Improvements in the Treatment of Wool and other Textile Materials with Liquids, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application. 10th Sept.. 1894
⚫omplete Specification Left, 31st May, 1895-Accepted, 6th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Wool and other Textile Materials
with Liquids, and in Apparatus therefor.
1, ALPHONSE DICKTUS of 31 Rue de la Station, Verviers in Kingdom of
Belgium Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the treatment of wool or other textile materials with
liquids and apparatus therefor, and the object of the invention is firstly and chiefly
to improve the action of the liquids upon wool or material whilst maintaining the
latter in its natural state, and secondly, to remove and re-utilize the liquid after
treatment, to facilitate the movement of the material under treatment and its
removal after treatment and to prevent impurities in the liquid removed from
passing along with the liquid when used again.
This improved process, which may be used for such processes as the scouring
washing, and rinsing of wool or other textile fibres and the acidifying and
neutralizing thereof, substantially consists in causing the wool or other material to
be carried along continuously or intermittently in a series of chutes open to the air
and interrupted by cascades or falls, the liquid being added at the commencement
at the same time as the wool or other material so that the material follows the
course taken by the liquid and is thus carried along the chutes both travelling in
the open air and the material is thus carried over the falls where, and especially int
the latter, it is partially aerated by the atmosphere and is thus subjected to
a process of aeration and soaking in the liquid with periodical agitation by the falls
or cascades and by such mechanical means as paddle wheels or lateral or other
restrictions in the chutes as may be desirable for the material under action. The
apparatus may be made to afford an unequal or uneven flow in the chutes so that the
depth in the latter, usually shallow, may vary to be more or less shallow with
the object of aerating by draining, and re-immersing the wool or material or
the upper lying layer thereof and in order to cause perturbation in or among the
fibres so that the liquid will act more quickly and efficaciously in removing dirt or
other matter of whatever nature that it is intended to remove.
The chutes
The chutes may be made in various ways with plain bottoms or perforated false
bottoms provided they are always open or they may be made so that the wool and
liquid passes along between two perforated plates or false bottoms.
may also be composed of perforated or plain aprons, or endless moving aprons.
Means may also be arranged for temporarily damming the chutes at their outflow
ends or otherwise and such means may be combined with valves or other devices
for damming the inflow of liquid in said chutes so that said devices act alternately
or otherwise. The chutes may be arranged under one another or similarly to
a flight of steps or otherwise so that the liquid may take a substantially straight
course, or one backwards and forwards, or zigzag. The liquid is stored in a tank
with an inner perforated false bottom, this tank receives the liquid from the last
chute or fall of the series and in the tank is a pump or the suction pipe thereof to
take the upper lying water and carry it to the first chute or to a preliminary tank
into which it flows over a wier and turns a bucket or pallet wheel which also
receives the supply of wool or material to be treated. Thus this wheel is moved
and the wool or material is mixed with the liquid and is discharged therewith by
ID

page_text: the wheel over a wier onto the first chute. The wool or material and the liquid
traverse the chutes and cascades and the wool or material is taken from the
last chute by or between two compresser drums which remove the liquid which
passes to its storage tank. When perforated false bottoms are used in the chutes,
the plain bottoms under them may slope to a centre where a draining pipe with
cock is provided; if a certain proportion of the liquid but not the whole is drawn
off through these draining pipes the heavier impurities may be thus removed from
the bulk of the liquid which latter flows along the chutes less such proportion
aforesaid as is necessary to carry away the heavier impurities which settle to
the bottom. This liquid containing the heavier impurities may be carried to
the bottom of the storage tank or otherwise so that it may be freed from the
heavier matters by decantation prior to being used again.
When several operations are to be successively carried on upon the same
material, namely similar treatment with different liquids, the second liquid supplied
by pump or otherwise from its storage tank may be used to wash off the wool
or the material from the faces of the compressing drums as it is delivered and thus
carry it through another similar cycle of operations in the next series of chutes;
and similarly the third liquid may be used to wash off the material issuing from
between the compressors at the end of the second series and carry it into and along
the third series and so forth.
To prevent any material being carried off with the liquid that is pressed out of
the material by the compressors, there may be placed under the compressors
a special trough to receive this liquid said trough having a pipe for carrying the said
liquid back into the last chute of the series. The level of the last chute should
then be below the compressors and an endless apron may carry up the material
from the chute to the latter. A perforated pipe may be arranged to spray liquid
at a suitable pressure over the apron or through the latter if perforated to facilitate
the removal of the material by the compressors.
Dated this 10th day of September 1894.
R. HADDAN,
Agent for Applicant.
