IMPROVED METHODS AND APPARATUS ⚫ FOR STEEPING, BOILING, BLEACHING, AND DYEING FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Tongue, of Wakefield, in the County of
York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED METHODS AND APPARATUS
⚫ FOR STEEPING, BOILING, BLEACHING, AND DYEING FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 15th January 1867, and dated the 19th July 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Tongue at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
July 1866.
I, WILLIAM TONGUE, of Wakefield, in the County of York; Engineer, do
5 hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED METHODS AND
APPARATUS FOR STEEPING, BOILING, BLEACHING, AND DYEING FIBROUS MATERIALS,"
to be as follows:
The first part of my Invention relates to apparatus to be employed in the
steeping, boiling, bleaching, or otherwise treating fibrous materials where it is
O desirable to lay such materials in the solutions employed in a straight and
unentangled state, and after being operated upon to remove them in a similar

page_text: condition for after operations. This is best effected by laying the material,
such as china grass, flax, hemp, and other similar fibres, in trays, such trays
when charged being arranged in the cistern until a sufficient amount of
material has been accumulated. Now in order to facilitate the introduction or
removal of such material so placed in the cistern, I find it desirable to arrange
a table or platform within the cistern, which can be raised or lowered without
obstructing the free access to the cistern so that the material can be lifted from
a truck or otherwise, and carried and placed in the cistern without uprights,
chains, or other impediments obstructing the movements of the workpeople,
such uprights or chains causing considerable delay and wear and tear when
trays are employed to contain the material. The table or platform within the
cistern may be raised or lowered as desired by various means, but I prefer to
actuate it by means of chains or their equivalents attached to the table or
platform; these chains pass over guide pulleys at the upper part of the cistern,
and are then carried down the outside of the cistern and wound around barrels,
to which motion is given by suitable gearing, so as to cause them to wind or
unwind the chain and so raise or lower the contents of the cistern. When it
is desired to impart an up-and-down motion to the contents of the cistern,
I effect this by arranging a frame within the cistern, so that the platform
arranged as above described can be raised and lowered within such frame,
to which an up-and-down motion is imparted when desired, so as cause the
material to be agitated in the solution employed.
The second part of my Invention relates to a method of dyeing fibrous
materials, such as china grass, after such materials have been formed into a
continuous sliver. I have found that such slivers may be passed into and out
of liquids without seriously interfering with the regularity and straightness of
the fibres composing the sliver, and when in this state can be dyed by being
delivered into compartments formed in the dyeing trough or cistern by means
of rollers. When a suitable length of sliver has been in this manner immersed
in the liquid the end of the sliver is passed between rollers placed so as to
draw the sliver from the liquid and deliver it into other compartments formed
in the dyeing trough, and by reversing the motion of these rollers. .the, sliver
can be re-delivered into the first-named compartments, the liquid being ex-
pressed between each immersion. After the sliver has been sufficiently
impregnated with the solution it is withdrawn.by means of rollers, and can
then be submitted to another liquid in a similar manner to that above
described, and so on; and when the operations are finished the sliver is dried
and passed through the ordinary drawing and combing or spinning operations.

page_text: I prefer to arrange the compartments above named so that they can be readily
removed from the cistern, and to lay the materials in the liquid by means of
oscillating guides. This part of my Invention consists in dyeing prepared or
combed slivers of china grass as above described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Tongue in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
TONGUE, of Wakefield, in, the-County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Tongue, Her special licence that I, the said William Tongue,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Tongue, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree' with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel,
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED METHODS AND APPARATUS
FOR STEEPING, BOILING, BLEACHING, AND DYEING FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Tongue, my executors,
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters.
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Tongue, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
The first part of my Invention relates to apparatus to be employed in the
steeping, boiling, bleaching, or otherwise treating fibrous materials where it is
desirable to lay such materials in the solutions employed in a straight and

page_text: unentangled state, and after being operated upon to remove them in a similar
condition for after operations. This is best effected. by laying the material,
such as china grass, flax, hemp, and other similar fibres, in trays, such trays
when charged being arranged in the cistern until a sufficient amount of mate-
rial has been accumulated. Now in order to facilitate the introduction or
removal of such material so placed in the cistern, I find it desirable to arrange
a table or platform within the cistern, which can be raised or lowered without
obstructing the free access to the cistern, so that the material can be lifted
from a truck or otherwise and carried and placed in the cistern without
uprights, chains, or other impediments obstructing the movements of the
workpeople, such uprights or chains causing considerable delay and wear and
tear when trays are employed to contain the material. The table or platform
within the cistern may be raised or lowered as desired by various means, but
I prefer to actuate it by means of chains or their equivalents attached to the
table or platform, these chains pass over guide pullies at the upper part of the
cistern, and are then carried down the outside of the cistern and wound around
barrels, to which motion is given by suitable gearing, so as to cause them to
wind or unwind the chain, and so raise or lower the contents of the cistern.
This part of my improvements will be clearly understood by the following
description, reference being made to Figures 1, 2, and 3, of the Drawings here-
unto annexed, which represent transverse sections of a cistern having apparatus
applied thereto in accordance with this part of my Invention, two of such
cisterns being arranged together in Figure 1; a is a cistern, as shown in the
Drawings, constructed of wood, but may be constructed of other materials
suited to the purpose required; 6 is a table or platform arranged within the
cistern, shown separately at Figure 3, and this table can be raised or lowered
without obstructing the free access to the cistern by means of chains b¹
(indicated by red dotted lines) connected by links 6 to the table or platform b.
The chains 61 are attached at their other ends to the barrels b fixed on
the axes b, the chains passing over guide pullies 6 near the top of the cistern.
Motion may be given to the axes 6* and chain barrels 63 (so as to cause them
to raise and lower the platform) by various mechanical means, the following
arrangement being found convenient for this purpose; 66 are worm wheels
fixed on the ends of the axes 6; 67 are worms taking into and driving the
wheels 6º. It will be seen that when the axis 68 is caused to revolve it
will communicate motion to the axes 6', to wind upon or unwind the chains
from the barrels 63, to raise or lower the platform b. Motion may be con-
minicated to the axes 68 when required from suitable shafting arranged

