Improvements in Apparatus for Dyeing, Veneering, and Washing Hat Bodies.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 1st June, 1895
AYTONAU
Improvements in Apparatus for Dyeing, Veneering, and Washing
Hat Bodies.
We JAMES BOOTH and LOT THORNLEY of the Firm of Thornley & Booth of
The Boston Mills, Hyde, in the County of Chester, Hat Manufacturers, do hereby
declare tho nature of this invention to be as follows:-
the same.
Our said invention relates to apparatus: chiefly intended for use in dyeing hat
bodies, but also capable of application in the processes of veneering and washing
When dyeing and treating hat bodies for the indicated purposes, the
hát bodies require to be stirred and agitated so as to bring them more intimately
in contact with the liquid in the dyeing vessel or washing or veneering vat or
copper. This stirring and agitation is most usually done with a stick, the operator
lifting and stirring the bodies so as to separate them and thoroughly subject each
to the influence of the liquid. This employment of manual labour is of courset costly
and the operation is not always effective. To avoid this employment of manual
labour; other means of agitation have been proposed. For example steam has been
blown into the liquid so as to agitate it and cause currents, and the vessel-containing
the liquid and hat bodies has been rotated or shaken with the same objects. These
attempts have not however been very successful as the hat bodies tend to adhere
together and are not kept sufficiently diffused and distributed.
Our invention refers to the provision of mechanical means as a substitute for
manual labour in agitating and separating hat. bodies during the dyeing, veneering
or washing processes. Speaking broadly we use paddles, propellers or mixers,
which are placed in or over the dyeing vator receptacle in which the hat bodies
are treated, the said paddlés; propellors or mixers being actuated mechanically so
as to create a circulating current for currentslin the rat or receptacle! these paddles
on mixers at the same timesbreaking up the mass of hat bodies-and separating
them, so that each hat body is subjected to the full effects of: the dyeing or other
liquid:
Such an apparatus might take more than one form; but under-a-convenient
arrangement which we have devised; we providena dongitudinal vat filled with a
suitalile quantity of dye liquor for example. At one end of this vat, we place a
revolvable paddlerhaving any suitable number of floats, so long as the floats are
sufficiently far apart to break up and separate the mass of that bodies:-
At the other end of thetwat we arrange a paddle float wbich is operated by a
crank or other suitable mettust so as to dipinto and propel the liquid and hat bodies,
towards the paddle at the other end of the vat and at the same time to separate the
hat-bodies. The result of this is that a current is set up at the top of the liquid
travelling from one end of the vat to the other and carrying with it the hat bodies.
The natural tendency of the current of liquid under these conditions, aided by the
curved or inclined ends of the vat, is to return along the bottom of the vat, rising at
one end and descending at the other so as to create a constant circulation of the
whole contents of the vats. The revolving paddle and reciprocating dip. paddle
float break up and separate the hat bodies from each other so that each hat body is
thoroughly. subjected to the influence of the liquid in the vat. The paddles are
driven from any suitable source by belts or gearings or they may be otherwise
actuated: Instead of the reciprocating dip float; we might use a revolving paddle
similar to that at the other end of the vat or we might use two such reciprocating
PA

page_text: dip floats, or any other equivalent mechanical paddling or propelling or separating
means. The surface paddles or floats might be supplemented by additional current
creating or hat body separating means at or near the bottom of the vat.
The apparatus may be used for dyeing or washing purposes, or it might be used
in conjunction with existing processes for veneering hat bodies with short staple fur
or fur dust as now well understood by practical hatters.
Dated this 27th day of July 1894.
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.
Improvements in Apparatus for Dyeing, Veneering, and Washing
Hat Bodies.
We JAMES BOOTH and LOT THORNLEY of the Firm of Thornley & Booth of
The Boston Mills, Hyde, in the County of Chester, Hat Manufacturers, 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 and-accompanying drawings:
-
Our said invention relates to apparatus chiefly intended for use in dyeing hat
bodies, but also capable of application in the processes of veneering and washing
the same. When dyeing and treating hat bodies for the indicated purposes, the
hát bodies require to be stirred and agitated so as to bring them more intimately in
contact with the liquid in the dyeing vessel or washing or veneering vat or copper.
This stirring and agitation is most usually done with a stick, the operator lifting
and stirring the hodies so as to separate them and thoroughly subject each to the
influence of the liquid. This employment of manual labour, is of course costly and
the operation is not always effective.
To avoid this employment of manual labour, other means of agitation have been
proposed. For example steam has been blown into the liquid so as to agitate it and
cause currents; and the vessel containing the liquid and hat bodies, has been rotated
or shaken with the same objects. These attempts have not however been very
successful as the hat bodies tend to adhere together and are not kept sufficiently
diffused and distributed.
Our invention refers to the provision of mechanical means as a substitute for
manual labour in agitating and separating hat bodies during the dyeing, veneering
or washing processes. Speaking broadly we use paddles, propellors or mixers,
which are placed in or over the dyeing vat or receptacle in which the hat bodies are
treated; the said paddles, propellors or mixers being actuated mechanically so as to
create a circulating current or currents in the vat or receptacle, these paddles or
mixers at the same time breaking up the mass of hat bodies and separating
them; so that each hat body is subjected to the full effects of the dyeing or other
.liquid.
To render our said invention more fully understood we will now proceed to
describe the same particularly and with reference to the annexed sheet of illustrative
drawings.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a plan.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the apparatus at the reciprocating paddle float end of
the vat.
Fig. 4 is a cross section of the vat just in front of the revolving paddle.
We provide a longitudinal vat A. to contain the dyeing or washing liquid and the
hat bodies. This vat may be constructed of any suitable materials, for example of
wood or of wood lined with earthenware tiles.

