Improved Process and Apparatus for the Production of Colours with Silk-like Gloss on Vegetable Fibres and Textile Fabrics, also on Wool, Indiarubber, Leather, Wood, Metal, and other Substances.
Year: 1896

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Process and Apparatus for the Production of Colours with
Silk-like Gloss on Vegetable Fibres and Textile Fabrics, also on
Wool, Indiarubber, Leather, Wood, Metal, and other Substances.
I, EDWARD HEBERLEIN, of Wattwyl in the Canton of St. Gallen, Republic of
Switzerland, 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:-
It is known that vegetable fibres can have imparted to them a silky gloss by
treating with a solution of natural silk (see German Patents No. 7275 and No. 10416)
or with a solution of artificial silk or collodion (see German Patents No. 77097
and No. 84669).
The inventor has discovered that he can during the dyeing of the vegetable
fibres in threads or in the woven form obtain colours upon the same having the
gloss of silk, if the same be treated with a cold bath composed of the alcoholic
solution of a basic aniline dye, of a phtalein colouring matter or dye or of an
azo-dye dyeing with mordants and collodion in which operation the collodion
penetrating into the interior of the vegetable fibres acts as a mordant and induces
the fixing of the colouring matter dyeing with mordants upon the fibres so that
it becomes possible to dye vegetable fibres without previous mordanting with
tannin and tartar emetic, with basic aniline colours, azo colours or phtalein colours,
and at the same time to impart to these fibres a glossy appearance like that of silk.
This new process can also be carried out with the application of substantive colours,
only in this case the colouring of the vegetable fibres takes place with the application
of heat. The process is therefore principally for vegetable fibres such as cotton,
linen, jute, &c., and moreover in the form of yarns or thread as also in the woven
condition. The same process is also applicable with advantage for dyeing warps
as well as for the most various materials such as wool, indiarubber, gutta percha,
leather, wood, metal &c.
The carrying into effect of the new process is advantageously effected in the
apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawing. The same is designed for the
dyeing of yarns, and possesses a reservoir A closed as tight as possible which
contains the dye bath and is provided in its interior with carrying rollers a b c d h
of brass. The same has moreover two narrow openings B B' for the passing in and
taking out of the yarn to be dyed which is unrolled from the bobbins C or from
spools and runs over the roller e before it passes through B into the reservoir A.
Upon each of the three brass rollers h rests an india rubber roller g which is pressed
against the corresponding roller by means of the weighted levers D acting upon its
ends provided with a weight i. A brass cylinder is arranged in front of the
outlet B' over which the yarn which has been drawn through the bath in A is
carried before it passes over a further guiding roller m to the winding spools n n.
Combs are fixed, between whose teeth the threads pass in order to separate the
same from each other. The hindermost indiarubber roller g is driven from the
winding up spool roller g' by means of a strap s'. Between the guide rolls fm the yarn
should be exposed to a warm air space in order to dry it and for this purpose the
same is carried through a chamber I which contains two steam-heated rollers qs
between which the yarn passes without however touching the same.
Upon this
chamber I is placed an air-tight cover K and this cover K is connected with a

