Improvements in Rollers Used in Washing, Soaping, Dyeing, and other similar Machines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1887.
Complete Left, 27th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 28th June, 1887.
Improvements in Rollers Used in Washing, Soaping, Dyeing,
and other similar Machines.
I WILLIAM BIRCH of Milton Street Ironworks Lower Broughton Manchester in
the County of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :-
The object of my invention is to produce a roller having a cellular surface, so formed
that when such roller is immersed either partially or wholly in any liquid, and a woven
fabric is passed round it so as to cause it to revolve, the tension of the fabric will press
in the walls of the cells on the side of the roller against which the cloth pulls, whilst
those on the opposite side of the roller will remain open and expanded to their fullest
extent and will become filled with the liquid, and as the roller revolves each row of
these cells will in turn become covered with the cloth and then be gradually compressed
thereby causing the liquid to be forced outwards through the cloth.
According to a former invention of mine for which I made application for Letters
Patent No. 1424 of 1886, I proposed to make the walls of the cells of india rubber or
other collapsible substance, but according to my present invention I obtain the same
result in a more efficacious manner, at the same time that I am enabled to employ
metal, wood, or other rigid materials (for the walls of the cells) which are not injuriously
affected by the hot or acid liquors employed.
For this purpose I take a roller of wood or other suitable solid material, which may,
if preferred, be covered with sheet copper or other suitable metal or substance, and I
form therein a series of external longitudinal grooves or recesses at suitable distances
apart, say about one inch.
In these grooves or recesses I place a series of bars, rods, or strips (either hollow or
otherwise) the ends of which project beyond the ends of the roller where they are
provided with slots or notches into which (at each end) fits loosely a ring of inetal
connecting all the bars together, so as to form a kind of cage.
Outside the rings at each end is fixed a metal disc provided with radial
which the ends of the rods or bars are guided.
grooves in

page_text: The rings are of such a diameter that when one bar is pressed into its groove so as
to be flush with the surface of the roller (or nearly so) the opposite bar at the other
side of the roller is forced out by the rings to its fullest extent; and thus as the roller
revolves the longitudinal cells are alternately compressed and expanded one after the
other so as to take up the liquor and force it through the cloth not only from the cells
but also out of the grooves in which the bars (forming the walls of the cells) work.
The long strips above described would of course form long parallel spaces or cells only
from one end of the roller to the other, and if preferred to divide the whole surface
into short cells so as to prevent the liquor from escaping in a lateral direction I provide
the strips or bars with short transverse webs or midfeathers which work in annular
recesses formed in the surface of the roller and thus divide the long spaces into a
number of short cells.
The transverse webs or mid-feathers on each strip or bar are so arranged as to come
opposite to the centre of the space between two similar webs or midfeathers upon the
two strips on each side of it, so as to subdivide the cells alternately from either side.
It will be evident that the strips or bars forming the walls of the cells may be made
of any thickness or breadth, and if sufficiently broad may be perforated to facilitate
the forcing out of the liquor from the spaces or recesses in which they work, and that
they will act, so to speak, as plungers or squirts to force out the liquor from the said
spaces or recesses through the fabric as the roller revolves.
Dated this 4th day of February 1887.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rollers Used in Washing, Soaping, Dyeing,
and other similar Machines.
】 WILLIAM BIRCH of Milton Street Iron Works Lower Broughton in the County
of Lancaster 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 object of my invention is to produce a roller having a cellular surface so formed
that when such roller is immersed either partially or wholly in any liquid and a woven
fabric is passed round it so as to cause it to revolve, the tension of the fabric will press
in the walls of the cells, on the side of the roller against which the cloth pulls, whilst
those on the opposite side of the roller will remain open and expanded to their fullest
extent and will become filled with the liquid, and as the roller revolves each of these
cells will in turn become covered with the cloth and then be gradually compressed
thereby causing the liquid to be forced out-wards through the cloth.
According to a former Invention of mine for which I obtained Letters Patent
No. 1424. of 1886 I proposed to make the walls of the cells of india rubber or other
collapsible substance, but according to my present invention I obtain the same result
in a more efficacious manner, at the same time that I am enabled to employ metal,
wood, or other rigid materials (for the walls of the cells) which are not injuriously
affected by the hot or acid liquors employed.
Such being the nature and object of my said invention, the manner in which the
same is to be performed or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on
reference to the annexed sheet of drawings and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of one end of a cellular roller constructed according to my
invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, and Fig. 3 a partial longitudinal
section thereof. Fig. 4 is an end view with the end plate removed, and Fig. 5 is an
inside view of the said plate. Fig. 6 is a transverse section of a modification herein-
after described.
For the purposes of my invention I take a roller of wood or other suitable solid
material a, a which may if preferred be covered with sheet copper or other suitable
metal or substance, and I form therein a series of external longitudinal grooves or
recesses b, bat suitable distances apart, say about one inch (more or less).
In these grooves or recesses b, b I place a series of bars, rods or strips c, c (either
hollow or otherwise) the ends of which project beyond the ends of the roller a, a
where they are provided with slots or notches d, d into which (at each end) fits loosely
a ring e, e of metal connecting all the bars c, c together so as to form a kind of cage.
In the drawing the bars c, c are shown as oval in form and hollow and having squared
solid ends for working in the grooves hereinafter mentioned.
Outside the rings e, e at each end is fixed a metal disc or plate fif (Fig. 5) provided
with radial grooves g,g, in which the squared ends of the rods or bars c, c are guided.

page_text: The rings e, e are of such a diameter that when one bar c, c is pressed into its
groove b, so as to be flush with the surface of the roller a, a (or nearly so) the
opposite bar c, c at the other side of the roller a, a is forced out by the rings e, e
to its fullest extent; as shown at Figs. 2 and 4 and thus as the roller revolves the
longitudinal cells formed by the bars c, c are alternately compressed and expanded one
after the other so as to take up the liquor and force it through the cloth, not only from
the cells but also out of the grooves b, b in which the bars c, c (forming the walls of
the cells) work.
The long strips c, e above described and illustrated form long parallel spaces or cells
from one end of the roller to the other, and if it should be preferred to divide the
whole surface into short cells so as to prevent the liquor from escaping in a lateral
direction the strips or bars c, c may be provided with short transverse webs or mid-
feathers which work in annular recesses formed in the surface of the roller a, a and
thus divide the long spaces into a number of short cells.
The transverse webs or mid-feathers on each strip or bar are (if employed) preferably
so arranged as to come opposite to the centre of the space between two similar webs
or midfeathers upon the two strips on each side of it, so as to subdivide the cells
alternately from either side.
It will be evident that the strips or bars forming the walls of the cells may be
made of any thickness or breadth and if sufficiently broad may be perforated as shown
in section at h,,h Fig. 6 to facilitate the forcing out of the liquor from the spaces or
recesses b, b in which they work and that they will act, so to speak, as plungers or
squirts to force out the liquor from the said spaces or recesses through the fabric as
the roller revolves.
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 :-
The construction of collapsible cellular rollers to be used in washing soaping
dyeing and other similar machines substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore set forth and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Dated this 26th day of Mov 1887
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.