Improvements in the Treatment of Wool and other Textile Materials
with Liquids, and in Apparatus therefor.
I ALPHONSE DICKTUS formerly of 31 Rue de la Station, now of 31 Rue
du Palais Verviers in the Kingdom of Belgium, 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 the treatment of wool or other textile materials with
liquids and apparatus therefor, and the object of the invention is firstly and chiefly
to improve the action of the liquids upon wool or material whilst maintaining
the latter in its natural state and secondly to remove and re-utilize the liquid after
treatment, to facilitate the movement of the material under treatment and its
removal after treatment and to prevent impurities in the liquid removed from
passing along with the liquid when used again.
This improved process, which may be used for such processes as the scouring,
washing and rinsing of wool or other textile fibres and the acidifying and
neutralizing thereof, substantially consists in causing the wool or other material to
be carried along continuously or intermittently in a series of chutes open to the air
and interrupted by cascades or falls, the liquid being added at the commencement
at the same time as the wool or other material so that the material follows the

page_text: course taken by the liquid and is thus carried along the chutes both travelling in
the open air and the material is thus carried over the falls where, and especially in
the latter, it is partially aerated by the atmosphere. The wool is thus subjected
to a process of aeration and soaking in the liquid with periodical agitation by the
falls or cascades and by such mechanical means as paddle wheels or lateral or
other restrictions in the chutes as may be desirable for the material under action.
The apparatus may be made to afford an unequal or uneven flow in the chutes so
that the depth in the latter, usually shallow, may vary to be more or less shallow
with the object of aerating by draining and reimmersing the wool or material or
the upper lying layer thereof and in order to cause perturbation in or among the
fibres so that the liquid will act more quickly and efficaciously in removing dirt or
other inatter of whatever nature that it is intended to remove.
The chutes may be made in various ways with plain bottoms or perforated false
bottoms provided they are always open or they may be made so that the wool and
liquid passes along between two perforated plates or false bottoms. Means may
also be arranged for damming the chutes at their outflow ends or otherwise and
such means may be combined with valves or other devices for damining the inflow
of liquid in said chutes, so that said devices act alternately or otherwise. The
chutes may be arranged under one another or similarly to a flight of steps or
otherwise so that the liquid may take a substantially straight course or one
backwards and forwards or zigzag. The liquid is stored in a tank with an inner
perforated false bottom, this tank receives the liquid from the last chute or fall of
the series and in the tank is a pump or the suction pipe thereof to take the
upperlying water and carry it to the first chute or to a preliminary tank into which
it flows, over a weir and turns a pallet wheel which also receives the supply of wool
or material to be treated. Thus this wheel is moved and the wool or material
is mixed with the liquid and is discharged therewith by the wheel onto the first
chute. The wool or material and the liquid traverse the chutes and cascades
and the wool or material is taken from the last chute by or between two compressor
drums which remove the liquid which passes to its storage tank. When perforated
false bottoms are used in the chutes, the plain bottoms under them may slope to a
centre where a draining pipe with cock is provided; if a certain proportion of the
liquid but not the whole is drawn off through these draining pipes, the heavier
impurities may be thus removed from the bulk of the liquid which latter flows
along the chutes less such proportion aforesaid as is necessary to carry away the
heavier impurities which settle to the bottom. This liquid containing the heavier
impurities may be carried to the bottom of the storage tank or otherwise so
that it may be freed from the heavier matters by decantation prior to being
used again.
When several operations are to be successively carried on upon the same
material, namely similar treatment with different liquids, the second liquid supplied
by pump or otherwise from its storage tank may be used to wash off the wool
or the material from the faces of the compressing drums as it is delivered and thus
carry it through another similar cycle of operations in the next series of chutes and
similarly the third liquid may be used to wash off the material issuing from
between the compressors at the end of the second series and carry it into and along
the third series and so forth.
To prevent any material being carried off with the liquid that is pressed out of
the material by the compressors, there may be placed under the compressors
a special trough to receive this liquid, said trough having a pipe for carrying the
said liquid, back into the last chute of the series. The level of the last chute
should then be below the compressors and an endless apron may carry up
the material from the chute to the latter. A perforated pipe may be arranged to
spray liquid at a suitable pressure over the apron or through the latter if
perforated to facilitate the removal of the material brought by the compressors.
This invention prevents any choking, obstruction and consequent felting of the
textile material and at the same time leaves it visible and within reach of the

page_text: attendants throughout the whole of the process, thus securing a quick, cheap and
perfect treatment particularly of large quantities.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, Fig. 2 a plan view and Fig. 3 a cross section
representing an apparatus embodying my improvements.
