Improvements in and relating to Machines for Washing Cloth and other Fabrics.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1895-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Machines for Washing Cloth and
other Fabrics.
I, PIERRE FANCHAMPS-NICOLAÏ, of 10, Rue du Pont, Verviers, in the Kingdom
of Belgium, Cloth Manufacturer, 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 :—
This invention relates to improvements in machines for washing cloth and other
fabrics and has for object to effect the washing of fabrics while extended to their
full width, thereby avoiding the creases or rents which are often formed during the
washing operation and removing the defects occasioned by the fulling or milling
process.
In order to enable the invention to be fully understood 1 will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a machine constructed according to my
invention:
Figure 2 is a front elevation:
Figure 3 is a part sectional plan of the lower part of the machine: and,
Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are details.
A and B are frames connected together by cross bars and lined with wood; the
bottom of the machine is made of pieces of wood and is constructed of the section
shewn at G, G, that is to say, it is inclined at a considerable angle G', G"
downwards from the front towards the bottom, which is an important feature for
ensuring the proper travel of the fabric.
As will be well understood this section or configuration allows the fabric to
descend into the bottom of the machine without disarranging its folds. As the
piece of fabric falls onto the bottom it is drawn upwards over the wood blocks D, E
and rollers F, G, J to the entrance to the washing trough.
With machines of other section hitherto adopted the piece of fabric did not travel
evenly but bore towards the left or right hand side of the machine whereby the
folds become completely disarranged.
Two pieces of wood D and E and two rollers F and G over which passes the
fabric E' serve to keep it more or less in tension. One of these rollers G is fixed
(the fabric slides over it) and the other F can turn under the action of the fabric.
These two rollers are coupled by two bars as shewn at Figures 4, 5 and 6 provided
with pivots 1 and 2, the pivot 2 carrying a bevel wheel 3 actuated by a similar
wheel 2ª and hand wheel 4 as shown in Figures 4 and 5. By means of this wheel 4
the position of the rollers F and G relative to the fabric can be adjusted. If the
rollers be turned in the direction of the arrow H, when they occupy the position
shewn in Figure 1 with the fabric passing in the direction indicated by the dotted
lines a the fabric will be stretched but it will be loosened or slackened if the
position of the rollers F and G is reversed and the fabric will be in the position
shewn at b' in full lines. It will be obvious that for the purpose of regulating the
degree of tension to be given to the fabric the rollers may be caused to assume any
suitable intermediate position.
I is a smoothing roller adjustable only horizontally and from either side of the

page_text: "
apparatus in order to keep the fabric in the centre of the washing machine the
projections of the rollers for this purpose being mounted in slots J.
As will be seen by reference to Figure 7 the roller, can be moved by hand
backward and forward between the points 5 and 6 on one side and 7 and 8 on the
other side: the said roller does not rotate with the fabric and its two projections are
provided with handles as shewn in Figure 7. 5, 6 and 7, 8 are two openings in
which the slide the projections 9 and 10. Assuming the roller to be in the position
shewn in full lines in Figure 7, if the fabric tends to be drawn from the right hand
side the roller is moved by its handle at the side 9 towards 8. Should the fabric
be drawn from the left hand the handle on the left hand side is similarly moved.
To keep the roller in the desired-position holes in the projections 9 and 10
-correspond with other holes formed in the openings 5, 6 and 7, 8 as shewn in the
drawings so that by means of a pin the roller may be fixed in position as will be
obvious to any one acquainted with the art to which this invention relates.
Pieces of wood K and K' serve to further smooth the fabric on its way to the
bath in which are a pair of squeezing rollers Land L', the roller L' being grooved;
a second pair of squeezing rollers M and M', both rollers being plain; a third pair
of rollers N and N1, both rollers being plain; a fourth pair of rollers O and O', the
roller O¹ being grooved.
By means of the longitudinal grooves a better and more effective washing is
obtained.
Between the first and the second pairs of rollers is a roller P which serves to
submerge the fabric in the trough Q containing the washing liquid.
Between the second and the third pairs of rollers is a second submerging roller R
and under the fourth pair of rollers O and O' is a beater S which prevents the
fabric from adhering to the roller O¹.
The submerging rollers are loosely mounted in supports fixed to the walls of the
bath and are caused to rotate by the passage of the fabric.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
When six or seven pieces of fabric, first joined end to end by sewing, have been
placed in the machine the end of the first piece is passed to the bottom and thence
over the two pieces of wood D and E and the two tension rollers F and G, thence
it passes over the tension or smoothing roller 1, thence over the two pieces of
wood or smoothers K and K'; it then passes between the two rollers L and L' and
is submerged in the washing liquid in the bottom of the trough Q by the
submerging roller P and then passes between the next pair of rollers M and M'
,, and is again submerged in the bath by passing beneath the roller R whence it
passes between the next pair of rollers N and N¹ and rises to and passes between
the fourth pair of rollers O and O' to afterwards fall in folds and slide along the
bottom G', G".
'
At the lower part of the apparatus are two movable guides V, W for the
purpose of holding the fabric in the centre of the machine. These two guides rest
at A against the bottom of the apparatus and at B₁ are supported by two
nuts X, X through which passes a rod Z having right and left hand screw-
threads, the said, rod passing through the apparatus from side to side and at one
side being provided with a hand wheel Y. By turning this wheel in one or the
other direction the two guides are caused to move away from or approach each
other the corresponding movement of the outer ends A. being effected by hand.
By this means the guides can be adjusted to the width of the fabric so that it may
be kept in the centre of the machine.
The advantage of this washing of the full width of the fabric with multiple or
repeated effects are the following:-
1. Large production, etc.
2. An effective cleansing, rinsing, etc. of all kinds of fabrics without felting them.
3. The absolute avoidance of folds or rents.
4. Designs are not disfigured and tints instead of fading are rendered more vivid.
5. Fabrics washed in the improved machine are neither thinned nor stretched.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A machine for washing cloth and other fabrics having a bottom inclined from
the front downwards for the purpose specified.
2. In a machine for washing cloth and other fabrics the combination with two
tension pieces of two rollers, one being fixed and the other free to rotate, adapted
to turn with a cross-bar which connects them together in order to put in tension to
a greater or less extent the fabric passing between them, substantially as herein-
before scribed.
3.
machine for washing cloth and other fabrics the employment of a tension
and soothing roller which is adapted to be moved horizontally from either side
in order to keep the fabric at about the centre of the machine, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
4. In a machine for washing cloth and other fabrics the combination with
successive pairs of squeezing rollers, smooth and grooved, as described of loose
rollers which turn upon their axes by the rotation of the fabric and submerge this
fabric in the bath of washing liquid each time the said fabric passes from one pair
of squeezing rollers to another, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. In a machine for washing cloth and other fabrics the employment of two
guides adapted to be moved towards or away from each other which allow of the
fabric being kept in the centre of the machine, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
6. The improved machine for washing cloth and other fabrics substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 22nd day of July 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.