page_text: cooling tube or worm V which latter passes through the division of a vessel X
which is divided into two parts v1 v2. Through the opening x cold water flows into
the upper division v' of the receptacle X and another opening y serves as the outlet
of this cooling water from the upper division of the receptacle X. Under the
opening of the worm V, opening into the part 2 is placed a vessel W with a
funnel w inserted in its mouth. In this lower division v2 of the receptacle X is
moreover fixed a tube which is connected with an exhaust ventilator so that the
said ventilator effects a continuous suction in the tube B and in the chamber I and
causes the air heated by the heating bodies 9 s and charged with the solvents (alcohol
and ether), always to be drawn through K and V and in this manner to securo the
condensation of the volatile solvents V and the collection of the same in the vessel W.
It is desirable to make openings in the lower part of the chamber I through which
the outer air can pass into the same. The outer air enters also, in consequence of the
suction of the ventilator through the openings B and B B in the chamber I and
thereby contributes to diminish the loss of the solvents from the dye bath. When
the apparatus is intended to serve for the dyeing of fabrics, the combs are of
course removed and instead of the bobbins C and the spools n n, suitable winding
arrangements are provided for the unwinding and the upwinding of the fabric.
When it is desired to dye yarns of cotton jute, linen, china grass, Manilla hemp &c.
the same are treated with a solution of starch which may contain for instance one
kilogramme of starch to fifty litres of water. After the yarns so prepared have
been dried the same are treated in the apparatus shown, in the front box of which
is filled half-way with a collodion solution composed of five parts of collodion
cotton (dinitro-cellulose) 80 parts alcohol and 20 parts ether to which a concentrated
alcoholic solution of the requisite aniline dye has been added, such as for instance
of auramin, brilliant green, malachite green, Victoria blue, methylene blue, aniline
blue, methyl violet, crystal violet, &c. Or of a phtalein colour such as for instance
rhodamin, eosine &c. or of an azo colour as for instance, chrysoidin, Bismarck
brown &c. As a consequence of the rotation of n n and of the hinder squeezing
rolls Y the threads unwound from the spool C are drawn through the dye bath
contained in A impregnated with the same and passed before they leave the
reservoir A between the hindermost rolls g h in order to press out the surplus
fluid from the threads, whilst the yarn or threads, after their exit from the
receptacle A are dried in the chamber I before they are taken up by the spools n n.
In consequence of this manipulation the threads obtain the following qualities:-
a. The threads are very considerably strengthened.
b. The weight of the fibres is increased.
c. The threads obtain at the same time a silky gloss and a fast colour, which
latter proves itself also much more resistant to light, acids, alkalies, and
chlorine than the colours imparted to vegetable fibres in the usual manner.
The new colours distinguish themselves especially through great resistance
to chlorine. Even quite concentrated solutions of chlorine produce a hardly
noticeable effect, whilst under the same conditions dyed fabrics prepared in
the usual manner are completely bleached.
d. The fibres receive a stiffness which for certain fabrics is of great importance.
It is however possible to retain the softness of the fibres if to the dye bath
there is added from five per cent. to ten per cent. of olive oil. If the process
be applied to the dyeing of fabrics the same are rendered waterproof.
A further advantage of this new process consists in that without any application
of mordants quite exceptionally brilliant colours are obtained with dyes which
ordinarily require mordants, such as can never be obtained with tannin and tartar
emetic. The process can also be carried out with substantive cotton colouring
matters such as for instance the dyes of the Congo group, diamine dyes &c., only in
this case the receptacle A must be provided with a heating coil by means of which
the dye bath can be heated. In the same manner the arrangement already described
is applicable to the preparation of fancy colours whereby already dyed fibres are
combined with special colours.

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. The process for the obtaining of colours with a silky gloss upon fibres and
fabrics of vegetable origin consisting in passing the same without previous mordanting
through a cold dye bath prepared with an alcoholic solution of a basic aniline dye
or of a phtalein or azo colour which dyes only by aid of a mordant and collodion,
and the subsequent freeing of the same by drying from the volatile solvents.
2. The modification of the process described in Claim 1 consisting in the sub-
stitution of the dyes which colour with the aid of mordants by substantive dyes and
the application of heat to the dye bath.
3. For the purpose of carrying out the process set forth in Claims 1 and 2, an
apparatus consisting essentially of a closed receptacle A containing the dye bath with
guide rollers (e a bch fm), squeezing rollers g of softer material and combined with
the winding apparatus which drives the hindermost squeezing roll (g) and by means
of which the threads or the fabric are firstly drawn through the dye bath and then
through the drying chamber I provided with heating rolls 7s which drying chamber
stands in connection by means of the worm B of a condenser and of a closed
chamber with an exhaust ventilator for the purpose of drying the dyed material
before winding the same up and which effects the recovery of the solvents volatilized
in this manner.
4. The process for the production of colours with a silky gloss upon wool, india-
rubber, gutta perch, leather, wood, metal &c. consisting essentially in treating the
material to be dyed with an alcoholic solution of a suitable organic dye and collodion
and subsequently freeing the same by drying from the volatile solvents.
Dated this 9th day of June 1896.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.