Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 3rd June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 5th July, 1887
I, CYRUS ROLAND CRANE of Housatonic in the County of Berkshire and State of
Massachusetts United States of America Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows :-
My Invention relates to a power washing machine designed for use particularly in
various bleaching operations wherein fabrics are treated in continuous lengths; and
my Invention consists principally in washing the fabric by an alternate rinsing and
water expelling action in a series of tanks to which separate supplies of running water
are admitted. The Invention also consists in causing uniform upward currents of
water to pass through the tanks and in causing a broad discharge so that the fabric
will be uniformly acted upon by the water currents; and the Invention also consists
in feeding the fabric back and forth through the machine, whereby handling the fabric
during the washing process is avoided.
The machine is constructed with a long narrow tank separated by transverse partitions
to form a series of compartments or small tanks. At the bottom of each tank a forced
supply of water is admitted from the service pipe through the branch pipes. The
water thus admitted to each tank rises to a point near the top thereof where it is dis-
charged through overflow pipes, and in order to effect a uniform flow of water
through the tanks from the inlet to the over-flow, especially in the centre of each tank
where the fabric is subjected to the action of the water currents, I use a discharge of
considerable length, consisting in this instance of an elongated perforated rose or shell
placed over the entrance to the discharge pipes, thus preventing all eddying or
centralization of the water currents at any part of the tank, and to still further equalize
the currents of water in the tanks so the water will have uniform action upon all parts
of the fabric, I cause the water to be divided into small streams, and in this instance
and for this purpose I place a perforated false bottom in each tank under which the
water enters, and the entering water is spread as it enters over nearly the entire area
of the tank by a spreading device or hood. In this manner the fabric is subjected in
each tank to a uniform current-washing or rinsing action of clear water, the water
being continuously admitted to, and discharged from, each tank. There is a feed roller
at each end of the machine, and a transfer roller over each partition for transferring

page_text: the fabric from one tank to the other. These rollers are of uniform size and are
revolved at uniform speed from a driving shaft by means of bevelled gear. In operation
the fabric is fed back and forth through the machine, and washed many times without
handling, and without detaching it from the machine, and for this purpose the rollers
are reversed in their revolution in this instance by reversing the motion of the shaft.
This is readily done by means of a pair of belts, one of which is crossed while the
other is a straight one, so they will impart reverse motion to the shaft when shifted
respectively to run upon a pulley which is fast upon the shaft.
The belts are shipped simultaneously by the belt shipper, so that while one belt is
on its loose pulley, the other belt will run upon the fixed pulley and vice versa, and
thus reverse the action of the machine. When the belts both run upon the loose pulleys,
the machine will remain at rest.
In order to ensure the positive feed of the fabric and to press or squeeze the water
from the fabric as it passes from one tank to the other, and as it passes out of the
machine, the feed and transfer rollers are provided with rollers which are mounted
above them in the machine and press upon them.
With some fabrics, these pressure rollers will not be used, as the drawing of the
fabric over the rollers will sufficiently expell the water.
The pressure rollers are journaled in vertically sliding bearings which are constantly
pressed downward by springs, the pressure of which may be adjusted by screws fitted
in cross-pieces and which bear at their lower ends upon the springs so that by turning
the screws, the pressure upon the fabric may be easily regulated.
The tank is provided near the bottom with guide picces or rollers for submerging
the fabric, and for guiding the fabric from the bottom of the tank to the feed and
transfer rollers as the case may be, and above each guide piece or roller there is a
guide formed with a long narrow opening through which the fabric passes for keeping
the fabric central in the machine.
In operation the fabric is introduced at one end of the machine and several folds
permitted to accumulate in the first tank. Then the end of the fabric is passed under
the guide roller at the opposite corner of the tank, carried up through the guide and
passed over the transfer roller to the next tank. Here several folds are permitted to
accumulate, and then the end is passed under the guide roller and up through
the guide over the next roller to the next tank, and so on through the whole series
of tanks.
The rollers being of uniform size and revolved at a uniform speed the fabric will be
continuously fed through the machine and subjected in each tank to the currents of
clean water, and in passing over the rollers the water will be successively expelled
from the fabric previous to entering each tank. The fabric having passed through the
machine in one direction, the belts will be shifted and the rollers reversed and the end
of the fabric introduced at the opposite end of the machine and passed from tank to
tank and under the guide rollers in each tank, accumulation of the fabric being
permitted in each tank, the same as in the opposite action of the machine.
