure and the revolving motion..
Some inventors have proposed or used methods of placing cylindrical balls of
material to be treated upon perforated tubes or cylinders and by endeavouring to
drive the liquid equably through the material from the exterior inwards or from
the interior outwards yet whilst that renders it possible for the material to be
observed whilst being operated upon a uniform equable action on the material
treated is not obtained because the liquid is not caused to flow through the balls of
material in a radial direction and because effects of the softening, sinking or
collapsing of the balls by the action of the hot liquid are not provided for..
This invention is based substantially upon the invention the subject of Letters
Patent No 86 dated 2nd January 1885 and is intended to further develop and
increase the usefulness of that invention.
In carrying out our invention we place the cylindrical ball or balls between
plates one of which has an opening in the centre over which is placed the opening
in the centre of the balls which opening is left by the bobbin upon which it has
been wound being withdrawn. This opening being connected with an apparatus
for causing the circulation of the liquid, as for example a pump, the liquid
surrounding the balls will stream through the mass of fibres from the exterior
inwards in a radial direction in 'order to cause the whole mass of fibres to be acted
upon in a uniform manner so that as the dye liquor becomes weakened in its
passage through the material it will have a correspondingly. decreased number of
fibres to act upon. The plates may consist of wood, metal, or of wood covered
with metal, or other suitable material; or the upper or outer plate may consist of
woven material or such suitably impervious material. In order to prevent the
current of liquid pushing the inner coils of the slivers in the balls towards the
centre care should be taken to build or form the balls of coils of gliver in a
suitable manner and this may be secured by laying the sliver coils in a somewhat
epicycloidal manner that is with a slow traverse in the direction of their length.
If it is desired to place a number of balls one above another we prefer to
employ dividing plates or partitioning pieces or discs between the balls these
plates may be of any suitable material such as wood but must have a hole in the
.centre for the preservation of the central channel..
If the circulation of the liquid is maintained by a pump, the liquor may be
heated by means of steam from a suitable pipe.
According to one arrangement the apparatus is provided with a steam jet acting
in a tube so as to induce a constant circulation of the liquid from one side of the
ball to the other. In this arrangement the bottom or base plate does not form the
bottom of the vat or receptacle, fitting loosely into the vat and being closely
connected to a lower space in which is fixed the steam circulating means.
order to make the connection between the two spaces secure and certain it is
desireable to apply a short pipe to the base plate and the bottom of the vat may
In

page_text: have the openings made in it of funnel shape for the more easy adjustment of the
parts into or over the openings. Hooks or other suitable means for attachment
for lifting may be fixed to the base plate and serve to raise the whole column or
columns of balls with their base plate by a suitable arrangement. Or the balls
may be lifted into or out of the vat by means of a central rod or bolt applied to
the base plate or its projecting pipe by a cross piece. This central rod passes
through the column of balls and is screwed at its upper end so that a loop or other
means of attachment may be easily applied to it and it also projects at its upper
end through a corresponding opening in the plate. Or the upper plate may have
a closed pipe attached to it to cover the rod sufficiently long not to come in
contact with the rod when the top plate sinks on the sinking of the material.
The top plate is not for the purpose of pressing the column of balls together but
solely to shut off the upper surface of the balls from access of the liquid, mechanically
formed balls being generally of uniform shape and texture the mass of fibres is of
equal density and there is no need of pressure for this reason the work of the.
pump or circulating means is simply employed to lift the liquid from the lower to
the upper part of the vat to induce constant circulation.
When the balls are placed upon each other in columns the weight of the column
increases from above downwards, but as the hydrostatic pressure of the surrounding
liquid increases in the same direction and in the same proportion the uniform flow
of the liquid is maintained. In the same vat several columns of balls may be
acted upon simultaneously through the central openings into a general reservoir,
one circulating apparatus acting for all the columns.
Each column of balls may stand upon a separate disc or base or they may stand
upon a base common to them all with corresponding openings centrally of the balls,
but when the bottom plates are moveable the columns of balls with their top plates
and bases and dividing discs may be moved from one vat to another so that they
may be exposed to the action of different liquids steam or gas or other treatment
with as little disturbance to the balls as is possible or they may be transferred
to a heated room to be dried or otherwise.

