Steeping Fabrics and other like Purposes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar.. 1888
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 5th Feb., 1889
Steeping Fabrics and other like Purposes.
A communication from abroad by ALFRED DOULCERON and EMILE VAN MEERBEECK,
of Ixelles-lez-Bruxelles, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester both in
the County of Lancaster & 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
The invention has for its object a machine or apparatus for washing, cleaning,
dyeing or steeping fabrics, and for other like purposes. It consists essentially of a
drum of perforated copper or other material, which contains the fabrics to be washed,
cleaned, dyed, etcetera. The lower part of this drum rotates in a pan or receptacle,
(which is preferably covered) containing the washing, dyeing, or other liquid, the
A grate
remainder of the pan, not filled with liquid, is filled with steam or vapour.
is placed underneath the pan or copper so that a fire may be made for heating the
liquid.
The revolving drum is preferably of copper, with perforations all over its surface.
The form of this drum is cylindrical about the middle of its length, but the ends are
conical. These ends may be also of copper and fixed by means of rivets to the
cylindrical portion.
The drum revolves on bearings in the apparatus. The rotating motion is imparted
by means of a hand crank keyed on one of the trunnions, which projects for this
purpose outside the said vessel. Pulleys or toothed gear transmitting motive power
can be used instead of a hand crank. Two doors of perforated copper sliding longi-
tudinally on the outer surface of the copper barrel, admit the introduction into the
latter, of the clothes or material to be washed, dyed, etcetera. The inner periphery
of the cylinder or drum is provided with wooden ledges or paddles, fixed by means of
wood screws to the copper.

page_text: It is obvious that the clothes or material placed in the drum, will, on the latter
being rotated, be shaken, tossed about and alternately immersed in the boiling suds or
fluid, and in the steam filling the upper part of the pan or vessel. The clothes or
material thus treated are thoroughly operated upon, and are washed, dyed, or other-
wise treated as the case may be.
When the machine is used for washing, the clothes are thoroughly cleansed, and
acquire a fine white colour without the fabric getting injured. The apparatus admits
of the water or suds being raised to boiling temperature, without any fear of the
clothes getting burnt, as they are not in contact with the bottom of the pan. A
high temperature (which could not be obtained in the apparatus hitherto in use)
removes stains in the clothes. In the apparatus now in use, these stains could not
often be removed, owing to the low temperature, which was maintained.
The apparatus possesses, besides the advantage of a saving in fuel, labour and
soap, that of being easily adapted to all existing coppers, pans, or other clothes-
washing vessels, which are fired underneath.
The use of the apparatus is not limited to domestic purposes, but it can also find
useful application in industries connected with bleaching, dyeing, tanning, hat-making,
glove-making, leather-dressing, etcetera.
It must be understood that certain parts of the invention may be modified or
altered without departing from the nature of the invention, such for instance, as the
shape of the drum, the material of which the apparatus is constructed, etcetera.
Dated this 1st day of March 1888.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Steeping Fabrics and other like Purposes.
A communication from abroad by ALFRED DOULOERON and EMILE VAN MEERBEECK,
of Ixelles-lez-Bruxelles, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors G, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street Manchester both in
the County of Lancaster & 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex Civil
Engineer, 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 :-
The invention has for its object a machine or apparatus for washing, cleaning,
dyeing or steeping fabrics, and for other like purposes. It consists essentially of a
drum of perforated copper or other material, which contains the fabrics to be
washed, cleaned, dyed, etcetera. The lower part of this drum rotates in a pan or
receptacle (which is preferably covered) containing the washing, dyeing, or other
liquid, the remainder of the pan not filled with liquid, is filled with steam or vapour.
A grate is placed underneath the pan or copper so that a fire may be made for
heating the liquid.
The revolving drum is preferably of copper with perforations all over its surface.
The form of this drum is cylindrical about the middle of its length, but the ends are
conical. These ends may be also of copper and fixed by means of rivets to the
cylindrical portion.
The drum revolves on bearings in the apparatus. The rotating motion is imparted
by means of a hand crank keyed on one of the trunnions, which projects for this
purpose outside the said vessel. Pulleys or toothed gear transmitting motive power
can be used instead of a hand crank. Two doors of perforated copper sliding longi-
tudinally on the outer surface of the copper barrel, admit the introduction into the
latter, of the clothes or material to be washed, dyed, etcetera. The inner periphery of
the cylinder or drum is provided with wooden ledges or paddles, fixed by means of
wood screws to the copper.
It is obvious that the clothes or material placed in the drum, will on the latter being
rotated be shaken, tossed about and alternately immersed in the boiling suds or fluid
and in the steam filling the upper part of the pan or vessel. The clothes or material
thus treated are thoroughly operated upon, and are washed, dyed, or otherwise treated
as the case may be.
When the machine is used for washing, the clothes are thoroughly cleansed, and
acquire a fine white colour without the fabric getting injured. The apparatus admits
of the water or suds being raised to boiling temperature, without any fear of the
clothes getting burnt, as they are not in contact with the bottom of the pan. A high

page_text: temperature (which could not be obtained in the apparatus hitherto in use) removes
stains in the clothes. In the apparatus hitherto in use, these stains could not often be
removed, owing to the low temperature which was maintained.
In the drawings:-
Figure 1 is a section of the machine in which a is a drum of copper perforated
throughout its whole extent, said drum being cylindrical in shape, the two ends b, c,
being in the form of truncated cones with bearings d, e, at the extremities fastened
by means of rivets. The bearings are also of copper, and the bearing d revolves on
an axle fixed in the frame of the machine, and the bearing e is rotated with the
axle g my means of the hexagonal portion of the said axle y which revolves in the
stuffing box i, also fixed in the frame of the machine, the end of the axle projecting
on the outside to receive the crank by means of which the drum a is rotated.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the drum a, on the interior circumference of
which six wooden dashers or projections k are fastened by means of copper wood
screws.
The drum a is furnished with two perforated copper doors l, m, sliding longitudinally
on the drum and guided on the inside by wooden projections, and on the outside
by copper strips n, within which they slide.
Figure 3. is a section of a cauldron having the invention applied thereto, the
arrangement being similar to that in figures 1 and 2.
The apparatus possesses, besides the advantage of a saving in fuel, labour and soap:
that of being easily adapted to all existing coppers, pans, or other clothes washing
vessels, which are fired underneath.
The use of the apparatus is not limited to domestic purposes, but it can also find
useful application in industries connected with bleaching, dyeing, tanning, hat-making,
glove-making, leather-dressing, etcetera. It must be understood that certain parts
of the invention may be modified or altered without departing from the nature of
the invention, such for instance as the shape of the drum, the material of which
the apparatus is constructed, etcetera.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is
1. The perforated drum for containing fabric and the like under treatment, and
adapted to be placed within a washing copper or cauldron of ordinary construction
and rotatable therein by a crank or its equivalent, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
2. In a washing or dyeing machine, a perforated drum cylindrical in cross section
for a part of its length, and having its ends closed by pieces arranged in the shape of
truncated concs, substantially as shown and described.
3. A washing or dyeing machine having an outer stationary preferably cylindrical
casing and a perforated drum for containing the material under treatment, said drum
being journalled in said outer casing and revolvable therein by any suitable power;
and having means for heating the contents of said outer casing and drum, substantially
as described and shown.
1
1000