In this manner the fabric may be passed back and forth through the machine as
often as required to thoroughly cleanse it without the necessity of handling the goods
and without material delay, and the fabric is subjected for a considerable length of
time in each tank to a thorough rinsing action in forced currents of pure water, and
in passing over the transfer rollers, the water contained in the fabric is expelled so that
the water of one tank will not be contaminated by the water in the tank through which
the fabric has already passed, and this expulsion of the water greatly facilitates the
cleaning of the fabric.
C. R. CRANE.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Machine for Washing Fabrics.
1, CYRUS ROLAND CRANE of Housatonic in the County of Berkshire and State of
Massachusetts United States of America, 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:-
My Invention relates to a power washing machine designed for use particularly in
various bleaching operations wherein fabrics are treated in continuous lengths; and
my Invention consists principally in washing the fabric by an alternate rinsing and
water expelling action in a series of tanks to which separate supplies of running water
are admitted.
The Invention also consists in causing uniform upward currents of water to pass
through the tanks, and in causing a broad discharge so that the fabric will be uniformly
acted upon by the water currents.
The Invention also consists in feeding the fabric back and forth through the machine,
whereby handling the fabric during the washing process, is avoided.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
Specification, in which figure 1 is a side elevation of the washing machine, shewing
two of the series of tanks and a part of another, and shewing the water main or
service pipe in dotted lines. Figure 2 is a similar view of the opposite side of the
machine, shewing the waste water pipe in dotted lines. Figure 3 is a longitudinal
sectional elevation of the machine taken on the line x-x of figure 4, the dotted line w
indicating the fabric. Figure 4 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line y-y
of figure 2; and figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the spreaders or distributors
for spreading the water as it enters the bottom of each tank from the water supply pipe.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
A represents a long narrow tank separated by transverse partitions C to form a series
of compartments or small tanks B. At the bottom of each tank B a forced supply of
water is admitted from the service pipe D through the branch pipes E. The water
thus admitted to each tank B, rises to a point near the top thereof where it is discharged
through the overflow pipes F.
In order to effect a uniform flow of water through the tanks from the inlet to the
over-flow, especially in the centre of each tank where the fabric is subjected to the
action of the water currents, I use a discharge of considerable length consisting, in
this instance, of an elongated perforated rose or shell G placed over the entrance to
the discharge pipes F, thus preventing all eddying or centralization of the water
currents at any part of the tank; and to still further equalize the currents of water
in the tanks so that the water will have uniform action on all parts of the fabric, I
cause the water to be divided into small streams; and in this instance and for this
purpose, I place a perforated false bottom H in each tank B under which the water
enters, as will be understood from figure 4, and the entering water is spread as it

page_text: enters, over nearly the entire area of the tank, in this instance by a spreading device
or hood J, shewn in figures 4 and 5. In this manner the fabric is subjected in each
tank, to a uniform current washing or rinsing action of clear water, the water being
continuously admitted to and discharged from each tank.
At each end of the machine, is located a feed roller K and over each partition C is
located a transfer roller L for transferring the fabric from one tank B to the other.
These rollers K L are of uniform size and are revolved at a uniform speed from the
driving shaft M and the sets of bevelled gear wheels N O. In operation, the fabric
is fed back and forth through the machine and washed many times without handling
and without detaching it from the machine, and for this purpose the rollers K L are
reversed in their revolution in this instance, by reversing the motion of the shaft M
which is accomplished by shifting the two belts PQ on the pulleys RST. The belt P
is a crossed belt while the belt Q is a straight belt, so they will impart reverse motion
to the shaft M when shifted respectively to run upon the pulley S which is fast upon
the shaft. The pulleys R T are loose upon the shaft M and the belts P Q are shipped
simultaneously by the belt shipper U, so that while the belt Q is on the pulley T, the
belt P will run upon the pulley S and when the belt Q is shipped to the pulley S the
belt P will be shipped to the loose pulley R and thus reverse the action of the machine.
When the belts PQ'run upon the pulleys R T respectively, the machine will remain
at rest.