page_text: We TITUS SALT and WILLIAM STEAD both Directors of Sir Titus Salt Bart.
Sons & Comp Limited of Saltaire in the County of York Manufacturers 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:
These improvements have reference to the washing, scouring, bleaching,
mordanting, dyeing, steaming, drying or other allied treatment of textile fibres
either in the form of slivers, slubbings, rovings, yarn or when woven into fabrics
and have especial reference to when a definite colour, tint or shade has to be
produced or imitated and it is necessary when operating on such materials that the
following conditions be fulfilled in order to attain complete success viz.
1. That the process is carried out in an open vessel so that it may be constantly
under the supervision and control of the operator.
2. That the fibrous material when operated upon be kept as far as possible free
from disturbing. motion to avoid its becoming felted this result can only be
obtained when the slivers et cetera are kept firmly in one position and the liquor
moved through the material especially when the colouring liquid requires to be
heated by steam.
3. The curl of the fibres of sheeps' wool, which it is necessary or indispensable in
some branches of manufacture should be maintained, and for which reason the
slivers et cetera must not be subjected to pressure during the operation.
4. The action of the liquid must be equal or uniform on all parts of the material
operated upon (and act with certainty), this necessitates that the material should
be compactly and equally built up and possess such a form that the streams of
liquor as they pass through the material should meet with about equal resistance
and so that all parts of the ball meet with equable treatment.
5. When working with acid liquor the arrangement of the apparatus should be
such that there be no contact of the material treated with metal.
In the apparatus for operating according to methods hitherto generally known
and practised only some of these conditions have been fulfilled. According to
previously proposed plans when closed vessels were used the material was
hidden from observation and could not be dyed the exact colour or to pattern.
Apparatus which exerts pressure upon the materials during treatment is apt to
destroy the curl or curly nature of the wool, and the arrangement for placing single
balls in cylinders with perforated bottoms and lids and passing the liquid through
the material in the direction of the central line or endwise which prevents the
material being dyed or operated upon in a uniform manner, and prevents
observations being made during the process; also the circular rotating motion.

page_text: of the apparatus has a tendency to cause the material to felt or become more
or less a solid mass by pressure and the revolving motion.
Some inventors have proposed or used methods of placing cylindrical balls of
material to be treated upon perforated tubes or cylinders and by endeavouring to
drive the liquid equably through the material from the exterior inwards or from
the interior outwards to attain the desired results but yet whilst these plans
rendered it possible for the material to be observed whilst being operated upon a
uniform equable action on the material treated is not obtained because the liquid is
not caused to flow through the balls of material in a radial direction and because
the effects of the softening, sinking or collapsing of the balls by the action of the
hot liquid are not provided for.
This invention is based substantially upon the invention the subject of Letters
Patent No 86 dated 2nd January 1885, and is intended to further develop and
increase the usefulness of that invention.
"
We will now proceed to describe our improved method of attaining the desired
results aided by the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shews an arrange-
ment in its simplest form in section taken vertically and centrally a
"ball x of
substantially circular and cylindrical form being supported on a base plate B with
the central space of the "ball" left by the bobbin or spool coincident with the
opening b of the plate B and upon this ball x is supported an upper or following
plate A not having any central opening.
Figure 2 shews by a like sectional view a series of three superposed "balls" x.x¹×ª¨
supported in like manner on a plate B forming the bottom of a vessel of liquid
adapted to produce the desired effect of dyeing or other operation A being the
follower P being the position of suitable means of inducing circulation by drawing
the liquid off by pipe p' through the opening b and returning it at p³ to the vessel
by pipe pd indicates a pipe for supplying heat as required.
Figure 3 indicates by like view another modification in arrangement x-x¹ being
two balls. A being the "follower" as before described and B the supporting plate
of the liquid containing vessel but in this case there is interposed another plate B¹
with opening b coincident with a like opening in plate B with a short tube b¹
passing down from 6 of plate B¹ through the funnel shaped opening of plate B iuto
an under chamber D so that liquid in chamber D drawn off by exhausting means
as at P is redelivered by the pipe p² of a steam elevator at p³ to the. upper
chamber B. are projections to facilitate removal of plate B¹ and its balls x. x.
Figure 4 shews in plan view the form and arrangement of the projections / when
three are used. .
Figure 5 shews another modification wherein the three superposed balls x. x¹³
supported on plates B B¹ as in the preceding Figure 3, are separated from one
another by other plates c. c¹ similarly formed to the top follower plate A. and each'
like. that plate A having a central opening up through which is enabled to pass a
rod 8 attached at its base s¹ to the plate B¹ or to the part tube 61 as may be
convenient, by stays or otherwise.
This rod 8 is tapped with a screw at 82 or otherwise adapted to facilitate
attachment of lifting means so as to enable it to be made the means of removal.
of the balls and plates c, c¹, A and B¹. In this case a closed tube or cap a with
flanged base al encloses the end of the rods and covers the openings a¹ in the
plate A during operation.
Figure 6 shews a transverse section of one of the balls x and rods with a
plate B¹ in plan.
Figure 7 shews another method of constructing the follower a which in this case
fits the rod a substantially tightly and closes the hole in plate A.
In operating according to our invention with the arrangement Figure i we place
the cylindrical ball or balls between plates one of which B has an opening in the
centre bover which is placed the opening. in the centre of the balls which opening
is left by the bobbin upon which it has been wound being withdrawn. This
opening being connected with an apparatus.(as at P in Figures 2 and 3) for causing

