AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROCESS OF DYEING HOSIERY GOODS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Rogers Ashwell, of New Basford, in the County of
Nottingham, Bleacher, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
PROCESS OF DYEING HOSIERY GOODS."
Sealed the 8th May 1877, and dated the 29th November 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Rogers Ashwell at the
Oflice of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th November 1876.
JOHN ROGERS ASHWELL, of New Basford, in the County of Nottingham,
Bleacher. "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROCESS OF DYEING HOSIERY Goods."
Hitherto in the dyeing of cotton and merino hosiery goods with indigo in an
ordinary blue vat it has been found impossible to secure an even tint.
This is due
to the rapid action of the air on the colour as soon as the goods are exposed to its
oxidizing action on their removal from the vat, the outer surfaces becoming dark
during the operation of wringing out the excess of dye liquor, and there ensues a
streaky and uneven colour consequent upon the irregular expression of the dye
Liquor.
To provide against this unsatisfactory result, which is given both by hand wring-
ing and when the goods are submitted to the centrifugal wringer, I propose to
proceed in the following manner: Supposing it to be required to dye stockings or
any hosiery fabric, I submit the goods to the dye liquor within a cage having a
closed wooden or iron bottom with solid sides, the upper portions of which
are perforated so as to allow free penetration of the liquor from the vat into
the cage.
The use of this construction of cage prevents the agitation of the goods within the
cage from stirring up the bottoms of the vat and so coming in contact with the
goods and acting injuriously upon them. Such a cage charged with hosiery goods
having been placed in the blue vat the goods are immersed in the liquor within the
cage for a suitable period and subjected from time to time to agitation as usual to
ensure the penetration of the dye into the mass. Or in place of using a cage I par-
tition the blue vat itself at such a distance down as will shut off the deposits from
the supernatant liquor, such partition having doors which can be closed when the
vat is in use. Having sufficiently immersed the goods I then fish up the stockings
or articles of hosiery and place them in the bite of a pair of adjacent elastic squeezing

page_text: rollers to which rotary motion is given. By this means the surplus dye liquor will
be rapidly and evenly removed from the goods before exposure to the action of the
air and the goods will be free from inequality of tint and an even color will be
obtained.
When necessary to perform the wringing operation at some distance from the blue
vat the goods are removed from the vat in detached quantities while immersed in
the liquor, and in this state they are taken to the elastic squeezing rollers and sub-
mitted thereto in such mauner as will avoid their unequal exposure to the oxidizing
action of the air.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said John Rogers Ashwell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th May
1877.
JOHN ROGERS ASHWELL, of New Basford, in the County of Nottingham,
Dyer. "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROCESS OF DYEING HOSIERY GOODS."
Hitherto in the dyeing of cotton and merino hosiery goods with indigo in an
ordinary blue vat it has been found impossible to secure an even tint.
This is due
to the rapid action of the air on the color so soon as the goods are exposed to its
oxidizing action on their removal from the vat, the outer surfaces becoming dark
during the process of wringing out the excess of dye liquor, and there ensues
a streaky and uneven color consequent upon irregular expression of the dye
liquor.
To provide against this unsatisfactory result, which is given both by hand
wringing and when the goods are submitted to the centrifugal wringer, I propose
to proceed in the following manner :-Supposing it to be required to dye stockings
or any other hosiery fabric I submit the goods to the dye liquor within a cage
similar to that shown in the accompanying Drawing, where Fig. I is a vertical
section of the cage immersed in the dye liquor and supported by poles which rest on
the sides of the dye vat, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cage. The bottom of the
cage consists of a polygonal box of wood A which is connected by vertical bars B to
a metal rim C which is pierced to allow of the supporting poles D, D, running through
The spaces between the box A and the rim C is enclosed by wire gauze E, or it
may be pierced sheet metal, which will retain the goods in the cage and allow the
free access of dye liquor thereto.
it.
The use of this construction of cage prevents the agitation of the goods within the
cage from stirring up the deposit at the bottom of the vat and so coming in contact
with the goods and acting injuriously upon them. By placing the cage charged
with hosiery goods in the blue vat, as shown in Fig. 1, the goods will be immersed in
the liquor; here they are subjected to agitation as usual to ensure the penetration
of the dye into the mass; or in place of using a cage, I partition the blue vat itself
at such a distance down as will shut off the deposit from the supernatant liquor,
such partition having doors which can be closed when the vat is in use. When
submitted for a suitable time to the dye liquor the stockings or other articles of
hosiery are to be fished up and placed in the bite of a pair of adjacent clastic
squeezing rollers similar to those shown in sectional elevation at Fig. 3. Rotary
motion being given to these rollers the surplus dye liquor will be rapidly and evenly
removed from the goods before exposure to the action of the air; thus the goods
will be free from inequality of tint, and by a repetition of the dyeing and squeezing
process an even colour of any desired depth will be obtained.
When it is more convenient to perform the wringing operation at some distance
from the blue vat the goods are removed from the vat in detached quantities in a
vessel charged with dye liquor from the vat. In this case also they are submitted
to the elastic squeezing rollers in such manner as will avoid their unequal ex-
posure to the oxidizing action of the air.

page_text: The mode of carrying out the improved process of dyeing hosiery goods I will
now proceed to explain in detail :-As a preparation for dycing, the goods are scoured
or thoroughly wetted, and they are then passed through the hydro-extractor.
While yet wet, they are straightened out and taken to the vat, where the cage being
already lowered into the indigo dye liquor the goods are immersed within the same
and stirred up until the penetration of the dye is complete; this will take in general
about ten minutes. The goods are then removed. By preference I quickly transfer
them to a small box held to the edge of the vat and containing dye liquor sufficient
to cover them. While thus submerged they are carried and placed in the nip of the
squeezing rollers; or the box may be lowered into the cage and the goods placed
therein with a dyer's stick under the surface of the dye liquor. The box thus
charged is carried to the rollers where the goods are fished out one by one by hand
and passed between the elastic rollers to squeeze out the surplus dye liquor. After
"
this operation the goods are exposed to the air. They may then be rinsed in water,
soured," i. c., dipped in weak acid, again rinsed with water and dried. If required
the goods may be scoured before being "finished."
The process from immersion in dye liquor to exposure to air is repeated in this
order until the desired depth of tint is obtained. In preparing the dye liquor, from
one-tenth of a pound to 01501. of indigo will be used to cach gallon of water
employed.
Having now set forth the nature of iny Invention of "An Improvement in the
Process of Dyeing Hosiery Goods," and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim in dyeing hosiery goods with indigo, the treatinent of the same in
and on their leaving the dye vat in the manner above described, whereby I am
enabled to ensure an even blue tint in the goods.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Rogers Ashwell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven
JNO. R. ASHWELL.
HWELL. (L.S.)