Improvements in and in the Preparation of "Wash Greys" or Back Cloths used in Printing Woven Fabrics.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 18th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in the Preparation of "Wash Greys" or Back
Cloths used in Printing Woven Fabrics.
We, GEORGE BENJAMIN BEHRENS of the firm of Daniel Lee and Company of
the Castleton Print Works Castleton near Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Calico Printers and JOHN CECIL WATSON of the same place Manager do hereby
declare the nature of our invention to be as follows:-
In
Our invention relates to the fabrics known to some extent as "wash greys" and
used in the process of printing woven fabrics being interposed between the cloth to
be printed and the cylinder or the blanket upon the cylinder. The object of our
invention is to produce at a moderate cost an improved wash grey or a fabric to take
its place.
We treat grey cotton cloth with caustic soda to increase its strength and
the cloth is then treated with a preparation of albumen in order to fill up the inter-
stices of the cloth to some extent so that it shall have a more even surface, the cloth
at the same time being rendered more durable and water proof to some extent.
the preparation of the cloth we prefer to first boil it in weak soda lye to get the size
out of the cloth. The cloth is then washed and dried and is subjected to the opera-
tion termed " Mercerising that is to say it is soaked for about an hour in a
solution of caustic soda. The cloth is then washed and is passed through a souring
bath prepared with hydrochloric acid being afterwards rinced in clean water. We
then treat the cloth with an albumen solution and dry and we repeat this treatment
twice or oftener as considered to be advisable. We then steam the cloth for a
suitable period of time and wash well in a hot weak zinc sulphate solution. Washing
in clean water and drying completes the operation. In the preparation of the
albumen solution we prefer to use blood albumen liquid ammonia turpentine and
Bismark brown in suitable proportions but we do not confine ourselves to such a
combination of ingredients.
Dated this 17th day of June 1890.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in the Preparation of "Wash Greys" or Back
Cloths used in Printing Woven Fabrics.
"
We GEORGE BENJAMIN BEHRENS of the firm of Daniel Lee and Company of
the Castleton Print Works Castleton near Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Calico Printers and JOHN CECIL WATSON of the same place Manager do hereby
declare the nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment, that is to say :-
Our invention relates to the fabrics known to some extent as
"wash greys and
used in the processes of printing woven fabrics being interposed between the cloth
to be printed and the cylinder or the blanket upon the cylinder. The object of our
invention is to produce at a moderate cost an improved wash grey or a fabric to take
its place. We treat grey cotton cloth with caustic soda to increase its strength
and the cloth is then treated with a preparation of albumen in order to fill up the
interstices of the cloth to some extent so that it shall have a more even surface the
cloth at the same time being rendered more durable and water-proof to some extent.
In the preparation of the cloth we prefer to first half bleach the cloth by means of

page_text: 66
soda lye in the ordinary manner-that is to say we boil the cloth in weak soda
lye to remove size and soluble foreign matters out of the cloth. The cloth is then
well washed or rinced and dried and is afterwards subjected to the operation termed
Mercerising." In this part of the process the cloth is run through a solution of
caustic soda marking 60 degrees Twaddell or is soaked for a time in a solution of a
strength suitable to the time of immersion of the cloth. The cloth is then washed
and is afterwards passed through a souring bath prepared with hydrochloric acid or
through a sulphuric acid bath marking 5 degrees Twaddell the cloth being imme-
diately afterwards well rinced in clean water. The cloth is then padded or treated
with an albumen solution and dried, this treatment being repeated twice or oftener
as considered to be advisable. In the preparation of the said albumen solution we
dissolve 120 lbs. of blood albumen in 30 gallons of water. To this solution we add
2 pints of commercial liquid ammonia 2 pints of turpentine and 10 gallons of Olcine
(fifty per cent. neutral) the mixture being agitated until thoroughly blended.
We
do not confine ourselves to the precise ingredients in or proportions of such solution
so long as a suitable albuminous solution is used. In practice we pass the cloth
twice through the solution and then dry the cloth which we again pass once or
twice through the solution. After this treatment the cloth is steamed for about
one hour at a suitable pressure--as for example at a steam pressure of five pounds
per square inch. The cloth is then run through a boiling solution of zinc sulphate
prepared by dissolving about 10 lbs. of the salt in 100 gallons of water. When
the cloth has been well washed or rinced and dried it is ready for use.
We may
dispense with the treatment with caustic soda solution as we consider the subsequent
treatment with the albumen solution to be the most important. The treatment
with caustic soda adds to the strength of the cloth and the subsequent treatment
fills the cloth to some extent and renders it more close in texture and makes it
partly waterproof. We do not claim the treatment with caustic soda as novel
apart from the subsequent treatment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. The process for the treatment of cotton cloth substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth.
2. In the preparation of cotton cloth the treatment of the washed cloth with a
caustic soda solution and the subsequent treatment with an albumen solution
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In the treatment of cotton cloth the use of the albumen solution and the
subsequent steaming and drying of the cloth substantially as set forth.
4. The treatment of cotton cloth with an albuminous solution the steaming of the
cloth and the treatment with a zinc sulphate solution substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
Dated this 17th day of March 1891.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.