Fig. 4 shows in elevation a combination of several apparatus similar to Fig. 1 and
with sundry improvements.
Figs. 5 to 9 illustrate modifications and additions to the construction shown in
the former figures.
In Fig. 1, A is the usual and well known trough wherein the scouring liquid is
prepared. B designates the pump for raising the liquid into a tank D, which feeds
a preliminary sill G onto which the textile material to be treated falls from the
travelling apron N. The liquid falls together with the wool in a cascade from the
sill G into a paddle wheel I and thence into the first chute H¹ in which may be a
bucket wheel moved by the current of liquid and wool travelling together along
said chute H until they pass over an elevation or dam a at the extremity or other-
wise of said chute and fall together to a second similar chute H2 being received
into a bucket wheel 12 similarly arranged at the entrance of said second chute H².
After having traversed in like manner the second chute H2 the liquid and wool,
after passing over a dam æ as in the first chute, fall or tumble together into a third
chute and similarly along and from any further number of chutes that may
be required for subsequent treatment until they finally issue over an endless
apron, J, which carries away the textile material and delivers it between two
compressors K, K', while permitting the liquid to fall into a vessel L whence it
falls back into the trough A.
It
In this process, at the moment of the fall, textile fibre having a specific gravity
different from that of the liquid which carries it along, the textile material will free
itself more or less from the liquid bearing it along and thus come open to the free
air for a length of the course sufficiently considerable so that it absorbs air.
will then or thereafter fall with all its weight into the bucket wheel in the next
chute, and the liquid which follows it will exercise a pressure driving out the air
absorbed which tends to carry with it such matters as may be soluble or detachable
from the textile material owing to the breaking up of the liquid into globules or
spray under the force of its fall. Owing to this improvement in the removal of
such matters while the textile material is kept in movement, the latter is not liable
to obstruction and consequent felting; it is moreover visible to the attendant
throughout the whole of the process, access can be had to any part of the material
and a large output can be had at a small cost.
The bucket wheels 11, 12, 13 etc. prevent the formation of counter currents and
eddies. The dams a cause a sufficient level of liquid to be maintained in the chutes
for the proper treatment of the wool.
To act in their aforesaid capacity the bucket wheels must have a speed inferior to
that of the current. Considering that the motive power of these wheels is the
current of liquid itself, it may happen that bucket wheels will turn at a speed
equal to the speed of the current, and in this case their checking effect would not
be attained. In order to prevent this I may either provide the shafts of said
wheels with brakes loaded with weights p as shown in Fig. 4 or I may connect the
shafts of these bucket wheels with straps or link belts p' as also shown in dotted
lines in Fig. 4, so as to reduce their speed.
The object of the dams is not only to maintain a sufficient level of liquid in the
chutes but they also fulfil another essential purpose by causing heavy foreign
material contained in greasy wool to separate from it and agglomerate at the base
of said dams.
As soon as the wool is brought in sufficient quantity into the chutes, it disperses
itself throughout the depth of the sheet of liquid which is above the perforated
bottom. In this condition it is carried along by the current until nearing the dam
where wool and liquid are obliged to ascend the incline to such a level as will drift

page_text: them over the highest point of said dam. As at this period the wool is openly
dispersed in the sheet of liquid, the heavier foreign particles which it contains find
at the moment when the wool is caused to rise a most favourable opportunity to
separate from the wool and have great tendency to drop and gather where rising
begins, whereas at the same time the wool, being lighter, is carried over the apex
of the dam causing thereby a most efficient separation between the materials of
different specific weights.
This action can easily be ascertained by covering the perforated bottoms of the
chutes with sheet iron. The dirt will then remain where the wool deposits it and
although some of it may be found on its entire course, a much more considerable
quantity will be found at the base of the dams.
With the object of multiplying this new and useful action, I may arrange in the
body of the chutes a sufficient number of wave shaped dams a³, " according to the
material to be treated as shown in Fig 1.
y are perforated false bottoms inserted in the chutes; the true bottom v of each
chute may be sloped to facilitate the collection and removal of impurities from the
wool and deposited upon said bottom.
O, Figs. 1 and 2 are valves, actuated by levers P or in any other suitable manner,
which may be adjusted to permit a portion of the liquid after having been utilized
for the treatment to escape carrying off the foreign matter from said bottoms v.
I are suitably arranged pipes leading said liquid and impurities from one or several
chute bottoms into an inclined strainer R, Figs. 1 to 3, terminating in a gutter S
situated above the trough A where the liquid is stored and from which the pump B
returns this liquid into the scouring apparatus. M is a pipe adapted at one end of
the gutter S and provided with a strong pressure valve or stop cock T; M' is a
clearing pipe adapted to the opposite end of the gutter S and provided with a
cock U.