page_text: 6
The bottom of the vat is preferably carved at the ends as shown in Fig. 1 so as
to assist the circulating current, but the mere form of the vat is not an essential of
our invention. To heat the contents of the vat we arrange a steam pipe d at or
near the bottom as shown. At one end of the vat we mount a revolvable paddle B
in bearings on the sides of the vat, the shaft of the paddle carrying a pulley by
means of which the paddle and shaft are revolved in the indicated direction. The
paddle B which may be made of any suitable material and shape (in the example
it is made of earthenware) dips into the contents of the bath and in revolving sets
up a current which flows towards the paddle at the top of the vat and in the
contrary direction at the bottom of the vat, the rounded end of the vat helping to
deflect and reverse the current. As the paddle revolves, the floats break up and
separate the mass of hat bodies in the dyeing or other liquid and turn them over so
as to subject them thoroughly to the action of the liquid.
At the other end of the vat we arrange a reciprocatory paddle float C carried on
a red g. The paddle float C may like the paddle D be of any suitable material
but like the paddle we prefer to make it of earthenware.
g
It is of a curved or spoon shape as shown in Fig. 1 so as to increase its liquid
propelling power. The rod y is jointed to a link which is centered to a bracket i
bolted to a platform ; which is secured to the end and side of the vat. The
platform j carries plummer blocks h in which revolves a shaft driven from the .
pulley m. On the inner end of the shaft we fix a crank n which is connected by
the dog o with the rod g. The result of this arrangement is that when the shaft
and crank are revolved in the indicated direction, the paddle float C is dipped into
the contents of the vat near the end and is swept through a curved path in the
direction of the revolving paddle the float being then lifted clear of the liquid and
returned above the surface to the starting point.
The crank n being slotted and the dog o being adjustable on the rod 9 and crank,
we are enabled to vary the stroke of the paddle float C. The current set up by the
revolving paddle is assisted and increased by the action of the paddle float, and in
addition the wash, swirl and eddy caused by the dipping strokes of the paddle float,
separate and roll over and thoroughly subject the hat bodies to the action of the
liquid so that our object is attained in the most complete and beneficial manuer
possible and with greater economy of time and labour than under the present
system. In the apparatus shown, a belt connects the pullies m and p so that the
crank shaft is driven from the paddle shaft e. In order to obtain the power of
imparting differential speeds at will to the revolving paddle B and paddle float C,
we might replace the pullies m and p with stepped cone pullies, so that by merely
shifting the belt on the steps of the cones the required differential speeds are
obtained.
We have particularly described and illustrated an apparatus which is at present
working satisfactorily but it will be evident that many of the nou-essential details
could be altered or modified without departing from our invention.
Instead of the reciprocating dip float C we might use a revolving paddle similar
to B or we might use two such reciprocating dip floats or any other equivalent
paddling, propelling or separating means. For instance we use one or more screw
blade propellors. The surface paddles, floats or propellors might be supplemented
by additional current creating or hat body separating means at or near the bottom
of the vat.
The apparatus may be used for dyeing or washing purposes or it may be used in
conjunction with existing processes for veneering hat bodies with short staple fur or
fur dust as is now well understood by practical hatters.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is.
(1) The improved apparatus for dyeing, veneering or washing hat bodies
11

page_text: (2) In apparatus of the indicated nature the combination of a vat such as A
with mechanically operated paddles, dip-floats, propellors, separators or mixers for
the purposes and substantially as described and partly illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
(3) The improved apparatus for dyeing, washing or veneering hat bodies and
consisting of a vat such as A in combination with a revolving paddle B and
reciprocating dip float Carranged and operating for the purposes and substantially
as hereinbefore described and shown.
(4) In apparatus of the indicated nature a revolving paddle such as B for the
purposes and substantially as described and shown.
(5) In apparatus of the indicated nature a reciprocating dip float such as C for
the purposes and substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 20th daw of A huil 1905
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.