page_text: the circulation of the liquid, as, for example a pump, the liquid surrounding the
balls will stream through the mass of fibres.composing the ball from the exterior
inwards in a radial direction converging on the central space in order to cause the
whole mass of fibres to be acted upon in a uniform manner so that as the dye liquor
becomes weakened in its passage through the material it will have a correspondingly
decreased number of fibres to act upon and as its strength becomes less so also its
field of operation becomes constricted. The plates A B (as well as the like plates
in other Figures) may consist of wood, metal, or of wood covered with metal, or
other suitable material; or the upper or outer plate may consist of woven or felted
material or such suitably impervious material.
In order to prevent the current of liquid pushing the inner coils of the slivers in
the balls towards the centre care should be taken to build or form the balls of coils
of sliver in a suitable manner and this may be secured by laying the sliver coils in a
somewhat epicycloidal manner that is with a slow traverse in the direction of their
length.
If it is desired to place a number of balls one above another we prefer to employ
dividing plates c (see Figure 5) or partitioning pieces or discs between the balls
these plates may be of any suitable material such as wood but must have a hole in
the centre for the preservation of the central channel.
If the circulation of the liquid (as in Figure 2) is maintained by a pump as a P,
the liquor may be heated by means of steam from a suitable pipe d as indicated
in Figure 2.
,י
According to one arrangement the apparatus is provided with a steam jet acting
in a tube so as to induce a constant circulation of the liquid from one side of the
ball to the other. In this arrangement the bottom or base plate B¹ does not form
the bottom of the vat or receptacle B but by fitting loosely into the vat and being.
closely connected to the lower space D in which is fixed the steam circulating
means P*. In order to make the connection between the spaces interiorly of the
balls and the space D secure and certain it is desirable to apply a short pipe b¹ to
the base plate B¹ and the bottom of the vat B may have the openings made in it
of funnel shape for the more easy adjustment of the parts into or over the openings.
Hooks or other suitable means for attachment for lifting, may be fixed to the
base plate B and will serve to aid in the raising of the whole column or columns
of balls with their base plate B¹ by a suitable arrangement. Or the balls x may
be lifted into or out of the vat B by means of a central rod or bolt 8 applied to the
base plate B or its projecting pipe b₁ by a cross piece see Figures 5 6 and 7.
This central rod s passes, through the column of balls x and is screwed at its upper
end 8 so that a loop or other means of attachment may be easily applied to it and
it also projects at its upper end through a corresponding opening in the plate A.
Or the upper plate A may have a closed pipe a attached to it to cover the rod s
sufficiently long not to come in contact with the rod when the top plate sinks on
the sinking of the material.
The top plate A is not for the purpose of pressing the column of balls x together
but solely to follow and shut off the upper surface of the balls from any but
circumferential access of the liquid, and whereas mechanically formed balls are
generally of uniform shape and texture the mass of fibres is of equal density and
there is no need of pressure for this reason the work of the pump or circulating
means is simply employed to lift the liquid from the lower to the upper part of
the vat to induce constant circulation.
When the balls are placed upon each other in columns the weight of the column
increases from above downwards, but as the hydrostatic pressure of the surrounding
liquid increases in the same direction and in the same proportion the uniform flow
of the liquid is maintained.
In the same vat several columns of balls may be acted upon simultaneously
through the central openings into a general reservoir, one circulating apparatus
acting for all the columns. Each column of balls may stand upon a separate disc
or base or they may stand upon a base common to them all with corresponding.

page_text: openings centrally of the balls, but when the bottom plates B¹ are moveable the
columns of balls with their top plates A and bases B¹ and dividing dises c may
be moved from one vat B to another sò that they may be exposed to the action
of different liquids steam or gas or other treatment with as little disturbance to
the balls as is possible or they may be transferred to a heated room to be dried
or otherwise.
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
whilst we make no claim herein to any portion of the invention contained in the
said specification of Letters Patent granted to Henry Giesler dated January 2nd
1885 N° 86 for "Improvements in apparatus for washing scouring bleaching
steaming drying and otherwise treating fibrous material in the form of slubbings
slivers rovings or yarn" what we do claim is :-
1. The method of arrangement of one or more cylindrical balls of material to be
dyed or otherwise treated between two discs or covers A and B so that the dye
or other liquid shall pass through the balls in the direction of the radius from
the outward to the inner free space of the balls and from thence be led off through
an opening b in the stand B as described and shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
2. The method of arrangement by which one or more balls in a column with or
without an intermediary plate or partition or plates or partitions c may be, raised
out of the liquid along with the disc B which disc may be connected closely or
loosely with the circulating apparatus substantially as set forth.
3. The simultaneous treatment of several columns of balls of material (arranged
as described in either of foregoing claims) in the same vessel, steaming, gas, or
drying room with a common circulating apparatus substantially as set forth.
Dated this 14th day of April 1886.
WM BROOKES & SON,
Agents for the said Titus Salt & William Stead