The liquid and its insoluble impurities on reaching the strainer R separate, the
impurities passing into the gutter S whilst the liquid itself passes through the
strainer into the trough A soluble matter like the potash being retained in
the liquid or bath. When the gutter S becomes filled up the cock U and pressure
valve T are opened in order to clear the gutter S of dirt which is blown off through
pipe M².
Fig. 4. represents a battery of three sections placed vertically above one another
and corresponding to the three stages of the washing process, that is the steeping,
washing or scouring and rinsing, and each of these three actions comprises essentially
a series of chutes H' H2 H3 H4, for instance four, with bucket wheels and dams or
without them, one trough and the necessary compressors.
As in Fig. 1 the liquid is prepared in troughs A, A1, A2 whence it is carried by
pumps B and pipes C into the vessels D, D', D2 respectively where it passes through
the orifices E2 over the sills G, G¹, G' respectively.
The apron N conveys the textile material which will fall upon the sheet of liquid
passing over the sill G which is prolonged sufficiently to receive the material before
making a first fall therewith into chute H'.
Thence it falls into chute H and so on until chute H' is reached, passing at each
fall into a bucket wheel 11, 12, 13, 14. Paddle wheels E may be inserted at intervals
in the chutes so as to be moved only by the current, their purpose being merely to
keep the material under the liquid. The delivery end of the chute H* slightly
touches and is supported on the lower compressing roller K' as near as possible to
its line of contact with the upper roller K and consequently carries the textile
material up to and feeds the compressors; the delivery end of the chute His
perforated to allow as much as possible of the liquid to escape without however
permitting the textile material to follow the liquid; the textile material is taken
in between the cylinders K and K' and the rest of the liquid pressed out thereby.
The sides of the chute which passes the material under treatment to the com-
pressors K, K are prolonged in such a manner (see detailed view, Figs. 7 and 8)
as to con:e into slight contact with the end faces of the compressors and thus form

page_text: therewith an enclosure which prevents the material under treatment from taking
another course than that intended or it may be replaced by wire apron.
The liquid flowing off from the end of the chute H and the liquid which is pressed
out of the material by the compressors, collect in a reservoir or trench Z¹ arranged
for the purpose of carrying back the whole collected liquid to the strainer through
which it enters the settling trough A at the end opposite that at which the pump B
is situated.
The straining arrangement with valves O, pipes L2 strainers R and dirt collecting
gutters S may be used in connection with this complete plant (Fig. 4) its con-
struction being the same as in Figs. 1 to 3 with the only difference that a collecting
pipe L' has to be used in communication with pipes L2 and that owing to the
tanks A being situated laterally of instead of under the chutes, the pipes L³, L' have
to be curved and led into the tanks A as shown in dotted lines.
The material under treatment undergoes compression between compressors K, K',
Figs. 4 and 7, and in proportion to the speed of these compressing cylinders K, K',
presents itself in a thin and open sheet at the other side of the compressor K¹.
When the material is in this exceptionally favourable condition, that is, spread out
in a thin and open layer at the rear of the compressor K', I cause liquid coming
from the tank D¹ fed from cistern A¹ to strike it. This combination realizes the
double effect of scouring the material tending to stick on the rear of K¹ and of
removing it therefrom.
For this purpose the sills G1, G2 approach as near as necessary the cylinder or
compressor K, Fig. 4.
The new liquid and the material under treatment suffer together a new fall into
chute H arranged beneath the compressors KK', and the same process of alternate
flow and fall is repeated in the series of chutes H³, H, H7, H8 to the compressors.
The striking of the third liquid from trough A2 on the material which is spread
on the back of the lower compressor again commences a repetition of the process
through chutes H to H12 where the conveying or drifting process repeats itself
with the rinsing liquid fed from trough A2 into tank D3 and chute H up to the
extremity of chute H" the end of which is likewise perforated or replaced by an
apron. At the back of the last compressors an apron M¹ is provided for removal
of the material after treatment.
a
The arrangement shown in Fig. 4 offers considerable advantages. First of all it
may be kept in an exceedingly small space especially if the troughs A1, A2, A are
placed opposite the chutes, that is to say, for instance right angularly or parallel
to the latter. The arrangement in superposed sectious further procures
considerable economy in view of the fact that the material under treatment passes
by its own weight from one section to the other without the aid of aprons or any
other transmitting devices and allows the current to fulfil the twofold part as a
scourer of the compressing cylinders and as an ungreasing factor under
characteristic and particularly active conditions.