Upon the rollers.K L rest the rollers V which ensure the positive feed of the fabric
jand which press, or squeeze the water from the fabric as it passes from one tank to the
other and as. it passes out of the machine. With some fabrics, the rollers V will not
be used, as the drawing of the fabric over the rollers L will sufficiently expel the
water. The rollers V are journaled in vertically sliding bearings d which are constantly
pressed downward by the springs W, the pressure of which may be adjusted by the
screws W₁ fitted in the cross pieces W2 and which bear at their lower ends upon the
springs, as shewn clearly in figure 4, so that by turning the screws W₁ the pressure
upon the fabric may be easily regulated.
D1 D2 are guide pieces or rollers, located near the bottom of each tank B for
submerging the fabric and for guiding the fabric from the bottom of the tank to the
rollers K or L, as the case may be, and above each guide piece or roller D¹ D² is
secured a guide D³, formed with a long narrow opening d' through which the fabric
passes for keeping the fabric central in the machine.
In operation, the fabric is introduced at one end of the machine and several folds
permitted to accumulate in the first tank B. Then the end of the fabric is passed
under the guide roller D2 at the opposite corner of the tank, carried up through the
guide D³ and passed over the roller L to the next tank B. Here several folds are
permitted to accumulate, as shewn in dotted lines in figure 3, and then the end is
passed under the roller D2 and up through the guide D³ over the next roller to the
next tank, and so on through the whole series of tanks.
The rollers being of uniform size and revolved at a uniform speed, the fabric will
be continuously fed through the machine and subjected in each tank to the currents of
clean water and in passing over the rollers L, the water will be successively expelled
from the fabric previous to entering each tank. The fabric having passed through the
machine in one direction, the belts O P will be shifted and the rollers K L reversed
and the end of the fabric introduced at the opposite end of the machine and passed
from tank to tank and under the rollers D₁ in each tank, accumulation of the fabric
being permitted in each tank, the same as in the opposite action of the machine. In
this manner.
the fabric may be passed back and forth through the machine as often as
required to thoroughly cleanse it, without the necessity of handling the goods and
without material delay, and the fabric is subjected for a considerable length of time
in each tank to a thorough rinsing action in forced currents of pure water and in
.passing over the rollers L, the water contained in the fabric is expelled so that the
water of one tank will not be contaminated by the water in the tank through which
the fabric has already passed, and this expulsion of the water greatly facilitates the
cleaning of the fabric.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is-
1. The method of washing fabrics, consisting in subjecting them alternately to the
action of water currents and to a water expelling action in a series of tanks to which
separate water supplies are admitted.
2. A washing machine constructed to form several tanks to each of which a sub-
divided supply of water is admitted.
3. A washing machine constructed to form several tanks each having a water supply
and each formed with a broad overflow.
4. A washing machine constructed to form several tanks with feed mechanism for
moving the fabric through the machine combined with means for reversing the feed
mechanism and intermediate rollers.
5. A washing machine comprising a series of tanks provided with separate water
supplies and outlets combined with means substantially as described for continuously
feeding the fabric from one tank to the other, whereby the fabric may be treated in
continuous lengths and subjected to an alternate rinsing and wringing or water expelling
action, substantially as described.
6. A washing machine, comprising several tanks to which water is admitted and
feed rollers K and intermediate rollers L in combination with a shaft M and gearing
for revolving said rollers in either direction, substantially as described.
7. The series of tanks B provided with separate pipes E in combination with a
perforated distributor H for equalizing the upward currents of water in the tanks,
substantially as described.
8. The washing tanks B B provided with separate water supply pipes in combination
with elongated wastes G to prevent centralization of the water currents, substantially
as described.
9. The tank B provided with a water supply pipe E and elongated over-flow G in
combination with the perforated false bottom H and spreader J, substantially as
described.
10. A washing machine comprising a series of tanks B having separate water
supplies and rollers K, L, in combination with the rollers V arranged to press the
fabric upon the rollers K L, substantially as described.
11. The tanks B, each provided with guide rollers near the bottom and with the
guides D³ near the rollers K Li, in combination with said rollers and means for
operating them, substantially as described.
Dalth: 9-1 ...
T 1007
C. R. CRANE.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.