Improvements in Dyeing Fabrics or Yarns made of Cotton or other Vegetable Materials, and also in Producing Figures on such Fabrics when Required.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 26th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 13th Jan., 100
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dyeing Fabrics or Yarns made of Cotton or other
Vegetable Materials, and also in Producing Figures on such
Fabrics when Required.
I, FRANK ISHERWOOD HORROCKS, of Liddle Lodge, Sale, in the County of
Chester, Dyer and Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
to be as follows:-
My improvements relate to the dyeing of a permanent and fast drab on
cotton fabrics and yarn or on any other fabric which is made of vegetable
materials.
The manner in which I produce this shade or shades (as a variety are obtained)
is by fixing or depositing on the fibre of the material to be dyed, mixtures of
oxide of copper and of iron, and according to the shades which I require I vary
the strength and proportions of these two ingredients. The way in which I
deposit these mixtures on the fibre and afterwards fix them thereon is as
follows: I take a solution of water and copper sulphate, commercially known
as "bluestone" say at 8 degrees, or other soluble salt of copper which will
answer the same purpose, and I mix therewith a solution of water and sulphate
of iron or other soluble salt of iron at say from 2 to 6 degrees, which will pre-
cipitate on the addition of an alkali.
The strength of these two solutions I vary according to the shade
of colour I require. I balance one against the other, that is, add more of one
or the other as required to produce the result desired. I then run the fabrics or
materials to be dyed through this mixed solution of oxide of copper and of iron
or steep them in it, and pass them out through a pair of bowls or rollers to
squeeze out the excess of liquor, which must be done evenly; or I treat the fabric
or yarns in a centrifugal hydro extractor to remove the excess of liquor. I
then pass them after the last named operation through an alkali such as caustic
soda, common soda or any of their carbonates or silicates in solution with water
at from 2 to 4 degrees, or through a weak solution of ammonia and water at 1
to 3 degrees; the degrees herein referred to being those of Twaddles hydrometer.
The goods are then washed and dried. If the shade is not dark enough at one
dip or passage through the mixed solutions I then repeat the above process
until the correct shade is arrived at.
If I desire to figure or pattern the fabrics I engrave the surface of the top
squeezing roller with the desired pattern and when squeezing out the excess of
liquor the parts under the figures, if sunk below the surface of the roller then
contain an excess of liquor while those parts which have been pressed upon by
the unremoved surface of the engraved roller contain less of the liquor, and when
the fabric is passed through the alkaline solution these figures or parts which
have an excess of liquor are much darker than the ground work-out of which
more of the liquor has been squeezed.
This figuring can only be done when the fabric goes from one liquor (the

page_text: mixed solutions of oxide of copper and of iron) direct to the other (the alkaline
solution).
Dated this Thirteenth day of April 1899.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dyeing Fabrics or Yarn's made of Cotton or other
Vegetable Materials, and also in Producing Figures on such
Fabrics when Required.
I, FRANK ISHERWOOD HORROCKS,, of Liddle Lodge, Sale, in the County of
Chester, Dyer and Chemist, 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:-
My improvements relate to the dyeing of a permanent and fast drab on
cotton fabrics and yarn or on any other fabric which is made of vegetable
materials.
The manner in which I produce this shade or shades (as a variety are obtained)
is by fixing or depositing on the fibre of the material to be dyed, mixtures of
oxide of copper and of iron, and according to the shades which I require I vary
the strength and proportions of these two ingredients. The way in which I
deposit these mixtures on the fibre and afterwards fix them thereon is as
follows: I take a solution of water and copper sulphate, commercially known
as 'blue-stone," say at 8 degrees, or other soluble salt of copper which will
answer the same purpose, and I mix therewith in about equal proportions (more
or less) a solution of water and sulphate of iron or other soluble salt of iron at
say from 2 to 6 degrees, which will precipitate on the addition of an alkali.
"
The strength and proportions of these two solutions I vary according to the shade
of colour I require. I balance one against the other, that is, add more of one
or the other as required to produce the result desired. I then run the fabrics or
materials to be dyed through this mixed solution of copper and of iron
or steep them in it, and pass them out through a pair of bowls or rollers to
squeeze out the excess of liquor, which must be done evenly; or I treat the fabric
or yarns in a centrifugal hydro extractor to remove the excess of liquor. I
then pass them after the last named operation through an alkali such as caustic
soda, common soda or any of their carbonates or silicates in solution with water
at from 2 to 4 degrees, or through a weak solution of ammonia and water at 1
to 3 degrees; the degrees herein referred to being those of Twaddles hydrometer.
The goods are then washed and dried. If the shade is not dark enough at one
dip or passage through the mixed solutions I. then repeat the above process
until the correct shade is arrived at.
If I desire to figure or pattern the fabrics I engrave the surface of the top
squeezing roller with the desired pattern and when squeezing out the excess of
liquor the parts under the figures, if sunk below the surface of the roller then
contain an excess of liquor while those parts. which have been pressed upon, by
the unremoved surface of the engraved roller contain less of the liquor, and when
the fabric is passed through the alkaline solution these figures or parts which
have an excess. of liquor are much darker than the ground work out of which
more of the liquor has been squeezed.
This figuring can only be done when the fabric goes from one liquor (the

page_text: mixed solutions of oxide of copper and of iron) direct to the other (the alkaline
solution).
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The improvement in dyeing products made of vegetable fibres which consists
in impregnating the same with a solution of a salt of copper and of iron, and
precipitating the same upon the fibres of the product in the form of oxides by
means of a suitable re-agent, for the purposes set forth.
2. The improvement in dyeing products made of vegetable fibres which consists
in impregnating the material with a solution of sulphate of copper and of sul-
phate of iron, removing the excess of solution, precipitating the salts of copper
and iron in the form of oxides upon the fibres of the material by means of a
solution of a suitable salt of an alkali metal, and washing and drying the
material, for the purpose set forth.
3. The improvement in the art of dyeing fabrics made from vegetable fibres,
which consists in impregnating the fabric with a solution of a salt of copper
and of a salt of iron, removing the excess of solution to a greater extent from
some portions of the fabric than from others, precipitating the copper and iron
salts in the form of oxides upon the fibres of the fabric by means of a suitable
agent and washing and drying the fabric, for the purposes set forth.
Dated this Twenty-fifth day of September 1899.
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.