Fig. 5 represents a modification where the liquid and the material instead of
passing over the wheel I and actuating the same in same direction as the current as
in the preceding figures, can be brought forward by a mid or under shot wheel. The
wheel is then of a larger diameter and its buckets are arranged in such a way as
to receive all the liquid and material conveyed by the preceding chute. The
bucket-wheel I is placed at such a level that it will not be immersed in the current
in the chute below but will deposit the contents of its buckets close to or on a level
with the surface of the water. The motive power of the wheel I, is under these
conditions considerable as it corresponds to the water fall from the sill itself.
In all the washing systems great inconvenience often results from particles of
wool etc. passing away with liquid when under the action of the compressors, and
which causes a partial deterioration of these particles.
Even in operating with currents this defect has not been completely avoided and
is even aggravated in as far as the pump becomes often obstructed owing to the
wool it sucks up.

page_text: In the present system I can avoid this defect entirely by the aid of the arrange-.
ment shown in Fig. 6. It consists in placing the last chute Ha lower than the
lower compressing roll K and in providing beneath these latter a receiver L³,
the continuation of which terminates in a tube or trench M which leads back the
liquid pressed out of the wool etc.. and the detached particles which escape the
apron J into the last chute H and this construction may be applied to each section..
The prolonged tube forms a bend towards the end at and then passes towards
one of the sides of the chute.
For the purpose of leaving no fibres on the conveying apron J which carries the
textile material up to the compressors, I arrange between the coming and returning
parts of this latter a small perforated pipe P through the holes of which passes a
portion of the liquid from the upper trough, at least one meter higher and which
consequently affords a strong jet pressure against the apron. For the purpose of
facilitating the above mentioned installation, I can reduce the length of the last
chute as is shown in Fig. 6.
Fig. 7 is an arrangement where the shape of the dam & is prolonged in form of a.
channel in which I locate a large bucket wheel or a small paddle wheel
provided with a brake which prevents the wheel I from running too fast. The
liquid and the material are thrown violently into the channel but are retarded,
which causes the wool and the liquid to store themselves up in the buckets or
between the paddles of the wheel I and, in proportion to the required force, the
materials will undergo in these chambers an agitation which is very useful in the
process of ungreasing, it then passes into the next chute and thence over the fall
into the next and so on. This operation is particularly effective and will be the
more so the more the speed of the wheel I is reduced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The method of treating wool and other textile matters with liquids, consisting
in causing said matters to drift along open chutes in a current of the liquid and to
fall with said liquid from each chute into the next, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of a series of chutes arranged to receive a current of liquid
falling from each to the next below with means for supplying liquid and textile
matter to the uppermost chute.
3. The combination with a chute and means for supplying liquid and textile
matter to one end thereof, of rotary bucket-wheels adapted to receive said liquid
and textile matter and to be revolved thereby.
4. The combination with a chute and means for supplying liquid and textile
matter to one end thereof, of rotary bucket wheels adapted to receive said liquid
and textile matter and to be revolved thereby and of dams in each chute, the whole
substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
5. The combination with chutes, means for supplying liquid and textile matter
to one end thereof, rotary bucket wheels and dams in said chutes, of perforated and
full bottoms, means for discharging water with its impurities from said bottoms and
means for enabling the liquid to be recovered from the insoluble particles therein
for use again.
6. The combination of a series of chutes, a trough adapted to receive liquid from
the last of said chutes, means for elevating said liquid, a chamber adapted to
receive the elevated liquid and having a sill whence said liquid may overflow into
the uppermost chute, means for supplying textile material to said sill, and a
compressor for removing the liquid from said material at the delivery end of the
lowest chute.
7. The combination of a series of chutes having false bottoms and full bottoms
thereunder, inclining to an orifice therein, a receiving trough for liquid, pipes from
said orifices to said trough, means for closing said pipes and means for supplying

page_text: liquid and textile material to said chutes substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
8. The combination with compressing rollers and means for feeding material
thereto, of means for causing a fall of liquid upon the lower of said rollers at their
delivery side, for the removal of the fleece therefrom substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
9. The combination of a chute, compressing rollers above the level of the delivery
end of said chute, an endless apron from said chute to the compressing rollere,
a receiver for liquid under said rollers, communication for the return of liquid from
the receiver to the chute and means for causing a jet or jets of liquid to impinge on
said apron for removal of adhering fibres for the purpose set forth.
10. The combination with a chute and means for supplying textile material and
liquid to one end thereof, of dams a adapted to partially obstruct the flow of liquid
and material along said chute for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 31st day of May 1895.
R. HADDAN,
Of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agent to Applicant.