IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING YARNS, THREADS, OR ROPE, TO RENDER THEM WATERPROOF, AND TO IMPROVE THE SAME
Year: 1877

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LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Elkanah Healey, of Old Oak Cottage, Willesden
Junction, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING YARNS,
THREADS, OR ROPE, TO RENDER THEM WATERPROOF, AND TO IMPROVE THE
SAME
"
Sealed the 22nd March 1878, and dated the 3rd October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Elkanah Healey
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd October 1877.
ALFRED ELKANAH HEALEY, of Old Oak Cottage, Willesden Junction, London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING YARNS, THREADS, OR ROPE, TO RENDER THEM
WATERPROOF, AND TO IMPROVE THE SAME.”
This Invention has for its object improvements in treating spun fibre, such as
yarns, threads, or rope, to render them waterproof, and generally improve the same.
For this purpose I cause the yarns, threads, or rope (either in the form of primitive
yarns or section strands or otherwise) to pass through a solution of copperized
ammonia prepared as is now well understood; and after sufficient saturation, which
will vary according to the nature of the fibre and its strength and thickness, I lead
the strands or threads through elastic squeezers, and cause them to undergo circular
compression, or in some cases, it might be by a twisting operation, whereby cohesion
of the partially dissolved fibres shall be effected and the excess of solution taken up,
I then lead the
shall be evenly removed without flattening or injuring the fibre.
now copperized yarns into a chamber to be gently dried, after which it may be
wound upon bobbins or into balls, and placed aside to season, or it may be twisted
at once into the form and substance required, and then seasoned.
Any number of threads or strands may be treated at the same time.
The circular elastic compression may be obtained by tapering tubes or split
funnels (capable of revolution, if desired, for the purpose) by grooved rollers,
thick sheet india-rubber punctured or bored to give passage to the threads or
strands of yarn; or other means may be adopted for powerfully nipping and squeezing
the yarn.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Elkanah Healey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd
April 1878.
ALFRED ELKANAH HEALEY, of Old Oak Cottage, Willesden Junction, London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING YARNS, THREADS, OR ROPE, TO RENDER THEM
WATERPROOF, AND TO IMPROVE THE SAME.”
the same.
This Invention has for its object improvements in treating spun vegetable fibre,
such as yarns, threads, or rope, to render them water-repellent, and generally improve
For this purpose I cause the yarns, threads, or rope (either in the form
of primitive yarns or section strands or otherwise) to pass through a solution of
copperized ammonia prepared as is now well understood; and after sufficient
saturation, which will vary according to the nature of the fibre and its strength
and thickness, I lead the strands or threads through elastic squeezers,
and cause
them to undergo circular compression, or in some cases, it might be by a twisting
operation, whereby cohesion of the partially dissolved fibres shall be effected, and
the excess of solution taken up shall be evenly removed without flattening or
injuring the fibre. I then lead the now copperized yarns into a chamber to be
gently dried, after which it may be wound upon bobbins or into balls, and placed
aside to season, or it may be twisted at once into the form and substance required,
and then seasoned.
Any number of threads or strands may be treated at the same time.
:
The circular elastic compression may be obtained by tapering tubes or split
funnels (capable of revolution, if desired, for the purpose) by grooved rollers capable
of elastic screw pressure, thick sheet india-rubber or blocks of the same punctured
or bored to give passage to the threads or strands of yarn; or other means may be
adopted for powerfully nipping and squeezing the yarn.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed, I have shown the way in which I carry out
my Invention when several yarns or threads are treated with copperized ammonia
and afterwards twisted together into a rope.
Figure 1 shews a section of part of the apparatus used.
A is a bath containing a solution of copperized ammonia, prepared as heretofore,
when such a solution has been used for acting upon paper. Above the bath is
mounted a wheel carrying around its periphery bobbins B, B, containing the yarns
or threads. The yarns or threads or thin cords pass downwards into the solution
and through a puncture or hole in an india-rubber block C. Afterwards they pass
around a roller D and upwards to the top of the bath, here they again pass through
a puncture or hole in an india-rubber block E, and then pass into a drying chamber
which is heated by steam or otherwise. The roller D and india-rubber block C are
carried by a frame F, which can be raised to the top of the bath or held down in
the position, shewn at the bottom of the bath, by endless chains G. The upper
rollers over which the chains pass may be turned by any convenient means to
give motion to the chains, and so raise or lower the frame F.
When the frame is raised to the top of the bath fresh yarns or threads can readily
be passed through the elastic nipping block C and over roll D, and then through
block E, and their ends secured to the rollers or apparatus which is to draw them
forward. The fame is then lowered to the bottom of the bath, and remains in this
position whilst the thread, twine, or rope is being formed.
As the fibres pass downwards into the solution from the bobbins the wheel
carrying the bobbins is revolved, and the threads are thus twisted together and
amalgamated to form thread, twine of various thickness, or a rope. As the thread
or rope so formed passes through the elastic block C, the solution is squeezed into it,
to ensure that the solution shall penetrate to the interior of each of its strands. As
the rope leaves the bath and passes through the elastic block E, all excess of solution
is squeezed out from it and drops back into the bath, or may be intercepted by a
circular doctor, and carried away to a separate receptacle. It then passes around

page_text: a roller H, which has a continuous revolving motion given to it to draw the rope
forwards as it is formed. The rope is afterwards drawn forwards by revolving
rollers into the drying chamber I to be gently dried.
If yarns, threads, or already twisted twine or cord are to be separately treated
with the solution, such yarns or threads may be led downwards from bobbins into
the bath through the elastic block C over the rollers D, and up through the block E
to the drying chamber.
Any number of such yarns, threads, &c., may thus be treated at the same time, as
shewn at Figure 2.
The elastic blocks are each held between iron plates, as shown, and holes are
formed through the plates to give a free passage to the yarns.
In place of using blocks of india-rubber to give a circular elastic com-
pression to the yarn, such a compression may, as before stated, be obtained by
other means.
In some cases I may dispense with the external circular pressure and have resort
to powerful circumtorsion alone, which shall be sufficient effectually to wring out
and expel the excess solution. For example, I may form a cable by taking a main
strand already copperized, and tightly twisting around it several other strands drawn
out of the solution, provision being made for catching the drip as the rope or cable
becomes more and more tightly twisted.
Yarn, &c., treated as here described, will not absorb water to anything like the
extent to which water is absorbed by yarn, &c., not so treated.
The strength of the bath of copperized ammonia should be maintained by circulating
the solution by a suitably arranged inlet and outlet.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I claim the improvements
herein before described in treating yarns, threads, or rope, to render them waterproof,
and to improve the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Elkanah Healey, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
ALFRED ELKANAH HEALEY. (L.S.)