Improvements in or relating to the Process of Mercerising Vegetable Fibres or Textile Fabrics.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 14th Apr., 1898
Improvements in or relating to the Process of Mercerising Vegetable
Fibres or Textile Fabrics.
We, RICHARD THOMAS, of 110, Blumenthalstrasse, and EMMANUEL PREVOST, of
143, Peterstrasse, both in Crefeld, in the Empire of Germany, Dyers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
By treating vegetable fibre or textile fabric in a stretched condition by Mercer's
method or what is known as mercerising' a certain degree of gloss can already.
k
be imparted to the said fibre or fabric.
"
Now according to our present invention a higher degree of gloss may be obtained
if the fibre or fabric is submitted to pressure during its treatment by Mercer's
or
process during the washing out process but in any case before drying.
and
As the
Any suitable method or means may be employed to produce the stretched con-
dition of the fibre or fabric or put same under tension for the purposes of this
process. The fibre or fabric (which has shrunk owing to its treatment by Mercer's
process) may for example be tightly stretched by means of any suitable stretching..
appliances. It is however sufficient if the shrinking of the fibre or fabric is
prevented either wholly or in part whilst it is undergoing Mercer's treatment by
winding it firmly upon cops, bobbins, spools, drums, rollers or the like.
fibre or fabric has a strong tendency to shrink whilst it is undergoing Mercer's
treatment and as such tendency is opposed by the devices above named or in any
other suitable manner or by other suitable means a powerful internal tension must
be set up in this case also. That is to say directly the tendency of the fibre or
fabric to shrink is opposed to a greater or less extent by mechanical means á
condition of stretch or tension is always produced or the already shrunk fibre or
fabric may be stretched.
Now we have discovered that if pressure is employed before the drying of the
fibre or fabric the gloss so obtained is completely unaffected by washing and is
scarcely diminished (if at all) even by a lengthy boiling.
If the pressure is employed after the drying has taken place it is true that an
increased gloss may still be obtained but this is not "fast" or permanent and
disappears upon the material being made wet.
The pressure may be exerted either in places only (by the use of profiled or
shaped pressure cylinders for example) or upon the whole surface according as it
is desired to obtain either separate glossy parts or patterns or an entirely glossy
material.
In practically carrying out this invention the fibre or fabric is submitted to
simultaneous stretching and strong pressing action whilst it is undergoing
Mercer's treatment or washing out by any suitable means such as calanders, beating
or beetling mechanism, rollers or the like.
An almost equally high degree of gloss may be produced when the pressure is
exerted after the removal of the lye and even after the acid has been removed from

page_text: the fibre or fabric which has been treated by Mercer's process as the fibre or fabric
becomes so soft and impressionable during the process that it is highly susceptible
to pressure and adapted for the fixing of the compressing effect.
This effect disappears however if the pressure be applied only after the fibre or
fabric has become dry after being submitted to Mercer's treatment.
The above discovery gives rise to the supposition that the silky gloss produced by
the treatment of cotton in a stretched condition by Mercer's process is also
attributable to the internal pressure produced by the tension of the fibre or fabric
and therefore that it is "fast" or unaffected by washing only because it is at once
fixed by the pressing action whilst Mercer's treatment is taking place owing to
the special qualities of the fibre or fabric.
For the sake of example we have illustrated suitable machinery for carrying out
our present invention.
Fig. 1 is a view in elevation or perspective of such machine.
Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the course the fabric takes in passing through the
machine.
Fig. 3 shows the tension regulating device.
The mercerised goods are wound off the roller x pass downwards around the
roller & between the rollers d and e and then pass to the roller g upon which they
are wound..
..
Upon each side of the roller x a brake disc is arranged of known construction
by the agency of which the tension of the goods is attained. The pressure of the
goods is effected between the rollers d and c by the downward pressure of the
roller e obtained by means of the hand wheels f.
The manner of driving the rollers d and e and g can be clearly seen from the
drawing.
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 herein-described improvement in the process of treating vegetable fibre
< or fabric by Mercer's method under tension or with subsequent stretching out of
the shrunk fibre which consists in subjecting the fibre or textile fabric either
during or after mercerising but before drying to strong pressure either in places
only or upon its whole surface (by means of cylinders, calanders, beating or beetling
mechanism, for example) with the object of obtaining an augmented and at the
same time fast gloss or one unaffected by washing.
2. The herein-described improvement in the process of mercerising vegetable
fibres or textile fabrics which consists in putting the fibre or fabric under tension
so as to prevent shrinking while mercerising or in stretching out the fibre or fabric
if already shrunk by mercerising and subjecting such fibre or fabric while under
such treatment in this highly strained condition and before drying to strong
pressure either in places only or upon its whole surface substantially in the manner
and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
Tad this with dnce of Al 1907
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.