TrrOWN IN REDAOING "
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Blackburn, of Wandsworth Paper Mills,
Wandsworth, and William Lundi Duncan, of Vale Cottage, Putney
Valo for the Invention of "TrrOWN IN REDAOING
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Blackburn and
William Lundi Duncan at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 13th August 1855.
We, ROBERT BLACKBURN, of Wandsworth Paper Mills, Wandsworth, and
WILLIAM LUNDI DUNCAN, of Vale Cottage, Putney Vale, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BLEACHING" to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists of causing cloths or yarns to be moved in an ex-
tended state in the liquors employed in bleaching, in such manner that, the
several vessels required being contiguous to each other, the cloths or yarns
enter the liquor in the first, and circulate to and fro several times therein; the
cloths or yarns then pass into the liquor in the next vessel, and circulate several
times to and fro therein; the cloths or yarns then pass into the next vessel,
and circulate to and fro therein, and so on, in the succession of vessels used.
Thus, supposing four vessels to be used, it is preferred that the process should
be as follows:-In the first vessel would be formed a chlorine bath, in the

page_text: second an acidulated bath, in the third steam would be used, and in the fourth
water. The cloths or yarns are pieced up end to end, so as to have a considerable
length in the several vessels and under process at one time. In the several
baths are frames of rollers, under and over which the cloths or yarns are placed;
these frames of rollers are moved to and fro within the baths to cause the
cloths or yarns to be constantly shaken or changed in their position in the
baths; the shaking movement of the frames may not be always necessary. In
addition to the onward movement communicated to the cloths or yarns, press-
ing rollers are used to express the. fluid from the, cloths, or. yarns as they come
out of some of the baths. Other liquors than those mentioned may be employed,
but it is believed the arrangement of baths above spoken of is the best for the
purpose. In some cases it may be desirable to use an alkaline bath previous
to the chlorine bath, and in other cases it may not be necessary to use the
steam bath.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Blackburn and William Lundi Duncan in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 13th February 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
BLACKBURN, of Wandsworth Paper Mills, Wandsworth, and WILLIAM LUNDI
DUNCAN, of Vale Cottage, Putney Vale, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Robert Blackburn and William Lundi Duncan, Her special licence that
we, the said Robert Duncan and William Lundi Duncan, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Black-
burn and William Lundi Duncan, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN BLEACHING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Robert Blackburn and William Lundi Duncan, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,

page_text: and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Lundi Duncan, on behalf of
myself and the said Robert Blackburn, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention consists of causing cloths or yarns to be moved in an extended
state in the liquors employed in bleaching, in such manner that, the several
vessels required being contiguous to each other, the cloths or yarns enter the
liquor in the first, and circulate to and fro several times therein; the cloths or
yarns then pass into the liquor in the next vessel, and circulate several times
to and fro therein; the cloths or yarns then pass into the next vessel, and cir-
culate to and fro therein, and so on, in the succession of vessels used. Thus,
supposing four vessels to be used, it is preferred that the process should be as
follows: In the first vessel would be found a chlorine bath, in the second an
acidulated bath, in the third steam would be used, and in the fourth water.
The cloths or yarns are pieced up end to end, so as to have a considerable
length in the several vessels and under process at one time. In the several
baths are frames of rollers, under and over which the cloths or yarns are placed ;
these frames of rollers are moved to and fro within the baths to cause the
cloths or yarns to be constantly shaken or changed in their position in the
baths; the shaking movement of the frames may not be always necessary. In
addition to the onward movement communicated to the cloths or yarns,
pressing rollers are used to express the fluid from the cloths or yarns as they
come out of some of the baths. Other liquors than those mentioned may be
employed, but it is believed the arrangement of baths above spoken of is the
best for the purpose.
In some cases it may be desirable to use an alkaline
bath previous to the chlorine bath, and in other cases it may not be necessary
to use the steam bath.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will proceed to
describe more fully the manner of performing the same.
The forms of the vessels employed may be varied, but it is preferred 'that
they should be quadrangular, and about twelve feet high, where such a height
can be obtained conveniently, and they are covered in at top. The first vessel
is about twelve feet from front to back, separated by an upright partition, so as
to divide the vessel into two compartments, the one equal to about one-third,
and the other about two-thirds of the vessel. In each compartment there are

page_text: placed series of rollers, one series near the top and the other series near the
bottom of each compartment of the vessel. At the upper end of the first or
smaller compartment of the vessel there is a narrow opening through which
the fabrics or yarns enter, and they are guided into such opening by means of
two pressing rollers in front of such opening, by which the fabrics are kept
spread out and flat as they enter the opening. One, two, or more layers of
fabric may be thus conducted into the compartment, and over the first roller at
the upper part of such compartment. The fabric or fabrics or yarns then
descend and pass under a roller near the bottom of such compartment, and
then the fabric or fabrics or yarns ascend to the upper part of the first com-
partment and over the second roller, then down again under the next roller,
and in this manner the fabric or fabrics or yarns circulate or move to and fro
under five or other convenient number of rollers at the lower part of the com-
partment, and over six or other convenient number of rollers at the upper-part
of the first compartment. The fabric or fabrics or yarns then pass over the
upper part of the partition, between which and the cover there is a narrow
space, and then in like manner the fabrics circulate or move to and fro over
thirteen or other convenient number of rollers at the upper part of the
second compartment, and under twelve or other convenient number of rollers
at the lower part of the second compartment. The fabric or fabrics or yarns
then pass out of a narrow opening at the upper part of the end of the second
compartment, and pass between two pressing rollers, then under a weighted
roller, the axes of which can rise and fall so as to keep the fabric or fabrics or
yarns distended. The fabric or fabrics or yarns then pass over a guide roller,
and enter a narrow opening at the upper part of a third chamber or vessel, of
about the same size as the first compartment, and arranged with a like or other
convenient number of rollers at the upper and lower parts, over and under
which the fabric or fabrics or yarns circulate or move to and fro and pass out
between pressing rollers. From this third compartment or vessel the fabric or
fabrics or yarns pass at the upper part through a narrow opening, and thence
under a weighted roller, then enter at the upper part of a fourth vessel or
compartment, which is of about the same size as the first and second compart-
ments combined, and there are as many rollers at top and bottom as there are
in those two compartments, and the fabric or fabrics or yarns in passing out
from this fourth compartment are pressed between pressing rollers. And in
this manner the fabric or fabrics or yarns are bleached by a continuous
mechanical process, without being handled between process and processes.
We have in the above description stated the number of vessels or compart-
ments used for the several processes, but the number may be varied, and so

page_text: may
the dimensions of the parts be varied, and the positions and numbers of the
guiding rollers may also be varied, so long as the succeeding processes neces-
sary for bleaching are conducted by mechanically moving the fabric or fabrics
or yarns through a series of chambers to and fro on rollers by the movement of
the pressing or other rollers used, as herein explained. The bleaching liquids
or fluids used may be varied, and they are, except the steam (which pervades
its chamber), introduced to about one-third of the depth of the chambers or
vessels.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lundi Duncan, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
W. L. DUNCAN. (L.S.)