An Improved Apparatus to be Employed in connection with the Mercerisation of Cotton or other Fabrics.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1899
An Improved Apparatus to be Employed in connection with the
Mercerisation of Cotton or other Fabrics.
I, THOMAS PICKLES, of Cairo Mills, Burnley, Lancashire, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
وو
The improvements relate to an apparatus to be employed in connection with
what is known as the mercerisation of cotton or other fabrics; that is to
say the treatment of such fabrics in a manner whereby, on the application of a
solution of caustic alkali, some of the fibres are caused to shrink; and the
improvements have for object to provide means of the character hereinafter
described for subjecting such fabrics to the action of the solution whilst under
tension.
To accomplish this and to carry out my improvements, I mount, upon a
suitable framing, a shaft; by preference horizontal, and turning in journals or
supports upon the framing, such shaft being screwed with threads of opposite
direction, to engage with screwed blocks or nuts, which when the shaft is
revolved, do not turn therewith, but are caused to travel along the length of the
same, as will be readily understood.
But in lieu of two screw threads and nuts I may, if desired, employ one only.
I also mount upon the shaft, so as to be capable of independently turning
thereon, two discs, or frames, by preference circular, and which may form the
sides of a drum or cylinder upon which the fabric to be treated is stretched.
These discs or frames are provided at their peripheries, with pins, clips, or other
means for holding the fabric in position; and the discs or frames are so mounted
that, as the blocks or nuts perform their lateral motion on the turning of the
shaft, the discs are forced apart or drawn together along with such blocks or
nuts. Where only one block or nut is employed, one of these discs or. frames
will not be laterally moved, the necessary adjustment being effected by the other.
As the discs or frames are forced apart, it will be seen that the fabric
stretched thereon is placed under tension, which may be varied to any desired
degree.
The apparatus described is mounted, in connection with a vessel containing
the alkali or other solution, in such manner that as the drum or cylinder is
revolved, the stretched fabric is brought into contact with such solution.
on
For this vessel I may substitute, after treatment, a vessel containing water
or other liquid, within which the stretched fabric may be washed
the drum being again revolved; or I may run off the alkali from the first vessel,"
and replace such alkali with water or other liquid for washing purposes.
I prefer to mount, in connection with the foregoing apparatus, a roller, which
is. caused to press upon the stretched fabric with adjustable pressure, whereby
the excess of liquid is, to some extent, squeezd out of the fabric.

page_text: Variations in detail may be made, such as in the design and material of the
various parts, without departing from the peculiar character of the invention.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1899.
An Improved Apparatus to be Employed in connection with the
Mercerisation of Cotton or other Fabrics.
T.
I, THOMAS PICKLES, of Cairo Mills, Burnley, Lancashire, 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:
The improvements relate to an apparatus. to be employed in connection with
what is known as the "mercerisation" of cotton, or other fabrics; that is to
say the treatment of such fabrics in a manner whereby, on the application of a
solution of caustic alkali, some of the fibres are caused to shrink; and the
improvements have for object to provide means of the character hereinafter
described for subjecting such fabrics to the action of the solution whilst under
tension.
To accomplish this and to carry out my improvements, I mount, upon a
suitable framing, a shaft, by preference horizontal, and turning in journals or
supports upon the framing, such shaft being screwed with threads of opposite
direction, to engage with screwed blocks or nuts, which when the shaft is
revolved, do not turn therewith, but are caused to travel along the length of the
same, as will be readily understood.
But in lieu of two screw threads and nuts I may, if desired, employ one only.
I also mount upon the shaft, so as to be capable of independently turning
thereon, two discs or frames, by preference circular, and which may form the
sides of a drum or cylinder upon which the fabric to be treated is stretched.
These discs or frames are provided at their peripheries with pins, clips, or other
means for holding the fabric in position; and the discs or frames are so mounted
that, as the blocks or nuts perform their lateral motion on the turning of the
shaft, the discs are forced apart or drawn together along with such blocks or
nuts. Where only one block or nut is employed, one of these discs or frames
will not be laterally moved, the necessary adjustment being effected by the other.
As the discs or frames are forced apart, it will be seen that the 'fabric
stretched thereon is placed under tension, which may be varied to any desired
degree.
:
The apparatus described is mounted, in connection with a vessel containing
the alkali or other solution, in such manner that as the drum or cylinder is
revolved, the stretched fabric is brought into contact with such solution.
For this vessel I may substitute, after treatment, a vessel containing water
or other liquid, within which the stretched fabric may be washed" on
the drum being again revolved: or I may run off the alkali from the first vessel,
and replace such alkali with water or other liquid for washing purposes..
I prefer to mount, in connection with the foregoing apparatus a roller, which
is caused to press upon the stretched fabric' with adjustable pressure, whereby
the excess of liquid is, to some extent, squeezed out of the fabric.
But that the improvements may be better understood 'I will, with the aid
of the accompanying drawings, proceed more fully to describe means employed
by me,

page_text: DESCRIPTION of Drawings..
Fig. 1 is a portion of a plan view, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, and
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of apparatus arranged in accordance with my improve-
ments.
The same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.
The shaft is mounted in and supported by the framing b. This shaft is
provided, as shown, with screw threads of opposite direction, for the purpose of
engaging with and operating the screwed blocks or nuts e, but which nuts when
the shaft is revolved do not turn therewith, by reason of the extensions c¹ passing
into slots in the framing b. It will therefore be seen that the nuts c are
caused to travel along the length of the shaft a when the latter is made to revolve
by means of the gearing a. d, d, are discs or frames freely mounted upon the
nuts c, and are thus capable of turning independently of the shaft a. A projec-
tion passing through one of the discs d, and a pulley to which the projection
aforesaid is connected are shown for enabling a rotary motion to be imparted
to such discs when desired. The discs are shown provided at their peripheries
with pins of the character used on the cylinders of carding engines, for holding
the fabric e in position, but clips or other suitable means situated on the peri-
pheries or sides of the discs, for holding the fabric, may be used.
On the turning of the shaft a, the nuts along with the discs & may be forced
apart for the purpose of placing the stretched fabric e under tension, which may
be varied to any desired degree. In the drawings, the discs are shown forced
apart- nearly to the fullest extent allowed by the apparatus.
These discs are mounted in connection with a vessel h containing the alkali
or other solution, which vessel, in the example shown, forms part of the framing b;
and it will be seen that as the drum revolves, the stretched fabric e may be
brought into contact with solution in the vessel h.
In connection with the foregoing apparatus I mount a roller upon the
framing ; which roller is caused to press upon the fabric with adjustable pres-
sure, whereby the excess of liquid is to some extent squeezed out of the fabric..
Means for controlling this pressure are not shown on the drawing.
In order to present a firmer resistance to the squeezing roller, the discs d are
shown provided at their outer edges with bars resting in slots and capable of
moving laterally therein.
Variations in detail may be made, such as the relative positions of the nuts c
and the discs d, the means adoped for preventing such nuts revolving with the
shaft a, and the methods by which the discs or drum d and the shaft a are
independently actuated, without departing from the peculiar character of the
invention.
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: —
In apparatus to be employed in connection with the mercerisation of cotton or
other fabrics under tension the combination of a shaft with screw threads thereon
of opposite direction, and of nuts riding upon such shaft but capable of lateral
motion only, with discs or frames moved in relatively opposite directions by
such nuts, to which discs, in addition, an independent rotary motion may be
imparted, for the purpose and in manner substantially as herein shown and
described.
Dated this 1st day of December 1899.
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.,
64, Barton Arcade, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.