page_text: above the cistern by driving pullies and belts, or otherwise; but when
it is preferred to actuate the axis 68 by manual labour from the platform c
arranged around the cistern, this can be effected by means of winches placed
upon the ends of the axis 6, from which the motion is communicated to the
axis by means of an endless chain passing around the "pitch wheels"
610 on the axes 6° and be. It will be seen by reference to Figure 1 that the
fibrous material contained in trays or hurdles d, d, or otherwise, lifted from
trucks on the platform c and placed upon the platform b, which is gradually
lowered as more and more of such trays or hurdles are accumulated upon the
platform b, being removed therefrom in a similar manner. These operations
are conducted when the lid or cover e is raised up upon its hinges so as to
afford free access to the cistern, such lid being lowered so as to cover the
cistern during the boiling operation, the steam arising during such operation
escaping through the tube or trunk f, which conducts it away out through the
roof of the building, thus keeping the cistern house free from steam. The
contents of the cistern are heated by steam introduced through the pipes g as
shown. When it is desired to impart an up-and-down motion to the contents
of the cistern, I effect this by arranging a frame within the cistern, so that the
platform 6 arranged as above described can be raised and lowered within such
frame, to which an up-and-down motion is imparted when desired, so as to
cause the material to be agitated in the solution employed.
}
Figure 4 shows a vertical section of two cisterns a, a, having apparatus
combined therewith for the purpose of imparting an up-and-down motion .to
the platform and fibrous material placed thereon in trays, or hurdles, or
otherwise, according to this part of my improvements. The cistern, together
with the table or platform and apparatus for raising and lowering the same,
being identical with the arrangement previously described, it will not be
necessary to repeat the description before given, the same letters of reference
being placed upon corresponding parts. h is a frame, separate views of which
are shown at Figures 5, 6, and 7; the frame his so arranged as to be free to
move up and down within the cistern a, at the same time the table or platform
6 can be raised or lowered independently of the frame h. When the cross bar
h¹ is removed the fibrous material contained in trays or hurdles or otherwise
can be placed and arranged upon the platform b, such platform being lowered
5 with the material to be operated upon until it rests upon the lower part of the
frame h. The cross bar h¹ is then replaced and connected to the frame h by
nicans of pins; h is a beam to which a rocking motion is imparted from a
crank shaft h by means of the connecting rod h', and when it is desired to

page_text: impart an up-and-down movement to the contents of either of the cisterns a
chain connected with the links his coupled to the cross bar h³, so that the
movement of the beam will then be communicated to the frame h, and by
this means to the contents of the cistern.
The second part of my Invention relates to an improved method of dyeing
fibrous materials, such as china grass, after such materials have been formed
into a continuous sliver.. I have found that such slivers may be passed into
and out of liquids without seriously interfering with the regularity and straight-
ness of the fibre composing the sliver, and when in this state can be dyed by
being delivered into compartments (formed in the dyeing trough or cistern) by
means of rollers. When a suitable length of sliver has been in this manner im-
mersed in the liquid the end of the sliver is passed between rollers placed so
as to draw the sliver from the liquid and deliver it into other compartments
formed in the dyeing trough, and by reversing the motion of these rollers the
sliver can be re-delivered into the first-named compartments, the liquid being
expressed between each immersion. After the sliver has been sufficiently im-
pregnated with the solution (by repeating the above operation) it is withdrawn
by means of rollers, and can then be submitted to another liquid in a similar
manner to that above described, and so on; and when the operations are
finished the sliver is dried and passed through the ordinary drawing and
combing or spinning operations. I prefer to arrange the compartments
above named so that they can be readily removed from the cistern, and to
lay the materials in the liquid by means of oscillating guides. This part of
my Invention consists in dyeing prepared or combed slivers of china grass as
above described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is carried into practice, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein shown and described; but what I
claim is,―
First, the arrangement and combination of apparatus for steeping, boiling,
bleaching, or treating fibrous materials whereby the contents of the cistern
a are raised and lowered without obstructing the free access thereto, as
described in reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings.
I also claim the so arranging apparatus for imparting an up-and-down
motion to the contents of the cisterns a, in combination with the raising and
lowering apparatus, that ready access may be obtained to the contents of the
cistern when required, as described in reference to Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 of
the Drawings.

page_text: Lastly, I claim the improved method herein-before described of dyeing pre-
pared or combed slivers of silk, cotton, flax, china grass, or other vegetable
fibrous materials.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Tongue, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
WILLIAM TONGUE. (L.S.)
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.